By Mike Wuerthele Thursday, February 13, 2020, 07:21 pm PT (10:21 pm ET)
Linksys appears to be the first vendor to make available a HomeKit router, as the Velop line is scheduled for an imminent firmware update to enable the functionality.
Linksys MX10 Velop AX mesh router
After several false starts, firmware updates for routers to make them HomeKit Routers upgrades will start arriving soon. The first confirmed one, is for the Linksys Velop line.
“We’re rolling out a firmware update to your Velop system in the next several days. Once your system updates, the next time you open the Linksys app, it will invite you to link with Apple Home,” Linksys says in an update note. “All of your Velop nodes must be tri-band for this integration to work.”
“When your Velop system is linked with the Apple Home app, it can monitor HomeKit accessories and prevent them from communicating in ways that might be harmful in the event an external threat from the internet gets through,” Linksys added. “This can stop viruses and malware from spreading, or your data from being sent to the wrong places.”
The entire Velop line with not get the update. The update is limited to the following models.
A03
WHW0301 & WHW0301B
WHW0302 & WHW0302B
WHW0303 & WHW0303B
The update notification was first spotted by HomeKit News on Thursday evening.
AppleInsider reviewed the Velop router in December. At the time, we found that it delivered significant real-world speed on our iPhone 11 Pro Max because of Wi-Fi 6. Other devices show minor speed improvements as well because of the power of the router itself —but with the price still so high for Wi-Fi 6, it was hard to justify for the vast majority of people. HomeKit Router certification and compatibility may change that, however.
Totallee, a smartphone accessory vendor, recently became one of the first case makers to initiate preorders for a protective cover designed to fit Apple’s as-yet-unannounced iPhone SE follow-up.
Totallee’s Thin iPhone SE 2 Case.
While the company fails to provide information regarding the product’s design, the “Thin iPhone SE 2 Case” is likely based on leaked schematics, supposed renders or best-guess estimates of Apple’s much-rumored iPhone SE successor.
Apple has yet to announce a so-called “iPhone SE 2,” but reports dating back to October suggest the device’s design will borrow heavily from iPhone 8. It appears Totallee buys into those rumblings and is manufacturing a compliant case set to ship out on March 24.
Analysts, including Ming-Chi Kuo, expect the “iPhone SE 2” to feature a 4.7-inch display and include modern internals like an A13 Bionic processor and LCP antenna design. Apple is anticipated to carry over Touch ID biometric authentication in lieu of a switch to its TrueDepth camera array and Face ID.
Ever eager to get a leg up on competition, third-party case makers have for years relied on unofficial information to get iPhone accessories on store shelves at or ahead of Apple hardware launches. Cases for nearly every iPhone, as well as iPad and other Apple product lines, have popped up online in the months or weeks leading up to an official debut.
Betting on unofficial specifications and being first to market — with days or weeks of exclusivity — can be a boon for business, but companies run the risk of losing large investments should their “inside information” turn out to be incorrect.
Apple is rumored to launch a new affordable iPhone model in March. Recent reports claim the company is eyeing a starting price of $399, the same price assigned to the original iPhone SE in 2016.
Apple recently added an option for customers to receive on-site service for certain iPhone repairs in select metropolitan cities across the U.S., with work fulfilled by Apple Authorized Service Provider Go Tech Services.
Apple’s Get Support webpage shows a new option for on-site repairs.
While repairs are not conducted by Apple itself, the new service option is a convenient and presumably expedient alternative to visiting an Apple Store or shipping a damaged device to a repair center.
Apple offers on-site repairs to enterprise customers, but until now has restricted consumer service to physical stores and mail-in service. Unlike its small business offerings, the consumer version appears limited to iPhone and is currently unavailable to owners of Apple Watch, iPad, Mac, Apple TV and HomePod.
The new feature can be accessed through Apple’s Get Support webpage under “Schedule a Repair.” Depending on the problem and location, Go Tech Services is listed as a viable alternative to Apple Stores and Authorized Service Providers. Clicking through sends users to Go Tech Services’ website, where they can schedule a meet time.
It is unclear if on-site service warrants an additional fee, as pricing information is not available on Apple or Go Tech Services websites.
As noted by MacRumors, which spotted the option earlier today, Go Tech Services on-site repairs are accessible in Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco. Other areas might be covered, as Apple does not furnish a complete availability list. Whether the company intends to roll out the service nationwide is unknown.
