Amazon this week introduced a new record low price on the Apple Watch Series 7, dropping the 41mm GPS Green Aluminum model with a Clover Sport Band to $339.00, down from $399.00. At $60 off, this is the lowest price we've seen yet on the new Apple Watch Series 7, and if you order soon and pay for next-day shipping, it'll arrive in time for Christmas.
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Next year's iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max will feature hole-punched LTPO OLED display panels supplied by Samsung and LG, according to Korean site The Elec.
Rumors that the 2022 iPhone models won't have a notch started in March of this year, when Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said they will instead adopt a hole-punch design, a design that Android devices have used for a few years now. The hole-punch is a center-placed cutout for the front-facing camera that allows for a larger display area in lieu of a notch.
Kuo believes that at a minimum, the high-end iPhone models will have the hole-punch design, though if yields are good, all iPhone models coming in 2022 could feature the same notchless design.
More recent rumors have suggested the non-Pro iPhone 14 models, which will measure in at 6.1 and 6.7 inches, will continue to have a notch, with Apple limiting the hole-punch design to the more expensive iPhones. There will not be an "iPhone 14 mini," with this year's iteration of the smaller device being the last, according to reports.
According to the latest report from The Elec, Samsung, Apple's dominant OLED panel supplier, will supply all of the hole-punched panels for the 6.1-inch iPhone 14 Pro, while sharing orders for the 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Pro Max with LG Display for the first time.
Samsung supplied the notched LTPO TFT OLED panels used in both Pro models in this year's iPhone 13 series, but LG Display didn't win any panel orders for iPhone 13, although it did take part in the development of the panels with Apple.
Winning some orders for the iPhone 14 Pro Max is therefore a big boost to LG as it seeks to get a foot in the door of Apple's iPhone supply chain. Meanwhile, it allows Apple to reduce its reliance on Samsung as well as get leverage in price negotiations.
With no notch, Apple will a implement a different solution for Face ID, and rumors suggest that it could be placed under the display. For everything we know about the iPhone 14, check out our dedicated guide.
A number of Apple Watch Series 7 owners have been experiencing issues with charging after updating to the latest watchOS 8.3 software, according to reports on the MacRumors forums, Reddit, and the Apple Support Communities.
Many of the complaints are related to third-party Apple Watch chargers, with users finding that these devices no longer work to charge their Apple Watches. From Reddit:
Updated my watch last night to 8.3, set it on my 3rd party charger this morning, came back after an hour and it had gained maybe 2%?
Tried the same thing with my spouse's watch and her 3rd party charger with the same result.
Put them on the official charger, zoom, done charging in no time. Argh!
There are reports about multiple third-party chargers, and it seems to be a widespread problem affecting several different models rather than an issue with a few select chargers. Many of the complaints are about the affordable third-party chargers that come from Amazon, and there are fewer reports about brands like Belkin being non-functional.
In many cases, the Apple Watch will charge for a few minutes, and then charging will suddenly stop. Restarting the Apple Watch can help jump start charging, but it does not appear to be a permanent solution for most people, with the charging issues recurring.
A smaller number of users are also having issues charging with Apple-supplied Apple Watch charging pucks, and still others are seeing very slow charging speeds or the Apple Watch battery draining while on the charger. From the MacRumors forums:
Charging problems are more often with watchOS 8.3. It has become ridiculous, it charges around 2% in 10 minutes. What is this? The new ultra slow charging exclusively for Watch Series 7 or what.
This is everything but not the advertised fast charging.
There have been complaints about Apple Watch Series 7 charging issues since early November, and Apple initially addressed a problem that was causing slow charging speeds in the watchOS 8.1.1 update.
Some users continued to see issues even after that November watchOS 8.1.1 update, and the watchOS 8.3 update appears to have introduced issues for even more Apple Watch owners. It is not clear if Apple has a fix in the works for the issues that users are experiencing after the watchOS 8.3 update, but it is likely that the problem will be addressed in a future update.
