Former BMW senior executive and self-driving vehicle startup founder Ulrich Kranz has taken on a role at Apple working on the company's autonomous car project, reports Bloomberg.
Kranz founded Canoo, a self-driving car startup that he left earlier this year. Prior to creating Canoo, Kranz helped to develop the i3 and i8 vehicles at BMW, where he was employed for 30 years.
According to Bloomberg, Kranz's hiring is a sign that Apple is determined to build a self-driving vehicle that will rival Tesla. Kranz will report to Apple Car lead Doug Fields, who works under AI chief John Giannandrea.
Rumors about Apple's car project have picked up in recent months as Apple now appears to be looking for suppliers and manufacturing partners to develop the vehicle. There were rumors that Apple would work with Hyundai's Kia division, but it's not clear if that relationship has progressed.
Development on the Apple Car remains in the early stages, and Bloomberg suggests that it will be at around five years before the product is ready to debut.
Tracking when you've opened up an email and what you've read is something that many companies and advertisers rely on for their marketing efforts, plus there are email clients out there designed to let users know when the emails they've sent have been opened up.
Much of this tracking is facilitated by remote images that load when viewing an email, and some of it is even sneakier, with advertisers using invisible tracking pixels. Tracking pixels are hidden graphics that you might not see in an email, but your email client loads them, allowing senders to gather data from you. Senders can see that you've opened an email get other information, such as your IP address.
With iOS 15, iPadOS 15, and macOS Monterey, Apple is putting a stop to email tracking with a suite of Mail Privacy Protection features.
Mail Privacy Protection is not enabled by default, but Apple will highlight it as an option when you upgrade to iOS 15 or iPadOS 15. If you're running one of these updates, you can turn it on in Settings > Mail. Tap on "Privacy Protection" and then toggle on "Protect Mail Activity." In macOS Monterey, open up Mail, go to the Mail Preferences, and then click on Privacy. From there, toggle on Protect Mail Activity.
When enabled, Mail Privacy Protection hides your IP address and loads all remote content privately in the background, routing it through multiple proxy services and randomly assigning an IP address.
Here's how Apple describes the feature in full:
Emails that you receive may include hidden pixels that allow the email's sender to learn information about you. As soon as you open an email, information about your Mail activity can be collected by the sender without transparency and an ability to control what information is shared. Email senders can learn when and how many times you opened their email, whether you forwarded the email, your Internet Protocol (IP) address, and other data that can be used to build a profile of your behavior and learn your location.
If you choose to turn it on, Mail Privacy Protection helps protect your privacy by preventing email senders, including Apple, from learning information about your Mail activity. When you receive an email in the Mail app, rather than downloading remote content when you open an email, Mail Privacy Protection downloads remote content in the background by default - regardless of how you do or don't engage with the email. Apple does not learn any information about the content.
In addition, all remote content downloaded by Mail is routed through multiple proxy servers, preventing the sender from learning your IP address. Rather than share your IP address, which can allow the email sender to learn your location, Apple's proxy network will randomly assign an IP address that corresponds only to the region your device is in. As a result, email senders will only receive generic information rather than information about your behavior. Apple does not access your IP address.
It's worth noting that senders will see an IP address that corresponds to the region where you're located, giving them generic information about your behavior that is non-specific and cannot be used for building a profile of your behavior.
You could previously block email trackers by blocking the loading of remote content in the Mail app on iOS and macOS, but Apple's new feature is superior because you can still view all email content as normal while Mail Privacy Protection works in the background with no visual compromises.
Email senders can still monitor your behavior with tracked links that you will need to be mindful of, but the behind the scenes tracking that you might not notice won't happen.
Mail Tracking Privacy pairs well with iCloud Private Relay, a feature that's included in iCloud+. iCloud+ is just Apple's name for its paid iCloud plans, which start out at $0.99 per month. With that $1 per month, all the traffic that leaves your device is routed through two separate internet relays so advertisers can't see your IP address or location, nor can they link your browsing history to this information to build a profile about you.
iCloud Private Relay is not quite a VPN, but it's similar, and it's an incredible feature for the less technically inclined that would not think to use a VPN or wouldn't know how, such as elderly people who need the most protection from tracking and scams.
