Taking a look back at another week of news and headlines from Cupertino, this week’s Apple Loop includes major iPhone delay, latest MacBook Pro reviews, the MacBook Pro battery secret, fixing the MacBook notch, macOS Monterey released, Apple’s quarterly results, Apple Music on the PlayStation 5, and another sold out Apple product.
Apple, like every consumer electronics company, is dealing with supply chain disruption and a shortage of silicon chips. Therefore it comes as no surprise, albeit tinged with disappointment, to read that the third generation of the iPhone SE has been delayed, and 2022’s refresh is not going to be much to write home about.
“In an exclusive report, remarkably accurate industry insider Ross Young has revealed that Apple has “pushed” plans for a redesigned third-generation iPhone SE back to 2024. Moreover, the company’s plans for the next iPhone SE, which launches in early 2022, are now frustrating and confusing.
“The frustration stems from Young’s report that Apple has now decided to reuse the 2017 iPhone 8 design (itself based on the 2014 iPhone 6) for the 2022 iPhone SE. Externally, nothing appears to be improving with the same large top and bottom bezels, a 4.7-inch display and an LCD panel.”
With the embargo dipped, the reviews of the new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro were published at the start of the week. Apple offered early access to the hardware to a number of publications, and the reaction has been uniformly positive, with the raw performance of the chip highlighted by all.
“Overall the reaction to the MacBook Pro has been solid to outstanding, although its notable that many reviews are focusing on the same specific areas of discussion such as the raw performance of the M1 Pro and M1 Max chips. The focus is very much on the “Pro” inside the MacBook Pro. Given the short window to review the hardware supplied by Apple (which has supplied reviewers with the higher specced models that will report much higher benchmarks) this shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise.”
The first looks at the hardware have also turned up something rather interesting with the battery… Apple has made it easier to replace, with pull tabs on the batteries and easy access to the cells without having to stripe the entire laptop down, as the iFixit tear-down team found out.
“The four outer battery cells have easily-noticeable pull tabs, which are the typical thin white strips we know and love from the iPhone and MacBook Air. But wait, we don’t see any pull tabs on the middle cells. Are we screwed—or, worse, glued?
“Not entirely! We removed the trackpad and, lo and behold, there are cut-outs to access the pull tabs that hold the middle battery cells in place. We’ve still got a long way to go with disassembly, but this new MacBook Pro has, at the very least, the first reasonably DIY-friendly battery replacement procedure since 2012.”
The one thing that is causing a lot of raised eyebrows is the notch. Yes it was seen last week at the laptop launch, but now the MacBook Pros are out in the wild the interaction between the notch and the macOS UI is not of the standard you would expect from Apple.
“While the menu items are handled smoothly, the menu status items are being hidden by the notch. Rather than wrap around the dead space, the operating system just slaps the status items into the menu with no consideration to the big black block covering that same space.
“The behaviour of the cursor around the notch is also inconsistent, sometimes being blocked, sometimes jumping immediately from one side to another, and sometimes able to activate the menu bar items under the notch.”
Thankfully Apple has a fix, although it does feel like a bit of a kludge. Users can ‘scale to fit’ the desktop on the display so the top of the menu bar touches the bottom of the notch, so there is no interference. The problem with this? You have some rather large bezels on all four sides of the screen:
“To turn on “scale to fit below built-in camera” for an app on the new MacBook Pro models, open the Finder app and click on Applications in the sidebar. Then, right click on the desired app and select “Get Info.” In the Info window that opens, check off the “scale to fit below built-in camera” box and the display will automatically adjust when the app is open.”
Also launching alongside the new MacBook Pro is macOS Monterey. This version of macOS ships with the laptops, but is also available to download for older MacBooks and Macs. Is it worth the update (beyond stopping Apple’s incessant alerts to do just that)? If you are working on macOS, iOS, and iPadOS, the new AirPlay functionality is.
“With macOS Monterey, AirPlay lets your Mac be an AirPlay destination, so you can quickly play content from your iPhone on your Mac’s display For the first time, the Mac can be used as a speaker for multiform audio, just as the HomePod can. AirPlay works both wirelessly and wired using USB. A wired connection is useful when you want to ensure that there’s no latency or you don’t have access to Wi-Fi. Learn more about this feature here.
“…financial results for its fiscal 2021 fourth quarter ended September 25, 2021. The Company posted a September quarter revenue record of $83.4 billion, up 29 percent year over year, and quarterly earnings per diluted share of $1.24.”
Strong numbers, but these were still below expectations. Tim Cook acknowledged the supply issues cost Apple around $6 billion for the quarter. These issues will continue into the December quarter, one that is traditionally strong with the new iPhone featuring heavily.
