MacRumors

Back in 2008, Jay Freeman first released Cydia as an app store designed for the iPhone, offering apps a few months before Apple had its own App Store. Since then, Cydia has served as an app repository for jailbroken iPhones and iPads, making it easy to install unauthorized software on compatible devices.

Now Cydia is joining a growing cadre of developers accusing Apple of anticompetitive behavior, reports The Washington Post. Cydia on Thursday sued Apple, accusing the company of using anticompetitive tactics to "nearly destroy Cydia" ahead of the ‌App Store‌ launch, which Cydia's lawyers say has a monopoly over software distribution on iOS devices.

According to Cydia, if Apple did not have an "illegal monopoly" over iOS app distribution, users would be able to choose "how and where to locate and obtain iOS apps," and developers would also have alternate distribution methods.

Apple spokesperson Fred Sainz told The Washington Post that Apple will review the lawsuit and that Apple is not a monopoly because it faces competition from Android. Apple also must maintain control over the way software is installed on the ‌iPhone‌ to prevent customers from accidentally downloading viruses and malware, which iPhones would be more susceptible to with a third-party ‌App Store‌.

The ‌App Store‌ is the only authorized way to install apps on an ‌iPhone‌ or iPad, with more than 1.8 million apps available worldwide. Over 28 million developers around the world use the ‌App Store‌ to distribute apps, and Apple earns somewhere around $15 billion in revenue from the ‌App Store‌ each year. Apple has a dedicated ‌App Store‌ review team that reviews every app submitted to the store, along with guidelines that developers have to follow.

Before the ‌App Store‌, though, there was Cydia. Jay Freeman told The Washington Post that he developed Cydia as a way to make it easy for customers to jailbreak their iPhones and install new software to support features created by developers who wanted to make apps and new functions for the original ‌iPhone‌.

According to his estimations, more than half of early ‌iPhone‌ customers were jailbreaking their iPhones to use Cydia, and in 2010, 4.5 million people were searching for apps weekly. By then, Apple had come out with its own ‌App Store‌ and started making it harder to jailbreak new iPhones, and over the years, also added features that were previously only available through Cydia, such as the Control Center.

Freeman claims that the risks of jailbreaking are "overblown" and are similar to downloading software from a PC. "Morally speaking, it's your phone and you should be able to do whatever you want with it," he said. The lawsuit claims that Apple used "coercive" terms to prevent customers from using Cydia, and as security ramped up, Cydia's business waned.

Cydia lawyer Stephen Swedlow says that the "legal climate" has been changing, which makes it the ideal time to file against Apple. Cydia is the "perfect claimant" for an antitrust case given that it has an app store that's an alternative to Apple's own offering. If the suit is successful, Cydia plans to once again compete with Apple, but without the need for jailbreaking.

Apple's iPhone 12 Pro Max has the most advanced camera technology in the iPhone lineup, but how does it match up to flagship smartphones from other companies? In our latest YouTube video, we compared the ‌iPhone 12 Pro Max‌ to the Google Pixel 5 and the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra to see the differences in camera quality.

The $1099 ‌iPhone 12 Pro Max‌ has a triple-lens camera setup with 12-megapixel Ultra Wide, Wide, and Telephoto lenses, with upgrades in sensor size, stability, and telephoto lens over the ‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro.

In comparison, the $699 Pixel 5 has a 12.2-megapixel wide-angle lens and a 16-megapixel ultra wide-angle lens, while the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra has a 108-megapixel wide-angle lens, a 12-megapixel ultra wide-angle lens, and a 12-megapixel telephoto lens. All three of the smartphones have similar capabilities such as HDR enhancements, portrait mode for background blurring and night mode for taking low light shots. The ‌iPhone 12 Pro Max‌ has a LiDAR Scanner for improved low light photography, while the Note 20 Ultra has a laser AF sensor.

These are all high-end flagship smartphones with excellent camera quality, so before we even get into the comparison, it's worth noting that all of these smartphones take excellent images, with small differences between them that vary from photo to photo. Some people may prefer one camera's tendency towards cooler tones, or have a preference for warmer colors or a certain softness or sharpness, but for the most part, there's no one smartphone camera that's a clear winner because a lot comes down to personal tastes.

When taking these photos during a cloudy Ohio day, we found that the ‌iPhone 12 Pro Max‌ has a bit of a quirk when it comes to the sky. In all photos where there's a cloudy sky, the ‌iPhone 12 Pro Max‌ is tending towards blue, creating an artificially blue sky. Apple added HDR 3 Scene Recognition to this year's iPhones to better let the ‌iPhone‌ distinguish buildings and sky to "optimize" a scene, and that may be what's going on here.

