Yesterday the internet was busy speculating about why Apple patented an articulated joint system that’s perfect for military vehicles. The patent seemed out of place for an electric car, and it turns out that’s the case because the law firm handling patents for Apple says it was accidentally assigned to the wrong company thanks to a clerical error.
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Apple Watch to get GPS, Barometer in Fall Update
Apple reportedly has plans to introduce new Apple Watch models this fall with a GPS and barometer. The new features will be packed into a design that looks essentially the same as the original Apple Watch to accommodate a larger battery.
Sponsor: New MacX MediaTrans to Manage Your iOS Media and Data
We’d like to thank Digiarty, makers of MacX MediaTrans, for their sponsorship of The Mac Observer this week. For the time being, all TMO readers are eligible for a 30-day free trial of MacX MediaTrans. Once you’ve tried it, you can get a 2 Mac license of MacX MediaTrans for only $29.95, and that comes with lifetime upgrades!
Apple Gets Approval to Sell Wholesale Energy as Tech Giants Blaze Renewable Trail
Apple Energy LLC, the Apple subsidiary that develops and maintains Apple’s U.S. energy generation projects, received regulatory approval to sell electricity into the wholesale market. This will give Apple flexibility in developing electricity generation for its own use. It also demonstrates how technology giants have developed renewable energy traditional utilities have been slow to build.
Video Shows Apple's Lightning Earbuds in Action
A video shows what appears to be Apple’s Lightning connector earbuds is making the rounds, and if it’s legit it looks like we won’t be able to charge our iPhones while using them. Apple still hasn’t confirmed that this fall’s iPhone will ditch the familiar 3.5mm headphone jack in favor of audio over Lightning, but as we get closer to the release it’s seeming more and more likely.
Stolen iPhone? Watch Out for Identity Theft Phishing Schemes
Some iPhone thieves are getting more diabolical with their crimes by trying to trick victims into giving up their iCloud user name and password. The crooks are sending their theft victims legit looking messages saying their stolen device is being tracked, and they can find it by clicking a link and log in to their iCloud account.
Apple Patches Pangu Jailbreak Exploit with iOS 9.3.4
Apple released iOS 9.3.4 on Thursday, only a couple weeks after rolling out iOS 9.3.3. This surprise update shuts down the Pangu jailbreak, and the credit card and PayPal security breaches that came along with it.
Apple Helped Drive Uber Out of China
Uber and Didi were locked in a battle to outspend each other in China in hopes of becoming the dominant name in the ride sharing market. When Apple invested US$1 billion in Didi, however, Uber knew that strategy wouldn’t work and agreed to a deal where Didi bought out its Chinese operations.
How to Watch the Olympics for Cable Cutters
With the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics only days away, it’s time to plan out which event’s you’ll watch. If you don’t have a cable TV subscription, that’s OK because there are plenty of other ways to get your Olympics fix.
Tim Cook Tweets: Record July for App Store; Developers Have Earned $50 Billion
Tim Cook announced on Twitter Wednesday that July was a record month for the App Store, and that Apple has now paid more than $50 billion to developers. Both represent massive accomplishments, and the $50 billion paid out to developers would make the reputation of any other company for decades to come.
Apple's Squirt Gun Emoji is a Subtle Dig on Gun Violence
Apple always adds new things to its big operating system upgrades, and sometimes it takes away things, too. When iOS 10 ships this fall it’ll be missing the handgun emoji icon and in its place we’ll get a bright green squirt gun. The change comes as gun-related violence and deaths are on the rise in the United States, and following a public campaign urging Apple to remove the gun emoji.
Facebook Targets Snapchat with Instagram Stories
Watch out, Snapchat. Facebook is taking you on with its new Instagram Stories feature in Instagram. Like Snapchat, Instagram Stories lets you draw on photos and videos then post them where followers can see your impromptu works of art before they disappear 24 hours later.
