MacRumors

Amid a barrage of public attacks on Apple from Facebook over privacy measures, Facebook employees have expressed their displeasure with the direction of the campaign in comments obtained by BuzzFeed News.

Last week, Facebook launched a campaign in print newspapers explaining that it was "standing up to Apple for small businesses everywhere," and created a website encouraging people to "Speak Up for Small Businesses."

Facebook argues that Apple's privacy changes in iOS 14, which give users the option to opt-out of ad tracking, will harm small businesses that see increased sales from personalized ads. However, some Facebook employees are reportedly complaining about what they perceived to be a self-serving campaign.

BuzzFeed News obtained internal comments from one of Facebook's private message boards and audio of a presentation to Facebook workers, revealing that there is discontentment among employees about the angle used to attack Apple's privacy changes. One Facebook engineer, in response to an internal post about the campaign from Facebook's advertising chief Dan Levy, said:

It feels like we are trying to justify doing a bad thing by hiding behind people with a sympathetic message.

Ahead of an internal meeting to explain the rationale of the campaign against Apple, Facebook employees asked and voted up several questions that focused on the consequences of the campaign on Facebook's public image. The most popular questions asked reportedly all expressed skepticism or concern:

Aren't we worried that our stance protecting [small- and medium-sized businesses] will backfire as people see it as "Facebook protecting their own business" instead?

People want "privacy," Facebook objecting here will be viewed with cynicism. Did we know this would be bad PR, and decide to publish anyway?

How do we pick a message that looks less self-serving?

In response, Facebook vice president of product marketing Graham Mudd said that the company has been "really clear" that Apple's changes do "have a financial impact on us," in addition to small businesses:

We're not trying to sweep that under the rug. We are, you know, a profitable, big company and we're going to get through this and adapt our products and so forth. But the real folks that are going to get hit by this are small businesses, and that's why we made them the focus of the message.

Following the presentation, many Facebook employees were apparently unconvinced. Some did not understand how Apple's changes would negatively affect small businesses, while one highlighted that Apple's privacy changes also prevent "malicious actors" from tracking people:

We're not going to… be the only ones that should be allowed to track people without their consent — any company can do that, even smaller startups and malicious actors.

The same employee launched a scathing attack on Levy's post, accompanied by a popular meme with the text "Are we the baddies?"

The only thing I'm hearing, again and again, is "this is bad for the businesses," and I'd really like someone at the top to explicitly say, "People are better off if they don't know what we're doing, if we don't have to explain ourselves to them, if they don't get a choice to opt-in or opt-out of our practices, if we obscure it as much as possible behind interesting features and then get them to accept surreptitious tracking on the back end as long as we downplay it."

Other critics suggested that Facebook incentivizes opting-in to ad tracking in a positive campaign rather than attacking the notion of a choice to opt-in or out. Levy responded to criticisms explaining that the campaign was simply "not about our business model."

That's Apple's marketing working and convincing you to scapegoat us so they can decide how the internet should work — even beyond their devices. I'm an optimist who works in technology because I think tech can be a lever for democratizing access and giving opportunity. Including for businesses. And if you think this is going to stop with personalized ads... well, then I disagree.

Other comments from employees highlighted that the spirited defense of small businesses was hypocritical because Facebook has repeatedly disabled the ad accounts of small business advertisers by mistake and increasingly uses automated customer support, leading to a plethora of public complaints from small businesses:

[They] highlight that we're probably not doing everything we can to "stand up for small [businesses]" when we don't provide human customer service support to small advertisers.

Facebook spokesperson Ashley Zandy responded to BuzzFeed News, insisting that the stories of small businesses are Facebook's priority:

Since launching this effort we have heard from small businesses literally around the world who are worried about how these changes could hurt their businesses. Because this is such a critical time for [small- and medium-sized businesses], we will continue to share those stories with the public and our employees.

Following the launch of the campaign, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), a non-profit organization that defends civil liberties in the digital world, called Facebook's criticisms of tracking-related privacy measures "laughable."

Apple in July announced the launch of a new Apple Security Research Device Program, which is designed to provide researchers with specially-configured iPhones that are equipped with unique code execution and containment policies to support security research.