Most of the affected models are Apple Watch Series 7 devices, but there have also been a handful of charging complaints from Apple Watch Series 6 owners.
Apple Maps Product Lead David Dorn and Design Lead Meg Frost recently did an interview with CNN to explain the Apple Maps features that were introduced with the iOS 15 update and to explain why iPhone users should choose Apple Maps over other mapping apps like Google and Waze.
According to Dorn, there are three major reasons why Apple Maps is the best choice.
Apple is making serious investments into Maps to improve it.
Privacy is central and Apple isn't tracking your location for data purposes when you use Apple Maps.
Maps is part of the Apple ecosystem and integrates well with other Apple devices and services.
Apple's effort into improving the Maps app can be seen in iOS 15, an update that added new 3D city details in select areas like London, New York, Los Angeles, and the San Francisco Bay Area. There are also navigation updates that add more detail at complex interchanges. Frost said that Apple wanted to make maps "both safer and visually satisfying to navigate."
As for the 3D landmarks added in the update, each landmark is created by hand. "We pick the amount of detail we find appropriate and create a 3D mesh of the building landmark itself. And we apply it to the base map," Frost told CNN.
The full Apple Maps interview can be read over on CNN's website, and it provides more detail on features like Share ETA, CarPlay, real-time AR walking directions, and more.
Apple today shared a new video on YouTube demonstrating 10 helpful iPhone tips and tricks that some users may not have known about.
An overview of each of the 10 tips and tricks:
If you accidentally enter a wrong digit in the Calculator app, you can swipe left or right at the top of the screen to erase the digit.
Starting with iOS 15, you can pin content like web links in a Messages conversation by touching and holding the item you want to pin and tapping Pin.
To stack Home screen widgets, touch and hold an empty space on the Home screen and then drag one widget onto another of the same size.
To select multiple photos to add to other apps, touch and hold a photo until you feel a tap, drag the photo to another part of the screen while still holding it, tap additional photos with a different finger to create a stack, switch to another app while still holding the stack, and lift your finger.
To create a text replacement such as "omw" for "on my way," open the Settings app and tap General > Keyboard > Text Replacement.
To open the Camera app without unlocking your iPhone, swipe left on the Lock screen.
To scan a document in the Notes app, tap the camera button in a note, tap Scan Documents, and position the document in the viewfinder.
Starting with iOS 15, you can copy and paste real-world text in the Camera app by holding the viewfinder over a document or sign, tapping the Scan Text button in the bottom-right corner, and tapping Copy.
To jump to the first photo in an album in the Photos app, tap the very top of the screen.
To quickly access Search and Siri Suggestions from the Home screen, swipe down on the middle of the screen.
This week marks the 25th anniversary of Apple announcing that it had agreed to acquire NeXT for $400 million. The stunning move brought Steve Jobs back to Apple over a decade after he left the company following an internal power struggle.
"The acquisition of NeXT is the start of a new chapter in Apple's history and represents a milestone in our transformation as a corporation," said former Apple CEO Gil Amelio, when the deal was announced December 20, 1996. "Today Apple welcomed back its most talented visionary Steve Jobs, someone who can inspire a new generation of customers and software developers and show that Apple remains the industry home for innovation and excitement."
A key reason Apple acquired NeXT was to gain access to its Unix-based NeXTSTEP operating system, which served as the foundation of Mac OS X.
"With this merger, the advanced software from NeXT will be married with Apple's very high-volume hardware platforms and marketing channels to create another breakthrough, leapfrogging existing platforms, and fueling Apple and the industry copy cats for the next ten years and beyond," said Jobs. "I still have very deep feelings for Apple, and it gives me great joy to play a role in architecting Apple's future."
Jobs initially returned to Apple as an advisor, making his first appearance at Macworld San Francisco in January 1997 to announce details of how Apple planned to incorporate NeXT technology into future releases of Mac OS. Jobs went on to replace Amelio as the company's interim CEO just nine months later, and he ended up dropping the interim title and remaining CEO until stepping down in August 2011 due to health issues.
