Tech Talk

Apple today announced it has expanded its Self Service Repair program to cover the iPhone 15 lineup and Mac models powered by M2 chips, including the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro, the 15-inch MacBook Air , Mac mini , Mac Pro , and Mac Studio . Apple also said that ‌Self Service Repair‌ is now available for Apple users in 24 additional European countries, including Croatia, Denmark, Greece, Netherlands, Portugal, and Switzerland. With this latest expansion, ‌Self Service Repair‌ now supports 35 Apple products in 33 countries and 24 languages. Additionally, Apple Diagnostics for ‌Self Service Repair‌ is available today in the U.S., with availability in Europe to come next year. Intended for users with the knowledge and expertise to repair Apple devices, Apple Diagnostics troubleshooting sessions gives customers the same ability as Apple Authorized Service Providers and Independent Repair Providers to test devices for optimal part functionality and performance, as well as identify

With the launch of the iPhone 15 , Apple introduced design changes like a curved frame and a frosted glass back. Information acquired by MacRumors suggests that Apple's next-generation iPhone 16 will build on these updates with modifications to the buttons and the camera layout. We have details on early pre-production designs for the ‌iPhone 16‌, including a look at the variants and hardware configurations that Apple has considered so far. Our information comes early in the design process, but it provides an indication of what we can expect from the ‌iPhone 16‌, or DeLorean as Apple engineers refer to it internally. We've included mockups of what the ‌iPhone 16‌ could look like based on Apple's internal designs, down to the exact colors the company is using for testing. The iPhone rendered in yellow features the earliest known button design with an Action Button, unified volume button, and ‌iPhone‌ X-style camera bump. The ‌iPhone‌ in pink has an Action Button and s

Earlier this year, General Motors (GM) announced plans to phase out Apple's CarPlay and Android Auto in its future electric vehicles, with the company instead relying on an infotainment system co-developed with Google. This has not been a popular decision with iPhone users, and today, GM provided some additional insight into the decision in a discussion with MotorTrend . According to Tim Babbitt, GM's head of product for infotainment, GM has driver safety in mind. CarPlay and Android Auto can have issues like bad connections, slow response times, compatibility issues, and connectivity problems, leading drivers to be distracted from the road with smartphone troubleshooting. Babbitt claims that drivers will be less likely to pick up their phones with a built-in system that does not rely on a service like ‌CarPlay‌, leading to improved safety on the road. GM does not have any data to prove that an infotainment system is less distracting than ‌CarPlay‌, nor has it done any

Apple has reportedly offered to open up the iPhone near-field communication (NFC) system that Apple Pay uses to other payment services, in a possible effort to forestall impending EU regulatory action. In a brief report Tuesday, Reuters said that Apple has offered to let rivals access the NFC system in iPhones, but it is not yet clear what Apple's proposal involves. Banks have complained that Apple's exclusive access to the NFC contactless chip in its devices privileges ‌Apple Pay‌ over other payment systems. In May 2022, the EU antitrust watchdog officially objected to Apple restricting rivals' access to its mobile tap-and-go technology, making it difficult for competitors to develop alternative mobile wallet services on Apple devices. ‌Apple Pay‌ competitor PayPal and other rivals reportedly played a role in the EU's decision to target Apple with antitrust complaints about its mobile wallet. The company was said to have filed informal complaints about the

Epic Games has won its antitrust lawsuit against Google, after the nine-member jury in the case unanimously agreed that the tech giant abused its power by operating an app store monopoly and charging developers unduly high fees. The unanimous verdict came after three hours of deliberation following a four-week trial looking into Google's Play store. Among Epic's allegations were that Google illegally tied together its Play store and Play Billing payment services, leaving developers having to use both for their apps to be included in the store. Google collects a commission ranging from 15% to 30% on transactions completed within apps, similar to how Apple takes its App Store fees. The jury also agreed that Google's distribution agreement with developers was anticompetitive, and that Epic had been unfairly stifled by the company's behavior by forcing its own billing system on developers. The trial was brought by Epic against Google in 2020 for removing Fortnite

Sonos is back with a sale that's matching the all-time low prices we saw over Black Friday for many of its audio products. In total, you can get up to 25 percent off select devices, and Sonos is still guaranteeing delivery in time for Christmas if ordered by 11 a.m. on December 19. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Sonos. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running. All the prices in this sale are matching the ones we tracked during Black Friday and Cyber Monday, meaning they're the best prices we've ever seen for these devices. Additionally, the new holiday sale is expanded with bundle options for anyone looking to purchase a full home theater speaker system this season. UP TO 25% OFF Sonos Holiday Sale In terms of Christmas delivery, Sonos says that you'll need to order by December 19 for ground delivery options and by December 22 for overnight shipping options. There's a

Vision Pro customers will likely be pushed to pick up the device at an Apple Store , Bloomberg 's Mark Gurman reports . In October, Gurman reported that Apple was in the process of inviting retail store employees from each ‌Apple Store‌ in the United States to Cupertino, California to receive training on using and selling the Vision Pro headset. Apple apparently sent a memo to retail employees asking them to apply for the "secretive" event, with acceptance dependent on an application and interview process. An extract from the memo read: Selected team members will travel and participate in an event in Cupertino, California, at some point in the first months of 2024. Upon returning to their home store, they'll deliver training and ongoing support to store team members. This is a group opportunity for those who have a deep passion for demonstrating Apple products and teaching others. In the latest "Power On" newsletter , Gurman said that these seminars a