What did we learn from Tim Cook’s comments yesterday?
There were no surprises in Apple’s earnings report yesterday, with the company reporting close to the $5B year-on-year fall in revenue it had warned us to expect. Analysts got their usual chance to question CEO Tim Cook and chief financial officer Luca Maestri directly after the announcement. The pair always remain tight-lipped about specific plans, but there are a few things worth noting … more…

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Siri for iOS 18 to gain massive AI upgrade via Apple's Ajax LLM
Several of Apple's standard system components are on the verge of receiving significant AI-related enhancements, with Safari, Spotlight Search, and Siri being first in line for the treatment.Apple AI will make Siri, Safari, Spotlight, and Messages betterOver the past several months, there's been various chatter regarding AI-related features bound for iOS 18, and AppleInsider has since learned some specifics on the functionality of Apple's Ajax large language model (LLM), as well as information on features the company has been testing alongside it.This report focuses only on information that could be verified independently through people familiar with the software. In addition to specific features, they've collectively shared some info on the iPhone maker's internal AI test environments as well. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Apple Q2 2024 earnings brought to life by Six Colors, with video too
Yesterday saw the announcement of the Apple Q2 2024 earnings report, which were pretty much exactly as expected – revenue coming in at $90.75B against Wall Street expectations of $90.1B. As usual, Six Colors has brought the numbers to life with a great set of colorful visualizations, alongside a video talking through them … more…

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The Apple Watch Series 9 GPS is $100 Off
The current Apple Watch gets a heavy discount for those who want a premium watch on the cheap. Today, the Apple Watch Series 9 45mm GPS model is down to just $329 from its original price of $430 on Amazon. With the next-generation Apple Watch looming there’s no better time than now to snap up […] The post appeared first on iLounge.

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Calendar app to have reminders app integration in iOS 18
A report from AppleInsider claims that the Calendar app will have Reminders app integration when iOS 18 launches. With the Calendars and Reminders app integration, iPhone users can organize and schedule reminders from the Calendars app without having to open and navigate through Reminders. Once an entry has been added to Calendars, Reminders will automatically […] The post appeared first on iLounge.

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Apple Music Dolby Atmos arrive on LG TVs
Tech manufacturer company LG has released an update for its Apple Music app for Dolby Atmos support, according to FlatpanelsHD. LG TV owners with the support for Apple Music can now experience more immersive audio, which was only previously available using external hardware. Models starting from the GX OLED TV have been confirmed, and LG […] The post appeared first on iLounge.

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Upcoming Apple Watch Ultra 3 to have sparse hardware upgrades
Apple might be planning to release the third Apple Watch Ultra model this year, according to Ming-Chi Kuo. The latest news surrounding the high-end Apple Watch was that it wouldn’t launch this year, but a new report claims that it will come after all, albeit with ‘almost no’ hardware upgrades in regards to its predecessor, […] The post appeared first on iLounge.

