Apple and its supplier Broadcom today convinced a U.S. appeals court to reject a jury verdict that required them to pay $1.1 billion for infringing on Wi-Fi patents that belong to the California Institute of Technology (via Reuters).
In 2016, Caltech accused Apple and Broadcom of infringing on its patents related to the Wi-Fi technology used in many Apple devices. Caltech's patents, granted between 2006 and 2012, are highly technical and relate to IRA/LDPC codes that utilize simpler encoding and decoding circuitry for improved data transmission rates and performance. The technologies are implemented in both the 802.11n and 802.11ac Wi-Fi standards used by many Apple products.
In the court filing with the U.S. District Court for Central California, Caltech accused Apple of selling various iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch models, along with other Wi-Fi products, that incorporate these IRA/LDPC encoders and/or decoders and thereby infringe upon four of Caltech's patents. Broadcom, as one of Apple's main suppliers of Wi-Fi chips, was also named in the complaint. At the time, Apple used Broadcom chips in the Apple Watch, iPhone, and iPad, as well as the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and iMac.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit today declared that the $1.1 billion award, which is one of the largest in U.S. history for a patent dispute, was not justified and ordered a new trial. The new damages trial will only reconsider Caltech's awarded sum, rather than revisiting the patent infringement itself.
Twitter is globally expanding its testing of a new "dislike" or thumbs down button for tweets, which is designed to let people downvote replies on the social media platform.
The company announced the global expansion of the test on Thursday, saying it had "learned a lot" about the downvoting option in its initial limited testing:
We learned a lot about the types of replies you don't find relevant and we're expanding this test –– more of you on web and soon iOS and Android will have the option to use reply downvoting.
Twitter says early tests showed the reason most users clicked the down arrow was because the reply was perceived as offensive, or because they perceived it as not relevant, or both. Twitter also said those testing the feature agree that "it improves the quality of the conversations on Twitter."
It's worth noting that the dislike button is only visible to the person who is viewing tweets – it is not a publicly available metric or visible to the author of the tweet. Twitter says that it is an internal tool that is designed to help Twitter understand what people think is valuable to a conversation.
Apple says it will take 27% commission on purchases made in dating apps through third-party payment options in the Netherlands, in compliance with a Dutch regulatory ruling.
In an update on its developer support site, Apple said it would collect 27% commission instead of its usual 30% on transactions made in dating apps that use alternative payment methods. Apple says the decreased commission excludes the value for collection and remittance of taxes that the company carries out.
Consistent with the ACM's order, dating apps that are granted an entitlement to link out or use a third-party in-app payment provider will pay Apple a commission on transactions. Apple will charge a 27% commission on the price paid by the user, net of value-added taxes. This is a reduced rate that excludes value related to payment processing and related activities. Developers will be responsible for the collection and remittance of any applicable taxes, such as the Netherlands' value-added tax (VAT), for sales processed by a third-party payment provider.
The details follow Apple's announcement last month that it will comply with a Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) ruling that compels the company to allow third-party payment services to pay for in-app purchases in dating apps.
Apple has warned that it will not be directly aware of purchases made using alternative methods, and will not be able to assist users with refunds, purchase history, subscription management, and other issues that it usually takes care of as part of its own in-app payments system.
As a result, developers who use the new entitlements will have to take on these additional responsibilities, and will be required to provide Apple with a monthly record of each sale of digital goods and content through the App Store within 15 calendar days of the end of Apple's fiscal month.
Apple's concessions came following a December ruling from the ACM that, by restricting dating apps from using third-party payment methods, Apple is engaging in an "abuse of market power." The ACM threatened to fine Apple up to a maximum of 50 million euros per week ($57 million) if it did not allow dating apps to offer alternative payment options.
Despite agreeing to offer the entitlements, Apple is still appealing the ACM ruling, which it argues is not in the best interests of App Store users. Apple says it is "concerned these changes could compromise the user experience, and create new threats to user privacy and data security."
Amazon is increasing its Prime membership subscription prices in the U.S., the company has revealed in its Q4 2021 earnings results.
According to the company, the fee for a Prime subscription is set to increase for the first time in four years, rising to $15 per month (up from $13), or $139 per year (up from $119).
The price hike, representing an almost 17% increase, will go into effect for new customers starting February 18, 2022, while current members will see their plans go up after March 25, 2022.
Amazon says the increase will pay for the "continued expansion" of Prime perks, along with higher employee salaries and more expensive shipping costs. Amazon hasn't said whether the Prime price change will apply in other countries.
An Amazon Prime subscription includes "free" one-day shipping on purchases made on Amazon, access to Prime Video, Prime Music, and other Amazon digital platforms and services.
