MacRumors

Google has no future plans to release additional tablet devices and has even canceled two models that were in development, the company confirmed to Computerworld today.

Google has not released a tablet in 2019, but did come out with the Pixel Slate in 2018. Google was working on two smaller tablets, but ultimately decided to stop focusing on the tablet form factor in favor of laptops.

The Pixel Slate was Google's first Pixel-branded tablet offering, and as Computerworld clarifies, Google considers a tablet to be a device that detaches completely from a keyboard base or has no physical keyboard at all. Google considers its two-in-one convertible devices like the Pixelbook to be laptops, not tablets.

Google announced its plans to discontinue work on tablets to employees yesterday, and those working on tablet-related projects will be reassigned.

A Google spokesperson directly confirmed all of these details to me. The news was revealed at an internal company meeting on Wednesday, and Google is currently working to reassign employees who were focused on the abandoned projects onto other areas. Many of them, I'm told, have already shifted over to the laptop side of that same self-made hardware division.

It's not clear why Google has ultimately decided not to pursue the tablet form factor, but the company may be finding it difficult to compete with Apple and Samsung, the top two tablet vendors worldwide.

Apple's iPad is responsible for the most worldwide shipments, and over the course of the last few years, Apple has been aiming to hit all price points with the 6th-generation ‌iPad‌, iPad mini, iPad Air, and iPad Pro models.

Google plans to continue offering support and updates for the Pixel Slate until June 2024, and the Chrome OS team will continue to focus on tablets and laptops in its software development. Though Google is discontinuing its own tablets, there are other manufacturers who produce Chrome-based tablets.

Google will be shifting focus to laptops, with a laptop-oriented Pixelbook product planned before the end of the year, and will also continue focusing on its Pixel line of phones.

Apple today announced the launch of a voluntary recall and replacement program for 15-inch MacBook Pro models with Retina display sold between September 2015 and February 2017 due to battery failure issues. Affected batteries may overheat and pose a fire safety risk.

Customers are being asked to stop using affected ‌MacBook Pro‌ units until they can take steps to have their batteries replaced following Apple's instructions. Apple says affected units in need of replacement can be identified by entering a Mac's serial number in the recall program page.

The recall affects just the 15-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ from 2015 and does not impact later models released in 2016 and beyond. Those with 15-inch 2015 machines are instructed to find an Apple authorized service provider, make an appointment at an Apple retail store, or contact Apple's support staff to arrange a mail-in repair.

Apple warns that the ‌MacBook Pro‌ will be sent to an Apple Repair Center for service in all cases and that service could take one to two weeks to be completed. Batteries will be replaced free of charge.

Earlier this year, a video of a ‌MacBook Pro‌ that caught on fire and produced copious amounts of smoke made the rounds on Twitter and Reddit. The machine in question was a 2015 ‌MacBook Pro‌ with a 15-inch Retina display, and it could potentially be linked to the recall.

Given that affected 15-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ models are in danger of overheating and catching on fire, those with machines that need a replacement battery should be sure to visit an Apple retail store or get in contact with Apple support before continuing to use their Macs.

Apple has urged the Trump administration not to proceed with tariffs of up to 25 percent on a fourth set of goods imported from China, which would impact nearly all of its products, including the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV, AirPods, Beats, HomePod, batteries, repair parts, and more.

In a letter sent to United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer [PDF] this week, Apple warned that the tariffs would reduce the company's contributions to the U.S. economy and weigh on its global competitiveness:

U.S. tariffs on Apple's products would result in a reduction of Apple's U.S. economic contribution.

U.S. tariffs would also weigh on Apple's global competitiveness. The Chinese producers we compete with in global markets do not have a significant presence in the U.S. market, and so would not be impacted by U.S. tariffs. Neither would our other major non-U.S. competitors. A U.S. tariff would, therefore, tilt the playing field in favor of our global competitors.

We urge you not to proceed with these tariffs. Thank you for your consideration of our comments.

