Apple

Apple's long-awaited Mac Pro has finally been revealed ahead of its fall launch. Apple initially promised it would arrive in 2018, but it appears that the design team got quite creative and developed several innovative design solutions worth highlighting.

The next upcoming version of Apple's mobile device OS has finally been released at WWDC 2019. It brings the long-awaited Dark Mode, in addition to improvements for many other iOS features and functions. They include a 'new' swipe keyboard, faster app launch times and Sign in with Apple.

Apple has taken off the covers of its both its long-anticipated all-new Mac Pro and companion 32-inch Pro XDR 6K display. At US$4,999 it is far from cheap, but for what it offers it is arguably a good value proposition.

Apple revealed a lot of interesting new technology at WWDC 19, but the one thing that almost everyone is talking about is the insane price it is charging for its fancy new Pro XDR monitor stand. The monitor is already eye-wateringly priced at US$4,999, although with all the technology packed into it that part makes sense. What makes little to no sense is that Apple is charging a whopping US$999 for the almost mandatory companion stand.

Apple has finally let its iPad off the leash by releasing a new forked version of iOS that it is calling iPadOS. The change brings with it extended features and functionality that takes advantage of the iPad's larger canvas, delivering a more Mac-like computing experience. Yet, at the same time, it retains its distinctive iOS heritage.

The new version of macOS, 10.15 Catalina, is getting rid of iTunes in lieu of three dedicated media management apps. Replacing the storied software is Apple Music, Apple TV, and Apple Podcasts. MacOS 10.15 will also use Finder to back up, restore, and update a connected iOS device, but users still won't have unfettered access to their iPhone's or iPad's file system.

MSI has alerted its customers advising them of a fraudulent email that may be sent due to their possession of an account with the company. The message attempts to direct the reader to change their Apple IDs using its link. However, MSI asserts that no users' personal, financial or otherwise sensitive data is at risk as a result.

Announced today, the new 2019 Mac Pro looks like an updated "cheese grater" Mac Pro. Featuring a massive spec bump over the current Mac Pro, the new desktop features 8 PCIe slots and Apple's new Mac Pro Expansion (MPX) Module system. MPX Modules use a proprietary connection that allows for enough PCIe lanes to deliver 500 Watts and support dual Radeon Pro Vega Duo GPUs with a total of 56.8 teraflops of computing power and 128 GB of HBM2 VRAM.

B&H is currently running a sale until tomorrow on one 2nd generation Apple iPad Pro 12.9 SKU. The 4G tablet comes with 4 GB LPDDR4 RAM, a 512 GB of storage and comes in a choice of Gold, Silver or Space Gray. The SKU originally cost US$1,279, but the sale brings it down to US$719, a saving of US$560.

The video-game industry could accrue as much as US$179.1 billion by 2024. This is in line with a new market-research report on the subject. This valuation may be driven by conventional platforms such as mobile devices, PCs and consoles; however, VR and AR are also likely to have an increasingly large influence on the space.

The possible exitstence of a 2nd-generation iPhone XR is relatively well-supported in the Apple rumor sphere. Most lately, a blog claims to have gotten hold of images showing what could be this phone with and without clear cases. As it has more than 1 rear camera in these pictures, it could just be a real 2019 phone.

A Twitter user has shared a video and information about his MacBook Pro, which exploded during normal use. The video shows the laptop emitting copious amounts of smoke, with the battery having caught fire. The device has been brought to Apple, which needs five days to diagnose the problem.

Apple likes to claim that buying an iPhone means buying into an ecosystem where user data is sacrosanct. An examination by the Washington Post demonstrates that the reality is quite a different picture.

Apple looks to be working on an in-display Touch ID solution for a future iPhone, possibly in time for a 2020 or 2021 release. With most of the flagship competition working hard to eliminate notches for a truly all-display design, it looks as though Face ID may be on the way out.

ARM's recent announcement to cut ties with Huawei may leave the Chinese dragon in a lurch. While Huawei manufactures its own custom processors, they are built on ARM's architecture. Should ARM revoke Huawei's ability to use this architecture, Huawei has few options outside of developing its own CPU architecture to continue its electronics business.

