Apple today has confirmed that it will acquire Intel’s smartphone modem business in a transaction valued at $1 billion. The deal is expected to close during the fourth quarter of 2019 and is subject to regulatory approval. Through this acquisition, Apple will beef up its wireless technology patent portfolio to over 17,000 patents. Apple also says that approximately 2,200 Intel employees will join Apple, as will Intel’s equipment and leases that pertain to the smartphone modem business....

Update: Boone has stated that there was no connection between the video and her contract not being renewed. She said that she worked the entirety of her contract period, and “remain[s] thankful for my career opportunities and growth from working at Apple, and how that helped pave the way for the wonderful job I have today.“ An Apple contractor reportedly found her contract “unexpectedly” not renewed after a day-in-the-life TikTok video went viral....

Yesterday, a report detailed how certain apps used session replay frameworks to monitor user interactions. Now, Apple is cracking down on that practice, saying apps must remove such code or face being kicked out of the App Store. According to TechCrunch, Apple is notifying developers that are using session replay frameworks that they must remove the code due to privacy concerns. In a statement, an Apple spokesperson said that protecting privacy is “paramount in the Apple ecosystem....

In addition to launching its annual Holiday Gift Guide today, Apple has also officially started offering its extended return window for holiday shopping. This means that products received between November 4, 2022 and December 25, 2022 can be returned through January 8, 2023. On its Returns and Refunds webpage, Apple explains the new holiday return policy. Note that items purchased with carrier financing are not eligible for this extended policy and still fall into the standard 14-day return rule....

Apple Event day is officially here. After weeks of rumors and speculation, Apple will finally unveil its latest round of new hardware and software releases today. The event features the tagline “Peek Performance” and is being streamed from Apple Park. Head below for our full live blog on the iPhone SE 3, Mac Studio, iPad Air 5, and more… Last-minute Apple Event rumors As is usually the case, a handful of last-minute rumors have emerged with more details on what’s to come during today’s event....

As we noted earlier today, several media outlets have filed a motion that would allow them to air the videotaped deposition of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs that was played for jurors in the ongoing iPod antitrust lawsuit. Now the Verge reports that Apple is fighting back against the motion, with the company’s lawyers accusing the media of wanting to see “a dead man.” As Apple attorney Jonathan Sherman put it:...

Apple will now build a total of 14 million to 15 million iPhones in the second half of the year, the analysts said. Pacific Crest also raised its second half iPhone unit sales projection to 11 million from 8 million. Despite the reduction in production, these figures still put Apple in seventh place for sales in the global smartphone market, prompting Forward Concepts analyst Will Strauss to tell EE Times that he is confident that Apple will make it into the top 10 handset makers this year....

Ahead of the public launch of Apple Podcasts Subscriptions later this month, Apple has announced a new affiliate program for the platform. This affiliate program will pay out a 50% commission to the person who shared the link when a user converts to a paid subscription. As first reported by TechCrunch, the new program is called the “Apple Services Performance Partner Program for Apple Podcasts.” It joins Apple’s other affiliate programs for things like Apple News+ and Apple Music....

Finding universal one-size-fits-all methods for securing APIs has been one of the biggest challenges for software developers and IT leaders. Nevertheless, as you will see from this article, a layered approach to API security may be far more effective. You will learn what it is and how it can help organizations balance cost and efficacy. Why better approaches to securing APIs are necessary Many companies fail to provide ample API security....

Apple’s App Store Search Ads have expanded to other countries today alongside some new improvements for campaigns. Search Ads are now available for campaigns in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand. Apple has also introduced a new role for developers to help with Search Ads campaign management. Apple first officially began rolling out the App Store Search Ads in September of last year, even going so far as enticing developers with a $100 credit....

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An Apple spokesperson explains in a statement that the company is constantly looking for ways to improve the security protections of its devices. As we highlighted last week, the new USB Restricted Mode requires that an iPhone be unlocked with a passcode when connected to a computer via USB if the device has not already been unlocked in the last hour. It’s easy to jump to the conclusion that this change is purely an effort to block law enforcement from using brute force tactics to gain access to iOS devices....

Reform Government Surveillance is a coalition of major tech companies that looks to guide legislation for how the government can surveil individuals and access their information. Apple joined RGS back in 2013 and the coalition has recently issued a statement as talks have begun again about US officials pushing for a mandate to make tech companies build backdoors into their devices and services. Spotted by ZDNet, the new statement from the coalition reiterates the strong stance that Apple and others have shared consistently in recent years against creating backdoors to devices and services....

The Apple Store is back up and Apple has just announced a new cheaper iPad, going on sale Friday for $329. The product replaces the iPad Air 2 in the lineup and is simply called ‘iPad’, available in three colors with 32 GB storage. The $329 iPad features older internal components to enable the lower price point, featuring an Apple A9 chip although the 9.7-inch Retina display is brighter. It does not support Apple Pencil or include a Smart Connector like the ‘iPad Pro’ line....

Apple has sent out an email reminding developers about the new Kids category, originally announced at WWDC. The email explains that the category is intended to provide a ‘safe-haven’ for parents that want to find age appropriate apps for their children. For apps aimed at users below the age of 11, developers can now select from three more finely-grained age ranges; under 5, 6-8 and 9-11. Apple reiterates that the new Kids section will be distinct from the rest of the App Store and apps can still appear in other categories nonetheless....

One of the sharp new features with macOS Monterey and iOS 15 is the ability for the Photos app to automatically recognize and let you interact with text in images. However, that was originally going to be limited to M1 Macs. Now with the fourth beta, macOS Monterey enables Live Text for Intel Macs. macOS Monterey beta 4 arrived today with the release notes highlighting the exciting Universal Control feature is enabled, but was then quickly pulled....

Apple is celebrating Bastille Day on its homepage with a clever twist on the usual Shot on iPhone campaign. The Apple France homepage displays a series of blue, white and red images formatted to look like the French flag. It’s a clever way to incorporate a Bastille Day commemoration, which signifies the start of the French Revolution on 14 July 1789, and demo the photographic capabilities of the iPhone. The images are credited with the names of the people that took them....

Apple has today said that its accessibility feature VoiceOver is helping more blind people to read than any competing system. As an illustration of the power of the technology to assisted blind and partially sighted customers, Apple tells the story of Scott Leason, a blind veteran who regularly surfs off San Diego’s Mission Beach … Apple says that Leason was blinded when shot by a robber, but was helped by training from the US Department of Veterans Affairs’ Blind Rehabilitation Center – and Apple tech....

A pair of senior Apple machine learning and artificial intelligence executives are set to speak at Sight Tech Global next month. The focus will be on accessibility, with Apple’s leaders explaining how the company “see[s] the future unfolding, especially around new experiences that will help people with vision loss.” As reported by TechCrunch, TechCrunch editor-in-chief Matthew Panzarino will speak with Apple’s Jeff Bigham and Sarah Herrlinger at Sight Tech Global....