Priced at $39.99 in the United States, the new Roku Express 4K+ provides 4K streaming at an affordable price. The streaming player supports AirPlay 2 for wirelessly streaming audio and video from an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, while HomeKit support allows users to control the streaming player with Siri or the Home app on their Apple devices.
Meanwhile, Roku's new Voice Remote Pro features an Apple TV+ button for easy access to the Apple TV app, as noted by The Verge. Priced at $29.99, the remote also features a rechargeable battery via micro-USB, hands-free or push-to-talk "Hey Roku" voice control, a lost remote finder feature, and a headphone jack.
Roku has also added the Apple TV+ button to its new standard remotes, alongside Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+ buttons.
With its new Roku OS 10 software release that is now rolling out, Roku is also expanding AirPlay 2 and HomeKit to select HD Roku streaming players and TVs. These features were limited to Roku's 4K devices until now.
Adobe has today released a major update for Premiere Rush, adding full support for the M1 chip, alongside a range of small updates to Premiere Rush and Premiere Pro.
Premiere Rush is Adobe's video editing app designed for easy creativity on the go. The update to Premiere Rush brings enhanced speed and optimization on desktops using the M1 chip, such as the MacBook Air, the 13-inch MacBook Pro, and Mac mini, so users can work faster and get more done.
Premiere Rush is also gaining a new timeline Context Menu. Users can now tap a video clip on the timeline to bring up the context menu on iOS to split, duplicate, or delete a clip. In addition, users can tap a video clip with audio to separate the audio clip from the video.
There are also changes to reset functionality, allowing users to reset all adjustments for Color, Audio, and Transforms.
On the other hand, Premiere Pro is gaining Dynamic Lumetri Previews. Lumetri presets now display a frame from your current sequence and thumbnails for Lumetri presets in the Effects panel dynamically update, providing a preview of the preset.
Today you can get the AirPods Pro for $199.99 on Amazon, down from $249.00. You'll see this price reflected at checkout after a coupon worth $19.01 is automatically applied to your order.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
This isn't the best price that we've ever tracked on the AirPods Pro, but it is the first notable discount in over a month, as sales have become a bit less frequent this spring.
The most consistent AirPods Pro sale has previously been found at Woot, which discounts the Bluetooth headphones to $189.99. We haven't seen one of these sales since early March, so Amazon's discount today is a solid second-best option for those looking to purchase the AirPods Pro this week.
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.
Indian tech blog MySmartPrice has obtained 3D renders of what it claims will be the standard iPhone 13 model, revealing a familiar design with a few notable changes, including a smaller notch and a new diagonal rear camera layout. The website says it received the renders from unnamed "industry sources."
A smaller notch has already been rumored several times for the entire iPhone 13 lineup, but this is the first time we've heard that the rear cameras may be positioned diagonally on the standard iPhone 13 with a 6.1-inch display. By comparison, the dual Wide and Ultra Wide lenses on the standard iPhone 12 model are vertically stacked.
It's unclear why the rear cameras might be positioned diagonally on the iPhone 13, or if the design will extend to the iPhone 13 mini, but there are several camera-related changes rumored for iPhone 13 models that would perhaps necessitate the change. In January, for example, supply chain news website DigiTimes reported that sensor-shift optical image stabilization would be extended to the entire iPhone 13 lineup.
MySmartPrice does not have an established track record as it relates to renders for upcoming Apple products, so this leak should be treated with some skepticism until it is backed by other sources. Apple is currently expected to unveil the iPhone 13 lineup in September, so we're still several months away from the devices becoming official.
LG Electronics has publicly undertaken a joint venture with the Canada-based automotive supplier Magna International, in a collaboration preliminarily titled "LG Magna e-Powertrain."
LG Magna e-Powertrain is currently valued at $1 billion and will manufacture electric motors, inverters and onboard chargers, following approval from LG shareholders. LG has previously supplied motors, battery packs, and other components for General Motors' Bolt EV and to Tesla, while Magna already produces automotive electronics.
Sources familiar with the matter, speaking to The Korea Times, said "LG Magna e-Powertrain is very near to signing contracts with Apple under which they could handle the initial volume production of Apple EVs. Contract details are still being discussed."
