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Goldman Sachs Wants to End Apple Partnership, American Express Might Take Over

Goldman Sachs does not want to continue its partnership with Apple, according to a new report from The Wall Street Journal. Apple has teamed up with Goldman Sachs for the Apple Card credit card in the United States, Apple Pay Later, and the Apple Savings account that ‌Apple Card‌ users can opt for.


The banking company wants to cut back on its consumer business, and is now in talks with American Express (or Amex) about a potential takeover. A deal would see Goldman Sachs offloading its credit card partnerships to another company, which would include the ‌Apple Card‌ and other credit cards like one it offers for General Motors.

American Express has not yet established an agreement with Goldman Sachs, and a deal is not "imminent or assured," according to people who spoke to The Wall Street Journal.

Goldman Sachs recently extended its partnership with Apple through the end of the decade. Apple would have to agree to a transfer, and is aware of the talks that Goldman Sachs has been having with Amex.
This article, "Goldman Sachs Wants to End Apple Partnership, American Express Might Take Over" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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The MacRumors Show: What New Devices Should Apple Make?

On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we ponder some of the devices and apps we wish Apple would make.


We discuss our wish lists, including some plausible ideas like a foldable iPhone, Apple TV soundbar, task manager and Notion-like productivity app, and even an Apple Books e-reader, as well as some outlandish devices like an Activity Rings fitness band and specific HomeKit appliances. Let us know what your dream Apple devices and apps are in the comments.

Listen to The MacRumors Show in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Castro, Google Podcasts, or your preferred podcasts app. You can also copy our RSS feed directly into your podcast player. Watch a video version of the show on the MacRumors YouTube channel.


If you haven't already listened to the previous episode of The MacRumors Show, listen to our discussion about our experiences after spending two weeks using the beta versions of watchOS 10, iOS 17, iPadOS 17, macOS Sonoma, and tvOS 17.

Subscribe to ‌The MacRumors Show‌ for more episodes, where we discuss some of the topical news breaking here on MacRumors, often joined by exciting guests like Andru Edwards, Kevin Nether, Arnold Kim, Ben Sullins, Mark Gurman, Marcus Kane, Christopher Lawley, Frank McShan, David Lewis, Tyler Stalman, Jon Prosser, Sam Kohl, Quinn Nelson, John Gruber, Federico Viticci, Sara Dietschy, Luke Miani, Thomas Frank, Jonathan Morrison, iJustine, Ross Young, Ian Zelbo, Jon Rettinger, and Rene Ritchie. You can also head over to The MacRumors Show forum thread to engage with us directly. Remember to rate and review the show, and let us know what subjects you would like the podcast to cover in the future.
This article, "The MacRumors Show: What New Devices Should Apple Make?" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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First Phase of Apple's New North Carolina Campus Will Total 900,000 Square Feet

More than two years after Apple announced plans to invest over $1 billion in North Carolina with over half of that investment going towards a new engineering and research center in the Research Triangle area of Raleigh and Durham, the company has finally filed development plans for the first phase with local authorities.

Assemblage of seven properties in Research Triangle Park owned by Apple

As shared by the Triangle Business Journal, the 41-acre initial phase at Research Triangle Park will include six buildings and a parking garage totaling 700,000 square feet of office space, 190,000 square feet of accessory space, and almost 3,000 parking spaces.

Among the structures in the first phase are three office buildings with the largest coming in at around 242,000 square feet and the other two measuring just over 230,000 square feet each. All three buildings are listed as having heights of 73 feet.

Three smaller accessory buildings will join a parking garage for the initial phase, which does not yet have a disclosed starting date for construction. A starting date does appear to be close, however, as Apple has begun some initial site preparations and is moving forward on obtaining various approvals.

While this initial phase covers 41 acres, Apple owns a total of 281 acres at the site and the company's filed plans allude to future phases. Apple had said in its announcement about the North Carolina investment that it will eventually create at least 3,000 new jobs in "machine learning, artificial intelligence, software engineering, and other cutting-edge fields" with average salaries ultimately approaching $200,000.

At full buildout, Apple's Research Triangle Park campus is likely to become one of the company's largest employment centers in the United States after its Silicon Valley headquarters area and a major existing campus in Austin, Texas, that is itself seeing significant investment and expansion. Other major Apple employment centers in the U.S. include Southern California, the Seattle area, and New York City.

As Apple prepares to construct its major new campus in Research Triangle Park, the company has already been building up its presence in the region with temporary space, headlined by a takeover of one building of a three-building complex in neighboring Cary that had been built for insurance company MetLife.

