MacRumors

Nomad, known for its lineup of premium accessories for Apple's devices, today announced the launch of the MagSafe Mount, which is designed to house the MagSafe Charger and keep it secured on a desk.

The ‌MagSafe‌ Mount is made from a solid block of stainless steel with a painted satin finish. There's a cutout at the top that fits a ‌MagSafe‌ Charger, with the charger held in place with microsuction tape. A soft rubber on the bottom keeps your desk protected, but this is a mount only -- you need to supply your own ‌MagSafe‌ Charger.

Nomad sent me a ‌MagSafe‌ Mount ahead of launch, and this thing is heavy, so I was surprised when I was able to pick up my iPhone with the ‌MagSafe‌ Mount still attached some of the time. The Magsafe Mount weighs a mount and a half and I thought that kind of weight would keep it on the desk, but if you grab your ‌iPhone‌ in a certain way, the mount can come up with the ‌iPhone‌.

You need to make sure to pick up your ‌iPhone‌ from one side first, with the edge that's hanging off the charger, or with a bit of a twist, which many people probably do anyway. You can also use a finger underneath to do a pry up kind of gesture when you pull it up, which is more natural than it sounds. I do typically pick up my ‌iPhone‌ with a side pull, but I wasn't expecting that ‌MagSafe‌ strength.

In just casual use without thinking about it, I only had the ‌MagSafe‌ Mount lift off my desk a couple of times over the weekend, so it wasn't an ongoing issue as long as I was mindful of how I was picking it up. Since the ‌MagSafe‌ Mount is so heavy, though, I'm worried that I might pick it up wrong one day and send it crashing into my desk.

I've only had the ‌MagSafe‌ Mount on hand for a couple of days, so I haven't had the time to determine whether it's something that's going to bother me over time during day to day usage. I suspect most people will get used to picking an ‌iPhone‌ up off of the ‌MagSafe‌ Mount from the top or the bottom or with a finger at the side and it won't be an issue.

I do wish Nomad had used the same microsuction material used on the inside on the outside to give the ‌MagSafe‌ Mount a stronger attachment to a desk or a table so the slight lifting in some circumstances wouldn't have been an issue at all.

The design of the ‌MagSafe‌ Mount made it difficult to get the ‌MagSafe‌ Charger secured in place, and it's really in there. It's an incredibly tight fit, so this is not an accessory that you're going to want to be taking on and off a ‌MagSafe‌ Charger. The microsuction adhesive on the inside makes it even harder to get off, and I have a bruise on the side of my thumb from trying to get it out.

Because the ‌MagSafe‌ Charger fits so tightly inside the ‌MagSafe‌ Mount, it does look great. It resembles a single piece of hardware rather than an attachment, and it's difficult to tell that there are two pieces. It's machined well and it fits precisely. The design has the USB-C cable routing through the middle and into a channel on the bottom, which contributes to the streamlined design.

The way the cord of the ‌MagSafe‌ Charger goes into the ‌MagSafe‌ Mount has me a little concerned for its impact on the life of the cord. The way the ‌MagSafe‌ Mount is designed produces a slight bend in the cord because of the angle that it inserts into the device, and this particular spot is sometimes a point of failure for Apple's cables. I'm not sure if I have a faulty ‌MagSafe‌ Mount or if I did something unusual putting it in or pulling it out, but it's something to be aware of.

Bottom Line

At $50, the Magsafe Mount is an expensive addition to a ‌MagSafe‌ Charger, which is $40 on its own for a total of $90, but it has a decidedly Apple-esque design that melds well with the design of the ‌MagSafe‌ Charger.

Those looking for a permanent desk mounting option may want to consider the ‌MagSafe‌ Mount, but it won't be a good fit for those looking for a solution that makes it easier to move the ‌MagSafe‌ Charger from place to place.

How to Buy

The ‌MagSafe‌ Mount can be purchased from the Nomad website for $50, but our readers can save 20 percent by entering the code MACRUMORS at checkout. This makes the ‌MagSafe‌ Mount $39.96.

Note: Nomad provided MacRumors with a ‌MagSafe‌ Mount for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received. MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Nomad. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Technicians in China have reportedly succeeded in upgrading the memory and storage of the M1 chip, suggesting that Apple's integrated custom silicon for the Mac may be more flexible than previously thought.

Reports of maintenance technicians being able to expand the memory and storage of ‌M1‌ Macs began circulating on Chinese social media over the weekend, but now international reports have started to clarify the situation.

