In this week’s top stories: Apple invites press to its WWDC 2018 keynote, an iOS 12 concept imagines revamped Notifications, iOS 12 features, Apple’s Star project details, and more. Read on for all of this week’s top stories…
This week, Apple officially invited members of the press to its opening keynote at WWDC. The keynote will take place on June 4th at 10AM PT/1 PM ET in San Jose, California, at the McEnery Convention Center. The keynote kicks off WWDC 2018 and is expected to bring announcements such as iOS 12, macOS 10.14, watchOS 5, and much more.
Meanwhile, ahead of iOS 12’s unveil next month, a new concept this week imagined how Apple could enhance its Notification system. The concept here depicts grouped notifications, weather information directly on the lock screen, and more. View all of the images here.
On Monday, we noticed that Apple had reduced the price of its USB-C to Lightning cable from $25 to $19. This price drop comes amid rumors that new iPhones will drop the USB-A to Lightning cable in favor of USB-C. This would allow for faster charging straight out of the box.
We reported new details on Apple’s Project Star this week, noting that the project appears to be an ARM-based, touchscreen hybrid computer with LTE. While more specific details are unclear at this point, the device runs a derivative of iOS and the possibilities here certainly seem pretty exciting.
On Thursday, we finally got a verdict in the long-running Samsun vs Apple patent battle. The jury decided primarily in Apple’s favor, awarding it $539 million in damages from Samsung. Apple was seeking $1 billion, while Samsung had suggested just $28 million.
Last but certainly not least, a report from The Information said that iOS 12 will include new NFC features, including acting as a hotel door key or as a virtual transit card for easier transportation. This would seemingly work without having to open a third-party app, with users being able to simply tap their iPhone on a door to get into their hotel room, for instance.
These and the rest of this week’s top stories below…
iOS | macOS | tvOS | watchOS |
- iOS 12 concept reimagines Notifications, with an emphasis on app-based grouping
- iOS 12 will reportedly include new NFC features, enable iPhones to become secure hotel room keys
- Valve says Apple has rejected its Steam Link app for iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV
- Leak suggests Mac App Store to get iOS 11-style redesign in macOS 10.14
Mac + HomePod |
- Apple’s secret Star project revealed: ARM-based, touchscreen hybrid computer with LTE
- Some MacBook Pro shipping dates slip to June 6, hinting at WWDC refresh
- OS X/macOS now older than Classic Mac OS
- Apple now discounting refurbished iMac Pros including upgraded 18-core models
- Second class action lawsuit over butterfly keyboards alleges five violations by Apple
- Sketchy report says Apple planning $199 ‘HomePod’ with Beats branding
iPhone |
- Apple downplayed ‘Bendgate’, but documents show Apple expected iPhone 6 issue
- Growing number of iPhone X users report easily cracking camera lens
Accessories |
- Apple reduces USB-C to Lightning Cable price amid rumors 2018 iPhones dropping USB-A
- Coach unveils new designer Apple Watch bands for summer including leather ‘Saddle’ and ‘Denim’
- Razer announces entry-level eGPU enclosure with support for macOS [Video]
- Mophie unveils new on-the-go wireless charging kit, includes car and hotel chargers
- You can now use YubiKey hardware keys to login to iPhone apps using NFC [Video]
- Pioneer officially confirms new wireless CarPlay head units starting at $700
Commentary |
- Five reasons to prefer Apple Maps over Google Maps
- Review: AirFly is a neat way to use wireless headphones on planes
- CMV: With even porn sites offering VPN, the three reasons Apple should do the same
- CMV: Apple should neither solicit nor accept tax incentives when building a new campus
- Change My View: Apple will lose the patent trial, as it should
AAPL Company |
- Apple invites press to WWDC 2018 keynote, iOS 12 and macOS 10.14 unveil expected
- Apple launches new privacy portal, users can download a copy of everything Apple knows about them
- Apple now offering one free month of upgraded iCloud storage plans
- Jury sides with Apple in long-running Samsung patent case, awards $533M in damages
Subscribe to 9to5Mac’s YouTube channel for more videos.
This week’s top video |
- Review: $300 Razer Core X – the best eGPU for MacBook Pro [Video]
- Back to the Mac 009: How to use a Synology NAS for Time Machine backups [Video]
Happy Hour Podcast #174 |
This week Benjamin and Zac talk WWDC press invites, misinterpreted Siri clues, a surprise Apple car update, a Beats-branded HomePod rumor, and HomePod features we want to see at WWDC 2018.
9to5Mac Happy Hour is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play Music, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.
9to5Mac Daily |
Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from 9to5Mac. 9to5Mac Daily is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.
- 9to5Mac Daily 078: May 21, 2018
- 9to5Mac Daily 079: May 22, 2018
- 9to5Mac Daily 080: May 23, 2018
- 9to5Mac Daily 081: May 24, 2018
- 9to5Mac Daily 082: May 25, 2018
Making The Grade |
Making The Grade is a weekly series from Bradley Chambers covering Apple in education. Bradley has been managing Apple devices in an education environment since 2009. Through his experience deploying and managing 100s of Macs and 100s of iPads, Bradley will highlight ways in which Apple’s products work at scale, stories from the trenches of IT management, and ways Apple could improve its products for students.
- Making The Grade: Which case do I recommend for iPad deployments?
- Making The Grade: How iPads put digital whiteboards on life support
- Making The Grade: Is Swift Playgrounds a useful tool in K-12?
- Making The Grade: Apple’s app installation process explained
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Featured in top image: Dell 38-inch UltraSharp Curved Monitors, Grovemade’s Desk Shelf System, Nixie Tube Clock, Apogee Quartet, KRK VXT6 Studio Monitor speakers, Classicbot Classic Vintage Mac Toy. Read about the setup over on 9to5Toys as part of the ‘Behind the Screens’ series.
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