Apple's plans for iCloud Private Relay and Mail Tracking Privacy are already worrying advertisers, according to a report earlier this week from The Wall Street Journal. Ad-measurement firm Branch Metrics' CEO Alex Austin said that Private Relay could be "vastly more damaging to the advertising ecosystem than the App Tracking Transparency measures implemented early this year. "If IP were to go away entirely, it would be very challenging for a lot of companies to operate," he said.
As for Mail Privacy Protection, advertisers are "surprised" that Apple blocked tracking in emails because of how much harder it will be for brands to know if their emails are working.
These new privacy features could spur Google to adopt similar measures for Chrome, and a Google spokesperson confirmed that Google is indeed considering similar features for blocking IP addresses.
iCloud Private Relay and Mail Privacy Protection alone are enough reason to upgrade to the newest software when it becomes available this fall, but the rest of the features coming in iOS 15 and macOS Monterey can be found in our roundups.
Apple software engineering chief Craig Federighi this week did a series of interviews with YouTubers, sharing iOS 15 highlights and tidbits with them. Each YouTuber was able to ask Federighi targeted questions about the new update using FaceTime.
Andru Edwards talked to Federighi about Apple's focus on togetherness with iOS 15, iPadOS 15, and macOS Monterey features like SharePlay in FaceTime and Shared with You in Messages. "We have so many ideas that come up over time, over years. And then there comes a moment when we can suddenly connect them all in a meaningful way and they're right for the moment, and we go for it. This year was one of those," said Federighi.
"With so many of us apart having to connect over distance, we were craving that connection and that ability to be together virtually but still share things with one another and to have all that context for connection." Federighi went on to say that Apple likes to work "thematically" without just "dribs and drabs" of unrelated features. "If we can pull something together to be bigger than the sum of its parts, then that's the moment to really go for it, connect all the threads."
TechMeOut asked Federighi which iOS 15 features he's most excited about. "I think if I had to pick right now, it's probably SharePlay," said Federighi. He went on to explain that he hasn't been able to use it with friends and family because Apple had to keep it secret, so he's eager to give it a go.
French YouTuber TheiCollection spoke with Federighi about macOS Monterey and the new Universal Control functionality that will let you use a single keyboard, mouse, or trackpad across multiple Macs and iPad devices. Federighi said Apple is thrilled for the "zero setup" feature that just works. "It was a fun one to put together," he said about Universal Control.
Other videos featuring Federighi in a series of short interviews are embedded below.
iOS 15, iPadOS 15, and macOS Monterey are all available to developers at the current time, but Apple plans to release a beta for public beta testers in July, at which point anyone who wants to will be able to test out these new features.
Update: Several other Federighi interviews have now gone live covering VPNs, FaceTime on Android, and more.
Today we're tracking the first $50 discount on Apple's AirPods Max headphones. You can get the Sky Blue AirPods Max for $499.00 on Amazon, B&H Photo, and Adorama, down from $549.00. Sky Blue is the only color at this price.
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Over the past few months, the best straight cash discount on the AirPods Max was about $30 on Amazon. Today's sale is the first time a major Apple reseller has knocked down the price of the AirPods Max to below $500, so if you are still shopping for a Sky Blue version of the AirPods Max, this is definitely the best sale around.
We track sales for every model of the AirPods in our Best AirPods Deals guide, so be sure to bookmark that page while you shop around for the wireless headphones.
Microsoft has been attempting to launch its game streaming service, which allows users to stream games from the cloud rather than store them locally on the device, on Apple's platforms for some time. Microsoft and Apple got into a heated public argument last year over App Store guidelines that rejected apps such as xCloud from being available on the App Store. Apple eventually changed the policy, allowing such apps onto the platform, but requiring that every game offered via the service be submitted independently for review.
Microsoft has decided not to follow through with the new policy and will instead offer users access to xCloud via Safari on iPhone and iPad. Alongside xCloud on Safari, the streaming service will also launch on Edge and Chrome.
One small but useful new feature introduced in iOS 15 is the ability for customers to request refunds for in-app purchases directly within an app, rather than having to use the Report a Problem page on Apple's website.
Apple has introduced a new StoreKit API that allows developers to implement a "Request a Refund" option within their apps. Users can tap on this option, select a specific in-app purchase, identify the issue that prompted the refund request, and tap the Request Refund button. Once the request is submitted, customers will receive an email from Apple with an update on the status of their refund within 48 hours.