Although the joint venture lacks the production volume to manufacture a vehicle on a mass-scale comparable to other major automakers, Apple is apparently comfortable with LG Magna e-Powertrain's smaller capacity, from which it may be inferred that the company does not intend to produce the vehicle on the same large scale as other major automakers.
Apple's first-generation of electric vehicles is reportedly seen as an opportunity to evaluate the project's marketability, rather than a true mass-market vehicle, rendering it a more niche brand within the industry, at least initially. This is seemingly supported by Apple's ease with LG Magna e-Powertrain's smaller manufacturing capacity.
LG is already heavily integrated into Apple's supply chain for crucial products such as the iPhone, so the two companies are already very familiar with working with each other for production purposes and have an intertwined supply operation.
Because LG Group affiliates including LG Display, LG Chem, LG Energy Solution and LG Innotek are already included in Apple's parts supply chain, Apple doesn't have to worry about any supply chain issues. These LG affiliates are qualified to guarantee production yields and faster delivery of parts needed for Apple EVs.
Following LG's decision to shut down its unprofitable smartphone business, the company is said to be urgently responding to investors' growing calls to produce results from its vehicle components business. LG's exit from the smartphone industry is expected to boost its margins and it could re-invest the salvaged funds into its vehicle component businesses.
As the LG brand is not that strong in the global EV industry, it needs a pretty competitive reference to show off its transformation efforts. From that standpoint, LG's bet on the Apple EV is not that bad, and vice versa for Apple.
The monetary value of the partnership would purportedly not be significant for LG, but would rather yield benefits in establishing the reputation of LG Magna e-Powertrain as a contract auto manufacturer and vindicating the formation of LG Magna e-Powertrain.
Magna is based in Canada, but has previously said that it would be able to manufacture vehicles at a facility in the United States if contracted to do so, which may be a provision Apple is looking to include in its proposed agreement.
If the agreement is reached, the two parties will then jointly establish the precise details for the production of the Apple car, and a prototype will apparently be teased in early 2024.
Magna has been floated as a potential contractor for Apple's vehicle in the past, but this appears to be the most well-reasoned rumor surrounding a contract manufacturer for the project to date.
Regulators in Germany are seeking to bar Facebook from collecting user data from its subsidiary, WhatsApp (via Bloomberg).
The Hamburg regulator is looking to achieve an "immediately enforceable order" against Facebook by May 15, due to concerns that WhatsApp's privacy policy changes could lead to the unlawful use of user data for marketing and advertising purposes. Data Commissioner Johannes Caspar said in a statement earlier today:
WhatsApp is now used by almost 60 million people in Germany and is by far the most widely used social media application, even ahead of Facebook. It is therefore all the more important to ensure that the high number of users, which makes the service attractive to many people, does not lead to an abusive exploitation of data power.
The privacy policy changes suggested at the time that WhatsApp would share additional data with Facebook such as phone number, service-related information, IP address, and transaction data, but WhatsApp has since made it clear that the update does not affect data sharing with Facebook in terms of user chats or profile information, with the new terms instead applying to those who use the business chat feature.
WhatsApp delayed the introduction of its new privacy policy earlier this year after confusion and user backlash forced the company to assure users of its commitment to privacy. Nevertheless, the relationship between Facebook and WhatsApp is set to come under greater scrutiny in Germany as a result of the request for an enforceable order.
Up to now there has been no supervisory review of the actual processing operations between WhatsApp and Facebook that we are aware of. There is reason to believe that the provisions that will enable and expand the sharing of data between WhatsApp and Facebook will be unlawfully enforced due to the lack of voluntary and informed consent.
Facebook said in a statement that it is reviewing the information it has received from the Hamburg regulator and "will address their misunderstandings around the purpose and effect of the update." The company added that it remains "committed to delivering secure and private communications for everyone.
To be clear, by accepting WhatsApp's updated terms of service, users are not agreeing to any expansion in our ability to share data with Facebook, and the update does not impact the privacy of their messages with friends or family wherever they are in the world.
WhatsApp has in fact shared some user information with Facebook since 2016, such as phone number, but chat messages and phone calls remain private and protected with end-to-end encryption.
The formal case has been opened "to prevent unlawful mass data sharing, if necessary, and to put an end to unlawful consent pressure on millions of people." Facebook get will the opportunity to respond to the allegations at a hearing before mid-May.