It appears Go Tech Services is equipped to handle a limited range of repairs that at this point starts and ends with cracked front screens impacting recent generation iPhones. Other devices are not noted as eligible for on-site service on Apple’s website, nor does the service selection process show on-site repair availability for other issues like water damage, cracked rear glass, malfunctioning buttons or battery replacement.
Despite hardware and software improvements over 2018’s model, Apple’s iPhone dropped six spots on imaging specialist DxOMark’s front-facing camera quality charts as competition from the likes of Huawei and Samsung heats up.
According to a comprehensive review of iPhone 11 Pro Max published by DxOMark on Monday, the smartphone’s 12-megapixel selfie camera, and ostensibly that of the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro which shares components with the 6.5-inch flagship, earned an aggregate score of 91 points compared to the 82 points notched by iPhone XS Max last year.
The performance puts 11 Pro Max just inside the firm’s top 10 list behind Huawei nova 6 5G (100), Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ 5G (99), Asus ZenFone 6 (98), Samsung Galaxy S10 5G (97), Samsung Galaxy S10+ (96), Huawei Mate 30 Pro (93), Google Pixel 3 (92), Google Pixel 4 (92) and Samsung Galaxy Note 9 (92).
As noted in the report, 11 Pro Max scored 93 points on a collection of still photo tests and 90 points on a corresponding video evaluation, exhibiting strong color reproduction and focus across the board. Image noise was a weak spot for both still shots and video, while photos suffered from poor texture performance. Interestingly, DxOMark found iPhone’s selfie camera produced fewer video artifacts than it did photo flaws.
The firm notes noise is a distinct problem for 11 Pro Max’s selfie camera, both outdoors and in low-light situations. Example photos reveal visible noise during indoor shooting that results in lower detail and an overall muddy image.
Apple is lauded for its work on bokeh, with tests confirming TrueDepth as an industry-leading depth-sensing solution. Software-driven features like Smart HDR are also praised, as is Apple’s decision to move to a wider angle lens.
Today’s report marks the completion of DxOMark’s iPhone 11 Pro Max evaluation. The firm initially evaluated the handset’s audio performance in October and followed up with tests of the handset’s rear-facing camera last week.
By Mikey Campbell Tuesday, January 21, 2020, 05:31 pm PT (08:31 pm ET)
Adding to a raft of rumors surrounding a low-cost iPhone model tentatively dubbed “iPhone SE 2,” a report on Tuesday claims the hotly anticipated iPhone SE-tier follow-up is going into production next month.
Citing sources familiar with the matter, Bloomberg reports Apple suppliers are slated to begin manufacturing the as-yet-unannounced affordable iPhone variant in February ahead of a public debut in March.
Apple last launched a handset aimed at the mass-market with the iPhone SE in March 2016. That model borrowed a design from iPhone 5s, which was two years old at the time, and packed it with then-current tech including an A9 processor and a 12-megapixel camera. The model was priced at $399.
The tech giant is expected to follow a similar strategy with “iPhone SE 2.” According to analyst predictions, the upcoming handset is anticipated to share an external design with iPhone 8, currently the cheapest iPhone offering at $449. A 4.7-inch screen is also expected, as is the inclusion of a Touch ID home button for biometric authentication and user interface navigation.
Like iPhone SE, the next-generation low-cost iPhone is rumored to boast Apple’s latest processor technology, the A13 Bionic, as well as current-generation camera technology.
A number of trade industry publications have speculated on Apple’s 2020 iPhone roadmap, with some claiming the company might launch two low-cost models in 2020. Noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggested Apple is indeed developing a larger-screened “iPhone SE 2,” but intends to release the handset in 2021. Other rumblings suggest Apple is working on an “SE 2” variant with full-face display and Face ID, though the validity of those assertions are shaky at best due to prohibitive production costs.
Hon Hai, Pegatron and Wistron have been tapped to assemble the next-generation affordable iPhone, according to today’s report.
By Mikey Campbell Monday, January 20, 2020, 05:00 pm PT (08:00 pm ET)
Rumblings out of Apple’s East Asian supply chain this week offer fresh insight into this year’s iPhone release cycle, with a report on Monday claiming the company’s 2020 handsets will be similar in design to the iPhone 11 lineup albeit with a few sizing tweaks.
iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro.
Citing an unnamed Chinese supplier, Mac Otakara reports Apple’s next-generation iPhone range, tentatively dubbed “iPhone 12,” will share a case design with iPhone 11 and 11 Pro.
Until today, most predictions pointed to the adoption of a squared metal frame design that harkens back to iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S. Noted TF Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo first delivered word of the “significant” design change last September, saying the new frame structure would rely on a “more complex segmentation design, new trenching, and injection molding procedures.”