When requesting a refund within an app, customers still have the option to visit the Report a Problem page on Apple's website to check the status of claims.
iOS 15 is available now in beta for developers, and will be publicly released in the fall.
On iOS and iPadOS 15, Apple is adding new functionality to WidgetKit, introduced last year, that will allow developers to classify information deemed as sensitive in their widgets, meaning that specific information will only become viewable on the lock screen when the user unlocks their device.
iOS 14 introduced completely redesigned widgets for the lock screen and Home Screen. While there are no major changes to WidgetKit this year, the new password-protected feature may be welcomed by apps that feature widgets with sensitive information, such as health and banking information. Widgets are accessible on the lock screen by swiping left to Today View.
Related to widgets on iOS 15 is new functionality for Smart Stacks. Smart Stacks allows users to stack different widgets on top of each other and allowing iOS to determine which widget is most relevant to be shown depending on factors such as time of day, location, and more.
On iOS 15, the system can now automatically add widgets to Smart Stacks that it believes are relevant. The feature called Widget Suggestions is a new way for users to discover widgets they may not have known existed. Developers interested in learning more about the changes in iOS 15 can check out this WWDC session.
Dark Sky announced in an update to its blog that "support for the Dark Sky API service for existing customers will continue until the end of 2022," and that the iOS and web app will also remain available until the end of next year. Dark Sky had originally planned to shut down its web app alongside the closure of its Android application; however, that was delayed indefinitely.
A number of popular third-party iOS weather apps have relied on the Dark Sky API over the years, and those apps will be able to continue functioning through next year without needing to migrate to a new provider.
The revamped Weather app on iOS 15 includes several features in which Apple is taking clear inspiration and value from its Dark Sky purchase. Alongside a fresh new design, iOS 15 includes live weather notifications, graphical displays of weather data, full-screen maps, and more.
As part of WWDC this week, Apple introduced a new MailKit framework for macOS Monterey that enables developers to create Mail app extensions that block content, perform message and composing actions, and help with security.
There will be four main categories of Mail app extensions, according to Apple:
Compose: Extensions that provide new workflows when composing emails
Actions: Extensions that apply custom rules to incoming emails, such as an email being color coded, moved to a separate inbox, marked as read, or flagged
Content Blocking: Extensions that serve as WebKit content blockers for emails based on specific criteria in an email's HTML code
Message Security: Extensions that sign, encrypt, and decrypt emails when sending and receiving mail, with signed and encrypted icons below emails
Xcode 13, available in beta, includes a template for developers looking to create Mail app extensions on the Mac. The extensions can be built into existing Mac apps and can also be distributed through the Mac App Store, according to a WWDC session about MailKit, which is available on macOS only and not iOS or iPadOS.
In the WWDC session, Apple indicated that older Mail app plug-ins will stop functioning in an unspecified future macOS release.
The next time you try talking on a FaceTime call on iOS 15 with your microphone muted, iOS will provide you a subtle reminder to unmute your microphone so others can hear you.
The new reminder, first spotted by The Verge, is part of a wider assortment of changes and new features coming to FaceTime with the release of iOS 15, iPadOS 15, and macOS Monterey later this fall. Heightened by the global health crisis, millions have switched to working remotely via FaceTime, Zoom, and other platforms. Often, coming with it is the embarrassment of trying to talk, only to discover later that no one heard you due to your muted microphone.
Apple is aiming to solve this social dilemma with iOS 15. Unfortunately, on macOS Monterey beta 1, a similar prompt is not present, but it may be added in a future beta release. Another FaceTime feature coming this fall is the ability to share FaceTime call links with others, including those on Android and Windows, brand-new SharePlay functionality, and more.
Apple says that starting at a future date, it will offer members of the Apple Developer Program access to beta versions of AirPods Pro firmware updates before they're released and shipped to the public.
Apple made the announcement for developers on the downloads page where beta versions of iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS are available. According to Apple, AirPods Pro firmware betas will allow for the development of certain features on iOS and macOS and will enable features such as Conversation Boost and Ambient Noise Reduction.