Under the leadership of Jobs, Apple went from near bankruptcy to becoming the world's most valuable company, introducing iconic products like the iPod, iPhone, and iPad along the way. Without acquiring NeXT, Apple's fate may have been far different.
Steve Hayman, a longtime Apple and NeXT employee, reflected on the 25th anniversary of the two companies merging in a blog post earlier this week.
According to a new survey, more users trust Amazon and Google to handle their personal user data and internet browsing activity than Apple, while users overwhelmingly distrust Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram.
The survey conducted by The Washington Post sampled over 1,000 internet users in the U.S. about how much they trust Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube, Google, Microsoft, Apple, and Amazon to "responsibly" handle their user data and browsing activity.
Users were polled on whether they trust the companies and platforms "a great deal," "a good amount," "not much," or "not at all," with users also able to state they had no opinion of a given company.
Among respondents, 18% said they trust Apple "a great deal," while Google and Amazon scored 14%. But in the "a good amount" category, Amazon took the lead with 39%, Google with 34%, and Apple trailing with 26%. Combining the two positive categories, Apple's overall net positive score was 44%, lagging behind Google's 48% and Amazon's 53%.
On the negative side, survey data indicated that out of Amazon, Apple, Google, and Microsoft, 40% of those surveyed said they don't trust Facebook at all to handle their user data. Facebook took the crown for being the least trustworthy out of all those listed. A separate survey last week revealed a similar sentiment amongst users, naming Facebook, now known as Meta, as the worst company of 2021.
Apple tied Amazon for the best net negative score at 40%, with Microsoft coming in at 42% and Google at 47%.
Internet users were also asked about targeted online advertising, with 82% saying they find targeted online ads annoying, 74% finding them invasive, and only 27% finding them helpful. One of Apple's most controversial and talked-about privacy measures introduced in recent years is App Tracking Transparency, which indirectly aims to limit the annoying and invasive ads seemingly disliked by most users.
App Tracking Transparency (ATT) requires apps to ask for users' consent before tracking them across other apps and websites. For users opted out of the tracking, apps and data brokers such as Facebook have fewer data points to show users targeted advertising online. Facebook has lobbied against ATT, calling it harmful to small businesses that rely on ads to keep afloat.
Twinkly has been making smartphone-controlled string lights and decorations for some time now, but earlier this fall, the company added HomeKit integration to all of its Generation II devices, allowing them to be controlled with Siri voice commands and the Home app in addition to the Twinkly app.
Second-generation Twinkly devices have been available since 2019, so this HomeKit update applies to newly sold lights and it has also been added retroactively for those who already own compatible Twinkly products.
For those unfamiliar with the Twinkly brand, the company makes lights that can be set to one of 16 million colors. String lights like these are most often used during the holidays, but because of the color range, Twinkly lights are great all year for those who like the look of string lights.
Getting Twinkly lights working with HomeKit requires plugging them in, creating a Twinkly account, and then updating the firmware. After the latest update, there's a "HomeKit" option under the "Devices" tab that allows HomeKit to be enabled. From there, HomeKit setup is the same, minus the need to scan for a QR code.
Just tap to add the Twinkly lights to a HomeKit setup, choose a room and a device name, and everything's set. As with most smart lights that are multi-featured, what you can do with Twinkly through HomeKit and the Home app is limited. You can change the colors of the lights to a single solid color, you can dim the lights, and you can turn them on or off.
The controls work either in the Home app or with Siri, and you can also create Automations that include the Twinkly lights so you can set them to come on or turn off at a certain time of day. Automations can be based on time of day, who is located at home, or motion, depending on what other accessories you have available. Scheduling is the most useful HomeKit feature here, as is the option to control Twinkly alongside other HomeKit products.
For the real Twinkly light magic, the Twinkly app is required. The Twinkly app is feature rich, and has all kinds of different lighting patterns and colors to choose from. There is a setup process to teach the Twinkly app how lights are arranged, and it's a little bit fiddly. By default, it uses a tree shape, but customizing it will make the effects look better if the lights are being used in a different shape or orientation.
