MacRumors

Earlier this week, do-it-yourself repair website iFixit shared its full teardown of the new 16-inch MacBook Pro, providing a closer look at its scissor switch keyboard, new thermal architecture, and other design tweaks.

As it turns out, there is one more change. In an internal document to Apple Authorized Service Providers, obtained by MacRumors, Apple indicates the 16-inch MacBook Pro includes a new "lid angle sensor" that presumably monitors the opening and closing of the notebook and the precise position of the lid.

MacRumors reached out to iFixit to investigate, leading them to uncover a small sensor facing the left-side hinge of the notebook. There is also a magnet embedded in the hinge itself, with an arrow indicating polarity. iFixit has updated its teardown with photos of the sensor, which we've shared below.

Apple's service document does not provide any clues as to why the sensor was redesigned, but iFixit speculates that it could provide a clever way for Apple to track how often the lid was opened, closed, or adjusted in cases where the display or frayed flex cables need to be repaired — think "Flexgate."

Of note, in the event of a display repair, Apple's service document indicates that technicians must calibrate both the display and the lid angle sensor in order for the repair to be considered complete. If we learn any additional information about the sensor, we will be sure to provide an update.

A security flaw in Android smartphones from companies like Google and Samsung allowed malicious apps to record video, take photos, and capture audio, uploading the content to a remote server sans user permission.

The vulnerability was discovered by security firm Checkmarx, and was highlighted today by Ars Technica. The flaw had the potential to leave high-value targets open to having their surroundings illicitly recorded by their smartphones.

To demonstrate how the flaw worked, Checkmarx created a proof-of-concept app that appeared to be a weather app on the surface but was scooping up copious amounts of data in the background.

The app was able to take pictures and record videos even when the phone's screen was off or the app was closed, as well as access location data from the photos. It was able to operate in stealth mode, eliminating the camera shutter sound, and it could also record two-way phone conversations. All of the data was able to be uploaded to a remote server.

When the exploit was used, the screen of the smartphone being attacked would display the camera when recording video or taking a photo, which would let affected users know what was going on. It could be used secretly when a smartphone display was out of sight or when a device was placed screen down, and there was a feature for using the proximity sensor to determine when a smartphone was facedown.

Google addressed the vulnerability in its Pixel phones through a camera update that was launched back in July, and Samsung has also fixed the vulnerability, though it's not known when. From Google:

"We appreciate Checkmarx bringing this to our attention and working with Google and Android partners to coordinate disclosure. The issue was addressed on impacted Google devices via a Play Store update to the Google Camera Application in July 2019. A patch has also been made available to all partners."

From Samsung:

"Since being notified of this issue by Google, we have subsequently released patches to address all Samsung device models that may be affected. We value our partnership with the Android team that allowed us to identify and address this matter directly."

According to Checkmarx, Google has said that Android phones from other manufacturers could also be vulnerable, so there may still be some devices out there that are open to attack. Google has not disclosed specific makers and models.

Since this is an Android bug, Apple's iOS devices are not affected by the security flaw.

It's not known why apps were able to access the camera without user permission. In an email to Ars Technica, Checkmarx speculated that it could potentially be related to Google's decision to make the camera work with Google Assistant, a feature that other manufacturers may have also implemented.

Apple this fall partnered with 100cameras, a nonprofit organization that aims to teach photography to adolescents, providing participating students at DRW College Prep in Chicago with the new iPhone 11.

100cameras teaches the students how to use photography to tell their own stories about growing up in Chicago, using the ‌iPhone‌ 11 to capture photos. Angela Popplewell, 100cameras' co-founder, said that students were excited to use the new ‌iPhone‌ 11, and it was "incredible" seeing how they used the wide-angle and Portrait modes to "really capture their point of view."

"As the residents of a neighborhood in Chicago that is often overlooked, being given the new iPhone that had been released just a few weeks prior felt like a momentous opportunity," says Angela Popplewell, 100cameras' co-founder and CEO. Earlier this year, Popplewell, 100cameras' director of program operations Lydia Billings and the team started contemplating how their curriculum could be adapted to be more forward-thinking, relevant and accessible for young people in the US. ForPopplewell and her team, the new iPhone, with its built-in sophisticated camera features, was an important tool.

Apple's vice president of ‌iPhone‌ Worldwide Product Marketing Kaiann Drance said that it was "amazing" to collaborate with 100cameras on the project.

"It was amazing to collaborate with 100cameras and the talented and creative students at DRW," said Kaiann Drance, Apple's vice president of iPhone Worldwide Product Marketing. "The iPhone 11 camera with all its intuitive capabilities right there in your hand is such a powerful storytelling tool. To see the photos the students captured of the ways they see the world around them was truly inspiring."