Technicians in Guangzhou, China have discovered that it is possible to detach the RAM from the ‌M1‌ chip and its nearby SSD module and replace them with larger capacity components, which are correctly recognized by macOS, without breaking the device.

As proof, a large number of images showing the process of a base model ‌M1‌ MacBook Air with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage being upgraded to 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage, and this change being correctly shown in macOS Big Sur, have been shared online.

The RAM and SSD components on Apple's ‌M1‌ Macs are soldered in place, making the procedure extremely challenging, and there is reportedly a high chance of failure. This invasive unofficial upgrade also undoubtedly breaches Apple's warranty.

Apple has made it increasingly challenging for users to upgrade their own Macs over the years, and it was thought that the ‌M1‌ Mac represented a final solidification of this move, with all of the ‌M1‌ Mac's computing components being heavily physically integrated. The possibility of upgrading the memory and storage of ‌M1‌ Macs, albeit in an invasive and risky procedure, therefore seems to be a significant discovery.

Due to the difficulty of upgrading the RAM or SSD, almost all ‌M1‌ owners will likely still have to rely on the memory and storage configuration that they chose at the point of purchase, with upgrades being confined to a minority of enthusiasts, although it has been suggested that ‌M1‌ Mac memory and storage upgrades in Asia will be available through unofficial channels.

‌M1‌ Mac owners may be keen to see if the process behind these upgrades is refined over time and becomes a more viable option.

In its latest App Store update, Microsoft To Do has ended support for iOS 12 and older, officially requiring that all users must be running iOS 13 or later in order to receive app updates.

Microsoft To Do rose to popularity last year following the closure of Wunderlist and Microsoft's acquisition of the company. Since then, Microsoft To Do has been playing catch-up in attempting to keep former Wunderlist users hocked onto its service.

With a previous ‌App Store‌ update, Microsoft added iOS 14 widgets to its "intelligence task management app," giving users quick access to their tasks on their homescreen. Last week, Microsoft shut down Cortona for iOS and Android, and tasks previously stored with Cortona were automatically added to Microsoft To Do.

Microsoft To Do is available on the ‌App Store‌. [Direct Link]

WhatsApp is testing a new feature that will allow users to transfer their chat history, logs, and transcripts between iOS and Android devices, making it easier for WhatsApp users to switch between the two platforms.

The new future, in the early stages of development, was brought to light by WABetaInfo, who often shares unreleased and hidden features behind the chatting service. According to the WhatsApp specialist, a future update will allow users to transfer their chats from an iOS device to an Android device and vice versa, as long as both phones have the latest version of WhatsApp.

In case an app is not running the latest version, WhatApps will prompt users to update their app before being able to transfer their chats, according to a screenshot provided by WABetaInfo. Currently, there is no way to transfer chats between iOS and Android, making it hard for customers of both ecosystems to switch over.

On iOS, WhatsApp uses iCloud to backup user data, making it easy to switch to a new iPhone and restore WhatsApp history. On Android, WhatsApp uses Google Drive for backing up and restoring. Other features WhatsApp is testing include password-protected iCloud backups, self-destructing images, and the ability to link one WhatsApp account to up to four devices.

Update: Images and a video shared by WABetaInfo show a new "Move chats to Android" option in WhatsApp for iOS and outline how the process takes place.

Apple is working on a new version of the Apple TV that's set to be released at some point in 2021, and the new set-top box that's coming could feature support 4K 120Hz video output.

Evidence of 120Hz support was found in the tvOS 14.5 beta code by 9to5Mac, with the code listing multiple instances of "120Hz and "supports120Hz." The code was found in PineBoard, Apple's name for the ‌Apple TV‌ interface.

The references to 120Hz refresh rate support suggest that Apple is testing this feature for the next-generation ‌Apple TV‌, and it suggests that the new set-top box will use HDMI 2.1. HDMI 2.0, used for the current fifth-generation ‌Apple TV‌ 4K, is limited to 4K resolution at 60Hz. HDMI 2.1, however, is able to support streaming 4K content at 120Hz.

As with the 120Hz refresh rate on the iPad Pro models, a 120Hz refresh rate mode on ‌Apple TV‌ would allow for smoother performance on 120Hz television sets and would be ideal for gaming where there's a lot of quick action as you might find in shooting games.

