MacRumors

Despite mocking the display notch when it first appeared on the iPhone X, Samsung's opinion of notches appears to have swung from one extreme to the other as the company now thinks they don't look so bad on tablet devices either.

Spotted by 91Mobiles, the picture above briefly appeared on a Samsung support page for Bixby and shows the notched design of the upcoming Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra, the company's next flagship Android tablet. Notches on Samsung smartphones have appeared in the past, but this is the company's first flagship tablet device to feature one.

The small cutout sits at the top of the display when in landscape orientation, and is said to house two 12-megapixel selfie cameras, with the second sensor potentially being ultra-wide for group selfies. Presumably either Samsung has prioritized ultra-slim bezels which don't provide enough space to house the cameras, or the company has chosen to locate them prominently in a notch as a form of visual branding.

Coincidentally, the notched screens look vaguely reminiscent of the displays on Apple's latest 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, except the cutout always stays at the top of the screen on Apple's Macs, whereas on a tablet the notch will switch location depending on the held orientation.

Apple has worked to reduce the size of the notch on successive smartphone models, and is expected to replace it completely in the iPhone 14 Pro in favor of hole-punch and pill-shaped cutouts in the display. As for Apple's tablets, the company has completely avoided notches on its iPad Pro models by hiding the camera sensors in the bezel, and for devices where it has been unable to do the same with Face ID sensors, it has opted for Touch ID in the power button instead, such as in the iPad mini 6.

For what it's worth, MacRumors has seen concept renders of alleged future iPads with a notch located at the top of the display when the device is held in portrait orientation. Apart from the fact that the sources were not reliable, we don't expect Apple to adopt a tablet design that encroaches on what is already an unobstructed display. Apple has also likely factored in the different use cases for iPads, with users switching the screen orientation of a tablet more often than they do with a smartphone.

The Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is said to have a 14.6-inch OLED display with an under-screen fingerprint sensor, a 120Hz refresh rate and a resolution of 2,960 x 1,848. The Android tablet is also expected to feature up to 16GB of RAM, up to 512GB of storage, S Pen stylus support, and optional 5G support.

The Ultra device is thought to be the top-tier device in a three tablet lineup that includes the Tab S8 and Tab S8 Plus, all of which could appear alongside Samsung's new Galaxy S22 smartphone series at a rumored launch event next month.

Apple is now requiring that customers in the United States verify that they're active students, teachers, or staff members at an educational institution in order to access education discounts on products.

Previously, little verification was needed for customers to purchase products through Apple's education store in the United States. Apple's education stores offer models of the iPad and Mac at reduced price points, making them more affordable to students, teachers, and staff who will use them for education purposes.

As the store was accessible to all, some customers may have used it even if they weren't an education customer, which likely led Apple to implement tighter rules for its U.S. store.

As spotted on Reddit, Apple in the United States now requires that current students, teachers, and staff members verify their eligibility for education discounts through UNiDAYS. UNiDAYS is a website specialized in providing education customers with discounts for products and services by confirming their enrollment in an educational institution.

Apple had previously implemented the same approach to its education store in other countries, such as India and the United Kingdom. At the time of writing, Apple's Canadian education store remains open, with customers able to purchase discounted products without the need to verify eligibility through UNiDAYS.

Apple today reduced the estimated maximum dollar amounts that customers can receive when trading in several different Android smartphones for an iPhone. Apple also adjusted trade-in values for certain iPad and Mac models.

On its website, Apple displays the highest possible amount a customer can get when trading in a specific device for an Apple product, such as an iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple Watch. The listed prices only represent the highest possible value, with the final trade-in value dependent on factors such as the condition of the device.

Today's price reductions for Android smartphones are notable, with some more significant than others (price reflects maximum value and prices in brackets are previous prices).

The changes to Mac and iPad prices are listed below.

More information on Apple's trade-in program can be found on its website.

Over the weekend, we reported on a bug in WebKit's implementation of a JavaScript API called IndexedDB that can reveal your recent browsing history and even your identity, according to browser fingerprinting service FingerprintJS.