Apple outlined many of its economic contributions in the letter, referring to itself as a "proud U.S. company" that is both the largest corporate taxpayer and one of the largest job creators in the country:

Apple is a proud U.S. company and one of the largest job creators in the United States. We are responsible for over 2 million jobs across all 50 states, including Apple's direct employees, employees at our manufacturing and retail partners, and Americans who make their living in the vibrant and growing app economy.

In 2018, after the passage of tax reform in the U.S., we announced our intention to make a total direct contribution to the U.S. economy of over $350 billion over 5 years and we are pleased to report that we are on track to achieve this contribution. We are opening several new sites and adding new jobs to our U.S. employee base.

Apple is also the largest U.S. corporate taxpayer to the U.S. Treasury and pays billions more each year in local property, sales, and employee taxes.

Finally, Apple's products are used by American families, students, businesses, government agencies, schools, and hospitals to communicate, teach, improve health outcomes, and enhance creativity and enterprise.

Last month, analysts at investment bank J.P. Morgan estimated that the tariffs could result in a 14 percent increase in the retail price of an iPhone XS, pushing the cost of the device from $999 to $1,142. However, the company could also choose to absorb the impact of the tariffs on a temporary basis.

The letter was earlier reported by CNBC.

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.

At WWDC 2018, Apple introduced a redesigned Mac App Store alongside changes to sandboxing parameters on macOS Mojave. Since then, several well-known apps have launched on or returned to the ‌Mac App Store‌, including the Microsoft Office suite, Microsoft To-Do, BBEdit, Transmit, and others.

Next up is Adobe Lightroom CC, which is available on the Mac App Store as of today. The professional photo editing software is free to download, but requires a $9.99 monthly subscription via Apple's in-app purchase system after a one-week trial. 1TB of cloud storage is included with a subscription.

As noted by The Verge, Lightroom was previously available on the ‌Mac App Store‌ for a one-time purchase of $149.99 in 2012:

This isn't the first time that you've been able to get Lightroom in the Mac App Store. Back in 2012, when Adobe sold its apps as standalone purchases before starting to push Creative Cloud subscriptions, Lightroom 4 was available for $149.99. Lightroom 5 never came to Apple's store, however, and even Adobe itself doesn't sell standalone versions of Lightroom today.

This news is a win-win for Apple and Adobe. Apple has landed another major app on the ‌Mac App Store‌, which faced years of criticism, and will generate revenue from its split of in-app purchases. Adobe, meanwhile, has made Lightroom available to a very broad audience of potential customers.

Lightroom CC remains available outside of the Mac App Store as well, with subscription pricing starting at the same $9.99 per month. One benefit of switching to the ‌Mac App Store‌ version is a more streamlined update process.

Apple and enterprise company Jamf recently teamed up to take a look at the drivers behind Mac adoption in the enterprise and the impact of device choice programs for employees on attracting talent.

For the survey, 1,285 employees from various-sized companies across the world were asked a series of questions about Macs in the workplace, with the results suggesting high levels of employee satisfaction from Mac users.

97 percent of survey respondents said that using a Mac increased their productivity, while 95 percent said their creativity levels were up. 94 percent said they were more self-sufficient, and 91 percent said collaboration was up.

According to the survey, 79 percent of respondents said that they would not be able to do their jobs as effectively without a Mac.

On the topic of self-sufficiency, 40 percent of respondents had no issues with their Mac over the course of the last 12 months, and 70 percent experienced two or fewer issues. Of those who did have issues, the leading problem was related to the network, rather than the device itself. 74% who previously used a PC said they have fewer issues now that they use a Mac.

When asked why they chose a Mac over a PC, most respondents cited a preference for Apple products, the ease of use and reliability of the Mac, and integration with the necessary apps needed for work. Design, familiarity, collaboration, and continuity between Mac, iPhone, and iPad were also cited as reasons.

89 percent overall said that Mac applications are easier to use than other computer devices, while 94 percent said that it's easy to find Mac applications and other resources on the Mac. 65 percent of employees say they go through the App Store to locate work-related applications.