Judge Tosses Out VirnetX's $625M Patent Infringement Win Against Apple
VirnetX’s big US$625 million patent infringement win against Apple just became a big loss. Federal Appeals Court Judge Robert Schroeder tossed out the judgement and set a retrial saying VirnetX acted inappropriately during the trial and very likely prejudiced the jury.
Apple Adding More than 100 Diverse Emoji to iOS 10
Apple announced Monday that it will add more than 100 diverse emoji to iOS 10. The new emojis are part of the Unicode Consortium’s ongoing efforts to expand emojis, and Apple said it’s working with the Consortium to include diverse options.
Niantic 'Fixes' Pokémon GO Tracking by Removing the Feature
Good news! Niantic updated the Pokémon GO app to address the three-step tracking bug. Bad news! They “fixed” it by taking the feature out. And the salt in the wound is that third-party Pokémon trackers stopped working, too. Good luck finding new Pokémon now.
Touch ID Trick: Train Multiple Fingerprints at Once
Apple’s Touch ID is an excellent security convenience, allowing you to quickly unlock your iPhone or iPad without having to type in your Passcode. Most of us will want to train at least the index finger and thumb of both hands in order to have some unlocking flexibility. That requires adding each fingerprint manually, and the iPhone only allows five total fingerprints to be trained. What if you want to train more than five fingers? Or what if you want to make the training process more efficient? In Sunday’s Mac Geek Gab 616, listener Robin provided an answer to these questions: train multiple fingerprints simultaneously.
Didi Buying Uber China Could Spell Opportunity for Apple
Apple’s US$1 billion investment in Didi Chuxing just became more interesting because the ride sharing company is buying rival Uber’s China business in a deal valued at $35 billion. Didi is also investing in Uber outside of China, and that means Apple’s interest in the ride sharing market may get a lot bigger.
Apple Patents iPhone Digital Crown, but that Doesn't Mean We'll See One
The iPhone and iPad may seem like an odd place to find an Apple Watch-like Digital Crown, but that’s exactly what a just published patent application shows. The patent shows the Digital Crown controlling volume, snapping photos, and locking the display. That doesn’t, however, mean your next iPad will look like a giant Apple Watch.
Apple Tops 1 Billion iPhones Sold
Apple has a thing for its billion milestones, and this time it’s for the iPhone. CEO Tim Cook says the company recently sold its billionth iPhone—a number the company hit just days before its third fiscal quarter earnings report.
Olympics Committee tells Non-sponsors to Stay off Twitter
The U.S. Olympics Committee has always had a pretty hard core control fetish, and this year that reaches all the way to Twitter. The organization plans to crack down on non-sponsors mentioning this year’s summer games—and that includes using trademarked hashtags such as #TeamUSA and #Rio2016. It’s almost like the USOC borrowed its rule book from Fight Club.
Apple Pencil Could be Your Next Gaming Device
If Apple’s latest patent is any indication, your next Apple Pencil will be more than a pointing and drawing accessory for your iPad Pro. It’ll also be a pointing device for your Mac, and a joystick for gaming.
Apple Scores Exclusive Deal for CBS Carpool Karaoke TV Series
Carpool Karaoke, the wonderfully fun segment on The Late Late Show where host James Cordon sings in his car with celebrities, is getting its own spin-off series streaming exclusively on Apple Music. The deal shows Apple’s growing interest in original content, and could draw more subscribers to its streaming music service.
Tim Cook: 'Think of Apple TV as a Foundation for Broader Business'
It might be tempting to think about the Apple TV as a hardware device, and its associated revenue combined with apps that deliver content and the associated revenue collected by Apple. But, during Apple’s 2016 Q3 earnings report, CEO Tim Cook said that we should think about the Apple TV in a different way.
Apple Beats Estimates, Sees iPhones Sales Decline
Apple on Tuesday reported revenue of $42.4 billion for the June quarter, the company’s 3rd fiscal quarter. That included earnings of $7.8 billion, or $1.42 earning per share (EPS). Those results were down from the year ago quarter of $49.6 billion in revenue and $10.7 billion in earnings. It was within Apple’s own guidance of $41 to $43 billion, and earnings beat analyst expectation.