It doesn't look bad, and some people may prefer the bluer sky, but it's not what the scene looked like in real life. Color wise, the Pixel 5 is probably the most true to life, and in several photos, the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra used the same kind of effect to colorize the sky, albeit less dramatically.

Viewed alone, the ‌iPhone 12 Pro Max‌ photo doesn't look out of the ordinary and is arguably brighter and more engaging, but next to the Pixel 5, there's a stark difference. Most of the time, the blue tint applies only to the sky, but there are a few instances where the entire photo has a blue cast. This is, of course, limited to situations with cloudy outdoor skies, but it does persist across the Wide and Ultra cameras.

In Portrait Mode day shots, the ‌iPhone 12 Pro Max‌ has a tendency to blow the highlights just a bit with higher brightness and a boost to the colors, which again, doesn't look bad and is probably what most people will prefer, but is a different look than the Pixel 5 and Note 20 Ultra, both of which have cooler tones.

The ‌iPhone 12 Pro Max‌ does a lot better with edges in Portrait Mode than prior iPhones, but compared to the Pixel 5, it seems a little bit soft. That said, the Pixel 5 has problems with edge detection and is sharpening areas that it should not in some situations. Looking at the water in the above shot is a good example of the Pixel 5's uneven blurring.

In Night Mode, the ‌iPhone 12 Pro Max‌ trends towards much warmer tones than the Pixel 5 and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. The Note 20 Ultra is also on the warmer side, while the Pixel 5 seems to be erring on the side of being a little too cool. In the gazebo photo below, the gazebo is white and there's no real reason for it to have such a warm cast. Not all ‌Night Mode‌ photos from the ‌iPhone‌ have warm tones that dramatic, but the color is noticeable next to photos from other smartphones.

The ‌iPhone 12 Pro Max‌ tends to produce more even lighting in ‌Night Mode‌, while the Pixel 5 makes some areas of the image too bright. The ‌iPhone 12 Pro Max‌ also seems to be softer in some ‌Night Mode‌ photos, like this portrait shot.

All in all, Both the ‌iPhone 12 Pro Max‌ and Pixel 5 seem to beat out the Note 20 Ultra, but again, it's a matter of preference. The Pixel 5 tends to have colors that are more realistic in terms of white balance, but some of the ‌iPhone‌ images are more visually appealing.

As for video, that's an area where the ‌iPhone 12 Pro Max‌ is a clear winner. Filming in 4K 60 fps, the other two smartphones just can't match the image quality and stability of the ‌iPhone 12 Pro Max‌ during the day. Quality is closer at night, but the ‌iPhone‌ still wins out with better stabilization.

Make sure to watch our video to see all of the photo comparisons, and then let us know what you think in the comments. Which smartphone takes the best images?

ElevationLab has a range of useful accessories for Apple products, and in June, launched a new accessory that's designed to turn the Mac's power adapter into a hub.

There are many USB-C hubs available on the market, but the ElevationHub is unique because it works directly with the power adapter rather than plugging into the Mac itself. The USB-C accessory attaches to the USB-C port on one of Apple's official chargers for the MacBook Pro, providing additional ports.

Design wise, it's made from the same white plastic as Apple's power adapter for a sleek, clean look when attached, and it is sized to fit the 61W, 87W, and 96W power adapters Apple offers. For those with a MacBook Air, it unfortunately isn't recommended with the 30W power adapters.

The best fit is with the 61W power adapter Apple provides with the 13-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌, but it also works fine with the larger power adapters supplied with the 15 and 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ models. Though able to fit those chargers, the ElevationHub is limited to passthrough charging up to 61W, so it may not be able to supply enough power to charge the larger ‌MacBook Pro‌ models when they're under a heavy load.

For that reason, it's an ideal product for the 13-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ models, though if you don't often do system intensive tasks on a larger ‌MacBook Pro‌, it should also work fine. If used with larger ‌MacBook Pro‌ models, be aware that they will charge slower than with a standard USB-C cable.

In addition to 61W passthrough charging, the ElevationHub includes a USB-A 3.0 port and an SD card slot, useful for attaching USB-A accessories or getting photos from an SD card pulled from a camera or drone.

You can purchase the ElevationHub with an optional 6-foot USB-C cable that supports transfer speeds up to 5Gb/s, or use it with the standard USB-C cable that Apple provides. It comes with a built-in cable wrap for cable management, and I do recommend the add-on cable even though it's $10 more because it's high quality and features a nice braided design that will hold up to heavy use.

Depending on your particular desk setup, the ElevationHub might be of limited use. I charge my ‌MacBook Pro‌ using a power adapter that's plugged in behind my table and in a cable management box, which means that USB-A port and SD card slot are not easy to get to. I don't find this to be a convenient solution in that situation, but for those who have a setup where the charging is done in a way that keeps the power adapter on a desk, it's useful.