Apple is notifying the first researchers who will be receiving these special iPhones as of today, and the Cupertino company says that the devices will be sent out right away. Under the terms of the program, participating security researchers will be provided with iPhones that are on loan for one year, though it will be possible to extend the loan period.

The goal of the Security Research Device Program is to further improve the security of iOS, and Apple believes that the contributions of security researchers will assist the company in achieving its goal of increasing safety for consumers. Apple says that it values collaborating with independent researchers and appreciates the work they do on Apple platforms.

The iPhones Apple will provide are less locked down than consumer devices, which will make it easier for researchers to locate serious security vulnerabilities. These devices are as close as possible to production phones with the latest version of iOS and modern hardware. Researchers will not need to jailbreak the phones to do research, which will enable them to investigate platform security features, and they can run whatever tools they want to test the OS.

Program participants have access to extensive documentation and a dedicated forum with Apple engineers for collaborative purposes. The Security Research Device Program runs alongside the bug bounty program, so researchers who locate vulnerabilities can receive payouts of up to $1.5 million.

Late last week, Parallels launched a Parallels Desktop 16 for Mac Technical Preview Program, which allows M1 Mac owners to use the Parallels software. Paired with a version of Arm-based Windows that's available through the Windows Insider program, it's possible to get Windows up and running on an Arm-based Mac.

In our latest YouTube video, we installed Parallels on an ‌M1‌ Mac and tested out Windows, but it didn't exactly go smoothly. When we first set up Parallels on an ‌M1‌ Mac, it was functional, but about an hour into the experience we kept running into errors attempting to get Windows working. It continually froze and the performance was abysmal.

With some tinkering and some troubleshooting help from the MacRumors forums, we were able to get it working well enough to test out. Parallels on the ‌M1‌ Mac is available as a Technical Preview and Windows can only be installed through Windows Insider, so neither of these are release versions of software. Given that we're working with beta software that's still in development, it's not surprising that there are issues that need to be worked out, and anyone who wants to test out Windows on an ‌M1‌ Mac through Parallels should expect to deal with bugs.

When running macOS Big Sur, the ‌M1‌ MacBook Pro with 8GB RAM has a single-core Geekbench score of 1719 and a multi-core score of 7384. When running Windows 10 through Parallels using the default two-core setting, the ‌M1‌ Mac achieved a single-core score of 1491 and a multi-core score of 2753.

That's pretty similar to Microsoft's own Surface Pro X in terms of multi-core performance, and better when it comes to single-core performance, so when it works, speeds aren't too bad. Parallels defaults to allowing just two cores when running Windows, but you can swap over to four core operation.

With four cores activated, multi-core Geekbench scores were much better, hitting 5013. The single-core score didn't improve quite as much at 1518. You can enable eight cores too, but going from four to eight cores did little for performance (1524 single core and 5958 multi-core).

In the four-core mode, there are some performance issues, so it's best to stick to the two-core default where possible. When an app is able to open and run, performance is solid, but there are a lot of bugs to deal with and a lot of software that does not work.

Many pre-installed apps don't function well and often refuse to open, but third-party apps like Geekbench seem to operate as expected. Paint 3D, the Xbox app, and the Calendar app refused to work, for example, but the Microsoft Edge browser and Office suite of apps were functional and performed decently. Third-party apps like Spotify, Notion, and others worked well, and the Windows VM is even capable of playing older games like Civilization IV and Skyrim.

Right now, getting Arm-based Windows on an ‌M1‌ Mac requires Parallels and the Windows Insider preview version of the software, and it continues to be unclear if Microsoft will make a release version of Arm Windows available for people to license.

Those who want to try out Windows (or another OS) on an ‌M1‌ Mac can sign up to try the Parallels Technical Preview.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk today said on Twitter that he once reached out to Apple CEO Tim Cook about the possibility of Apple acquiring Tesla, but Cook "refused to take the meeting." Musk says that he attempted to contact Apple during the "darkest days of the Model 3 program," offering Tesla for 1/10 of its value.

Musk's tweet came in response to Reuters' recent report about Apple's work on an upcoming Apple Car.

