Tech Talk

Apple has failed to properly comply with a court order that requires non-App Store purchasing options be made available to third-party developers, Epic Games has told a judge (via Bloomberg ). The Supreme Court earlier this month declined to hear separate requests from both Apple and ‌‌Epic Games‌‌ in their three-year-long lawsuit against each other regarding App Store rules. As a result, Apple is able to continue to disallow third-party payment processing within apps, but it must allow developers to direct customers to a non-App Store purchasing option for digital goods. Apple has since made changes to its U.S. App Store policies , and now allows apps to feature a single link to a developer website that leads to an in-app purchase alternative. However, Apple plans to continue to collect a 12 to 27 percent commission on content bought this way. The commission applies to transactions for digital goods and services that take place on a developers website within seven days after a

In iOS 17.4, currently in beta, Apple is adding audio transcripts to the Podcasts app for iPhone , meaning you'll be able to read along to your favorite podcasts as they are spoken. Apple is adding support for auto-generated transcripts in its Podcasts app, offering users another way to enjoy podcast content rather than simply listening to what is being said. If you're familiar with lyrics in Apple Music , it's very similar. When playing a podcast, simply tap the speech bubble icon at the bottom-left corner of the fullscreen media playback screen. Tap the auto-generated transcript that appears to make it fill the screen. The transcript automatically scrolls and highlights the text currently being spoken as the episode plays, or you can scroll through the transcript manually, and even tap on a sentence to jump to that point in the podcast. In addition, a Search button at the bottom of the screen lets you search the transcript for specific words or phrases and jump

The first full-length reviews of the Apple Vision Pro were published today, revealing some new details about the headset before it launches in the U.S. on Friday. To learn more, check out our roundup of Apple Vision Pro reviews and unboxing videos . Battery Life Apple says the Vision Pro provides up to two hours of battery life overall, and up to 2.5 hours for 2D video playback specifically. In his review, however, Brian Tong said he achieved nearly 2.5 hours of battery life for general usage, and separately was able to watch the three-hour movie Avengers: Endgame on a single charge. Daring Fireball 's John Gruber also said he has consistently got at least three hours of battery life on a full charge, but he did not list any specific use cases. All in all, it seems that the Vision Pro may last up to 30 minutes longer per charge than Apple's advertised battery life claims, but results will vary. Home Screen According to Tong, third-party apps on visionOS are

Apple today stopped signing the iOS 17.2.1 update, preventing iPhone users from downgrading to that version of iOS going forward. iOS 17.2.1 is no longer being signed following the January 22 release of iOS 17.3 , which introduced Stolen Device Protection for the ‌iPhone‌ and other changes . It is not unusual that iOS 17.2.1 is no longer being signed. Apple routinely stops signing older versions of iOS after new releases in order to encourage customers to keep their operating systems up to date and to prevent users from downgrading to older, less secure versions of the ‌iPhone‌ operating system. Along with iOS 17.2.1, Apple has stopped signing iPadOS 17.2 for the iPad , and the older 15.8 and 16.7.4 versions of iOS and iPadOS for devices unable to run iOS 17 . Apple is already testing iOS 17.4 , a major update that is set to come out in March. This article, " Apple Stops Signing iOS 17.2.1, Downgrading No Longer Possible " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss th

Apple is "deeply concerned" that proposed changes to British surveillance legislation could give the U.K. government unprecedented powers to secretly prevent software updates from being released in an any other country (via BBC News ). The UK government is planning to update the Investigatory Powers Act (IPA), which came into effect in 2016 and allows the British Home Office to outlaw certain encrypted services by issuing something called a Technical Capability Notice (TCN). Dubbed by critics as a "Snooper's Charter," the updated Act of Parliament could also allow the Home Office to decline security and privacy updates without telling the public. The bill proposes changes including: Creating a new condition for the use of internet connection records to aid "target detection." Introducing an alternative, less stringent regulatory regime for the retention and examination of bulk personal datasets where individuals have little or no expecta

