News on the sidelines for the week of August 23 - 29

Meta cancels work on mixed reality glasses to compete with Apple Vision Pro, iPhone 16 Pro models will use a unified zoom lens, Telegram CEO arrested, iPhone 16 pre-orders may start Thursday instead of Friday, and new features launched by Apple in updates iOS 18 iOS 18.1, and other exciting news on the sidelines…

iPhone 17 Pro Max will come with 12GB RAM

According to Ming-Chi Kuo’s analysis, the 12GB RAM upgrade will be limited to the iPhone 17 Pro Max only in 2025. This contradicts previous rumors that all iPhone 17 models would get this upgrade. The rest of the iPhone 17 models, including the new “Slim” version, will stick with 8GB of RAM, which is the same capacity expected for the iPhone 16 series this year.

RAM capacity is becoming increasingly important with the launch of AI features in iOS 18, which require a minimum of 8GB. While increasing the memory to 12GB could enable more advanced AI capabilities, it will be limited to the Pro model only. Additionally, the iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature a proprietary cooling system that combines vapor chamber technology and graphite plates, while other models will rely solely on graphite plates for cooling.

Mac OS X Snow Leopard was released 15 years ago with “0 new features”

Today marks the 29th anniversary of the release of Mac OS X Snow Leopard, which became available for purchase for $28 on August 2009, 300. Unlike the previous Leopard release, which was announced with over 2008 new features, Apple introduced Snow Leopard at the 0 Worldwide Developers Conference with the tagline “XNUMX new features,” focusing instead on performance and stability improvements.

Apple has improved 90% of the core components of Mac OS X with the release of Snow Leopard. These improvements include speeding up and improving the performance of many key applications. For example, the Finder application is now faster to respond, the email application opens messages twice as fast, Time Machine backups are 80% faster, and Safari is 50% faster. In addition, the size of the operating system itself has been reduced, as it now takes up half the space that the previous version Leopard did. All of these improvements were made without adding new features that are visible to the user, but rather focused on improving performance and efficiency.

This is a video of the conference in which Serlet mocks Windows 7 and Vista at the time:

iOS 18.1 Beta Update Now Brings Notification Summaries to All Apps

In the third beta of iOS 18.1, Apple has added new features to Apple Intelligence in the area of ​​notifications. Notification summarization, which was previously only available to Mail and Messages apps, has been expanded to include all apps. Users can now choose to summarize the content of all their notifications or select specific apps to use this feature, making notifications more concise and easier to read.

This new feature pulls out key details from groups of notifications, making it easier to see important information at a glance. It pairs well with the new Focus Mode “Reduce Disturbance.”

It is worth noting that this feature requires an iPhone 15 Pro or later, or an iPad or Mac equipped with an M chip. This feature is expected to be launched to the public later this year.

Apple Adds Photo Cleaning Feature in iOS 18.1 Update

In the third beta of iOS 18.1, Apple also added a new “Clean Up” tool in the Photos app, which uses artificial intelligence to remove unwanted elements from a photo. The tool can automatically detect unwanted elements, and users can manually select items to remove.

This feature works on all photos in your photo library, including old photos and photos taken with other devices. The tool uses multiple machine learning models to detect unwanted objects and define their boundaries, then seamlessly fill in the area to replace the unwanted object.

iPhone 16 pre-orders may start Thursday instead of Friday

According to a report from German website Macerkopf, Apple may start accepting pre-orders for the iPhone 16 on Thursday, September 12, instead of the usual Friday, September 13. This claim comes on the heels of Apple announcing that its annual iPhone 16 launch event will be held on Monday, September 9, the first of its kind to be held on a Monday.

There is no reliable source or clear reason for this potential change. The official start date for pre-orders will be revealed during the event itself. It is worth noting that this change in the date of the annual event from Tuesday to Monday may have something to do with the potential change in the start date for pre-orders, but this is just speculation at the moment.

Multiple Pages Added to Control Center in iOS 18 Update

iOS 18 brings a major overhaul to the Control Center. Instead of a single-page design, the new Control Center features multiple customizable default pages, and the system can accommodate up to 15 separate screens. Navigating between these pages is easy, as users can swipe up and down across the Control Center, tap on the small icons on the right side of the screen, or tap and swipe across these icons for quick access.

Control Center intelligently assigns icons to each page based on its content, and when controls exceed the available space on a page, or if a control becomes too large, Control Center automatically creates a new page and moves the excess items to it, ensuring clean, tidy organization.

Immersive Elevated Series Launches on Vision Pro September 6

Apple is preparing To launch the latest immersive video series for Vision glasses Pro titled “Elevated” on September 6, 2024. This new XNUMXD experience will take viewers on aerial tours of iconic landscapes from dizzying heights, including volcanoes and waterfalls in Hawaii. The first episode will be set in Hawaii, while the second episode will show a fall scene in New England at a later date.

In addition to “Elevated,” Apple is working on several new immersive video experiences that will launch this year. These projects include the “Boundless” series that launched in July, a new immersive performance from The Weeknd, a high-flying surfing series, a behind-the-scenes look at the 2024 NBA All-Star Game, and the first immersive short film, “Submerged.” Vision Pro users can watch this immersive content through the Apple TV app in several countries, while users in China can watch it through the Migu Video and Tencent Video apps.

Leaks about major improvements in the noise cancellation feature of AirPods Pro 3 headphones

According to new leaks from a reliable source known as kosutamiThe upcoming AirPods Pro 3 are expected to feature significantly improved active noise cancellation (ANC) over the previous AirPods Pro 2. This improvement comes despite the fact that the AirPods Pro 2 already featured up to twice the noise cancellation of the original AirPods Pro. No specific details have been revealed about this alleged improvement.