If you plan to use those ports in a plug something in and forget about it kind of way, there are more possibilities. You could plug an SSD or hard drive into the USB-A port and tuck it away with the power adapter under a desk for a convenient Time Machine or add-on storage solution, and the same goes for the SD card slot. All of the ports worked as expected during my testing.

ElevationHub is also useful for travel. Airports, libraries, and schools often have desktop outlets, and that's the kind of situation where the ElevationHub comes in handy. It adds ports you might need for charging an iPhone or connecting an SSD, plus the cable wrangling feature is useful when you need to toss your power adapter in your bag or backpack.

Bottom Line

The ElevationHub is a bit of a niche product. It works well with the 13-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌, but it's not compatible with the 13-inch ‌MacBook Air‌ and it isn't ideal for the larger ‌MacBook Pro‌ models in all situations giving the charging limitations.

That said, there are some useful perks depending on your desk setup or how you plan to use the ElevationHub, so it's worth checking out for those who are looking for something for travel or those who want a way to add a MacBook accessory or two that's permanently tucked away.

How to Buy

The ElevationHub is priced at $39.95 for the Hub alone, or $49.95 for the Hub plus 6-foot USB-C cable. It can be purchased from the ElevationLab website.

Note: ElevationLab provided MacRumors with an ElevationHub set for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received.

Apple is looking to launch an updated ninth-generation iPad with a larger 10.5-inch display and the A13 chip in Spring 2021, according to Chinese website cnBeta.

The report, spotted by iMore, speculates that the ninth-generation ‌iPad‌ will be similar to the current eighth-generation ‌iPad‌, but with a number of minor improvements. The ninth-generation ‌iPad‌ is said to have a larger, 10.5-inch LED display, the A13 Bionic chip, 4GB of RAM, and a thinner, lighter design. It will reportedly still have a Home Button with Touch ID and the Lightning port.

It would be possible to achieve a larger 10.5-inch display and thinner design by reusing the chassis and front panel of the third-generation iPad Air. This seems highly plausible because Apple tends to trickle designs down its ‌iPad‌ lineup. For example, the design of the first-generation ‌iPad Air‌ came to the fifth-generation ‌iPad‌, the design of the 10.5-inch iPad Pro came to the third-generation ‌iPad Air‌, and the design of the 11-inch ‌iPad Pro‌ came to the fourth-generation ‌iPad Air‌.

The third-generation ‌iPad Air‌ is 0.07 pounds lighter and 1.4mm thinner than the eighth-generation ‌iPad‌, has a 10.5-inch display, and retains the Lightning port and Home Button, so it clearly meets the remit of what is expected from the ninth-generation ‌iPad‌. Reusing this design would also allow Apple to keep costs down for the lower price point of the ‌iPad‌.

These rumored specifications would also offer some clear upgrades over the current model, while not cannibalizing the mid-range fourth-generation ‌iPad Air‌, which has a 10.9-inch display, the A14 chip, ‌Touch ID‌ integrated into the Power Button, and USB-C.

However, it would be peculiar for Apple to update its entry-level ‌iPad‌ so soon after the eighth-generation model was released. Apple unveiled the eighth-generation as recently as September with the A12 Bionic chip. Yet this was a very minor update, with only the chip being upgraded from the A10 Fusion to the A12 Bionic. No other specs were changed. So while this ninth-generation ‌iPad‌ is rumored to be released sooner than expected, it is perhaps made more likely by the fact that the previous update was so minor.

The report says that the ninth-generation ‌iPad‌ may start at a slightly lower $299 price point with storage configurations starting at 64GB, which is double that of the current-generation.

Earlier this week, Apple introduced new wireless over-ear headphones called AirPods Max, and first impressions and unboxing videos have now surfaced from various media outlets and YouTube channels. Priced at $549, the AirPods Max launch December 15.

AirPods Max feature a 40-mm Apple-designed dynamic driver that is said to provide "rich, deep bass, accurate mid-ranges, and crisp, clean high-frequency extension." Each ear cup is equipped with Apple's H1 chip for "computational audio" to deliver the "highest quality listening experience possible," according to Apple.

While more time is needed for in-depth reviews, The Verge's Nilay Patel said AirPods Max sound "more than good enough to compete with other high-end headphones":

Sound-wise, I've had fun listening to the AirPods Max for a few hours — they're crisp and bright, with a pleasingly wider soundstage than my Sony headphones, and no distortion at all, even at max volume. We'll have a full review of these soon, including tests of spatial audio and Apple's claim of Atmos surround sound support, so stay tuned for that. But for now, rest assured the AirPods Max sound more than good enough to compete with other high-end headphones.