Today’s report casts doubt on Kuo’s expectations and suggests iPhone will retain a metal chassis with gently bowed edges.
Seemingly confirming rumors that Apple will field three screen sizes in 2020 — 5.4-, 6.1- and 6.7-inch variants — sources claim to have information on chassis dimensions. The height of the smallest 5.4-inch version is said to be between that of the iPhone SE and iPhone 8, while the 6.1-inch model lies between the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro. Apple’s largest 2020 model, predicted to boast a 6.7-inch screen, will supposedly be slightly taller than this year’s iPhone 11 Pro Max.
The report goes on to say Apple’s 2020 iPhone range will boast a depth of around 7.40 millimeters, much thinner than the 8.1mm iPhone 11 Pro or 8.3mm iPhone 11. Bezel size is expected to be about 2mm, roughly equivalent to current generation iPhones.
All 2020 models are anticipated to benefit from OLED screens, a new “A14” system-on-chip processor and 5G connectivity. The entry-level 5.4- and 6.1-inch iPhones will likely sport dual rear-facing cameras, while the top-end 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch versions should carry over iPhone 11 Pro’s triple-camera array. High-end iterations are also predicted to gain VCSEL time of flight sensors for depth sensing operations.
By Wesley Hilliard Sunday, January 19, 2020, 03:05 pm PT (06:05 pm ET)
Apple premiered two new iPhone 11 ads on Sunday, showing off the Slofie feature in the hands of a pro snowboarder.
iPhone 11 capturing a Slofie on a snowboard
Slow motion Selfies, or Slofies, are one of Apple’s newest features on the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro. Capable of capturing slow motion video at 1080p and 120fps, the iPhone can help you get a bit more creative with your selfies.
The first spot is called “Whiteout” and shows a professional snowboarder crashing through a snow drift using the front facing camera’s slow-mode feature.
The second video “Backflip” is the same snowboarder performing a backflip in slow motion.
Apple coined the term “Slofie” and has since used it in all of its marketing. While you might not find yourself on a snowboard or at the other end of a hairdryer, Slofies are a fun, if not silly, capability of the new iPhones.
If you want to try your hand at making Slofies, check out AppleInsider’siPhone 11 Price Guide to find the best deal.
The FBI recently cracked the encryption of Apple’s latest and greatest iPhone 11 Pro Max, a report said Wednesday, prompting questions as to why the agency is demanding the company assist in accessing two older iPhone models as part of a high-profile case.
GrayKey device. | Source: MalwareBytes
In 2019, FBI investigators working on a case in Ohio were tasked with executing a search warrant on property owned by Baris Ali Koch, reports Forbes. Among the items seized was a locked iPhone 11 Pro Max that, according to the report, investigators subsequently accessed without Apple’s help.
Koch stands accused of misprision of a felony for helping his convicted brother flee the U.S. by providing a duplicate driver’s license and lying to federal agents. He is currently awaiting sentencing.
As part of the investigation into Koch, FBI personnel on Oct. 11, 2019, acquired the suspect’s iPhone 11 Pro Max which, according to Koch’s lawyer, Ameer Mabjish, was locked and protected by a passcode. Mabjish confirmed to Forbes that no passcode was furnished to authorities, nor was Koch forced to unlock the iPhone via Face ID authentication.
Interestingly, a search warrant filed on Oct. 30 reveals the FBI has in its possession a USB drive containing “GrayKey derived forensic analysis” of the iPhone in question. Produced by startup Grayshift, GrayKey is a data forensics tool that enables law enforcement agencies to thwart iPhone security protocols for purposes of data extraction.
While not specified in the Oct. 30 search warrant, the report suggests the FBI successfully deployed GrayKey to gain access to Koch’s iPhone 11 Pro Max.
If officials were indeed able to crack Apple’s latest iPhone security safeguards, it is possible that the FBI and other agencies have a means to access the much older iPhone 5 and iPhone 7 Plus handsets involved in more recent case.
Last week, the FBI asked Apple for assistance in “unlocking” two iPhones owned by Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani, a Saudi Air Force cadet accused of killing three sailors and injuring eight others in an attack at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Fla., in December. The situation escalated quickly, with Attorney General Bill Barr putting out a public plea for Apple’s compliance on Monday, while President Donald Trump slammed the company for its stance on strong device encryption a day later.
The Department of Justice claims it has exhausted all internal and external options, meaning Apple’s expertise is the only path forward. Officials refuse to enumerate exactly what methods were attempted.
