Update: MacRumors has obtained what appears to be a legitimate internal bulletin from Apple that indicates both Apple Store and AppleCare support employees from levels S1-S5 will be eligible to receive free access to Apple Arcade and Apple TV+ starting January 6. The bulletin does not mention Apple Music.
Original story follows.
At least some Apple Store employees will receive free access to Apple Music, Apple TV+, and Apple Arcade starting in January, according to 9to5Mac.
The report claims the perk will be limited to individual use by the employees themselves, so if they wanted to use Family Sharing for any of the services, they would have to pay for a subscription on their own.
It is unclear based on the report if every Apple Store employee will be offered this perk or if the perk will available globally.
Apple can benefit from offering this perk by having more of its employees gain first-hand experience with three of its major services, which can be useful when interacting with customers. It’s unclear how long it will last.
Apple continues to authorize free display repairs for eligible MacBook and MacBook Pro models with anti-reflective coating issues for up to four years after the affected notebook’s original purchase date, the company said in an internal memo distributed to Apple Authorized Service Providers this week.
Models that remain eligible for the repair program:
MacBook Pro (13-inch, Early 2015)
MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2015)
MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016)
MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2016)
MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017)
MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2017)
MacBook (12-inch, Early 2015)
MacBook (12-inch, Early 2016)
MacBook (12-inch, Early 2017)
Apple has not added any MacBook Pro or MacBook Air models released in 2018 or later to the eligibility list at this time.
In its memo, obtained by MacRumors, Apple adds that MacBook Pro models released in 2014 and earlier are no longer eligible for the program. Most of those units should be well past the repair program’s four-year coverage window, but perhaps some were sold by resellers at a later date and were still eligible until now.
Apple’s internal service guide for this issue continues to state that customers who already incurred out-of-warranty costs related to this issue are eligible for a refund, which can be initiated by contacting Apple support.
Affected customers can schedule an appointment at an Apple Store or at an Apple Authorized Service Provider on Apple’s support website by selecting Mac → Mac Notebooks → Hardware Issues → Display Issue. Apple advises technicians to quote customers a 3-5 business day turnaround time.
Apple’s high-end 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch iPhones in 2020 will adopt sensor-shift image stabilization technology, according to a paywalled report today from hit-or-miss Taiwanese industry publication DigiTimes.
While details are slim, sensor-shift technology could bring image stabilization to the ultra-wide lens on high-end 2020 iPhones.
iPhone 11 Pro models feature optical image stabilization for both photo and video, but only when using the wide-angle or telephoto lenses. Sensor-shift technology could change this, as the stabilization would apply to the camera sensor itself and not be dependant on any specific lens.
Sensor-shifting image stabilization could also result in better shots with attachable lens accessories like the OlloClip.
The report backs rumors that the high-end 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch iPhones will each sport a triple-lens rear camera system with time-of-flight 3D sensing. Largan Precision is said to be the primary supplier of the lenses, fulfilling 80 percent of orders, with Genius Electric Optical picking up the remaining 20 percent.
Taiwan-based ALPS will supply motors for the sensor-shifting stabilization, and Sony will offer CMOS image sensors, the report adds.
Amazon and Best Buy have introduced a few last-minute holiday deals this week, revolving around headphones and speakers. In this sale, you can save on the Powerbeats Pro, Bose and Sony headphones, AirPods, and more, all for as much as 20 percent off the original prices.
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.
On Amazon, customers who order today are guaranteed delivery by Christmas Eve with standard shipping, but there are exceptions with certain products. Amazon Prime customers who place orders by Monday, December 23 will still be able to get their presents in time with Prime’s free one-day delivery.
Here’s how Lego describes the brick-based puzzle game:
Builder’s Journey is a poetic puzzle that takes place in a LEGO® brick world, brought to life with the most accurately rendered LEGO® elements yet to feature on screens. Be taken through a breathtaking world filled with brick-by-brick effects, accompanied by a beautiful soundtrack.
Throughout the narrative, there will be ups and downs, challenges and celebrations. Take the time to experiment, and most importantly, to play as figuring out who we are and what we become is the Builder’s Journey.
With a peaceful soundtrack, the game has quickly drawn comparisons to Monument Valley.
Apple Arcade launched in September. The subscription-based gaming service provides iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, and Mac users with access to over 100 games with no in-app purchases or ads for $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year.
Builder’s Journey is the first title from the new Lego Games studio Light Bricks.
