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- Thursday September 19
- 12:13 pmEurope demands Apple open up iOS for better accessory compatibility
The European Commission has begun to set out legal requirements for Apple to open up all of iOS and iPadOS to third parties, on top of allowing rival App Stores and payment systems.Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice-President of the European CommissionAs one European Union investigation has found that Apple is in breach of the Digital Markets Act (DMA), the European Commission is ordering the company to comply with the next stage of the law. It has formally announced what it calls two specification proceedings, which will lay out the rules and the timetable by which Apple must allow third-party access to all of its iPhone hardware and software features."Today is the first time we use specification proceedings under the DMA to guide Apple towards effective compliance with its interoperability obligations through constructive dialogue," said Margrethe Vestager, the EU's Executive Vice-President in charge of competition policy in a statement. "We are focused on ensuring fair and open digital markets." Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums12:12 pmHere’s what to expect from the Camera Control button in third-party camera apps
One piece of good news from the keynote is that the shiny new Camera Control button on the iPhone 16 will also be made available to developers of third-party camera apps. Apple has published its guidelines for developers, which give us some idea of what we can expect when supported by our favorite photo and video apps … more…11:46 amiOS 18 isn't any more of a cheater's operating system than Android has been
Social media "influencers" are inventing scenarios and features for iOS 18 that they're screaming makes it the prime operating systems for cheaters. This was more ignorant than normal in June, but with iOS 18 out, it's back with a vengeance.TikTokers have turned on Apple over iOS 18's app-hiding feature. Following the introduction of Apple's operating system updates at the WWDC keynotes, people started to offer their opinions on Apple's feature changes. Many are balanced opinions from tech YouTubers, specialist publications like AppleInsider, our friends at other Apple-centric publications, analysts, and other industry observers.However, there ware also unhinged and uninformed hot takes on social media. Following the release of iOS 18 to the public, these complaints bubbled back up. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums11:36 amFamiliarize yourself with the Camera Control button before your iPhone 16 arrives
I’m one of many eagerly awaiting delivery of my iPhone 16 tomorrow (Pro Max, in my case), and the Camera Control button is the first thing I’m going to try. If you’re in the same position, then an Apple support document provides an opportunity to familiarize yourself with it before your device arrives … more…11:20 amEU compels Apple to improve iOS interoperability with third-party smartwatches, headphones and other accessories | 9 to 5 MacEU compels Apple to improve iOS interoperability with third-party smartwatches, headphones and other accessories
Under the scope of the Digital Markets Act, the EU commission today announced proceedings to compel Apple to improve support for third-party connected devices like smartwatches, headphones, VR headsets with iPhone and iPad. The notice says the Commission will specify how Apple should provide interoperability with iOS functions like notifications and device pairing. Within six months, the commission will have instructed Apple about how it expects third-party device integration to work. more…11:04 amOnly iPhone 18 Pro models likely to get 2nm chips, suggests analyst
We may still be waiting for iPhone 16 deliveries tomorrow, but the rumor mill is already busy looking ahead to both the iPhone 17 and iPhone 18. A tweet by supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims to shed light on Apple’s plans for the adoption of smaller process chips … more…10:41 amiOS 18 hidden apps are findable, if you know where to look
iOS 18 includes a new feature where you can choose to require Face ID to open an app, or go one step further and hide it from your device altogether. This second option removes the icon from the home screen, and places the app in a specially obscured Hidden folder in the App Library. Biometrics are normally required to even see the contents of this hidden folder, before you can access one of the apps hidden inside it. However, now that iOS 18 has been released to the world, users are discovering ways to find out which apps have been hidden, with no Face ID required. more…10:30 amiOS 18 is missing more than just Apple Intelligence
Macworld Look, I’m not ungrateful. But the truth remains that nothing stokes the imagination of what Apple could do with its products more than the release of its latest hardware and software. As iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and all the other latest OSes arrive, we not only end up picking through all of the new features and capabilities to see what’s new but also coming to grips with what’s not there and the limitations of what is. That’s no different this time around. Even though I’ve been using iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia for several months throughout the beta process, there are things that I’d like to see improved or expanded upon in future releases. Because nothing whets the appetite like seeing what’s possible. So here are just three places where Apple seems poised to build on this year’s features to do more in the coming years. Mirror mirror on my iPad Among the best new features in Sequoia is the ability to not just view but control your iPhone right from your Mac with the new iPhone Mirroring app. Screen sharing and control between Macs has been around for decades via Remote Desktop, VNC, and related technologies, but this is the first time that you’ve been able to do anything like this with the iPhone. Which raises the question: why stop at the iPhone? Why can’t I remotely view and control my iPad from my Mac? Honestly, I’d love to see this kind of screen sharing across Apple’s devices. Sometimes I want to look at something on my Apple TV when I’m upstairs. Sometimes I want to check my iPad from iPhone, or vice versa, and it’s weird that there’s this seemingly artificial limitation of which devices can look at which others. Why is iPhone Mirroring limited to the iPhone? Why not have iPad Mirroring, too? Why is iPhone Mirroring limited to the iPhone? Why not have iPad Mirroring, too?Apple Why is iPhone Mirroring limited to the iPhone? Why not have iPad Mirroring, too?Apple Apple iPhone Mirroring also isn’t the only feature that Apple rolled out this year that moves the needle in this direction. The new Remote Control feature of SharePlay lets you view and even control someone else’s iPhone—or iPad!