The use of an Apple ID for a perfectly legal purchase was the key piece of evidence that has enabled the Department of Homeland Security to identify the man they suspect to be the owner of the biggest pirate website on the net, KickAssTorrents.com (KAT). A lengthy criminal complaint filed against Ukranian national Artem Vaulin by the U.S. Attorney’s Office explains how the Apple ID enabled authorities to identify the suspect …...

Yesterday we detailed an Apple patent showing work on a stackable Smart Connector plug of sorts. Today we get a look at a similar invention aimed at making the I/O on future devices more versatile with Apple’s invention of a “Universal Magnetic Adapter” that could allow for more future-proof devices using only a single port. As pictured in the drawing accompanying the patent above, the technology allows for a single port that uses magnetic inserts as adapters for your various devices....

Apple has begun contacting iPhone customers who complain about poor battery life on their device following installation of iPhone 3.1. Customer care operatives are making contact with 11 questions, focusing on such things as push email, WIFI, Bluetooth and which apps a user uses. Customers are also being offered Battery Life logging software, which gathers information about their product usage and battery life. The application – seemingly distributed using the Ad Hoc system – also gathers extensive data logs on this, which are then shared with Apple....

On your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch go to Settings » General » Restrictions. Tap Enable Restrictions. You’ll need to enter in a four digit Passcode twice. Now go through and set the restrictions. Move the slider to the Off position to disable access. You can turn on restrictions to disable music and in-app purchases from iTunes. Very handy if you let your kids use your device. It also lets you turn off links in Safari and only allow TV and music content by ratings....

The idea that ‘Apple is doomed’ has been a constant refrain from some quarters throughout the decades, and has been given something of a boost during the coronavirus crisis. First, there was the opening quarter of the year – Apple’s fiscal Q2. There was a dramatic difference between Apple’s original guidance and the actual numbers … Delays do not mean Apple is doomed Apple originally guided an extremely high $63-67B for the quarter, then withdrew the guidance and actually delivered $58....

Apple’s new app privacy labels went live in the App Store last month, giving users the chance to see what data is collected by each. We then explained how to view them. All apps are required to show what data is used to track you, and what data is linked to your identity. Looking at that more comprehensive category reveals some stark differences between four popular messaging apps… App privacy labels for messaging apps Forbes compared Signal, Apple’s own iMessage, WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger....

Apple in 2020 announced a new App Store Small Business Program, which allows developers to qualify for a commission rate of 15% if they earn up to $1 million. However, Apple had been rejecting developers who transferred apps from one account to another – which is fortunately no longer the case. The company has been informing developers about a change in its guidelines to remove app transfer prohibition for participation in the App Store Small Business Program....

Apple @ Work is brought to you by Kandji, a modern, cloud-based platform to manage and secure your Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV devices. Kandji saves IT teams hours of manual work with features like one-click compliance templates and 150+ pre-built automations, apps, and workflows. Request access. In a recent Forrester study, research came out about the updated total cost of ownership for Macs running Apple Silicon vs. the competitors on the market....

Apple @ Work is brought to you by Mosyle, the leader in modern mobile device management (MDM) and security for Apple enterprise and education customers. Over 28,000 organizations leverage Mosyle solutions to automate the deployment, management, and security of millions of Apple devices daily. Request a FREE account today and discover how you can put your Apple fleet on auto-pilot at a price point that is hard to believe. In this episode of Apple @ Work, Bradley is joined by Dan Tyke from North Shore Fire/Rescue and Max Williamson from Sock Club to talk about their experiences with Apple Business Essentials during the beta period....

5G might still be at a rather early stage in terms of coverage, but that’s not stopping work on Apple’s 6G plans. The goal of 6G is to allow speeds up to 100 times faster than 5G, but that is simply a broad ambition at this stage, with much of the required technology still to be figured out. Apple has placed job ads for research engineers to work on the next generation of high-speed mobile data…...