As noted by Engadget, Amazon's recent Prime Video spends are also likely to have been a factor, with the upcoming first season of the new "The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power" series reportedly expected to cost $465 million. Amazon last year also acquired Hollywood studio MGM for $8.5 billion.
Amazon's net profit jumped nearly 57% in 2021 to $33.4 billion, due in part to the lingering effects of the global health crisis, which has had a positive effect on Amazon's core shopping business. Amazon stock jumped 13% in pre-market trading on Friday following its strong fourth-quarter earnings.
Apple today shared a new support document outlining a warning symbol that can show up on the MacBook Pro with Liquid Retina XDR Display or the Pro Display XDR when the screen is running too hot, leading to brightness being diminished.
Apple explains that a caution symbol in the menu bar or Display menu in Control Center on a 2021 MacBook Pro or an Apple Pro Display XDR means the display is in low power mode and "using limited brightness."
This situation can occur if the ambient temperature of the room is high and if bright content has been playing for an extended period of time. Apple offer several solutions for those who see the warning, including lowering the temperature of the room and temporarily putting a Mac to sleep to allow it to cool.
On MacBook Pro with Liquid Retina XDR display, quit any apps that could be consuming significant system resources.
Use the Apple XDR Display or Pro Display XDR reference mode unless your current workflow requires a specific reference mode.
Lower the ambient temperature of the room.
Close or hide any windows with HDR content.
Choose Apple menu > Sleep to put your Mac to sleep. Let your display cool down for 5-10 minutes, then press any key on the keyboard to wake your Mac.
Apple says that users who see this problem continually when the ambient temperature of the room is under 77 degrees Fahrenheit should contact Apple Support for help.
iOS 15.4 and macOS Monterey 12.3 introduce Universal Control, a long-awaited feature that Apple first previewed at the 2021 Worldwide Developers Conference.
Universal Control is designed to allow you to control multiple Macs and iPads with a single trackpad/mouse and keyboard, and this Universal Control guide covers the ins and outs of the feature and answers all the questions you might have about how it works.
What is Universal Control?
Universal Control streamlines multi-device workspaces by allowing you to use the same peripherals across multiple Macs and iPads.
With Universal Control, you can use your main Mac's trackpad and keyboard to control additional Macs and/or iPads nearby, so you don't need a desk cluttered up with more than one set of input devices.
How Does Universal Control Work?
Universal Control is a system-level feature that is designed to work automatically when a Mac running macOS Monterey 12.3 or later is paired with another Mac also with macOS 12.3 or an iPad running iPadOS 15.4. There is no setup for Universal Control - it works right after updating to the latest operating system updates.
To use Universal Control, sign into a Mac and an iPad or another Mac with the same Apple ID and then place them near each other. From there, use the trackpad on one of your devices to navigate the cursor to the screen of your other device. It should pop right over from one display to the next.
Let's say you have a MacBook Pro and an iPad Pro. You can set the iPad Pro up next to your MacBook Pro and then use the MacBook Pro's keyboard and trackpad to navigate and type on the iPad. If your iPad has an attached keyboard and input device, such as the Magic Keyboard, it can be used to control the Mac.
Each individual device will still be running its respective operating system (macOS on the Mac and iPadOS on the iPad) but you won't need to bring in an extra keyboard or mouse if you want to work with multiple devices side by side.
If you're having trouble getting Universal Control working, make sure to restart both of your devices after installing the updates.
What are the Universal Control System Requirements?
Universal Control requires iPadOS 15.4 on an iPad and macOS Monterey 12.3 on a Mac. It is compatible with the following devices:
All devices must be signed into the same iCloud account, and two-factor authentication must be enabled. Bluetooth, WiFi, and Handoff must be enabled for wireless use, and the devices must be within 30 feet of one another. The iPad and Mac may not share a cellular and internet connection (so the Mac can't be tethered to the iPad), and over USB, the Mac must be trusted on the iPad. All machines must also use the same WiFi network, and a VPN cannot be enabled. If you use a VPN, it needs to be turned off for Universal Control to function.
Macs and iPads need to be within 30 feet of one another for Universal Control to work, and all devices where you want to use the feature need to be signed into the same Apple ID account. It will not work across devices signed into separate Apple ID accounts.
What Can I Do With Universal Control?
In addition to simply navigating around two or more devices with the same cursor, you can also use a single keyboard to type into text input fields, such as in Notes or Safari, effectively allowing you to use a single set of peripherals with all of your Apple devices.