“Apple hasn’t provided official guidance since the start of the pandemic, but Cook said Apple expects “solid year-over-year revenue growth” in the December quarter despite the fact Cook said Apple will face worse supply constraints, higher than the $6 billion hit to revenue in the September quarter. Still, Apple says that its December quarter will be the company’s largest in terms of revenue in its history.”
Apple Music has opened up a new frontier this week, as it launches on Sony’s Playstation 5. The subscription music service joins the likes of Spotify on the platform, offering music and video to gamers:
“Starting today, PS5 users with an Apple Music subscription can enjoy more than 90 million songs from Apple Music, tens of thousands of curated playlists, music videos in 4K, Apple Music Radio streaming today’s hits, classics, and country live, and personalized playlists based on your music preferences. PS5 offers seamless integration with the Apple Music streaming service with background music and music video playback, so players can listen before, during, or after their gameplay session.”
Apple’s hottest items always run out quickly after a launch event; although it’s impossible to know how many units were stockpiled the long wait times have become an expected pattern. So it should come as no surprise that the most desirable are the most delayed. Well… Apple’s exclusive $18 cloth is sold out until January.
“It’s highly unlikely that everyone purchasing the Apple polishing cloth owns a device with a nano-texture screen. Currently, only the Pro Display XDR and customized Intel iMacs feature nano-texture. It’s far more likely most people simply bought it because it was new to the Apple Store. For most Apple screens, a decent-quality microfiber cleaning cloth is all you’ll need to clean your screen. Apple suggests that you lightly dampen a soft, lint-free cloth with water and wipe off any offending grime.
The federal government is ordering the dissolution of TikTok’s Canadian business after a national security review of the Chinese company behind the social media platform, but stopped short of ordering people to stay off the app.
Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne announced the government’s “wind up” demand Wednesday, saying it is meant to address “risks” related to ByteDance Ltd.’s establishment of TikTok Technology Canada Inc.
“The decision was based on the information and evidence collected over the course of the review and on the advice of Canada’s security and intelligence community and other government partners,” he said in a statement.
The announcement added that the government is not blocking Canadians’ access to the TikTok application or their ability to create content.
However, it urged people to “adopt good cybersecurity practices and assess the possible risks of using social media platforms and applications, including how their information is likely to be protected, managed, used and shared by foreign actors, as well as to be aware of which country’s laws apply.”
Champagne’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment seeking details about what evidence led to the government’s dissolution demand, how long ByteDance has to comply and why the app is not being banned.
A TikTok spokesperson said in a statement that the shutdown of its Canadian offices will mean the loss of hundreds of well-paying local jobs.
“We will challenge this order in court,” the spokesperson said.
“The TikTok platform will remain available for creators to find an audience, explore new interests and for businesses to thrive.”
The federal Liberals ordered a national security review of TikTok in September 2023, but it was not public knowledge until The Canadian Press reported in March that it was investigating the company.
At the time, it said the review was based on the expansion of a business, which it said constituted the establishment of a new Canadian entity. It declined to provide any further details about what expansion it was reviewing.
A government database showed a notification of new business from TikTok in June 2023. It said Network Sense Ventures Ltd. in Toronto and Vancouver would engage in “marketing, advertising, and content/creator development activities in relation to the use of the TikTok app in Canada.”
Even before the review, ByteDance and TikTok were lightning rod for privacy and safety concerns because Chinese national security laws compel organizations in the country to assist with intelligence gathering.
Such concerns led the U.S. House of Representatives to pass a bill in March designed to ban TikTok unless its China-based owner sells its stake in the business.
Champagne’s office has maintained Canada’s review was not related to the U.S. bill, which has yet to pass.
Canada’s review was carried out through the Investment Canada Act, which allows the government to investigate any foreign investment with potential to might harm national security.
While cabinet can make investors sell parts of the business or shares, Champagne has said the act doesn’t allow him to disclose details of the review.
Wednesday’s dissolution order was made in accordance with the act.
The federal government banned TikTok from its mobile devices in February 2023 following the launch of an investigation into the company by federal and provincial privacy commissioners.
— With files from Anja Karadeglija in Ottawa
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2024.
LONDON (AP) — Most people have accumulated a pile of data — selfies, emails, videos and more — on their social media and digital accounts over their lifetimes. What happens to it when we die?
It’s wise to draft a will spelling out who inherits your physical assets after you’re gone, but don’t forget to take care of your digital estate too. Friends and family might treasure files and posts you’ve left behind, but they could get lost in digital purgatory after you pass away unless you take some simple steps.
