MacRumors

Apple has informed retail employees it will be removing the Lead Creative role at its stores, according to multiple sources. The changes should take effect by mid November at all stores except select flagship locations.

Apple will be relegating current Lead Creatives to the role of Creative as part of the transition. A source said pay will remain the same for existing leads, but their current leadership responsibilities will be slowly removed.

The move comes less than three months after Apple introduced a new "Creative Pro" position above Creative. Retail employees holding this position are considered the most knowledgable about Apple products and services, providing customers with advice and expertise about products such as the iPhone. Creative Pros are situated on the sales floor, internally described as the Product Zone.

Apple has given its automotive team a late 2017 deadline to "prove the feasibility" of its self-driving car system, and decide on a final direction for the platform, according to Bloomberg.

Apple's ambitions no longer include building its own car "for now," but it could return to developing its own vehicle in the future, or partner with existing carmakers, the report claims.

The project's shift has allegedly resulted in hundreds of employees being reassigned, let go, or leaving on their own terms since August, including more than 120 software engineers.

The remaining members of Apple's car team, which comprises about 1,000 people, are said to be working on "autonomous programs, vision sensors, and simulators for testing the platform in real-world environments." Apple is said to have kept staff numbers in the team steady by hiring people to help with the new focus.

The report follows months of internal struggles as Apple's so-called "Project Titan" team is believed to have faced delays and internal strife.

"Apple Car" lead Steve Zadesky reportedly stepped down from the project earlier this year, with his responsibilities shifting to Apple's hardware engineering chief Dan Riccio until longtime Apple executive Bob Mansfield took over the team in April and shifted the project's direction.

About a month later, Mansfield took the stage in a Silicon Valley auditorium packed with hundreds of Titan employees to announce the strategy shift, according to people who attended the meeting. Mansfield explained that he had examined the project and determined that Apple should move from building an outright competitor to Tesla Motors Inc. to an underlying self-driving platform.

While plans for an Apple-designed vehicle by the early 2020s are seemingly in flux, the company's research and development plans could change over the coming months and years. Nevertheless, Tesla CEO Elon Musk believes Apple will not have its own vehicle ready by 2020, calling it a "missed opportunity."

Apple and Huawei will be the biggest beneficiaries following the discontinuation of Samsung's Galaxy Note 7 line, according to research conducted by KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. The two companies will mainly see orders increased by users looking for a smartphone with dual camera support, including Apple's iPhone 7 Plus and Huawei's upcoming Mate 9.

While Kuo believes Apple will benefit majorly following Samsung's troubled Note 7, the analyst also says that those benefits are "largely reflected in raised forecasts," and not as much in actual iPhone shipping numbers. Of the original 12-14 million Note 7 units expected to ship in 2016 before the exploding battery drama, Kuo estimates 5-7 million Note 7 users may switch to iPhone, mainly expected to be the iPhone 7 Plus.

Consumers that have switched from Note 7 to iPhone after the recall and halted production can be identified as having the following characteristics: (1) no trust in the Samsung brand anymore; (2) could be former iOS users; (3) like dual camera feature; and (4) like the subsidy packages of telecom operators (iPhone 7 and 7 Plus were the most promoted flagship models in September).

Because of this, the analyst believes Apple's biggest benefits of the Note 7 discontinuation have already "peaked out." It's estimated that it will take Apple between 3 and 5 weeks to accommodate additional orders of the iPhone 7, especially "if the company does not expand the current production capacity of the iPhone 7 Plus."

Right behind Apple, Kuo believes that Huawei will gain the second biggest benefit of the Note 7's failure, particularly due to its foothold in China and Europe. With the impending launch of the Mate 9 in the fall, the analyst looks at Huawei as the best alternative for Note 7 users who are leaving Samsung's smartphone lineup but seeking to remain in the Android family.

Ultimately, Kuo notes that while the impact of the discontinuation of the Note 7 will likely not last very long, if Samsung makes the same mistakes on the Galaxy S8 -- expected to enter mass production in Q1 2017 -- the analyst believes its brand "will be hurt immensely." It's expected Samsung will be more patient with the S8, however, since the smartphone's 10 nanometer production process is facing yield issues and as a whole the company will "make greater efforts with quality control" after rushing to production with the Note 7.

The Note 7's discontinuation began with a recall of the devices in early September following a few user reports of exploding batteries in the smartphone. After the recall, Samsung faced a series of unfortunate events as its shares plummeted, supposedly safe replacement phones began exploding, and a Bloomberg report painted it in an unfavorable light, indicating that the company rushed the Note 7 into production to do battle with Apple's iPhone 7.

Prior to launch, rumors that eventually became true were suggesting that the iPhone 7 would not receive a major design change, so Samsung could therefore benefit from being an enticing alternative to users on the fence. The Note 7 is now officially discontinued, banned from all United States passenger flights, and expected to cost Samsung around $2.3 billion, essentially erasing "all the mobile business profit" from the company's revenue for the quarter.