While Apple has cooperated with FBI requests by handing over user data like iCloud backups and account information, it has declined to extract data from Alshamrani’s iPhone as doing so would necessitate the creation of a backdoor. The tech giant is staunchly opposed to such action as it would purportedly threaten the security of all iPhone users.
Pundits speculate Trump, Barr and the DOJ are using the Pensacola case to rope Apple into a precedent-setting legal fight over encryption. Apple faced a similar court battle in 2016 when it refused to unlock an iPhone 5c used by the San Bernardino shooter. In that case the DOJ threatened a showdown but pulled out at the eleventh hour after finding a third party contractor capable of extracting data from the device.
That said, the DOJ might be telling the truth. Apple could have identified and patched the vulnerabilities GrayKey leveraged to break iPhone 11 Pro Max encryption in the intervening months since Koch’s iPhone was seized. Alternatively, GrayKey could be in possession of an exploit that applies only to newer model handsets, though such a scenario is unlikely given Apple’s encryption architecture.
In any case, Apple is reportedly preparing for a legal scrum as it simultaneously works to keep the issue out of court.
By Malcolm Owen Saturday, January 11, 2020, 03:48 pm PT (06:48 pm ET)
Apple has marked the Chinese New Year with its latest “Shot on iPhone” video, a short film recorded on the iPhone 11 Pro featuring three generations of Chinese women gathering together for the annual event.
The eight-minute video titled “Chinese New Year – Daughter” start off with a mother being troubled by criticism that she took her daughter to work as a taxi driver. Throughout the film, scenes switch between older conversations and the present day, showing other conversations in the mother’s life.
Towards the end of the film, a family reunion of the three generations takes place in the back of the taxi. It is then revealed to the child the older lady is her grandmother, who made dumplings each year while searching for her lost family.
The film is directed by Theodore Melfi, who directed the Best Picture Oscar-nominated “Hidden Figures.” Cinematography is by Lawrence Sher, who filled the role for “Joker,” identified as a “2020 Golden Globe Awards nominated film.” Star Zhou Xun is also given a promotional introduction in the opening credits, described as “China’s leading actress.”
A companion making-of video shows how the film was captured on an iPhone 11 Pro. While sometimes extra equipment is used to mount the iPhone and to move it around, as with other Shot on iPhone video productions, some scenes are filmed using just the iPhone without any additional hardware.
Praise is given to the iPhone by Sher for its ability to handle low light, its stabilization capabilities, and the triple camera setup on the back of the device.
The impressive production for the film is similar to that of the Shot on iPhone video for the 2019 Chinese New Year, which was created on the iPhone XS by director and screenwriter Jia Zhangke.
In August, 2019, the Apple Card was officially launched. At the same time, the company had to re-evaluate having people listen to Siri recordings, and the US/China trade tensions got complicated.
August 2019: FileMaker revives the old Claris name (left); Apple Card launches (center)l and Siri is listening to you (right)
Given that across the whole of 2019, Apple launched at least as many major hardware updates as ever, still this year feels like it’s when the company pivoted to services. By August, we had Apple News+ and we knew we were getting both Apple TV+ and Apple Arcade. But it was this month’s launch of the Apple Card that may end up being the most significant.
Initially available only by invitation —which didn’t go flawlessly —Apple Card was formally opened to all eligible applicants on August 20.
It’s conceivable that Apple Card is the company’s fastest success. Shortly before its release, a survey reported that consumer interest was “remarkably high,” for instance.
Apple Card is finally here.
It appeared that Goldman Sachs, the issuing bank, was expecting big things because it was putting its money where its mouth is. Reportedly it was spending $350 for every Apple Card signup, although, separately, it was suggested that it may also be accepting “subprime” applicants.
It’s a credit card, so you do need to know what you’re getting into with it, but there were two more signs of success.
First, Tim Cook was pressed into saying that yes, yes, okay, we’ll be bringing Apple Card to more countries, enough already. And, second, the earliest users were finding that the physical card shows wear.
They may just have repeatedly been taking it out of wallets and purses to show off, mind. Admit it —you’d do the same. It’s the credit card that clangs when you drop it on the table.
Speaking of clangers
Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Note 10 but left something out. A headphone jack. After mercilessly mocking Apple for removing the jack, Samsung had done precisely the same.
But there was a difference. In the hope that nobody would notice, Samsung also removed something else —the company took down its anti-Apple video ad on the subject.
It just didn’t do it very well. Search YouTube for it, and it’s true, the US ad is gone. But the Portuguese Samsung account still has it, and it’s in English.