Apple has since prepared a fix for the bug, according to a WebKit commit on GitHub, but the fix will not be available to users until Apple releases macOS Monterey, iOS 15, and iPadOS 15 updates with an updated version of Safari. Apple declined to comment when asked to provide a timeframe for a fix being released to the public.

The bug allows any website that uses IndexedDB for client-side data storage to access the names of IndexedDB databases generated by other websites during a user's browsing session. The bug could allow one website to track other websites the user visits in different tabs or windows, as the database names are often specific to each website, and sometimes the database names contain user-specific identifiers that could reveal a user's identity.

FingerprintJS has a live demo of the bug, which affects newer versions of browsers using Apple's open source browser engine WebKit, including Safari 15 for macOS and Safari on all versions of iOS 15 and iPadOS 15. The bug also affects third-party browsers like Chrome and Edge on iOS 15 and iPadOS 15, as Apple requires all iPhone and iPad browsers to use WebKit.

The bug does not affect Safari 14 for macOS or any browser on iOS 14 and iPadOS 14, according to FingerprintJS, which has a blog post with more details.

Apple accessory maker Mophie this week debuted its newest product, a MagSafe-Compatible 3-in-1 Travel Charger that can be purchased directly from Apple's online store.

The fold-up 3-in-1 Travel Charger has dedicated spaces for charging the iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods. It is listed as a MagSafe-compatible charger, but Mophie says that it's Made for MagSafe certified and is able to charge an ‌iPhone‌ 12 or ‌iPhone‌ 13 at up to 15W, much like Apple's own ‌MagSafe‌ Charger.

All ‌iPhone‌ 12 and 13 models with the exception of the ‌iPhone‌ 12/13 mini are able to charge at 15W using the ‌MagSafe‌ charging spot, and the mini will charge at up to 12W. ‌iPhone‌ 11 and earlier models will be limited to 7.5W.

Mophie says that the charger is using Apple's official components and has gone through the MFI process, so the hardware included can charge the ‌iPhone‌ 12 and 13 at the fastest wireless speeds possible.

Many of the "MagSafe-compatible" chargers on the market are using magnets to connect to ‌MagSafe‌ iPhones but aren't equipped with Apple's hardware and are limited to 7.5W charging, which can make charging terminology confusing. That does not appear to be the case with the new Travel Charger, based on what Mophie has said.

Along with a MagSafe-compatible wireless charger, there are dedicated AirPods and Apple Watch chargers that can provide up to 5W, and an included USB-C wall adapter that provides 30W. Mophie is also shipping the Travel Charger with a carrying case that is able to hold all of the components and the power adapter.

The 3-in-1 Travel Charger is designed to fold up into thirds for portability, making it easy to tuck in a suitcase or backpack on a trip. It is functionally similar to Apple's ‌MagSafe‌ Duo, but includes three charging spots instead of two.

Mophie's 3-in-1 Travel Charger is available from the online Apple Store starting today, and it will be in retail locations in February.

Belkin today came out with a new $60 MagSafe Charger, which offers MagSafe charging speeds and adds an additional feature -- a built-in kickstand.

Available in black or white from the online Apple Store, the Boost Charge Pro Portable Wireless Charger Pad With ‌MagSafe‌ offers 15W charging speeds for most iPhone 12 and 13 models. The exception is the ‌iPhone‌ 12 and 13 mini, which max out at 12W with ‌MagSafe‌.

Belkin is one of the only Apple accessory companies that has been able to release ‌MagSafe‌ accessories that are using Apple's actual ‌MagSafe‌ standard. Most of the magnetic accessories on the market are "MagSafe-compatible" and are limited to 7.5W charging because ‌MagSafe‌ is only available via hardware supplied by Apple, similar to how the Apple Watch charging pucks work.

The Boost Charge Pro Wireless Charger works exactly like Apple's ‌MagSafe‌ charger, adhering to compatible ‌MagSafe‌ iPhones using magnets. It also features an extra long braided cable that's two meters in length, and it has a pop-up stand that can hold the ‌iPhone‌ upright for watching video content and making FaceTime calls.

