You remember that iTunes 12.5.3 update Apple released a couple of days ago? The one where the patch notes were the same as the patch notes from iTunes 12.5.2? Well good news. There’s a new iTunes 12.5.3 update waiting for you in the Mac App Store. It’s a new build of the same update. And oh yeah, the patch notes explain nothing.
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Apple iTunes 12.5.3 Update Released, Contents Remain a Mystery
Apple released iTunes 12.5.3 late on Monday. It’s unclear what the update actually changes because the accompanying patch notes are the same as patch notes that came with iTunes 12.5.2, and that’s true both in the Mac App Store and on Apple’s Support site.
Samsung, LG OLED Race Hints at New Displays for 2017 iPhone
The fight is on to be the supplier for next year’s iPhone OLED displays. Samsung and LG are hoping to get a slice of that pie, and their fight all but confirms Apple is dropping LCD in favor of OLED for iPhone screens in 2017 or 2018.
Apple Has Missed the Plot
John Kheit thinks Apple has lost the plot about what users need in Apple devices, especially with creative pros. He argues that Microsoft nailed it with Surface Studio, while Apple’s new MacBook Pro is a far cry from a pro Mac.
Touch Bar Is Apple's Double Down Against the Foolishness of ToasterFridges
Bryan Chaffin argues that the new MacBook pro’s Touch Bar is Apple’s double down against the ToasterFridge. More specifically, Touch Bar is Apple’s solution for the same need that ToasterFridges are trying to fill.
Apple's 'Hello Again' Event Wasn't About the Mac After All
During Apple’s “Hello Again” event, Apple spent an hour and 25 minutes talking about several cool things. The new MacBook Pros are very nice—but they were the only major Mac announcement. In contrast, the event tagline suggested that Apple would say something important about the “Mac” as a product. Instead, the vacuum persisted and Apple elected to take a stand, instead. on how it sees the MacBook Pro catering to the pro market with the Touch Bar.
Apple and IBM Partnership: Macs, iOS and Watson Are The Glue
IBM and Apple have been partnering with each other for some time now. The action continues with Macs finding great favor within IBM. Also, education initiatives continue. Finally, IBM’s Watson has to be giving Apple some big ideas. This has the signs of becoming one of the most productive partnerships ever, amongst former rivals, in the tech industry.
Apple Will Likely Let the 2013 Mac Pro Quietly Die
There was a time when Apple was into powerful headless Macs for technical professionals. Those who wanted their own multiple displays and great expandability. Lately, Apple seems to have lost interest in that market and focussed on mobility. There is a smattering of hopeful signs, but John Martellaro thinks the Mac Pro is headed for the annals of Apple history.
Apple 'hello again' Media Invites Suggest Reintroduction of Mac Product Line
Apple sent out invitations to an (expected) October 27th media event. The tagline for the invite is “hello again,” and the event is expected to center around new Mac models. Bryan Chaffin thinks it may mean Apple intends to re-introduce the Mac to the world.
Apple Will Reportedly Announce New Macs with October 27th Event
Apple will finally announce new Macs on October 27th, according to Re/code. Unnamed sources said the company will hold a media event in Cupertino. It’s not yet known which Macs will be refreshed.
Bryan Chaffin Will Discuss 'Apple vs. Samsung' in Live Webinar Thursday
Bryan Chaffin will be doing a live webinar/discussion called “Samsung vs. Apple” on Thursday, October 20th, from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM EDT. Moderated by patent attorney Gene Quinn, the discussion has a subheading of, “Is A Single Patent Infringement Worth all the Profit?” Robert S. Katz, an attorney with Banner & Witcoff, will also be participating.
Apple Has Plans for Better AI, Cashless Society
Apple CEO Tim Cook wants to weave artificial intelligence deeply into our lives, and he’s ready for a cashless society. The iPhone and Mac maker’s planned research center in Japan will play a role in those plans, and the country could be at the forefront of plans to push Apple Pay as the standard for a no-cash world.