A certification for what may be 2019 iPhones has allegedly surfaced on the Eurasian Economic Commission's database. The submission details a total of 11 different model numbers apparently associated with the Apple brand. They may represent different SKUs of the XR, XS and XS Max's successors.

Released for Windows in September 2014 and for macOS in February 2015, The Sims 4 received mixed reviews from both the press and the general public. Now, anyone can enjoy it for free thanks to Origin's generosity. Sadly, only the Windows and macOS variants of the game are part of this deal which will last until May 28.

A recent survey run by Blind shed some light on what various tech employees think of Apple and the App Store. Apple's own employees largely believe the company doesn't hold a monopoly on iOS app distribution, but other companies (namely Qualcomm and Spotify) believe that Apple's App Store constitutes a monopoly. The survey comes as a response to a recent Supreme Court ruling upholding the validity of a lawsuit filed against Apple for monopolistic practices.

Although apparently not available in this moment, Firefox 67 is scheduled to arrive today all over the world. The new release of Mozilla's browser comes with private browsing mode extension controls, WebRender enabled for 5 percent of compatible systems, as well as various performance improvements and fixes.

Samsung Semiconductor held its Foundry Forum this week and announced a breakthrough in its fabrication process for making the Exynos chips that power its Galaxy smartphones. The new technique will give the company at least a 12-month lead on the competition in moving to the 3nm process that will result in a 50 percent boost in battery life just in time for the Galaxy S12.

Nura the company behind the critically acclaimed NuraPhone learning headphones has launched its first Bluetooth earphones. The like NuraPhone, the NuraLoop learns and adapts to the way a listener’s ears respond to audio tones to create a customized listening experience.

According to a new report, the virtual reality (VR) gaming market will grow from its most recent US$10.3 billion valuation to one of $40.2 billion in 2024. This is likely to be driven by advancements in VR equipment design and function. However, the cost of the same is also thought to be what is holding this market back at present.

A flaw in Intel's modern CPU architectures can be used in a new attack. Dubbed "ZombieLoad," the vulnerability is similar to the Spectre and Meltdown bugs that haunted the PC market last year. ZombieLoad uses a similar flaw in Intel CPUs' speculative execution processes to access and leak data, including passwords, keys, and sensitive data.

In changes to be announced at the Worldwide Developers Conference in June, Apple looks set to increase the number of its own Apps available on the App Store, directly challenging Google and Amazon. Changes look likely to increase existing tensions between the Cupertino company and third-party developers.

Bloomberg reports that the processor for this year's generation of iPhones has now entered production. This SoC, likely to be known as the A13 chipset, has apparently already entered production by TSMC at a testing stage. However, it is set to be mass-produced some time this month (May 2019).

The popular audio company Skullcandy has unveiled Indy, a pair of truly wireless earbuds aimed at those wishing to get into this product category at a decent price. They offer IP55 ingress protection, Bluetooth 5.0 and a combined battery life of 16 hours for US$79.99.

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission has ordered the recall of a wireless charging pad sold by the company Imagine Nation Books due to a burn hazard. This order affects about 64,000 of these products circulating in the country. Those who have bought them are advised to return them for a refund without delay.

Apple has apparently delisted the LG UltraFine 5K Display from its online retail store. This could possibly mark the end of the product and might be a harbinger of Apple selling its own professional-grade monitor. Rumors are flying that Apple will soon release a 31.6-inch 6K display for use with the Mac Pro desktop.

Anker has released details on its new PowerIQ chips to control its upcoming charging accessories. The OEM asserts that they are compatible with QuickCharge 3.0 and PowerDelivery (PD) platforms that charge at up to 100 watts (W). However, the first PowerIQ 3.0 product will be a 60W 2-port charger that can be used with a MacBook.

The display notch has become one of the biggest polarizing factors in the smartphone industry. It has also resulted in a number of design tweaks to avoid it while maximizing screen real-estate. Huawei has patented an innovative form-factor that avoids the notch without resorting to one of these.

Concept renders and a brief video of the supposed successor of the iPhone XR have been published online. The device is expected to be the “cheap” member of the next series of iPhones and will wield lower specifications than the other 2019 smartphones. One obvious example of the cost-cutting is the rear-facing dual camera setup.

