Technology - Google News

Here’s why Apple says it hates leaks - The Verge
Everything new coming from Apple in August 2021 - Macworld
PS5 Firmware Update Will Improve Create Mode Functionality - Push Square

Here’s why Apple says it hates leaks - The Verge

Posted: 30 Jul 2021 04:05 AM PDT

Apple is a notoriously secretive company, and a cease and desist letter recently acquired by Motherboard sheds new light on exactly why, arguing that leaks harm accessory makers, consumers, and Apple itself.

The C&D order reportedly sent to a Chinese citizen by Apple's lawyers in China, says that leaks about Apple's iPhone dimensions could mislead case manufacturers, who might make accessories that are incompatible with the final product. As Apple puts it, "third-party accessory manufacturers may develop and sell mobile phone cases and other accessories that are not actually compatible with the unreleased products." Motherboard notes that the market for Apple accessories is estimated to be worth almost $20 billion worldwide.

Apple also says that leaked info prevents the company from being able to surprise and delight consumers at launch events. "Apple has made every effort to take strict measures to maintain confidentiality for any information about Apple's products before their official release to ensure that every time Apple releases a new product, it can surprise the public," the letter reads. "The secret of Apple's latest technological innovation is an important part of the company DNA."

"Such situations harm the interests of consumers and Apple. Therefore, it is obvious that when the unpublished information about the design and performance of Apple's products is kept confidential, it has actual and potential commercial value," Apple's letter reads.

The letter was sent as part of what appears to be a crackdown on the sale of prototypes of unannounced Apple products on social media. These devices are allegedly stolen by factory employees and sold to anyone that could benefit, often resulting in information about the products being made public far in advance of their official announcements.

Motherboard reports that the cease and desist letter it obtained was dated June 18th. It's unclear how many individuals were sent similar letters, but it notes that the month coincides with the Twitter account of a seller, who went by the name "Mr. White," disappearing from the platform. Also in June, a leaker known as "Kang" revealed on Weibo that they'd received a notice from the company, and indicated that they'd stop posting about upcoming devices.

Beyond what Apple outlines in its letter, there are a host of reasons why companies are widely understood to not want their unannounced plans to be made public. The release of confidential product information might allow competitors to start to develop copycat devices ahead of time. And hearing that an upgraded device is on the way could make people less likely to buy an existing model, per the so-called "Osborne effect."

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Everything new coming from Apple in August 2021 - Macworld

Posted: 29 Jul 2021 04:30 AM PDT

We're in the doldrums between the big announcements and software betas of WWDC and the yearly September iPhone and Apple Watch announcements. August is not often a big month for Apple releases, and this year is no exception.

That doesn't mean there will be no releases! With so many services and big software releases in beta, Apple still has some stuff going on in August. Here are all the things we expect Apple to release over the course of the month.

Rumored new products

We don't expect any new hardware releases at all in August. But then, we didn't expect anything in July either, and Apple surprise-launched the MagSafe Battery Pack in the middle of the month. So you can never be too sure.

In recent months, Apple has released its new 24-inch iMac, iPad Pro, an updated Apple TV 4K, and AirTag. Everyone expected Apple to announce new higher-end MacBook Pros and a Mac mini with updated Apple Silicon (perhaps the M1X chip) at WWDC in June. That didn't happen, and now we don't know what is coming up next or when it's coming.

Apple still has a lot of stuff coming this year—new iPhones and Apple Watches, of course, but also new Macs, and maybe new AirPods, iPad mini, and more. We have a rundown of everything still to come in 2021, but based on the latest rumors, we shouldn't expect anything until September. So while it's possible that AirPods or a new iPad could pop up randomly on Apple.com in August, it should be a quiet month until the major launches kick off in September.

Apps and software updates

Apple released iOS 14.7 on July 19, and a small 14.7.1 bugfix and security update a week later. There have been no iOS 14.8 beta releases, nor macOS 11.6 or any other point-release. Unless something unusual pops up, it's likely that the iOS 14 branch will effectively end (barring important security releases) and the next big software release will be iOS and iPadOS 15, macOS Monterey, tvOS 15, and watchOS 8 this fall. Those are likely to be released in September.

