Today Apple released firmware version 2D15 for AirPods Pro. This will bring all customers to one update.
WWDC 2020 Announced – TMO Daily Observations 2020-05-05
Bryan Chaffin and Dave Hamilton join host Kelly Guimont to discuss WWDC 2020, and making lemonade from the hand of lemons we’ve been dealt.
WWDC 2020 Date Set for June 22
Apple just announced the WWDC 2020 date and it will happen on June 22. As previously reported it will be a virtual conference.
Apple Patents Suggest Company Doubling Down on Bendable Designs
Apple appears to be turning an increasing amount of attention towards developing bendable designs for the MacBook and MacBook Pro. At least that’s what a new patent suggests to AppleInsider.
“Planar hinge assembly,” US Patent No 10,642,318, chiefly describes how such a design could apply to a MacBook Pro-style device. “A personal computing device comprises a single piece body having a seamless overall appearance and that includes a bendable portion that is capable of having a smoothly curved shape,” it says. “The single piece body includes a first part capable of carrying a display suitable for presenting visual content, and a second part that is capable of carrying an input device suitable for accepting an input action.” Apple is careful to always describe “a personal computing device,” and its details can also apply to “a smart phone cover or a tablet computer device.” But it all hinges, so to speak, on what’s referred to as “a multi-state bending assembly.”
Apple Stores in Australia and Austria Reopening This Week
Apple Stores in Australia and Austria will reopen this week, with almost all those in Australia welcoming customers from Thursday.
Edison Mail Arrives in the Mac App Store
Popular iOS email app Edison has arrived to the Mac App Store. It brings features like a Focused Inbox, Today Folder, and notification muting, as well as analyzing user email for research and e-commerce trends. The company announced it in a blog post:
We’ve been working night and day to ensure that the Edison Mac app experience is incredible for all our consumers. Available for Yahoo, Gmail, Outlook accounts, and more, Edison offers a universal inbox that keeps all emails from multiple accounts in a single place. This means no more jumping from inbox to inbox in order to see messages in your different accounts.
Mac App Store: Edison Mail – Free
Apple and Google Ban Location Tracking in COVID Apps
Apple and Google announced on Monday that the use of location tracking in contact tracing apps is banned to preserve privacy.
Nest Introducing Two-Factor Authentication For All Users This Month
Nest is introducing two-factor authentication for users who have not migrated to a Google account or turned the feature on already.
France Claims Apple is Undermining its COVID App Efforts
On Tuesday the French government accused Apple of undermining its efforts with its contact tracing app “StopCovid.”
Apple’s iPhones normally block access to Bluetooth unless the user is actively running an app. French officials want Apple to change the settings to let their app access Bluetooth in the background, so it is always on. So far, they say, Apple has refused.
O, the French minister, said he could not explain the reasoning behind Apple’s decision on Bluetooth. “We consider that oversight of the healthcare system, fighting the coronavirus, is a matter for governments and not necessarily for big American companies,” he said.
As we pointed out on our Daily Observations podcast, most people aren’t going to care about the privacy aspects of these apps. But they will care about battery life, and apps like these constantly using Bluetooth in the background will undoubtedly be a factor, Bluetooth Low Energy or not.
What Are ARM Processors And Why Does Apple Want Them in Macs?
While nothing has been confirmed, there is lots of talk that Apple wants to put its own, custom-made, ARM processors into upcoming Macs. But what exactly is one, and why is Apple so keen to introduce them to Macs? iMore has a great explainer.
Apple designs its own CPUs and CPU cores that implement ARM instruction sets. The company’s work is completely custom, rather than a repackage of ARM processors. Theoretically, Apple could license x86, the instruction set architecture used in processors from Intel and AMD, and build custom desktop and laptop chips that way, but the team is by now versed in ARM, and chips made with the ARM instruction set are known for their lower power consumption compared to x86. This is all a way of saying that “ARM transition,” while a convenient shorthand, doesn’t fully describe what we expect to happen with upcoming Macs. We expect that, like the A-series chips in iPhones, iPads, and Apple TVs, Apple’s Mac processors will be completely custom.