Apple says the AirPods Max feature a "breathable knit mesh" spanning the headband that distributes weight to reduce on-head pressure, but this might be more marketing speak than anything, as Patel said he "can't say it feels very much different than my Sony WH-1000XM2s, but it's possible I just have a very large head."

Patel says that it takes two hours to charge AirPods Max to their full, advertised 20-hour battery life using Apple's small 5W charger, with no option for fast charging, even if you use a Lightning to USB-C cable. That said, if you forget to charge the AirPods Max overnight, a five-minute charge provides enough juice for 1.5 hours of listening time.

CNET's David Carnoy believes the AirPods Max "raise the noise-canceling bar," edging out both Sony's WH-1000XM4 and Bose's Noise Cancelling Headphones 700, two of the most popular over-ear headphone models on the market:

On top of that, their noise canceling is arguably the best I've experienced, slightly edging out the noise canceling on both Sony's WH-1000XM4 and Bose's Noise Cancelling Headphones 700. (I haven't yet compared them closely to Bose's QuietComfort Earbuds, which offer the best noise-canceling for true-wireless earphones.) They don't completely silence the world around you, but I was out on the streets of New York, and they did a bang-up job of muffling noise -- I could barely hear the traffic around me. Finally, they work quite well as a headset for making calls and are particularly good at reducing wind noise.

Carnoy also said the AirPods Max have "impressive" build quality, although he noted that the headphones are quite heavy:

For heavy headphones they are comfortable, but not necessarily super comfy. It'd be nice if they were 20% lighter, but the way the headband is designed, with its mesh canopy, it takes a good amount of pressure off the top of your head. They might look and feel a little big for people with smaller heads, but they do seem to fit a good range of head types.

AirPods Max come with a carrying case called the "Smart Case," which puts the headphones in an ultra-low power state to preserve battery charge when not in use, according to Apple. The case has already become the butt of a joke on social media, and many of the first impressions shared so far agree that the case looks rather peculiar.

CNBC's Todd Haselton found the AirPods Max to be "super comfortable" with extended use, and he also praised the precise volume control offered by the Digital Crown, a feature adapted from the Apple Watch:

I wore the AirPods Max for several hours Wednesday and they felt super comfortable. There's a breathable mesh band on the top that felt light on my head and didn't get sweaty or hot. I also love the ear cups, which are spacious and fit around my ears instead of sitting on them.

There are a lot of high-end touches, like aluminum cups and a steel frame, instead of plastic parts you might find in competing headsets. I also dig the Digital Crown that Apple brought over from the Apple Watch. It feels solid and turns easily to adjust the volume. A lot of competing high-end headphones use touch controls for volume, which isn't as accurate as a physical control.

Videos

More Coverage

• Apple Announces AirPods Max Over-Ear Headphones With Noise Cancellation, Priced at $549
• AppleCare+ Coverage for AirPods Max Headphones Costs $59
• Apple's AirPods Max Weigh 384 Grams, Heavier Than Most Competing Over-Ear Headphones
  
• Apple to Charge $79 for AirPods Max Out-of-Warranty Battery Service
  
• AirPods Max Missing Rumored Features: $350 'Sport' Model, Swappable Bands, Touch Controls
• AirPods Max Ear Cushions Attach Magnetically, Replacement Cushions 'Coming Soon' for $69
• PSA: AirPods Max Ship Faster With Engraving
• AirPods Max Don't Contain U1 Chip for Ultra Wideband
• Track your AirPods Max Pre-orders on the forums

Facebook services including Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp, and Facebook itself are all currently suffering outages, based on user reports posted to social media.

The majority of issues appear to be focused in European countries, but problems have also been reported in other countries, too, suggesting even more widespread outages.

Users of the Facebook-owned apps report issues connecting to the platforms, leaving them unable to post or access news feeds, direct messages, and stories.

Facebook hasn't responded to the reports of widespread connection issues yet, but we'll update this article with any further developments.

Caviar, a site known for creating extravagant, expensive replacement casings for Apple's iPhone models, today announced the launch of its latest custom creation, an ‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro customized in the style of an ‌iPhone‌ 4.

The "‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro Jobs 4" collection is dedicated to Steve Jobs and the 10th anniversary of the ‌iPhone‌ 4 – the last model to be personally presented by Jobs – and features ‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max models in blackened titanium, white, and a luxury gold version.

The front of each ‌iPhone‌ has been left untouched, but the backs feature an authentic fragment of Jobs' original famous turtleneck embedded in the Apple logo, while the lower part of the smartphones are adorned with Jobs' autograph, "as a sign of quality, a symbol of his time," and the famous Apple slogan, "Think different."