CARROT Weather today announced that its app will be available on the Apple Vision Pro on Friday, complete with its signature snarky forecasts. The popular iPhone weather app has been redesigned for visionOS, with information like the current temperature, hourly and daily forecasts, sunrise and sunset times, Moon phases, air quality, and more displayed at a glance. On the Vision Pro, CARROT Weather has added an interactive 3D globe that shows temperatures, wind speeds, and precipitation intensity around the world. The app's developer Brian Mueller described the globe as the "marquee feature" of the app, and said that "it's just really cool being able to look at a globe floating in your living room." Users can also interact with the snarky AI-powered character CARROT and play mini-games via the "ornament" at the bottom of the app's window. Apple Vision Pro launches on Friday , and CARROT Weather said its visionOS app will be available

With the launch of the Vision Pro just days away, popular video collaboration service Zoom announced a Vision Pro app that is set to come out on Friday, February 2. The Zoom app for Vision Pro is meant to blur the lines of in-person and remote meetings to help teams feel more connected with one another. The Zoom app will work on the "infinite canvas" of the Vision Pro, with the scalable interface able to be viewed in the real world or with a virtual backdrop. The app supports Personas, which are a spatial representation of the user in Vision Pro. A Persona is created by using the cameras on the Vision Pro, and it serves as a stand-in for the user during video calls. Personas look like the user, and are able to gesture, speak, and react based on the facial and hand movements of the Vision Pro wearer. With these features, Zoom users can expect to "feel like they are in the same room as their colleagues and customers" without the need for anything but the Visio

Apple has sold upwards of 200,000 Vision Pro headsets, MacRumors has learned from a source with knowledge of Apple's sales numbers. Apple began accepting pre-orders for the Vision Pro on January 19, so the headset has been available for purchase in the U.S. for 10 days. Last Monday, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed that Apple had sold an estimated 160,000 to 180,000 Vision Pro units during the pre-order weekend for the device, so sales may have slowed somewhat since then. Vision Pro headsets for launch day home delivery sold out within hours of pre-orders launching, and in-store pickup options followed shortly after, so it is no surprise that interest in the headset has started to wane somewhat after the initial rush of orders. Media reviews for the Vision Pro are set to go live on Tuesday, and that could push more sales, plus there will likely be an uptick in purchases after actual consumers begin sharing hands-on experiences. Kuo has warned that demand for the Visi

Apple-owned Shazam has released an updated version of the app with a new feature that can identify songs from other apps while you're listening using headphones. Shazam has been able to recognize songs from other apps for some time, but if headphones were connected to your iPhone, the feature wouldn't work, until now. The latest version of the app, v17.3, fixes that limitation. The feature works when wired or bluetooth headphones are connected, and they don't have to be Apple-made accessories, so third-party headphones are also supported. To use the feature, open the Shazam app, check for the headphone icon to confirm your headphones are connected, and then you'll be able to start recognizing music around you or within apps like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. Apple acquired Shazam in 2018, and has been gradually bringing the app into closer alignment with ‌Apple Music‌ ever since, offering trials to the streaming service through the app and the ability to syn

The Browser Company has released a new iPhone app called Arc Search that aims to reimagine the online search experience by using artificial experience to present web results in a more easily digestible, curated presentation. The app follows the company's Arc Browser for Mac, and could be described as an AI chat bot with web access (think perplexity.ai ), wrapped in a clean, minimalist browser interface that quickly builds webpages on the fly based on your search query. The app opens with a search bar and keyboard, and its main AI-powered feature, "Browse for me," reads at least six websites and returns key information about the search query in a neatly presented webpage. For example, when searching "How to change a car tyre," Arc Search creates a page with sections including steps for changing the tyre, safety precautions, necessary tools, positioning the car, and fitting the spare wheel, with links for further reading. While Arc Search webpages don&#

DJ Novotney, one of Apple's top hardware engineering architects, is leaving Apple for Rivian Automotive, Bloomberg reported over the weekend. Novotney has worked at Apple for 25 years and been highly influential in the development of the iPod and iPhone over multiple generations of the hardware. He also helped lead development of the iPad and bring the Apple Watch to market, according to the report's sources at Apple. Novotney was also involved in "Project Titan," the company's stalled attempt to develop an autonomous electric vehicle. Most recently he was the senior executive in charge of developing future home devices, with a special focus on robotics and AI. Apple is said to have explored a future high-end HomePod speaker that could include an iPad connected via a robotic arm that tracks and follows users around a room. Novotney will become senior VP of vehicle programs at Rivian, which makes electric SUVs and pickup trucks. The executive informed coll