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Apple’s M3 chip is a victim of the times
Macworld The golden age of artificial intelligence has just begun, with AI tools now available that help people get more things done. But Apple’s presence in AI has been muted, to put it kindly. Apple needs to do something to make an impression and tell the world it’s keeping up with the times. Apparently, Apple plans to use its upcoming AI-enhanced M4 chip to make that impression. While initial reports said that the M4 will appear in new Macs coming this fall, a new report by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman says that the M4 could debut in a new iPad Pro at Tuesday’s “Let Loose” event. It appears that the fall season or WWDC24 in June (where Apple is expected to show off AI-enhanced updates to its various operating systems) can’t come soon enough for Apple. Gurman states that the M4 is a “strong possibility” for the new iPad Pro. If it does happen, delivering the chip at this time would be a dramatic change from Apple’s typical chip cycle. The M3 arrived just a bit over six months ago with Apple unveiling not just the base M3 chip, but also the Pro and Max versions at the same time. That was a change in itself, but this would be a much bigger one. If the M4 iPad Pro arrives that means the M3’s cycle in Apple’s Mac lineup is effectively done. While the M3 is overall an excellent chip, its legacy will be a disappointing one. M3: An incremental performance upgrade The M3 chip was the first 3nm Mac chip–a process introduced with the A17 Pro in the iPhone 15 Pro. The 3nm process allows for increased transistor density that can translate into better performance power efficiency. While the M3 clearly offers an improvement over the M2 that was produced with an enhanced 5nm process, we experience what is usually accepted as an incremental performance boost of 15 to 20 percent. While any boost is good, 15 to 20 percent isn’t eye-popping. To be fair, Apple doesn’t highlight the 3nm process as the main reason for improved performance. But while Apple did show how much the M3 is faster than the M2 at its Scary Fast M3 launch event, the company emphasized the M3’s 30 percent CPU boost and 60 percent Neural Engine improvement over the M1. Of course, that’s mostly because, at the time, it was easier to persuade customers to upgrade from a three-year-old M1 chip than a 16-month-old M2, but when deciding which numbers to showcase, it’s a no-brainer. So, the lack of a better-than-average jump didn’t help the M3, marketing-wise. Even in a historical sense, it stands in the shadow of the M1, a chip that had the benefit of being first and exceeding expectations with huge gains over the Intel models it replaced. The M3 provides an incremental boost over its predecessor, the M2. The M3 provides an incremental boost over its predecessor, the M2.Apple The M3 provides an incremental boost over its predecessor, the M2.Apple Apple M3: Cycle cut short When Apple released the M3, it decided to change its release cycle. Instead of shipping the base M-series chip first, followed by Pro, Max, and Ultra versions at a later time (as it did with the M1 and M2), the M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max were released at the same time. That added welcomed consistency to Apple’s Mac lineup. However, until this past Sunday, the M3 cycle was still in progress, with M3 upgrades to the Mac mini, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro supposedly waiting in the wings. But if an M4 iPad Pro is revealed, it appears for all intents and purposes that the M3 is done. In a report two weeks ago, Mark Gurman reported on the M4 Mac release schedule, which starts this fall with the M4 14-inch MacBook Pro and iMac this fall and continues through the end of the year and into 2025 with M4 releases in other Macs. However, the current Mac mini, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro have M2 chips, and it was thought that Apple could still release M3 versions. But if Apple does release an M4 iPad Pro, then it doesn’t make sense to proceed with any new M3 machines–it’ll just add confusion to the lineup. That means that we’ll see the Mac mini, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro skip a chip cycle. That’s not new to Apple; the company skipped the M2 for the iMac, and never released an M1 Mac Pro. But what this could cause is a hiccup in Mac sales, because customers who planned on investing in these three Macs will have to wait a bit longer. If the M4 iPad Pro is “let loose” next week, then it seems likely that Apple will not upgrade the M2-based Mac Studio and Mac Studio this year. If the M4 iPad Pro is “let loose” next week, then it seems likely that Apple will not upgrade the M2-based Mac Studio and Mac Studio this year.Thiago Trevisan If the M4 iPad Pro is “let loose” next week, then it seems likely that Apple will not upgrade the M2-based Mac Studio and Mac Studio this year.Thiago Trevisan Thiago Trevisan M3: Untapped potential Not long ago, we heard reports that the M4 would not be available until next year., so it’s a little difficult to believe that the M4 is ready to ship. Even Daring Fireball’s John Gruber has doubts about an M4 iPad Pro. But Gurman is often (but not always) accurate with his reporting and has repeatedly reported that Apple has a sense of AI urgency. The company is feeling pressure and wants to “let loose” in a big way. If Apple does ship an M4 iPad Pro, it’s the end of the M3. There’s no reason to mourn it–it’s just a chip. But for Apple fans who follow the company’s technological advancements, the abrupt end of the M3 cycle is a reminder of the nature of technology–  progress happens quickly and sometimes suddenly. The M3 won’t be remembered for any remarkable advancements, and some may even see the M3 as a sign of how Apple was caught off-guard by the rapid rise of AI. That may end up being the chip’s legacy. CPUs and Processors, Mac

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Microsoft announces Passkey support for user accounts
It’s taken a little while, but Microsoft has finally announced support for passkeys for its products. On Thursday, the company announced that passkey support is rolling out for all its consumer accounts across Apple platforms, Windows, and Google products. Users of Word, Excel, and other popular products requiring Microsoft sign-in will be able to authenticate […] Source

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Apple confirms that iPadOS app ecosystem changes for the fall for EU developers
When in doubt, play by the rules. Apple on Thursday confirmed that the company will be bringing all of the app ecosystem changes made to iOS in the European Union to iPadOS in the fall. Earlier this week, the European Commission said that iPadOS is also a gatekeeper platform under the Digital Markets Act. Following […] Source

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Apple confirms iPadOS app ecosystem changes for the fall for EU developers
When in doubt, play by the rules. Apple on Thursday confirmed that the company will be bringing all of the app ecosystem changes made to iOS in the European Union to iPadOS in the fall. Earlier this week, the European Commission said that iPadOS is also a gatekeeper platform under the Digital Markets Act. Following […] Source