You can also drag and drop files between two devices, but note that if you're using an iPad and a Mac, you need to have an app open that's compatible with the file type. If you want to drag a photo from the Mac to the iPad, for example, make sure you open up the Photos app on the iPad first. Or if you have a document you want to move, open up the Files app on the iPad.
Dragging something from the iPad to the Mac is simpler because the Mac's desktop supports different file types, unlike the iPad's Home Screen. macOS gestures like three-finger swipe between pages are compatible on the iPad as well, since these are features supported by the Magic Keyboard.
Some multitouch gestures like Mission Control are not available on an iPad, and some are a little bit different. If you open up an app on the iPad and then want to exit out using the Mac's trackpad, you can use a three-finger swipe to do so. Alternatively, with a mouse, you can mouse down over the dock to bring it up to swap apps.
You can copy and paste content from one device to another using one keyboard as long as it's an app that supports text input, but this feature does not yet appear to be working properly with apps like Safari. Features like copy/paste will likely see some refinement during the beta testing process.
Can Universal Control Be Customized or Disabled?
If you go to System Preferences -> Displays -> Universal Control, you can find some customization options for Universal Control, two of which are already turned on.
Allow your cursor and keyboard to move between any nearby Mac or iPad - This setting toggles Universal Control on or off. If you don't want to use Universal Control, uncheck this box. It is turned on by default when you upgrade to macOS Monterey 12.3.
Push through the edge of a display to connect to a nearby Mac or iPad - Also enabled by default, this setting lets your Mac automatically connect to a nearby Mac or iPad by pushing the trackpad or mouse cursor to the edge of the display toward the other device.
Automatically reconnect to any nearby Mac or iPad - This setting is not enabled by default, but it is designed to allow your Mac to reconnect to any nearby Mac or iPad without having to push the cursor over toward the secondary device.
The Displays section of the Mac's System Preferences can also be useful if you want to rearrange how your devices are laid out to make sure Universal Control is operating as intended. If your iPad is to the left of your Mac, for example, you'll want to make sure the Displays section shows that arrangement so your Mac's cursor can pop over to the iPad's display when you pop it off of the left edge of the Mac's screen.
On the iPad, if you go to Settings -> General -> AirPlay & Handoff, you can toggle off "Cursor and Keyboard" if you don't want to use Universal Control.
How Does Universal Control Compare to Sidecar?
Universal Control allows input devices like keyboards and trackpads to be shared across devices, while Sidecar is designed to allow you to mirror or extend your Mac's display to the iPad.
Sidecar is the feature you need if you want to use macOS across both your Mac and your connected iPad, while Universal Control is ideal if you simply want to share a mouse and keyboard between two or more devices. With Universal Control, your iPad will continue to use iPadOS and it will not display the same macOS interface that you'll see when using Sidecar.
Sidecar and Universal Control are separate features, but you can use them in tandem. For example, you can connect your Mac to one iPad via Sidecar for some extra macOS screen space, and on the other side of your Mac you could control a second iPad or Mac using your main Mac's keyboard and trackpad. You can even enable Sidecar and Universal Control on the same iPad, allowing you to swipe up on the Sidecar "app" to reveal your iPad's Home Screen with active mouse/trackpad support and Sidecar minimized in the Dock.
We have a full explainer on the differences between Sidecar and Universal control in our comprehensive Sidecar vs. Universal Control guide.
Does Universal Control Work With Third-Party Mice and Keyboards?
Yes. You do not need Apple peripherals for Universal Control to work. If you have a mouse from a company like Logitech, for example, it can be used with Universal Control across devices as long as it is connected to one of them. The same goes for third-party keyboards. It is worth noting, however, that some specialized mouse controls may not work on the iPad.
Does Universal Control Work With Apple Pencil?
No. Universal Control does not work with the Apple Pencil. Input and control are limited to connected trackpads, mice, and keyboards. A single mouse/trackpad and a single keyboard can be used to control multiple iPads and Macs.
Does Universal Control Work Between Two Macs?
Yes, Universal Control works between two or more Macs running macOS Monterey 12.3, even if there is no iPad. It can be used solely with the Mac.
Does Universal Control Work Between Two iPads with no Mac?
No. Though Universal Control can be used with two or more Macs and no iPad, at least one Mac is required for use on the iPad.
Two iPads without a Mac cannot take advantage of Universal Control, but if at least one Mac is in the mix, you can use the feature with multiple iPads.
Is Universal Control Available for iPhone?
No. Universal Control is a feature that is designed only for the Mac and the iPad. There is no option for controlling an iPhone with a Mac or iPad's mouse/trackpad and keyboard.
Does Universal Control Work With PCs or Android Smartphones?
