A mother and her son were found guilty of a major iPhone scam exploiting the AppleCare+ warranty system, Securing Industry reported. The Chinese citizens committed the crimes in Switzerland, where they were sentenced.
Apple claims it lost more than CHF 1m ($1.1m) as a result of the scam, which mirrors a notorious case in the US last year, which also resulted in a three-year jail term for the main perpetrator. The court heard that the main defendant earned just CHF 10,000 from the fraud, and was a small but important part of a network which prosecutors believe is based in Hong Kong. The mother and son sent the genuine handsets they received from Apple to Hong Kong, getting just CHF 10 as commission on each device. They claimed they were unaware that the iPhones they exchanged were fake.
OWC has released a teardown of the new 27-inch iMac 5K. It gives a really useful look inside the device and highlights the storage upgrade issues previously reported on.
The music is a key part of the new Apple TV+ show Little Voice. In a new video, co-creator Sara Bareilles, Executive ProducerJ.J. Abrams, and star Brittany O’Grady discuss the songs and sounds that feature.
If you’re the type of person who wants to protect your iPhone while also keeping its elegant appearance, the Vaja Grip Case for iPhone has you covered.
· John F. Braun & Dave Hamilton · Mac Geek Gab Podcast
The summer heat hasn’t stopped your two favorite geeks — or you, with your questions — and this week’s episode shows all of that and more. You’ve had a ton of questions about audio devices and podcast management lately, so John and Dave dig into that first to re-open the doors on that conversation. Then it’s on to tips and Cool Stuff Found, with a couple of return entries in the latter, including the very, very first Cool Stuff Found to ever have been mentioned! Press play, and enjoy watching (or listening) as you learn five new things.
iFixit, which regularly provides readers with hugely helpful teardowns, has praised Apple for making available (deliberately or otherwise) repair manuals for the 21.5-inch and 27-inch iMacs released in 2019. It even upgraded the repairability score for the devices. This is interesting, given it recently emerged that flash storage cannot be removed from the logic board in the latest 27-inch iMac, surely reducing its repairability.
But with publicly available repair manuals, however painful the actual procedures can be, this device offers a greater sense of long-term service potential. It’s a tricky thing, providing this recognition to Apple. The company puts a significant amount of effort into lobbying against Right to Repair bills that would, among other things, make all such internal manuals available to the public. And we know, by way of emails provided to Congress, that the release of the iMac repair manuals was an aberration. Since then, Apple has simultaneously produced its most repair-friendly device in many years, the Mac Pro, and chosen not to release any more manuals for its other devices. Still, this tiny revelation feels like the first signs of spring after a long winter. Apple published service manuals and the world didn’t end.
We have a deal on the Supercord, a 3.3-foot charging USB charging cable with three interchangeable connectors: Lightning, USB-C, and microUSB. The sleeve of the cable is braided with kevlar, and it’s $19.99 through our deal.
President Trump’s ban on Chinese apps, in particular WeChat, is going to affect Apple, writes Michael Kan.
Forty-five days from now, the White House can begin punishing US companies and individuals for making “transactions” that are related to WeChat. That means Apple will likely need to pull the product from the iOS app store.
“For Apple, it would be all iPhone sales in China will go to zero because no one in China will buy a WeChatless phone,” tweeted podcaster Carl Zha.
As I understand it, WeChat is THE most popular app in China. It’s what Facebook aspires to be with Messenger. It’s used for everything like messaging, mobile payments, a hub for businesses, etc. Like Mr. Kan notes, it won’t affect Google because apps can be sideloaded on Android. But the App Store is the single repository of iOS apps.
“Game of Thrones: Tale of Crows” launched on Apple Arcade Friday. It goes beyond the TV series to explore the 8,000 year history of the Night’s Watch in its vigil on top of the Wall. Players will etch their own tales into the annals of Lord Commanders and their sworn brothers over centuries as they shore up stocks, defenses, and recruits at Castle Black as well as send ranging parties out to navigate the wild North, riding into the lands beyond the Wall unsure of what awaits them.
Camera lenses set for the iPhone 12 have encountered problems, according to a note from analyst Ming Chi Kuo, seen by 9to5 Mac. However, it could save Apple some money.
The problem was spotted during a high-temperature, high-humidity test designed to ensure that the cameras can cope with use in tropical climates… The issues occurred with the camera modules destined for the non-Pro 5.4-inch and 6.1-inch models, with units made by Yujingguang. It’s not yet known whether the company will be able to fix the problem in time for the launch. While Apple will undoubtedly not be impressed by the failure in the iPhone 12 camera lenses, there may be an upside to it. Kuo believes that the lens supplier will be forced to offer Apple a substantial discount on the agreed price in order to win back the business.
