MacRumors

Apple and Hyundai subsidiary Kia signed a memorandum of understanding last year, agreeing to pursue cooperation in eight sectors, including electric vehicles, according to a new report from South Korean news site Chosun Biz, cited by Reuters.

Earlier this month, following weeks of rampant "Apple Car" rumors, Hyundai and Kia in regulatory filings said they are not in discussions with Apple to co-operate on development of a self-driving electric vehicle. This came just weeks after Hyundai released a statement indicating that Apple was in talks with a number of automakers, including Hyundai, regarding development of autonomous electric vehicles.

Today's report suggests a partnership may still be possible for Kia, claiming that negotiations with Apple "are not completely canceled," although the talks are said to be "experiencing difficulties." The scope of the negotiations is "wide" with room to grow, according to the report. Apple and Kia could end up partnering on "last mile" transportation with Kia's electric scooters, for example, rather than a full-out vehicle.

In any case, the "Apple Car" is believed to be years away from release, with estimates ranging from 2024 all the way to 2028.

Apple today began selling certified refurbished Mac mini models with the M1 chip for the first time in the United States and Canada, with prices discounted by approximately 15 percent compared to brand new models as usual.

For example, a refurbished Mac mini with the M1 chip, 256GB of SSD storage, and 16GB of unified memory is available for $759, compared to $899 brand new. Other custom configurations are available too, but stock typically fluctuates rapidly on Apple's refurbished store, so those interested should act fast to place their order.

Apple began selling refurbished 13-inch MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models with the M1 chip in select countries earlier this week.

Apple's refurbished products are pre-owned devices that are thoroughly inspected, tested, cleaned, and in the case of the Mac mini, repackaged with the power cord in the box. In our view, a refurbished Mac mini is virtually indistinguishable from a brand new model, so this represents a good opportunity for savings. However, keep in mind that third-party resellers may offer better deals over time, so be sure to monitor our deals roundup.

Apple's refurbished Macs are covered by a one-year limited warranty and have a 14-day return policy. AppleCare+ coverage can be purchased as well.

(Thanks, Ryan Gregg!)

Apple today indicated that its retail store at the MacArthur Center shopping mall in Norfolk, Virginia will be permanently closing after over 14 years of business, although an exact closure date has yet to be announced by the company.

Apple has assured that it will be offering all employees at the store other positions within Apple, and said that it looks forward to continuing to serve customers in the area at its Lynnhaven Mall retail store in nearby Virginia Beach.

"While we have made the difficult decision to close our store at MacArthur Center, we are pleased to be able to offer all of our team members other jobs within Apple," said Apple in a statement shared with MacRumors. "We look forward to helping customers at Apple Lynnhaven Mall, as well as on Apple.com and our popular Apple Store and Support apps."

Apple's statement does not mention a reason for the store closure, but there have been several safety issues at MacArthur Center, including multiple active shooter situations in recent years. A growing number of retailers have already left the mall, including Nordstrom, Williams-Sonoma, Banana Republic, J. Crew, Fossil, Pottery Barn, and others.

Apple MacArthur Center first opened in September 2006, and it does not appear that Apple has any immediate plans to open a new store in Norfolk, so customers in the area will have to visit Apple Lynnhaven Mall in Virginia Beach for in-person shopping and support.

A person familiar with the matter informed MacRumors that the store will likely be closed in around 90 days, so the location's final day of business will likely be in May. The person said Apple is working quickly to help all employees find new places within the company, and offering relocation packages if necessary. Some employees may be transferred to Apple's Lynnhaven Mall location, or transition to work-at-home AppleCare positions.

Apple is researching how to improve Siri to better understand people who talk with a stutter, according to new details shared by The Wall Street Journal in a piece on how companies train voice assistants to handle atypical speech.

Apple has built a bank of 28,000 audio clips from podcasts featuring people who stutter, which could be used to train ‌Siri‌. The data that Apple has collected will improve voice recognition systems for atypical speech patterns, according to an Apple spokesperson.