Apple talks about augmented reality at any opportunity it gets, but so far its fierce ambition has only materialized to consumers as ARKit apps on the iPhone and iPad. It has been widely reported that Apple is developing an AR glasses / headset product. Today, Ming-Chi Kuo reports that Apple’s first augmented reality product will go into mass production as soon as the fourth quarter of this year, but hedges the timeframe slightly and says it will be mass-produced by the second quarter of 2020 at the latest....

Apple announced last month the transition from Intel processors to its own ARM chips, which the company calls “Apple Silicon.” Today Apple has confirmed another important aspect of this transition regarding the future of the Thunderbolt connection, which will continue to be present in Apple Silicon Macs. With the big change to the Mac lineup coming later this year, users were concerned whether these new Mac models will be compatible with Thunderbolt devices — which is a hardware interface developed by Intel in collaboration with Apple....

The physical SIM card era has its days counted. With customers in Europe and Asia adopting the eSIM technology and the addition of an eSIM option to the third-gen iPhone SE, US carriers are getting ready for a not-so-distant future where the iPhone will also not have a SIM card port; it seems the upcoming iPhone 14 could lead the way for this technology improvement. A new report by the Wall Street Journal shows the eSIM technology has become popular in Europe and Asia, where consumers tend to switch between prepaid plans to get the best data package available, and why this technology will only get more adopters....

Alongside the highly anticipated iPad Pro, Apple also revealed a variety of new accessories designed to be used with the new tablet. First up is the Smart Keyboard, a physical keyboard that works worth iPad Pro. Keyboard case made for the larger iPad Connects with new 3-port Smart Connector for landscape typing Features fabric-covered keys Next up is Apple Pencil, a special digital stylus exclusively for iPad Pro. Recharges using Lightning port that connects into iPad Pro Pressure sensitive stylus App support from Procreate, YouMake, iOS 9 apps Unique stylus tip can be used with your finger as well The Smart Keyboard will cost $169 while the Apple Pencil goes for $99....

Just two weeks after unveiling an initial six new Apple Watch advertisements, Apple this evening has shared seven more, all being part of the same campaign. The ads all highlight certain capabilities of Apple Watch and are short, 15 second TV spots. The first ad, entitled “Dance,” stars R&B singer Leon Bridges asking Siri on Apple Watch to “play some 80’s music,” and proceeding to dance to then INXS song that begins to play....

A new survey today aims to show the most reputable companies in the eyes of customers in China. As noted by the South China Morning Post, The Reputation Institute today released its China RepTrak rankings, breaking down brand reputation in China… According to the rankings, Apple is the 12th most reputable company in China. That puts it behind several other technology companies, including Intel at first place, Huawei at second, Google at fourth, Nokia at eighth, and Microsoft at eleventh....

Just like last time the trial was extended, Apple is again handing out credits to paying Apple TV+ customers. Customers are being notified in emails being sent out by the company today. As we first explained on January 15th, the end date of free ‘year’ trials that accompanied the purchase of eligible Apple hardware have now been extended until July 2021. To make it for fair for people who have already transitioned from a trial to a paying subscriber, Apple is giving out $4....

After a few notable marketing leadership departures, Beats has announced its new CMO pick: Chris Thorne. The new top marketer at Beats joins the Apple-owned headphones company with experience from EA, The Honest Company, and Forward. The company highlights that the new CMO joins after the major launch of its new Powerbeats Pro wireless earphones. Beats says Thorne, who reports directly to Beats President Luke Wood, will start in his new role at the company immediately....

Apple has published a patent regarding iPhone cases and docks that support near-field wireless communication systems. According to Patently Apple, this accessory would significantly alter the operation and user interface (UI) of the iPhone. For instance, when put into a sport-focused protective case, the iPhone may automatically replace its graphical interface with one that is sport-focused. Another example shows that when the iPhone is placed on a speaker dock, it may change its UI with a set of audio playback controls....

Echoing other reports, the Wall Street Journal is today reporting that Apple is about a month behind on iPhone production. This means the iPhone 12 will likely launch later than the usual September window, as a result of the impacts of the coronavirus on the supply chain. Apple will launch four new iPhone 12 models this year, one 5.4-inch model, one 6.7-inch model, and two 6.1-inch models. This means Apple will be offering its latest flagship devices in new smaller and larger form factors....