Originally published at: http://appletalk.com.au/2018/08/monday-morning-news130818/
John Gruber of Daring Fireball broke the news late last week about Doug Field returning to Apple to work on Project Titan under Bob Mansfield, following Field’s departure from Tesla in May this year. While there’s not that much to be read about a single hire in the overall ebb and flow of employees between any two companies, Gruber says it’s interesting that on some level, Apple is still interested in making autonomous vehicles.
A new beta version of the Shortcuts app slated to be introduced with iOS 12 adds some HomeKit integration. The second Shortcuts beta now lets users use some HomeKit actions, although the current actions are limited to contextual Siri Suggestions and not any action provided by the Home app. Still, it’s a step in the right direction, but here’s hoping Shortcuts will be more integrated with HomeKit once it launches.
An already-patched security flaw in Apple’s Device Enrolment Program and Mobile Device Management platform allows hackers to compromise a Mac remotely the first time it connects to Wi-Fi, even before the user has logged in or seen their desktop. A fix for this DEP issue was released in macOS High Sierra 10.13.6, but any device that was manufactured and shipped with an older version of the OS continues to be vulnerable to the issue.
A new Apple Music section curated by Deutsche Grammophon features a number of classical music playlists, including the full-length performance of select operas. It’s great news if you’re looking for something a little different to listen to and have an Apple Music subscription, with the recent changes showing Apple is still interested in making Apple Music a great platform for everyone.
Certain models of Denon and Marantz AV receivers have had firmware released that brings AirPlay 2 support. The full list of compatible receivers from the two brands was shared by a website called Poor Audiophile earlier this year, although it’s strange that Apple’s own website has incomplete listings of receiver compatibility, as pointed out by MacRumors.
If there’s one upside to Apple shutting down the App Store affiliate program, it’s that any outstanding commissions can be paid regardless of amount. As pointed out by 9to5Mac, affiliate program members would previously have had to wait until they hit certain payment thresholds before being able to get a payment from Apple for any App Store affiliate sales; with affiliate earnings able to be accrued in multiple currencies simultaneously, having earnings banked up but not being able to be paid for them due to not reaching thresholds is a problem.
A new patent from Apple hints at plans for iPhones becoming a new form of identification. Apple’s patent for documentation import into secure elements tells us about importing credentials from some source, allowing the iPhone to then be presented as a form of identification — similar to how Apple Pay now lets you use your iPhone as a secure payment method.
The followup to AppleInsider’s editorial piece on the myth of Apple’s hardware business being both impossibly difficult and super easy says that it’s Apple’s secret services sauce that sells systems, a phrase coined by John Couch back in the late 70s. The App Store is one such frequently cited example, bringing a major competitive advantage over Apple’s competitors, although there are other examples.
A GitHub page highlights a number of awesome macOS screensavers, if you’re into that sort of thing. From classic flip clocks, to making the Apple TV screensavers work on your Mac, there’s something for pretty much every macOS screensaver enthusiast.
Muzzle is a simple Mac app to silence embarrassing notifications when screensharing. While macOS’ built-in Do Not Disturb will hide notifications when mirroring your display to TVs and projectors, there’s no such protection when simply sharing your screen. If nothing else, the website’s constant barrage of embarassing notifications are great, if slightly NSFW.