Twinkly has a gallery of 30 effects to chooose from, and they can be set up in a playlist to cycle through different options or set to play one effect indefinitely. There's also an FX Wizard for creating your own effects.
You can choose from base options like colors, stripes, gradients, plasma, a radiating sun, or a sparkle effect, selecting colors from there, plus there's an option to simply draw on the lights with a finger, which could be fun for children.
All of the different Twinkly effects look fantastic, and they're much different than average string lights that are white or limited to a handful of colors. Twinkly lights have millions of different color options and paired with all of the different effects, there are endless combinations you can create.
Twinkly offers shifting rainbow colors, fireworks, twinkling lights in various colors, a "snake" effect modeled after the classic game, waves, diagonals, a radiating sunset look, mixed "carnival" colors, and variations in different color options.
The LEDs are super bright and vivid, with clear distinctions between each color. Blues, greens, and purples are saturated, and these are colors that LED lights sometimes struggle with. Though the colors are rich, they can also be set to pastels and more muted tones if desired. My photos do not quite do the lights justice, so I am using some images from Twinkly, which are very much true to life.
Design wise, the lights are similar to standard string lights and they're as prone to tangling as any other light options. The cabling is high quality, though, and there seem to be no issues with the build. The lights do get the tiniest bit warm, but no warmer than other LEDs. At night, I set the lights to about 5 percent brightness, which is plenty in the dark. At 100 percent brightness, these put off a lot of light, so you can use them in a range of lighting conditions.
Twinkly offers a music add-on that allows the lights to change based on the music that's playing, which is a fun addition for parties and other get togethers, but not strictly necessary because of all of the other available effects that you can play with.
Bottom Line
Twinkly lights are next-level Christmas lights and they're going to look amazing on a tree, but they're also fun year-round because of the wide range of color options and effects to choose from. I had no issues with the Twinkly lights during my testing, but I do think that these are on the expensive side and will mostly appeal to those who are willing to spend the money on high-end lighting effects.
The addition of HomeKit to the Twinkly lights makes them more appealing than ever as it is now easier to turn them on, off, and set schedules through Siri voice commands and the Home app.
How to Buy
Twinkly sells a wide range of lights, including strings, clusters, icicles, curtains, spritzers, and even pre-lit trees, all of which can be purchased from Amazon and other retailers.
The standard string of 250 LEDs featured in this review is available for $120 from Amazon.com. 100 LED, 400 LED, and 600 LED versions are also available.
Note: Twinkly provided MacRumors with a 250 LED Smart String Light for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received.
Audiovisual artists who use Macs to output to large stage screens are calling on Apple to provide a way to disable a new security feature in macOS Monterey that is hindering their live performances.
For those unfamiliar with the feature, when an app is using the camera or the microphone in Monterey, a colored dot appears in the menu bar just next to the Control Center icon. Like in iOS, a green dot means an app is currently using the camera, while an orange dot means an app is using the microphone.
The idea behind the indicator dots is that it prevents apps and processes from sneakily recording conversations or videos, since the mic and the camera can't be accessed in the background without the user's knowledge.
The problem for AV artists is that the dot also appears on external displays, including external projectors and LED walls, which means live visual performances are negatively impacted. Disabling the menu bar via the "Displays Have Separate Spaces" system preference only makes the problem worse, because the orange dot still appears, only larger and more prominently.
Image credit: Mark Coniglio
Writing for music and motion website CDM, Peter Kirn notes that this issue is compounded by the fact that live visuals often use microphone or line input to produce audio-reactive graphics, so nothing untoward needs to be hijacking the camera or audio input for the indicator to appear.
Kirn also notes that the orange dot is visible when using Ableton Live 11.1 Beta. "I had missed it as I suspect many people had," he says, "as you wouldn't notice there was an issue until you tried to use fullscreen output on a display – which you will do when you have a show, but not necessarily when you're developing content."
