Tag: Reportedly

News

Apple Reportedly Stops Production of FineWoven Accessories

Post author By miranda cosgrove
Post date April 21, 2024
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Apple has stopped production of FineWoven accessories, according to the Apple leaker and prototype collector known as “Kosutami.”

iPhone 15 Pro FineWoven
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Kosutami explained that Apple has stopped production of FineWoven accessories due to its poor durability. The company may move to another non-leather material for its premium accessories in the future.

Kosutami has revealed accurate information about FineWoven accessories in the past. The leaker unveiled Apple’s plans to introduce new Apple Watch bands made of a “woven fabric material” over a month before they debuted, as well as matching iPhone cases. Kosutami also revealed the very first images of FineWoven accessories shortly before the event in which they were officially announced. MacRumors understands the source of this latest information regarding the cessation of production to be the same as these previous FineWoven rumors that were ultimately accurate, so it should be taken seriously until we know more.

Apple stopped selling leather accessories in September last year, replacing most of them with a more environmentally friendly “FineWoven” material that the company describes as “luxurious and durable microtwill” made from 68% post-consumer recycled polyester. FineWoven iPhone cases are priced at $59, MagSafe Wallets at $59, AirTag holders at $35, and Apple Watch bands at $99.

Accessories made of the material have been very poorly received by customers, citing poor durability and disappointing quality. FineWoven accessories in new color options were noticeably absent from Apple’s spring refresh. If Apple has indeed stopped production of FineWoven accessories, it may be some time before the company’s existing inventory begins to noticeably deplete.

Apple Store in Downtown Montréal Reportedly Moving to 125-Year-Old Heritage Building

Post author By miranda cosgrove
Post date April 18, 2024
No Comments on Apple Store in Downtown Montréal Reportedly Moving to 125-Year-Old Heritage Building

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Apple is preparing to move its retail store on Saint-Catherine Street in Montréal, Québec, according to Canadian newspaper La Presse.

The current Apple Sainte-Catherine store

The report cites three sources who said Apple will be opening a new retail store in a 125-year-old heritage building located at 1255 Saint-Catherine Street, which would be less than 100 meters away from the company’s current store on the street. Apple’s contractors are said to be in the process of completing major renovations to the building, which has been vacant for a few years after clothing retailer Ardene left the space.

Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman last year reported that Apple was considering relocating its Saint-Catherine store. At the time, he said Apple aimed to open the new store in February 2025, but the timeframe could change. La Presse reported that Apple’s current space on the street is already listed as available for lease online. Apple has not publicly announced any plans to relocate the store, and it did not respond to our inquiry.

1255 Sainte-Catherine Street (Image Credit: LoopNet)

Apple’s existing two-floor store on Sainte-Catherine Street first opened in 2008, in Montréal’s downtown Ville-Marie area. The store will be temporarily closed for one day on Tuesday, April 23, for reasons unclear, according to Apple’s website.

The new location would be Apple’s first store within a historic building in Canada, with many of the company’s other locations in the country found in indoor shopping malls. Apple recently relocated its store at the Square One shopping mall in Mississauga, Ontario, just west of Toronto, as it continues to modernize its Canadian retail fleet.

Thanks, Kevin!

Apple’s First AI Features in iOS 18 Reportedly Won’t Use Cloud Servers

Post author By miranda cosgrove
Post date April 14, 2024
No Comments on Apple’s First AI Features in iOS 18 Reportedly Won’t Use Cloud Servers

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Apple’s first set of new AI features planned for iOS 18 will not rely on cloud servers at all, according to Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman.

iOS 18 Siri Integrated Feature
“As the world awaits Apple’s big AI unveiling on June 10, it looks like the initial wave of features will work entirely on device,” said Gurman, in the Q&A section of his Power On newsletter today. “That means there’s no cloud processing component to the company’s large language model, the software that powers the new capabilities.”

Apple will probably still offer some cloud-based AI features powered by Google’s Gemini or another provider, according to Gurman. Apple has reportedly held discussions with companies such as Google, OpenAI, and China’s Baidu about potential generative AI partnerships. iOS 18 is not expected to include Apple’s own ChatGPT-like chatbot, but it is unclear if Gemini or other chatbot will be directly integrated into iOS 18.

It is possible that Apple could offer some of its own cloud-based generative AI features in the future, as Apple supply chain analysts like Ming-Chi Kuo and Jeff Pu have said that the company is actively purchasing AI servers.

iOS 18 is rumored to have new generative AI features for the iPhone’s Spotlight search tool, Siri, Safari, Shortcuts, Apple Music, Messages, Health, Numbers, Pages, Keynote, and more. Gurman previously reported that generative AI will improve Siri’s ability to answer more complex questions, and allow the Messages app to auto-complete sentences.