According to Reuters, Apple is aiming to begin production on an Apple Car by 2024, using "next-level" battery technology that involves a "monocell" design that bulks up individual battery cells and frees up space inside the battery pack by removing pouches and modules that hold battery materials. Apple is also planning to use lithium iron phosphate battery technology.

Musk in a separate tweet said that the Apple Car rumors are "strange if true" and that a monocell design is "electrochemically impossible."

There have been rumors that Apple once considered a purchase of Tesla and made a "serious bid" of $240 per share back in 2013, but given Musk's comments, that may not be accurate.

Apple and Tesla have been at odds since Apple started working on the Apple Car project and have notoriously poached employees from one another. In 2015, in fact, Musk said that he calls Apple the "Tesla Graveyard." "If you don't make it at Tesla, you go work at Apple," he said.

If and when Apple does start manufacturing a car aimed at consumers, Tesla and Apple will be direct competitors. That could happen as early as 2024 or 2025 if Apple's work on an Apple Car stays on track.

In his Fully Charged newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today briefly reiterated that Apple plans to release a new Apple TV with a stronger gaming focus, an updated remote, and a new processor at some point next year.

Gurman has previously indicated that Apple is working on a new remote with Find My-like capabilities, which would make it easier to find when misplaced. As part of the gaming focus, there have also been rumors that Apple may introduce a dedicated gaming controller for the Apple TV, but it remains unclear what it would look like.

Earlier this year, an anonymous leaker known as "Fudge" on Twitter indicated that Apple has prototyped new Apple TV models with variants of the A12 and A14 chips for faster performance; if true, it's unclear if Apple will ultimately settle on one chip or release two different models. Fudge added that Apple is planning to bring console-quality games to its Apple Arcade service that may not work with existing Apple TV models.

The new Apple TV is also rumored to have higher 64GB and 128GB storage capacity options, compared to 32GB and 64GB for the current Apple TV 4K model.

All of these potential features have been rumored several times by now, and the Apple TV 4K was released over three years ago, so odds are looking good for a new Apple TV next year. Keep an eye on our Apple TV roundup linked below for the latest rumors.

Earlier this week, a developer using the pseudonym Sera Tonin Brocious on Twitter successfully managed to emulate Nintendo Switch games on Apple silicon, which they demonstrated by running Super Mario Odyssey on an M1 Mac.

As noted by The 8-Bit, the developer was able to achieve this feat with the open source Yuzu emulator, which uses Vulkan, a high-performance 3D graphics API. The implementation is not perfect due to limitations of MoltenVK, a runtime library that maps Vulkan to Apple's Metal graphics framework on macOS and iOS.

The screenshots show Super Mario Odyssey running on a 13-inch MacBook Pro with the M1 chip running macOS 11.0.1. This is possible because the processors in the Nintendo Switch and M1 Macs are both based on Arm architecture.

In a follow-up tweet, the developer said the "big hurdle" is proper Metal support, noting that the current MoltenVK implementation results in "middling performance." And while there are no instructions for the public to try this out yet, it's an exciting accomplishment, and one more example of the new capabilities unleashed by Apple silicon.

French accessory maker Netatmo today announced that its Smart Video Doorbell with HomeKit support is now available to pre-order for $299.99 in the United States and $399.99 in Canada. The doorbell will begin shipping to customers in these countries starting January 6, 2021, as noted by the blog HomeKit News.

As with other video doorbells, the Smart Video Doorbell lets you see and speak to visitors at your door, even when you're not home. HomeKit support allows the doorbell to be managed in the Home app and with Siri. HomeKit also allows the doorbell to work with automation scenes; for example, when the Smart Video Doorbell detects a person, the home's outdoor lights can switch on automatically to deter a potential intruder.

In addition to the Home app, the doorbell works with the free Netatmo Security app. Netatmo previously said that it is working to implement HomeKit Secure Video and will make the feature available in a free software update in the future.

Key features of the Smart Video Doorbell include a 1080p camera with a 140-degree wide-angle lens, infrared night vision, a built-in microphone and speaker for two-way communication, customizable settings like people detection zones, and IP44-rated water and dust resistance. Netatmo does not charge any subscription fees; instead, the doorbell is equipped with an 8GB microSD card for local video storage.

