Apple

Taiwanese publication Digitimes is reporting that Apple is developing a new keyboard for its iPad Pro line that will use a traditional scissor switch mechanism like the new 16-inch MacBook Pro. For the first time, Apple’s first-party keyboard accessory will also reportedly feature backlighting for the first time.

The release of the iPhone SE 2, or iPhone 9 as it may end up being called, looms. Industry sources are now claiming that Apple's next budget smartphone will enter mass production next month, according to Bloomberg, before a March unveiling.

The version labeled 5.0 of the popular open-source software compatibility layer known as Wine has just surfaced as both source code and binary for multiple operating systems, including Android, macOS, and various Linux distros. The list of major changes includes Vulkan 1.1 and multi-monitor support, built-in modules in PE format, and more.

Macotakara is back again with new rumours about upcoming iPhones, but not about the SE 2 this time. Instead, the website claims to have received information from sources about Apple's next flagships, and goes into a far amount of detail about them too.

Apple has found itself in another privacy related controversy, this time over a decision apparently made two years ago, but only coming to light now. According to Reuters, Apple abandoned plans to fully encrypt iPhone (and iPad) back ups in iCloud following pressure from the FBI. The move raises serious privacy concerns for a company that touts itself as a user privacy leader.

A study published in The Lancet has concluded that Fitbit use was associated with significant improvements in a technique used to detect influenza and similar conditions. This is due to the heart rate- and activity-monitoring features in these wearables. Therefore, fitness trackers may play a greater role in public health in the future.

The move to 5 nm for the A14 Bionic could offer the next iPhones a huge step up in performance compared to their predecessors and their Android competitors. However, there is little comparability between it and a 15-inch MacBook Pro, as we shall discuss below.

Rumours are currently floating about that Apple plans to upgrade several areas of this year's iPhones. Apparently, the iPhone 12 series will feature revamped a TrueDepth system for improved Face ID, a ToF camera and 6 GB of RAM. All necessary upgrades? How about no Lightning connector come 2021?

Apple has started selling the Mac Pro in a server-friendly rack-mountable form factor. While the internals of the new model are the same as the tower Mac Pro, the rack-mount design runs an extra US $500.

The Disney+ mobile app has been downloaded more than 31 million times since its release in mid-November, giving a hint as to the early success of Disney's streaming service. The controversial video-sharing app TikTok came in second amid continuing discussion over the app's potential security and privacy risks.

Market research estimates by Gartner and IDC indicate that Apple's share of the PC market continues to decline. With a 7.5 percent share as of Q4 2019, Apple remains the world's 4th largest PC seller. However, it is outsold significantly by market leaders Lenovo, HP, and Dell.

Apple has reportedly certified 2 new PCs with the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC). They both run Catalina (the latest version of macOS). One may be the next 13-inch MacBook Pro, whereas the other could be the Mac Pro rackable SKU. Some previously-released Apple TV devices also appear to have been approved alongside them.

Analyst Ming Chi-Kuo recently predicted that Apple will bring mmWave and standard 5G iPhone 12 models to the market at the same time, allaying fears of a drawn-out iPhone 12 release timeframe.

The CEO of payment platform Stripe claims that Apple's former Senior Vice President Tony Fadell told him that the original iPod was developed in under 10 months.

A study of device repair in Germany for the year 2019 found that 30.7% of those conducted by users were carried out on Apple phones. Samsung was second in these terms at 29.7%, followed by Huawei at 21.6%. Owners were most likely to replace their phones' batteries by themselves, and to resort to a professional for screen repairs, last year.

LG has announced that its latest truly wireless (or TWS) earbuds are now available to buy in the United States. These Tone Free devices are tuned by Meridian Audio and have a unique UVnano charging case. It also adds up to 21 hours' worth of playback to the LG earbuds.

iPhone sales in China leapt to 3.18 million units in December, a year-over-year increase of 18.7%. While many analysts are excited about what this could mean for Apple's sales in China, it should be noted that October and November were terrible months for Chinese iPhone sales.