Amid the rise in remote work, MetLife was recently able to consolidate operations into two buildings of the complex, freeing up the third to be used by Apple. Apple has also been working to acquire additional temporary space in the area as it will be several more years before its own campus is ready.
This article, "First Phase of Apple's New North Carolina Campus Will Total 900,000 Square Feet" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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The MacRumors Show: Product Designer Marcus Kane Envisions What Apple's AR/VR Headset Could Look Like

On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we discuss the design of Apple's upcoming mixed-reality headset with professional product designer Marcus Kane.


Marcus is an industrial designer and UX consultant who uses virtual and augmented reality headsets on a daily basis to support his workflow. He recently created detailed concept renders of what he expects Apple's mixed-reality headset will look like with YouTuber David Lewis based on rumors, Apple patent filings, and his own expertise.

Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos

We talk through Marcus's approach to the design and what existing Apple products inspired him, looking at some of the key aspects that Apple will have had to consider with the device. We also discuss the broader user experience with the headset, including its rumored waist-mounted battery pack – which Marcus has envisioned as enclosed in a pouch on a shoulder-strap that also contains a cable to power the device, potential restriction to indoors use only, and real-world passthrough with a "reality dial."


Since Marcus uses existing headset products to support his design work, we learn about some of practical use-cases for this category of device, where Apple could compete, and what key software features the company could deliver. See more of Marcus's work over in David Lewis's latest video, and follow him on Instagram and Twitter.

We also discuss some of this week's latest Apple news, including the rumor that watchOS 10 will include significant UI changes, iOS 17's purported Control Center redesign, display changes for 2025's iPhone lineup, and more.

Listen to The MacRumors Show in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Castro, Google Podcasts, or your preferred podcasts app. You can also copy our RSS feed directly into your podcast player. Watch a video version of the show on the MacRumors YouTube channel.


If you haven't already listened to the previous episode of The MacRumors Show, catch up for our discussion about WWDC 2023 and whether Apple's headset will finally emerge at the event.

Subscribe to ‌The MacRumors Show‌ for more episodes, where we discuss some of the topical news breaking here on MacRumors, often joined by exciting guests like Christopher Lawley, Frank McShan, David Lewis, Andru Edwards, Tyler Stalman, Jon Prosser, Sam Kohl, Quinn Nelson, John Gruber, Federico Viticci, Sara Dietschy, Luke Miani, Thomas Frank, Jonathan Morrison, iJustine, Ross Young, Ian Zelbo, Jon Rettinger, Rene Ritchie, and Mark Gurman. You can also head over to The MacRumors Show forum thread to engage with us directly. Remember to rate and review the show, and let us know what subjects you would like the podcast to cover in the future.
Related Roundup: AR/VR Headset

This article, "The MacRumors Show: Product Designer Marcus Kane Envisions What Apple's AR/VR Headset Could Look Like" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple Directs Users Not to Hang Up on Operators in Accidental Crash Detection Calls

With the iPhone 14 models, Apple introduced a Crash Detection feature that is designed to contact emergency services automatically should a collision be detected. Crash Detection has already saved lives, but there have also been a number of complaints about the option accidentally triggering at ski resorts, amusement parks, and in other non-emergency high-activity situations.


Apple has introduced Crash Detection optimizations in the last several iOS 16 updates to try to cut down on false calls, and now the company has new recommendations for users that accidentally activate the crash detection feature. In an updated Crash Detection support document, Apple directs users not to hang up if an accidental call is placed, and to instead explain to the emergency responder that help is not required.
If the call has been made, but you don't need emergency services, don't hang up. Wait until a responder answers, then explain that you don't need help.
Apple also removed a line in the support document that suggested users cancel a call during the timer period. "If you don't need to contact emergency services, tap Cancel and confirm that you don't need emergency services," read the sentence that has been pulled from the document.

The Crash Detection support site continues to suggest that users should dismiss an alert if they are able to do so, but Apple appears to want to put a stop to iPhone users canceling or hanging up on an already-started emergency call and leaving emergency responders wondering what happened.

Emergency dispatchers around ski slopes have been particularly unhappy with the number of accidental calls that are being received from Crash Detection. Skiing and snowboarding tumbles are able to trigger Crash Detection, and with the heavy clothing worn with these activities, ‌iPhone‌ and Apple Watch users sometimes don't notice that an emergency call has been placed.

In Colorado's Summit County, for example, 185 accidental Crash Detection calls were received in a week in January, wasting time and resources needed for actual emergencies. Summit County emergency services director Trina Dummer said in February that the situation threatens to "desensitize dispatchers and divert limited resources from true emergencies."