A new image posted on Twitter this morning allegedly shows Apple's as-yet unreleased spring color options for iPhone 12 cases, offering a better look at the company's upcoming protective silicone cases.
Based on the images, Apple plans to release four new color options in its iPhone 12 case range. Official names for the colorways are still unknown, but based on the photo they approximate dark purple, light blue, light green, and orange.
The source of the photo doesn't have a track record for Apple leaks, so it's not possible to know for certain that the cases shown are genuine or just fakes based on previous leaks, but they at least give us a better idea at what the cases could look like.
In 2020, Apple released matching iPhone 11 and Apple Watch bands for its spring collection. The company typically releases new spring accessories around the end of March or early April, and with Siri's revelation this morning of an Apple event on April 20, we could well see them in the next couple of weeks.
Update: The source of the image, Tommy Boi, has tweeted the above picture revealing the alleged names of Apple's spring color collection of iPhone 12 cases. They are: Cantaloupe, Amethyst, Pistachio, and Capri Blue. The same Twitter account has posted an image indicating that they will launch in April.
Update: Another photo of the alleged "Amethyst" color has surfaced.
Siri has apparently prematurely revealed that Apple plans to hold an event on Tuesday, April 20, where the company is expected to reveal brand new iPad Pro models and possibly its long-awaited AirTags trackers.
Upon being asked "When is the next Apple Event," Siri is currently responding with, "The special event is on Tuesday, April 20, at Apple Park in Cupertino, CA. You can get all the details on Apple.com." The event will likely be a pre-recorded affair without media in attendance and should be live-streamed on Apple's website and YouTube channel.
Siri is not providing the information in all instances and will in some cases simply refer you to Apple's website for information on events, but multiple MacRumors editors and readers have seen the premature information across Apple devices including iPhone, iPad, Mac, and HomePod.
Apple typically sends out press invitations for its digital events around a week before the actual event, so it seems likely that Apple will confirm the event later today. Bloomberg has reported that Apple plans to showcase a brand new 12.9-inch iPad Pro with new mini-LED display technology in the middle of this month.
Apple launched the Find My network accessory program designed for third-party accessory makers in April 2021, allowing device makers to integrate Find My right into their products.
With the Find My network accessory program, third-party accessory makers can add Find My integration to their devices, allowing products to be tracked in the Find My app right alongside Apple devices and AirTags.
This guide covers everything that you need to know about the accessory program, from how it works to which devices offer Find My integration.
How Tracking Third-Party Accessories Works
Accessory makers that join Apple's Made for iPhone program and participate in the Find My network accessory program can add Find My integration into any Bluetooth device.
That means that a Bluetooth or WiFi device with Find My compatibility can be tracked right in the Find My app alongside your Apple products. In iOS 14.3 or later, there's an "Items" tab available in Find My, which is where all third-party accessories can be located.
Find My for third-party accessories works just like Find My for any of your Apple devices, with your accessories shown on a map. Third-party Find My accessories can take advantage of all of Apple's Find My functionality.
So if a Bluetooth-equipped device is nearby, it will show up in the Find My app, but if it's out of range, the map will show the last known location. If you lose an item and someone else with an iPhone, iPad, or Mac comes close to it, it can communicate with their device with the approximate location of the item relayed securely and privately back to you.
Setting Up Third-Party Find My Devices
The Find My app is the one-stop shop for adding, controlling, and locating any Find My-compatible accessory, as third-party accessories designed to work with Find My can't support other apps or item location networks.
There's an "Items" tab in the Find My app on iPhone, iPad, and Mac, and to add an item, you just tap on the "Add Item" option. You will need to follow the instructions from the device maker to put your Find My accessory into a pairing mode, and that will vary from manufacturer to manufacturer.
With VanMoof bikes, for example, you need to double press on the power button of the bike to put it into pairing mode to connect it to the Find My app.
You can give all of your items custom names and assign an emoji to them so you can identify each one at a glance on the Find My map. Adding an item to Find My does require your Apple ID, as it links that item to your ID.
Locating Lost Third-Party Devices With Find My
If you open up the Find My app and navigate to the Items tab, you can see all of your Find My-compatible accessories on a map. You'll see current location if the accessory is able to communicate with your iPhone, iPad, or Mac over Bluetooth, or the last known location if it is too far away. It will also tell you the last time that your device communicated with the accessory.