At $60, Belkin's ‌MagSafe‌ Charger is $20 more expensive than Apple's own MagSafe Charger, but the built-in kickstand and longer braided cable length may be appealing to some. The Boost Charge Pro Wireless Charger can be purchased from the online Apple Store or directly from the Belkin website.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Belkin. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Apple today released a new 4C170 firmware update for the AirPods 3, an update from the prior 4C165 that was made available in December.

Apple does not offer details on what's included in new firmware updates for the AirPods‌, so we don't know what improvements or bug fixes the new firmware brings.

There is no standard way to upgrade the ‌AirPods‌‌ software, but firmware is generally installed over-the-air while the ‌‌AirPods‌‌ are connected to an iOS device. Putting the ‌‌‌‌‌AirPods‌‌‌‌‌ in the case, connecting the ‌‌‌‌‌AirPods‌‌‌‌‌ to a power source, and then pairing the ‌‌‌‌‌AirPods‌‌‌‌‌ to an iPhone or an iPad should force the update after a short period of time.

You can check your ‌‌‌AirPods‌‌ firmware by following these steps:

• Connect your ‌‌AirPods‌‌ or ‌‌‌‌AirPods Pro‌‌‌‌ to your iOS device.
• Open the Settings app.
• Tap General.
• Tap About.
• Tap ‌‌‌‌‌AirPods‌‌‌‌‌.
• Look at the number next to "Firmware Version."

If we find notable changes after the firmware update is installed, we'll share details, but the software likely focuses primarily on performance improvements and bug fixes rather than new features.

U.S. bills that would require major changes to the App Store would ultimately cause consumers to be targeted with malware, ransomware, and scams, Apple's Senior Director of Government Affairs Timothy Powderly said in a letter that was sent today to the Senate Judiciary Committee and that was obtained by MacRumors.

Apple sent the letter as the Judiciary Committee prepares to consider the American Innovation and Choice Online Act and the Open Markets Act, which were first introduced in June 2021. The American Innovation and Choice Online Act will be examined first, and if implemented, would prevent "dominant platforms" from "abusing their gatekeeper power" by favoring their own products and services over those of competitors.

In short, the legislation would enable sideloading, which Apple is stringently against. Sideloading would allow apps and content to be installed on iPhones and iPads through alternate app stores, bypassing Apple's App Store and the privacy measures that Apple has put in place.

Apple says that bills would "hurt competition and discourage innovation" by making it "much harder" to protect the privacy and security of personal devices in the United States.

These bills will reward those who have been irresponsible with users' data and empower bad actors who would target consumers with malware, ransomware, and scams. [...]

The bills put consumers in harm's way because of the real risk of privacy and security breaches. In addition to making privacy and security protections nearly impossible to defend, the bills would actually allow predators and scammers to side-step Apple's privacy and security protections completely. This circumvention is possible because the bills would mandate "sideloading," or the direct installation of software from the internet in a way that circumvents the privacy and security protections Apple has designed, including human review of every app and every app update.

Apple claims it would also be restricted from providing new privacy and security protections under wording that maintains such features must be "necessary" and "narrowly tailored," which the company says is a "nearly insurmountable test" that could prevent customers from having access to a "smart mobile device that provides them with the highest-level of security and privacy protection."

The ‌App Store‌ and Apple's human review process protect customers from "malicious and dangerous code," and consumers would lose that protection should these bills be implemented. In the letter, Apple again highlighted a study that showed iOS devices have 98 percent less malware than Android devices as proof of the effectiveness of the ‌App Store‌.

Apple says that the bill would be a "big win for those who would profit by collecting even more personal information," and that "millions of Americans" could be deceived into installing unwanted malicious software and would suffer preventable malware attacks. Regulators "should not ignore" the benefits that consumers receive from Apple.

Among other things, the bills would undo much of the progress Congress has made bolstering American competitiveness, rebuilding supply chains, and encouraging domestic manufacturing by instead codifying a structural advantage for foreign competitors in the vibrant technology sector.

At the launch of iPhone in 2007, Steve Jobs said that "we're trying to do two diametrically opposed things at once: provide an advanced and open platform to developers while at the same time protect iPhone users from viruses, malware, privacy attacks, etc. This is no easy task."

