Category: Apple
Project Titan Sheds 200 Employees⇢
CNBC is reporting that some 200 people working on Apple’s autonomous vehicle program have moved to different parts of the company:
An Apple spokesperson acknowledged the layoffs and said the company still sees opportunity in the space:
“We have an incredibly talented team working on autonomous systems and associated technologies at Apple. As the team focuses their work on several key areas for 2019, some groups are being moved to projects in other parts of the company, where they will support machine learning and other initiatives, across all of Apple,” the spokesperson said.
Apple Releases Updates for iOS, watchOS and audioOS (Updated)⇢
It’s bugfixes all around. Fingers crossed it really does bring an end to my HomePods forgetting to wake up when someone says “Hey, Siri.”
Mojave 10.14.3 is up too, now:
This update improves the security, stability, and compatibility of your Mac and includes the following enterprise content: When making a file-sharing connection that uses a valid Kerberos TGT to authenticate, users are no longer prompted to enter credentials.
Apple Launches Battery Cases for iPhone XS, XS Max and XR
They run $129 and come in black or white:
The iPhone XS model is not compatible with the iPhone X, but all three will work with wireless chargers. Here’s what kind of battery life we can expect from the cases:
- iPhone XS: 33 hours talk time, 21 hours Internet use, and 25 hours video playback
- iPhone XR: 39 hours talk time, 22 hours Internet use, and 27 hours video playback
- iPhone XS Max: 37 hours talk time, 20 hours Internet use, and 25 hours video playback
What’s Old Will Be New Again
Rumors have it that the iPad mini and iPod touch will both be refreshed in 2019.
iOS Access for All, iOS 12 Edition⇢
Shelly Brisbin has updated her excellent iOS Access for All for 2019:
This is the sixth edition of my book, and it’s fully updated for iOS 12.1. The book has grown along with Apple’s mobile software – its 168,000 words, with a page count that varies by platform, but that’s between 700 and 800 pages on many platforms. But more important than word or page count, iOS Access for All remains most comprehensive iOS accessibility resource anywhere!
iTunes Content, AirPlay 2 Coming to Samsung TVs⇢
CES is here and it started with quite the news, via Samsung PR:
With the new iTunes Movies and TV Shows app on Samsung Smart TVs, Samsung customers can access their existing iTunes library and browse the iTunes Store to buy or rent from a selection of hundreds of thousands of movies and TV episodes — including the largest selection of 4K HDR movies. iTunes Movies and TV Shows will work seamlessly with Samsung’s Smart TV Services, such as Universal Guide, the New Bixby and Search, to create a consistent experience across Samsung’s platform.
A Year With a Flip Phone⇢
For eight months this year, I used a flip phone. For most of those eight months, I hated myself and everyone else.
I tried — and failed — at this years ago, for all the reasons Kehe writes about in his article.
Apple Revises Q1 Guidance⇢
Tim Cook has published a letter to Apple investors1 announcing that the company has revised its guidance for Q1 2019. I generally find this side of Apple’s business far less interesting than its products, but this is worth reading.
In short, the company has announced its revenue will be less than it predicted, due to a bunch of factors, including on-going struggles in China, “foreign exchange headwinds” and multiple constrained products, including the Apple Watch Series 4, iPad Pro, AirPods and the MacBook Air.
An Interview with Ron Johnson⇢
Alex Blumberg interviewed Ron Johnson on Gimlet’s podcast, Without Fail. It’s a super interesting conversation about Johnson’s role in creating Apple’s retail arm, his time at J.C. Penny (and how that didn’t go to planned) as well his new company. It is a fantastic interview and I enjoyed every moment of it.
Bad Lip Reading: Apple Product Launch⇢
A Look at Apple’s Old California Factory⇢
John Markoff, writing at The New York Times:
In 1983, Mr. Jobs oversaw the construction of a state-of-the-art plant where the new Macintosh computer would be built. Reporters who toured it early on were told that the plant, located just across San Francisco Bay from Apple’s headquarters, was so advanced that factory labor would account for 2 percent of the cost of making a Macintosh.
“Steve had deep convictions about Japanese manufacturing processes,” recalled Randy Battat, who joined Apple as a young electrical engineer and oversaw the introduction of some of the company’s early portable computers. “The Japanese were heralded as wizards of manufacturing. The idea was to create a factory with just-in-time delivery of zero-defect parts. It wasn’t great for business.”