Apple today promoted the Vision Pro in a new video ad shared on its YouTube channel, ahead of the headset launching in the U.S. this Friday, February 2. "Apple Vision Pro is here," the video description says. "Now, digital content blends seamlessly with your physical space. You can do the things you love in ways never before possible." Apple showed a longer version of this ad during its WWDC keynote last June, shortly after introducing the Vision Pro. Related Roundup: Apple Vision Pro Tag: Apple Ads Buyer's Guide: Vision Pro (Buy Now) Related Forum: Apple Vision Pro This article, " Apple Says 'Hello' to Vision Pro in New Ad as Headset Nears Launch " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums Source: TechRadar

Apple will likely launch new iPad Air, iPad Pro, and MacBook Air models "around the end of March," according to Bloomberg 's Mark Gurman . In his Power On newsletter today, he said production is well underway for the new iPad Pro models and a new 13-inch MacBook Air at a minimum within Apple's supply chain in Asia. Below, we reiterate Gurman's expectations for the new iPads and Macs, along with other rumored features and changes for the devices. iPad Air The iPad Air lineup is expected to gain a new 12.9-inch display size alongside an updated 10.9-inch model. Rumored and/or likely features for the next iPad Air models include Apple's M2 chip for faster performance, a redesigned rear camera bump , Wi-Fi 6E support, and Bluetooth 5.3. No major external design changes are expected. The current fifth-generation iPad Air with the M1 chip was released in March 2022. iPad Pro The next 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Pro models are widely expected to be the

When the Vision Pro launches, it will not feature some popular apps like Netflix , YouTube , or Spotify, with users instead relegated to accessing these services through the Safari web browser on the device. In an interview with Stratechery , Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters explained earlier this week that Netflix does not plan to develop a Vision Pro app at this time because the device is "so subscale" that it is "not really particularly relevant" to most Netflix members. Peters said that Netflix needs to be careful about how money is spent, ensuring that resources are not invested in areas that will not yield a return. You got to a good one really quick there already. Not by any unwillingness or lack of desire to do that, but even when you note we look at as close to ubiquity on devices perspective, the decisions that lead to that are we try and be very rigorous about, "What's the effort to integrate on any given set of devices and what's the benefit

The iOS 17.4 beta that Apple seeded to developers yesterday introduces major app ecosystem changes in the European Union, but there are also a handful of other features that have been overshadowed. Once such new addition is a transcript option in the Apple Podcasts app, which is similar to the lyric feature in Apple Music . Recent uploads in the Podcasts app have a new transcript icon, and if tapped, it shows a full transcript of the entire podcast. As with ‌Apple Music‌, the transcript scrolls as the episode plays. Transcripts are automatically generated, but appear to be fairly accurate. The transcripts take just a few seconds to generate when a new podcast is played, so they can be useful for determining whether the content in a show is something worth the time to listen to. Searching for a specific word or phrase is supported, and tapping on that word or phrase jumps to that spot in the episode. Note that not all podcast episodes have transcripts right now, but Apple says

In iOS 17.4, Apple is making a number of changes to iOS to comply with the Digital Markets Act in the European Union. One of these updates will see Apple allowing alternate browser engines , with WebKit no longer required for third-party browsers like Firefox and Chrome. While support for alternative browser engines sounds like a win for browser companies, Mozilla spokesperson Damiano DeMonte told The Verge that Firefox is "extremely disappointed" with the way Apple is implementing the feature because it does not extend to the iPad . "We are still reviewing the technical details but are extremely disappointed with Apple's proposed plan to restrict the newly-announced BrowserEngineKit to EU-specific apps. The effect of this would be to force an independent browser like Firefox to build and maintain two separate browser implementations -- a burden Apple themselves will not have to bear." Firefox uses the Gecko engine and could swap to that on the iPhone , but

Spotify CEO Daniel EK today wrote a blog post criticizing the app ecosystem changes that Apple implemented in the European Union under the Digital Markets Act, accusing Apple of putting forward "a new plan that is a complete and total farce" under "the false pretense of compliance and concessions." Ek says that Apple doesn't "think the rules apply to them," and he believes that most app developers are not going to be able to adopt Apple's new terms. The 0.50 euro Core Technology Fee collected per install per year (after 1 million installs) is "extortion," according to Ek. Combined with the reduced commission through the App Store (10-20% depending on options selected), Ek claims that developers of popular apps will pay "the same or even more to Apple" than with the prior rules. After sitting with our legal team to parse through the fine print of Apple's DMA announcement (that took a while), which is, at best vague

