Originally published at: http://appletalk.com.au/2016/07/wednesday-morning-news130716/
An iPhone rear case has been leaked to the internet, confirming previous rumours which claim no major design changes for this year’s iPhone. Repositioned antenna bands and a larger camera cut-out seem to be the go, while separate photos appear to show a lack of hardware mute switch. I’m ambivalent about Apple removing or keeping the headphone jack, but the hardware mute switch should stay.
Another day, another patent filed against Apple. Somaltus LLC claims Apple and others, including Asus, Lenovo, Samsung, Sony, and Toshiba have infringed on their patent for an Integrated Battery Service System. Their patent describes a system where a processor communicates and responds to signals from a battery, and the company is asking for monetary damages or a running royalty on products sold which infringe on their patent.
A different lawsuit against Apple could see the company open up local repair centres in Russia, after an individual sued the company for not providing enough local support to handle iPhone display component repair, instead choosing to swap out entire parts.
Apple has donated US$1 million to aid flood relief efforts in China. 9to5Mac notes that Apple is the only American company to offer aid so far, and Apple CEO Tim Cook has posted a message on Weibo showing his support.
Apple has introduced a number of guides for helping teachers integrate iPads and apps into the classroom. The series of six starter guides, available on iTunes U, contain information about how Apple’s built-in apps can provide education benefits when used alongside existing curriculum.
It looks as though some system apps in macOS Sierra support a dark mode, bringing a much darker UI to apps such as System Preferences and Safari. Details are pretty thin, but the fact that this exists without having to do some kind of Accessibility hack is promising.
A survey of wearable device customer satisfaction from JD Power puts the Apple Watch at the top of the pile, with Samsung following close behind the average satisfaction ranking overall.
With the vast majority of Apple’s Mac lineup overdue for an update, it should come as no surprise that Apple dropped PC marketshare in the last quarter. The alternate explanation is that there was a worldwide sales slowdown of PCs, at least according to Gartner and IDC.
A comparison between Swift Playgrounds and HyperCard tells us that although there are similarities between the two, HyperCard was less about teaching people to be programmers and more about putting that power directly in their hands. Swift Playgrounds, by comparison, is more about guided learning, and not being able to create finished apps is perhaps its biggest limitation, according to Ars Technica.
You know there are other apps out there besides Pokémon Go? Crazy, I know, but Prisma is a cool filter app that turns your photos into art pieces from just a tap. Free, on the App Store.