Following each program, the photos that students have captured are sold through 100cameras with 100 percent of the proceeds going back to the local community partner organizations that 100cameras visits.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

In June 2018, Apple announced that its Maps app would be rebuilt "from the ground up" with more accurate details like grass and trees, pools, parking lots, exact building shapes, sports areas like baseball diamonds and basketball courts, and pedestrian pathways that are commonly walked but previously unmapped.

The expansion continued this week, as Apple has finished its rollout of the improved maps in parts of the West and Midwest regions of the United States. This includes Colorado, Utah, Nevada, Wyoming, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, Washington, West Virginia, Ohio, Michigan, and parts of Illinois and Indiana.

Justin O'Beirne has fantastic coverage of the Apple Maps revamp, noting that the improved maps now cover 27 states fully and another six states partially. In June, Apple said the improved maps would cover the entire United States by the end of 2019, followed by additional countries in 2020.

As usual, some users will see the revamped maps in their region sooner than others, so we wait until the rollout has extended more widely to report the news. If you do not see the improved data yet, give it some time.

(Thanks to Matt, Frank, Noah, Alan, and all others who tipped us!)

Apple today updated its "WWDC" app, changing the name to "Apple Developer" and announcing new year-round updates.

Apple says that the new Apple Developer app will provide "in-depth information from Apple experts all year round," with the app featuring developer news, videos, WWDC content, and more.

The Apple Developer app can also be used to enroll in the Apple Developer program on iPhone or iPad, though this functionality is currently limited to the United States. Membership is provided as an auto-renewable subscription, making it easier to keep a developer account active.

The Apple Developer app can be downloaded from the App Store for free. Those who had the WWDC app can install an update to get the new Apple Developer interface.

Apple today send out invites for a surprise media event that's set to be held on Monday, December 2 in New York City, at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

Apple's best of the year content offerings highlight games, music, movies, TV shows, podcasts, and more, with last year's announcement focusing on content that shaped entertainment and culture around the world.

It's not clear if any hardware will be introduced at the event, but it seems unlikely given the clear wording of the media invites. We're still expecting Apple to release the Mac Pro and Pro Display XDR in December, so there could be a mention of an official launch date, but beyond that, no more hardware refreshes are rumored for this year.

Following a brief initial teardown of the 16-inch MacBook Pro on Friday, repair site iFixit today shared its full teardown of the new machine, giving us insights into the changes that Apple has made with the keyboard and other components.

The new ‌MacBook Pro‌ features the largest display that Apple has introduced in the MacBook line since the 17-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ was discontinued, and it also features a brand new scissor keyboard called the Magic Keyboard, a new thermal architecture, and some other design tweaks.

When it comes to the keyboard, Apple has reverted to the same scissor switch mechanism used in older ‌MacBook Pro‌ models and the standalone Bluetooth Magic Keyboard for the iMac. It's slightly thinner than the prior scissor key design, but iFixit says the two scissor mechanisms look identical other than the thickness and some keys between the two keyboards are even interchangeable.

Scissor switches are more reliable than butterfly switches and are not prone to breaking from dust or other small particulates. In fact, iFixit says there's no dust-proofing membrane on these keys, suggesting Apple doesn't expect these keyboards to fail.

Aside from the new scissor switch mechanism, the keyboard looks quite similar to the keyboard from the prior ‌MacBook Pro‌, though there is a separate physical Escape key, a separate Touch ID button, and an updated inverted "T" design for the arrow keys. Underneath, there's an Apple-designed rubber dome, a backlight assembly, and a black gasket for blocking out excess light.

The keyboard assembly is riveted down, which means the keyboard itself isn't more repairable than the butterfly keyboards, even though they're less prone to failure.

Apple added a new speaker system to the ‌MacBook Pro‌, and there's a longer speaker enclosure with opposed woofers on the top and bottom, which are meant to cancel out each other's vibration. iFixit isn't sure why there's a longer enclosure, but speculates that it's to redirect sound to improve quality. The new three microphone array is also "beefier," but otherwise the same as what was found in the 15-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌.

Apple is using a 99.8Wh (11.36V, 8790mAh) battery in the 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌, which is the largest capacity that's still allowed on planes by airlines. That's a 16.2Wh increase over the prior 15-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ and the largest battery that's ever been used in a MacBook. To get the extra capacity into the new machine, Apple made each battery 0.8mm thicker.

Overall, the ‌MacBook Pro‌ earned a repairability score of 1 because the processor, RAM, and storage are soldered to the logic board, while the keyboard, battery, speakers, and Touch Bar are secured with glue and rivets.

iFixit's full teardown of the 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌, which has some additional information on the internal components of the machine, can be read on the iFixit website.