Along with improving how ‌Siri‌ understands people with atypical speech patterns, Apple has also implemented a Hold to Talk feature for ‌Siri‌ that allows users to control how long they want ‌Siri‌ to listen for. This prevents ‌Siri‌ from interrupting users with a stutter before they're finished speaking.

‌Siri‌ can also be used without voice all together, through a Type to Siri feature that was first introduced in iOS 11.

Apple plans to outline its work to improve ‌Siri‌ in a research paper set to be published this week, which will provide more details on the company's efforts.

Google and Amazon are also working to train Google Assistant and Alexa to better understand all users, including those who have trouble using their voices. Google is collecting atypical speech data, and Amazon in December launched the Alexa Fund to let people who have speech impairments train an algorithm to recognize their unique vocal patterns.

Apple today released macOS Big Sur 11.2.2, the fourth update to the macOS Big Sur operating system that launched in November. macOS Big Sur 11.2.2 comes two weeks after the release of macOS Big Sur 11.2.1, a bug fix update.

The new ‌‌‌‌macOS Big Sur‌‌‌ 11.2.2‌ update can be downloaded for free on all eligible Macs using the Software Update section of System Preferences.

According to Apple's release notes, the macOS Big Sur update prevents 2019 or later MacBook Pro models and 2020 or later MacBook Air models from being damaged when connected to certain third-party, non-compliant powered USB-C hubs and docks.

There have been several reports on Reddit from Mac users who have connected USB-C hubs and docks to their machines, resulting in the machine becoming non-functional. Affected Macs appear to go blank and unresponsive shortly after connecting the dock. Many of the users who experienced issues were using hubs and docks not purchased from reputable companies.

Many of the complaints were from M1 Mac users who had a ‌MacBook Pro‌ or a ‌MacBook Air‌, but Apple's release notes suggest other models were affected as well.

For the past few days, the 21.5-inch 4K iMac with either 512GB or 1TB of SSD storage configuration has been unavailable for order on Apple's website. Other configurations, such as the lowest-end 256GB SSD option or 1TB Fusion Drive storage option remain available, however.

While there are rumors of an updated ‌iMac‌ launching this year, the current lack of availability for the higher-end storage options is likely due to a component shortage rather than a sign of an imminent launch. Both the 512GB and 1TB SSD storage options are popular upgrade items as well, which makes for a significant inconvenience for buyers looking to purchase an ‌iMac‌ right now.

Timing for a launch of the redesigned ‌iMac‌ remains unclear, so we'll have to hold tight to see whether we get an update or Apple's component shortage is resolved for the current models. It's quite rare for Mac configurations to be completely unavailable for ordering, with Apple usually just pushing shipping estimates out significantly in cases of component shortages or stock drawdowns ahead of updates.

Apple is researching a finger-mounted device with an array of sensors and haptic feedback, to be used as a control device for a mixed-reality headset, according to patent filings.

The patent application, first spotted by Patently Apple, was filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and resurfaced earlier today. Titled "Finger-Mounted Device With Sensors and Haptics," the filing explains how a finger-mounted device can be used to wirelessly control computers and "head-mounted display systems" that are used for "virtual reality content and/or augmented reality content".

The patent filing appears to align with some rumors surrounding the control-input of Apple's long-awaited headset product. A recent report from The Information said that Apple is developing multiple ways to control its mixed reality headset, including a "thimble-like device to be worn on a person's finger."

In the filing, Apple acknowledges that some implementations of a wearable control device could resemble a glove with sensors to detect hand motions, but says that a finger-mounted device has a number of advantages, such as retaining the ability to feel objects in the user's surroundings and maintain comfort.

In terms of design, the device has two small sidewalls to grip a finger using magnets or springs, and can therefore accommodate a range of different finger sizes. It may be "formed from a deformable material such as metal," but the patent also suggests that other materials such as fabric or polymer may be appropriate.

Apple's finger-mounted device is worn on the tops of a user's fingers and leaves fingertips exposed so that it is still possible to touch surfaces as normal.

To allow the user to feel real-world objects accurately, the finger-mounted device may have a U-shaped cross-sectional profile or other shape that allows underside portions of the user's fingertips to be exposed to the environment.