There are 120Hz TVs on the market, which people generally buy for gaming purposes and use with the latest Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 consoles, both of which support the HDMI 2.1 specification and can output 4K video at 120Hz.

We don't yet know when the next-generation ‌Apple TV‌ will launch, but rumors have suggested it will feature a faster processor and a redesigned remote. Some rumors also suggest that Apple is planning for an ‌Apple TV‌ that would offer a console-like gaming experience, and 4K 120Hz support would allow the ‌Apple TV‌ to better compete with the latest flagship gaming consoles.

Apple today reminded developers that its App Tracking Transparency rules will be enforced starting with the launch of iOS 14.5, iPadOS 14.5, and tvOS 14.5.

When these updates are released, developers will need to get express permission to access the IDFA or advertising identifier on a device to track users across apps and websites for ad targeting purposes.

Make sure your apps are ready for iOS 14.5, iPadOS 14.5, and tvOS 14.5. With the upcoming public release, all apps must use the AppTrackingTransparency framework to request the user's permission to track them or to access their device's advertising identifier. Unless you receive permission from the user to enable tracking, the device's advertising identifier value will be all zeros and you may not track them.

When submitting your app for review, any other form of tracking -- for example, by name or email address -- must be declared in the product page's App Store Privacy Information section and be performed only if permission is granted through AppTrackingTransparency. You'll also need to include a purpose string in the system prompt to explain why you'd like to track the user, per App Store Review Guideline 5.1.2(i). These requirements apply to all apps starting with the public release of iOS 14.5, iPadOS 14.5, and tvOS 14.5.

As a reminder, collecting device and usage data with the intent of deriving a unique representation of a user, or fingerprinting, continues to be a violation of the Apple Developer Program License Agreement.

Apple clarifies that developers are not allowed to use specific device data with the intent of fingerprinting a user to replace the IDFA, which is something that Chinese app developers and mobile measurement companies have already been doing.

Apple earlier in March warned app developers not to use alternate methods to collect user data for tracking purposes, and last week, rejected several app updates from developers using an SDK from mobile measurement company Adjust, which used data like software version and charge level to keep track of users.

All of the framework for App Tracking Transparency is already in place and some developers have already begun asking users for IDFA access permission, but it will be a requirement for all apps that use the IDFA when iOS 14.5 and its sister updates are released.

We don't yet know when iOS 14.5 will see a release, but in an interview with Kara Swisher that came out this morning, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that iOS 14.5 will be coming in "just a few weeks."

Facebook and Apple are squabbling over document requests in the ongoing Epic v. Apple legal battle, according to a new discovery letter filed with the court today. Facebook is involved because Facebook executive Vivek Sharma is set to testify on behalf of Epic.

Apple wants a "limited set of documents" that are needed for a fair cross examination of Sharma, who plans to testify about Apple's restrictions on iOS app distribution, the App Store process, and Facebook's interactions with Apple, but Facebook does not want to produce the documents that Apple is asking for.

There are apparently more than 17,000 documents related to Sharma that Apple feels are relevant in the case, but Facebook says that producing tens of thousands of documents is an "untimely, unfair, and unjustified request to redo fact discovery." Facebook has already provided Apple with more than 1,600 documents, including 200 involving Sharma, but Apple does not believe that is sufficient.

According to Apple, Facebook has been continually ignoring requests for documents and using delaying tactics. Apple says it served multiple subpoenas to Facebook starting in December and met with Facebook several times to narrow the scope of the requests, but Facebook has refused to produce many of the documents in question.

Apple was fed up with Facebook and ultimately agreed not to pursue additional documents if no Facebook executives testified, but Epic added Sharma to its witness list, and Apple again wants the documents.

Despite Facebook's knowledge of the time constraints in this action, it stalled for five days purportedly because "there is unavoidable technical processing time baked in to" investigating the burden of production, and finally admitted on March 29 it did not intend to produce more documents.

Facebook claims that Apple waited to ask for the documents after the discovery period had closed (and before Apple confirmed Sharma would be a witness), making the timing of the request "improper." Facebook also claims that Apple is asking for additional unrelated documents pertaining to iOS 14 and Facebook's response to App Tracking Transparency that are irrelevant to the case.

If Apple believed that production was insufficient in any way, it had every opportunity to move to compel within 7 days of the close of discovery as required by the Court's Rules. Apple chose not to, making this motion untimely. Instead, claiming surprise by Epic's disclosure of Mr. Sharma as a trial witness--even though Epic's complaint quoted him by name--Apple now demands that Facebook review and produce an enormous number of additional documents.