You can play sounds on Find My accessories, and if lost, place them into a Lost Mode. Putting a device into Lost Mode allows you to lock it down to prevent it from being paired with another Apple device, and it adds a phone number and message in case anyone comes across your lost item.
If someone who has an iPad, iPhone, or Mac comes across your lost Find My accessory, they can use the Find My app to see your message and get in touch. You'll also get a notification when it's located through another person's device, and its location will show up on the map.
The Find My network that allows lost devices to be found through crowdsourcing is anonymous and encrypted, so while you will get info on where your lost item might be, you won't see who discovered it unless they contact you after you've provided a message and a phone number.
Putting an Item Into Lost Mode
You can put a lost item into Lost Mode by tapping on its name in Find My and then tapping "Enable" under Lost Mode. Apple prompts you to input a phone number where you can be reached, and you can also choose to get a notification when updated location information becomes available.
Lost Mode can be disabled by toggling off "Enabled" under the Lost Mode option.
Preventing Theft
Find My items are linked to your Apple ID much like iPhones, iPads, and Macs. If someone steals an accessory with Find My built in, that person will not be able to link the item to their own Apple ID account.
Getting Directions to a Lost Item
Tapping on any of your third-party accessories in the Find My app will show its last location. If it's not close by, you can tap on "Directions" to open its location in the Apple Maps app to get directions from your current location to the location of your item.
Separation Alerts
Apple in iOS 15 added Separation Alerts to the Find My app, which are designed to let you know if you leave an Apple device, a device attached to an AirTag, or a Find My-enabled third-party device behind.
You can set up Separation Alerts in the Find My app, so if you want to make sure your iPhone is always with you or that you don't leave the house without the keys, this is the feature to use.
Third-party accessories that connect to Find My can get firmware updates. To install an update, tap on the item's name in the Find My app and then tap on "Update Available." If no Update Available button is listed, then the item is up to date.
Check an Item's Serial Number
Tapping on an item in the Find My app and then tapping on "Show Details" will let you see information like serial number or model number, and it will let you know if the manufacturer has an app available for you to download to add additional features to the item.
How to Identify Someone's Lost Item
If you come across a lost item and you know that it has Find My integration, you can open up the Find My app and tap on the "Identify Found Item" option to see if the person who has lost it has left a message and a contact number so you can get in touch with them.
Scanning for lost items using the Find My app will take you to a website to see a Lost Mode message.
Unknown Item Safety Alerts
If Apple detects a Find My accessory that is on your person or moving with you, it will send you a safety alert. This is so you can make sure no one has planted a tracking device on you.
If you get one of these alerts, you can tap into it to see the unknown item on a map or play a sound. You can also tap "Learn More About This Item" to get details, such as serial number, and there is an option to disable the item so that it stops sharing your location. Tap on "Instructions" and then tap "Disable Item" to do this.
Note that if you have an item belonging to another person and disable location alerts, the item will not be usable to you because it is already linked to an Apple ID.
There are instances where safety alerts can be inconvenient, such as if a family member nearby has a Find My item that your device is picking up. In this situation, you can turn off safety alerts for people in your Family Sharing group or tap on "Pause Safety Alerts" to mute them for the day.
Safety alerts can be turned off entirely as well if you're getting an annoying number of notifications. Under the "Me" tab, go to Notifications and then toggle off Item Safety Alerts. This needs to be done on a per-device basis.
Removing an Item From Find My
If you want to sell or give away a Find My accessory, you need to remove it from Find My. Bring it near your device, tap "Remove Item," and follow the instructions.
You can also remove an item from your account if it's not nearby, but it will still be locked and won't be able to be added to anyone's account because of its link to your Apple ID.
Third-Party Accessories That Support Find My
There are a limited number of Find My accessories available at the current time, but Apple expects more manufacturers to add Find My support in the future.
Adding a compatible third-party accessory to the Find My app requires iOS 14.3 or later, iPadOS 14.3 or later, or macOS Big Sur 11.1 or later.
AirTags
Apple in April 2021 introduced AirTags, which are small, circular, Bluetooth-enabled item trackers designed to be attached to items like keys and wallets to allow them to be tracked right alongside Apple devices and Find My Network accessories in the Find My app.