Pre-release AirPods Pro firmware for Apple Developer Program members will be available at a future date. This will allow development of features on iOS and macOS for AirPods as well as enable new features, including Conversation Boost (beam forming) and Ambient Noise Reduction (noise suppressor).
Currently, Apple occasionally releases firmware updates for AirPods, AirPods Pro, and AirPods Max, although there's no reliable way to manually update the devices. Instead, they're updated automatically when connected to power and nearby a paired iPhone or iPad with an internet connection.
It remains unclear how Apple will provide beta versions for AirPods Pro firmware. Presumably, Apple will provide a profile for developers to download that automatically installs and updates the AirPods Pro when there's a new update.
Amazon continues to offer a pair of deals on the Apple Watch Series 6, which we first began tracking over the Memorial Day weekend. This time around, we're also noticing matching prices at B&H Photo and Best Buy. You can get the 40mm GPS Apple Watch Series 6 for $329.00, down from $399.00, in the (Product)RED color option.
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While not an all-time low price, this is the most consistent deal on this model and the best online currently. Besides Amazon, you can also find this model of the Apple Watch Series 6 on sale at Best Buy and B&H Photo.
Only the (Product)RED color is on sale at this price, and historically it's been one of the more popular discounts on the Apple Watch Series 6 line. Similarly, the 44mm GPS Apple Watch Series 6 in (Product)RED is on sale for $359.00, down from $429.00. Again, this price is being matched at Best Buy and B&H Photo.
Apple is looking to add Fitness+ Audio Meditations to the Mindfulness Apple Watch app, according to a now-removed image from WWDC.
Apple's Platforms State of the Union video featured a brief image of a collection of devices running the company's various new operating systems, and the Apple Watch in that image showed the Mindfulness app with a Fitness+ Audio Meditations feature.
Apple has now attempted to hide its plans for Fitness+ Audio Meditations by uploading a wholly new Platforms State of the Union video that removes the implicating image, replacing it with a generic image of the Mindfulness app. MacRumors was able to verify that Apple revealed the feature in the original video.
At the time of writing, Apple has kept the original video with the image showing Fitness+ Audio Meditations live for the American sign language version of the Platforms State of the Union.
Apple already offers an Apple Watch-exclusive Fitness+ experience in "Time to Walk." Time to Walk is an Apple Watch feature for Apple Fitness+ subscribers that plays audio stories from influential people while completing a walk workout. Fitness+ Audio Meditations appears to be the next Apple Watch Fitness+ audio experience.
Fitness+ Audio Meditations may allow Apple to begin to compete with popular existing guided meditation apps such as Headspace, and could help users learn to meditate through spoken instructions and sound.
In watchOS 8, Apple has renamed the Breathe app "Mindfulness," refocusing it around short meditation practices, tips, and thought-provoking themes. The app has been overhauled with new animations and visualizations, a new summary screen, and other general improvements.
Given the fact that Apple has hastily attempted to remove the first look at Fitness+ Audio Meditations, it is likely that the feature is being kept back for a formal announcement at a later date, perhaps prior to the public release of watchOS 8.
Apple today launched a promotion in Canada that offers a $75 Apple Store gift card with the purchase of a new iPhone 12 or iPhone 12 mini through June 28. The offer does not apply to the iPhone 12 Pro or iPhone 12 Pro Max.
The offer is valid in Canada at physical Apple Store locations, through Apple's online store, in the Apple Store app, or by calling 1-800-MY-APPLE for iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini purchases made between June 10 and June 28. Purchases made with carrier financing are eligible, with full terms and conditions outlined on Apple's website.
Apple's online store went down earlier today in Canada, likely in relation to this promotion launching. The offer does not appear to be available in the United States or other countries at this time, nor does it apply to any other products.
Apple released the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini in October 2020, and introduced a purple color option for the devices in late April.
With iOS 15, AirPods Pro and AirPods Max will be able to tap into the Find My network, allowing users to locate their lost AirPods in the unfortunate event they get lost outside of nearby Bluetooth range.
Users have always been able to locate their AirPods through the Find My app within Bluetooth range. Now, with iOS 15, AirPods Pro and AirPods Max can tap into the Find My network to relay their approximate location, even if they're out of Bluetooth range from the owner. AirPods Pro and AirPods Max will still need to be within close proximity to a Find My device, such as an iPhone, however.
