Originally published at: http://appletalk.com.au/2017/10/monday-morning-news160717/
The Independent interviewed Apple CEO Tim Cook recently, and if you’ve read any interview from him recently, you’ll know that he mentions AR almost every time. It’s clear Apple will be pushing the technology in iPhone iterations to come, even though Apple hasn’t built any kind of AR experience of its own. Cook also believes the world is getting better, at least compared to how it was before. It might not seem that way, but progress looks different to different people.
Apple VP of Inclusion and Diversity Denise Young Smith has apologised for the choice of words she used to describe diversity at a summit in Colombia. Smith mentioned in conversation that diversity wasn’t just about marginalised minority groups, but could also be about “12 white blue-eyed blonde men”, which she has since apologised for in a company-wide email.
Qualcomm’s latest lawsuit against Apple is in China, where the processor manufacturer is asking a Chinese court to block the sale and manufacturing of iPhones in the country for violating a set of three patents. While it’s unlikely that this latest effort from Qualcomm will see iPhones get banned from China, it just seems like they’re taking random shots at Apple to see if anything scores a hit.
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims all iPhones to be released next year will feature Face ID, abandoning fingerprint recognition altogether. While there were previously rumours of Apple investigating under-screen fingerprint recognition tech, I’d say that if Face ID goes as well as Apple thinks it will, then they’ll want to replace Touch ID with it as the superior alternative.
Supply chain rumours also speculate that iPhones in 2019 will include support for a stylus. It’s a little curious why we haven’t seen Apple Pencil support on any iPhone to date, given it’s been out on the iPad Pro for a few years now, but I’m sure there’s a few good reasons why Apple has decided a stylus is necessary on an iPhone.
Apple says they’re aware of an issue with GarageBand not opening on iOS 11, and their suggested workaround is to turn off iCloud for GarageBand until they release a more permanent fix. I’m filing this one under “stuff in iOS 11 that somehow got missed”.
Marco Arment writes about the impossible dream of USB-C, which draws you in as the “one cable to rule them all”, even though in practice that’s rarely the case. As they say, the devil is in the details, and if you’re looking to invest in any kind of USB-C cables, batteries, or docks, you should definitely read the fine print and work out what features you need.
TidBits shows us how to use the long exposure feature found within iOS 11’s Live Photos. It’s an effect you can apply to any image taken as a Live Photo, just like the loop or bounce ones, and if you’re using macOS High Sierra, there’s also the option to apply it within Photos on the Mac.
Macworld’s Dan Moren says there are still a bunch of unanswered questions about Apple’s HomePod, which the company originally said would be released before the end of the year. I’m surprised to see “when can I buy it” isn’t on the list.
Nvidia’s GeForce Now promises to turn your Mac into a capable gaming machine by streaming video games over the internet. While this means you’ll need less on-board graphics power and more of serious internet connection, it remains to be seen how well the service works in Australia, where we typically don’t have the same latency to overseas servers as US residents.