For everything you need to know about AirTags and how they work, we have a dedicated AirTags guide.
The FCC says that the data collected on broadband network performance across the United States will help its efforts to provide improved coverage information to the public.
"To close the gap between digital haves and have nots, we are working to build a comprehensive, user-friendly dataset on broadband availability. Expanding the base of consumers who use the FCC Speed Test app will enable us to provide improved coverage information to the public and add to the measurement tools we're developing to show where broadband is truly available throughout the United States," said Acting Chairwoman Rosenworcel.
The app, which is available on iPhone and iPad, allows consumers to measure the speeds of their mobile and in-home broadband networks. It evaluates download and upload speed, latency, jitter, and packet loss, and it tracks speed data over time.
In addition to providing the FCC with granular broadband deployment data, in the future, it will be used to challenge provider-submitted maps when Broadband Data Collection Systems become available.
Rare discounts on the iPad mini 5 have cropped up today on Amazon, offering up to $69 off the 7.9-inch tablet. Sales start with the 64GB Wi-Fi model at $344.99, down from $399.00, available in Silver and Space Gray.
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.
Likewise, the 256GB Wi-Fi model is on sale for $479.99, down from $549.00. This one is available in all three colors: Space Gray, Silver, and Gold. Both models of the iPad mini 5 are in stock on Amazon and ready to ship today.
While neither sale is offering a lowest-ever price on the iPad mini 5, discounts on this version of Apple's tablet lineup are few and far between. The most consistent deal on the 64GB Wi-Fi iPad mini 5 has stuck around $349.00 for the tablet, so today's sale is beating that offer by about $5.
In 2021, there have only been one or two solid discounts on the iPad mini 5. In our tracking since January, today's sale is the first time we've seen a discount from a major Apple reseller reach over $50 off.
For even more iPad deals, head to our full Best Deals guide for iPad. In that guide we track the best discounts online for iPad, iPad mini, iPad Air, and iPad Pro.
Apple in December began requiring all new app submissions and app updates to include App Privacy labels, detailing the data that is collected by the app so consumers know what they're sharing.
Google didn't begin implementing App Privacy labels until February, and Google apps went several months without an update. Gmail, in fact, went so long without updating that it started giving users a warning that it was out of date, but no update was available.
Google Maps was updated with App Privacy labels in early April, and alongside Google Photos, it was one of the last apps to get the data collection details.
Now that Google Maps is compliant with the App Store rules, Google is once again able to update it. Today's version 5.65 refresh is minor in scale, offering bug fixes that improve the Google Maps app, but Google is now free to add additional features going forward.
In a recent interview with the Toronto Star, Apple CEO Tim Cook spoke about a wide variety of topics, ranging from App Tracking Transparency to Apple's ongoing legal battle over App Store policies with Fortnite creator Epic Games.
Notably, Cook said that Epic Games' desire for Apple to let developers offer their own payment systems in apps "would make the App Store a flea market":
At the heart of the Epic complaint is they'd like developers to each put in their own payment information. But that would make the App Store a flea market and you know the confidence level you have at the flea market.
The volume of people going into such a market would be dramatically lower, which would be bad for the user, because they would miss out on the innovation like we just heard with the four developers. And the developers would be left out because they wouldn't have a huge audience to sell to. So nobody wins in that environment.
Apple's App Store Review Guidelines require apps to use Apple's in-app purchase system, with direct payment systems forbidden.
Cook said he is confident that Apple should prevail in its lawsuit against Epic Games, so long as it is able to communicate the facts clearly. The U.S. bench trial is scheduled to begin May 3 in Northern California federal court.
Cook also revealed in the interview that Apple reviews 100,000 apps submitted for review every week and rejects about 40,000 of them. He said that by curating the App Store, users have "a safe and trusted place" to discover apps.
Timed with Cook's interview with the Toronto Star, Apple has issued a press release touting the success of the App Store in Canada. In the press release, spotted by the blog iPhone in Canada, Apple said the App Store now supports more than 243,000 jobs in Canada and added that developers across the country have generated more than $2 billion CAD in total earnings since the App Store launched in 2008.
Apple has adjusted the marketing of its high-end Pro Display XDR in the UK following complaints to the country's Advertising Standards Authority that it was misleading customers.