Apple is expected to unveil iOS 18 and other software updates at its annual developers conference WWDC, which runs from June 10 through June 14.

Kareem Choudhry has reportedly left Microsoft amid a wider Xbox brand shakeup

Post author By lisa nichols
Post date April 8, 2024
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Kareem Choudhry has left Microsoft as of Friday, April 5, 2024. The former corporate vice president of Emerging Technologies at Xbox, Choudhry most recently spearheaded the company’s exploration of artificial intelligence (AI) technology in gaming.

As reported by Windows Central, it marks the end of an impressive 26-year tenure at the company. In addition to heading the Emerging Technologies team, Choudhry is also well known for his previous work on many significant Xbox projects. This includes the development of Xbox backwards compatibility and recent advances in Xbox Cloud Gaming.

According to sources familiar with the matter, the rest of the Emerging Technologies team will be incorporated into the wider Xbox hardware division. A memo has reportedly been distributed within the company, describing a desire to accelerate AI innovation through this change.

It comes amid a major strategic shakeup at Xbox, which includes plenty of leadership changes in addition to the recruiting of new staff. As part of this, a newly created Xbox Experiences and Platforms team, led by Ashley McKissick and Kevin Gammill, will now allegedly focus on polishing the Xbox user experience across both PC and console.

Analysis: A digital future for Xbox?

The creation of the new Xbox Experiences and Platforms team makes sense when you consider the recent arrival of a handful of former Xbox-exclusive titles, such as Hi-Fi Rush and Pentiment, on competing platforms including the PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch.

With lackluster Xbox Series X sales, it seems increasingly likely that the Xbox brand is heading towards a more software-oriented future. Ensuring a unified Xbox experience across multiple platforms then seems like a considered way to maintain a cohesive brand in the absence of a flagship console, especially with a potential Xbox handheld gaming PC on the horizon.

As for Choudhry’s departure, bringing the company’s AI efforts closer to the main Xbox division could suggest a renewed focus on the technology – potentially as a means to increase the speed of software development. The exact outcomes of this shift have yet to be seen, but it’s certainly worth keeping an eye on Microsoft’s gaming efforts over the coming months.

Samsung is reportedly making a Galaxy Watch FE

Post author By miranda cosgrove
Post date April 6, 2024
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Samsung has a pretty good lineup of Wear OS smartwatches. The Galaxy Watch 6 and the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic are among the best-equipped smartwatches for Android phones. However, they’re quite costly, and not everyone would be able to buy them. So, Samsung could be making a cheaper Galaxy Watch.

Galaxy Watch FE could be Samsung’s cheapest Wear OS smartwatch

While the Galaxy Fit 3 is extremely affordable, it doesn’t run Wear OS. For those who want a Wear OS-based Galaxy Watch but don’t want to spend more than $150 on a wearable, Samsung is developing the Galaxy Watch FE. According to a report from Android Headlines, the Galaxy Watch FE has model number SM-R866. It reportedly has at least three variants: SM-R866F (International), SM-R866U (USA LTE), and SM-R866N (Korea).

When you notice the Galaxy Watch FE’s model number, it looks like it could be a slightly modified version of the Galaxy Watch 4 (SM-R860). So, Samsung could be repackaging the Galaxy Watch 4 with possibly a newer processor. The remaining features could remain similar to those of the original Galaxy Watch 4.

Since the Galaxy Watch 4 is already selling for as low as $150 on Amazon, it would be great if Samsung can launch the Galaxy Watch FE for the similar or even lower price.

Watch our hands-on experience with the Galaxy Watch 4 in the video below.

Author’s Note: The Galaxy Watch 4 already has many of the features found on most Wear OS smartwatches. It has an accelerometer, barometer, GPS, gyro, and a heart rate sensor. It can track heart rate, sleep, stress levels, and workouts. It has an IP68 rating and features a microphone and a loudspeaker.

It has NFC for mobile payments via Samsung Pay and also features wireless charging. On a single charge, it usually lasts a day. The only things that Samsung needs to improve on the Galaxy Watch FE compared to the Galaxy Watch 4 would be its processor and battery life. A newer processor and a slightly bigger battery would help a long way in achieving that.