First introduced at CES 2019, the Smart Video Doorbell launched in Europe in September.

As Epic Games' dispute with Apple continues on, the gaming company has teamed up with Samsung to send "Free Fortnite" swag out to influencers.

The gift package, which was shared by Kinda Funny's Greg Miller, includes a "Free Fortnite" jacket with a rainbow-colored llama logo and a Galaxy Tab S7 tablet from Samsung. A note included with package has a reminder that Fortnite is available from the ‌Epic Games‌ app on the Galaxy Store.

Fortnite was named the Samsung Galaxy Store Game of the Year for 2020. In celebration, we've teamed up with Samsung to send you a special box of #freefortnite gear.

While Fortnite may not currently be available on the App Store or Google Play, you can still get the latest Fornite updates directly from the Epic Games app on the Galaxy Store. Spread the word, #freefortnite.

Fortnite was pulled from the App Store on iOS devices back in August after ‌Epic Games‌ decided it would no longer pay Apple's fees for in-app purchases. ‌Epic Games‌ added a direct purchase option for Fortnite currency in the app, breaking Apple's ‌App Store‌ rules and resulting in Apple removing the app from the ‌App Store‌.

Fortnite then launched an anti-Apple PR campaign and filed a lawsuit against Apple accusing Apple of imposing "anti-competitive restraints" on apps, and employing "monopolistic practices in markets" to "block competition and stifle innovation."

Since then, the two companies have been embroiled in a legal battle and Fortnite has refused to comply with the ‌App Store‌ terms to get the app back in the ‌App Store‌ while the lawsuit plays out. Fortnite is no longer available on the ‌App Store‌, and players who had the app downloaded before are unable to get updates. Google too is facing a lawsuit with ‌Epic Games‌ and has also removed Fortnite from the Play Store.

‌Epic Games‌ and Apple are set to face off in court in July 2021, and it's unlikely Fortnite will return to the ‌App Store‌ before then. The Fortnite app is also unavailable on macOS, but can be played on PCs, consoles, and Android-based mobile devices, and it will soon be available on iOS through GeForce NOW.

Apple is aiming to begin production on an Apple-branded self-driving vehicle starting in 2024, according to a new report shared today by Reuters.

Apple has been working on some kind of car project since 2014, and there was a point when it seemed like the company's efforts could be scaled back to autonomous vehicle software, but after several management changes and shifts in hiring, Apple's work on a car has progressed and the company now feels that it is able to build a vehicle for consumers.

Unnamed sources told Reuters that Apple is developing a new battery design that has the potential to "radically" reduce the cost of batteries and increase the vehicle's range.

Apple is building a "monocell" design that will bulk up the individual battery cells and free up space inside the battery pack by removing pouches and modules that hold battery materials. This will allow for more active material in a smaller package.

Apple's design means that more active material can be packed inside the battery, giving the car a potentially longer range. Apple is also examining a chemistry for the battery called LFP, or lithium iron phosphate, the person said, which is inherently less likely to overheat and is thus safer than other types of lithium-ion batteries.

One person who spoke to Reuters described Apple's battery technology as "next level" and said that it's similar to "the first time you saw the iPhone."

Apple will need to tap into a whole new supply chain to produce a car. Apple is said to be planning to rely on a manufacturing partner to build the vehicles. Apple is working with outside partners for car components, such as LiDAR sensors.

The Apple Car could feature multiple LiDAR sensors for scanning different distances, and some of those could be created from Apple's internally developed LiDAR units.

Apple was in talks with Magna International about manufacturing a car, but the talks ended when Apple's plans became unclear. To enter into a contract, Apple may need to commit to high volume sales, as many as 100,000 vehicles annually.

There are years to go before Apple begins production on an Apple Car, and Reuters warns that the company could still choose to scale back the project and reduce the scope of its efforts to an autonomous driving system that would be integrated into a car made by a traditional automaker. Delays caused by the ongoing global health crisis could also push production to 2025 or beyond.