Apple explains that this configuration allows the user to "touch surfaces with the user's own skin, thereby enhancing the user's sensitivity to the environment in which device is being used," giving the example of how a user will be able to "detect small surface imperfections on a touched surface, slight irregularities in surface texture, and other details that might be obscured in a configuration in which the pads of the user's fingers are covered."

The device forms a shell containing force sensors, accelerometers, gyroscopes, optical sensors, touch sensors, status indicator lights, and more. These sensors use capacitive sensing techniques and other methods to precisely ascertain the way in which the user is moving their finger and interacting with surfaces. The system is said to be so precise that it can detect how hard a user is pressing on a surface and the exact direction of this force.

The control circuitry may gather finger press input, lateral finger movement input, and finger tap input using the sensors and may provide haptic output using the haptic output device.

In response to interactions virtualized on the external device, the finger-mounted device can deliver haptic feedback to the user, much like the Apple Watch, to "provide clicks and other haptic output."

For example, the control circuitry may supply haptic output to a user's fingers based on wirelessly received information from the external device. The haptic output may correspond to virtual reality or augmented reality haptic output...

Haptic output may be provided to the user to confirm to the user that a light tap input has been recognized or to otherwise provide feedback to the user. The haptic feedback may provide the user with a sensation of tapping on a physical keyboard or other input device with a movable button member even when the user is tapping on a hard flat surface such as a tabletop. The haptic output provided with the wearable electronic device to the user may be virtual reality haptic output or augmented reality haptic output that is provided while a user is wearing a head-mounted display or other device that creates a virtual reality or augmented reality environment for a user.

In practice, Apple says that this could "provide a user with the sensation of interacting on a physical keyboard when the user is making finger taps on a table surface," in alignment with "a virtual keyboard surface that is being displayed in alignment with the table surface using a head-mounted display." Alternatively, the device may "allow a user to supply joystick-type input using only lateral movement of the user's fingertips" for gaming.

Apple suggests that the device may also be worn "on one or more fingers," but it is not clear what difference this would make to interactions or if Apple expects multiple finger-mounted devices to be worn on a single hand.

The general correspondence of Apple patent applications to recent rumors about Apple's mixed reality headset is clear to see, but whether The Information's "thimble-like" control device is depicted in this patent filing is yet to be seen.

While patent applications cannot be taken as concrete evidence of the exact hardware Apple is planning to sell, it is difficult to look past the way in which the company's recent spate of patent filings may fit into the bigger picture surrounding its AR/VR project.

Apple today announced that it will be celebrating Women's History Month and International Women's Day with featured content that promotes female creators across the App Store and other Apple services throughout March and beyond.

"For Women's History Month and International Women's Day, Apple is further amplifying female voices that drive culture and change by bringing to the forefront untold stories, exclusive content, and curated collections across all of its services," said Apple. "Available beginning in March, these offerings celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of all women who accelerate the conversation around gender equality."

Starting on International Women's Day, for example, Apple Fitness+ subscribers will have access to a collection of 24 workouts featuring full playlists made up entirely of artists who are women, across High Intensity Interval Training, Rowing, Strength, Core, Treadmill, Cycling, Dance, Yoga, and Mindful Cooldown workout types.

Featured content will also be available in the Apple TV app, Apple Books, Apple Podcasts, Apple News, Apple Music, Apple Arcade, and more.

Apple will also be hosting virtual Today at Apple sessions led by female creators, and on March 8, Apple Watch users can participate in the International Women's Day Activity Challenge and earn a limited-edition award by recording any workout of 20 minutes or more.

More details can be found on the Apple Newsroom.

Apple plans to unveil new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with Mini-LED-backlit displays in the second half of this year, according to industry sources cited by Taiwanese supply chain publication DigiTimes. The report claims that Radiant Opto-Electronics will be the exclusive supplier of the Mini-LED backlight units, while Quanta Computer is said to be tasked with final assembly of the notebooks.

The report lines up with information shared by well-known Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who expects new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models to launch in the second half of this year with brighter Mini-LED displays, Apple silicon chips, a new design with a flat-edged top and bottom, an HDMI port and SD card reader, classic MagSafe charging with a magnetic power cable, and physical function keys instead of the Touch Bar.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has also corroborated many of these details, and he was first to report that an SD card reader would be returning to the MacBook Pro.