As reported by 9to5Mac, the ASA (Advertising Standards Authority) had received complaints from customers about Apple's indirect claim that the Pro Display XDR features a 100% P3 wide color gamut. Apple previously marketed the Pro Display XDR as featuring P3 wide color gamut without any caveats, however following the complaint, the company has added a footnote to the product page in the UK to indicate it "supports 99% of the P3 wide color gamut."
9to5Mac (Change in Pro Display XDR website following complaint)
Additionally, UK customers complained to the ASA regarding Apple's use of the term "Far beyond HDR." The complaints, alleging it to be misleading, caused Apple to remove it entirely from the product page in the UK. The Pro Display XDR marketing remains unchanged in the US.
In our latest exclusive sale, we've partnered with Hyper to offer our readers 20 percent off sitewide at the company's website. This sale will run through Sunday, April 18 and you'll need to enter the coupon code HYPERUMORS at checkout to get the discount.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Hyper. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Hyper sells a wide assortment of accessories for mobile devices, with a focus on Apple products, data storage, and hub accessories. One of the company's newest accessories is the HyperJuice Magnetic Wireless Battery Pack, which is compatible with MagSafe on the iPhone 12.
Below we've collected a few of Hyper's best accessories that you can save on during this sale, including battery packs, wall chargers, and USB-C hubs. Of course, there are many more items to shop on Hyper's website, including Lightning to USB-C cables, laptop stands, wireless chargers with MagSafe compatibility, and more. Be sure to head to HyperShop.com and take advantage of the sale before it expires this Sunday.
Apple made unusual mid-production hardware changes to the A12, A13, and S5 processors in its devices in the fall of 2020 to update the Secure Storage Component, according to Apple Support documents.
According to an Apple Support page, spotted by Twitter user Andrew Pantyukhin, Apple changed the Secure Enclave in a number of products in the fall of 2020:
Note: A12, A13, S4, and S5 products first released in Fall 2020 have a 2nd-generation Secure Storage Component; while earlier products based on these SoCs have 1st-generation Secure Storage Component.
The Secure Enclave is a coprocessor that is used for data protection and authentication with Touch ID and Face ID. The purpose of the Secure Enclave is to handle keys and other information, such as biometrics, that are sensitive enough to not be handled by the Application Processor. This data is stored in a Secure Storage Component inside the Secure Enclave, which is the specific part that Apple changed last year.
The explanation in Apple's support document suggests, at minimum, that the eighth-generation entry-level iPad, Apple Watch SE, and HomePod mini have different Secure Enclaves compared to older devices with the same chip.
However, there are a number of discrepancies in Apple's support document. Despite Apple explaining that A13 products "first released in Fall 2020 have a 2nd-generation Secure Storage Component," there was no device with an A13 chip "first released in Fall 2020." The last device to be released with an A13 chip was the iPhone SE in February 2020.
If the change was, in fact, made to all newly-manufactured devices with these chips, the affected devices would include the iPhone XR, iPhone 11, iPhone SE, and fifth-generation iPad mini, as well as the newly-released eighth-generation iPad, Apple Watch SE, and HomePod mini.
To make matters more confusing, the table listing the multiple versions of the Secure Enclave's storage component in the feature summary omits the S4 chip with a second-generation Secure Storage Component, despite the rubric claiming that such a chip exists. The Apple Watch Series 4 was the only device to contain an S4 chip, and this device was discontinued in September 2019, long before the second-generation Secure Storage Component was implemented in the fall of 2020. It is possible that part of this lack of clarity relates to the fact that the A12 and S4 chips introduced the first-generation Secure Storage Component.
New devices containing the A14 or S6 chip, such as the iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, fourth-generation iPad Air, and Apple Watch Series 6, also have the updated Secure Enclave.
Although the change took place in the fall of 2020, the support document detailing the alteration was published in February 2021. The full PDF version of Apple's Platform Security Guide reveals the difference between the first and second-generation Secure Storage Component:
The 2nd-generation Secure Storage Component adds counter lockboxes. Each counter lockbox stores a 128-bit salt, a 128-bit passcode verifier, an 8-bit counter, and an 8-bit maximum attempt value. Access to the counter lockboxes is through an encrypted and authenticated protocol.