Apple is asking the court to order Facebook to comply with Apple's request for Facebook's documents so that "Apple has a fair opportunity to cross examine the newly-disclosed trial witness." Facebook argues that it should not be compelled to "review tens of thousands more documents because Apple wants to go fishing for some theoretical additional cross material," and therefore the court should deny the request.

Update: The court has denied Apple's request to compel Facebook to produce additional documents, calling it "untimely" and ruling in favor of Facebook. The judge said that Apple could, however, raise a motion to have Vivek Sharma dismissed as a witness if Epic failed to disclose him in a timely manner.

Microsoft today shared an ad that pits the Surface Pro 7 against Apple's iPad Pro, in a continuation of a Surface Pro 7 vs. MacBook ad campaign that kicked off in January.

The ad highlights the Surface Pro 7's kickstand, pointing out that the iPad does not have a built-in kickstand option, and it calls the ‌iPad Pro‌'s keyboard "a lot heavier" than the Surface option.

Microsoft also goes for the dongle angle, pointing out that the ‌iPad Pro‌ only has a single USB-C port while the Surface Pro 7 has several available ports. "You wanna be this guy?" says the actor in the ad, while holding up an ‌iPad‌ with a dongle attached.

"‌iPad Pro‌'s just a tablet," adds the actor. "Surface is a whole computer and a tablet." The ad ends by pointing out the price with the ‌iPad Pro‌ Smart Keyboard, which comes to $1,348 for the 12.9-inch model ($999 + $349 for the keyboard). Microsoft's Surface Pro 7 is priced starting at $750, and Microsoft says the version used in the ad is $880, which includes the cost of the keyboard.

Microsoft's previous Surface Pro 7 ad compared the tablet to the MacBook Pro, pointing out its touchscreen vs. the Touch Bar and calling the Surface Pro a "much better gaming device" than the ‌MacBook Pro‌.

Microsoft often likes to position its Surface line as a tablet/computer experience that Apple is unable to compete with because it has no convertible devices. Intel too has been claiming that touchscreen-based convertible computers are better than Apple's M1 Macs in its ongoing anti-Mac ad campaign.

Apple executives have long said that they have no plans to combine the Mac and ‌iPad‌ lineups, and Apple engineering chief Craig Federighi said in November that Apple does not have plans for a touchscreen Mac.

Capra Leather is a Colombia-based company that makes a range of handmade leather accessories, including cases for the iPad and MacBook, as well as magnetic wallets for the iPhone 12, for over 100 countries around the world. One of Capra's latest products is an alternative to the AirPods Max Smart Case, which seeks to address some of the criticisms that have been leveled at Apple's own case that comes with its over-ear headphones.

Capra Leather's ‌AirPods Max‌ case is designed to safely store ‌AirPods Max‌ when they are not in use, and contains a pair of neodymium magnets, just like Apple's Smart Case, to put the headphones into their ultra-low power mode to preserve battery life. Unlike Apple's case, the Capra Leather case covers almost the entirety of ‌AirPods Max‌, including the headband, for much better overall protection. My Capra Leather ‌AirPods Max‌ case is in tan, but it is also available in black, dark brown, navy, and green.

Capra's leather is fairly soft and supple, but thick and sturdy enough that I feel the case would protect my ‌AirPods Max‌ adequately during travel, and certainly better than when put in Apple's Smart Case. The design does not waste space and is as compact as you could reasonably expect a protective case for the ‌AirPods Max‌ to be.

Although the upper sides of the headband are not covered by the case, they are recessed far enough inside that I felt they were sufficiently well-protected. There is also a tiny amount of added padding in the flap over the headband for extra protection.

The bottom of the case reveals the two pockets used to stow each of the earcups and features a cable pass-through on the right earcup pocket for charging the ‌AirPods Max‌ in the case.

The entire design is based around an easy access flap that folds over the front of the case. This flap contains magnets, which are strong enough to keep it closed, but not so strong that opening the case requires excessive effort. The solution is very convenient and more user-friendly than the zippers that are commonplace on many other cases for headphones.

Inside, the ‌AirPods Max‌'s earcups are kept in separate pockets to prevent them from hitting each other and they fit in quite snugly. Capra says that there is suede inside, but it is a rather rough variety of suede that is much more akin to the natural underside of leather than the sort of soft-touch napped suede I am familiar with from clothing. Nevertheless, the inside is soft enough that I am not concerned about the ‌AirPods Max‌ getting scratched or scuffed.