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Tags Galaxy, Making, Reportedly, Samsung, Watch

News

iOS 18 Reportedly Won’t Feature Apple’s Own ChatGPT-Like Chatbot

Post author By miranda cosgrove
Post date March 26, 2024
No Comments on iOS 18 Reportedly Won’t Feature Apple’s Own ChatGPT-Like Chatbot

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Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman today reported that Apple is not planning to debut its own generative AI chatbot with its next major software updates, including iOS 18 for the iPhone. Instead, he reiterated that Apple has held discussions with companies such as Google, OpenAI, and Baidu about potential generative AI partnerships.

iOS 18 Mock Siri Feature Baubles
Recent reports indicated that Apple has considered licensing existing chatbots, such as Google’s Gemini and OpenAI’s ChatGPT, but Apple offering its own chatbot of some kind on iOS 18 had not been explicitly ruled out until now.

Gurman still expects AI to be a major focus at Apple’s just-announced WWDC 2024 developers conference. He reiterated that Apple plans to announce new AI features that “assist users in their daily lives,” but he did not provide any specific details. He has previously reported that generative AI will improve Siri’s ability to answer more complex questions, and allow the Messages app to auto-complete sentences. Other apps like Apple Music, Shortcuts, Pages, Numbers, and Keynote are also expected to gain generative AI functionality.

Apple already promised that the company would share generative AI announcements later this year, and the company hinted at it again today. WWDC 2024 runs from June 10 through June 14, with video sessions to be shared on YouTube for the first time.

The first iOS 18 beta should be made available to developers following the WWDC keynote, and the update is expected to be released to all users in September.

The latest macOS Sonoma update is reportedly breaking some USB hubs

Post author By lisa nichols
Post date March 14, 2024
No Comments on The latest macOS Sonoma update is reportedly breaking some USB hubs

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Updating to macOS Sonoma 14.4 is breaking the functionality of some USB hubs, according to reports across the web – though it’s unclear how widespread the problem is, or which particular peripherals are affected.

The heads-up first came via AppleInsider readers, but there’s also some discussion on Reddit, Apple support forums, and MacRumors. So far, it appears to be just USB hubs built into monitors affected by the bug, including models from Dell, Samsung, and Gigabyte.

Judging by the number of replies to the article and threads linked above, several people are seeing this issue. That said, it doesn’t appear to affect everyone with a macOS Sonoma 14.4 machine and a monitor USB hub.

Apple hasn’t said anything about the issue and is unlikely to unless it becomes widespread. The 14.4 software update started rolling out last week, bringing with it new emojis and bug fixes – though it may have introduced some more bugs of its own.

Can you fix it?

macOS Sonoma bug

Changing this setting seems to help some people (Image credit: Future)

The users afflicted by the USB hub problem are trying various troubleshooting measures. There doesn’t seem to be a single solution that works for everyone, across different types of monitors and USB connections.

For some, completely powering down everything and then powering it back up again seems to work. Other people have reported that heading to the Privacy & Security page in macOS System Settings and changing the Allow accessories to connect option to Ask every time, then rebooting, fixes it.

Reading between the lines, there may be something awry with the way macOS ‘sees’ the USB hub and the devices connected to it as peripherals, but there are a lot of links along that chain – some users have found that simply switching to a different USB cable helps.

We’ll have to wait and see if Apple issues a fix for those affected. Of course, if workaround solutions are already being discovered, it’s more likely that any necessary bug fixes for the problem will get quietly rolled into the macOS Sonoma 14.5 update.

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Tags Breaking, Hubs, Latest, macOS, Reportedly, Sonoma, update, USB

News

Apple Reportedly Testing AI-Powered Ad Technology

Post author By miranda cosgrove
Post date March 12, 2024
No Comments on Apple Reportedly Testing AI-Powered Ad Technology

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Apple has begun testing a new AI-powered tool with a small group of advertisers that automatically decides where to place ads on the App Store, Business Insider reports.

iOS App Store General Feature Black
Citing two individuals familiar with the matter, Business Insider claims that the AI-powered tool mirrors the functionalities of Google’s Performance Max and Meta’s Advantage+, which allow advertisers to specify their budget, target cost-per-acquisition, desired audiences, and geographical targets. Apple’s algorithm then automatically determines the most effective placement of ads across the ‌App Store‌’s existing formats.

The initiative is said to be part of Apple’s broader ambition to refine and expand its advertising offerings. Currently, Apple provides a variety of ad formats within the ‌App Store‌, including search tab ads, search results page ads, “you might also like” suggestions on app product pages, and ads on the “today” tab.

Business Insider speculates that the move toward AI-enhanced ad placements suggests a future where Apple could extend advertising to other apps and services within its ecosystem, such as Apple News, Stocks, and the recently launched Sports app. The website also today reported that a number of recent Apple hiring decisions may indicate plans to introduce an ad-supported Apple TV+ tier.