Apple in response sent four representatives to Summit County to observe the emergency call center, and further optimizations have since been added.

Crash Detection is available on the ‌iPhone 14‌ models and the latest Apple Watch models. Using sensors like the accelerometer and gyroscope, it can detect a severe car crash and automatically call emergency services if a user does not respond to an alert within 20 seconds.
This article, "Apple Directs Users Not to Hang Up on Operators in Accidental Crash Detection Calls" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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The MacRumors Show: Christopher Lawley Talks iPadOS 17 and Next-Gen iPad Pro

On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, Christopher Lawley joins us to discuss iPadOS 17 and the next-generation iPad Pro.

Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos

Christopher is a YouTuber dedicated to the iPad, automation, and productivity. He was a full-time ‌iPad‌ user for several years, conducting all of his content creation, including video editing and podcasting, from the device, before feeling forced to switch back to the Mac due to the direction of iPadOS.

We get his insights on Apple's upcoming iPadOS 17 update and the areas he feels Apple should focus on this year, with particular attention to some of the key issues he believes Apple needs to address with Stage Manager. We also touch on the need for "Pro" apps like Final Cut Pro and Xcode, a Notification Center and Control Center redesign, Lock Screen customization, and more.

In addition, we talk through some of the most important information around the next-generation ‌iPad Pro‌ models, which are rumored to sport 11.1-inch and 13-inch OLED displays, thinner and lighter designs, the M3 chip, and wireless charging. We also briefly discuss the rumored price rises that are planned for the device owing to its more costly OLED display components – meaning that the 11.1- and 13-inch models could start at approximately $1,500 and $1,800, respectively.

As usual, we look at some of the week's biggest rumors, including the iPhone 15 Pro's slimmer bezels and new mute button, as well as the delay of Apple's first HomePod with a display. See more of Christopher's work on his YouTube channel and follow him on Mastodon @ChrisLawley.

Listen to The MacRumors Show in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Castro, Google Podcasts, or your preferred podcasts app. You can also copy our RSS feed directly into your podcast player. Watch a video version of the show on the MacRumors YouTube channel.


If you haven't already listened to the previous episode of The MacRumors Show, catch up for our discussion about some of the key health and fitness features rumored to come to future AirPods models.

Subscribe to ‌The MacRumors Show‌ for more episodes, where we discuss some of the topical news breaking here on MacRumors, often joined by exciting guests like Frank McShan, David Lewis, Andru Edwards, Tyler Stalman, Jon Prosser, Sam Kohl, Quinn Nelson, John Gruber, Federico Viticci, Sara Dietschy, Luke Miani, Thomas Frank, Jonathan Morrison, iJustine, Ross Young, Ian Zelbo, Jon Rettinger, Rene Ritchie, and Mark Gurman. You can also head over to The MacRumors Show forum thread to engage with us directly. Remember to rate and review the show, and let us know what subjects you would like the podcast to cover in the future.
This article, "The MacRumors Show: Christopher Lawley Talks iPadOS 17 and Next-Gen iPad Pro" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple 'Tracking Employee Attendance' in Crackdown on Remote Working

Apple is tracking the attendance of its employees at offices using badge records in order to ensure they are coming in at least three times a week, according to Platformer's Zoë Schiffer.


Since April 2022, Apple employees have been operating on a hybrid home/office work policy as part of a gradual return strategy following the pandemic, with staff required to work from the office at least three days per week.

Employees are required to be in the office on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, with most able to work remotely on Wednesdays and Fridays. However, it appears that Apple is doubling down on this strategy as it looks for ways across the company to cut costs.

In a post on Twitter, Schiffer said that Apple is now actively tracking in-person attendance using badge records and will give employees "escalating warnings" if they don't come in the required three times per week.

According to Schiffer, some Apple offices have even warned staff that failure to comply could result in job termination, although that "doesn't appear to be a company-wide policy."

The development follows a recent report by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman in which he outlined several cost-cutting measures being newly enacted by Apple, including managers becoming "as strict as ever" about office attendance, with some staff believing it to be a harbinger of Apple firing employees who don't meet the requirement.

In this regard, Gurman has also reported an overlap in retail stores, with Apple taking a closer look at work attendance and hours, and the company ditching its "special sick time" for time missed due to Covid, asking staff to use their normal sick time instead.