Apple CEO Tim Cook hinted that Japan has a big part to play in the company's ongoing development of AI, as he continued his travels around the country via bullet train on Monday.

Speaking to Nikkei Asian Review, Cook revealed that Apple's new advanced R&D center in Yokohama, currently scheduled for completion in December, would focus on "deep engineering" and would be "very different" from the R&D base Apple is building in China, without giving away specifics.

However, Cook intimated that one of its main focuses would be on developing Apple's artificial intelligence services – which recently drew some criticism in the press – and emphasized that the company wanted to leverage specifically Japanese expertise in the field.

"AI is horizontal in nature, running across all products, and is used in ways that most people don't even think about," said Cook. "We want the AI to increase your battery life, to recommend music to Apple Music subscribers... [to] help you remember where you parked your car."

Japan's robotics heritage is legendary, coming on the back of years of successfully building industrial robots, however the state of its AI research remains ambiguous, given its relative lack of investment in deep learning from large amounts of analyzed data, which U.S. companies like Facebook and Google are already heavily researching.

To improve on this front, Japan has just opened a Center for Advanced Integrated Intelligence Research in Tokyo (RIKEN), which specifically aims to develop systems of AI that will be able to solve problems using "Big Data". The institution will work with several large companies including Sony, NEC and Toyota, and is set to receive state funding of $99.7 million over the next financial year.

Elsewhere in his interview, Cook talked up the Japanese model of the iPhone with regard to its hardware integration with Sony's contactless FeliCa standard, which is widely used across the country for making quick payments. "Japan is important to us. FeliCa was born in Japan. So by extension, FeliCa is important," he said.

Cook also said he hoped the use of Apple Pay, the iPhone and the Apple Watch would promote a cashless society: "We would like to be a catalyst for taking cash out of the system," he said. "We don't think the consumer particularly likes cash."

In addition, Apple is said to be working with IBM and Japan Post Holdings to offer health care services for the country's elderly, with the iPad being at the center of the program. Given the rapid aging of the country's population, Cook said "Japan is in the best position to lead" the way on such technology.

Previously during his Japan visit, Tim Cook met with Nintendo's legendary game designer Shigeru Miyamoto and played Super Mario Run, which is expected to arrive on iPhones by the end of the year. It's unclear what else Cook is planning during the rest of his stay in the country.

With the introduction of the iPhone 7, Apple did away with the classic click-mechanism home button in favor of a "solid-state" pressure sensitive one that uses haptic feedback to mimic traditional button presses.

The programming that controls the Taptic Engine-powered feedback is deeply integrated into iOS 10, so much so that it appears Apple's latest iPhone is able to automatically offer a temporary workaround when its diagnostic software senses that the technology is playing up.

MacRumors forum member 'iwayne' shared the above picture of his iPhone 7 display after the device unexpectedly turned itself off while charging and the haptic feedback began malfunctioning after a restart. A dialog prompt warns that the home button is in need of repair, but presents an alternative onscreen home button for temporary use until the phone has been turned in to Apple for servicing.

MacRumors has previously noted that the Taptic Engine can become unresponsive if the OS freezes, which forced Apple to change the reset process for the iPhone 7 series. Apple has also apparently safeguarded against instances when the button's haptic sensor system breaks completely, but whether or not its failure rate is any better than a physical button remains to be seen.

Rumors suggest Apple will ditch the iconic home button entirely for next year's "iPhone 8" in favor of one built directly into an edge-to-edge display, but it's unclear if Apple intends to implement the same button-based recovery methods for instances in which devices freeze or stop responding completely.

Samsung's Galaxy Note 7 was today banned from all airplanes and flights in the United States by the Department of Transportation, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. It is now labeled as a "forbidden hazardous material" under the Federal Hazardous Material Regulations.

Individuals who own or possess a Samsung Galaxy Note7 device may not transport the device on their person, in carry-on baggage, or in checked baggage on flights to, from, or within the United States. This prohibition includes all Samsung Galaxy Note7 devices.

The Department of Transportation has issued an emergency order that will prevent the devices from being taken on a flight even when powered down as of Saturday, October 15 at 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Galaxy Note 7 smartphones are no longer allowed in checked or carry-on luggage and cannot be shipped as air cargo.

"We recognize that banning these phones from airlines will inconvenience some passengers, but the safety of all those aboard an aircraft must take priority," said Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. "We are taking this additional step because even one fire incident inflight poses a high risk of severe personal injury and puts many lives at risk."

Customers who attempt to bring a Galaxy Note 7 on a flight could have their devices confiscated and could face fines. Those who attempt to evade the ban by putting their smartphone in their checked luggage could be subject to criminal prosecution in addition to fines.