Similar to how the 16-inch MacBook Pro replaced the 15-inch MacBook Pro in 2019, the 14-inch model would likely replace the Intel-based 13-inch MacBook Pro that Apple currently sells, with slimmer bezels around the display allowing for the 14-inch MacBook Pro to have only a slightly larger footprint than the 13-inch model.

If all of these rumors pan out, it would be a significant overhaul to the MacBook Pro, with many fan-favorite features returning. There is also lots of anticipation surrounding next-generation Apple silicon given the already-impressive performance of the M1 chip in lower-end machines like the MacBook Air and base model 13-inch MacBook Pro.

Since 2016, the MacBook Pro has only been equipped with Thunderbolt ports and a headphone jack, forcing users to purchase adapters or docks to gain access to an HDMI port, SD card reader, USB-A ports, and other connectivity offered on older MacBook Pro models. Apple touted its "thinnest and lightest MacBook Pro ever," but the decision was criticized by many users and became known as "dongle hell."

It's unclear exactly when Apple would announce the new MacBook Pro models. The "second half of 2021" timeframe could refer to a fall unveiling in September, October, or November, but the new MacBook Pro models could also be announced at WWDC in June and then begin shipping in July, which falls within the second half of the year. The timeframe given by Kuo is simply too broad to pinpoint an exact launch at this time.

Apple is also widely rumored to be planning a new 12.9-inch iPad Pro with a Mini-LED display for release in the first half of 2021, with some reports having claimed that the device could be announced as early as March.

Facebook is launching a new PR campaign that highlights how small businesses rely on personalized advertising to help their businesses grow from "an idea into a livelihood." The new campaign indirectly takes aim at App Tracking Transparency (ATT), an upcoming iOS 14 feature that will require apps to ask for a user's permission to opt into tracking for personalized advertising.

Starting with iOS and iPadOS 14.5, Facebook and other third-party apps will be required to show users a prompt that asks for their consent to be tracked across other apps and websites. If users opt in, the tracking helps Facebook, and other advertising providers gather information about a user's interest and habits in order to create and show them personalized ads.

The new campaign, called "Good Ideas Deserve To Be Found," launched today and will run for a total of 12 weeks across Facebook and appear in TV spots across the United States in cooperation with agency Droga5, according to CNBC. The video says that small businesses lack the tools to grow without the help of Facebook's personalized advertising, and that the ads help people find what they love and what they think is "cool."

Alongside the new campaign, Facebook is also rolling out a series of changes on the platform itself. Facebook says it will simplify its Ads Manager to make it easier for small businesses to utilize personalized marketing plans with an improved dashboard that can make viewing a campaign's performance easier, and allow for faster optimizations.

Facebook will also waive fees for small businesses using its Checkout on Shops feature through June 2021, and will keep in place its previously announced waiver of fees for paid online events until at least August of the year.

In the past few months, Facebook has ramped up its anti-Apple rhetoric and voiced strong disapproval for ATT. Facebook says it's concerned that once the change launches, it will severely impact small businesses that rely on personalized advertising. Facebook and others believe that the majority of users will opt out of tracking, make it significantly harder to show users personalized ads.

Earlier this month, Facebook released the prompt that it plans to show users once iOS and iPadOS 14.5 ships in the early spring. In the pop-up prompt, Facebook is asking users to consent to tracking in order to receive a "better ads experience." Facebook says that even if users don't consent to the tracking, they'll still receive ads, but that they'll be "less relevant."

Facebook is reportedly preparing an antitrust lawsuit against Apple, accusing the Cupertino tech giant of anticompetitive behavior with App Tracking Transparency, amongst other features such as iMessage.

Apple today announced that it is teaming up with Encircle LGBTQ+ Family and Youth Center to fund a new "$8 million, 8 Houses" initiative that will allow Encircle to build new community centers that provide support, mental health services, and community to LGBTQ+ youth and their families.