According to the report, Apple isn't always filling positions when employees leave, suggesting the crackdown on staff who do not fulfill the in-person work requirements is at least in part one aspect of its wider strategy to cut costs while avoiding the sort of mass layoffs that have recently befallen other tech giants, including Meta, Microsoft, Google, and Amazon.
This article, "Apple 'Tracking Employee Attendance' in Crackdown on Remote Working" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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The MacRumors Show: Frank McShan Talks Yellow iPhone 14 and Apple's Color Options

On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, Frank McShan joins us to discuss Apple's Yellow iPhone 14 and ‌iPhone 14‌ Plus, as well as the range of new Apple Watch bands and AirTag accessories.

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Frank is a MacRumors alumnus and Apple-focused content creator on TikTok with over two million followers. He had a first-hand look at the Yellow ‌iPhone 14‌ and ‌iPhone 14‌ Plus earlier this week. We talk through our thoughts on Apple's current selection of color options across its devices and accessories in detail and discuss some of the latest news, including the official announcement of the Apple Music Classical app, as well as the redesigned HomePod with a 7-inch display that is rumored to arrive in the first half of next year. Visit Frank's TikTok to see more of his work.

Listen to The MacRumors Show in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Castro, Google Podcasts, or your preferred podcasts app. You can also copy our RSS feed directly into your podcast player. Watch a video version of the show on the MacRumors YouTube channel.


If you haven't already listened to the previous episode of The MacRumors Show, catch up for our discussion on some of the top features and changes we would like to see in iOS 17.

Subscribe to ‌The MacRumors Show‌ for more episodes, where we discuss some of the topical news breaking here on MacRumors, often joined by exciting guests like David Lewis, Andru Edwards, Tyler Stalman, Jon Prosser, Sam Kohl, Quinn Nelson, John Gruber, Federico Viticci, Sara Dietschy, Luke Miani, Thomas Frank, Jonathan Morrison, iJustine, Ross Young, Ian Zelbo, Jon Rettinger, Rene Ritchie, and Mark Gurman. You can also head over to The MacRumors Show forum thread to engage with us directly. Remember to rate and review the show, and let us know what subjects you would like the podcast to cover in the future.
This article, "The MacRumors Show: Frank McShan Talks Yellow iPhone 14 and Apple's Color Options" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple Overhauling International Sales to Focus More on India

Apple is changing the way that its international businesses are managed in order to focus more attention on India, reports Bloomberg.


India is set to be its own sales region within Apple, which will give the country "increased prominence" within the company. India has become more important at Apple over the last few years due to the growing demand for Apple products. Though most people in India use Android devices, it is the second largest smartphone market in the world and Apple has the potential to make inroads with more affordable product options.

Apple is planning to move India to its own sales region following the retirement of Hughes Asseman, the vice president in charge of India, the Middle East, the Mediterranean, East Europe, and Africa. Ashish Chowdhary will become head of India, and will report directly to Apple's head of product sales. Though India will become more of a focus within Apple, regional sales reports will continue to group India with Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

Apple has started producing some iPhone models in India, including the iPhone 14, as it looks to diversify beyond China. Apple supplier Foxconn has invested $500 million in the country to boost production capabilities.

There are no physical Apple retail locations in India right now, but Apple has been working to open stores in Mumbai and New Delhi for years now. Apple stared hiring for the stores in January, which suggests they could open in the near future.

Customers in India can purchase Apple devices online, as Apple has been operating an online store in India since 2020.
This article, "Apple Overhauling International Sales to Focus More on India" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple Seeds Third Beta of watchOS 9.4 to Developers

Apple today seeded the third beta of an upcoming watchOS 9.4 update to developers for testing purposes, with the software update coming one week after launch of the second beta.


To install the watchOS 9.4 update, developers will need to download the configuration profile from the Apple Developer Center.

Once installed, ‌watchOS 9.4 can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General > Software update. To update to new software, an Apple Watch needs to have 50 percent battery life, it has to be placed on the charger, and it will need to be in range of the ‌‌iPhone‌‌ it is paired with.

watchOS 9.4 gains support for new emoji characters that include donkey, goose, black bird, shaking head, hyacinth, pea pod, and more, with 31 new characters available in total.

Through iOS 16.4, the update adds support for Web Push notifications that are sent to an ‌iPhone‌, with the notifications able to be set up for a website that is added to the ‌iPhone‌'s Home Screen.

watchOS 9.4 will go through several rounds of beta testing, and it is expected to see a launch in the spring alongside iOS 16.4.
This article, "Apple Seeds Third Beta of watchOS 9.4 to Developers" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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The MacRumors Show: iOS 17 Wishlist – What Do We Want to See?

On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we discuss some of the top features and changes we would like to see in iOS 17.

Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos

Apple is expected to unveil iOS 17 at WWDC in June this year, offering a range of enhancements and new features, such as a next-generation CarPlay experience, changes to Siri, support for sideloading and alternate app stores, support for Apple's mixed-reality headset, and more. We talk through some of the areas where we feel Apple could bring meaningful changes and improvements to the iPhone, with particular attention to generative AI, Spotlight, Siri, Shortcuts, notifications, Apple Music, the Health app, Apple Fitness+, and Control Center.

We also discuss some of the latest news, including the rumored "in-air" typing experience on Apple's mixed-reality headset, the two second-generation headset models that seem to be in the pipeline, and the gradual transition to under-display technologies on the ‌iPhone‌.

Listen to The MacRumors Show in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Castro, Google Podcasts, or your preferred podcasts app. You can also copy our RSS feed directly into your podcast player. Watch a video version of the show on the MacRumors YouTube channel.


If you haven't already listened to the previous episode of The MacRumors Show, catch up for our discussion on the state of AirPods, HomePod, and ‌Apple Music‌ in 2023 and where they could go in the next few years with YouTuber and audio aficionado David Lewis.

Subscribe to ‌The MacRumors Show‌ for more episodes, where we discuss some of the topical news breaking here on MacRumors, often joined by exciting guests like Andru Edwards, Tyler Stalman, Jon Prosser, Sam Kohl, Quinn Nelson, John Gruber, Federico Viticci, Sara Dietschy, Luke Miani, Thomas Frank, Jonathan Morrison, iJustine, Ross Young, Ian Zelbo, Jon Rettinger, Rene Ritchie, and Mark Gurman. Remember to rate and review the show, and let us know what subjects you would like the podcast to cover in the future.
This article, "The MacRumors Show: iOS 17 Wishlist – What Do We Want to See?" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple Increases Trade-In Values for Select iPhones, iPads and Macs

Apple today announced increased trade-in values for a limited number of older iPhone models in an effort to encourage customers to upgrade to the iPhone 14 lineup.


Trade-in values have gone up for the iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max, and ‌iPhone‌ 7 Plus, with the new pricing listed below.

  • ‌iPhone 13 Pro‌ Max: Up to $600 (vs. $570)

  • ‌iPhone 13 Pro‌: Up to $500 (vs. $470)

  • iPhone 13: Up to $400 (No Change)

  • ‌iPhone 13‌ mini: Up to $350 (No Change)

  • iPhone SE 3rd generation: Up to $160 (Newly Added)

  • ‌iPhone 12 Pro Max‌: Up to $420 (vs. $400)

  • iPhone 12 Pro: Up to $330 (No Change)

  • ‌iPhone 12‌: Up to $300 (No Change)

  • iPhone 12 mini: Up to $250 (No Change)

  • ‌iPhone SE‌ (2nd generation): Up to $100 (No Change)

  • iPhone 11 Pro Max: Up to $280 (No Change)

  • ‌iPhone‌ 11 Pro: Up to $230 (No Change)

  • ‌iPhone‌ 11: Up to $200 (No Change)

  • ‌iPhone‌ XS Max: Up to $200 (No Change)

  • ‌iPhone‌ XS: Up to $160 (No Change)

  • ‌iPhone‌ XR: Up to $150 (No Change)

  • ‌iPhone‌ X: Up to $130 (No Change)

  • ‌iPhone‌ 8 Plus: Up to $100 (No Change)

  • ‌iPhone‌ 8: Up to $75 (No Change)

  • ‌iPhone‌ 7 Plus: Up to $60 (vs. $50)

  • ‌iPhone‌ 7: Up to $40 (No Change)


There have also been some minor tweaks to iPad and Mac trade-in values.

iPad



  • iPad Pro: Up to $445 (No Change)

  • iPad Air: Up to $320 (vs. $230)

  • ‌iPad‌: Up to $165 (vs. $160)

  • iPad mini: Up to $240 (No Change)


Mac



  • MacBook Pro: Up to $730 (vs. $670)

  • MacBook Air: Up to $515 (vs. $460)

  • MacBook: Up to $125 (vs. $110)

  • iMac Pro: Up to $575 (vs. $600)

  • ‌iMac‌: Up to $570 (vs. $530)

  • Mac Pro: Up to $1,250 (No Change)

  • Mac mini: Up to $375 (vs. $340)


Apple Watch



  • Apple Watch Series 7: Up to $165 (vs. $160)

  • Apple Watch Series 6: Up to $105 (No Change)

  • Apple Watch SE: Up to $70 (vs. $65)

  • Apple Watch Series 5: Up to $80 (vs. $75)

  • Apple Watch Series 4: Up to $50 (vs. $45)


Note that while trade-in value have gone up, many of these prices are still lower than 2022 prices as Apple decreased trade-in values back in January.