According to Caviar, the white model is made of composite G10 covered with jewelry enamel and its apple logo is made of 925 sterling silver, while the gold model is made of genuine 18 karat gold and its apple logo is crafted from 750 gold.

More details on the new "‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro Jobs 4" collection can be found on Caviar's website. The new iPhones are priced starting at $6,490 for a 128GB black titanium ‌iPhone‌ 12 model, and go up to $10,140 for a black and gold ‌iPhone 12 Pro Max‌ with 512GB storage.

Caviar also sells a range of other customized luxury iPhones made from unique materials and with intricate designs. In addition, this year it is also selling custom New Balance 991 sneakers, which also include a piece of Jobs' turtleneck and a little titanium plate featuring the "Think different" slogan.

Caviar says each phone in the series will be released in a limited edition of 10 models, while the custom New Balance 991 sneakers limited to 30 pieces.

Apple is touting next week's launch of its Apple Watch electrocardiogram (ECG) feature in Taiwan, following the upcoming release of watchOS 7.2 and iOS 14.3.

In a newsroom update on its regional Taiwanese website, Apple says the ECG app on Apple Watch Series 4 and subsequent models will be launched in Taiwan via iOS 14.3 and watchOS 7.2 from Tuesday, December 15, Taiwan time.

The ECG feature, which is now available in nearly 50 countries for Apple Watch Series 4, 5, and 6, allows users to directly measure electrical heart activity by simply placing their finger on the Digital Crown for 30 seconds. The irregular heart rhythm feature intermittently measures the user's heart rate in the background and sends a notification if it detects an anomaly it categorizes as atrial fibrillation, which can be a serious heart arrhythmia condition.

Both features are considered medical diagnostics, and so they require approval from regulators in each country where they are to be made available, a requirement that has slowed the rollout of the features.

Apple says the app has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration of Taiwan's Ministry of Health and Welfare as a Class II software for medical devices (SaMD).

iOS 14.3 and watchOS 7.2 are expected to be released on Monday, December 14, which is also the day that Apple Fitness+ is coming out. The new software also introduces new ECG capabilities that allow the ECG app to check for atrial fibrillation (AFib) at higher heart rates.

Apple's Chinese supply partners saw off competition from Taiwanese rivals to bag the majority of orders for Apple's newly unveiled AirPods Max over-ear headphones, a new report today claims.

According to DigiTimes, Chinese manufacturers Luxshare Precision Industry and Goertek won the majority of ‌AirPods Max‌ orders, despite Taiwan-based Iventec's involvement in the early development of the headphones.

The Chinese makers beat Taiwanese rivals to the AirPods Max orders, even though Inventec Appliances had reportedly participated in the early development of the device, said the sources.

Inventec is already a major Apple supplier of AirPods Pro and it's not clear exactly why it lost out on orders of ‌AirPods Max‌, but it's possible the Taiwan-based manufacturer's production lines lacked the diversification needed to assemble the new devices, which were reportedly delayed multiple times because of production issues.

DigiTimes' sources suggest that both Luxshare and Goertek are actually producing ‌AirPods Max‌ at their plants in Vietnam, underscoring Apple's plan to accelerate the relocation of its related supply chains out of China, without necessarily moving on from its Chinese partners.

‌AirPods Max‌ are now backordered until March on Apple's online store, although Apple and third-party retailers like Best Buy and Amazon could theoretically have stocks replenished sooner.

Since August, Panera Bread has been an Apple Card partner, providing customers with 3 percent Daily Cash when the Apple Card is used with Apple Pay for purchases in the Panera app, on Panera.com, or in Panera restaurants in the United States.

For the next two weeks, Panera is providing an additional bonus to ‌Apple Card‌ holders, according to a promotional email that went out this evening.

Panera Bread customers can get $5 in Daily Cash back when making a purchase of $25 or more with ‌Apple Pay‌ in the Panera app, website, or in a Panera retail location. The offer is limited to a single qualifying purchase of at least $25, excluding gift cards, and the deal will be available from 12/9/20 to 12/25/20.

Both Apple and Google this week told developers that they need to remove X-Mode Social tracking software from all of their apps or risk a ban, reports The Wall Street Journal. Apple and Google are aiming to prevent X-Mode Social from collecting location information from smartphones after it became clear that the company has provided data to U.S. defense contractors.

Google is giving developers seven days to remove X-Mode, while Apple told developers that they have two weeks to remove X-Mode trackers from their apps. Apple found that 100 apps made by 30 developers included the X-Mode software.

