Originally published at: http://appletalk.com.au/2018/08/monday-morning-news060818/
Apple has a market cap of US $1 trillion dollars now, and it’s a stark contrast to the financial situation of the company that was on the verge of bankruptcy a few short decades ago. They were different times, following the ousting of Steve Jobs and subsequent near-financial ruin of Apple, as told by the New York Times, although it’s a story that we’ll all head before, I’m sure.
MG Siegler is at least slightly more concerned about the strategy that Apple has employed to get them to this figure, as well as the strategy they will employ in the future. Siegler highlights that although Jobs introduced the iPhone to the world, current Apple CEO Tim Cook has propelled it to new heights, adding $650 billion to Apple’s market cap along the way.
And if you’re feeling particularly pessimistic about all of this rampant capitalism, TechCrunch tells us about the ways Apple clawed themselves to being worth a trillion dollars. It starts with frayed charging cables, evolves into difficult unsubscribe links and questionable product design decisions, and ends, as you probably guessed, with more than a few dongles.
It’s said the rumoured dual-SIM version of the upcoming 6.1-inch LCD iPhone may be limited to China. Dual-SIM usage definitely seems like a thing that’s more popular in Asian countries, and it’s not the first time Apple has limited features to a particular region in the iPhone, with the FeliCa Japanese iPhone being the most recent example I can think of, so this isn’t too far-fetched.
A new iPhone glyph in the latest iOS 12 beta all but confirms the existence of a larger iPhone with all the hallmarks of the iPhone X. Both the edge-to-edge display and top notch screen are present in this particular version of what’s purported to be the Plus-sized iPhone X, although it’s hardly a detailed design document.
The iOS 12 beta also speaks volumes about the upcoming iPad Pro refresh. Even thinner bezels are widely expected for the next version of Apple’s upper-range tablet, and now the presence of an “affordance corners” asset lends credence to rounded corners on the new iPad’s display. If nothing else, the iOS 12 simulator is at least capable of rendering an iPad with rounded corners.
Apple (and other tech company) manufacturing partner TSMC shut down several factories overnight following a virus outbreak on its computer systems. While TSMC computers have been attacked by viruses before, the company says this is the first time it has affected production lines. At least the downtime doesn’t seem too lengthy, with some factories already online and others coming back up tomorrow.
CarAdvice says Mini Australia is the first manufacturer to offer wireless CarPlay as standard in Australia across both the Mini Hatch and Convertible ranges. Unfortunately, that’s about where the good news ends: wireless CarPlay on those models will be offered as part of a “connected services” package, a subscription which must be renewed after three years, with no renewal pricing available just yet.
In any case, iOS 12 will bring at least two significant improvements to CarPlay, first and foremost of which is the integration of third-party mapping options. Performance improvements are the other major feature coming as part of CarPlay in iOS 12.
TidBits doesn’t pull any punches with their editorial on Apple’s removal of the App Store affiliate program. They call the move unnecessary, mean-spirited, and harmful — even if App Store editorial is great now, affiliate revenue provided an alternate revenue stream for many smaller iOS app and game review blogs. It makes no sense for Apple to axe the affiliate program.