A full list of trade-in values, including those for Android smartphones, cis available on Apple's trade-in website.
This article, "Apple Increases Trade-In Values for Select iPhones, iPads and Macs" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Rumor Has It

A conversation with historian Christopher Elias about his book, "Gossip Men."...

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The MacRumors Show: David Lewis Talks AirPods, HomePod, and Apple Music in 2023

On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we're joined by YouTuber and audio aficionado David Lewis to discuss the state of AirPods, HomePod, and Apple Music in 2023 and where they could be set to go in the next few years.

Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos

David is a tech YouTuber and podcaster with a background in broadcast radio, jazz music, and voice-overs – giving him unique insights on Apple's audio products and services. See more of David's work over on his YouTube channel or follow him on Twitter @Dtalkingtech.

Following a major update for the AirPods Pro and the reintroduction of the full-size ‌HomePod‌, as well as acquisitions of companies like Primephonic and AI Music, Apple seems to have doubled-down on its commitment to audio technology. Yet, amid the delay in launching Apple Classical, a long wait time before the second-generation AirPods Max are expected to be released in late 2025, and fierce competition from companies like Spotify, plenty of questions remain about the direction of Apple's audio products and services over the next few years.

We also discuss some of the latest news, including Apple's breakthrough with non-invasive blood glucose technology designed for the Apple Watch, Apple suppliers making a start on a cheaper second-generation mixed-reality headset, and the sealed original iPhone that sold for over $63,000 at auction.

Listen to The MacRumors Show in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Castro, Google Podcasts, or your preferred podcasts app. You can also copy our RSS feed directly into your podcast player. Watch a video version of the show on the MacRumors YouTube channel.


If you haven't already listened to the previous episode of The MacRumors Show, catch up for our in-depth discussion about Apple's positioning in the ongoing race to develop generative AI tools.

Subscribe to ‌The MacRumors Show‌ for more episodes, where we discuss some of the topical news breaking here on MacRumors, often joined by exciting guests like Andru Edwards, Tyler Stalman, Jon Prosser, Sam Kohl, Quinn Nelson, John Gruber, Federico Viticci, Sara Dietschy, Luke Miani, Thomas Frank, Jonathan Morrison, iJustine, Ross Young, Ian Zelbo, Jon Rettinger, Rene Ritchie, and Mark Gurman. Remember to rate and review the show, and let us know what subjects you would like the podcast to cover in the future.
This article, "The MacRumors Show: David Lewis Talks AirPods, HomePod, and Apple Music in 2023" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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App Store, Apple Music, Apple TV+ and More Experiencing Outage [Update: Fixed]

Several Apple services appear to be experiencing issues at the current time, according to Apple's System Status page. Outages are impacting the App Store, Apple Books, Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple TV Channels, the Mac App Store, Podcasts, TestFlight, Messages, Apple Fitness+, Find My, Game Center, iCloud Mail, ‌App Store‌ Connect, and more.


According to Apple the problem has been ongoing since 4:03 p.m. Eastern Time, and there is no word on when all of the services will be back up and running. Apple says that these impacted services may be slow or unavailable for some users.

Update: According to Apple's System Status page, all services are once again operational.
This article, "App Store, Apple Music, Apple TV+ and More Experiencing Outage [Update: Fixed]" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Mysterious New 'Compute Module' Found in Apple Beta Code

An all-new "compute module" device has been spotted in Apple beta code, hinting that new hardware may soon be on the way.


The new "ComputeModule" device class was spotted in Apple's iOS 16.4 developer disk image from the Xcode 16.4 beta by 9to5Mac, indicating that it runs iOS or a variant of it. The code suggests that Apple has at least two different compute modules in development with the identifiers "ComputeModule13,1" and "ComputeModule13,3."

The modules' purpose is unclear, but speculation argues that they are designed for the Apple silicon Mac Pro – potentially serving as a solution to enable a modular interface for swappable hardware components or add additional compute power via technologies like Swift Distributed Actors. There is also a chance that the compute modules could be designed for Apple's upcoming mixed-reality headset or something else entirely.