Inside, there is a small, elastic cable holder, allowing you to carry a Lightning cable for charging your ‌AirPods Max‌. While it is handy to be able to store a cable here, I found that the elastic was a bit too tight and it was a struggle to get a 1m USB-C to Lightning cable to fit in. I also found that it was a little difficult to remove the cable while the ‌AirPods Max‌ were in the case due to the mesh headband being so nearby, so most of the time you would want to take the headphones out first.

Capra lauds its use of hand stitching and locally sourced natural leather to make its products. I felt that the leather and stitching was good, but not impressive. In terms of quality, given its premium $99 price tag, I had expected slightly better.

It feels like the case has been made to last and will age well, but when it comes to paying $99 for a case, I expected an impressive finish that could stand up to the material quality of other premium leather accessories.

I was also disappointed with the pass-through for charging because the cutout was somewhat poorly finished and uneven. The suede flaps inside totally obscured the actual charging port, making it very difficult to actually get the Lightning connector into the ‌AirPods Max‌ without either scratching the headphones or pinching the suede between the connector and the surround of the port.

I found that the only way I could confidently charge the ‌AirPods Max‌ in the case was by turning the case upside down and trying to part the flaps with my finger while pushing the cable in with my other hand, but even when doing this I found that the suede often bunched up and got caught inside the case.

The biggest problem I had with the Capra Leather case was the fact that the ‌AirPods Max‌ have to be fully retracted to their smallest size in order to keep the case closed with the magnets. Although you can still fold the leather flap over the ‌AirPods Max‌ when extended beyond the smallest size, it will not magnetically stay down. This would have been easily resolved by putting a row of magnets inside the earcup pockets instead of just one on either side.

While for demonstration purposes I fully extended the arms of my ‌AirPods Max‌ to show how the flap fails to close, I actually only need a small amount of extension on my headphones to get them to fit, and even with this small extension, the flap would not close properly at all since the magnets no longer line up.

I feel that forcing users to fully retract their headphones every time they put them away, and then extend them again when they get them out to use, defeats the point of easy and quick access with the magnetic flap. In spite of the various limitations of Apple's own Smart Case, it facilitates all extension sizes so you can use your ‌AirPods Max‌ immediately without worrying about sizing. I can't help but feel this is something of a design flaw with the Capra Leather case, and it puts me off using it every day since it is inconvenient to find the perfect extension with the ‌AirPods Max‌ every time I want to use them.

Bottom Line

The Capra Leather ‌AirPods Max‌ case is a viable alternative to Apple's Smart Case, and I appreciated the carefully aligned magnets for putting the headphones into their ultra-low power mode. The case is also excellent for travel and peace of mind when it comes to protecting the headphones.

Nonetheless, it must be said that the fact that the ‌AirPods Max‌ have to be fully retracted for the case to properly close and the charging pass-through seems to suggest that some aspects of the design were not very well thought through. In light of this and the unexceptional quality, I think that Capra Leather's ‌AirPods Max‌ case is quite expensive for its $99 price tag.

I can see the Capra Leather case being appealing to users who need something to store their ‌AirPods Max‌ in during infrequent travel, alongside Apple's Smart Case for daily use. Users who charge their ‌AirPods Max‌ outside of the case or do not need any amount of extension with their headphones will be able to easily look past the problems I experienced.

Apple's Smart Case has its own problems, but so does the Capra Leather case. If you strongly dislike Apple's Smart Case and are happy to pay a premium, Capra's case is a fair alternative that can offer much more protection, as long as you are comfortable with its design limitations.

How to Buy

The Capra Leather ‌AirPods Max‌ case can be purchased from the Capra Leather website for $99, and it is available in black, dark brown, navy, tan, and green.

Note: Capra Leather provided MacRumors with an ‌AirPods Max‌ case for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received.

Facebook Pay is expanding on its service by rolling out person-to-person payments via QR codes, allowing users to scan a friend or family member's QR code, and instantly transfer money.

Facebook Pay launched in 2019 as an easy and convenient service for people to transfer money to friends and family, pay businesses, purchase products, and more. It's integrated into all of Facebook's apps, including Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp. At launch, Facebook Pay had already supported person-to-person payments via Messenger and the Facebook app, and now the social media giant is now hoping to target physical person-to-person payments.

