Apple SVP of Software Engineering Craig Federighi appeared as a guest on episode 139 of The Talk Show. Despite the entire episode going for 3 hours and 20 minutes, Federighi’s talk with Gruber goes for about half an hour. For those that can’t handle a podcast that long, there’s a transcript of their discussion over at Daring Fireball, for you to send to your Instapaper queue.
In case you weren’t already aware, MacKeeper is generally not recommended software. Not only that, but it also appears to have leaked the personal information of 13 million users, including usernames, passwords, and other information. To their credit, Kromtech quickly resolved the issue after being alerted to the fact their databases were open to the public.
A report from Bloomberg claims Apple has opened its own factory in Taiwan to develop new screen technology to make devices thinner and more energy efficient than ever before. You can bet the engineers — which apparently Apple is currently hiring for — will be investigating the benefits of OLED over traditional LCD displays.
Apple has also purchased a former semiconductor plant in San Jose for $18.2 million. Apple’s plans for the building are currently unknown, but MacRumors claims Apple may be using the space for manufacturing or for research and development.
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo writes the successor to the iPad Air 2 will not have 3D Touch due to production issues, but will likely be released in the first half of next year. Kuo’s predictions also say the next iPhone will have similar 3D Touch technology to the current iPhone 6s, but I could have told you that.
In addition to a special pair of urBeats headphones with “Thank You 2015” on the packaging, Apple employees will also receive a 9-month subscription to Apple Music. Nine months seems like a weird period, but I guess it adds up to a year with the three-month trial.
Microsoft has updated their Outlook app for iOS with 3D Touch features, which now has the ability to write a new email or a new event right from your home screen.
Apple’s Mail Settings Lookup page makes it easier than ever for Apple employees to help people setup their mail accounts, as all it needs is an email address. And it’s probably a safe bet Apple are collecting those email addresses for research purposes, too.
Dan Moren defends the Photo Album face on the Apple Watch, saying it’s one of the most personal Watch faces you can currently use.
Apple Music support has arrived on Sonos speaker systems, and while the company makes it very clear that the service is still a beta, you can now stream songs, playlists, and even Beats1 to your Sonos speakers via the iOS or Android apps.
Originally published at: http://appletalk.com.au/2015/12/wednesday-morning-news161215/