Apple is donating $1 million and Apple products like iPads that promote digital connection, creativity, and education. Along with resources provided by Qualtrics founder and Utah Jazz owners Ryan and Ashley Smith and Imagine Dragons' lead singer Dan Reynolds and his wife, Aja Volkman, Apple's donation will allow Encircle to open new Encircle homes in Arizona, Idaho, Nevada, and Utah.

Founded in 2017, Encircle aims to help young LGBTQ+ people and their families establish a sense of belonging at community houses, with those locations providing subsidized therapy sessions, music nights friendship circles, and community service events to build safe spaces.

In addition to the donation, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Ryan and Ashley Smith, and Dan Reynolds and Aja Volkman will serve as an honorary co-chairs on Encircle's expansion campaign to provide community, acceptance, and understanding for LGBTQ+ people across the U.S.

"All LGBTQ+ people should feel safe and supported enough to be open about who they are with their community and themselves," said Cook, who has visited the organization's Provo house. "Encircle is helping to bridge divides and bring people together -- sending a powerful message that the greatest thing you can aspire to become is who you truly are. It's my hope that every young person who feels alone or unsupported can find connection and community at this incredible organization."

The expanded program will provide support both at the new community houses and to those who are receiving help online during the pandemic. Apple's technology donations will allow Encircle to better reach LGBTQ+ youth where they're located, even when meeting in person is not possible.

Encircle has served more than 70,000 individuals and funded thousands of family and youth therapy sessions to support those facing suicidality, and isolation and depression. More than half of LGBTQ+ youth are battling symptoms of depression, and Encircle offers critical support for young people and their families.

Target today announced it is building on its long-standing partnership with Apple to include a new "enhanced Apple shopping experience" in its stores across the United States.

The new in-store shopping experience is meant to offer customers a more convenient experience for shopping Apple products at Target locations. The new experience will be guided by new "Target Tech Consultants," who will receive specialized training directly from Apple. Target's Executive VP and Chief Growth officer says the new shopping model was designed with Target's guests in mind and is meant to elevate the Target-Apple partnership.

Apple products are popular with Target's guests, and this new, dedicated shopping experience offers enhanced service and expanded offerings, building on our strength as a go-to destination for electronics. This new model was created with Target's guests in mind, and we'll continue to learn and enhance the experience through future rollouts later this year.

The new space, rolling out to 17 Target locations currently, replicates an Apple Store like-experience with custom light fixtures, displays for the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, AirPods, Apple TV, and other Apple accessories. The new experience will be rolling out to the Target locations below this month, with "additional locations rolling out in 2021 and beyond."

• T2180 (Monticello, MN)
• T0324 (San Jose, CA)
• T1397 (Oklahoma City, OK)
• T2516 (Allen, TX)
• T1766 (Hurst, TX)
• T1797 (Austin, TX)
• T1032 (Irving, TX)
• T1354 (San Antonio, TX)
• T0687 (Gainesville, FL)
• T1790 (Orlando, FL)
• T1820 (Clearwater, FL)
• T2848 (Miami, FL)
• T1159 (North Wales, PA)
• T2764 (Newark, DE)
• T1266 (Woburn, MA)
• T1532 (Nashua, NH)
• T1915 (Latham, NY)

Additionally, Target announced an improved online shopping experience, available now, for purchasing Apple products. Customers purchasing Apple products in-store at the new experience, or online, can enjoy a 5% discount when using their Target RedCard, and access to Target's pick-up and delivery options.

According to research firm IDC (via GizChina), Apple dominated the smartphone market in Japan over the fourth quarter of 2020, with the iPhone brand accounting for over half of all phone sales in the country.

As per the report, the mobile market reached 11.432 million shipments in Q4 2020, and 52.6% of all smartphone sales in Japan were iPhones, substantially contributing to a 10.6% year-on-year growth for the country's mobile market as a whole.

Apple's shipments totaled 6.015 million units in Japan, a 13.8% year-on-year increase in shipments, thanks mostly to the company's release of its 5G-capable ‌iPhone‌ 12 series.

In second place behind Apple came Sharp, with 1.414 million units shipped and a 12.4% market share, while local brand Kyocera was placed third with a 7.0% market share and 801,000 units shipped.