No. As a feature that's linked to an Apple ID, Universal Control is only available on Apple devices. It can only be used on Macs and iPads running the appropriate software.
Does Universal Control Work on Intel Macs?
Yes. Universal Control is compatible with Macs that have Apple silicon chips and Macs that have Intel chips, as long as macOS Monterey 12.3 is supported.
Universal Control Troubleshooting
If you're having trouble getting Universal Control to work on your devices, we have a detailed troubleshooting guide that can help you figure out what's going wrong.
Guide Feedback
Have questions about Universal Control or want to offer feedback on this guide? Send us an email here.
The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee today approved the bipartisan Open App Markets Act, an antitrust bill that would allow for alternative app stores and alternative in-app payment systems on the iPhone. The bill will now head to the Senate floor for a vote.
Apple had urged the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee to reject the bill, arguing that sideloading would pose privacy and security risks for customers.
"Sideloading would enable bad actors to evade Apple's privacy and security protections by distributing apps without critical privacy and security checks. These provisions would allow malware, scams and data-exploitation to proliferate," said Apple's government affairs head Tim Powderly in a letter sent to the Committee earlier this week.
Last month, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee approved the American Innovation and Choice Online Act, another antitrust bill that would allow sideloading and which Apple spoke out against, citing the same privacy and security risks.
The passage of the Open App Markets Act out of the Senate Judiciary committee brings us one step closer to having this legislation signed into law. This bill will let people download apps directly from outside companies rather than being forced to go through official app stores.
— Sen. Marsha Blackburn (@MarshaBlackburn) February 3, 2022
Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News 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.
MacRumors and Brydge have partnered up this week with a sale that is taking 20 percent off a selection of Brydge's best iPad-compatible keyboards, as well as the retailer's MacBook Vertical Dock. This sale is for United States residents only and will run through February 17. You'll need to use the code MACRUMORS20 to see the discounts.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
In total there are four iPad keyboards on sale, including those compatible with the iPad, iPad Air, 11-inch iPad Pro, and 12.9-inch iPad Pro. The MacBook Vertical Dock is available for the 13-inch MacBook Air (2018 and later), 13-inch MacBook Pro (2016 and later), and 16-inch MacBook Pro (2019 only). The 15-inch MacBook Pro version is excluded from this sale.
Brydge's keyboards feature multi-touch trackpads, a magnetic SnapFit case, Bluetooth, drop protection, and in some cases adjustable backlit keys. They also all include Brydge's "Instant On" feature, which instantly connects the keyboard to the iPad so you can get back to typing faster.
The MacBook Vertical Dock is an accessory built to reduce clutter on your desk by housing and charging a MacBook Pro or MacBook Air in a vertical position. Remember that these deals will expire on February 17, so you have a few weeks to save on Brydge's keyboard with our exclusive code.
If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.
Apple AirTag tracking devices with deactivated speakers have been spotted on eBay and Etsy, raising privacy concerns about the risks of removing one of the AirTag's safeguards, PCMag reports.
The modified AirTags, dubbed "Silent AirTags," have had their internal speaker removed so that they are no longer able to emit a sound to highlight their presence. The Silent AirTag looks identical to a normal AirTag, other than a small hole cut below the device's battery to disconnect the speaker.
The Etsy merchant behind one of the product listings, which offered the Silent AirTag for $77.50, recently took the item off sale and told PCMag:
The intent of this modification was to cater to the several requests of buyers interested in my other AirTag product who were interested in fitting an AirTag to their bikes, pets and power tools. These requests led me to listing it as a product on Etsy, albeit without a great deal of traction. The vast majority of sales shown on my Etsy profile are from sales on my modified slim AirTag, designed to unobtrusively fit inside a purse or wallet.
AirTags are a prohibited item on Etsy, and the listing would have been removed had the seller not already removed it themselves. An eBay seller behind a similar listing said that the purpose of the Silent AirTag was to ensure that "it doesn't keep beeping when away from you," such as "if left in car or bike or with a family member." The Silent AirTag purportedly also "reduces the chance of a thief being notified of its hidden location." At the current time, an AirTags begins emitting a sound between eight and 24 hours after being separated from their owner to flag its location.
While the motives behind the Silent AirTag appear to be innocent, their sale has alarmed some privacy advocates online. Eva Galperin, director of cybersecurity at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, tweeted about her concern for the "secondary market for modified AirTags with the speaker disabled for 'stealth mode'," and noted:
Any item that works for the purpose of catching a thief in this manner is also a perfect tool for stalking. That is why Apple advertises them as tools for tracking lost items and not stolen ones.