Mark Coniglio, lead developer of audiovisual effects suite Isadora, alerted fellow AV artists to the issue in a forum post:
"In their infinite wisdom, Apple has added a security feature that negatively affects every audio/video app that uses one of the displays to output to a video projector, including our beloved Isadora... In our particular case, this means that this orange dot appears on the stage output, which is totally unacceptable for anyone using macOS as a professional video tool that sends video output to a video projector."
Urging fellow artists to provide feedback to Apple, Coniglio goes on to say that the company "must introduce an update that allows users to disable this feature immediately," since it currently makes Macs unsuitable for outputting live performances intended to be viewed by thousands of audience members.
Until then, artists have been provided with a short-term fix in the form of a command-line tool called "undot" that removes the indicator from the menu bar. However, the tool may not work in future updates to macOS, as it essentially blocks an intended security feature, which Apple is likely to frown upon.
The upcoming 27-inch iMac redesign will not feature a display with mini-LED but will instead keep the LCD panel previously used, according to industry sources cited today in a report from DigiTimes.
The report said that while "speculation about the next-generation 27-inch iMac coming with a miniLED display" has been circulating for some time, the new all-in-one desktop machine will, in fact, not feature a mini-LED panel, according to its sources.
DigiTimes' reporting goes at odds with credible display analyst Ross Young, who just as early as this month reaffirmed that the upcoming iMac will feature a mini-LED panel and support for ProMotion.
Despite its lack of a mini-LED panel, today's report claimed that the LCD display for the upcoming iMac is improving. "LED chips used in its display are up 30-40% from the previous models, giving it a higher brightness," the report said.
Initial rumors surrounding an update to the larger iMac indicated Apple increased the display size past 27-inches. Those rumors have died down, however, and we're now expecting the iMac to keep the 27-inch size but in a newer form factor. Today's report also claimed that like the 24-inch iMac, released this past April, the upcoming 27-inch model will come in various colors.
Update: Credible display analyst Ross Young believes that, despite the DigiTimes report, the upcoming 27-inch iMac will feature a mini-LED display.
We still believe it is Mini LED.
— Ross Young (@DSCCRoss) December 22, 2021
Apple's upcoming 27-inch iMac will feature a thinner exterior design and be available in multiple colors like its 24-inch counterpart, according to a new report today.
Apple's 24-inch iMac in various colors
Apple's larger-screened iMac has been rumored for a while to be similar in design to the 24-inch iMac and the Pro Display XDR, but previous rumors about the bigger all-in-one Mac have suggested it will feature black bezels and have a darker color scheme to differentiate it as a more professional machine, similar to the discontinued iMac Pro (rumors suggest it could even adopt the "Pro" moniker to distinguish it further).
However, the latest report from DigiTimes claims Apple intends to offer the 27-inch iMac in various colors, although whether that means Apple will use the same color scheme as the 24-inch iMac is unclear.
Twitter leaker @dylandkt previously claimed that the new 27-inch iMac will feature a similar design as the 24-inch iMac that launched earlier this year, but with a darker color scheme.
Earlier this year, when Apple revealed that the 24-inch iMac would be available in a range of fun colors, many observers noted the similarity it bears to the original 1998 all-in-one desktop, the iMac G3, which was offered in several colors and paired with a light gray bezel. If the latest report is accurate, Apple is in the midst of a back-to-roots design overhaul for its entire iMac line.
The upcoming Apple silicon-powered "iMac Pro" is expected to launch in the spring of 2022, perhaps at a spring event. It will replace the current Intel-based 27-inch iMac, one of the last Mac models to still use Intel processors. Today's report also claimed it will not feature a display with mini-LED but will instead keep the LCD panel previously used. For everything we know about the upcoming larger iMac, check out our dedicated guide.
Apple is offering customers free two-hour delivery on orders of Macs, iPhones, iPads, and Apple Watch orders in select cities ahead of the holiday season, looking to make it more convenient for customers to purchase last-minute gifts.