Apple is urging the Senate Judiciary Committee not to approve either act that's under consideration in their current form, and the company asks for the opportunity to work with the Committee to find solutions to "address competition concerns while protecting consumers' privacy and security."

Verizon and AT&T's upcoming rollout of new C-Band 5G technology could cause chaos and lead to widespread delays of passenger and cargo flights, major U.S. airlines said on Monday in a letter sent to the White House National Economic Council, the FAA, and the FCC (via Reuters).

"Unless our major hubs are cleared to fly, the vast majority of the traveling and shipping public will essentially be grounded," read the statement, penned by CEOs of American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, UPS Airlines, Alaska Air, Atlas Air, JetBlue Airways, and FedEx Express. More than 1,100 flights could be cancelled, diverted, or delayed, stranding over 100,000 passengers, and airlines have called for "immediate intervention."

The Federal Aviation Administration has claimed that interference from the C-Band 5G could affect airplane altimeters, impacting operations in poor weather conditions. The FAA has already implemented buffer zones around 50 major airports with wireless transmitters close to runways, but the airlines have said that this is not enough and are asking for C-Band 5G to be restricted in a two mile area around airport runways at affected locations.

According to the letter, the FAA has not cleared some of the airports that are "used by most of the traveling and shipping public," which is going to cause significant delays when C-Band spectrum goes live tomorrow.

Given the short time frame and the exigency of this completely avoidable economic calamity, we respectfully request you support and take whatever action necessary to ensure that 5G is deployed except when towers are too close to airport runways until the FAA can determine how that can be safely accomplished without catastrophic disruption.

AT&T and Verizon have been planning to deploy C-Band spectrum to improve their 5G networks since December, but have faced multiple delays due to objections from the FAA and FCC. The two companies last agreed to delay the rollout until January 19, to give airlines more time to prepare to ensure fewer disruptions to air operations.

The two carriers paid billions of dollars for the C-Band spectrum to bolster their 5G networks, and have ensured customers that improvements are coming soon. Verizon last week announced plans to expand 5G Ultra Wideband technology to more than 1,700 cities in the U.S. using the spectrum, and the two carriers are reluctant to agree to further delays.

In response to the letter from the airlines, the FAA said that it "will continue to ensure that the traveling public is safe as wireless companies deploy 5G. The FAA continues to work with the aviation industry and wireless companies to try to limit 5G-related flight delays and cancellations."

Verizon and AT&T this morning said that they will voluntarily delay turning on a limited number of 5G towers to address the aviation industry's concerns. AT&T said that it is frustrated by the FAA's lack of action, given the time the agency has had to prepare.

We are frustrated by the FAA's inability to do what nearly 40 countries have done, which is to safely deploy 5G technology without disrupting aviation services, and we urge it to do so in a timely manner.

At the current time, it seems C-Band spectrum will indeed begin rolling out on January 19 as planned, but areas around some airport runways will not be activated at this time to avoid signal interference.

Aerial, the popular open-source screen saver that lets you play Apple TV screen saver videos on Mac, has received an annual update that brings some notable new features and possibilities opened up by macOS Monterey.

First up, Aerial 3 brings full support for all the videos that tvOS 15 brought to Apple TV, including Grand Canyon and Patagonia, but also the latest Iceland and Scotland videos that Apple released a few weeks back.

In addition, Aerial 3 introduces an overhauled interface to simplify previously complex tasks. At the center of this redesign is a new "Now Playing" menu that lets users easily make playback selections based on location, favorites, times, scenes, and sources.

Staying on the topic of sources, thanks to improvements made by Apple in macOS Monterey, Aerial 3 also includes perhaps its most-awaited feature – the ability to store downloaded videos in a custom location, whether that's an internal drive, an external drive, or even a network-shared storage device. In the latter scenario, multiple users on the same machine can also share the same cache.

Meanwhile, there are several improvements to custom video overlays, including more options for weather forecasts (with support for wind and humidity), more formats for clocks and dates, and perhaps most notably, support for Apple Music and Spotify to show which track is playing in the background.