Through the month of August we can probably expect one or two major beta updates along the way. Apple is busy fixing bugs, tuning performance, and polishing the user experience. If you use any of these betas, be sure to use the Feedback app to report bugs and usability feedback!

iOS 15 and iPadOS 15

We expect one or two updates to the Public Beta of iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 in August as development wraps up ahead of the fall launch, so you'll be able to try out Apple's fall operating systems before release. We don't recommend running it on a mission-critical device.

macOS 12 Monterey

Apple's latest version of macOS entered Public Beta on July 1, just a day after iOS and iPadOS. It's got a bunch of new features and should follow the same update cadence as the other OSes.

tvOS 15

There's not nearly as much new stuff in tvOS 15 as in iOS or macOS, but it's still got some useful new stuff like using FaceID or TouchID to sign in to apps, Spatial Audio support with AirPods, and all the new SharePlay stuff.

watchOS 8

If you're running the Public Beta of iOS 15, why not run the watchOS 8 beta as well? It's got a handful of new features and redesigned apps, and the more testing it gets (and the more you report problems in the Feedback app), the more stable and reliable it will be when it launches this fall.

Services

Celebrating the National Park Service

For the last few years, Apple has celebrated the anniversary of the U.S. National Park Service in August with a host of features across its services. There hasn't been an announcement yet this year (it will likely come around the last week of August), but if past years are anything to go by, this is what you can expect: National Park Foundation charity donations, free content on the TV app celebrating National Parks, a playlist on Apple Music, an App Store collection, and an activity challenge for Apple Watch.

Apple TV+

There are lots of Apple TV+ shows coming this fall, with September being the biggest month for new releases. But there's stuff to look forward to in August, too! Check our list of upcoming AppleTV+ shows, series, and movies for everything on the horizon.

Physical: The dark comedy starring Rose Byrne concludes its first season on August 6.

Ted Lasso: The second season continues with episodes 3 through 6.

Mr. Corman: A dark comedy about a school teacher whose dreams remain unfulfilled. Joseph Gordon-Levitt writes, stars in, and produces. Premieres August 6.

CODA: A coming-of-age story about a high school senior who is the only hearing person in her deaf family and is torn between holding together that unit or seeking her own dreams. Premieres August 13.

See: The second season of Apple's big-budget action-adventure series starring Jason Momoa adds a new cast member: Dave Bautista. Premieres August 27.

Apple Arcade

Apple releases new games to Apple Arcade on Fridays, but not every Friday is marked by a new game or significant update. Check our Apple Arcade FAQ for a full list of Apple Arcade games and more details on the service. Many games are released with no forewarning, but you'll often see a couple of projects listed in the Coming Soon section.

It looks like Apple Arcade releases are finally starting to pick up the pace a little, thanks in part to Apple's new policy change whereby existing App Store games can find their way to Arcade with a "+" on the end (and maybe a few tweaks) Here's what we see on the Coming Soon list:

Super Stickman Golf 3+: First released in 2016, this revival features all the paid content from the original game.

Monster Hunter Stories+: Not to be confused the new Switch game Monster Hunter Stories 2, this game was first released to the App Store in 2018 as a mobile version of the Nintendo 3DS game.

Super Leap Day: An original Arcade title, this is one of those one-button autoscrolling running games. The hook here is a new challenge level every day.

wurdweb: An original Arcade title, this word-puzzler will feel familiar to Scrabble fans.

Tetris Beat: A cross between Tetris and a rhythm game, with 18 licensed tracks and new tracks added monthly.

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I have written professionally about technology for my entire adult professional life - over 20 years. I like to figure out how complicated technology works and explain it in a way anyone can understand.

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PS5 Firmware Update Will Improve Create Mode Functionality - Push Square

Posted: 30 Jul 2021 05:30 AM PDT

DualSense Create Button PS5 PlayStation 5

This PlayStation 5 firmware update that's currently in beta testing sure has a lot of enhancements to look forward to. As well as allowing us to upgrade SSD storage, making improvements to the operating system, and displaying Trophy lists the way God intended, PS5's Create functionality is set to receive some nice quality of life updates too.

The firmware's extensive patch notes have been typed out in full, and they list some relatively small but notable improvements to Create mode. Firstly, when you take screenshots, you'll be able to disable the on-screen confirmation notification that appears in the top right. This will stop it from appearing in later captures if you're taking multiple at once.

When you're recording a video, an on-screen timer remains at the bottom of the screen. With this update, the timer will disappear after three seconds and will reappear when needed, which is nice. If you want to save recent gameplay, Sony is adding more video length options. Next up, when you're editing screenshots before sharing them, the number of fonts for adding text has been expanded.

Finally, the update will include more options for enabling or disabling certain audio from video clips or when broadcasting. You'll be able to toggle your personal mic audio and party audio on or off, depending on what you want.

Again, nothing monumental here, but certainly some nice improvements for when you're creating and sharing screens and videos. Will you be making use of these new improvements? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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