Samsung subsidiary Harman Kardon has taken the wraps off what it hopes will be able to take on Apple’s AirPods and headphones like the Apple-owned Beats Solo Pro among others. Each of the three new models, in total, also feature Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa support.

A new study of those who use voice-activated searches have found that 64% of this group set the assistant in question off by mistake during December 2019. An accidental press of a hardware button was found to be the culprit in 49% of these cases. In others, an AI "mishearing" a user's speech resulted in these mishaps.

Amazon is selling Apple's AirPods Pro at their lowest-ever price of $234.98. While $15 isn't much of a discount, wait times for the out-of-stock AirPods Pro are expected to be much lower than when buying direct from Apple.

Have you been waiting for Apple to release another compact iPhone? Well, the dreams and rumours of an iPhone SE 2 have taken a step closer to reality with the publication of OnLeaks renders, an occasion that is typically a sign of a device's impending arrival. While we have moved into a new decade, the iPhone SE 2 remains rooted in the design of 2015 and 2016.

Apple announced a new Shot on iPhone campaign for iPhone 11 series users. Under the Night Mode Challenge, iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max users will submit low-light night mode photos taken on Apple's latest phones.

OnePlus has seemingly teased the OnePlus 8 Lite, its rumoured next budget handset. Spotted during a talk show hosted in China, the design of a dummy version of the device matches the renders that OnLeaks and 91Mobiles published last year. The OnePlus 8 Lite is rumoured to feature a 6.4-inch AMOLED display and a Snapdragon 765G SoC among other hardware.

The FBI has asked Apple for help unlocking a pair of iPhones that belong to a mass shooter. Even though the agency has both devices in its possession, it is unable to get past the lock screen. Apple says that it will help the FBI in every way it can.

Zendure has put its latest product, the MIX GO, up for crowdfunding on Indiegogo. It is a 5000mAh power bank that can also plug into the wall to power devices compatible with 45 watt (W) charging. Not a brand new concept, admittedly, but this version is also equipped with state-of-the-art gallium nitride (GaN) technology.

It has been a while since Apple released a new iPad Pro series, with the Cupertino-based company unveiling its third-generation models in October 2018. It seems that Apple is sticking with its 15-month refresh cycle though, and @OnLeaks is on hand with some detailed renders of this year's editions.

Apple has launched a new free engraving service for its AirPods and AirPods Pro wireless earphones. Customers can choose from a limited range of emojis or use the alphabet to create their own name, for example.

The 8BitDo Zero 2 is a tiny Bluetooth gamepad that's small enough to fit in a pocket or keychain to a bag. The controller is compatible with Windows, macOS, Android, the Raspberry Pi, and the Nintendo Switch and Switch Lite. Despite its diminutive size, 8BitDo claims the controller will last for 8 hours on a charge, which should take about 1-2 hours.

Brydge has announced a new line up of its popular tablet keyboards coming in 2020. New keyboards are in bound for the Surface Go and the Surface Pro X along with new wireless keyboards for Windows, a new iPad OS Trackpad and other accessories.

Chinese smartphone makers have had huge success globally, but one market they are yet to crack is the US. According to a new survey by Wave7Research, the US market is dominated by just two brands with Apple and Samsung swallowing up a whopping 90 percent of smartphone sales stateside.

Klipsch has taken the wraps off its first pair of wireless over-ear noise-cancelling headphones. The segment is a popular one that is currently dominated by Sony with its WH-1000XM3 and Bose with its Quiet Comfort 35 II model.

Apple has entered into a new licensing agreement with Imagination Technologies to use a wider range of the company’s extensive mobile GPU and AI patent portfolios. The two companies had previously been close partners before Apple ended the GPU supply partnership to start developing mobile GPUs for its iPhones and iPads in house in 2017.