Last month, Vice published a piece on how X-Mode collects data directly from apps and then sells it to government contractors that then pass it along to the U.S. military. X-Mode pays developers to include its SDK in their apps, and in April, X-Mode's CEO said that it tracks more than 25 million devices in the United States and 40 million elsewhere.

That led to a government investigation into the sale of the data, which in turn led to the Apple and Google ban. X-Mode has since claimed that it is reevaluating its government work and that it has been unfairly singled out because many other companies collect similar data.

"A ban on X-Mode's SDK would have broader ecosystem implications considering X-Mode collects similar mobile app data as most advertising SDKs, and Apple and Google would be setting the precedent that they can determine private enterprises' ability to collect and use mobile app data," the company said.

In a statement, Senator Ron Wyden, who launched an investigation into X-Mode, said that Apple and Google are "doing the right thing."

"Americans are sick of learning about apps selling their location information and other sensitive data to anyone with a checkbook, including to the government," Mr. Wyden said. "Apple and Google deserve credit for doing the right thing and exiling X-Mode Social, the most high-profile tracking company, from their app stores. But there's still far more work to be done to protect Americans' privacy, including rooting out the many other data brokers that are siphoning data from Americans' phones."

Apple is working to cut down on other apps that use the same tracking methods. In iOS 14.3, Apple is implementing a new App Store feature that requires developers to clearly disclose what data is collected from the people who use their apps, and starting next year, apps will also have to get user permission to track people across apps and websites.

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.

The United States Federal Trade Commission today teamed up 46 states, the District of Columbia, and the territory of Guam to sue Facebook for maintaining an illegal social networking monopoly through years of anticompetitive conduct.

Facebook is accused of engaging in a "systematic strategy" to eliminate threats to its monopoly, which included the 2012 acquisition of Instagram and the 2014 acquisition of WhatsApp. Facebook's actions have harmed competition, left consumers with few choices for personal social networking, and deprived advertisers of the benefits of competition.

The FTC is aiming for a permanent injunction that would require the divestitures of assets that include Instagram and WhatsApp, which would mean Facebook would be forced to sell the two social networks. Facebook would also be prohibited from imposing anticompetitive conditions on software developers and it would need government approval for future mergers and acquisitions.

"Personal social networking is central to the lives of millions of Americans," said Ian Conner, Director of the FTC's Bureau of Competition. "Facebook's actions to entrench and maintain its monopoly deny consumers the benefits of competition. Our aim is to roll back Facebook's anticompetitive conduct and restore competition so that innovation and free competition can thrive."

The complaint says that while Facebook initially attempted to compete with Instagram, it ultimately chose to purchase Instagram instead, neutralizing the threat and making it hard for another social networking competitor to gain scale. Facebook's leadership also allegedly understood and feared that a successful mobile messaging app like WhatsApp could enter the social networking market, which is why it pursued the WhatsApp acquisition.

According to the FTC, Facebook's dominance in social networking has provided it with "staggering profits," including revenue of more than $70 billion and profits of more than $18.5 billion in 2019. Facebook has been under investigation for more than a year, with that investigation culminating in the lawsuits filed today.

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.

Though there haven't been many rumors about the Apple Car in recent months, work on the project is still ongoing. Following news from Bloomberg yesterday about a change in leadership, DigiTimes today shared alleged details on Apple Car development in Cupertino.

Apple is said to be in "preliminary cooperation negotiations" with well-known automotive electronics suppliers as it continues to hire new employees from Tesla and other manufacturers. Apple is working with "upstream and downstream" electronics suppliers to ensure that it meets current regulations.

Current discussions have been likened to a "request for quotation" model, in which Apple details its requirements and asks for pricing and other details from vendors.

DigiTimes claims that Apple is working to establish a factory in the United States, and that there is a production plan in place with preliminary technology specifications.

Apple chip supplier TSMC is reportedly working with Apple on some kind of "self-driving chip" at an R&D plant. TSMC is also collaborating with STMicroelectronics to further develop gallium nitride (GaN) technology that will be used in hybrid car converters and chargers, and ‌DigiTimes‌ says that this work is rumored to be related to the Apple Car.

According to ‌DigiTimes‌, Apple will unveil an Apple Car in 2024 to 2025, and those in the component industry have said that the Apple Car model is "similar to Tesla." The site believes we will hear more about Apple Car suppliers in 2021.

Two years ago, well-respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that work on the Apple Car was continuing and that Apple was aiming for a 2023 to 2025 debut date.

Apple today assured that its new requirement for privacy information on the App Store will apply equally to all iOS apps, including its own.

This means that the dozens of Apple apps available through the App Store, such as Apple Books and Apple Podcasts, will display the same privacy "nutritional labels" as third-party apps. And for built-in iOS apps, like Messages, Apple says that it will make the same privacy information available to users on its website. Apple says this information will be presented in the same way as it appears on the App Store.