—over a FaceTime call (with their permission, naturally). Here’s hoping next year’s update expands what’s possible. Super Password In its latest platform updates, Apple promoted its Passwords feature from a mere preference pane to a full-blown app. With it comes several niceties, including the ability to sort your passwords by criteria like date created or edited as well as get quick access to categories of entries like verification codes or passkeys. The app also, for the first time, incorporates Wi-Fi passwords, which used to be consigned to the Keychain Access app on the Mac. (On iOS, for a long time you couldn’t even view Wi-Fi passwords!) But it feels like Passwords could be a handy place to store other types of information too. For example, credit cards. Autofill for those is largely controlled by Safari, but if you go to look at your saved cards there you’ll see it divided up into items in your Wallet (the Apple Card and Apple Cash) and other saved cards. Frankly, it’s confusing. I get that I usually want to autofill my credit cards on the web—for places that don’t use Apple Pay, anyway—but having everything in the same place would make matters much simpler. The same goes for information that’s not quite a password but I want quick and secure access to: driver’s licenses, bank account numbers, secure notes. It feel like Apple could use the new Psswrods app to unify privacy data stored across the system. It feel like Apple could use the new Psswrods app to unify privacy data stored across the system.Foundry It feel like Apple could use the new Psswrods app to unify privacy data stored across the system.Foundry Foundry I understand that Apple’s modus operandi for these kinds of apps is to provide the basics and allow third-party developers to fill in the gap, but between saved credit cards and secure items in Notes, it also feels like they have all the parts of this functionality already, just in a disjointed fashion. If anything, the move to make Passwords its own app does suggest that the company might have more in mind for all of this. Maps doesn’t love you like you love it This year’s Maps updates are mostly designed to appeal to the outdoorsy types, with additions like topographical maps and hiking routes. But there’s also a quieter improvement: a new Places Library that better organizes your saved locations, guides, and routes in a single place. However, the primary thing that this enhancement reminds me is of the lackluster nature of Apple’s Guides feature. Guides have been around for a few years; the idea is to be able to save a bunch of places to a single list for when you’re planning a trip. The new Places Library in Apple Maps could be improved with collaborative features. The new Places Library in Apple Maps could be improved with collaborative features.Apple The new Places Library in Apple Maps could be improved with collaborative features.Apple Apple Much as I love this idea, I find it largely hampered by a lack of collaborative features. While you can share a guide you’ve created with other people, they essentially get their own local copy, meaning any changes they make to it aren’t reflected in your guide. So there’s no way to, say, create a guide for a trip my wife and I take and let us both add locations that we want to see, something that Maps major competitor, Google Maps, makes pretty easy. Similarly, while the new Places Library lets you save custom routes—for walking, running, hiking, etc.—there’s no way to share those custom routes with others. So I can’t recommend a specific hike I took with a friend, or share my custom walk route with my family. For me, so much travel is about experiencing and sharing things with others, and it’s a shame that Apple’s Maps app doesn’t make that a bigger centerpiece.10:09 amHigh costs mean Apple will limit 2nm processors to iPhone 18 Pro models
A new report from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says that only certain models of the 2026 iPhone 18 range — presumably the Pro editions — will get 2nm processors.TSMC is developing a 2nm processIt's previously been reported that Apple will not be able to use 2 nanometer processor technology until the iPhone 18 Pro in 2026, and now Kuo appears to have backed that up. His report does not actually specify the Pro series, saying only that not all of the iPhone 18 range will get it.The processors for 2025 iPhone 17 models will be made by TSMC's N3P process/3-nanometer technology. The processor for 2026 iPhone 18 models is anticipated to use TSMC's 2-nanometer technology. However, due to cost concerns, not all new iPhone 18 models may be equipped with a— (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) September 19, 2024 Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums09:24 amApple Intelligence to gain support for even more languages in 2025
Apple Intelligence will gain support for more languages in early 2025 than Apple initially announced, including Korean and Portuguese. (via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)09:15 amiOS 18 Messages/shared watch face bug located, quick fix could cause data loss
This is why bug fixes occur. A bug in the Messages app on Apple’s newly-released iOS 18 could create a scenario where the fix could require data loss. Per 9to5Mac reader Alex, the bug occurs when an Apple Watch face is shared to your iPhone via Messages or Mail directly from watchOS. The feature is […] Source09:00 amHow to remove a firmware password from an Intel Mac
