MacRumors

Amid rumors that Apple plans to release a dual camera feature in the iPhone 7 Plus, Chinese smartphone manufacturer Huawei today unveiled the Huawei P9 and P9 Plus, a set of smartphones that are equipped with impressive dual camera setups with some interesting capabilities.

The 5.2 and 5.5-inch P9 and P9 Plus both come with dual 12-megapixel rear cameras equipped with Leica-certified lenses. Hardware wise, the lenses include 1.25-micron pixel sizes for superior low light performance and an f/2.2 aperture, which will also improve performance in poor lighting conditions. There's also a dual-tone LED flash and a laser focusing module that works in tandem with the two cameras for faster focusing at short ranges.

Each camera in the P9 has a different sensor, one that's monochrome to capture 300 percent more light (according to Huawei) and produce better contrast for crisper images, and one that supports full RGB color. Combined, the two cameras are able to produce a final photograph that has more detail than would be possible with a single camera, especially in conditions where poor lighting would otherwise ruin an image.

Along with the laser focusing module, the two cameras in the P9 are able to detect the depth of objects in an image, allowing for post-capture refocusing. With this feature, P9 users can change the area of an image that's in focus through built-in editing tools. Huawei says its focusing tools allow for "Leica-quality" bokeh, or blurring of certain areas of the photo, and combined with a wide f/2.2 aperture, the two cameras should be able to create shallow depth-of-field images that are normally not possible with a smartphone camera.

The wide-aperture photography feature on the P9 allows users to experiment with innovative visual effects to create unique images and content. The P9 makes it easy to adjust the camera aperture to create bokeh and other depth-of-field effects, while keeping the main object in sharp focus.

We don't yet know what features Apple will include in the dual camera setup of the iPhone 7 Plus, but the capabilities included in the P9 give us a look at the some of the possibilities. Apple is said to be using technology it acquired from LinX Imaging last year, which would perhaps result in functions like improved optical zoom for more detail in images, better low light functionality, less noise, improved color, and more advanced features like depth mapping for 3D scanning or image refocusing, as in the P9.

Based on past release information, Apple is expected to debut its new iPhone 7 (with a single camera) and iPhone 7 Plus in September of 2016.

Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming OS X 10.11.5 El Capitan update to developers for testing purposes, just over two weeks after releasing OS X 10.11.4, the fourth major update to the OS X 10.11 operating system.

The new OS X 10.11.5 update can be downloaded through the Apple Developer Center.

We don't yet know what improvements the fifth update to OS X El Capitan will bring, but like prior updates, it's likely to focus on security enhancements, performance improvements, and bug fixes to address issues that have been discovered since the release of OS X 10.11.4. We'll update this post with any changes that are discovered in the beta.

Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming iOS 9.3.2 update to developers for testing purposes, just over two weeks after the public release of iOS 9.3. iOS 9.3, the third major update to iOS 9, introduced Night Shift mode and other feature improvements. iOS 9.3.2 also comes a week after the release of iOS 9.3.1, a bug fix update that addressed an issue causing Safari and other apps to crash after a web link was tapped.

The iOS 9.3.2 beta, build 13F51a, is available for download immediately from the Apple Developer Center and may be made available to public beta testers later this week.

We don't know what changes iOS 9.3.2 will bring to iOS 9, but according to its release notes, it focuses on under-the-hood performance improvements and fixes for bugs that have been discovered since the release of iOS 9.3. We will update this post with any changes that are found in the new beta.

What's new in iOS 9.3.2 beta 1:

Quick Actions - Quick Actions now open up smoothly in landscape mode with none of the jittering or lag that's been present in past versions of iOS 9.3.

Apple CEO Tim Cook today joined the board of directors for the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights after being a longtime supporter of the organization. Cook counts Robert F. Kennedy as one of his personal heroes and has said there are two photos of Kennedy in his office that he looks at each day.

"Growing up, I was inspired by Robert Kennedy's infinite hope for humanity and his belief that people at their core are good, sharing universal goals for themselves and the world in which we live," said Cook. "Robert Kennedy spoke to our highest aspirations, calling Americans from all walks of life to fight for something better. He was and is a hero and role model to me, and I am honored to serve alongside Kerry and the rest of the board to advance his message of justice and equality."

The Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights aims to reach Robert F. Kennedy's goal for a just and peaceful world by advancing corporate responsibility, teaching social justice, and partnering with human rights leaders. On Cook's appointment to the board of directors, CEO Kerry Kennedy said Tim Cook is dedicated to the cause.

Announcing the appointment, Kerry Kennedy, President and CEO of Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, said, "Tim knows the importance of advocating for and representing people who have not been heard. He has integrity and does not shy away from challenging issues when he knows they are right and just. Tim is deeply committed to the social justice work that he is helping Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights accomplish."