Optical zoom will be a key upgrade to high-end smartphones in 2020, according to the latest prediction from noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
In a research note with TF International Securities, obtained by MacRumors, Kuo said the rear camera on Huawei’s upcoming P40 Pro will feature a redesigned periscope telephoto lens and become the world’s first smartphone with 10x optical zoom. The device is expected to launch in the first half of 2020.
Kuo said enhanced optical zoom will extend to more high-end smartphones next year, although he did not specify if that will include the iPhone, which currently maxes out at 2x optical zoom and 10x digital zoom. Optical zoom preserves the quality of a shot when zooming in, while digital zoom results in some blurriness.
Apple has a dedicated research team looking into new ways to beam data like internet connectivity directly to iPhones and other devices, reports Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman.
The Cupertino, California-based iPhone maker has about a dozen engineers from the aerospace, satellite and antenna design industries working on the project with the goal of deploying their results within five years, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing internal company efforts. Work on the project is still early and could be abandoned, the people said, and a clear direction and use for satellites hasn’t been finalized.
According to the report, Apple’s main aim is to beam data to a user’s iPhone, potentially reducing the dependence on wireless carriers, or for linking devices together without a traditional network, thereby mitigating coverage issues. Apple could also be exploring satellites for more precise location tracking for its devices, enabling improved maps and new features.
Apple CEO Tim Cook has reportedly made the project a company priority, and Apple is said to be ramping up hiring, with new software and hardware experts being added to the team. The company has also hired additional executives from the aerospace and wireless data delivery fields, and is seeking engineers with experience in designing components for communications equipment. Apple is said to be hoping for the initiative to produce results within five years.
Back in 2017, Bloomberg reported that Apple had hired John Fenwick and Michael Trela, two Google executives who led the search giant’s satellite and spacecraft operations. At the time, what the two would be doing at Apple was unclear, but Bloomberg now reports that Fenwick and Trela are leading the team dedicated to satellites and related wireless technology.
According to the report, the team has recently added people from the wireless industry, including engineer Matt Ettus, one of the foremost names in wireless technologies; Ashley Moore Williams, a longtime executive from Aerospace who focused on communication satellites; and Daniel Ellis, a former Netflix executive who helped oversee the company’s Content Delivery Network. Ellis is said to have experience in building networks that can beam content and information on a global scale.
What remains unclear is whether Apple plans to develop its own satellite systems or make use of ground-based technology that could receive data from existing satellites and send it to mobile devices. Efforts by the likes of Facebook and Amazon to deploy satellites are a long way from becoming reality, but Apple could potentially look to existing satellite makers like Lockheed Martin or Boeing to provide the necessary hardware in the sky.
Coinciding with the launch of its public bug bounty program, Apple today published its new Apple Platform Security guide, offering users details about the security technology and features that are implemented within Apple platforms – including sections on Mac for the first time.
The documentation has been updated to reflect changes in iOS 13.3, iPadOS 13.3, macOS 10.15.2, tvOS 13.3, and watchOS 6.1.1. The Apple Platform Security site also covers hardware and services, providing comprehensive information in a readable format on the following topics:
Hardware Security and Biometrics: The hardware that forms the foundation for security on Apple devices, including the Secure Enclave, a dedicated AES crypto engine, Touch ID, and Face ID.
System Security: The integrated hardware and software functions that provide for the safe boot, update, and ongoing operation of Apple operating systems.
Encryption and Data Protection: The architecture and design that protects user data if the device is lost or stolen, or if an unauthorized person attempts to use or modify it.
App Security: The software and services that provide a safe app ecosystem and enable apps to run securely and without compromising platform integrity.
Services Security: Apple’s services for identification, password management, payments, communications, and finding lost devices.
Network Security: Industry-standard networking protocols that provide secure authentication and encryption of data in transmission.
Developer Kits: Frameworks for secure and private management of home and health, as well as extension of Apple device and service capabilities to third-party apps.
Secure Device Management: Methods that allow management of Apple devices, prevent unauthorized use, and enable remote wipe if a device is lost or stolen.
Security Certifications and Programs: Information on ISO certifications, Cryptographic validation, Common Criteria Certification, and the Commercial Solutions for Classified (CSfC) Program.
The site can be browsed from the Table of Contents at the top of the page, or a PDF of the documentation can be downloaded here.
Alongside its Platform Security site, Apple maintains a separate site covering the company’s approach to privacy, privacy controls on Apple devices, and the Apple privacy policy.
