MacRumors

As we reported in January, Apple plans to hold its annual Worldwide Developers Conference on June 13 to June 17 in San Francisco, at the Moscone West convention center where the conference has been held for the past several years.

The official WWDC dates have leaked courtesy of Siri (via 9to5Mac), who, when asked when WWDC will be held responds: "The Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) will be held June 13 to June 17 in San Francisco. I'm so excited!"

While today's information counts as official confirmation that the conference will be held from June 13 to June 17, the dates in question were already known based on scheduling information at Moscone West. Since January, the Moscone Center has been booked for the first, second, fourth, and fifth weeks of June, leaving only the third week open for Apple.

Given that Siri is providing information about the Worldwide Developers Conference, the ticket lottery for the event is imminent and could go live as soon as tomorrow. Due to the popularity of the event, Apple offers each $1,599 ticket to developers based on a lottery system.

Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference is of interest to developers because it gives them a chance to interface with Apple engineers and attend a wide variety of instructional websites to learn methods for improving their apps. For non-developers, the Worldwide Developers Conference provides a first look at new versions of iOS and OS X and is also often used as a venue for introducing new products and services.

Former Intuit chairman and Apple board member Bill Campbell has passed away following a prolonged battle with cancer, reports Re/code. Known as "The Coach" around Silicon Valley, Campbell was known for providing sage advice to the leaders of some of the Bay Area's biggest companies, including Apple and Google. At one point, he was even assisting Apple and Google at the same time, something Steve Jobs wasn't happy with. From a 2014 interview with Fortune:

"Steve would say, 'If you're helping them you're hurting me.' He would yell at me," recalls Campbell, whose normal banter typically needs to be sanitized for most publications. " I'd say, 'I can't do HTML, come on. I'm just coaching them on how to run their company better.'

A longtime friend of Steve Jobs, Campbell first joined Apple under John Sculley, where he took on the role of Apple's Vice President of Marketing. After disagreements with Sculley, Campbell, who was a onetime coach of the Columbia Lions football team, he then founded Go Corporation, which was sold to AT&T.

From there, Campbell took on the role of CEO of Intuit and joined Apple's board of directors when Steve Jobs returned to the company in 1997. Campbell remained on Apple's board of directors for 17 years until his resignation in July of 2014.

Update: Apple has posted a tribute to Bill Campbell on its website homepage, a day after his death.

Electronics retailer Best Buy has quietly removed all 12-inch MacBook models from its U.S. online store this week, fueling anticipation that Apple will refresh the ultra-thin notebook lineup in the near future.

The authorized reseller now lists all 12-inch MacBook models as "no longer available" on its website, whereas some remained available for purchase or in-store pickup as recently as this weekend.

Select MacBook Air models are also on sale for $150 off, potentially signaling that a broader Mac refresh could be imminent. Most current machines are historically due for an update, and appropriate Intel Skylake processors are now widely available. However, it should be noted that Best Buy frequently offers sales on Apple products.

Last month, reference of an early 2016 Retina MacBook, which has yet to be released, was discovered within OS X's System Image Utility application, spurring hopes that Apple will refresh the 12-inch MacBook by late April.

Apple has historically used the "early" model identifier for devices that launch during the first four months of the year, so Best Buy removing 12-inch MacBook stock is yet another indication that Apple may refresh the notebook within the next two weeks. If the refresh is in May or later, a "mid 2016" model identifier will likely be used.

Our Mac Buyer's Guide indicates that it has been 374 days since Apple released the current 12-inch MacBook on April 10, 2015, so it would be appropriate timing for a refresh. The notebook will likely be powered by Intel's low-power Skylake Core m3-6Y30, Core m5-6Y54, and Core m7-6Y75 processors.

Update: Select 12-inch MacBook models are also listed as out of stock at MacMall.

Nearly three weeks after the launch of the iPhone SE in the U.S. and eleven other regions, availability of the new 4-inch smartphone remains limited.

iPhone SE continues to be out of stock at Apple Stores in a number of major U.S. cities, including most or all locations in New York City, Los Angeles, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, Houston, Phoenix, Chicago, Philadelphia, Miami, Atlanta, Denver, Portland, Raleigh, Seattle, and Washington D.C.

Apple's web-based Personal Pickup tool shows that the smartphone remains in tight supply in many other international cities, including Amsterdam, Berlin, Hong Kong, London, Madrid, Melbourne, Milan, Montréal, Paris, Rome, Sydney, and Toronto. Most models are currently available on a ship-to-store basis only.

MacRumors forum member Channan writes in "How do I get an iPhone SE?":

All the Apple stores within 300 miles of my location are also all sold out of the model I want. I check every 64GB silver model except Sprint, since the rest are all the same.

I have to buy from an Apple Store because I want to trade my 5s in and get the SE on a payment plan. Some carriers had them in store but that just isn't an option for me.