Apps that are distributed through alternative app stores in EU countries will need to submit to a notarization process that's similar to the notarization process for Mac apps. According to Apple, Notarization applies to all apps, and it is a process focused on privacy, security, and maintaining device integrity. Apple is aiming to ensure that apps do not have viruses, malware, or other security threats, and that they function as promised without exposing users to "egregious fraud." Notarization will check for the following: Accuracy - Apps are required to accurately represent the developer, capabilities, and costs to users. Functionality - Binaries must be reviewable, free of serious bugs or crashes, and compatible with the current version of iOS. Software or hardware cannot be manipulated in ways that negatively impact the user experience. Safety - Apps cannot promote physical harm of the user or public. Security - Apps cannot enable distribution of mal

Apple today completely overhauled its app system , introducing changes that allow developers to distribute their apps through alternative app stores and use alternative methods of payment in iOS 17.4. Unfortunately, these changes are limited to countries that are in the European Union, and they won't be implemented worldwide. There are 27 EU countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden. Options to install apps through alternative app stores will only be available in the countries listed above, and elsewhere in the world, there will be no changes to how apps are installed and distributed. Apple said that it is limiting these changes to the EU because the company is concerned about how alternative app stores and payment methods will impact user priv

Apple has reportedly cut components orders for its upcoming OLED iPad Pro models, suggesting that the company is now anticipating lower demand than previously expected. According to a report from Aju Korea Daily , cited by Trendforce , Apple has reduced orders of the OLED display panels designed for the next-generation iPad Pro by 20 to 30%. Apple's original order of ten million panels was split between LG Display, with six million units, and Samsung, with four million units. The cut is expected to hit LG's order specifically, reducing to three or four million units, while Samsung's order remains unchanged. This also suggests that it is primarily the 13-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ that is affected by Apple's expectation of reduced sales, since Samsung is exclusively supplying panels for the 11.1-inch model. 2024 iPad Pro: 12 Rumors About What to Expect The scaling back of the order suggests that Apple is now planning to sell fewer new ‌iPad Pro‌ models than it initially

Security researcher Tommy Mysk has demonstrated that iPhone push notifications are being used by popular apps to covertly send data about the user. In a new video outlining the practice, Mysk highlighted how certain iOS apps exploit a feature introduced in iOS 10 that is designed to allow apps to customize push notifications. This feature, initially intended to enable apps to enrich notifications with additional content or decrypt encrypted messages, has seemingly been repurposed by some developers for more secretive activities. According to Mysk's findings, various popular applications, including TikTok, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Bing, are using the short background execution time granted for notification customization to send analytics information. This practice is particularly worrisome because it circumvents the typical restrictions imposed by iOS on background app activities. Apple has always maintained strict control over applications running in the background

Apple today promoted the durability of the iPhone 15's Ceramic Shield front glass in a new "Swoop" ad shared on its YouTube channel in Australia. In the video, a bird attempts to attack a woman riding a bicycle, causing her to fall over. In the process, the iPhone she was using for cycling directions also drops to the ground, but it does not suffer damage due in part to the Ceramic Shield. Apple says the Ceramic Shield is "tougher than any smartphone glass." Introduced on iPhone 12 models in 2020, Apple advertised the ceramic-infused glass as increasing drop performance by 4x compared to the iPhone 11. Tag: Apple Ads This article, " Swoop: Apple Promotes iPhone 15's Durability in Frantic New Ad " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums Source: TechRadar

Apple today released a new update for Safari Technology Preview , the experimental browser Apple first introduced in March 2016. Apple designed the ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ to test features that may be introduced into future release versions of Safari. ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ 187 includes fixes and updates for Accessibility, Animations, CSS, Forms, Rendering, Scrolling, Storage, SVG, Web API, and WebGL. The current ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ release is compatible with machines running macOS Ventura and macOS Sonoma , the latest version of macOS that Apple released in September 2023. The ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ update is available through the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences or System Settings to anyone who has downloaded the browser . Full release notes for the update are available on the Safari Technology Preview website . Apple's aim with ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ is to gather feedback from developers and users on its browser development pr

