MacRumors

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.

Apple today began promoting a new feature on the fourth-generation Apple TV called "Live Tune-In," which lets users jump directly into the live streams of select apps using Siri. The company is specifically promoting CBS, ESPN, and Disney XD as apps that support Live Tune-In, but it hasn't disclosed yet how soon other apps that have live channel functionality will gain the new feature as well.

To use Live Tune-In, Apple TV users can speak into the Siri Remote using commands like "Watch CBS," or specifically ask to "Watch ESPN live." Other features on the new splash screen of the Apple TV include updates that were released in March's tvOS 9.2 update -- including Folders and Bluetooth keyboard support -- but Apple is just now beginning to promote the Live Tune-In ability as an option for those who watch live channels often on the platform.

Some live streaming apps do require separate subscriptions to be able to watch live TV in the first place, so the CBS app won't work for those who don't have a CBS All Access account. Other live streaming-supported apps that don't appear to incorporate Live Tune-In yet include ABC and Food Network.

(Thanks, Eric!)

In honor of Earth Day next Friday, April 22, Apple has updated the logos of over one hundred of its retail stores with green leaf accents in countries around the world, and provided retail employees with matching green t-shirts to wear. Apple is also promoting stores that run on 100% renewable energy with new signage.

Apple has heavily emphasized its environmental responsibility over the past month. At its iPhone SE event last month, Apple environmental chief Lisa Jackson said the company's goal is to "become 100% renewable in 100% of our operations worldwide," including all of its corporate offices, retail stores, and data centers.

Yesterday, Apple launched an "Apps for Earth" promotion in support of the World Wildlife Fund and released its annual environmental responsibility progress report [PDF] covering the 2015 fiscal year. Notably, Apple's recycling initiatives have allowed it to recover over $50 million in gold, copper, and other metals.

Update: While some have suggested that the new seasonal green t-shirts may go against the idea of environmental friendliness, a retail employee informed us that Apple has supplied team members with multiple shirts that will be used for the "foreseeable future." The employee also said that Apple recycles t-shirts each time it changes colors, while some take their old t-shirts home for personal use.

Last November it was reported that Apple was working with suppliers to "fully redesign" many of the MacBook's internal components to achieve a slimmer design. Today, DigiTimes reports one of those redesigns is a move to metal injection mold-made hinges.

Metal injection molding is a metalworking process that's used to create very small metal pieces that are typically used by Apple for the internals of products like iPhone and Apple Watch. Apple is looking to use the technology for its MacBook hinges to save space and achieve an "ultra-thin" design, according to DigiTimes.

The new hinges will be supplied by Amphenol, who claims to produce some of the thinnest sliding hinges in the world on its website. The company partners with Microsoft to produce the parts for the hinges on the Microsoft Surface 4.

While DigiTimes has a mixed track record reporting Apple's future plans, the report does corroborate an earlier report that Apple was working toward a slimmer MacBook, likely scheduled for release after WWDC 2016. However, it's unclear which MacBook lineup these reports are referring to. Apple's refreshed MacBook is expected to include faster Skylake processors and Thunderbolt 3 with USB-C.

Samsung Display Co. will begin supplying Apple with OLED display panels starting in 2017, reports The Korea Herald. According to the terms of the deal, which is worth $2.59 billion, Samsung will provide Apple with 100 million units of 5.5-inch OLED panels on an annual basis.

OLED panels eliminate the need for the backlighting used in traditional LCDs, potentially allowing Apple to cut down on the thickness and bezels of its iOS devices. OLED displays can also provide sharper images and brighter colors than LCD displays, but higher manufacturing costs and shorter lifespans are obstacles that Apple will need to overcome.

Rumors suggesting Apple and Samsung were close to establishing a partnership for OLED panels first surfaced in January, when Reuters reported Apple was seeking deals with both Samsung and LG Display. Later rumors indicated Samsung plans to invest up to $7.47 billion in OLED manufacturing equipment to fulfill orders for Apple. Apple may also plan to source additional panels from LG Display, AU Optronics, or Japan Display, three other display companies it has pursued deals with.

Early rumors said Apple would adopt OLED displays in 2018, but more recent information suggests that timeline has been pushed up. Apple is now rumored to be aiming to introduce the first iPhones with OLED displays in 2017.

A rumor from reliable KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and information from DigiTimes have suggested Apple plans to use 5.8-inch OLED displays for the larger-screened iPhone in 2017, perhaps for a wraparound display paired with a curved glass casing, but this information does not match up with today's report suggesting Apple has signed a deal for 5.5-inch panels.

According to Kuo, the 2017 iPhone will see a major design overhaul, which, if true, would see Apple breaking away from its traditional two-year upgrade cycle that includes a major redesign followed by a more minor internal update. Under that upgrade cycle, the 2016 iPhone would be the phone seeing a redesign, while the 2017 iPhone would feature the same design introduced in 2016.

Instead, Kuo believes 2017 will see Apple introducing a glass-backed device that includes wireless charging and biometric recognitions along with the aforementioned curved glass display and curved casing.