Technical Professionals Are Hanging on, Hoping For The Best from Apple
Soon, we think, there will be fall Apple event that launches new Macs. The nature of this event and the kinds of Macs that Apple updates and those that are left to quietly die will tell us a lot about where Apple is heading with technical professionals. Many of those former Apple customers have already switched to Linux. Those who remain are dismayed and are not very hopeful. Some readers weigh in.
Supreme Court Wrestles with Apple, Samsung Patent Arguments
The U.S. Supreme Court heard testimony on from Apple, Samsung, and the Department of Justice on Tuesday on how damages should be calculated in design-related patent infringement cases. The hearing is the latest round in the mobile device patent infringement fight the two companies started in 2011, and underscores how confusing it can be to set damages values.
Samsung Has to Pay $120M for Apple's Unlock Patent After All
Samsung’s on-again-off-again fine for infringing on Apple’s slide-to-unlock patent is back on again. A U.S. Federal Appeals Court overturned its own ruling on Friday that Samsung didn’t have to pay the fine, so now the smartphone maker owes Apple US$119.6 million for infringing on the unlock and autocorrect-related patents.
Apple Bumps Q4 Earnings Announcement and Call to Tuesday, October 25th
Apple announced Monday that it was rescheduling its fiscal fourth quarter earnings report and call to Tuesday, October 25th. The company cited an unspecified “scheduling conflict.” The call was originally scheduled for Wednesday, October 26th.
Apple's Tuplejump Purchase Hints at a Smarter Siri and Echo Competitor
Apple indirectly confirmed it purchased the machine learning company Tuplejump, adding to its collection of artificial intelligence talent. Tuplejump’s technology is designed to process large amounts of data to make it easier to work with, which sounds like a great fit for Siri.
iOS 10 Music Player: Where Are the Shuffle and Repeat Buttons?
iOS 10 makes some nice changes to the music player app. Unfortunately, the Repeat and Shuffle buttons no longer appear at the bottom of the Now Playing screen. Where’d they go? It’s easy, and John explains.
Apple Releases iOS 10 and watchOS 3
As expected, Apple today released the latest versions of its mobile operating systems. iOS 10 is now available for the iPhone 5 and newer, iPad mini and newer, iPad (4th generation) and newer, and the 6th generation iPod touch, while watchOS 3 is ready to go for all Apple Watch owners.
Hands-On with iPhone 7 Home Button: Disappointing Haptic Feedback, Increased Functionality
Apple had two major changes in iPhone 7 beyond incremental improvements. The first is the much-talked about lack of an auxiliary port for headphones, but the other will effect the way we do things far longer than the transition to Lightning audio. That’s moving from a physical Home Button to a touch-sensitive, stationary Home Button. Here’s what Bryan Chaffin thought about it during his hands-on session at Apple’s media event.
Apple isn't Announcing iPhone 7 Preorder Sales Numbers
iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus deliveries were showing several week delays only minutes after preorders launched, but don’t count on seeing how many sold come Monday because Apple isn’t sharing the numbers. The company said the numbers don’t reflect actual demand and don’t hold any value for investors.
Delivery Times for iPhone 7 Plus Jet Black Slip to November
iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus went on pre-order Friday morning, and delivery times for iPhone 7 Jet Black slipped to November within 20 minutes. All other colors on iPhone 7 Plus range from 6-8 business days to 2-3 weeks. Many iPhone 7 models are still available for delivery on the 16th.
macOS Sierra Coming September 20
Apple’s big focus today is the iPhone 7 and Apple Watch Series 2, but that doesn’t mean the Mac didn’t get any love—or more precisely, macOS Sierra. Apple quietly updated the Sierra website on Wednesday to say the replacement for Mac OS X El Capitan will ship on September 20th.
Apple goes Wireless with AirPods
Apple embraced wireless earbuds on Wednesday with the introduction of its AirPods earbuds. AirPods are designed to connect to the iPhone and Apple Watch over Bluetooth, and let you quickly switch between which device where they’re streaming audio.