Lastly, among other improvements, this version adds support for vertical displays and the ability to slow down or speed up videos.

In conjunction with Aerial 3's release, Josh Michael and Hal Bergman, who gifted 20 videos to the project last year, have released over four hours of video filmed in Monterey, New York and around American Southwest for purchase. The production process was reworked so that the content fits with Apple's official aerials, making them slower-paced and longer so they feel just right.

You can download Aerial 3 for free from the Aerial webpage, or use the direct download option on Github.

Following a deal on the MacBook Air this morning, now we're tracking a new offer on Apple's 24-inch M1 iMac. Amazon has the 8-Core GPU, 256GB model for $1,399.00, down from $1,499.00.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

This price is available in Silver, Green, and Orange, and all models are in stock and ready to ship from Amazon today. Today's sale is also a match of the lowest price we've ever tracked on the M1 iMac, and B&H Photo has the same prices on the same colors.

You can also get the 7-Core GPU, 256GB M1 iMac on sale this week, available for $1,249.00, down from $1,299.00. This model is available in Silver, Blue, Green, and Pink on Amazon.

You can keep track of ongoing sales on Apple's iMac line by visiting our Best iMac Deals guide. There, we keep track of the best iMac offers from Amazon, Adorama, B&H Photo, and other retailers, so be sure to check back often if you're shopping for an iMac for the first time, or thinking of upgrading.

Apple's strict environmental goals are putting pressure on the company's global supply chains, DigiTimes reports.

In a paywalled report, ‌DigiTimes‌ claims that Apple's goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2030 is putting pressure on its supply chain, with major suppliers such as TSMC scrambling to meet the company's demands. Sources speaking to ‌DigiTimes‌ said that TSMC was making slow progress toward carbon neutrality and is being forced to take more assertive action to reach its environmental goals.

TSMC supplies all of Apple's custom silicon chips for the Apple Watch, iPhone, iPad, and Mac. The company is said to be concerned about the high cost of achieving net-zero carbon emissions and is finding it difficult to purchase enough green energy. Despite this, TSMC now sees its green credentials as key to its ability to stay competitive in the years ahead, with the tangential benefit of improving efficiency.

Just as Apple is compelling its suppliers to save energy and reduce carbon emissions, TSMC is putting the same pressure on its own supply chain. Several hundred factories in Taiwan singularly depend on TSMC for orders and the chip manufacturer has urged its suppliers to reduce their carbon footprint by using energy from renewable sources.

TSMC previously announced a 20 percent energy-savings goal for its supply chain by 2030, and now it has warned suppliers that they could lose orders if their processes are not considered to be green enough in the future. Some of the chip maker's suppliers that are themselves struggling to meet environmental goals have reportedly sought assistance from TSMC and external organizations.

While demand for TSMC's chips continues to expand, the push for green manufacturing and renewable energy procurement and the cost of carbon taxes and fees is significantly increasing production costs. As such, environmental goals are said to be "major risks" for TSMC's operations going forward.

Amazon has Apple's M1 MacBook Air on sale this week, with all in stock and ready to ship today. You can save up to $100 on these 2020 notebooks, and you'll find the 256GB model matching its holiday season price tag.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Prices start at $899.00 for the 256GB model, down from $999.00, and available colors are Space Gray, Silver, and Gold. This isn't the lowest we've ever seen the 256GB model go, but it's one of the more consistent deals on this model over the past few months.

You can get the 512GB model for $1,149.00, down from $1,249.00. This is the same price we saw around the holidays, and all three colors are again available on Amazon.

You can find even more discounts on other MacBooks by visiting our Best Deals guide for MacBook Pro and MacBook Air. In this guide we track the steepest discounts for the newest MacBook models every week, so be sure to bookmark it and check back often if you're shopping for a new Apple notebook.

Microsoft today announced that it will purchase the game studio Activision Blizzard, the maker of hit games such as Call of Duty, Candy Crush, World of Warcraft, and more, for almost $70 billion. Microsoft says this purchase will help it "bring the joy and community of gaming to everyone, across every device."

The seismic purchase for Microsoft will see several of Activision's games move to Xbox Game Pass, Microsoft's gaming subscription service.