Samsung is gearing up to launch new Galaxy Buds Pro earbuds, which are likely set to debut in January alongside the new Galaxy S21 smartphones. The new headphones have a feature that's quite similar to the Spatial Audio function available in the AirPods Max and AirPods Pro.

Though the earbuds aren't coming out for a few weeks, we already know what to expect because Samsung accidentally leaked them in the Galaxy Wearable app, and 9to5Google shared details on the feature set.

The earbuds look similar to the original Galaxy Buds and have much of the same feature set, but there's a new "3D audio for videos" function that sounds a lot like the Spatial Audio option that Apple brought to the AirPods Pro and then the ‌AirPods Max‌.

Spatial Audio is designed to provide a theater-like surround sound listening experience on iPhone and iPad using dynamic head tracking capabilities that make it seem like sound is coming from all around you.

Samsung's "3d audio for videos" feature describes a similar experience. "Hear vivid, immersive sound coming from all directions so you feel like you're right in the scene when you watch videos," reads a toggle for the feature. "To get the best experience, keep your earbuds near your phone."

The Galaxy Buds Pro also feature an equalizer with multiple presets, customizable touch controls, and a Find My Earbuds option. A new Voice Detect feature listens for when a person is speaking and lowers the volume of media, and there's an Ambient Sound option for noise cancellation that lets in outside sound much like Transparency mode on the AirPods Pro.

We'll see the official unveiling of the Galaxy Buds Pro in January, and while pricing has not yet been announced, they'll likely be priced similarly to the AirPods Pro. 9to5Google speculates that they could be priced at around $200, $50 more expensive than the Galaxy Buds+.

A new report published today by Counterpoint Research finds that the iPhone 12 became the world's bestselling 5G smartphone in October, in spite of its delayed launch.

Although the ‌iPhone‌ 12 was only sold for two weeks in October, it was still able to top the rankings. These two weeks' worth of sales allowed the ‌iPhone‌ 12 to become the seventh-bestselling 5G device sold between January and October of 2020.

The ‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro was the second-bestselling 5G smartphone, followed by the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G. Together, the ‌iPhone‌ 12 and 12 Pro captured almost one-fourth of total 5G smartphone sales in October.

Counterpoint credits a number of factors for the explosive success of the ‌iPhone‌ 12 and ‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro compared to other existing 5G devices. For example, it is believed that there was significant pent-up demand for a 5G upgrade within the iOS user base. The uptick was also caused by strong carrier promotions within the United States, which accounted for over one-third of ‌iPhone‌ 12 and ‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro sales for the month. Compared to most other 5G devices, the ‌iPhone‌ generally has a wider market coverage with availability in over 140 countries.

The ‌iPhone‌ 12 and ‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro have also given a "much-needed" boost to the 5G smartphone market, which achieved its highest ever share of 24 percent in the global smartphone sales in October.

Sales of the ‌iPhone‌ 12 and ‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro have more than doubled the penetration of mmWave-capable smartphones from five percent in September to 12 percent in October. Counterpoint highlights how this is likely to impact the telecoms industry, and speculates that it may facilitate Apple's future push into other sectors such as augmented reality or virtual reality:

This is important because it gives operators an incentive to deploy mmWave infrastructure rapidly. The high throughput and low latency provided by mmWave will help unlock the true potential of 5G. With the mmWave network and devices in place, it would lay a solid foundation for Apple to leverage the power of mmWave in segments like AR/VR.

Counterpoint expects demand for the ‌iPhone‌ 12 series to remain strong through the fourth quarter of 2020, particularly during the holiday season. The late launch of the devices is likely to push sales into subsequent months, thereby maintaining the momentum of sales into early 2021.

Today only, you can get the 256GB Wi-Fi 12.9-inch iPad Pro (2020) for $949.00 on B&H Photo, down from an original price of $1,099.00. This sale is available in both silver and space gray colors, and it will expire later tonight at midnight.

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.

B&H Photo's sale is a match of the lowest-ever price seen on this version of the 12.9-inch iPad Pro. You can also get the same price on Amazon with a matching sale, but that retailer is only offering the iPad Pro in space gray at this price.