This clarification comes in response to Facebook-owned WhatsApp accusing Apple of a double standard with the privacy labels. WhatsApp said that the broad terms displayed in the labels could result in users being concerned about the data that WhatsApp collects, putting it at a competitive disadvantage compared to Apple's built-in Messages app.

Developers are required to include this new privacy information when submitting new apps and app updates to the App Store as of December 8. It is unknown when exactly the privacy labels will begin appearing in the ‌App Store‌.

Apple's developer portal offers more information about the new privacy detail requirements.

At the beginning of the year, Nanoleaf unveiled its new Shapes line, which features interconnected wall-mounted light panels in different shapes that display a rainbow of shifting colors. The Hexagon light panels, launched this summer, were the first new light panels in the lineup, and now Nanoleaf has launched the Triangles and Mini Triangles, two new shape options that connect to one another and to the Hexagons.

Nanoleaf has been making HomeKit-connected light panels since 2017 when it launched its first triangle-shaped lights, but the newest panels in the Shape line are the only ones that are interoperable and able to connect together. The Hexagons, Triangles, and Mini Triangles work together, but they do not work with the original triangle-shaped Light Panels or the square-shaped Canvas panels. The Mini Triangles are priced at $119 for five panels, while the standard Triangles are priced at $199 for seven panels.

Design

The Shapes Triangles are an iteration of the original triangles (once called the Aurora) that came out in 2017, with the new Triangles featuring a design that has more rounding at the inside edges, presumably to make them fit better with the Hexagons and Mini Triangles.

Size wise, the Shapes Triangles are similar in size to the original triangles, while the Mini Triangles are much smaller and are Nanoleaf's smallest panels yet. Standard triangles measure in at nine inches long and 7.75 inches high, while the mini triangles measure in at 4.5 inches long and 3.8 inches high.

The Mini Triangles are surprisingly small and are ideal for a small wall-mounted setup behind a desk, while the standard Triangles can be used for larger lighting setups. All of Nanoleaf's products are made from a white plastic material, and some people may not like the look when the panels are turned off. The Triangles and Mini Triangles look best when lit, which is something to keep in mind when choosing a location for placement.

I do want to point out that like the Hexagons, the Triangles and Mini Triangles have rounded edges so the light that is visible is not entirely triangular in shape, but I think that both versions look great. I prefer these to the original Aurora, and I love the look of different shapes mixed together. I particularly like the size of the Mini Triangles and the way they break up the color patterns of the Hexagons and larger Triangles when paired with those panels.

The Mini Triangles alone provide accent lighting, but with enough of them, or with Mini Triangles and standard Triangles combined, the Nanoleaf Shapes put off enough light to replace a traditional light. Depending on how many panels are used, they can be quite bright. I often set my panels to about 20 percent brightness, but at maximum, they flood my office with light.

Setup and Mounting

Like Nanoleaf's Hexagons, the Triangles and the Mini Triangles are mounted to the wall using adhesive. Adhesive strips are applied to small mounting plates on the back of the Triangles and then the Triangles and the mounting plates are stuck to the wall.

When the Triangles need to be removed from the wall, they can be pulled from the mounting plate, making the adhesive that's on the mounting plate easier to access and remove from the wall. Earlier Nanoleaf products used adhesive directly on the panels, which could result in wall damage when removing them. The mounting plate system makes it easier to rearrange Nanoleaf panels if needed, and it's a more hassle-free setup and disassembly method than was used for prior Nanoleaf products.

Figuring out a layout can be one of the most difficult parts of setting up new Nanoleaf lights, and Nanoleaf has a Layout Assistant that lets you experiment with different arrangements. There's even an augmented reality option that lets you see the panels right on the wall before you attach them.

Nanoleaf Triangles and Mini Triangles require a 2.4GHz wireless network to set up, which is always somewhat of a hassle. Prior to setup, your smartphone needs to be connected to a 2.4GHz network or you'll run into errors. I have a 2.4Ghz/5GHz combo network and had no problems with setup. I simply scanned the code and was up and running within a few minutes.

Connectivity and Interoperability

Connecting one Triangle or Mini Triangle to another uses snap-in tabs that are sturdier than the thinner linking tabs that were used for prior Nanoleaf tiles. Hexagons, Triangles, and Mini Triangles all use the same snap-in linking tabs and are able to work together.

You can create designs that use the hexagon-shaped panels, the small triangles, and the larger triangles for looks that were not possible with prior Nanoleaf panels. As I mentioned before, the Hexagons, Triangles, and Mini Triangles are not compatible with any pre-2020 Nanoleaf product because those products use a different linking tab. For mounting on the wall, standard linkers are supplied, but there are also optional Flex Linkers that can be used to make the panels bend around corners or to transition from wall to ceiling.