The new offer, which runs from December 22 until December 24, gives customers the option to receive their order on a wide range of Apple products within a two-hour timeframe for free. Two-hour delivery normally costs $9, and Apple ran a similar promotion in 2019.
Apple says the offer is available in "most metro areas" and is available on in-stock items. The offer does not apply to engraved Macs or purchases made using bank financing or by bank transfer. Customers can check whether their order and/or location qualifies for the offer during checkout in the Apple Store app or apple.com.
According to Zillow, "Americans love to Zillow surf," and the FaceTime update is designed to make exploring the Zillow app with others easier and "a lot more fun."
After initiating a FaceTime call, one of the participants can start a SharePlay session through the Zillow app. Each person participating will need to install Zillow on an iPhone or iPad running iOS or iPadOS 15.1 or later.
Once launched, users can search for different locations in the Zillow app and browse through the available listings together, with content synced between them. Today's update brings Zillow in line with Redfin, another real estate app that previously introduced SharePlay support.
Since SharePlay launched alongside iOS 15.1, third-party apps have been adding integration. Quite a few apps and games now offer SharePlay support, including Twitch, Spotify, TikTok, Disney+, MasterClass, and more.
Popular privacy-first web browser DuckDuckGo is developing a dedicated desktop browser that will be available on the Mac, the company announced today in a year-end wrap-up article.
DuckDuckGo already offers a browser option that's available on mobile devices, and when it launches, the desktop browser will offer a similar experience.
The DuckDuckGo desktop browser will have "robust privacy protection" that works by default, without requiring users to adjust privacy settings or deal with different levels of privacy protection.
The app will "redefine user expectations of everyday online privacy, according to DuckDuckGo," and it will work across search, browsing, email, and more. The app is described as cleaner, more private, and faster than Chrome.
DuckDuckGo for desktop is being built around OS-provided rendering engines, which is similar to how the DuckDuckGo mobile apps work, and it will not use a Chromium fork like other browser offerings.
The desktop browser is in closed beta testing for the Mac right now, with a PC version also planned in the future. There's no word on a release date just yet, but DuckDuckGo is currently soliciting beta testers.
While Apple is rapidly transitioning its Mac lineup from Intel processors to its own Apple silicon, it's worth highlighting as 2021 wraps up that the relationship between Apple and Intel hasn't been entirely severed as reports indicate Apple still has one more Intel-based Mac in its pipeline that's yet to be released.
With the Mac Pro, Apple is not expected to entirely transition its most powerful Mac to Apple silicon yet, as we're expecting at least one new Mac Pro to feature an Intel chip. Apple is working on two new Mac Pro machines, one featuring an entire redesign, and another that will feature the current design with updated internals.
Apple silicon has proven itself to be a worthy competitor to even some of Intel's best portable processors, but it seems that Apple is not yet entirely confident enough to transition the Mac Pro, a desktop-class professional workstation used by animators, photographers, Hollywood insiders, and more, to Apple silicon.
For its Intel-based Mac Pro, we're expecting the desktop to feature Intel's Xeon Scalable processor, which Intel says has "advanced performance, security, efficiency, and built-in AI acceleration to handle IoT workloads and more powerful AI."
It may seem odd that, amid the transition of its MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and iMac lines to Apple silicon, Apple would release another Mac with an Intel chip, but there are reasons even beyond performance that are likely influencing Apple's decision. Apple silicon chips run on an entirely different architecture than Intel-based Macs. On Apple silicon Macs, Apple uses Rosetta 2 to automatically and seamlessly translate apps built for Intel computers to run on Apple silicon.
While Rosetta 2 works for the majority of customers, Apple may be wanting to hold out a little longer to ensure the translation technology is more mature before allowing its most high-end professional and demanding customers to use it. By offering an Intel Mac Pro alongside an Apple silicon powered option, Apple can buy itself a little more time before completing its transition to its own chips.
Starting in early 2022, residents of select U.S. states will be able to add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age.