Counter lockboxes hold the entropy needed to unlock passcode-protected user data. To access the user data, the paired Secure Enclave must derive the correct passcode entropy value from the user's passcode and the Secure Enclave's UID. The user's passcode can't be learned using unlock attempts sent from a source other than the paired Secure Enclave. If the passcode attempt limit is exceeded (for example, 10 attempts on iPhone), the passcode-protected data is erased completely by the Secure Storage Component.
This appears to be a countermeasure against password-cracking devices, such as GrayKey, which attempt to break into iPhones by guessing the passcode an infinite number of times, using exploits that allow for infinite incorrect password attempts.
The change appears to have been significant enough for Apple to justify an entire "second-generation" version of the Secure Enclave's storage. It is certainly unusual for Apple to change a component in its chips mid-way through production, but Apple likely deemed the security upgrade important enough to roll it out to all relevant new devices from the fall onwards, rather than just devices with the latest A14 and S6 chips.
Starting with iOS 14.5, iPadOS 14.5, and tvOS 14.5, Apple will be requiring apps to receive a user's permission to track their activity for targeted advertising purposes, as part of a privacy measure known as App Tracking Transparency.
Ahead of App Tracking Transparency being enforced, Apple CEO Tim Cook has participated in a privacy-focused interview with the Toronto Star, telling the Canadian newspaper that Apple is "not against digital advertising" and simply believes that users should have transparency and control as it relates to being tracked by apps for advertising purposes.
We're not against digital advertising. I think digital advertising is going to thrive in any situation, because more and more time is spent online, less and less is spent on linear TV. And digital advertising will do well in any situation. The question is, do we allow the building of this detailed profile to exist without your consent?
When asked about some major companies like Procter & Gamble that have reportedly been trying to find ways to get around App Tracking Transparency, Cook said any pushback on the change is likely because companies will no longer be able to track users without them knowing, resulting in less data being collected to build a profile on users.
The only reason why you would push back is if you believe you'll get less data. The only reason you would get less data is because people are consciously deciding not to do it and were not being asked before.
Cook reiterated Apple's longstanding belief that privacy is a "fundamental human right" and expressed his belief that privacy regulations around the world "will eventually catch up" with policies like App Tracking Transparency.
Cook said that App Tracking Transparency will launch "in a few weeks," but it's unclear when the interview was held. iOS 14.5 is believed to be nearing release following over two months of beta testing with many new features, including the much-awaited ability for Apple Watch users to unlock their iPhone with Face ID while wearing a mask.
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.
New Apple deals have emerged online this week, and we're putting the spotlight on a pair of sales for the iMac and MacBook Air. Both discounts focus on the 2020 updates to each product, and Amazon is offering all-time low prices for each device.
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.
iMac
Amazon has the 256GB SSD 21.5-inch iMac from mid 2020 for $949.99, down from $1,099.00. This is a new all-time low price on this model of the iMac, and you'll see the price reflected at checkout after a $99.01 coupon is applied.
If you're shopping for a larger model, we're also tracking a best-ever price on the 512GB SSD 27-inch iMac from mid 2020. Amazon is selling this model at $1,799.99, down from $1,999.00; this is a match of the previous lowest price seen on Amazon, and you'll again see the discount applied at checkout.
You can keep track of ongoing sales on Apple's iMac line by visiting our Best iMac Deals guide. There, we keep track of the best iMac offers from Amazon, Adorama, B&H Photo, and other retailers, so be sure to check back often if you're shopping for an iMac for the first time, or thinking of upgrading.
MacBook Air
Also on Amazon, you can get the 512GB M1 MacBook Air for $1,149.00, down from $1,249.00. This sale is available in Space Gray and Gold, and it's a match of the lowest price that we've ever tracked on the 2020 512GB MacBook Air.
You can also save on the 256GB M1 MacBook Air, priced at $949.00 on Amazon, down from $999.00, but this isn't quite the best price we've ever seen on this notebook. All of these models are in stock on Amazon and ready to ship today.
You can find even more discounts on other MacBooks by visiting our Best Deals guide for MacBook Pro and MacBook Air. In this guide we track the steepest discounts for the newest MacBook models every week, so be sure to bookmark it and check back often if you're shopping for a new Apple notebook.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
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.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Hyper. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
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.