As first discovered by MacRumors contributor Steve Moser, users will be prompted with a new "Scan" button in their Facebook Pay carousel. Pressing it allows users to scan a QR code for a friend or family member, select the amount, and transfer the money. Additionally, Facebook Pay is also introducing personalized payment links, which automatically direct others to a secure page to transfer money to your account.

Scott Harkey, chief strategy officer and head of financial services and payments at Levvel and who worked with Apple for its expansion of Apple Pay, tells MacRumors that despite Facebook's intention, it has work to do around changing people's perception that Facebook Pay is, and can be, a mainstream way to pay.

At the end of the day, payment methods have to solve a problem and be easier or more beneficial than existing methods. If someone does a lot of buying on Facebook Marketplace or buys a lot of things from Facebook adds, then you can see how a stored credential and in-app payment mechanism would be the most convenient. However, it’s not clear to me why someone would use Facebook QR code for P2P in person. I don’t believe many people currently think of Facebook as a way to transact or transfer money, and Facebook would need to change that perception in order for them to have any meaningful traction in the US.

Facebook Pay continues to expand globally, and a list of where and on which Facebook-owned apps the service is available can be found on its website.

Update 12:30 pm: According to sources, the QR code feature of Facebook Pay is still in testing for users in the United States and has yet to be officially launched.

In a wide-ranging interview with The New York Times' Kara Swisher, on her podcast "Sway," Apple CEO Tim Cook talks about Apple's feud with Facebook, its stance on privacy, Apple's legal battle with Epic Games, and possible future Apple innovations such as Apple Glasses.

Apple is in the midst of a heated public spat with Facebook over privacy, particularly over an upcoming feature on iOS that will require apps to ask for users consent before tracking them.

The new feature called ATT, or App Tracking Transparency, coming with iOS 14.5 in "a few weeks," according to Cook, will force apps to ask users for permission to track them across other apps and websites. Facebook has argued vehemently against the new feature, saying it impacts small businesses that rely on personalized ads, derived from tracking, to keep afloat.

‌Tim Cook‌ says he disagrees with that argument, indirectly saying that Facebook's point of view is "flimsy." Cook calls privacy the "top issue of the 21st century," adding that with tracking, companies, such as Facebook are able to put "together an entire profile of what you're thinking and what you're doing."

What [App Tracking Transparency] tries to get at is companies that are taking advantage of tracking you across apps of other companies and therefore putting together an entire profile of what you're thinking, what you're doing, surveilling you across the web 24/7.

They'll see a simple pop-up that basically prompts them to answer the question, are they OK with being tracked or not? If they are, things move on. If they're not, then the tracking is turned off.

When asked how the new feature will impact Facebook, Cook says he's not "focused on Facebook," saying Apple adds new tools and features every year that improves and doubles down on user privacy. Speaking more specifically to what actions may need to be taken against companies that track users, Cook says he used to be a firm believer in the ability for companies to regulate themselves but notes that's now changed.

Generally speaking, I think privacy is one of the top issues of the 21st century, and I think we're in a crisis. Years ago, I thought companies would regulate themselves and sort of get better. I no longer believe that. And I'm not generally somebody that is keen on regulation, but I think that regulation is required.

In a speech at a privacy conference in January, Cook strongly condemned social media companies that fuel conspiracy theories thanks to their algorithms. Cook says that Apple doesn't have a social media platform that is "pushing stuff in your feed," but notes it does have the App Store which it takes careful consideration in curating content for.

Well, you know, I can only speak for Apple. And from the very start, we've always believed in curation. And so we review every app that goes on the store. That doesn't mean that we're perfect at doing it. We're not. But we care deeply about what we're offering our users. And when we have a new product like Apple News, we have human editors that are selecting the key stories. And so they're avoiding all of the misinformation that is out there. The reality is that the web in some areas has become a dark place. And without curation, you wind up with this firehose of things that I would not want to put into an amplifier. Which is what tech is in a large way. If you have a platform, you amplify things.

Cook in typical Apple fashion never comments on future, unreleased Apple products. However, possibly hinting at Apple Glasses, Cook says AR is "critically" important for the future of Apple. The CEO envisions a future where conversations include more than just words, but include charts, and "other things" appearing in a virtual space.

