Originally published at: http://appletalk.com.au/2018/07/thursday-morning-news190718/
One of the available CPU options on the 15-inch 2018 MacBook Pro is a 6-core Core i9 processor running at 2.9GHz from Intel’s eight-generation family of processors. While this yields the best performance we’ve ever seen from a Mac laptop, a video on YouTube now claims the thermal design of the laptop results in the chip throttling down under load. Thermal throttling is normal, but this particular issue seems to be that we’ve never seen this much thermal throttling before.
A discussion of the topic on the Apple subreddit gives us some numbers about the kind of throttling we see on the Core i9 machine under load. Even with the fans maxed out, it takes less than a minute of load for the machine to throttle down to 2.5GHz when running Prime95. Although these stress testing tools may not be indicative of real-world workloads, it’s still concerning that Apple’s laptop may not be capable of performing at its advertised speed for an extended period of time.
The third public beta of iOS 12 is now available, following the release of yesterday’s fourth developer beta. AppleInsider takes us through the changes, which include even more animated Activity stickers that don’t need to be unlocked, as well as a plethora of bug fixes of issues from previous betas.
TechCrunch reports iCloud user data in China is now owned and operated by a division of China Telecom, the state-owned telco. Tianyi’s cloud storage division is the new owner of Chinese iCloud data, after it signed an agreement with GCBD, Apple’s original partner from when it originally relinquished the reins earlier this year. There are potential privacy implications for iCloud users who have their region set to China.
Rumours of Apple’s 18W USB-C power adapter say it will launch with this year’s iPhones, but now the rumours are saying it won’t be available separately when it does launch. Supply chain sources claim any production will be limited to the millions of iPhones slated to ship for the launch, with standalone availability not expected until next year. Third-party USB-C to Lightning cables are also expected to be scarce, given there’s currently no certification program for them.
If you’re using macOS Mojave, MacRumors has a tip on using Finder Quick Actions. You’ll need to enable the Preview pane in Finder windows, but once you have a file selected, you can make quick changes to images, video, and audio files without having to open an app.
And if you’re using macOS Mojave on a system without a Retina display, you might have noticed that text looks a little different than what you’re used to. That’s because Mojave removes sub-pixel anti-aliasing, which makes text look worse on non-Retina displays, but comes with significant engineering benefits due to the complexities of implementing sub-pixel AA.
I’ve always wondered what the Call Audio Routing option in iOS Accessibility settings is for, and The Mac Observer says that it’s used to determine if a call goes to some other audio device when answered. Turns out, you can have all of your calls go to speakerphone if you want. You monster.
Over at Macworld, Jason Snell says Apple has made changes to its playbook that make it unlike the Apple of old. Particularly regarding PR, Apple’s recent efforts include things we would have never expected the Jobs-era Apple to do, including giving journalists previews of maps-improving tech, discussing the issues with the Mac Pro, or even keeping acquired apps around.
The original Retina display MacBook Pro from 2012 is getting a new lease on life, with a revised obsolete/vintage status. In a note distributed to Apple Stores and Apple Authorised Service Providers, Apple says it incorrectly classified the 15-inch 2012 MacBook Pro with Retina display as vintage/obsolete, and now support those machines until December 31, 2018.