Apple today filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in support of DACA, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals immigration policy. Apple has filed many briefs before the Court, but this is the first time that Apple’s CEO Tim Cook and Vice President of Retail and People Deirdre O’Brien are named too.

DACA provides around 800,000 individuals who entered the U.S. at age 16 or younger with a renewable two-year period of deferred action from deportation, and eligibility for a work permit in the country. Many of these individuals, known as Dreamers, have lived in the U.S. for the majority of their lives.

In its brief, Apple notes that it employs 443 Dreamers who come from more than 25 different countries spanning four continents. Dreamers at Apple run the gamut of roles within the company, including hardware engineering, software engineering, retail, customer support, and operations across 36 states.

Apple says it would “quite literally not exist without a brilliant and driven population of immigrants,” including Dreamers, adding that Apple co-founder Steve Jobs’s father immigrated from Syria himself. Apple also mentions several studies that link a diverse workforce to a company’s growth and success.

The introduction of Apple’s brief:

Since 1976, Apple has made its name by designing, developing, selling, and maintaining cutting-edge consumer electronics including mobile communications devices, personal computers, and related software and services. Apple’s success stems from its people. They shape and embody Apple’s culture of innovation. Apple employs a diverse workforce of over 90,000 employees in the United States alone.

Among those people are hundreds of DACA recipients who had no say in the decision to travel to this country and have known no other home. Apple employs DACA recipients who embody Apple’s commitment to innovation in a wide variety of positions. As we explain below, they, and immigrants like them, are vital to Apple’s success. They spark creativity and help drive innovation. They are among our most driven and selfless colleagues.

And the conclusion:

This is an issue where one’s head and heart lead to the same conclusion. We collectively owe it to the Dreamers to hold up our end of the bargain. It is not just a legal requirement. It is the moral thing to do. Who are we as a country if we renege? What does it say about us as a people to turn our backs on the Dreamers now?

The U.S. Supreme Court will consider the legality of DACA during its 2019 term, which begins Monday, October 7.

Apple’s full amicus brief is embedded below. Continue reading “Apple’s Tim Cook and Deirdre O’Brien Urge Supreme Court to Protect Dreamers by Upholding DACA” →

Along with Deep Fusion for the new iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro models, the iOS 13.2 developer beta that Apple released today also includes a few other major changes and updates that are worth noting.

Below, we’ve rounded up all of the changes that we’ve found in iOS 13.2 so far.

– Announce Messages With Siri – The feature that’s designed to allow Siri to announce incoming messages has been reenabled in iOS 13.2, and can be turned on by going to Settings > Siri > Search and toggling on Announce Messages.

– Research Privacy Settings – iOS 13.2 has a new Research option in the Privacy section of the Settings app, which is for Apple’s upcoming Research app. The Research app is not yet available, but the presence of the setting in iOS 13.2 suggests it may come when iOS 13.2 is released.

– AirPlay & Handoff – The Handoff section of the Settings app (under General) is now AirPlay & Handoff with a new “Transfer to HomePod” option and an option to turn off automatic AirPlay to TVs.

– Volume in Control Center – When you have AirPods, Beats Pro, BeatsX, or other Beats headphones connected to your iPhone or iPad, the volume control bar in Control Center will display an appropriate icon.

– HomeKit Grouping – In the HomeKit app, there’s a new option to group or ungroup accessories that have multiple functions, showing them either as a single tile or as multiple tiles. Multiple tiles was the pre-iOS 13 default, while Single Tile is the iOS 13 default.

– New AirPods – As we reported earlier today, the iOS 13.2 beta contains images that unveil an upcoming AirPods design for the third-generation AirPods, which are rumored to have active noise canceling functionality.

Know of a feature that’s new in iOS 13.2 that we left out? Make sure to let us know in the comments and we’ll update this article.

This article, “What’s New in iOS 13.2 Beta 1: Announce Messages With Siri, HomePod Handoff and More” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple has been rumored to be working on a third generation of AirPods with active noise control (ANC), also known as noise cancellation, or active noise reduction (ANR). Noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has suggested the updated AirPods could launch late this year or early next year with an “all-new design.”

Today’s iOS 13.2 beta release includes an icon showing redesigned AirPods that appear to have rubber ear tips that would likely be needed as part of a noise cancelation feature.