Macworld Before Apple refreshed security on Intel Macs with the T2 Security Chip and FileVault, the company offered a different way to deter certain kinds of physical attacks. Intel Mac owners can set a firmware password, which prevents a volume other than the one set to start up the Mac from being used on restart or from a cold start. Apple did away with the problem entirely with Apple silicon by adding low-level security policies and other system drives that prevent an M-series Mac from starting up with an arbitrary volume. (This also made it difficult to have a bootable backup in case of a drive failure, but SSDs—the only built-in option for M-series Macs—are far more reliable than hard drives.) If you have or are planning to buy an Intel Mac and want to know how to remove the firmware password, it’s an easy process: Power up your Mac or restart it, and then immediately hold down Command-R until you see the progress bar under the Apple icon. In macOS Recovery, the special boot mode, choose Utilities > Startup Security Utility (or, for older Macs, Utilities > Firmware Password Utility). Click Turn Off Firmware Password. When prompted, enter the firmware password. If you purchase the Mac or plan to purchase it, the seller must provide it. There’s no way on your own to bypass or reset it (an exception is below). Quit the utility. Choose > Restart. Apple can reset the firmware password in person at an Apple Store or a store that’s an authorized service provider. However, the company has always required proof of purchase by the original owner and then proof of identity for the person with that receipt (digital or paper). As far as I can tell, if you’re a secondary or later buyer, Apple or third-party personnel will not unlock the firmware. This Mac 911 article is in response to a question submitted by Macworld reader Anthony. Ask Mac 911 We’ve compiled a list of the questions we get asked most frequently, along with answers and links to columns: read our super FAQ to see if your question is covered. If not, we’re always looking for new problems to solve! Email yours to mac911@macworld.com, including screen captures as appropriate and whether you want your full name used. Not every question will be answered; we don’t reply to emails, and we cannot provide direct troubleshooting advice.09:00 amCode strings hint at a possible 5-port Apple Silicon Mac mini
Following up on rumors that a new Mac mini is only a few weeks away, a code string reported by MacRumors contributor references an “Apple silicon Mac mini (5 Port),” which seems to indicate such a Mac is in the company’s plans. The code string appears to have surfaced from some macOS Sequoia code, wherein […] Source08:15 amMacworld Podcast: Why you should bother with iOS 18, macOS Sequoia, watchOS 11, and more
Macworld New major releases of Apple’s operating systems are available, but should you even bother? We talk about iOS 18, macOS Sequoia, watchOS 11, and why you should update now or wait, in this episode of the Macworld Podcast! Be sure to check this one out! This is episode 901 with Jason Cross, Michael Simon, and Roman Loyola. Listen to episode 901 on Apple Podcasts05:57 amApple details iPhone 16’s enhanced repair-friendly design
The iPhone 16 lineup packs several underlying improvements to make repairs easier, including using a new ionic liquid battery adhesive. (via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)03:59 amThe iPhones 16
What more proof of the camera’s singular importance to the iPhone would one need than the ever-growing block of camera lenses on the back of each year’s new models, or the “Shot on iPhone” ad campaign? A dedicated hardware button?03:02 amNuphy Air60 V2 review: tiny & mighty mechanical keyboard gets better
Nuphy already struck a winning formula with the Air60 thanks to the ultra-portable design, but it evolved the V2 perfectly with 1,000Hz polling, faster connection speeds, and VIA support.Nuphy Air60 V2 reviewMechanical keyboards are more mainstream than ever and come in every shape and size. However, smaller, more portable mechanical keyboards are much harder to find with a decent build and features.Nuphy is an exception as it stands out with the feature-packed Air lineup, and the favorite Air60 is back with a second version. It amps up many of the features like improved connections and customization without sacrificing size or battery life. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums02:28 amiPhone 16 to be assembled in Brazil in addition to China and India
Pre-orders for the iPhone 16 have already begun and the phones will hit stores on Friday, September 20. As previously reported, Apple will assemble the new iPhones in India simultaneously with China. But it turns out that Brazil is also on the list of countries where the iPhone 16 is assembled. more…01:42 amHow to check if your iPhone 16 pre-order has shipped
The first iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro pre-orders have started shipping to buyers. As usual, this doesn’t mean your iPhone 16 will arrive before the September 20 launch date. It does mean, however, that you can easily track your new phone as it travels around the world. more…01:25 amApple A16 SoC Now Manufactured In Arizona
"Apple has begun manufacturing its A16 SoC at the newly-opened TSCM Fab 21 in Arizona," writes Slashdot reader NoMoreACs. AppleInsider reports: According to sources of Tim Culpan, Phase 1 of TSMC's Fab 21 in Arizona is making the A16 SoC of the iPhone 14 Pro in "small, but significant, numbers. The production is largely a test for the facility at this stage, but more production is expected in the coming months. The volume will ramp up massively once the second stage of the Phase 1 fab actually concludes. If everything stays on schedule, the Arizona plant will hit a target for production sometime in the first half of 2025. Sources say TSMC is achieving yields that are marginally behind those of Taiwan-based factories. Yield parity is expected to happen within months. TSMC has also raised its investment and moved to build additional plants in Arizona, with three set to be constructed in total. The U.S. Commerce Department previously claimed this will create 6,000 direct manufacturing jobs, on top of an estimated 20,000 construction jobs. Read more of this story at Slashdot.