AirTags have been increasingly linked to criminal activity in recent months, including vehicle thefts and stalking cases. While AirTags automatically alert iPhone users, as well as Android users with the Tracker Detect app installed, when an unknown tracker is traveling with them via a notification, the speaker is the AirTag's only anti-stalking mitigation that works automatically and does not depend on the tracked person having a phone.
Earlier this week, MacRumorsreported on a OneDrive for Mac update that has caused upset among users of the cloud storage service, partly due to alleged bugs it has introduced but mainly because the new version no longer allows users to opt out of its cloud-based Files On-Demand feature, which was previously an optional setting.
In an update to its original blog post introducing this aspect of its new "Files On-Demand Experience," Microsoft has now responded to these concerns by explaining that the first version of Files On-Demand is built on several pieces of technology that are now deprecated by Apple in macOS 12.3, currently still in beta.
Apple is deprecating the kernel extensions originally used by OneDrive's syncing features, so the Mac client is now using Apple's File Provider extensions instead. On the question of whether this has introduced a technical reason for why Files On-Demand must always be enabled, Microsoft touts the benefits of OneDrive's new dependency on Apple's File Provider platform, including the resolution of compatibility issues, and how that has factored into its controversial decision to enforce its Files On-Demand feature:
Files On-Demand has been available on Windows since 2017, and on macOS since 2018. In that time, we've progressed from the feature being opt-in only to being on by default for all users and have closely monitored how many users turn off Files On-Demand. Only a very small number of users disable Files On-Demand on both platforms, and there are two main reasons for that.
When Files On-Demand first shipped on Windows, some applications didn't work well with the way we stored files, or with anti-virus or other security software that was installed. Over time, we've fixed most of these problems. On macOS, we took a similarly cautious approach, but the application compatibility landscape is quite different and, in some ways, less complex. Still, there were a few cases where, due to the technology stack we were using on macOS, it made sense for certain users to disable Files On-Demand to preserve compatibility. With the File Provider platform, these problems have gone away, so application compatibility issues on macOS should be much less likely to occur. If you find something different with your setup, please reach out to your support contact so we can diagnose the issue.
Despite its rationale for enforcing Files On-Demand, Microsoft acknowledges that keeping all content locally on devices is "an important scenario for a small set of users," and says the best way to do this is to select Always Keep on This Device to mark content as pinned. "If you want all files synced on your device, you should pin the OneDrive folder," says Microsoft.
Users can do this by browsing to their OneDrive in Finder, changing the view to Icons view, and then right-clicking the blank space between icons and selecting Always Keep on This Device. "We're actively looking at ways to make this easier to configure on both macOS and Windows," adds Microsoft.
In addition, Microsoft offers an explanation for why some users have experienced slowdowns when browsing folders in OneDrive:
"To save space and system resources, the File Provider platform doesn't actually create the files OneDrive is managing until the first time you need them. The first time you open a OneDrive folder, macOS will create them on-demand. This can sometimes take a moment.
"To avoid this delay, you can force the system to pre-create all of these files and folders for you without downloading your content. To do this, open a Terminal window and type "ls -alR ~/OneDrive" (or the path to your OneDrive). This will ensure all of your files and folders are created, but not downloaded, before you browse.
"Finally, it is important to note that beginning in macOS 12.3, File Provider is the only Files On-Demand solution that is supported on macOS. Our prior solution is no longer supported."
Microsoft says it is aware of users experiencing issues with AutoSave when using the App Store version of the OneDrive app and it is actively working to resolve the issue in the next few days.
In the meantime, users who can't wait until then can move to the Standalone build of OneDrive by unlinking their account, uninstalling the App Store version, and reinstalling the Standalone version [Direct Link].
Are you happy with Microsoft's explanation for enforcing the Files On-Demand setting? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Update 2/4/22: Microsoft recently updated the blog to confirm the AutoSave issue has been fixed: "The fix for AutoSave for the App Store version was released in the Store today. It is fixed with 22.002.0201.0005."
The new product pages went live in late January and as of today are prominently linked to from the top menu bar on the iPhone page of Apple's website in the United States, Australia, Germany, United Kingdom, and several other countries. Due to browser caching, some users may not see the new product pages immediately.
The new product pages are shorter than the original ones, with customers able to click or tap a plus sign next to each feature for additional details.
Apple is still using its original iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro product pages in some countries, such as Canada, and the older pages can still be accessed with direct links for now in countries that have switched to the new "Key Features" pages.
A federal judge in the U.S. has dismissed a proposed class-action lawsuit that accused Apple of misleading customers about the iPhone's water resistance (via Reuters).