The file name includes reference to a B298 code name, and the image is contained in the Accessibility Settings folder. This could suggest these new AirPods will contain a new accessibility feature such as being able to use them as hearing aids, or it could be related to existing Live Listen capabilities.

There’s no specific word on when the new AirPods could debut, but Apple has a number of rumored pending announcements that could point toward an October media event.

Update 11:55 AM: As noted by a MacRumors reader, a claimed photo leak last month from 52 Audio bears a strong resemblance to the image found in iOS 13.2, suggesting the leak may be accurate.

This article, “iOS 13.2 Beta Includes Icon Depicting New AirPods Design” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming tvOS 13.2 update to developers for testing purposes, a little over one week after releasing the tvOS 13 update.

Designed for the fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV models, the new tvOS 13.2 developer beta can be downloaded onto the Apple TV via a profile that’s installed using Xcode.

tvOS updates (aside from major releases) have historically been minor in scale, focusing on under-the-hood bug fixes and improvements rather than major outward-facing changes. Apple provides little to no information on what’s included in tvOS updates, so we may not discover anything new after installing the new beta.

Though we don’t often know what’s new in tvOS updates, we let MacRumors readers know when new software is available so developers are able to download it upon release.

If we find anything new in the tvOS 13.2 beta, we’ll update this article.

tvOS 13, released earlier in September, introduced multi-user support, a new Control Center, Apple Arcade and controller support, new screensavers and more.

This article, “Apple Seeds First Beta of tvOS 13.2 Update to Developers [Update: Public Beta Available]” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming watchOS 6.1 beta to developers, a little over a week after seeding the first watchOS 6.1 beta and two weeks after releasing the watchOS 6 update with full App Store, new Apple Watch faces, and more.

Once the proper configuration profile has been installed from the Apple Developer Center, the new watchOS beta can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General > Software Update.

To install the update, the Apple Watch needs to have over 50 percent battery, it must be placed on the charger, and it has to be in range of the iPhone.

There were no major changes found in the first watchOS 6.1 beta, so it’s not entirely clear what’s included in the update, but we’ll update this article should new features be found in the second beta. The update may be focused on bug fixes and under-the-hood performance improvements.

watchOS 6.1 does work with the Series 1 and Series 2 Apple Watch models, which were excluded from the watchOS 6 release.

Apple said that watchOS 6 would come to the older Apple Watch models at a later date, so it’s possible watchOS 6.1 will be the first version of watchOS 6 to work with the Series 1 and Series 2 Apple Watches.

This article, “Apple Seeds Second Beta of watchOS 6.1 to Developers” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple today released the first betas of upcoming iOS and iPadOS 13.2 updates to developers, just a week after the release of iOS 13.1 and two weeks after the iOS 13 update first debuted.

iOS and iPadOS 13.2 can be downloaded through the Apple Developer Center or over the air after the proper developer profile has been installed.

As announced yesterday, the iOS 13.2 update introduces Deep Fusion for the cameras in the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro models. Deep Fusion is a new image processing system that uses the A13 Bionic and the Neural Engine. Deep Fusion takes advantage of machine learning techniques to do pixel-by-pixel processing of photos, optimizing for texture, details, and noise in each part of the image.

The feature is aimed at improving indoor photos and photos taken in medium lighting, and it’s a feature that will automatically activate based on the lens being used and the light level in the room.

Today’s update also reintroduces the Announce with Siri feature for Messages, brings new Privacy controls for Apple’s upcoming research app, and it even leaked an upcoming AirPods design. For a list of everything new in iOS 13.2, make sure to check out our article outlining the new features.

Update: Apple has also seeded the iOS and iPadOS 13.2 betas to its public beta testing group.

This article, “Apple Seeds First Betas of iOS 13.2 and iPadOS 13.2 to Developers With Deep Fusion for iPhone 11 and 11 Pro [Update: Public Beta Available]” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple today released a new update for Safari Technology Preview, the experimental browser Apple first introduced three years ago in March 2016. Apple designed the Safari Technology Preview to test features that may be introduced into future release versions of Safari.

Safari Technology Preview release 93 includes bug fixes and performance improvements for Resource Timing, SVG, Web API, Web Inspector, Accessibility, Apple Pay, JavaScript, WebGPU, Web Authentication, and WebDriver.

The new Safari Technology Preview update is available for both macOS Mojave and MacOS Catalina, the newest version of the Mac operating system that was introduced at the June Worldwide Developers Conference.