Find My allows devices to crowdsource the location of other Find My devices, meaning even if they're relatively far away, Find My should be able to provide an approximate location.
Use the Find My network to get an approximate location of your missing AirPods Pro or AirPods Max. This will help you get within Bluetooth range so you can play a sound and locate them.
Beats headphones, also owned by Apple, added support for Find My earlier this year. Find My also gained other new features in iOS 15, including brand new separation alerts that notify users if a Find My compatible device is left behind, a brand new Find My widget for the Home Screen, and the ability for Find My to locate an iPhone even if its low on battery, or completely turned off.
U.S. President Joe Biden has withdrawn a series of executive orders from his predecessor Donald Trump banning Chinese apps TikTok and WeChat in the United States.
Trump signed several executive orders banning apps tied to China during his time in office. In the most high profile order, Trump sought a ban of the short-form video app TikTok, which is owned by Chinese firm Bytedance, in 2020.
However, Trump's bans were never enforced after several court orders blocked the restrictions, despite claims by the Trump administration that the apps posed a risk to national security.
Biden's new executive order revokes the WeChat and TikTok orders that Trump issued in August, which attempted to force ByteDance to divest TikTok to a U.S. company, along with another one that Trump signed in January which targeted several other messaging and financial transaction apps including Alipay and WeChat Pay.
Going forward, the Biden administration says it will instead take an "evidence-based approach" when reviewing the security concerns posed by apps. The U.S. Department of Commerce will be tasked with the job of reviewing apps developed by those "in the jurisdiction of a foreign adversary."
A separate US national security review of TikTok launched in late 2019 remains active, and an administration official has said that the White House remains "very concerned" about the data risks of TikTok users.
Biden's order says collecting of data from Americans "threatens to provide foreign adversaries with access to that information," and directs the Commerce Department to continually evaluate any transactions that "pose an undue risk of catastrophic effects on the security or resiliency of the critical infrastructure or digital economy of the United States."
Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
Occasional leaker Mr White has today shared interesting images on Twitter of what appears to be an old-school fifth-generation iPod touch prototype with chamfered edges and a brushed aluminum finish.
The original iPod touch 5 that Apple released in October 2012 had a unibody anodized aluminum chassis with rounded edges, and was available in several colors, including slate.
Another interesting detail on the prototype, which lacks an Apple logo on the back, is the presence of a 30-pin dock connector, suggesting it was designed before Apple formally adopted Lightning.
Along with the iPhone 5, iPod nano (7th generation), and iPad (4th generation), the original iPod touch 5 was one of the first Apple devices to feature a Lightning port.
The prototype also has the headphone jack bottom-right, whereas on the iPod touch 5 it was located on the left. Apple discontinued the iPod touch 5 in 2015.
We haven't heard of any rumors suggesting Apple has an upgraded iPod touch in the works. The current seventh-generation iPod touch was the result of a refresh in May 2019, and is currently the only product in Apple's iPod product line, following the discontinuation of the iPod nano and iPod shuffle in 2017.
With tvOS 15, Apple is bringing Spatial Audio to the Apple TV when the set-top box is used with AirPods Pro or AirPods Max. It has been unclear how this feature will work because the Apple TV does not have a U1 chip for head tracking purposes, but Apple recently gave an explanation to Engadget.
When you’re watching a TV show or movie on the Apple TV, the head tracking feature (powered by AirPods Pro or Max) detects that you’ve been looking in the same direction, calculates your probable head orientation, and activates the Spatial Audio effect. If you get up, it reactivates.
When you sit down to watch a movie or TV show, the included head tracking feature will lock in after it detects you’ve been looking in the same direction for a while. Once you get up to walk around, it will reactivate.
Spatial Audio will work with stereo, 5.1, 7.1, and Dolby Atmos content, and connecting the AirPods to an Apple TV that’s running tvOS 15 has been streamlined. When you’re wearing AirPods and are near the Apple TV, you’ll see an on-screen popup that will let you connect with a click of the remote.
Spatial Audio is designed to provide a theater-like listening experience with sound that seems to come from all around you. tvOS 15 is also gaining new SharePlay features for watching TV with friends over FaceTime calls and support for pairing two HomePod mini speakers to an Apple TV.
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Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