According to a Security Technology Alliance blog post shared by 9to5Mac, the TSA plans to begin accepting mobile driver's licenses at airports in two U.S. states starting in February 2022, followed by an additional two states around March. The TSA did not specify which states or airports will be part of this initial rollout, and it's unclear if Wallet app integration will be ready in time or if digital IDs will be limited to states' own apps at first.
In September, Apple revealed the first states that would let residents add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app as including Arizona and Georgia, with Connecticut, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Oklahoma, and Utah to follow. Florida is also reportedly aiming to support the feature, while the Security Technology Alliance said several other states like Virginia and Louisiana have piloted mobile driver's license usage.
Residents of participating states will be able to tap the plus sign at the top of the Wallet app to begin adding a driver's license or state ID to the app, and then simply tap their iPhone or Apple Watch on an identity reader to present their ID at select TSA security checkpoints, without taking out their physical card or handing over their device.
Only after authorizing with Face ID or Touch ID is the requested identity information released from a user's device, and they do not need to unlock, show, or hand over their device to a TSA security officer to present their ID, according to Apple.
When adding an ID to the Wallet app, Apple said users will be required to take a photo of their face, which will be securely provided to the issuing state for verification. As an additional security measure, Apple said users will be prompted to complete a series of facial and head movements during the setup process.
Apple has not provided a specific release date for the feature beyond the early 2022 timeframe, and it is not enabled in the first iOS 15.3 or watchOS 8.4 betas. The feature was supposed to launch this year, but it was delayed.
Michigan resident John Nelson claims that he was recently targeted by car thieves who hid one of Apple's AirTags in his vehicle, a 2018 Dodge Charger.
According to a Fox 2 Detroit report, Nelson visited the Great Lakes Crossing shopping center in Auburn Hills, where he spent about two hours. After departing, he got a notification on his phone that informed him he was being tracked by an unknown AirTag.
Nelson was able to tap on the notification, and his iPhone provided him with the option to play a sound on the AirTag, which is one of the safety features that Apple has made available in addition to the tracking notifications. Following the sound the AirTag emitted, Nelson found it under the drain cap in the trunk of his car, which had required the thieves to unscrew the cap and place it inside.
The thieves were likely going to scrap the vehicle for parts, according to Nelson. A Michigan auto theft task force in Detroit told Fox 2 that they're seeing an uptick in "cases like these" in the Metro Detroit area. Thieves track the target vehicle with an AirTag and then wait for the ideal time to steal it. Dodge cars like Nelson's are reportedly a popular target.
Nelson turned the AirTag over to the police, but he says that he is paranoid that something similar could happen again.
Earlier this month, Canadian police released a report suggesting AirTags are being used in an increasing number of car thefts in Canada. Officers in the York Region said that there have been five incidents where thieves used AirTags to target high-end vehicles since September 2021.
To prevent situations like Nelson's, Apple has introduced anti-tracking features that alert users if an unknown AirTag is nearby. These alerts used to be limited to iPhone users, but alongside iOS 15.2, Apple released a "Tracker Detect" app for Android users that lets them scan for nearby AirTags.
Both Android and iPhone users can locate nearby AirTags, and can play a sound to locate them, plus there's a feature that causes them to automatically emit a sound after a short period of time. Tracker Detect and the Find My app both offer instructions on how to disable a rogue AirTag to prevent it from being used for tracking purposes, which is done by removing the battery.
iPhone 12 production in India has been halted by protests over food poisoning at a Foxconn factory, Reuters reports.
Foxconn's manufacturing plant near Chennai in southern India, which produces iPhone 12 models, is set to remain shut this week after protests by workers. Protestors reportedly blocked a major highway leading to the plant in response to 150 employees being admitted to hospital with food poisoning last week. The incident is said to have inflamed other employee concerns that have since been reported to the state labor ministry.
The temporary closure is expected to have a minimal impact on Apple in the short term, but it could have ramifications for ramping up production going into 2022. The disruption comes amid other supply chain constraints for Apple, which have been expected to worsen during the holiday quarter. The facility also makes Amazon Fire TV sticks and some devices for Xiaomi.
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