The Safari Technology Preview update is available through the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store to anyone who has downloaded the browser. Full release notes for the update are available on the Safari Technology Preview website.

Apple’s aim with Safari Technology Preview is to gather feedback from developers and users on its browser development process. Safari Technology Preview can run side-by-side with the existing Safari browser and while designed for developers, it does not require a developer account to download.

This article, “Apple Releases Safari Technology Preview 93 With Bug Fixes and Performance Improvements” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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The new Apple Watch Series 5 models come equipped with an always on display, a feature new in 2019. With the always on display, some element of the screen is always lit, even when the wrist is down.

It’s a good way to keep an eye on the time or to keep track of a workout without needing to raise a wrist, but its use at this time requires compromising on battery life.

Though Apple says the Apple Watch Series 5 offers the same 18-hour “all day” battery life as the Series 4 model, a multitude of complaints on the MacRumors forums and the Apple Support forums suggest that’s not the case.

A 36-page forum thread is filled with battery life complaints about the Apple Watch Series 5, starting from September 20, the day the device was released. MacRumors reader Radeon85, for example, said that he was seeing significant battery drain until he turned off the always on display.

Battery life coming from an S4 to the S5, battery life I find is not great. From a 100% charge on my S5 I was losing about 5% an hour doing nothing, it stayed like this for a few hours. To test I turned off the always on display and battery life immediately improved, for the next few hours I was losing at most doing nothing about 2% an hour which is pretty much close to where my S4/S3 and S2 were.

For me the battery killer is the always on display.

Several of us here at MacRumors have the new Apple Watch Series 5 with always on display and have indeed experienced our Apple Watch batteries draining much more quickly than the prior Series 4 models. Workouts, LTE, and other battery draining functions combined with always on can result in major drops in battery life. As described by MacRumors reader Yachtmac:

I am really getting shocking battery life during workouts. Today I did a 35 min indoor workout. Elliptical and played an on watch playlist and the battery ran down from 69% to 21% during this workout. I thought things were going really well when I left for the gym with 69% available since coming off the charger at 7.00am.

I have Siri and Noise monitoring off but AOD on! I am thinking of returning this and sticking with the series 3 as it was excellent for this type of usage.

Battery problems don’t appear to be limited to the Apple Watch Series 5, which suggests that watchOS 6 is also perhaps impacting battery life. The Noise app may be one culprit, and some users have also cited cellular connectivity, though both Cellular and GPS models appear to be affected by battery life problems.

MacRumors forum member Michael says that since watchOS 6 was released, his Apple Watch Series 4 battery has been dying faster, a sentiment echoed by many other MacRumors readers who have noticed issues since beta. From MacRumors reader Canyonblue737:

I’ve had my S4 on watchOS 6 for 4 days now to settle in. I do have the noise app set to monitor. Today in 17 hours off the charger I went from 100% to 32%, no workouts today, 5 hours 18 minutes usage 16 hours 57 minutes standby.

I feel prior to OS 6 with no workout I would have been about 40-50% with the same usage so yes it is higher but I still make it through the day.

On the Apple Watch Series 5, battery life can be improved by disabling Always On under the Display & Brightness section of the Apple Watch app on iPhone, but on the Series 4, it’s less clear what might be causing problems.

MacRumors readers have reported some fixes that have helped improve battery life on both the Series 4 and Series 5, such as force restarting the device or unpairing and re-pairing, but there does not appear to be a single solution that has worked for everyone.

Apple has already updated watchOS to version 6.0.1, and that update fixed some bugs, but according to the release notes, it did not address battery life. watchOS 6.0.1 may include some battery optimizations though, as there are some reports on the forums of improvements after updating. From MacRumors reader Haruhiko:

after upgrading my watch to 6.0.1 and disabled music syncing in iPhone watch app, music, the battery life of my series 5 has returned to normal. Unplugged at ~11am this morning and now it’s 11pm and the watch still has 61% battery. I have always on display and noise detection on.