Apple has extensively advertised the water resistance of the iPhone in its marketing campaigns since the launch of the iPhone 7, including the claim that some models can survive depths of up to four meters for 30 minutes.
Two plaintiffs from New York and one from South Carolina brought a lawsuit against Apple in the Southern District of New York for "false and misleading" misrepresentations that purportedly allowed the company to charge "twice as much" for iPhones than the cost of "average smartphones."
Now, U.S. District Judge Denise Cote has ruled that while the plaintiffs plausibly alleged that Apple's advertising could mislead some customers, they did not demonstrate that their iPhones were damaged by "liquid contact" Apple promised they could withstand. The judge also found no evidence of fraud, citing a lack of proof that Apple consciously intended to overstate its water-resistance claims for commercial gain.
It was also ruled that there was insufficient evidence that the plaintiffs relied on fraudulent marketing statements when choosing to buy their iPhones. A lawyer representing the plaintiffs said that his clients were disappointed with the verdict, and there has not yet been a decision about whether to appeal.
Although this case has been dismissed, an Italian judge in late 2020 fined Apple $12 million for misleading customers about the iPhone's water resistance. The ruling explained that Apple did not suitably clarify that its water-resistance claims are only true under specific conditions, such as during controlled laboratory tests with the use of static and pure water, and not in the normal conditions of use by consumers. The regulator also ruled that it was inappropriate for Apple to highlight water resistance as a feature, while at the same time refusing to provide post-sales warranty assistance if the iPhone models in question suffer water damage.
Apple's iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 lineups feature the best water resistance rating on an iPhone to date with an IP68 rating. This means that the devices can withstand water up to a depth of six meters (19.7 feet) for up to 30 minutes. The IP68 water resistance rating means that the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 can hold up against splashes, rain, and accidental water exposure, but intentional water exposure should still be avoided if possible.
According to Apple, water and dust resistance are not permanent conditions and can deteriorate over time as a result of normal wear. Apple's warranty does not cover liquid damage, so it is best to exercise caution when it comes to liquid exposure.
Woot today has Apple's AirPods Pro with MagSafe Charging Case for $179.99, down from $249.00. These are in new condition and not refurbished, and include a one year Apple Manufacturer Limited Warranty.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Woot's deal is about $20 below the current price of the AirPods Pro with MagSafe at Amazon and other retailers. This sale will last for one day only, and Amazon Prime members can get the usual free standard shipping options.
We track sales for every model of the AirPods in our Best AirPods Deals guide, so be sure to bookmark that page while you shop around for the wireless headphones.
Apple's plans to allow developers to use third-party alternative payments methods within their apps in South Korea "lacks concrete detail," according to South Korea's Communications Commission (KCC).
In August, South Korea passed a law that bans app store operators from requiring developers to use their in-app purchase systems. Last month, Apple submitted its compliance plans to the KCC that would allow apps in Apple's South Korean App Store to use third-party payment methods within their apps. Apple's plans include that the company will still take a commission for all purchases made, even those made with third-party alternative payment methods, but specific details were not shared.
Now, ahead of the law being finalized and enacted, South Korea's KCC says Apple's submitted plan "lacks concrete detail," reports Reuters. KCC is unhappy that both Apple and Google still plan to charge a commission on purchases made with third-party payment methods, arguing that such a commission will entice developers to stay with the app stores' respective, default payment process.
"As a result of any policy, if app developers find it realistically difficult to use an alternative payment system and resort to using the dominant app store operator's payment system, it would not fit the law's purpose," the official said, adding that this stance would likely be reflected in the final ordinance."
A similar series of events have taken place in The Netherlands, one of several countries looking into Apple's App Store. Dating apps in The Netherlands will soon be allowed to use third-party alternative payment methods. Apple's plans to comply with the law in The Netherlands have been criticized for being inadequate in addressing concerns, leading to a fine of 5 million euros per week up to a maximum of 50 million euros until Apple complies.
"We look forward to working with the KCC and our developer community on a solution that benefits our Korean users," Apple had previously said in a statement about the law in South Korea. "Our work will always be guided by keeping the App Store a safe and trusted place for our users to download the apps they love," the company added.
CARROT Weather, the award-winning app known for its funny and sarcastic weather information, has received a major update that adds new map styles, individual radar stations, and more.
Rebuilt from the ground up, the new weather maps in version 5.5 focus on readability and fast-loading of map layers, according to app creator Brian Mueller.
There are six map styles to choose from, and users can toggle between a 3D globe and a 2D map, thereby providing "support for both Round and Flat Earthers," notes Mueller.