Yesterday, recent Apple Bluetooth 5.3 filings were uncovered, a move that often precedes the launch of new products, so the compute module finding could be the latest indication that new Apple hardware is likely on the horizon.
This article, "Mysterious New 'Compute Module' Found in Apple Beta Code" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Security Researchers Delve Into Major Vulnerability Patched in iOS 16.3 and macOS 13.2

With almost every iOS and macOS update, Apple includes a host of security improvements to address major vulnerabilities. iOS 16.3 and macOS Ventura 13.2, released back in January, were no exception. Both updates included fixes for a long list of issues, including two that were highlighted today in a report from Trellix.


Trellix Advanced Research Center discovered a new class of privilege execution bugs within iOS and macOS, which could be exploited to delve into an iPhone or Mac user's messages, location data, photos, call history, and more.

In a blog post highlighting how the bug was found, Trellix explains how mitigations that Apple introduced for the FORCEDENTRY zero-click exploit in September 2021 could by bypassed, allowing for a "huge range of potential vulnerabilities."

Trellix found its first vulnerability in the coreduetd process, which could be used to give an attacker access to a person's calendar, address book, and photos. Vulnerabilities in OSLogService and NSPredicate were able to be exploited to achieve code execution within Springboard, providing attackers access to the camera, microphone, call history, and more.

Data about these vulnerabilities was relayed to Apple, and the company fixed the exploits in iOS 16.3 and macOS 13.2 Ventura. Security support documents for both updates were refreshed yesterday to reflect the addition of the patches.

Trellix is credited with two vulnerabilities (CVE-2023-23530 and CVE-2023-23531) that Apple patched with improved memory handling. Trellix said that it thanks Apple for working quickly to fix the issues.
This article, "Security Researchers Delve Into Major Vulnerability Patched in iOS 16.3 and macOS 13.2" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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The MacRumors Show: Where Is Apple in the Generative AI Race?

On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we discuss Apple's place in the ongoing race to develop generative AI tools.

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Earlier this week, Apple held its annual AI summit for employees at the Steve Jobs Theater, the first fully live in-person event at the company's Apple Park headquarters since the pre-COVID era. The latest AI summit comes at a time of great excitement surrounding the Microsoft-backed ChatGPT artificial intelligence chatbot and Google's recent announcement that it is releasing its own LaMDA-powered AI chatbot, called Bard.

Google is adding the technology behind Bard to the Google search engine to enable complex queries to be distilled into digestible answers, and Microsoft is expected to follow a similar path by integrating ChatGPT into Bing Search. AI image generation tools such as DALL-E 2 have also captured public interest in recent months, alongside the technology's potential for music creation, video editing, and more.

In February last year, Apple purchased an AI start-up focused on auto-generated music, but the company is publicly missing from the current race to innovate in the generative AI space. We look at where Apple may have advantages that it could leverage for AI, potential integrations in features like Siri and Spotlight search, and where we could see the first Apple generative AI tools emerge.

We also talk through some of the week's biggest news, including the apparent delay of Apple's mixed-reality headset to June, the indefinite delay of the company's 27-inch mini-LED external display, iMac skipping the M2 chip, and the method Apple apparently has in store to authenticate iPhone 15 USB-C accessories. In addition, we look at the increasingly tangible 15-inch MacBook Air with the M2 chip, which Apple could launch as soon as April.

Listen to The MacRumors Show in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Castro, Google Podcasts, or your preferred podcasts app. You can also copy our RSS feed directly into your podcast player. Watch a video version of the show on the MacRumors YouTube channel.


If you haven't already listened to the previous episode of The MacRumors Show, catch up for our in-depth discussion about the rumored "iPhone Ultra" model that could emerge next year with Andru Edwards.

Subscribe to ‌The MacRumors Show‌ for more episodes, where we discuss some of the topical news breaking here on MacRumors, often joined by exciting guests like Tyler Stalman, Jon Prosser, Sam Kohl, Quinn Nelson, John Gruber, Federico Viticci, Sara Dietschy, Luke Miani, Thomas Frank, Jonathan Morrison, iJustine, Ross Young, Ian Zelbo, Jon Rettinger, Rene Ritchie, and Mark Gurman. Remember to rate and review the show, and let us know what subjects you would like the podcast to cover in the future.
This article, "The MacRumors Show: Where Is Apple in the Generative AI Race?" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Tile Adds Undetectable Anti-Theft Mode to Tracking Devices, With $1 Million Fine If Used for Stalking

AirTag competitor Tile today announced a new Anti-Theft Mode for Tile tracking devices, which is designed to make Tile accessories undetectable by the anti-stalking Scan and Secure feature.


Scan and Secure is a security measure that Tile implemented in order to allow iPhone and Android users to scan for and detect nearby Tile devices to keep them from being used for stalking purposes. Unfortunately, Scan and Secure undermines the anti-theft capabilities of the Tile because a stolen device's Tile can be located and removed, something also possible with similar security features added for AirTags.