Apple today released new iOS and iPadOS 13.2.3 for the iPhone and the iPad, updates to the iOS and iPadOS 13.2.2 software that was released last week on November 7.

The new iOS and iPadOS 13.2.3 updates are available on all eligible devices over-the-air in the Settings app. To access the updates, go to Settings > General > Software Update.

iOS and ‌iPadOS‌ 13.2.3 are minor updates focusing on performance improvements and bug fixes for issues that were not able to be addressed in iOS 13.2 and iOS 13.2.2 rather than major outward facing changes.

According to Apple's release notes, the update fixes a bug that could prevent Mail from fetching new messages and it addresses a bug that caused photos, links, and other attachments to not display properly in the Messages details view. The iOS 13.2.3 and iPadOS 13.2.3 release notes are the same.

iOS 13.2.3 includes bug fixes and improvements for your iPhone. This update:
Fixes an issue where system search and search within Mail, Files, and Notes might not work
Addresses an issue where photos, links, and other attachments might not display in the Messages details view
Fixes an issue that could prevent apps from downloading content in the background
Resolves issues that may prevent Mail from fetching new messages, and fail to include and quote original message content in Exchange accounts

iOS 13.2.2, the prior update released last week, addressed an issue that caused apps running in the background on the ‌iPhone‌ and ‌iPad‌ to unexpectedly quit, leading to background apps that refreshed more often than normal.

Apple is also beta testing an iOS 13.3 update that includes Communication Limits for Screen Time and other minor feature tweaks.

In light of its acquisition of the majority of Intel's smartphone modem business earlier this year, including many cellular patents, Apple has shared a letter on its website to reiterate its stance on fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory or FRAND licensing terms for standards-essential patents.

Apple says it values intellectual property and recognizes the important role of developing industry standards, noting that its engineers participate in over 100 standard-setting organizations. Apple touts its own contributions to a wide range of standards, including, for example, cellular, Wi-Fi, and USB-C.

Apple adds that it has "long sought to bring a balanced perspective to the promises and perils of standardization" and is committed to licensing its own cellular standards-essential patents on FRAND terms.

Apple believes owners of standards-essential patents should make licenses available on FRAND terms to any and all interested parties that request a license, adding that standards-essential patent licensees should not be forced to take bundled or portfolio licenses as part of an agreement.

There should also be an objective, reasonable royalty rate that applies equally to all standards-essential licensees, according to Apple.

Following its agreement with Intel, Apple said it would hold over 17,000 wireless technology patents, ranging from protocols for cellular standards to modem architecture and modem operation. Apple is widely expected to release its first 5G-enabled iPhones with Qualcomm modems in 2020.

Following the 16-inch MacBook Pro, Apple plans to release a new 13-inch MacBook Pro with a scissor switch keyboard in the first half of 2020, according to industry sources cited by hit-or-miss Taiwanese publication DigiTimes. A preview of the report was shared with paying subscribers.

The new 16-inch MacBook Pro features a redesigned scissor switch keyboard, largely based on the standalone Magic Keyboard for the iMac. Given the tried-and-tested design, the keyboard should prove far more reliable than the troublesome butterfly keyboards used across the MacBook lineup in recent years.

The 16-inch MacBook Pro also features a physical Esc key and an inverted-T arrow key layout. It is unclear if the 13-inch MacBook Pro will follow suit.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has previously predicted that Apple will transition its entire notebook lineup to scissor switch keyboards in 2020, including all MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models.

It would be hardly surprising if Apple completely moves past its butterfly keyboards, which have suffered from issues with sticky, repeating, or nonfunctional keys since their inception in 2016. Apple continues to offer free repairs to affected customers as part of its worldwide service program.

The entry-level 13-inch MacBook Pro was last updated in July, while higher-end 13-inch models were refreshed in May.

Apple CEO Tim Cook will join Salesforce co-CEO Marc Benioff for a fireside chat at the Dreamforce 2019 conference on Tuesday at approximately 1:30 p.m. Pacific Time at the Yerba Buena Theater. A live stream will be available.

Apple and Salesforce formed a strategic partnership in 2018. Salesforce has since redesigned its customer relationship management app with support for the latest features on iPhone and iPad, including Siri Shortcuts and Face ID. The new Salesforce app is available in the App Store.

Salesforce has also announced a Trailhead GO learning app with more than 700 modules covering business and tech skills. Trailhead GO is available on the App Store for iPhone and iPad. Additional features, including support for Dark Mode and Sign in with Apple, are expected to be available later this year.

Last, the two companies have announced a new Salesforce mobile SDK, optimized for Swift and iOS 13. The new SDK, coming later this year, will help developers to build and deploy native Salesforce apps for iPhone and iPad.