The acquisition also bolsters Microsoft's Game Pass portfolio with plans to launch Activision Blizzard games into Game Pass, which has reached a new milestone of over 25 million subscribers. With Activision Blizzard's nearly 400 million monthly active players in 190 countries and three billion-dollar franchises, this acquisition will make Game Pass one of the most compelling and diverse lineups of gaming content in the industry. Upon close, Microsoft will have 30 internal game development studios, along with additional publishing and esports production capabilities.

Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass is available on the iPhone and iPad through Safari, but not the App Store. While Apple does allow all-in-one gaming subscription services to be on the platform, every game offered on the service must be submitted individually for approval through the ‌App Store‌ review process.

Apple's equivalent games subscription service to Xbox Game Pass is Apple Arcade. Launched in 2019, ‌Apple Arcade‌ has continued to add new games to its catalog for users to play across the ‌iPhone‌, ‌iPad‌, Mac, and Apple TV. The purchase of Activision and the addition of more hit games to Xbox Game Pass may put more pressure on Apple to bolster ‌‌Apple Arcade‌‌'s offerings.

Apple today filed unreleased iPhone and iPad models in the Eurasian Economic Commission database, as spotted by French blog Consomac.

The filings likely represent the rumored third-generation iPhone SE, fifth-generation iPad Air, and potentially more. The unreleased iPhone models have the identifiers A2595, A2783, and A2784, while the unreleased iPad models have the identifiers A2588, A2589, A2591, A2696, A2757, A2759, A2761, A2766, and A2777.

Eurasian Economic Commission filings like these have foreshadowed the release of new Apple products on numerous occasions over the years, including several Mac, iPhone, iPad, iPad Pro, Apple Watch, and AirPods models. The filings are legally required for any devices that offer encryption sold in Russia and select other countries.

The third-generation iPhone SE is expected to have the same design as the current iPhone SE, including a 4.7-inch display. Key new features rumored for the device include the same A15 Bionic chip as iPhone 13 models and 5G support.

The fifth-generation iPad Air is expected to adopt features from the sixth-generation iPad mini, including an A15 Bionic chip, 12-megapixel Ultra Wide front camera with Center Stage support, 5G for cellular models, and Quad-LED True Tone flash.

iPhones accounted for around one-fifth of all smartphone shipments in the fourth quarter of 2021, allowing Apple to reclaim first place as the biggest smartphone vendor, according to a report from Canalys.

Canalys estimates that the iPhone accounted for 22 percent of worldwide smartphone shipments in the fourth quarter of 2021. The scale of Apple's shipments is thanks to strong demand for the ‌iPhone‌ 13 lineup, which launched in September last year. Canalys analyst Sanyam Chaurasia said:

Apple is back at the top of the smartphone market after three quarters, driven by a stellar performance from the iPhone 13. Apple saw unprecedented iPhone performance in Mainland China, with aggressive pricing for its flagship devices keeping the value proposition strong. Apple's supply chain is starting to recover, but it was still forced to cut production in Q4 amid shortages of key components and could not make enough iPhones to meet demand. In prioritized markets, it maintained adequate delivery times, but in some markets its customers had to wait to get their hands on the latest iPhones.

Apple reclaimed first place from Samsung, which had reigned as the top smartphone vendor in the previous quarter. Samsung fell slightly short of Apple's shipments with a market share of 20 percent. Xiaomi retained its third-place position with 12 percent share of shipments.

Overall smartphone shipments grew just one percent globally due to supply chain issues, but supply chain disruption primarily affected low-end vendors rather than titans such as Apple. Canalys also noted that it may be several years before component manufacturers are able to sufficiently increase their production capacity to meet demand. Industry bottlenecks are not expected to ease until the second half of 2022.

While supply chain constraints cost Apple $6 billion in the fourth fiscal quarter of 2021, the company's supply chain is now firmly recovering as it prepares for a slate of new product launches this year.

Telecom giant Ericsson has filed another set of patent infringement lawsuits against Apple in a long-running dispute between the two companies over royalty payments for the use of 5G wireless patents in iPhones.