Well, I can't talk about anything that we may or may not have in the pipeline. But in terms of AR, the promise of AR is that you and I are having a great conversation right now. Arguably, it could even be better if we were able to augment our discussion with charts or other things to appear. Your audience would also benefit from this, too, I think. And so when I think about that in different fields, whether it's health, whether it's education, whether it's gaming, whether it's retail, I'm already seeing AR take off in some of these areas. And I think the promise is even greater in the future. So it's a critically important part of Apple's future.

Speaking about Apple's fight with Epic Games, Cook says that Epic had long followed ‌App Store‌ rules, but decided to no longer follow the guidelines all other developers follow. Cook says Apple is "confident" in its case with the gaming giant.

It's about living up to the rules and the guidelines of the App Store, and they had done that for years and then had decided, evidently, that they didn't want to follow the rules anymore and had passed something throughout the review process, and then after it had been through app review, changed it on the server-side. So it was sort of a deceitful move. And so we're going into court. We're coming to tell our story. We're going to talk about the privacy and security aspects of the store. And we're confident in our case.

One of ‌Epic Games‌' biggest arguments about the Apple ecosystem is the lack of so-called "freedom" for users to download apps from places other than the ‌App Store‌. Many have long voiced their hope that Apple would allow users to sideload apps onto their device, such as the iPhone. Cook says that sideloading apps, however, would "break the privacy and security" model of the ‌iPhone‌.

In the remainder of the podcast, ‌Tim Cook‌ talks about his relationship with the President Biden administration and said he "probably" will not be Apple's CEO in 10 years. The full 36-minute long podcast is available over at The New York Times.

The personal details of more than 553 million Facebook users have been published on a website for hackers, according to multiple reports over the weekend.

The details appeared on Saturday, according to Business Insider, and are also available in 106 different country-based packages, included 32 million records on users in the US, 11 million on users in the UK, and 6 million on users in India.

In a statement, Facebook said the data was from a breach of its servers that had occurred in 2019 and it had since plugged the security hole that allowed it to take place.

"This is old data that was previously reported on in 2019," a Facebook spokesperson said. "We found and fixed this issue in August 2019."

While the information appears to be old, the details in the shared database include phone numbers, Facebook IDs, names, locations, birthdates and email addresses, all of which could be used in social engineering attacks or hacking attempts.

In a tweet, cyber researcher Dave Walker said Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg was among the millions of users who had had their personal data posted on the forum.

The information was first discovered by Alon Gal, CTO of cybercrime intelligence firm Hudson Rock, who called the leak "a huge breach of trust" by Facebook that "should be handled accordingly," but he added that there was little that the social network could do beyond warning people to stay on the lookout for phishing scams.

Concerned users are encouraged to check if their email address has been leaked in data breaches using the Have I Been Pwned website. Troy Hunt, the founder of the website, is also considering adding the leaked phone numbers to its search database.

This isn't the first time that hackers have targeted Facebook for its vast trove of user date. In 2018, a security breach allowed hackers to steal data on 29 million users, including details on everything from username and relationship status, to religion, birthdate, and home town.

Apple has adjusted the trade-in values of a number of its products, including the majority of the iPad and Mac lineup, while also making some changes to iPhone.

Apple's trade-in program allows customers to trade-in older devices, and receive a certain amount of value for them, to use towards a purchase of a new device. The exact trade-in value a device has is measured by its condition, when it was released, and its manufacturer. Apple last notably updated its trade-in prices in December, and furthermore, it has made some more changes over the weekend.

It's important to note that the value shown on Apple's website reflects the maximum possible trade-in value for a product.

On the ‌iPad‌ lineup, the iPad Pro has had its value go up by $45 to $580, versus the previous $535. The standard ‌iPad‌ trade-in value has gone down by $15 to $235. In the Mac family, the MacBook Air is now valued at $530, down from $600. The discontinued MacBook is down by $40 to $340, and the discontinued iMac Pro is valued at $2,940, down $100. iMac value has had a reduction by $130 to $1,050, and the Mac mini down $60, to a value of $770.

With the ‌iPhone‌, Apple has also made some changes. The maximum trade-in value of the iPhone 11 Pro Max is up by $15 to $515, the ‌iPhone‌ 11 Pro up by $5 to $465, and the ‌iPhone‌ 11 up by $20 to a maximum value of $380. The ‌iPhone‌ 6S Plus value has gone up to $65, versus $60.

Recently Apple also expanded the list of Android devices eligible for trade-in, adding the Google Pixel 4a, Pixel 5, and Samsung Galaxy Note 20. More information about Apple's trade-in options can be found on its website.