Nanoleaf setups require a power supply and a controller that ships with each boxed set. Up to 28 Triangles can be powered by a single power supply, and up to 77 Mini Triangles. These numbers vary when adding in Hexagons, so the different power needs of each product have to be taken into account for a design. Note that there is a cord coming down from the power supply that needs to be plugged in, so keep that in mind when creating a design.

Nanoleaf App and Features

Nanoleaf Triangles and Mini Triangles support 16 million colors, with different motion and pattern options available in the newly redesigned Nanoleaf app. With Nanoleaf panels, you can create bright, colorful wall art that responds to touch, movement, or voice commands.

Triangles can all be set to a single color (and there are white or color options available) or set to a different color for each panel, plus there's an option to select or create a color palette of mixed colors and then have the panels cycle through those colors using various motion settings like burst, fade, wheel, flow, and random.

With a built-in rhythm module, the Triangles can be set to change colors based on the rhythm of the music that's playing if desired, with sound-based options like fireworks, streaking notes, paint splatter, and others available. Setting up color palettes and choosing motion effects is the most fun part about owning a Nanoleaf product.

Designs can be made to suit any mood, holiday, or time of day to add a pop of color and light to a room. Triangles and Mini Triangles are touch enabled so you can run a hand over them to shift the colors or play little mini games like Whack A Mole. I like the games to show off the panels to people who haven't seen them before, but I otherwise don't use these touch features and find them to be gimmicky.

There are, however, touch gestures for controlling the lights without a smartphone. Double tap, swipe up, swipe down, swipe left, or swipe right can be set to do things like turn the panels on or off, adjust brightness, or swap between scenes. You can set one of the Triangles as the Control triangle for touch-based gestures, and it's a good idea to keep at least one in reach of your hand.

I'm not going to get too deep into the Nanoleaf app, but know that it offers an extensive control setup for the Triangles and Mini Triangles. You can create color palettes and designs, adjust brightness, turn the lights on and off, set schedules, and even download light scenes created by other people.

The app's "Discover" section is my favorite option because I don't have to invest the time in creating a scene myself when I'm just looking for a quick color change. I can find a list of popular options, newly created options, or I can search for a specific theme like "Holidays."

With the redesign, the Nanoleaf app gained a new feature that lets you control your Nanoleaf products and other lights from one interface, which is handy. I can access my Hue lights, Eve Light Strip, and Nanoleaf products all from the same app, with a long press providing access to specific per-device controls. Note that you'll need to use this long press gesture to get to all the Nanoleaf setup options for creating color palettes and motions, all of which can be saved as scenes to use with the Nanoleaf app or the Home app.

This new all-in-one app also accommodates Nanoleaf's newest products, the "Essentials" smart bulb and light strip.

HomeKit Support

Nanoleaf's Triangles and Mini Triangles have HomeKit integration, and can be viewed in the Home app. You can turn the Triangles on or off, adjust the brightness, or set the lights to a solid color with no motion component.

You can also access ‌HomeKit‌ scenes pre-created in the Nanoleaf app and include the Triangles in automations and other scenes, but you need the Nanoleaf app to create custom scenes with shifting colors and motion. ‌HomeKit‌ includes Siri integration, and I find it useful to use ‌Siri‌ to turn the Triangles off or on or activate automations.

Bottom Line

I've been using Nanoleaf's products since the first Light Panels came out, and as a fan of novel lighting options, I continue to enjoy them as both accent and main lighting in my office. The Triangles and Mini Triangles are a great addition to the lineup, and being able to combine the shapes with the Hexagons allows for new design possibilities.

Like the Hexagons, the Triangles and Mini Triangles are bright and deeply saturated, making for impressive light art in any room. There's more versatility with the different shapes than ever before, and the addition of the Mini Triangles also provides an option for those who want a small accent light that's more affordable and doesn't take over an entire wall.

I think the Triangles, Mini Triangles, and Hexagons are Nanoleaf's best products to date, and I'm interested in seeing what new shapes come in the future. These are, of course, more art than light and are expensive, but for those who enjoy the aesthetic, I think the light panels are worth the cost.

How to Buy

Nanoleaf's Mini Triangles and Triangles can be purchased from the Nanoleaf website. Triangles are priced at $199.99 for seven full-sized panels, and Mini Triangles are priced at $119.99 for five panels. An expansion set of three Triangles is also available for $69.99, while a 10 panel Mini Triangle expansion set is available for $119.99.

Note: Nanoleaf provided MacRumors with a Mini Triangles and Triangles set for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received.