CARROT premium users can now view individual U.S. radar stations, which update more frequently and show a lot more detail than the mosaic that covers the entire country. Premium users can also see up to 48 hours into the future with map layers like precipitation, temperature, wind, and more.
Elsewhere, map presets group relevant map layers together, so users can quickly switch between them without having to turn several layers off and on, and users can now zoom in to display radar, zoom out to display a short-term forecast, and zoom even further out to display an extended forecast. Zooming also automatically adjusts layer opacity and animation speeds.
Lastly, for Premium Ultra users, there's an all-new Inspector Tool that can be enabled to display the exact values of map data, so there's no need to scrutinize a map legend to work out storm strength, for instance.
CARROT Weather can be downloaded from the App Store for free, and there is an optional $4.99 per month premium tier that unlocks new weather data sources, notifications, customization, widgets, and Apple Watch complications. An Ultra premium tier is also available with even more features. [Direct Link]
Facebook has said measures being taken by Apple on iOS that make it harder for platforms and apps to track users across other apps and websites will cost its business $10 billion in 2022.
Facebook yesterday reported $33.67 billion in revenue, and while higher than expected, earnings per share were shy of analyst expectations. Facebook, renamed to Meta, also offered lower guidance for the first quarter of 2022, saying it would be expecting around $27 to $29 billion in revenue, short of $30 billion expectations (via CNBC).
As it has done in the past, Facebook shifted blame for its weaker performance during the past quarter onto steps being taken by Apple to improve user privacy. Most notably, Apple's App Tracking Transparency (ATT) framework, which requires apps to ask users for permission before tracking them across other apps and websites, is negatively impacting Facebook's business, the company's chief operating officer, Sheryl Sandberg, claimed during the earnings call.
First, ads. Like others in our industry, we’ve faced headwinds as a result of Apple’s iOS changes. As we described last quarter, Apple created two challenges for advertisers. One is that the accuracy of our ads targeting decreased, which increased the cost of driving outcomes. The other is that measuring those outcomes became more difficult.
The impacts of Apple's privacy measures will represent more significant challenges to Facebook's business in the next quarter, according to Facebook's chief financial officer, David Wehner. "And we believe the impact of iOS overall as a headwind on our business in 2022 is on the order of $10 billion, so it's a pretty significant headwind for our business," said Wehner.
Wehner also went on to accuse Apple of favoring Google in its privacy policy. Wehner said that ATT exempts browsers from asking users for permission to track them across other apps and websites, therefore allowing browsers like Chrome to be more effective in tracking users for personalized ad purposes.
Wehner accused Apple of favoring Google's Ad Search since "Apple continues to take billions of dollars a year from Google Search ads, [so] incentive clearly exists for this policy discrepancy to continue."
And if you look at it, we believe those restrictions from Apple are designed in a way that carves out browsers from the tracking prompts Apple requires for apps. And so what that means is that search ads could have access to far more third-party data for measurement and optimization purposes than app-based ad platforms like ours.
So when it comes to using data, you can think of it -- that it's not really apples-to apples for us. And as a result, we believe Google's search ads business could have benefited relative to services like ours that face a different set of restrictions from Apple. And given that Apple continues to take billions of dollars a year from Google Search ads, the incentive clearly exists for this policy discrepancy to continue.
Daily active users (DAUs) also took a hit in the past quarter, with Facebook reporting for the first time on record a drop in the number of daily users using its platform. DAUs stood at 1.93 billion in the final quarter of 2021, lower than 1.95 billion from the previous quarter. Still, Wehner said during the company's earnings call that DAUs were up 5% year-over-year.
We estimate that approximately 2.8 billion people used at least one of our Family of Apps on a daily basis in December, and that approximately 3.6 billion people used at least one on a monthly basis. Facebook daily active users were 1.93 billion, up 5% or 84 million compared to last year. DAUs represented approximately 66% of the 2.91 billion monthly active users in December. MAUs grew by 115 million or 4% compared to last year.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg previously shifted his outlook on Apple's ATT framework, initially saying it would hurt Facebook but later saying it could benefit the company in the long term.
The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee will on Thursday consider the Open App Markets Act, an antitrust bill that would allow for sideloading and alternate app stores.
Ahead of the meeting, Apple's head of government affairs in the Americas Tim Powderly sent a letter to committee members, urging them to reject the bill, reports Bloomberg. Powderly repeated a privacy and security argument that Apple executives have made many times before about the dangers of sideloading.
Sideloading would enable bad actors to evade Apple's privacy and security protections by distributing apps without critical privacy and security checks. These provisions would allow malware, scams and data-exploitation to proliferate.