X, formerly Twitter, now supports passkeys as a login option for iOS users in the United States, the company has announced . Passkeys are both easier to use and more secure than passwords because they let users sign in to apps and sites the same way they unlock their devices: With Face ID , Touch ID , or a device passcode. Passkeys are also resistant to online attacks like phishing, making them more secure than things like SMS one-time codes. Apple integrated passkeys into iOS in 2022 with the launch of iOS 16, and it is also available in iPadOS 16.1 and later as well as macOS Ventura and later. To set up passkeys in X, follow these steps: Log in to the X app. Click Your account in the navigation bar. Select Settings and privacy , then click Security and account access , then Security . Under Additional password protection , click Passkey . Enter your password when prompted. Select Add a passkey and follow the prompts. X says passkeys are currently only rolling out t

Apple has been quietly making a series of artificial intelligence related acquisitions and staff hires in a bid to bring on-device AI to its next-generation iPhones, claims a new report by the Financial Times . According to the report, indications suggest Apple has been focusing on "tackling the technological problem of running AI through mobile devices." To that end, it has acquired several AI-related startups, the last one occurring early last year when it purchased California-based WaveOne, which offers AI-powered video compression. According to a recent research note from Morgan Stanley, almost half of Apple's AI job posts have included the term "Deep learning," which relates to the algorithms used to power generative AI. Previous reports have suggested Apple has been testing its "Ajax" large language model (LLM) since early 2023, but in contrast to LLMs like OpenAI's ChatGPT, Apple's primary goal is to develop generative AI that wo

While the Vision Pro does not launch until February 2, Apple today released visionOS 1.0.1 for the headset, according to developer Nicolás Álvarez . It's unclear what's new in the software update, as Apple has yet to start publicly sharing visionOS release notes, but the version number suggests that it's likely a minor update with bug fixes. Bloomberg 's Mark Gurman said that Apple would start shipping Vision Pro review units to selected media personnel following a January 23 meeting, so visionOS 1.0.1 should be available on those headsets as an immediate update out of the box. It could also be a day-one update for the public if initial Vision Pro units ship with visionOS 1.0 installed. visionOS 1.0.1 is the first-ever software update for the Vision Pro, and it has a build number of 21N311, according to Álvarez. Apple will likely unveil a larger visionOS 2.0 update with new features at WWDC in June. (Thanks, Aaron !) Related Roundups: Apple Vision Pro , visionO

Apple scored 13 Academy Award nominations for Apple TV+ movies Killers of the Flower Moon and Napoleon, doubling its record for Academy Award nominations in a single year. Directed by Martin Scorsese, Killers of the Flower Moon has been nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress in a Leading Role (Lily Gladstone), Best Supporting Actor (Robert De Niro), Best Costume Design, Best Production Design, Best Original Score, Best Original Song, Best Film Editing, and Best Cinematography. Scorsese has now received 10 total lifetime Academy Award nominations for Best Director, making him the most-nominated living director. Napoleon, directed by Ridley Scott and starring Joaquin Phoenix, received Academy Award nominations for Best Costume Design, Best Production Design, and Best Visual Effects. Killers of the Flower Moon will compete against movies that include Barbie, Oppenheimer, Past Lives, Poor Things, and Maestro for Best Picture. It was previously nominated for nin

Apple today released iOS 17.3, a major update to the iOS operating system that adds Stolen Device Protection, collaborative Apple Music playlists, and a handful of other interesting features. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. In this guide, we've rounded up everything new in the iOS 17.3 update. Stolen Device Protection Earlier this year, there were news reports about a series of iPhone thefts where the thief spied on a victim to learn an ‌iPhone‌'s passcode before going on to steal the device, leading to drained bank accounts, stolen passwords, and an untraceable ‌iPhone‌. As a solution, Apple included Stolen Device Protection in iOS 17.3 to add extra security. Should a thief get their hands on both your ‌iPhone‌ and your passcode, Stolen Device Protection prevents total catastrophe. With Stolen Device Protection enabled, accessing passwords in iCloud Keychain, turning off Lost Mode, erasing content, and making purchases in Safari requi