Smoke for Steam is a new app for the Apple Watch that lets users access some of the features of Steam on their wrists. Smoke allows users to look at their library, view achievements, check the status of their friends, and read news articles pertaining to titles they own. Otherwise, the app is limited; it doesn't even allow users to manage their game libraries or purchase new titles.

According to rumors out of Taiwan, Apple is eyeing the gaming PC market and plans to release a gaming-focused computer next year. The rumor claims the device will cost up to US $5000 but doesn't offer much information. The rumor doesn't even say whether the gaming computer will be a desktop or laptop.

B&H is discounting MacBook Pros by as much as US$1850 as part of their Mega Deal Zone promotion. The entry level 13-in MacBook Pro (2018) is available for just $1299, while the top-tier Core i9 15-in model is selling for $2699. The sale ends on 31st December at 11:59 EST.

A lawsuit was recently filed against Apple, claiming that the company engaged in willful patent violation. The issue at hand is that the Apple Watch Series 3 allegedly violates a patent filed by Dr. Joseph Wiesel with regards to atrial fibrillation detection technology.

Taiyo Yuden, one of Apple’s capacitor suppliers, indicated that capacitor demand may increase next year due to the introduction of 5G iPhones. The capacitor maker has seen profits rise this year on the back of increased capacitor sales to Samsung and Huawei, both of which introduced 5G phones. A 2020 5G iPhone may take Taiyo Yuden’s shares to even greater heights.

Jony Ive, Apple’s former design head, made a $129,000 contribution to the Daily Mail’s “Be a Tree Angel Campaign.” The campaign, running over the course of National Tree Week, seeks to spread awareness and enhance the UK’s green cover.

Ookla, the organization behind speedtest.net, has launched a free VPN. Speedtest VPN is a free virtual private network service, currently only for users of the Speedtest Android and iOS apps. The VPN is currently in beta and caps users' bandwidth, but a paid tier is coming once the VPN exits beta.

Following a damning New York Times report, popular chat app ToTok was pulled from the Google Play Store. The report indicated that the app was UAE government spyware masquerading as a chat app to monitor the personal information of millions of users.

Apple suppliers Goertek and Luxshare are reportedly seeking financing to invest in Vietnamese AirPods Pro manufacturing. In the context of the ongoing US-China trade war and rising wages in China, this marks another instance of production shifting from China to neighbouring lower-wage countries.

Japanese publication Macotakara got their hands on what is allegedly an iPhone 12 case mockup. The design appears to conform closely to predictions that analyst Ming Chi-Kuo made earlier, including an iPhone 4-like edge design.

Sony's image sensor business is in high demand. Even running its factories 24/7 cannot keep up with demand. Sony's semiconductor business expects to generate over US $9 billion in revenue this year, about $8.15 billion of which comes from smartphone camera sensors.

The iPhone XR topped global sales charts in the third quarter of 2016, marking its fourth consecutive quarter at the top, according to Counterpoint Research. Other entrants in the top 10 global sales charts for 2019Q3 include Samsung's mid-range handsets (the Galaxy A series), a trio of Oppo phones, Xiaomi, and Huawei.

iFixit recently took on the new Mac Pro and rated it 9 out of 10 for repairability. A “Fixmas miracle,” the 2019 model is far easier to repair than older “trashcan” Macs. Together with the new public repair manuals, servicing is more user-friendly than ever.

Apple recently revamped its Apple Security Bounty program. The new Bounty program is open to all researchers and substantially ups the reward ceiling. Is this enough to help Apple find critical iOS and macOS vulnerabilities in time?

OWC has unveiled its 64 or 128GB RAM stick kits for the new Mac Pro. They come in 768GB to 1.5TB SKUs, meaning a user can match Apple's factory maximum with this third-party memory. However, this option may also enable some savings.

Third quarter financial results show that Apple continues to reign supreme in the smartphone space. Reports indicate that Apple secured over half of the industry's profits and one-third of its revenue.