On multiple occasions in the past, Tim Cook has auctioned off charity lunches with proceeds that benefit the RFK Center and Robert F. Kennedy has been mentioned in several of his speeches. Last year, the RFK Center gave Tim Cook the Ripple of Hope Award, designed to celebrate business leaders who have demonstrated a commitment to social change.

Nearly one week following the launch of the iPhone SE, availability of the new 4-inch smartphone continues to tighten. Apple now lists a standard delivery estimate of around April 22-27 in the U.S. for the majority of iPhone SE models, while in-store stock is depleted in many major cities.

All SIM-Free iPhone SE models also currently have an April 22-27 delivery estimate.

Apple's online Personal Pickup tool reveals that the iPhone SE is out of stock at many retail stores nationwide, including most or all locations in New York City, Los Angeles, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, Houston, Phoenix, Chicago, Philadelphia, Miami, Denver, Portland, Raleigh, Seattle, and Washington D.C.

While extended delivery estimates are anecdotal evidence that iPhone SE sales may be off to a good start, they are not a measurable indicator of exact supply and demand. KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and Localytics both believe first weekend sales were "lackluster," but Apple has not disclosed any official figures.

Apple may be laying the groundwork to allow users to remove or hide stock iOS apps, such as Compass and Tips, from their iPhones in an upcoming version of its mobile software, based on recently added metadata keys showing up on App Store apps.

As discovered by AppAdvice, Apple several weeks ago added a new pair of keys called "isFirstParty" and "isFirstPartyHideableApp" to the metadata of every App Store listing in iTunes. The new keys allow for a Boolean value of "true" or "false" to denote whether the app would be allowed to be hidden or removed from the user's iPhone. It's unclear whether the metadata is referring to an Apple-approved way to simply hide the first-party apps, or remove them altogether.

Last September, Apple CEO Tim Cook spoke about the long-standing desire by users to remove apps like Stocks and Voice Memos from their iPhones to reduce clutter of unused apps. He admitted the company was at a bit of an impasse over the situation, because while some of its first-party experiences could be removed without much of a headache, certain apps "are linked to something else on the iPhone." Their removal could begin a domino effect of bugs and issues elsewhere in iOS, so implementing a feature allowing their removal would be understandably risky.

The hints found in the metadata of iTunes could be the potential solution, with Apple specifically targeting first-party apps that are safe to hide or remove, and letting users decide on their end if they choose to do so. With no official word from Apple on the topic since last year, it's hard to say when -- or if -- we will see such a feature implemented into iOS, although iOS 10 coming later this year is an obvious opportunity.

Users looking to minimize clutter from less popular stock apps such as Tips and Compass, and even newer editions like Health and News in some cases, frequently sequester their least favorite apps into a forgotten folder somewhere on their home screens, but some have even gotten crafty in figuring out ways to go one step further in removing unsightly crammed folders from their home screens, without needing to resort to jailbreaking their devices.

Following multiple reports claiming Apple will release its first OLED-based iPhone as early as 2017, DigiTimes Research says that Apple manufacturer Foxconn will develop AMOLED displays through its recent investment in troubled Japanese electronics maker Sharp.

Sharp will set up one 4.5G and two 6G AMOLED production lines with monthly capacity of 13,000, 11,500 and 34,500 glass substrates respectively, with total monthly capacity of 9.85 million 5.5-inch equivalent panels.

Given its longstanding relationship with Apple, the move could position Foxconn as a frontrunner among AMOLED display suppliers for iPhones. Recent reports said Apple was closing in on deals with Samsung and LG, while AU Optronics and Japan Display are also rumored candidates for orders in 2017 or 2018.

AU Optronics, Japan Display, LG, and Sharp have all supplied Apple with LCD displays for current or previous iPhones.

Last month, oft-reliable KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said Apple is planning an all-new iPhone featuring a curved 5.8-inch AMOLED display for debut in 2017. Kuo noted that, if supplies are sufficient, Apple would launch a 4.7-inch LCD-based iPhone paired with the new 5.8-inch AMOLED iPhone as a Plus-sized model.

While some have expressed skepticism about Apple releasing a larger 5.8-inch iPhone, one possibility is that the screen wraps around the sides of the device akin to Samsung's Galaxy S7 Edge. Apple holds patents for wraparound screens, and the design lines up nicely when applied to the height of a 5.5-inch iPhone.

Rumors suggest that the iPhone 7 series will have iterative designs compared to the current iPhone 6s lineup, meaning that Apple is likely saving its major design change for 2017. Nevertheless, the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus will likely have many notable differences, headlined by the removal of the 3.5mm headphone jack.

A Siri vulnerability that allowed access to a user's photos and contacts on a locked iPhone running iOS 9.3.1 was patched server-side this afternoon by Apple.