If users believe they have discovered a security or privacy vulnerability that affects Apple devices, software, services, or web servers, Apple encourages them to report it by sending an email to [email protected] along with any relevant videos, crash logs, and system diagnosis reports. More information on reporting a security or privacy vulnerability can be found here.
Apple today officially opened its bug bounty program to all security researchers, after the company announced the expansion plan at the Black Hat conference in Las Vegas earlier this year.
Prior to now, Apple’s bug bounty program was invitation-based and non-iOS devices were not included. As reported by ZDNet, from today any security researcher who locates bugs in iOS, macOS, tvOS, watchOS, or iCloud will be eligible to receive a cash payout for disclosing the vulnerability to Apple.
Apple has also increased the maximum size of the bounty from $200,000 per exploit to $1 million depending on the nature of the security flaw. A zero-click kernel code execution with persistence will earn the maximum amount.
Apple says it will add a 50 percent bonus on top of the standard payout for bugs found in beta software, which allows the company to nix the issue before the OS version goes public. It is also offering the same bonus for so-called “regression bugs” – these are bugs that Apple has patched in the past but which have been accidentally reintroduced in a later version of the software.
Apple has published more information on its website detailing the bug bounty program’s rules, as well as a full breakdown of the rewards being offered to researchers based on the exploits they uncover.
When submitting reports, researchers must include a detailed description of the issue, an explanation of the state of the system when the exploit works, and enough information for Apple to reliably reproduce the issue.
Next year, Apple plans to provide vetted and trusted security researchers and hackers with “dev” iPhones, or special iPhones that provide deeper access to the underlying software and operating system that will make it easier for vulnerabilities to be discovered.
These iPhones are being provided as part of Apple’s forthcoming iOS Security Research Device Program, which aims to encourage additional security researchers to disclose vulnerabilities, ultimately leading to more secure devices for consumers.
Alongside the Mac Pro, Apple launched the Pro Display XDR, a 6K professional display that’s designed to be used with the Mac Pro and other high-powered Apple machines.
We picked up a Pro Display XDR alongside our Mac Pro, and it arrived today, so we thought we’d do an unboxing, hands-on, and first impressions video for MacRumors readers.
As a display designed for professional use, the Pro Display XDR has a $4,999 price tag that’s not exactly consumer friendly, and Apple is charging an additional $999 for the stand that we have here, which has resulted in endless jokes.
Basically, if you want a functional display, you need to shell out $6,000, because unless you’re going to mount the display using the $200 VESA mount, this is the only available stand at the current time.
The Pro Display XDR ships in an all-white pull tab box like the Mac Pro, and it comes with a microfiber cleaning cloth, a braided power cable, and a braided Thunderbolt 3 cable.
We’ve got the Pro Display XDR without the matte nano-texture, which is $1,000 more expensive and not shipping yet, but if you do buy that nano-texture version, it’s worth noting that you can only clean it with this included cloth if you don’t want to damage it.
The Pro Display XDR connects to the standalone stand using super strong magnets, and the whole setup feels sturdy and high-quality, as it should at this price point.
Design wise, the Pro Display XDR has the same lattice design as the Mac Pro for the back of the display, used for ventilation and cooling. There are four USB-C ports on the Pro Display XDR, with one serving as a Thunderbolt 3 port for connecting to the Mac Pro.
You can swivel the Pro Display XDR into portrait mode or landscape mode using a little button on the monitor stand, which is handy for those who prefer to use their displays in vertical mode. Tilt and height are also able to be adjusted.
The display itself is 32 inches in size with a resolution of 6016 x 3384, and unsurprisingly, it looks fantastic. It features 1,600 nits of peak brightness and 1,000 nits of sustained brightness, along with a super wide viewing angle and a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio. In a nutshell, it’s an incredible display.
The color accuracy is impressive and suitable for professional use, and the HDR paired with the 1600 nits of peak brightness is excellent for those who are editing HDR content.
Apple is charging a minimum of $4,999 for this display, which sounds outrageous, but it is a display for professional use and when it comes to the quality and the feature set, it is a solid deal and competitively priced compared to other pro-level monitors.
Reference monitors used by Hollywood studios for TV and film editing, for example, can cost five times more than the Pro Display XDR with the same specs as the Pro Display XDR.
The Pro Display XDR was designed to be used with the Mac Pro, but it is also compatible with 2018 or later 15-inch MacBook Pro models, the 16-inch MacBook Pro, and the 2019 iMac models. You can also use it with the 2017 iMac Pro, but not at the full 6K resolution.
What do you think of the Pro Display XDR? Let us know in the comments.