Meanwhile, online availability of the iPhone SE remains backlogged into May, with new orders estimated to ship in 2-3 weeks in the U.S., Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, Spain, United Kingdom, and many other countries.

iPhone SE shipping estimates slipped to late April soon after the smartphone launched on March 31. Nevertheless, while extended delivery estimates are anecdotal evidence that iPhone SE sales may be promising, they are not a measurable indicator of exact supply and demand.

Apple has not disclosed official iPhone SE sales figures, and early speculation is mixed. A recent CNBC report claimed that Apple received an initial 3.4 million iPhone SE pre-orders in China, while KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and analytics firm Localytics described first weekend sales as "lackluster."

Prospective iPhone SE buyers should also visit local Apple Authorized Resellers, which in the U.S. includes AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile, Costco, Sam's Club, Target, Walmart, and many other carriers and retailers. Apple Stores may also replenish limited in-store iPhone SE stock each day, so call ahead.

Apple is operating a secret vehicle research and development lab in the heart of Berlin, claims a report published in a German news outlet this morning.

According to Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (also known as F.A.Z.), Apple's clandestine facility employs between 15 and 20 "top class" men and women from the German automotive industry, with backgrounds in engineering, software, hardware, and sales.

The workers at the car lab are described as "progressive thinkers" in their respective fields who agreed to work with Apple after their ideas for innovation were stifled by the more conservative outlooks of their previous employers.

The article goes on to repeat previous speculation surrounding Apple's rumored vehicle research, noting that the company's first car will be electric, but also ventures to claim that it will lack self-driving capabilities because the required technology is still in development.

Additionally, the report alleges that Apple is investigating a vehicle-sharing model similar to BMW's Drive-Now and European car rental service Sixt, owing to the company's lack of a nationwide distribution network. Similar to previous rumors, Austrian contract manufacturer of high-end cars Magna Steyr is also cited as a partner for vehicle creation once the R&D stage is complete.

Apple Car rumors have gained momentum since early 2015, when The Wall Street Journal reported that Apple has hundreds of employees working to develop an electric vehicle under the codename "Project Titan." The bulk of research and development is thought to be taking place in an Apple-leased Sunnyvale campus in California, where loud "motor noises" were heard, sparking speculation that the building is a secret car testing facility for Apple's automotive project.

Tim Cook teased about the possibility of an Apple Car in February by saying "it's going to be Christmas Eve for a while," suggesting the much-rumored project will not be publicly revealed for some time.

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has issued a new report that again predicts Apple will switch to non-aluminum casing, with glass being the most likely candidate, for the majority of new iPhone models starting in 2017. If accurate, the design change would not apply to the iPhone 7 expected to launch this September.

Specifically, Kuo believes that in order to differentiate iPhone from an increasing number of competing aluminum smartphones, Apple will return to iPhone 4s-like glass casing next year to allow for an all-new form-factor design. The switch would allow Apple to again "enhance the competitiveness" and innovation of iPhone.

If iPhone 7 still uses an aluminum casing in 2016, it will be the fifth year in a row that iPhone has done so, which means there is no longer a feeling of freshness to appeal to consumers. Also, a lot of Apple’s (US) competitors are also adopting aluminum casings, which means iPhone no longer has a clear edge due to a lack of differentiation. On expectations that iPhone shipments will decline in 2016, we believe Apple will be more strongly motivated to use non-aluminum casings in 2017 in a bid to enhance the competitiveness of iPhone by offering an all-new form-factor design.

The oft-reliable analyst adds that the ratio of new iPhone models using aluminum casing will likely drop from 100% currently to 40% or less, indicating that some aluminum-based iPhones will likely remain available for at least the short term. This could be older models like the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6 series.

Kuo notes that some investors are concerned that glass casing would be too heavy or fail a drop test. However, the analyst believes that a return to glass casing will not be problematic for Apple, and the added weight in particular could be offset by the switch to lighter AMOLED screens in 2017.

Apple already uses glass casing for iPhone 4/ 4S, and non-Apple brands have also been using glass casings. We therefore think a drop test will not be problematic for glass casing. A glass casing may be slightly heavier than an aluminum one of the same thickness, but the difference is so small that the use of the thinner and lighter AMOLED panel will compensate for that.

Multiple sources have claimed that Apple will release an OLED-based iPhone as early as 2017, with possible suppliers eventually including Samsung, LG Display, AU Optronics, Japan Display, Foxconn-owned Sharp, and others. Kuo said at least one model could have a 5.8-inch OLED screen with curved glass casing.

Jony Ive's design team has created a one-of-a-kind 12.9-inch iPad Pro, iPad Pro Smart Cover, and Apple Pencil holder that will be auctioned off as part of a fundraiser for the London Design Museum, reports Wallpaper.

The iPad Pro has been anodized with a bright yellow dye, making it unique among Apple's standard color lineup of Space Gray, Silver, Gold, and Rose Gold. Compared to the Gold iPad Pro, it's a much brighter, more vibrant shade of yellow.

Unique and exclusive customised design by the Apple Design Team for Time for Design.