97 percent of workers who have a choice of which device to use said it's important to their organization that an employee choice program exists. When asked why, employees cited productivity, creativity, and feeling valued by their employer as the top three reasons. 94 percent of all respondents said they're more likely to choose or stay with a company that offers a choice between Mac and PC.

Jamf's full survey results are available in an eBook downloadable from the Jamf website.

Apple appears to be working on full Project Catalyst versions of Messages and Shortcuts for Mac, according to hints of the new apps found by developer Steve Troughton-Smith.

Last, Troughton-Smith found that the Project Catalyst software on macOS Catalina includes Shortcuts frameworks suggesting a future Shortcuts for Mac app, and now it appears Apple is also working on a Catalyst version of the Messages app.

Much of the UIKit Messages app is functional on macOS, using the native Catalyst UI from the macOS Catalina system frameworks. iMessage Effects, for example, are functional.

Apple made no mention of an overhauled Messages app or bringing Shortcuts to Mac when introducing macOS Catalina, so these features could be reserved for a future Catalina release that's perhaps coming later in the year.

Ahead of the Apple Card's planned summer launch, Apple is now testing its upcoming Goldman Sachs credit card with thousands of retail workers, reports Bloomberg.

Apple was previously allowing its corporate employees to test the ‌Apple Card‌, but is now expanding testing to a much larger group through an internal beta program that launched this week.

Employees are able to sign up directly from their personal devices, with the Apple Pay portion of the card activated immediately and a card scheduled to be sent within two to three weeks. Employees are receiving APRs between 13.24 percent and 24.24 percent, the same APR range that will be provided to consumers.

With thousands of retail workers available, the expansion marks the first wide scale test, allowing Apple to find and address bugs and other problems before the ‌Apple Card‌ launches to the public.

Apple employees have been asked not to discuss the card, but they are allowed to use it in public to make purchases.

Screenshots of the employee beta of the Apple Card show that test versions of the card are fully functional and include the ability to receive daily cash back, pay bills, see an order status for a physical card and receive technical support via text messaging. Users can also schedule payments, access their credit limit and manage connected bank accounts, among other tasks. Users will also have the ability to set the Apple Card as the default payment method for Apple purchases.

The ‌Apple Card‌, created in partnership with Goldman Sachs, is deeply integrated into the iPhone and the Apple ecosystem. It offers 3% cash back on Apple purchases, 2% cash back on all ‌Apple Pay‌ transactions, and 1% cash back on all other purchases.

Purchases are tracked in the Wallet app on the ‌iPhone‌, providing a breakdown of spending across different categories like health, food, shopping, and more. While the ‌Apple Card‌ offers higher rewards for ‌Apple Pay‌ purchases, for instances where a traditional purchase is required, Apple is providing customers with a physical card made from titanium.

Apple is planning to launch the ‌Apple Card‌ in the United States this summer, and Bloomberg says Apple has already been discussing an expansion into Europe with financial regulators. The employees using the card are running iOS 12.4 on their devices, and the iOS 12.4 update is expected to bring ‌Apple Card‌ support.

We've had four betas of iOS 12.4 so far, so a launch may not be too far off.

For a look at the ‌Apple Card‌ and what to expect when it launches, make sure to check out our dedicated Apple Card guide.

The Apple News, Voice Memos, Home and Stocks apps on the Mac will be getting major updates and new designs to make them more Mac-like, Apple's software chief Craig Federighi told CNET in an interview.

News, Voice Memos, Home, and Stocks were all apps that were ported over to the Mac in 2018's macOS Mojave as part of the precursor to Project Catalyst, Apple's newly announced feature designed to let iOS developers easily adapt their apps for the Mac.

Since their Mac launch, the four apps have mirrored the style of an iOS app, offering little more in terms of design and functionality. Now that Project Catalyst has launched, though, Apple plans to revisit these early Mac app ports.