Apple refreshed its iPad Pro lineup back in March, introducing a faster A12Z Bionic processor, dual rear cameras, a new LiDAR scanner for improved augmented reality capabilities, improved audio, and an optional Magic Keyboard accessory that adds a trackpad to the iPad for the first time.

For even more iPad deals, head to our full Best Deals guide for iPad. In that guide we track the best discounts online for iPad, iPad mini, iPad Air, and iPad Pro.

Philips Hue is set to release an updated dimmer switch and a brand new "Wave Linear" outdoor lighting system in early 2021, according to hueblog.com and smartlights.de.

The popular Philips Hue dimmer switch, which has been around for some years and is often included in Philips Hue kits, is to see an update that brings a refreshed design. Instead of having four buttons like the current model, the new version is set to have only three buttons, with the middle two dimmer buttons being combined into a single rocker button. The "on" button is also gaining a small tactile marking so that users can find the correct button in the dark.

The general design has been updated to be more curvaceous and subtle, with matte white plastic being used instead of the current glossy white plastic. The base plate is also due to increase in size to 80mm by 125mm, in order to completely cover EU in-wall outlets. The current dimmer switch base plate is too narrow for this.

Moreover, Philips Hue will reportedly introduce a new "Wave Linear" outdoors lighting system. Wave Linear will integrate with existing Hue low-voltage outdoors products such as the Hue Lily, Hue Calla, or Hue Outdoor Lightstrip.

Designed to illuminate large outdoor spaces evenly with color, such as an exterior house wall, it will be able to produce up to 1,400 lumens of brightness and 16 million colors. The Philips Hue Wave Linear system will supposedly become available in Spring 2021.

Popular videoconferencing app Zoom is due to be updated with native support for Apple Silicon Macs today.

A Zoom support document, spotted by 9to5Mac, contains release notes for an update scheduled to be released today. The most notable update is support for ‌Apple Silicon‌ processors, and Zoom will release a separate installer for the app on ‌Apple Silicon‌ Macs.

The update also includes enhanced cloud contact integration for chat and call features, enhanced nonverbal feedback and reactions, "raise hand" for host and co-host, poll report availability during live session, and more.

Although native support for ‌Apple Silicon‌ will undoubtedly please users with an M1 MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, or Mac mini, the Intel version of Zoom running under Rosetta 2 emulation performed surprisingly well.

Versions of Adobe Premiere Pro, Premiere Rush, and Audition that run natively on M1 Macs are now available for public beta testers.

According to an Adobe Support Community document, spotted by The 8-Bit, Adobe will launch native ‌M1‌ support for all features within Premiere Pro in phases, and many parts have not yet been ported.

The first phase, included in this public beta release of Premiere Pro, features core editing functions and workflows like color, graphics, and audio, as well as Productions and multicam. Adobe has also prioritized support for the most widely used codecs, such as H.264, HEVC, and ProRes.

Adobe says that beta testers will need to initially upgrade their project files to make them compatible with the new captions workflow, and it is advised that users create extra copies of projects to use within the beta version.

Beta testers should also be aware that Adobe has released a list of known issues in the beta. For example, tapping the Tool Selector on a MacBook Pro's Touch Bar can cause the app to crash, and estimated file sizes while exporting may show incorrect values by an "order of magnitude."

While Adobe completes its M1-native version of Premiere Pro, it urges most users to run the current release version of Premiere Pro using Rosetta 2 emulation on Macs with an ‌M1‌ chip.

Even when Adobe Premiere Pro is fully updated for Apple Silicon, it should be noted that third-party integrations such as panels, plugins, effects, and drivers will need to be updated by developers to run natively on ‌Apple Silicon‌ and may not work reliably under Rosetta 2 emulation.

In addition to Premiere Pro, Premiere Rush and Audition have also been updated to run natively on ‌M1‌ Macs for public beta testers.

In November, Adobe made the M1-native version of Photoshop available in beta. Adobe Lightroom CC was updated to run natively on Apple Silicon earlier this month. The company appears to be on track to update most of its apps to support ‌Apple Silicon‌ in 2021.