Shared last night by Jose Rodriguez, the vulnerability used Siri's ability to access Twitter to find an email link or phone number, which could be pressed to open up an editable list of contacts even on a device that was locked. Through access to contacts, a user's full photo library was also visible.

As seen in the video below, the vulnerability relied on asking Siri to perform a Twitter search. If an email address, phone number, or other contact related detail came up, it would give direct access to Photos and Contact data. While the method worked on the iPhone 6s as of this morning, it is now disabled on all devices because it is no longer possible for Siri to conduct a Twitter search on a locked device.

When using a locked iPhone, asking Siri to "Search Twitter" now results in the personal assistant saying "You'll need to unlock your iPhone first." Without the ability to search Twitter on a locked device, there is no way to get the exploit to work. Apple confirmed the fix in a short statement given to The Washington Post.

According to 9to5Mac, a second Siri-related bug was also fixed today. Previously it was possible to enable both Night Shift and Low Power Mode by asking Siri to enable Night Shift after Low Power Mode was turned on, but that is no longer possible. Siri now warns that turning on Night Shift requires turning off Low Power Mode.

In early iOS 9.3 betas, Night Shift did work with Low Power Mode, but in iOS 9.3 beta 4, Apple removed the functionality. Night Shift and Low Power Mode cannot be run simultaneously.

The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation is still working on analyzing the information found on the iPhone of San Bernardino Shooter Syed Farook, reports The Wall Street Journal. FBI general counsel James Baker shared news on the iPhone earlier today at the International Association of Privacy Professionals conference, where he said it's too early to tell if the data on the device is useful.

"We're now doing an analysis of that data, as we would in any other type of criminal terrorism investigation,'' Mr. Baker said, adding: "That means we would follow logical leads." But because the agency has only had access to the data for a short period of time, he said "it's simply too early'' to say whether anything found on the phone has been valuable to investigators.

After a very public legal battle in which the FBI obtained a court order demanding Apple help the government unlock the iPhone used by Farook in a December shooting in San Bernardino, the Justice Department last week announced it had found an alternate method to gain access to the iPhone in question and dropped the lawsuit.

While the FBI has not shared how it was able to unlock the iPhone, nor shared details on what was found, it is believed Israeli mobile software developer Cellebrite, a company that offers "mobile forensic solutions," was enlisted to break into the device.

According to Baker, the FBI has not decided whether or not it will divulge details on what was found on the iPhone and will not make a decision on whether to do so until the full analysis is complete on both the device and the cracking tool used to unlock it.

It remains unclear if the hacking method used to break into the iPhone is only viable for the iPhone 5c used by Farook, but in a previous piece, The Wall Street Journal said the FBI is testing to see if it can be used to unlock other versions of the iPhone.

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.

Bernie Sanders, candidate for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination in the United States, was today queried about Apple in an interview with the Daily News, where he commented on the company's manufacturing policies and rumors that Apple dodges taxes.

When asked if Apple is part of corporate America that is "destroying the fabric of our nation," a question inspired by statements made by Sanders' himself, Sanders said he does not believe that to be the case, instead pointing the finger at big banks like JPMorgan Chase and corporations like General Electric. He went on to clarify that he would, however, like Apple to move manufacturing of some devices to the United States and pay a fair share of taxes.

No, Apple is not destroying the fabric of America. But I do wish they'd be manufacturing some of their devices, here, in the United States rather than in China. And I do wish that they would not be trying to avoid paying their fair share of taxes.

Sanders is not the first presidential candidate to comment on Apple's manufacturing policies, with Donald Trump also claiming he would force Apple to manufacture its products in the United States.

Though the bulk of Apple products are manufactured overseas, Apple has in fact made an effort to move some production jobs back to the United States, something that Sanders and Trump both appear to be unaware of. Apple's Mac Pro line of computers is assembled by Flextronics in Austin, Texas, an effort that cost Apple $100 million. Many third-party components used in Apple devices are also created by suppliers located in the United States, as Re/code points out. Corning's Gorilla Glass, used in iPhones and iPads, is made in Kentucky, for example.

In a December interview with Charlie Rose, Apple CEO Tim Cook gave some color on why Apple products are made in China. "It's skill," he said, going on to explain that China has focused heavily on training people to create machinery and parts for electronic devices.

The US, over time, began to stop having as many vocational kind of skills. I mean, you can take every tool and die maker in the United States and probably put them in a room that we're currently sitting in. In China, you would have to have multiple football fields.

When it comes to taxes, Tim Cook has previously said that Apple pays all of the taxes that it owes. During the same December interview, he said accusations Apple avoids taxes on revenue held overseas is "total political crap." "There is no truth behind it," he said. "Apple pays every tax dollar we owe."

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.