After five grueling years of financial losses and uncertainty about the future of its mobile handsets, LG Electronics today announced its intention to shut down its smartphone division.

In a press release, LG says the decision to shut down its smartphone business will allow it to focus on other sectors such as artificial intelligence, home computing, and business-to-business solutions.

LG's strategic decision to exit the incredibly competitive mobile phone sector will enable the company to focus resources in growth areas such as electric vehicle components, connected devices, smart homes, robotics, artificial intelligence, and business-to-business solutions, as well as platforms and services.

Despite its hardships, LG had multiple hits in the "incredibly competitive" market, including teasing the world's first rollable smartphone. For its devices still in the hands of customers around the world, LG says it will continue to provide user support and will sell its phones until the current stock runs out.

Current LG phone inventory will continue to be available for sale. LG will provide service support and software updates for customers of existing mobile products for a period of time which will vary by region. LG will work collaboratively with suppliers and business partners throughout the closure of the mobile phone business. Details related to employment will be determined at the local level.

In March, LG was considering exiting the smartphone industry, although, at the time, rumors suggested the company was aiming to sell the business instead of a complete shutdown. However, the lack of significant growth and mainstream adoption in recent years meant it was unable to find a potential buyer.

Despite the shutdown, LG says it will retain some of the core advancements that its smartphone business has made over the years, including research and development in 6G and connectivity to be applied to existing and future products.

Moving forward, LG will continue to leverage its mobile expertise and develop mobility-related technologies such as 6G to help further strengthen competitiveness in other business areas. Core technologies developed during the two decades of LG’s mobile business operations will also be retained and applied to existing and future products.

While the shutdown was announced today, LG says it expects its mobile division to completely cease by July 31.

Images shared by Japanese site Mac Otakara claim to show a 3D-printed mockup of the upcoming 6.1-inch iPhone 13 Pro with a smaller notch, and repositioned earpiece and front camera, but with minimal changes otherwise.

According to the images, Apple plans to move the earpiece to the top of the notch within the screen bezel, lining up with a previous photo shared by MacRumors that shows the same design change.

The alleged ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro mockup, which is presumably based on leaked design drawings that frequently circulate among case manufacturers and others well ahead of Apple's official unveiling, also shows the front-facing camera moved to the left side of the notch, a change compared to its current location to the right side of the notch. Pictures of the alleged front glass panel for the ‌iPhone‌ 13 lineup shared with MacRumors also show a cutout on the left side of the notch for the camera.

‌Mac Otakara‌ has also shared specific dimensions of the notch for the upcoming ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro, demonstrating how much the notch is expected to shrink. Compared to the ‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro, the mockup suggests the 2021 Pro ‌iPhone‌ will feature a notch that is 5.35 mm in height vs. 5.30 mm for the ‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro, and 26.80 mm in width, down from 34.83 mm. Visually, the notch will be smaller in width but will be slightly taller.

Rumors about a smaller notch have been present since the launch of the ‌iPhone‌ X, which first introduced the TrueDepth system and the notch. Apple may be able to reduce the footprint of the notch thanks to the relocation of the earpiece and the repositioning of the front camera. Other than the reduced notch, the images shared by Macotakara reveal no changes to the rear camera or other aspects of the ‌iPhone‌'s design.

While lacking in design changes, the ‌iPhone‌ 13 is rumored to come with some key new features. The higher-end ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro and ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro Max are rumored to come with a ProMotion 120Hz display, and the entire lineup is expected to feature a faster A15 chip, improved cameras, and new colors, including matte black.

Less than a month after releasing Adobe Photoshop for Apple silicon, and more than three months after releasing Adobe Premiere Pro, Premiere Rush, and Audition for Apple silicon in beta, Adobe has begun testing Illustrator on Apple's latest chip architecture.

Adobe released the first beta for Illustrator for Apple silicon late last week, saying that many "core features" of Illustrator are supported in the native version of the program for Apple silicon. Until now, users have needed to run Illustrator on Apple silicon using Apple's Rosetta 2 emulation.

With native support, Illustrator and other apps such as Photoshop not only offer faster performance but improved reliability on newer Mac machines. Adobe customers interested in testing Illustrator with Apple silicon can download beta version 25.3.1 from the Beta Apps section in the Creative Cloud Desktop app.

Update: Adobe has also released a new version of its Premiere Pro public beta for Apple silicon.