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How to manage depth control in iPhone photos
Macworld Photos can pop when one area is in sharp focus and the other blurry, providing the impression of depth in a two-dimensional image that matches how our eyes focus on objects, even though we don’t typically perceive this. This technique once required a lens of the sort found on an SLR or DSLR (analog or digital single-lens reflex) or mirrorless camera. You adjust the f-stop, traditionally noted with an ƒ, which changes the depth of field or the range from the camera lens to a further point that can be in focus. Apple’s switch to an array of two or more back-facing camera lenses (starting with the iPhone 7 Plus) and a special Portrait mode built for it made this kind of sophisticated-looking feature available to hundreds of millions of people. More recent phones can also perceive depth on the front-facing camera by using infrared sensors, allowing depth processing. The effect can be clear when you use it deliberately, as you have to choose the Portrait option in the Camera app to preview the effect. With an iPhone 15 (any model), iOS goes one step further: it can automatically recognize people and pets in a scene and capture depth information even if you didn’t know it did. This works on front-facing and rear-facing cameras. Here are three ways you can interact with depth that you might not know about, plus details on figuring out which images an iPhone 15 added depth to. Adjust depth during capture If you have an iPhone XR/XS model or later or an iPhone SE 2nd generation or later, you can change the depth of a photo while you’re capturing a picture. Here’s how. Launch the Camera app. Either choose Portrait from the photo/video options at the bottom of the camera view or, with an iPhone 15, if an ƒ (stylized italic lowercase f) appears over the lower-left corner of the preview, tap it. Tap the upward-pointing arrow at the top of the view to reveal camera controls below the preview area. Tap the Depth ƒ item. Drag the depth slider until you find the amount of the effect you prefer. You can modify this later, as I describe next. Adjust depth after capture Because Apple stores the depth information separately within the photo, you can revise the depth of background focus after taking a picture. Any photo captured with depth using the above iPhone models or an iPad Pro 11-inch (all generations) or iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation and later) can have their depth edited. In the Photos app in iOS/iPadOS: Select a photo and tap the Edit button. With Portrait ƒ selected, the depth slider appears. You can drag it to change the background focus. Tap Done when complete. Adjust a photo with depth (here, captured automatically on an iPhone 15 Pro) in Photos for iOS/PadOS by tapping the Portrait ƒ button and sliding the Depth control. Left: no depth modification; right: set to an artificial maximum f-stop for the shallowest foreground focus. Adjust a photo with depth (here, captured automatically on an iPhone 15 Pro) in Photos for iOS/PadOS by tapping the Portrait ƒ button and sliding the Depth control. Left: no depth modification; right: set to an artificial maximum f-stop for the shallowest foreground focus.Foundry Adjust a photo with depth (here, captured automatically on an iPhone 15 Pro) in Photos for iOS/PadOS by tapping the Portrait ƒ button and sliding the Depth control. Left: no depth modification; right: set to an artificial maximum f-stop for the shallowest foreground focus.Foundry Foundry In Photos for macOS: Select a photo and click the Edit button. Use the Portrait section in the right-hand Adjust sidebar to change both Depth and Light settings. Click Done to save the change. Change focal point If you have photos captured with an iPhone 13 or later, you can change not only the background depth but also the focal point within the photo. (This requires iOS 16 or later. iPads can edit but not capture depth in this way.) Follow these steps, nearly identical to adjusting depth. In iOS/iPadOS: Select a photo and tap the Edit button. Select Portrait ƒ if it’s not selected, and the depth slider appears. Tap anywhere within the photo to shift focus. Tap Done when complete. In Photos for macOS: Select a photo and click the Edit button. With Adjust selected at the top of the screen, you can click anywhere in the photo to shift focus. Click Done to save the change. You can go back to make changes in the focal point later in Photos on any platform. Create artificial depth in “flat” photos Any iPhone 15 model automatically captures depth information when you compose a photo in the Camera app that includes a person, cat, or dog. You don’t have to choose the Portrait option–this is a bonus that lets you apply depth or change of focus later. (Make sure that Settings > Camera > Portraits in Photo Mode is enabled, although Apple turns it on by default.) You can take a photo using the selfie camera or the back-facing camera system, but the conditions have to be largely the same as you would use if you had chosen Portrait as a mode: a figure or figure has to be at least a few feet away and whatever is behind them has to recede a few feet from them. iOS alerts you that an image has met the conditions by displaying an ƒ in the lower-left corner as you compose your shot. You can tap ƒ to preview depth as described above. In checking my Photos library, out of 1,500 iPhone 15 Pro photos, about 10 had automatic Portrait capture applied. I just tested it in what seemed like an ideal setting with my younger child and was unable to get an ƒ icon to appear. However, in nearly all cases using the front-facing camera, the ƒ appears immediately. Finding photos with depth Once captured, you can go to Photos on any of your devices and go to Media Types > Portrait, which displays a mix of automatic depth-captured images and ones that you specifically used Portrait mode with. On a Mac, you can create a smart album in Photos to limit it to at least images made via an iPhone 15 if you want to review a smaller set of photos that will include any automatic depth captures: Choose File > New Smart Album. Set the criteria in two lines: Camera Model, includes, iPhone 15; click +; and Photo, is, portrait. Name the album descriptively, like “Portraits in iPhone 15” and click OK. A smart album in Photos for macOS can let you more easily review depth-containing images taken by an iPhone 15 model. A smart album in Photos for macOS can let you more easily review depth-containing images taken by an iPhone 15 model.Foundry A smart album in Photos for macOS can let you more easily review depth-containing images taken by an iPhone 15 model.Foundry Foundry Ask Mac 911 We’ve compiled a list of the questions we get asked most frequently, along with answers and links to columns: read our super FAQ to see if your question is covered. If not, we’re always looking for new problems to solve! Email yours to mac911@macworld.com, including screen captures as appropriate and whether you want your full name used. Not every question will be answered, we don’t reply to email, and we cannot provide direct troubleshooting advice. iOS, iPhone