Apple has also released the first beta of a watchOS 6.1 update to developers, and that update seems to include some battery fixes. We’ve heard reports from forum members that watchOS 6.1 significantly improves battery life, and in our own experience, we’ve also seen better battery life after installing the update. From MacRumors forum member Rogertoh16:

I have 2x series 5, me and my wife. Wife is 6.0.1 and I am in beta 6.1. We have 1 common thing turn off the noise detection. Her’s 6.0.1 battery drain more then mine 6.1 and she don’t work out daily which I am. We will wake up 6.30am morning and and walk our boy to school, work and come back home around 9.30pm. Hers will only left with 10-13% battery where mine left with 45%. Both IOS is 13.1.2. And it been 2 day straight same result even before 6.0.1. I think Apple need to release the watchOS 6.1 quick.

watchOS 6.1 is still in the early stages of beta testing so additional optimizations could be added before the software sees a release, and many of the battery life woes associated with watchOS 6 and the Series 5 could be addressed soon.

Are you experiencing battery life issues either with the Series 5 or with an older Apple Watch updated to watchOS 6? Let us know in the comments.

This article, “Apple Watch Owners Complain of Battery Life Issues With Both Series 5 and Older Models With watchOS 6” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Today we’re highlighting two new deals: one is a new low price on Apple’s 27-inch iMac from Early 2019, and the other focuses on the first price drops we’ve seen for Apple’s official Leather Cases for the iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

27-Inch iMac

You can get the 27-inch Retina iMac with a 3.7 GHz 6-core i5 processor, 8GB RAM, and a 2TB Fusion Drive for $2,099.00, down from $2,299.00. At $200 off, this price is the lowest that we’ve tracked for this high-end model of the new 27-inch Retina iMac.

Apple updated the iMac with 8th- and 9th-generation Intel processors in March 2019, also including faster memory and new Radeon Pro Vega graphics options. Be sure to head to Amazon soon to check out the new discount before it expires.

iPhone 11 Pro Leather Cases

There are a few sales on the new official Apple Leather Case for the iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max, which can be found at Amazon and Target.

On Amazon, you can get the Leather Case in Saddle Brown for the iPhone 11 Pro priced at $39.99, down from $49.00 ($9 off). Amazon isn’t discounting the Leather Cases for the iPhone 11 Pro Max at the time of writing.

Target has the Leather Case for the iPhone 11 Pro priced at $39.99, down from $49.00, in both Saddle Brown and Black. The retailer also has the Leather Case for the iPhone 11 Pro Max at the same price of $39.99 ($9 off) in Saddle Brown and Black.

Target customers can choose some items to be picked up at their local store, but if that is not an option you can opt for free two day shipping. If you have a Target Red Card, you can also save an additional 5 percent on the Leather Cases.

Head to our full Deals Roundup for more information on the latest Apple-related discounts.

This article, “Deals: 2019 27-Inch iMac Hits New Low Price, While Official iPhone 11 Pro Leather Cases Get $9 Discount” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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An appeals court in London has reinstated a lawsuit filed against Google that accuses the company of unlawfully gathering personal information by circumventing the iPhone’s default privacy settings, according to Bloomberg.

The collective action, equivalent to a class action lawsuit in the United States, alleged that Google illegally tracked and gathered the personal data of over four million iPhone users in the U.K. between 2011 and 2012. The case was first brought in November 2017 and had been dismissed in October 2018.

“This case, quite properly if the allegations are proved, seeks to call Google to account for its allegedly wholesale and deliberate misuse of personal data without consent, undertaken with a view to a commercial profit,” wrote Judge Geoffrey Vos in a ruling today, per the report.

A similar lawsuit was filed in the United States in 2012, when Google was discovered to be circumventing privacy protections in Safari on iOS in order to track users through ads on numerous popular websites.

Specifically, Google took advantage of a Safari loophole that made the browser think that the user was interacting with a given ad, thus allowing a tracking cookie to be installed. With that cookie installed, it became easy for Google to add additional cookies and to track users across the web.

At the time, Safari blocked several types of tracking, but made an exception for websites where a person interacted in some way — by filling out a form, for example. Google added code to some of its ads that made Safari think that a person was submitting an invisible form to Google, thus creating a temporary cookie.

Google stopped this practice after it was reported by The Wall Street Journal, and refuted many details of the report, while Apple closed the loophole in a Safari update shortly after. Google also paid a then-record $22.5 million fine to the Federal Trade Commission over its practices back in 2012.

“Protecting the privacy and security of our users has always been our No. 1 priority,” a Google spokeswoman told Bloomberg. “This case relates to events that took place nearly a decade ago and that we addressed at the time.”

This article, “U.K. Court Reinstates Lawsuit Accusing Google of Bypassing Safari’s Privacy Settings to Track iPhone Users” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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