Tile's Anti-Theft Mode disables Scan and Secure so a Tile tracking device will not be able to be located by a person who does not own the tracker. To prevent stalking with Anti-Theft Mode, Tile says that customers must register using multi-factor identification and agree to stringent usage terms, which include a $1 million fine if the device ends up being used to track a person without their consent.

The Anti-Theft Mode option is meant to make it easier to locate stolen items by preventing thieves from knowing an item is being tracked. Tile points out that in addition to Anti-Theft Mode, its trackers do not notify nearby smartphone users when an unknown Bluetooth tracker is traveling with them, making them more useful for tracking stolen items than ‌AirTags‌. Apple has added alerts for nearby ‌AirTags‌ to prevent ‌AirTags‌ from being used for tracking people.
Unlike other Bluetooth trackers on the market, namely AirTags, Tile does not notify nearby smartphone users when an unknown Bluetooth tracker is traveling with them. These proactive notifications can communicate to thieves that a tracker is on the stolen item, allowing them to remove it and making recovering the item less likely. Some competitor products go as far as to issue an audible beep once the tracker has been separated from its owner, making it clear that a tracker is present and enabling thieves to find it with precision. The proactive notifications found in the Bluetooth tracker industry were designed to prevent stalking; however, these anti-stalking measures have been criticized for being insufficient for victim protection. Instead, these alerts have the possibility of making Bluetooth trackers easily identifiable by thieves.
Enabling Anti-Theft mode will require users to link a government-issued ID card to their Tile account, submitting to an "advanced ID verification process" that uses a biometric scan to detect fake IDs.

The ID sync is meant to deter people from using Tile trackers for stalking or other nefarious purposes. Tile says that any individual convicted of using Tile devices to illegally track another individual without their consent will be fined $1 million, wording that is in the Tile terms of service. Tile says it is also taking a "highly collaborative stance" with law enforcement, and users who turn on Anti-Theft Mode acknowledge that their personal information "can and will" be shared with law enforcement officials in cases of suspected stalking.

Tile claims that these usage terms are "progressive safety measures" that will protect people from being stalked with Tile devices.

Anti-Theft Mode is rolling out to Tile users starting today, and will be available to all users in the coming weeks.
This article, "Tile Adds Undetectable Anti-Theft Mode to Tracking Devices, With $1 Million Fine If Used for Stalking" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Useful Apple Accessories Worth Checking Out

If you're in the Apple ecosystem with a range of devices, you're probably often looking for useful accessories to go with them. In our latest YouTube video, we've rounded up some new products for the iPhone, iPad, and Mac that are worth checking out.



  • HyperPack Pro Tech Backpack ($120) - Sure, you can stick an AirTag inside any backpack for Find My tracking, but Hyper's HyperPack Pro has a built-in Location Module that facilitates tracking with the ‌Find My‌ app. The backpack is made from a durable cordura fabric and it has tons of pockets for your MacBook, water bottle, sunglasses, accessories, and more.

  • Lululook Rotating Laptop Stand ($80) - Available for Apple's MacBooks, the Lululook Rotating Laptop Stand has an adjustable height and it is able to rotate, so you can get it in just the right position that you need. It has a heat dissipation surface and an aluminum build, plus it works with Mac notebooks up to 16 inches.

  • Nomad Volta Case ($40) - Nomad has a range of case options that have sleek designs while still offering good protection for the ‌iPhone‌, and the latest color, High Volta, is a bright, neon shade that really stands out. There's also a matching Apple Watch band for $60.

  • Momax Airbox Go With MagSafe ($215) - This 10,000mAh power bank is able to charge MagSafe-compatible iPhones at up to 15W thanks to a built-in MagSafe Charger, plus there are 5W charging spaces for the AirPods and the Apple Watch. If you need to charge another device like an ‌iPad‌, there's a 20W USB-C port, and the whole accessory is small enough that it's a useful portable charging solution when traveling.

  • OtterBox 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Station with MagSafe ($149.95) - This OtterBox charger has a ‌MagSafe‌ charging space that is able to charge compatible iPhones at up to 15W, plus there are spaces for charging the Apple Watch and the AirPods at 5W. It has a unique design that positions the Apple Watch charger out on an attached arm, which keeps it compact, while the AirPods charge at the bottom.

Make sure to watch the video to see all of the devices in action, and if you have a favorite accessory, let us know in the comments below.
This article, "Useful Apple Accessories Worth Checking Out" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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