Vivaldi 2.5 is now live and this update turns Opera 12's spiritual successor into the first browser to feature full integration with Razer Chroma — the world's largest lighting ecosystem for gaming devices. Other noticeable changes are the ability to resize Speed Dial thumbnails and improved Tab Selection options.

The Financial Times claims that its sources have told it that the EU will indeed probe Apple's potential anti-competition business practices. The decision follows 'surveys' of interested parties such as Spotify, who claim that the Cupertino company rigs music consumption on the iOS platform in its own favor.

Spotify has reportedly rolled out a new kind of ad to grab user attention in the United States. The messages involved apparently encourage the user to give a voice command in order to navigate to relevant sponsored content. These ads are scarce at present, but could conceivably become more common should Spotify find them successful.

It has been reported that an AirPod has managed to survive passing through the entire digestive system of an adult male human being. Fortunately, this is not some new horrifying development test by Apple nor is it an extreme benchmark created by a voracious tech blogger. It’s simply the result of a case of accidental swallowing while sleeping.

Up-to-date rumors point to successors for the Huawei Mate 20 line this year. The latest leak on one variant of this series states that it will have the perfectly square rear camera pioneered last year in this series. It will also have a bigger screen, as well as a time-of-flight (TOF) module.

Counterpoint Research's latest data on the smartwatch market indicates that 48% more of these products were shipped in 2019's first quarter (1Q2019) compared to that of 2018. Apple still has a considerable majority in these terms. This may have something to do with the ECG functionality of its fourth-gen Watch.

Vade Secure is an email-security company that produces a series of reports called "Phisher's Favorites". The 2019 first-quarter (1Q2019) issue shows that the targeting of social media by this kind of hacker has increased by 74.7% compared to 1Q2018. Facebook and Instagram are prominent example of the sites in question.

As part of its quarterly earnings report, Qualcomm has revealed that will book US$4.5 to $4.7 billion dollars as a result of its legal settlement with Apple. The sizeable figure, previously unrevealed, leaves in no doubt that Qualcomm emerged from its legal wrangle with Apple the undisputed winner.

With the 1.5 update, World of Tanks brings a few new Swedish medium tanks that feature hydropneumatic suspension, the ability to choose which map to avoid in standard battles, changes — mainly nerfs — to Japanese heavy tanks, the infamous FV 4005, and the artillery branch. A special deal for Twitch Prime members is also available.

While the overall smartphone market may be down, Huawei is bucking the industry trend by confirming its position as the number 2 smartphone maker in the world ahead of Apple. While both Apple and Samsung lost ground, Huawei enjoyed incredible year-over-year growth with a 50.3 percent increase in smartphone sales.

Apple has reported its Q2 results for 2019 which showed that its iPhone sales have continued the downward trend first recorded in Q1. However, Apple stock was up seemingly in response to its services business which crested US$11 billion for the first time along with news of a further US$75 billion in share buybacks.

HiSilicon will include 5G modems in all Kirin 985 SoCs, company representatives in Taiwan have confirmed. Manufacturing will begin in Q3 ready for Huawei's probable announcement of the Mate 30 series in October.

Foxconn's reported directions as regards display technology production have sparked speculation that the iPhones of the future may have microLED displays. This next-gen form of screen is starting to manifest in TVs at this point. However, Foxconn may think it is also the future of smartphone panels.

According to reports from China, Apple will start mass-producing its next iPad Pros between the end of this year and the start of 2020. The upcoming tablets will be manufactured in Taiwan before a spring or summer 2020 release.

iPhone leaks are like buses. You wait for one and two turn up at once. The iPhone XI Max is the supersized version of its little brother; both have the same gargantuan notch and square rear-facing camera bump. Undoubtedly, both will be ludicrously expensive too.

A reliable Apple analyst has reported that the Cupertino-based company plans to bring 5G iPad Pros to market in 2021. The prediction comes just a week after Apple and Qualcomm made headlines for signing a deal to supply 5G modems for the 2020 generation of iPhones.

Triple rear-facing cameras? Check. Huge camera bump? Check. Gargantuan notch? Check. No USB Type-C? Check. This is the iPhone XI.
Updated: YouTube video fixed & additional photos added