Update: The Korea Herald has pulled its original story and replaced it with a new one claiming Samsung is merely considering a deal with Apple.

Apple has assembled a secret team dedicated to exploring potential changes that could be made to the App Store, reports Bloomberg. Among the features being considered is an option that would allow developers to pay a fee to have their apps "more prominently displayed," perhaps at the top of a list of search results. Changes to "improve the way" customers browse in the App Store are also under consideration.

Among the ideas being pursued, Apple is considering paid search, a Google-like model in which companies would pay to have their app shown at the top of search results based on what a customer is seeking. For instance, a game developer could pay to have its program shown when somebody looks for "football game," "word puzzle" or "blackjack."

Apple is said to have approximately 100 employees working on its App Store project under vice president and former iAd leader Todd Terisi, including engineers who formerly worked on the iAd team. According to sources who spoke to Bloomberg, the search team is relatively new and it is not yet known if and when changes will be introduced to the App Store.

News of work on App Store changes comes four months after Apple made a significant change to App Store leadership, bringing it under the umbrella of Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller instead of iTunes chief Eddy Cue.

App discovery has long been an issue in Apple's App Store. With upwards of 1.8 million apps available in the App Store, it is difficult for users to discover content that isn't available via Apple's featured section or through Top Charts, which often favor big name developers able to spend a lot of money on advertising. Paid discovery via search offers another avenue to help customers find new apps, but it is unlikely to be popular with many of the independent developers that struggle to get their apps noticed.

Apple's last major change to the App Store came in November, introducing significant improvements to App Store search algorithms to return more relevant, intelligent results.

With the launch of the Apple Watch and the fourth-generation Apple TV, Apple debuted two new operating systems -- watchOS and tvOS -- both of which share a common naming scheme with iOS, the operating system that runs on iPhones and iPads.

Apple's unified naming system has led to speculation that OS X, the operating system for the Mac, is due for a name change to MacOS, bringing it in line with watchOS, tvOS, and iOS. Apple won't unveil the name of the next-generation Mac operating system until its 2016 Worldwide Developers Conference, but a new update to the company's website suggests MacOS is on the minds of Apple employees and a candidate for the name of the next upgrade.

On a webpage that was updated this morning to share Apple's most recent environmental report, a Frequently Asked Questions section makes a mention of "MacOS." When discussing power consumption of products, MacOS is listed alongside tvOS, iOS, and watchOS.

To model customer use, we measure the power consumed by a product while it is running in a simulated scenario. Daily usage patterns are specific to each product and are a mixture of actual and modeled customer use data. Years of use, which are based on first owners, are assumed to be four years for MacOS and tvOS devices and three years for iOS and watchOS devices.

A mention of "MacOS" was also found buried Library files in OS X 10.11.4 in late March, but the file, "FUFlightViewController_macOS.nib," has been present in the Mac operating system since August of 2015, a month before the public launch of OS X El Capitan.

If Apple does make the switch from "OS X" to "MacOS," it is not clear if the company will stick with naming each iteration after California landmarks, a tradition that started with OS X Mavericks in 2013. Prior to that date, Mac updates were named after large cats, but since then, we've seen OS X Mavericks, OS X Yosemite, and OS X El Capitan. With tvOS, watchOS, and iOS, operating system upgrades follow a number-based naming scheme, with the current versions being tvOS 9.2, watchOS 2.2, and iOS 9.3.1.

Apple is expected to unveil the next version of its Mac operating system, OS X 10.12, at its 2016 Worldwide Developers Conference, which will likely be held from June 13 to June 17. Little is known about OS X 10.12 at this time, but it may be a more significant update than OS X 10.11, introducing Siri support for the Mac for the first time.

Update: Apple has now removed the reference to "MacOS" in its environmental report and replaced it with "OS X".

In January, Samsung announced plans to add iOS support to its Gear S2 Smart Watch, and it appears work on an iOS app is well underway. Screenshots of a beta Gear S2 app designed for iOS devices have been shared on the XDA forums, giving us a first look at the design of the app and the features that will be available.

XDA forum members have also been able to download the test app and have provided details on its functionality. The Gear S2 iOS app will be able to deliver notifications to the smart watch, and it will be able to install and manage apps from the Gear store on the device. According to testers, while the Gear S2 can receive notifications from the iPhone, replies are not currently possible, and the Samsung Gear S2 Lite app has to be running in the background for the connection between the watch and the app to be maintained.

The app appears to be in the developmental stages and Samsung has given no hints on when it plans to introduce a finished iOS app for the Gear S2. When the news was first announced, Samsung's only timeline was "later in the year."

Currently, the Gear S2, which runs the Samsung Tizen operating system, is only compatible with Samsung smartphones, but when the iOS app is released, the Gear S2 will be able to compete with the Apple Watch on Apple's own platform.

Introduced in August of 2015, the Gear S2 is Samsung's latest smart watch and the first to ship with a round display. While the first versions of the Gear S2 were originally only available in black or silver with matching rubber bands, Samsung introduced higher-end 18-karat rose gold and platinum plated versions to better compete with the more expensive Apple Watch models.