Samsung took fourth position with a 6.8% slice of the market, shipping 781,000 units, followed by Sony – traditionally a Japanese brand favorite – which came in fifth with 732,000 shipments and a 6.4% share, with other smaller brands making up the rest of shipments.

Looking at 2020 as a whole, Apple sold the most smartphones in Japan with a 46.5% market share, shipping 15.637 million units that earned it an 8.3% year-on-year growth. Meanwhile, Sharp, Fujitsu, Samsung, and Kyocera took 13.3%, 8.3%, 8.1%, and 7.5% market shares, respectively, with smaller domestic brands accounting for the rest.

Despite a delay in the launch of the ‌iPhone‌ 12 series in Japan due to the global health crisis, Apple remained the undisputed champion mobile brand in the country, where iOS regularly accounts for over 60 percent of the operating system market, compared to 50 percent of the market in the United States. Japan also regularly comes out top in terms of countries where ‌iPhone‌ models are least expensive.

In the latest update to the popular podcast player, Overcast has overhauled its Apple Watch app to be more intuitive and bring several features that were previously only accessible on Overcast for iPhone.

The newly designed watch interface ditches the horizontally scrolling panels to reveal features, and instead uses a single screen providing button access to settings, podcast library, and now playing controls. In addition, a sync button keeps podcasts stored on your watch in sync with those on your ‌iPhone‌.

The new playback controls include the ability to skip podcast chapters (if a podcast supports them) and adjust playback speed. These can be accessed by tapping a button in the bottom-right corner of the now playing screen.

Version 2021.1 of the app also includes improved Siri support and "tons of under-the-hood improvements and bug fixes," although as a result of the changes, this update drops support for watchOS 6, meaning the app will no longer work on Apple Watch Series 1 and Apple Watch Series 2.

Overcast 2021.1 is available for ‌iPhone‌ and iPad from the App Store in the form of an ad-supported free version or $9.99 per year ad-free. [Direct Link]

Around 29 million Britons who own an Apple or Samsung phone could be entitled to a collective £480m payout if a landmark legal claim against U.S. chipmaker Qualcomm is successful.

Consumer watchdog Which? is suing the chipmaker for allegedly breaching U.K. competition law by taking advantage of its dominance in the patent licensing and chip markets.

As reported by the BBC, Which? alleges that Qualcomm charged Apple and Samsung inflated fees that were then passed on to consumers in the form of higher smartphone prices.

Which? is seeking up to £30 each in damages for about 29 million people in the U.K. who own Apple or Samsung smartphones that have been purchased since October 1, 2015. For Apple smartphone owners, that would include iPhone 6s and 6s Plus and newer devices. The watchdog has filed its legal claim with the Competition Appeal Tribunal, which will ultimately decide if it can go ahead.

"We believe Qualcomm's practices are anti-competitive and have so far taken around £480m from consumers' pockets," said Anabel Hoult, CEO of Which? "This needs to stop. We are sending a clear warning that if companies like Qualcomm indulge in manipulative practices which harm consumers, Which? is prepared to take action."

Responding to the case, Qualcomm said it had "no basis."

"As the plaintiffs are well aware, their claims were effectively put to rest last summer by a unanimous panel of judges at the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in the United States," a spokesman told the BBC.

This is by no means the first time that Qualcomm has been accused of anticompetitive behavior. In 2018, Qualcomm was hit with a 997 million euro ($1.2 billion) fine by EU antitrust regulators for paying Apple to use its LTE chips in iOS devices.

According to the European Commission's investigation, the payments to Apple occurred from 2011 to 2016, and were made with the sole aim of blocking Qualcomm's LTE chipset market rivals, such as Intel.

In 2019, an antitrust lawsuit, brought against Qualcomm by the Federal Trade Commission, concluded that Qualcomm's "no license, no chips" model that allowed it to refuse to provide chips to companies without a patent license, violated federal antitrust laws, and required Qualcomm to renegotiate all of its licensing terms with customers in good faith.

However, in August 2020, Qualcomm won an appeal that prevented the San Diego company from having to renegotiate its licensing agreements with smartphone makers.