Meanwhile, at the Samsung Unpacked, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella talked up the partnership between the two companies. And Microsoft, semi-accidentally, released a new build of the Microsoft Edge browser for Mac.
It wasn’t accidental. It’s not as if Microsoft didn’t know it was doing it. Microsoft Edge uses the engine from Google Chrome and since that’s on Mac, so is Edge.
Whatever the reason we’ve got it, and whatever we can expect Microsoft to support in the future, this latest build introduced a key feature called Collections. It was still a beta and a little flaky, but it added facilities for researchers to gather their work.
Complicated
That Collections research feature is for managing information you collect online and if you wanted to test it on anything, the White House was busy giving you lots and lots of data to track and update and stay on top of.
For all the months in which the US and China have had their current trade dispute, it seemed as if August 2019 was the most complicated.
We’ll never know the full details, but some time after Cook’s dinner, the White House did make some changes.
“Certain products are being removed from the tariff list based on health, safety, national security and other factors and will not face additional tariffs of 10 percent,” reported the United States Trade Representative in a statement on August 13.
However, by August 23, things were changing again.
“Our country has lost, stupidly, Trillions of Dollars with China over many years,” tweeted the President. “We don’t need China and, frankly, would be far better off without them. The vast amounts of money made and stolen by China from the United States, year after year, for decades, will and must STOP.”
Consequently, throughout August, Apple’s share value was, well, interesting to say the least, and the company was being studied to see what it could and would do. Apple was predicted to absorb any potential tariff prices increases rather than pass them on to the consumer, for instance.
The direct upshot, for us, of all the political impact on Apple, could be that iPhones became more expensive. Yet that’s only an issue if you’re planning to buy one, and there was reason to suspect that 2019’s iPhones weren’t going to be all that great. Not when it’s 2020’s models that are going to get 5G.
Financial company Nomura Instinet figured would happen, with it saying the 2019 iPhones would fare poorly. It also, for thoroughness, said everyone else is wrong about the demand for 2020’s 5G iPhones.
Apparently just because you and we really want 5G, that doesn’t mean anyone else does.
Apple itself didn’t appear to be expecting a barn-burner with the iPhone 11, reportedly sticking to predictions of selling about the same as last year.
Whatever the predicted sales volumes, though, Apple was now reportedly looking to include the word “Pro” in certain iPhone models. It’s just a name, but it caused a lot of fuss.
But while we’re on the subject of future iPhones, reports of the 2019 range’s demise did not stop any predictions about the next few years of the product. We saw solid reports that the notch could vanish, for instance, and that Touch ID could return in 2021.
Other hardware
It’s not just the iPhone that could get 5G, either. You wouldn’t be surprised to see it in a future iPad Pro, but sources were saying now that we may even get a 5G MacBook Pro in 2020.
The FAA was thinking about MacBook Pro machines this month too. It decided to prohibit the carrying of specific models on flights, the 15-inch ones from September 2015 to February 2017 that were the subject of Apple’s voluntary recall over battery issues.
Software
While we looked forward to what was coming next, both with new hardware and the forthcoming releases of iOS 13 and macOS Catalina, FileMaker Inc was also looking to the past. It looked so far back in its own timeline that it stopped being called FileMaker Inc. In a nod to Apple history —though possibly not a very thorough nod —the company rebranded itself as Claris.
And then it seemed that everybody, just everybody, was looking at Siri.
Amazon, Google and Apple’s voice assistants have long been recording our requests of them and getting human beings to listen later to see how it worked. Not everything is recorded, not everything is listened to, and all of it is anonymized, but people were getting to hear what Siri heard and sent for analysis.
In truth, maybe Apple could have shouted about this more, but it had always told us it would do this. Nonetheless, a self-styled whistleblower contacted the press about how Siri is listening to us.
But if they were all at it, at least Apple reacted the most promptly. It said it would suspend the program while investigating and we all thought yeah, sure, of course you will.
It did. Apple suspended that program and it investigated. It didn’t just open some investigation and wait for us to forget about it, either, it released its findings. Before the end of the month, Apple changed how it worked the program and what it would tell us about.
But speaking of telling us things, Apple rounded out the month by doing its usual cryptic message.
By Innovation Only
We knew that there would be new iPhones announced in September, we knew there might not be much to them, but we didn’t know the date. Until now.
Apple revealed that September 10 was the day the new phones would be announced —and it called this year’s event “By Innovation Only.”
Whether that was to tell naysayers that this year’s phones would be good, or it was to fool us into thinking they might be, we’d soon find out.