The official flight ban comes just days after Samsung permanently discontinued production of the Galaxy Note 7 and asked its carrier partners around the world to cease selling the device following reports that "safe" replacement Galaxy Note 7 devices were also catching on fire.

Samsung has not yet discovered the defect affecting the new devices and has not been able to reproduce the issue in house, but it has been forced to scrap the Galaxy Note 7 due to consumer outcry and regulatory investigations.

Samsung has asked Galaxy Note 7 owners, both with original and replacement devices, to power them down immediately and return them for a full refund. All four of the major carriers in the United States are allowing customers to return their Galaxy Note 7 smartphones for other smartphones, such as the iPhone 7.

Ending production and sales of the Galaxy Note 7 is expected to cost Samsung upwards of $2.3 billion, on top of negative public perception.

Since launching nearly one month ago, the iPhone 7 Plus in Jet Black has been challenging to find at Apple Stores in the United States -- until today, that is. A spot check of iStockNow reveals the popular model is now at least temporarily available at a number of Apple's retail locations nationwide.

Jet Black iPhone 7 Plus models are currently in stock at a number of Apple Stores in several states, including major cities such as Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Diego, and San Francisco, at the time of publication. Availability varies based on carrier, color, and storage capacity.

iStockNow uses Google Maps to visualize the real-time status of iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus availability at Apple Stores in the United States and other countries, likely based on Apple's reservation system backend. Nevertheless, placing an online reservation or calling your local store ahead of time is highly recommended.

Apple Stores with Jet Black iPhone 7 Plus availability will display a green marker upon setting search filters for that model. Clicking on an individual marker opens a window with an expanded model-by-model breakdown of availability, and the time that stock was last updated at that location.

Jet Black iPhones have faced a global shortage as the new high-gloss finish has proven challenging to manufacture. The models suffer from a low casing production yield rate of 60-70%, meaning that 30-40% of units do not pass Apple's quality standards and must be reworked, according to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

Apple says the high-gloss Jet Black finish is achieved through a precision nine-step anodization and polishing process.

When pre-orders began on September 9, shipping estimates for Jet Black models quickly slipped to November, but some iPhone 7 Plus models in the new color shipped sooner than expected. Apple's current shipping estimate for Jet Black models is 6-8 weeks for both carrier-locked and newly released SIM-free models.

While in-store stock is available in the U.S. at the time this article was published, supplies will likely be depleted very quickly.

Apple revamped its retail stores last year by removing iPad smart signage and demoting iPod display models to side shelves, and now the company has another move up its sleeves in a push towards simplicity.

Over the past few months, Apple has removed security tethers from iPhone display models at some of its retail stores, including its Yorkdale location in Toronto, Canada and redesigned Regent Street store in London, England.

MacRumors has learned of at least two other stores in the United Kingdom where the security tethers, which activate audible alarms when disconnected, have been removed, and it appears likely the change will be phased in at other locations.

The courageous move effectively allows customers to walk into an Apple retail store, pick up an iPhone display model, and walk out with the device without paying, but Apple evidently feels the untethered experience is worth the risk.

As CNET explains, Apple wants customers to be able to hold an iPhone properly, try out cases, and even pocket the device:

Apple says this is to allow people to hold them properly, try cases on them and even see how they feel in your pocket. It's a bold move, especially given the lack of visible security in the building. We couldn't spot a single CCTV camera, although any phone taken out of the store will set off an alarm. If not returned, the phones will also be rendered unusable.

The customers who do attempt to steal iPhone display models, if not caught by security or CCTV cameras where installed, will walk away with unusable devices, as Apple will place them into Lost Mode remotely using Find My iPhone.

Apple continues to use security tethers on larger products such as MacBook and iPad display models.

(Thanks, Peter!)

Apple recently updated the Apple Watch Nike+ section of its official website with a launch date two weeks from today, on Friday, October 28, for the anticipated device (via Watch Generation). When announced alongside the other Apple Watch Series 2 models on September 7, Apple did not divulge a specific debut besides sometime in "late October."

Anyone interested can pre-order the wearable in four models starting at $369 for 38mm and $399 for 42mm. Apple's partnership with Nike aims to help runners achieve better results while wearing the Apple Watch, with an aluminum casing similar to other Sport editions and a unique perforated band that's stretchy, light, and breathable.

The changes extend into the software of the Apple Watch Nike+ as well, as Nike has designed special software for the Nike+, which is designed to motivate runners to stay active. Nike+ Apple Watches include unique Nike-designed watch faces and complications for the Apple device that users will only be able to get when purchasing the special edition of the Apple Watch.

At its iPhone 7 event, Apple mentioned that its wireless AirPods would see a late October launch, so it's possible the Bluetooth headphones will also launch on October 28. More anticipated is the expected debut of new MacBooks later this month, which Apple CEO Tim Cook addressed in September by reassuring fans, saying he and the company are "very committed" to the Mac line and to "stay tuned."