He also said that Apple is "deeply concerned" that the legislation in its current form would also "make it easier for big social media platforms to avoid the pro-consumer practices of Apple's App Store."
The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee already discussed the American Innovation and Choice Online Act, another antitrust bill introduced in June 2021, which Apple also spoke out against. Despite Apple's protests, the bill was approved and will move on to the Senate floor for a vote. It is likely that the Open App Markets Act will join it.
For many people, Face ID has been frustrating to use for the past two years because it doesn't work with a face mask, but that's changing in iOS 15.4, an update that's currently available to developers and public beta testers.
iOS 15.4 adds Face ID with a Mask, letting you unlock your iPhone with Face ID even when your face is covered, so Face ID is as convenient with a mask as it is without one.
How Face ID With a Mask Works
With the lower half of your face covered by a mask, Face ID scans your eye area to authenticate your identity. According to Apple, Face ID with a mask recognizes the "unique features" around the eye area rather than looking at the entire face when you're wearing a mask.
Face ID when wearing a mask works just like Face ID without a mask. You swipe up on the iPhone's display and it unlocks with a Face ID scan. Face ID with a mask also works interchangeably with standard Face ID, so your phone works in the same way when you're wearing a mask and when you're not.
Face ID with a mask is identical to standard Face ID in almost every way, but there are a few additional setup steps to go through, and it does not work with sunglasses. There are also a few more limitations with unlocking angles because Face ID with a Mask needs to clearly see your eyes before it will unlock.
Face ID with a Mask Setup
When you update to iOS 15.4, there's a built-in Face ID with a Mask setup process that you'll be prompted to complete. It's identical to the original Face ID setup process, and you'll be asked to complete a 3D facial scan.
If you skip this process, you can also toggle it on later. Open up the Settings app, tap on Face ID & Passcode, authenticate with a passcode, and toggle on the "Use Face ID With a Mask" option.
If you wear glasses, you'll need to go through a secondary setup process.
Adding Glasses
Because Face ID with a Mask uses a scan of the eye area, glasses that you wear need to be added on an individual basis. If you wear multiple pairs of glasses, you'll need to do a scan for each one.
To go through the process of adding your glasses, Open up the Settings app, tap on Face ID & Passcode, authenticate with a passcode, and tap "Add Glasses."
From there, you'll need to put on your glasses and complete an additional Face ID scan, which is identical to any other Face ID scan where you rotate your head in a circle to scan from multiple angles.
No Sunglasses Support
While standard Face ID works when you're wearing most sunglasses, that's not the case with Face ID with a Mask. Face ID with a Mask requires direct eye contact to work, and sunglasses obscure the eyes.
If you are wearing a mask and sunglasses at the same time, you can still unlock your iPhone with your Apple Watch using the Apple Watch unlocking feature. You will need to remove either the mask or the sunglasses to authenticate Apple Pay purchases and log in to apps that use Face ID.
Face ID with a Mask Authentication
When wearing a mask, Face ID works the same as Face ID without a mask. You can unlock your iPhone, authenticate Apple Pay purchases, and use Face ID in lieu of a passcode for third-party apps. This is in stark contrast to the "Unlock With Apple Watch" feature that Apple added to iOS 14.5 last year and cannot authenticate transactions.
Device Limitations
Face ID with a Mask is only available on the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 models. It's compatible with the iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max, iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro, and iPhone 13 Pro Max.
It does not work with earlier iPhones and it does not work with the iPad. Apple has not made it clear if there is a hardware limitation preventing the Face ID mask unlock from working with earlier versions of the iPhone.
Security Implications
Apple says that Face ID is "most accurate" when it's set up for full-face recognition only, but it is not clear if there are security implications with a partial facial analysis.
In testing, we have not been able to get an iPhone to unlock by someone else wearing a mask, but that doesn't mean that it can't happen, especially in families where there may be similarities between the area around the eyes.
Apple has not provided in-depth information on just how the Face ID with a Mask feature works in comparison to regular Face ID, but Apple has not explicitly said that it's less secure.
Face ID Apple Watch Unlock
Face ID with a Mask does not replace the pre-existing Unlock with Apple Watch feature, and the two can be used together, but the iPhone does default to Face ID with a mask, unless you're wearing a mask and sunglasses at the same time. If you have a mask and sunglasses on, you can use the Apple Watch unlocking feature with Face ID to unlock your iPhone.
Unlock with Apple Watch was previously the only option available for unlocking the iPhone while wearing a mask, but it is more limited and it does not work with third-party apps or Apple Pay purchases. It continues to be the only option for those who have an iPhone 11 or earlier or those who want to wear a mask and sunglasses at the same time.
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