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Comfortably listen to music with these $40 open-ear headphones
Macworld Tired of invasive earbuds or over-ear headphones that constantly fall off? Meet the Mezzo Bone Conduction Headphones. These headphones make your listening experience safe and comfortable thanks to their open-ear design. Now, you can score them for only 39.96 (reg. $69) with code MEZZO! Unlike traditional headphones that deliver sound waves directly into your ear canal, these bone conduction headphones rest outside your ears and transmit sound by bypassing the eardrums completely and delivering audio vibrations directly to the bones of the skull. That means you can wear these headphones all day without any pain or discomfort. You’ll also stay aware of your surroundings as you listen, whether you’re running outdoors or biking in the city. Whether you’re a music lover or podcast fan, the Mezzo headphones provide deep, rich bass and a dynamic audio range, ensuring every beat or word comes out in crisp clarity. These open-ear headphones also have IPX5 water resistance, making them great for sweaty gym sessions and durable against rain. Plus, they have an impressive 6 hours of battery life and dual noise-canceling mics so you can hop on calls without background interference. Enjoy a more comfortable and safe listening experience with the Mezzo Bone Conduction Headphones, now just $39.96 when you enter code MEZZO at checkout!   Mezzo Bone Conduction Headphones – Only $39.96 at Macworld StackSocial prices subject to change. Accessories

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How to keep your Apple TV 4K's Siri Remote charged
If you have an Apple TV 4K, it's not obvious how to check the battery level of your Siri Remote. We'll show you how to find it so you know before it dies that it's time to charge.There have been three generations of Apple TV 4K, all looking pretty similar except for the later Siri Remotes. The original model sported a black remote identical to the previous Apple TV HD's remote, with a microphone button on the front to use Siri.The later generations use a redesigned silver remote with a Siri button on the side. All of the previous generations of Apple TV 4K remotes used a Lightning port to recharge the battery inside them.The latest 3rd-gen model's remote replaces the Lightning port with USB-C. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Apple Store app now features ‘Shop with a Specialist over Video’
Apple last year updated its online store with a new feature called “Shop with a Specialist over Video.” As the name suggests, it lets customers connect with an Apple Specialist using one-way video when buying certain products, such as the iPhone. This functionality is now coming to the Apple Store app on iOS as well. more…

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Tim Cook teases AI ambitions & Apple's developmental advantages
During the earnings call, CEO Tim Cook dodged as many questions as he answered about Apple's AI plans, but did share some insights into the company's philosophies about the approach.Apple's Tim Cook teases AI ambitions in latest earnings callWhile Apple has consistently integrated AI into its devices and services, it has yet to unveil a flagship generative AI product or large language model. In statements on Thursday, Cook make it clear that Apple already uses artificial intelligence in products now.He didn't detail where — but that's been made clear over the years. But, for example, FaceID uses neural networks to securely recognize a user's face, even as their appearance changes over time, by processing and learning from various facial angles and features. Similarly, Apple Music employs machine learning algorithms to analyze users' listening habits and preferences to offer personalized playlists and song recommendations. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Apple believes in ‘transformative power and promise of AI’
Get insights into Apple's commitment to artificial intelligence from CEO Tim Cook. Learn about the unique advantages of AI on iPhone, Mac and iPad. (via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)

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Tim Cook: Apple has advantages that will set its generative AI apart from the competition
Following on from the announcement of Apple’s second quarter fiscal 2024 results, Apple CEO Tim Cook joined the company’s chief financial officer Luca Maestri on a call with investors. During this call, Cook again teased Apple’s upcoming generative AI and said that the company has advantages over its competitors. more…

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Apple’s Q2 2024 earnings reveal a drop in iPhone, iPad sales
Services growth looked rosy as Apple's hardware revenue in China slowed.

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Tim Cook says DOJ antitrust lawsuit against Apple is ‘misguided’
Apple on Thursday announced its earnings for the second fiscal quarter of 2024, slightly beating expectations with $90.75 billion in revenue. During an interview, Cook also took a moment to talk about the US Department of Justice’s (DOJ) antitrust lawsuit against Apple, calling it “misguided.” more…

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