Federighi says that because the underlying technology has improved over the course of the last year, the apps will be "automatically" upgraded thanks to Project Catalyst's more unified, native Mac framework. Apple also plans to make additional improvements on top of that to create a Mac experience.

"We've looked at the design and features of some of those apps and said we can make this a bit more of a Mac experience through changes that are independent of the use of Catalyst, but are just design team decisions," Federighi said. "When I read some of the initial reviews of those apps, people were saying, 'Obviously this technology is causing them to do things that don't feel Mac-like.' Honestly, 90% of those were just decisions that designers made ... People took that as 'this feels iOS-y' and therefore they thought it was a technology thing. Actually, it was a designer preference. So part of [the upgrade] is we said we've got to co-evolve with our user base around the aesthetics of the Mac experience. And so we made some adjustments to the apps."

Federighi also explained that the iOS-like feel to the apps in macOS Mojave was more of a design decision than a result of porting them over to the Mac, but given complaints, Apple made an effort to "co-evolve" with the Mac user base to design a more Mac-like experience in macOS Catalina.

The new ‌Apple News‌, Voice Memos, Home, and Stocks apps aren't in the macOS Catalina beta at the current time, but Federighi said we can expect to see them when the public beta launches. "Wait for the public beta," Federighi told CNET. "We're still tuning everything up. That's where it gets really good."

Apple has said that iOS 13, macOS Catalina, and tvOS 13 betas will launch at some point in July, which is just two weeks away.

Apple today announced that every Best Buy store across the United States now offers certified repairs and service for Apple products.

The electronics retailer already serviced Apple products at about 225 stores and now does so at all of its 992 stores nationwide, according to Reuters, which is good news for customers who reside in states without any Apple Stores, including Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

Apple's press release:

By expanding to every Best Buy store across the US, customers in cities including Yuma, Arizona; Sioux City, Iowa; Twin Falls, Idaho; Casper, Wyoming and Bismarck, North Dakota will have more convenient access to Apple repairs. Plus, Best Buy’s Geek Squad has nearly 7,600 newly Apple-certified technicians ready to make same-day iPhone repairs or to service other Apple products.

Apple-certified repairs at Best Buy and other Apple Authorized Service Providers are performed by trained technicians who use genuine Apple parts, and every repair is backed by Apple, according to the company.

Including all of Best Buy's nearly 1,000 locations that now offer Apple-certified repairs, Apple now has over 1,800 authorized third-party service providers in the United States, which it says is "three times as many locations as three years ago." Apple also has over 270 retail stores that facilitate repairs across the country.

Tara Bunch, Apple's vice president of AppleCare:

At Apple, we're dedicated to providing the best customer service in the world. If a customer ever needs to repair their products, we want them to feel confident those repairs are done safely and correctly. We're always looking at how we can reliably expand our network of trained technicians and we're excited to partner with every Best Buy store so it's even easier for our customers to find an authorized repair location near them.

Apple customers can initiate a repair on Apple's support website.

Apple Watch users will be able to delete stock apps from the Apple Watch starting in watchOS 6, according to TechCrunch.

This will make it possible to delete many of Apple's built-in apps on the Apple Watch, including Alarm, Timer, Stopwatch, Remote, Camera Remote, Radio, Walkie-Talkie, ECG, Breathe, Noise, Cycle Tracking, and others, the report indicates. A few core apps like Heart Rate and Messages will not be deletable.

Some of Apple's apps can already be removed from the Apple Watch, like Calendar, Stocks, and Weather, as deleting a built-in app on an iPhone also removes the app from a paired Apple Watch. However, this method does not work for watchOS apps that lack an iOS counterpart like Timer and Radio.

watchOS 6 will allow almost any built-in app to be deleted directly on the Apple Watch. As already possible with third-party apps, users will be able to delete built-in apps by pressing and holding to enter so-called "wiggle mode" and then tapping the "X" button that appears above an app icon.

This functionality has yet to be enabled as of the second developer beta of watchOS 6, but it's still very early. The report indicates it will be ready in time for the public release of the software update in September.