Jony Ive showed a prototype mobile phone at the Design Museum in 1990, long before he started working for Apple. He was winner of the museum's first 'Designer of the Year' award in 2003 for the iMac. To support the museum, he and his team in Cupertino have designed this special iPad Pro in a unique colour numbered Edition 1 of 1.

Accompanying the yellow iPad Pro is Smart Cover made from a blue French leather and an Apple Pencil ensconced in an orange Italian calf leather case. According to the auction listing, the iPad Pro's back and the Smart Cover are etched with the words "Edition 1 of 1."

The iPad Pro has an estimated value of GBP10,000 - 15,000, the amount it is expected to fetch at auction. It will be available to bid on starting on April 28.

Apple has donated specially designed items for charity auctions several times in the past, with Jony Ive creating a red Mac Pro and solid gold EarPods, among other items.

Apple may be embroiled in an ongoing battle with the U.S. government over privacy rights and the boundaries of encryption, but in a meeting with reporters (via TechCrunch), Apple security engineers said the government is not the threat they aim to counter when implementing new security features for iOS devices.

Senior Apple engineers feel that government intrusion is not their primary threat model when designing iPhone security and said they instead prefer to focus on fending off hackers.

The engineers also characterized Apple's pushback against the FBI as motivated not by a desire to impede a terrorism investigation, but rather to defend its ability to protect users against non-governmental threats.

Hackers, not the government, are what Apple aims to counter by beefing up security, and Apple engineers don't want to be "viewed as government adversaries." With every iOS update, hackers, some malicious and some not, make an effort to discover previously unknown security flaws able to be exploited to gain access to iOS devices. Apple has to continually work to eliminate vulnerabilities and improve security in never-ending race.

In the call, TechCrunch says Apple engineers explained features in its Security White Paper [PDF] to reporters in an effort to emphasize the work that goes into protecting data, highlighting features like the Secure Enclave, Touch ID, two-factor authentication, and end-to-end encryption in iMessage.

Built into devices utilizing an A7 or later, the Secure Enclave, which maintains encryption keys directly on the chip, is a separate chip with its own secure boot and personalized software that's updated separately from the application processor. With iOS 8, Apple improved encryption for devices, making it impossible for the company to access data on a locked iPhone.

According to Apple engineers, who reportedly "disputed the theory" the iPhone's security allows criminals to evade law enforcement, implementing strong security measures is necessary to protect personal privacy for all people. In past arguments, Apple executives have also pointed out that even if the iPhone did have weaker encryption, criminals would be savvy enough to seek out other encryption methods like messaging apps with end-to-end encryption while the average consumer would be left more vulnerable.

Amid its dispute with the FBI, reports suggested Apple had already begun work on implementing stronger security measures to protect iOS devices, and in today's call with reporters, Apple said it has revamped its internal security teams.

Update: The Verge has shared additional details on the press briefing.

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.

Following the U.S. Department of Justice's decision to dismiss its lawsuit against Apple after it managed to access the iPhone 5c of San Bernardino shooter Syed Farook, the agency announced its intention to continue on with a similar New York lawsuit where it is attempting to get Apple's help to breach an iPhone 5s used in a drug case.

In a filing this afternoon, Apple again refused to help the DOJ gain access to the device in question and asked the judge to dismiss the lawsuit, claiming the government has not proven that it has exhausted all other means of getting the data. There are specific references made to the San Bernardino case, where the FBI did manage to find another way into the iPhone without involving Apple. Via The Wall Street Journal:

"The government has utterly failed to demonstrate that the requested order is necessary to effectuate the search warrant, including that it exhausted all other avenues for recovering the information it seeks,'' Apple argued in the new filing to U.S. District Judge Margo Brodie. "Before the government demands that Apple do the work of law enforcement, the government must offer evidence that it has performed an 'exhaustive search' and that it remains unable to obtain the data it seeks without Apple's assistance.''

According to Apple, the FBI has not adequately demonstrated that the method it used to gain access to the iPhone 5c used by Syed Farook does not work on the Brooklyn iPhone 5s. Apple also argues the FBI has not proven it has consulted with the third party that helped with the San Bernardino iPhone or other third parties that could provide assistance.

In late February, U.S. Magistrate Judge James Orenstein ruled the FBI lacked the legal authority to force Apple to breach the New York iPhone, but the U.S. Justice Department filed a formal appeal in early March in an effort to turn over the ruling, which is what Apple is responding to with today's filing.

In the New York case, which dates back to October 2015, the FBI is aiming to access data on an iPhone 5s belonging to Brooklyn drug dealer Jun Feng. While the FBI employed the help of "professional hackers" to access the iPhone 5c in the California case, FBI Director James Comey has said the method used to gain entry to that device does not work on the iPhone 5s or later.

The iPhone 5s in question is running an earlier version of iOS (iOS 7) that Apple does have the means to access, but Apple is refusing to do so after taking a stronger stance on encryption and customer privacy. While Apple can obtain data from that particular iPhone 5s, it does not have the means to do so on devices running iOS 8 or iOS 9 due to a change in its encryption methods.

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.