Here’s how you can prepare your digital life for your survivors:
Apple
The iPhone maker lets you nominate a “ legacy contact ” who can access your Apple account’s data after you die. The company says it’s a secure way to give trusted people access to photos, files and messages. To set it up you’ll need an Apple device with a fairly recent operating system — iPhones and iPads need iOS or iPadOS 15.2 and MacBooks needs macOS Monterey 12.1.
For iPhones, go to settings, tap Sign-in & Security and then Legacy Contact. You can name one or more people, and they don’t need an Apple ID or device.
You’ll have to share an access key with your contact. It can be a digital version sent electronically, or you can print a copy or save it as a screenshot or PDF.
Take note that there are some types of files you won’t be able to pass on — including digital rights-protected music, movies and passwords stored in Apple’s password manager. Legacy contacts can only access a deceased user’s account for three years before Apple deletes the account.
Google
Google takes a different approach with its Inactive Account Manager, which allows you to share your data with someone if it notices that you’ve stopped using your account.
When setting it up, you need to decide how long Google should wait — from three to 18 months — before considering your account inactive. Once that time is up, Google can notify up to 10 people.
You can write a message informing them you’ve stopped using the account, and, optionally, include a link to download your data. You can choose what types of data they can access — including emails, photos, calendar entries and YouTube videos.
There’s also an option to automatically delete your account after three months of inactivity, so your contacts will have to download any data before that deadline.
Facebook and Instagram
Some social media platforms can preserve accounts for people who have died so that friends and family can honor their memories.
When users of Facebook or Instagram die, parent company Meta says it can memorialize the account if it gets a “valid request” from a friend or family member. Requests can be submitted through an online form.
The social media company strongly recommends Facebook users add a legacy contact to look after their memorial accounts. Legacy contacts can do things like respond to new friend requests and update pinned posts, but they can’t read private messages or remove or alter previous posts. You can only choose one person, who also has to have a Facebook account.
You can also ask Facebook or Instagram to delete a deceased user’s account if you’re a close family member or an executor. You’ll need to send in documents like a death certificate.
TikTok
The video-sharing platform says that if a user has died, people can submit a request to memorialize the account through the settings menu. Go to the Report a Problem section, then Account and profile, then Manage account, where you can report a deceased user.
Once an account has been memorialized, it will be labeled “Remembering.” No one will be able to log into the account, which prevents anyone from editing the profile or using the account to post new content or send messages.
X
It’s not possible to nominate a legacy contact on Elon Musk’s social media site. But family members or an authorized person can submit a request to deactivate a deceased user’s account.
Passwords
Besides the major online services, you’ll probably have dozens if not hundreds of other digital accounts that your survivors might need to access. You could just write all your login credentials down in a notebook and put it somewhere safe. But making a physical copy presents its own vulnerabilities. What if you lose track of it? What if someone finds it?
Instead, consider a password manager that has an emergency access feature. Password managers are digital vaults that you can use to store all your credentials. Some, like Keeper,Bitwarden and NordPass, allow users to nominate one or more trusted contacts who can access their keys in case of an emergency such as a death.
But there are a few catches: Those contacts also need to use the same password manager and you might have to pay for the service.
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Is there a tech challenge you need help figuring out? Write to us at onetechtip@ap.org with your questions.
LONDON (AP) — Britain’s competition watchdog said Thursday it’s opening a formal investigation into Google’s partnership with artificial intelligence startup Anthropic.
The Competition and Markets Authority said it has “sufficient information” to launch an initial probe after it sought input earlier this year on whether the deal would stifle competition.
The CMA has until Dec. 19 to decide whether to approve the deal or escalate its investigation.
“Google is committed to building the most open and innovative AI ecosystem in the world,” the company said. “Anthropic is free to use multiple cloud providers and does, and we don’t demand exclusive tech rights.”
San Francisco-based Anthropic was founded in 2021 by siblings Dario and Daniela Amodei, who previously worked at ChatGPT maker OpenAI. The company has focused on increasing the safety and reliability of AI models. Google reportedly agreed last year to make a multibillion-dollar investment in Anthropic, which has a popular chatbot named Claude.
Anthropic said it’s cooperating with the regulator and will provide “the complete picture about Google’s investment and our commercial collaboration.”
“We are an independent company and none of our strategic partnerships or investor relationships diminish the independence of our corporate governance or our freedom to partner with others,” it said in a statement.
The U.K. regulator has been scrutinizing a raft of AI deals as investment money floods into the industry to capitalize on the artificial intelligence boom. Last month it cleared Anthropic’s $4 billion deal with Amazon and it has also signed off on Microsoft’s deals with two other AI startups, Inflection and Mistral.