In 2021, both companies sued each other in the US after negotiations failed over the renewal of a seven-year licensing contract for telecom patents covering 2G, 3G, and 4G technologies that was established in 2015.

Despite long negotiations, the two companies have been unable to reach a new patent-licensing agreement that also covers 5G, and in October, Ericsson sued Apple claiming that the company was unfairly trying to reduce royalty rates. Two months later, Apple countersued Ericsson, accusing the Swedish company of using "strong-arm tactics" in its bid to renew patents.

"Since the prior agreement has expired, and we have been unable to reach agreement on the terms and scope of a new license, Apple is now using our technology without a license," an Ericsson spokesman told Reuters.

Ericsson might be a relative minnow in the smartphone business, but its portfolio of telecommunications patents is vast. The company holds over 57,000 patents, royalties from which account for around a third of its operating profit. As for its 5G patent, the company usually collects $2.50 to $5 in royalties per phone.

According to a recent Ericsson filing, that's the rate it still wants to collect: "Ericsson is willing to continue to offer Apple our publicly announced 5G multimode rate of $5 per phone (with a $1 early signing discount) a rate which we will continue to honor assuming we execute a license relatively quickly."

However, following its acquisition of Intel's smartphone modem business, Apple believes it now holds a share of declared 5G patent families that is comparable to Ericsson's share. As such, Apple thinks its net payments to Ericsson should decrease compared to the 2015 license.

Shortly after it acquired Intel's patents, Apple published a statement on its website covering the fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) licensing of standard essential patents (SEPs). In the statement, Apple cautioned against any companies that "use the power conferred by standardization to eliminate competition through selective patent licensing or discriminatory and excessive royalties."

Despite its position, Florian Mueller, an intellectual property expert who runs the Foss Patents website, believes Apple is fighting a losing battle and that Ericsson has the advantage, thanks to recent terms it agreed with Samsung for the use of its 5G patents.

"The overall circumstances suggest to me that Ericsson is going to win this, and the only leverage Apple has is 'hold-out.'" says Muller. "I believe the Ericsson-Samsung license deal involves a somewhat lower royalty rate on those Samsung phones that cost a fraction of an iPhone, but that whenever the terms of the Ericsson-Samsung license come into play (comparable licenses, non-discrimination), Ericsson can argue that even Samsung accepted to pay a royalty rate that is consistent with demanding $5 per ‌iPhone‌ from Apple."

Microsoft has released a new version of its Office for Mac productivity suite that includes an updated Excel app with 100% native support for Apple silicon machines.

According to the release notes accompanying version 16.57, Excel will now run natively on Macs powered by Apple's M1-series processors without having to use the Rosetta 2 translation layer, which means anyone using a Mac with an M1, M1 Pro, or M1 Max processor can expect better performance and energy efficiency when working with Excel spreadsheets, particularly those that make use of the Power Query function.

Excel is fully supported on devices with Apple Silicon CPUs: Power Query in Excel for Mac is now natively supported on Apple Silicon processors. If you previously used Rosetta emulator to run Excel, you may now disable it and run Excel natively on your devices.

The latest update applies to Office 365, Office 2019 for Mac, Office LTSC 2021 for Mac, and Office 2021 for Mac, which are available as a one-time purchase from a retail store or through a volume licensing agreement. Users can get the new version from Microsoft AutoUpdate (MAU). To use Microsoft AutoUpdate, start an Office application, such as Word or Excel, and then choose Help -> Check for Updates.

Apple built its Rosetta 2 translation software so that Macs can run x86-64 code that's written for Intel Macs. In contrast to the original Rosetta – the version that allowed PowerPC apps to run on Intel-based Macs – code isn't interpreted in real-time. Instead, the Rosetta 2 translation process happens entirely on first launch, though there is a slight performance hit as the initial x86–64 translation of instructions takes place.

Apple says Rosetta 2 is a temporary solution for developers to make their existing Intel-based programs to run on Arm-based Macs, meaning they will eventually need to create native apps for ‌Apple Silicon‌ machines. Notably, Apple ended support for the original Rosetta three years after its release.