Apple Reportedly Distributing ‘VendorUI’ Version of iOS 18 to Factories

Post author By miranda cosgrove
Post date March 11, 2024
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Apple recently started distributing internal builds of iOS 18 to factories and relevant vendors, according to credible information shared on X by a private account with a track record of sharing accurate details on Apple’s plans. The version of iOS that Apple provides at this stage is called “VendorUI,” and access to it is strictly controlled.

iOS 18 Mock Feature Baubles
Sent out on an annual basis, VendorUI is a variant of iOS that is provided to factories for quality control testing. Because it has a pre-production version of the iOS user interface that Apple won’t publicly unveil until WWDC, Apple is careful about where it is distributed. VendorUI can include references to new features, new settings or changes in branding. Unlike the versions of iOS used by Apple’s software engineers, VendorUI often has certain apps omitted, ensuring that only the apps necessary for testing are present.

With every iOS release, Apple develops several different versions of iOS:

Release – Stock iOS intended for end-consumers.
InternalUI – Created for Apple’s software engineers, often contains pre-production version of the iOS user interface, with unreleased and unannounced features.
VendorUI – Designed for quality control testing in factories and can contain elements of pre-production iOS user interface.
NonUI – Developed for hardware engineers and calibration machines, does not feature the standard iOS user interface.
LLDiags – Intended for use in low-level diagnostics and has no user interface at all except for a simple diagnostics menu (Diags).

The distribution of the VendorUI version of ‌iOS 18‌ means that we could soon start seeing more iOS features leak because the operating system is available to a larger number of people.

Even without VendorUI, information about iOS has started to come out. We’ve heard that ‌iOS 18‌ will have a heavy focus on AI, and there will be new Accessibility features, such as Adaptive Voice Shortcuts and Live Speech Categories. Internal versions of iOS can also contain hardware information, and back in December, we shared details on the iPhone 16 hardware sourced from ‌iOS 18‌ code.

To learn more about the features that are expected in ‌iOS 18‌, check out our dedicated rumor roundup page for iOS 18.

Apple Reportedly ‘Just Started Formal Development’ of M4 MacBook Pro

Post author By miranda cosgrove
Post date March 11, 2024
No Comments on Apple Reportedly ‘Just Started Formal Development’ of M4 MacBook Pro

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Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman today held a Q&A session focused on the Apple Car, in which he revealed that the vehicle’s chip would have been equivalent to four M2 Ultra chips combined. He also said the vehicle had an underlying “safetyOS” system that was one part of the overall operating system, but he did not elaborate.

m3 mbp space black
Gurman also briefly touched on a few other topics, including that Apple apparently “just started formal development” of a new MacBook Pro with an M4 chip. He did not provide any additional details about the chip, which has yet to be announced by Apple.

Apple announced the M1 chip for Macs in November 2020, followed by the M2 chip in June 2022 and the M3 chip towards the end of October 2023, so there has been around a year-and-a-half gap between each of the chips being introduced. If that pattern continues, the M4 chip would be released in the first half of 2025.

Apple last updated the MacBook Pro lineup in October with M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max chips. As part of that refresh, Apple discontinued the 13-inch MacBook Pro and replaced it with a new base model 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M3 chip. Apple has also updated the iMac and MacBook Air with the M3 chip, leaving the Mac mini, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro as the only current-generation Macs still equipped with the M2 family of chips.

	Current Chip	Last Updated	Next Chip	ETA
13″ MacBook Air	M3	March 2024	M4	2025
15″ MacBook Air	M3	March 2024	M4	2025
14″ MacBook Pro	M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max	October 2023	M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max	2025
16″ MacBook Pro	M3 Pro and M3 Max	October 2023	M4 Pro and M4 Max	2025
iMac	M3	October 2023	M4	2025
Mac Studio	M2 Max and M2 Ultra	June 2023	M3 Max and M3 Ultra	2024
Mac Pro	M2 Ultra	June 2023	M3 Ultra	2024
Mac mini	M2 and M2 Pro	January 2023	M3 and M3 Pro	2024

Apple’s chipmaking partner TSMC is expected to begin volume production of chips based on its 2nm process in the second half of 2025, so the M4 chip will likely remain 3nm like the M3 chip. However, the M4 chip will likely be manufactured with an enhanced version of TSMC’s 3nm process for improved performance and power efficiency.

Last month, the Taiwanese publication Economic Daily News reported that the M4 chip will feature an upgraded Neural Engine with “significantly” more cores for artificial intelligence tasks, but no other specific details are known about the chip at this time.

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