While Apple is expected to announce two new AirPods 4 models (low-end and mid-range) during the iPhone 16 event on September 9, the AirPods Pro 3 launch date remains unclear. Expected updates to the AirPods 4 include a revised design for better in-ear fit, improved sound quality, and an updated charging case with a USB-C port. There are also rumors of an AirPods Max update later this year, but the only change expected is the replacement of the Lightning charging port with a USB-C port.

Telegram CEO Arrested in France Over Content Censorship Cases

Pavel Durov, the 39-year-old founder and CEO of Telegram, was arrested at Le Bourget airport outside Paris on Saturday evening. The arrest came as part of a joint investigation by several agencies into alleged content moderation failures on the Telegram platform, which may have facilitated criminal activity such as terrorism, drug trafficking, money laundering, fraud and child exploitation. Telegram responded to the arrest by stressing that it complies with EU laws and that its moderation practices are “within industry standards and are constantly improving.”

The arrest has drawn criticism from various quarters, including Elon Musk. It has also put a spotlight on Telegram’s encryption practices, as it was found that the app’s default settings do not provide end-to-end encryption for most users, unlike other apps like WhatsApp and Signal. This means that Telegram employees may have access to every message sent in these chats, which may explain Russia’s concern about the arrest. To get true end-to-end encryption on Telegram, it must be manually configured as a “secret chat,” which is not exactly a simple process.

iPhone 16 Pro models will use a unified telephoto lens

According to a new Korean report, Apple will expand the use of the Tetraprism telephoto lens, which was exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, to both iPhone 16 Pro models this year. The company will initially rely on the same 2023 supplier for the required folded zoom modules. LG Innotek will supply the modules for the initial stock of iPhone 16 Pro models. The telephoto camera features a folded glass structure underneath the lens that reflects light four times, allowing for a longer focal length of 120mm.

Both the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will offer 5x optical zoom and 25x digital zoom. Apple is using XNUMXD sensor-shift optical image stabilization for the telephoto lens on the Pro Max, offering twice the number of micro-adjustments than before for sharp images even when fully zoomed in. After the initial stock runs out, expected around QXNUMX, Apple will use its secondary suppliers Foxconn and Cowell to manufacture the folded zoom module as well to cut costs, while Sharp will not supply any camera modules for any iPhone launched this year.

Miscellaneous news

◉ Apple releases third developer beta of iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1 with Apple AI features.

◉ Apple releases the eighth public beta of iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia, visionOS 2, and tvOS 18 updates to developers.

◉ Apple’s supply chain will begin mass production of new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with the M4 Pro and M4 Max chips in August. These models are expected to be announced in October, a popular month for Apple hardware announcements. The new chips are expected to offer performance and efficiency improvements over the previous generation. No major design changes are expected, but new color options such as Space Black may be introduced.

◉ As part of a “shift in priorities,” Apple has cut staff in its Services division under SVP Eddy Cue. About 100 employees were affected by the cuts, and they were given 60 days to find another job within Apple before their layoffs became effective. These cuts included the Apple Books and Apple News teams, indicating that Apple Books is no longer a high priority for the company.

◉ Apple announced that CFO Luca Maestri will step down on January 1, 2025, but will continue to lead the enterprise services teams. Kevan Parikh, VP of Financial Planning and Analysis, will take over as the new CFO. Tim Cook praised Maestri for his significant role in improving the company’s financial performance, and said Parikh was an invaluable member of his finance team. Maestri has served as CFO since May 2014, while Parikh has been at Apple for 11 years.

◉ In the iOS 18 update, Apple introduced several customization options for the iPhone home screen, including the ability to add a color gradient to app icons. This gradient allows you to change the color of all icons at once, creating a uniform look across your device’s interface. This is done by desaturating the icons and then applying a single color to them, resulting in a monochromatic look. You can choose the color using the eyedropper tool from the wallpaper or adjust the gradient manually. It should be noted that this gradient is applied to all icons everywhere on your device.

◉ Meta has canceled work on an advanced mixed reality headset it was developing to compete with Apple’s Vision Pro. The headset was originally slated to launch in 2027, but was canceled due to the high cost of the displays. Meta is continuing development on the Quest 4, which is expected to launch in 2026 at around $500. Apple, meanwhile, has been struggling with declining consumer interest in the Vision Pro, leading it to cut shipments and focus on a lower-cost model.

◉ Apple has shared new ads focusing on Final Cut Pro 10.8, the latest version of the professional video editing app. The first ad highlights Final Cut Pro for Mac, while the second covers Final Cut Pro for iPad.

The Mac video shows tools for adding effects and organizing footage, while the iPad ad shows off touch gestures and Apple Pencil integration.

Apple has added new features like improved lighting and color, and Slo-Mo, which uses artificial intelligence to improve motion. Final Cut Pro is available for $300 for the Mac version and $49 per year or $4.99 per month for the iPad version, with a 90-day free trial.

◉ According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo’s predictions, the foldable MacBook won’t launch until late 2027 or 2028 due to technical challenges. Previous reports suggested that Apple was developing a laptop with a fully foldable display of either 20.2 inches or 18.8 inches. When folded, the device was supposed to be an on-screen keyboard, and when fully opened, it would function as a regular display. However, Apple has scrapped the 20-inch design and settled on an 18.8-inch size. The device is still in the prototype stage, and it’s unclear whether it will be classified as a Mac, an iPad, or something in between.

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