Originally published at: http://appletalk.com.au/2016/08/monday-morning-news150816/
Bloomberg reported last week Apple’s upcoming iPhone refresh would include a dual-camera system on the larger iPhone, a rumour we’ve already heard many times before. Alongside the better camera, the new iPhone will also have no headphone jack and a home button that provides haptic feedback when pressed, but doesn’t move, kind of like the Force Touch technology found on the built-in trackpad on MacBook Pros.
Also from last week is Bloomberg’s claim Apple is planning its first major laptop refresh in over four years. While we’ll likely be sticking with an aluminium unibody design, the new MacBook Pros will feature a touch screen strip for function keys, as well as being thinner than their predecessors. A speed bump is also expected at the same time, with the most likely option being Skylake upgrades for the CPU.
A new model of the Apple Watch is on the way, with a release date perhaps sometime later this year. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicts the Apple Watch 2 will have a faster processor, GPS, barometer, better waterproofing, and a bigger battery. Curiously, those same features are expected to make their way to the first-gen Apple Watch, which will be sold alongside the Apple Watch 2 like some kind of entry-level model.
Apple has responded to Australian banks over Apple Pay, saying the banks’ attempt to collectively negotiate new business models and services prevents the introduction of potentially disruptive technologies. In its submission to the ACCC, Apple also writes that providing NFC access on the iPhone to allow the banks to have their own mobile payment solution on the device would “fundamentally diminish the high level of security Apple aims to have”, going on to say the banks’ limited understanding of Apple Pay only views it as a competitive threat.
Apple’s invite-only bug bounty program will pay up to $200,000 for exploits that compromise secure boot components, which are generally used in jailbreaking. Thoughts on the bug bounty program say that although Apple doesn’t need a bug bounty program, the way they’re approaching it means they’re focused on quality bug-finding and fixing.
Just when I thought I could have the week off because it was unlikely Apple would release new betas of iOS 10, Apple goes and releases iOS 10 beta 5 to developers and members of the public beta program. The release comes as a bit of a surprise, given that the previous beta only lasted a week, and going off previous beta timings, there’s a good chance the fifth beta will be the last. Tidbits include a new lock sound and minor widget tweaks.
A review of Pocket Casts 6 from MacStories may not mention Australian developers Shifty Jelly by name, but goes on to discuss some of the more innovative features of Pocket Casts, not all of them introduced with the latest update, but all of them highlighting the incredible diversity of iOS podcast apps.
Fast Company has an interview with Bozoma Saint John, Apple Music’s head of consumer marketing. The discussion includes questions about Apple Music and the kind of impact it’s making both inside and outside of Apple.
Jean-Louise Gassée writes that Apple’s strategy for the iPad positions it as a computer replacement, with the iPad Pro line being marketed as the desktop replacement, which kind of leaves the other iPads in a weird place.
Om Malik thinks it was wrong for Apple’s head of software and services Eddy Cue to attend a baseball game when iCloud was down for over six hours. John Gruber disagrees, saying the outage wouldn’t have been fixed a minute sooner if Cue hadn’t gone to the game.
