Benjamin Mayo

Apple has today updated the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pro with a spec bump refresh. The laptops feature Intel’s latest eighth-generation processors, with a six-core option on the 15-inch model. The new 15-inch MacBook Pro can also be specced with up to 32 GB RAM, with a DDR4 configuration. The new 13- and 15-inch models are available to order today, starting at $1799 and $2399.

The new laptops also bring Apple’s True Tone display technology to the Mac lineup for the first time, as well as a third-generation butterfly keyboard. Apple says the new keyboard enables quieter typing, although hopefully there are reliability improvements as well. There are no changes today to the non-Touch Bar MacBook Pro.

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iOS 11.4.1 (and iOS 12) include new line of defence against a type of security hack aimed at brute-forcing access to iPhones and iPads. The Grayshift boxes plug into the Lightning port and remove prolonged delays between PIN code attempts, allowing law enforcement (or criminals) to brute-force an unlock.

The new USB Restricted Mode in iOS 11.4.1 simply prevents any USB accessories from connecting if the phone has not been unlocked in the last hour. As it typically takes more than an hour to get a warrant for police to be allowed to use a Grayshift box, this is quite a significant roadblock. However, ElcomSoft note that the behaviour can be worked around in some cases …

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The iOS 11.4.1 update includes a new security feature that restricts the way USB accessories can interact with iPhone and iPad devices. If the phone has not been unlocked within the last hour, iOS will disable the Lightning port so USB accessories cannot communicate with the device. After unlocking, any accessories will stay connected.

USB power chargers are not affected, but some USB accessories that provide power may not charge the device until the device has been unlocked. Apple has detailed in a new support article exactly what this means for users ….

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Ming-Chi Kuo released a report today that ups his estimates for the new 2018 iPhone sales, as well as detailing a few changes to expect. Kuo says that the 6.5-inch OLED iPhone model should be priced around $1000 like the current iPhone X, and will feature dual SIM capabilities. The 6.1-inch LCD iPhone X style device should retail for around $700.

Perhaps, most excitingly, Kuo says the new iPhones will come in a plethora of colors. The 6.5-inch phone will be offered in black, white and a (new!) gold. The entry-level 6.1-inch LCD iPhone will apparently debut in “grey, white, blue, red and orange”.

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We are expecting significant updates to the iPad and Mac lines later this year, and Apple appears to be getting in the admin work early as five new iPad and five new Mac models have turned up in the Eurasian Economic Commission database as found by Consomac.

The filing says that these new devices are running iOS 11 and macOS 10.13, which is unusual as we’d typically expect Apple to ship these hardware updates with the new flagship software releases, iOS 12 and macOS Mojave. Indicators from this source had a solid track record of accuracy last year, but it’s notable that an April filing on new iPhones is yet to see payoff in new products.

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A Geekbench benchmark has surfaced that appears to reveal an upcoming MacBook Pro revamp. Note that Geekbench scores can be fabricated relatively easily, so this isn’t confirmation of an imminent revamp — but it’s certainly fuel on the fire.

The new MacBookPro15,2 model features an Intel Core i7-8559U Coffee Lake CPU. This CPU runs up to 28W and is yet to ship in any product, so it would represent a modern update to Apple’s MacBook Pro line. The quad-core CPU has a 2.7GHz base frequency and can turbo up to 4.5GHz …

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Photos purporting to depict an engineering prototype of the rumored Apple 18W USB-C charger, expected to be bundled with the 2018 iPhone and iPads have surfaced (via Macotakara). This charger is expected to come in the box with the new iPhones, in addition to a USB-C to Lightning cable, for customers to take advantage of fast-charging without having to buy additional accessories.

These images show the design of the new charger, although the labelling differs from Apple’s standard style. The 18W power throughput is denoted, and the USB-C connector hole is clearly visible.

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Apple’s smart home standard, HomeKit, is gradually picking up steam as more accessory manufacturers get on board. However, the availability of HomeKit accessories is still much smaller outside of the US.

For smart lightning, bulbs like Philips Hue are great for a quick-and-easy way to add HomeKit into your home, but ideally you want to make your light switches themselves smart. Lutron Caseta has been available in the US for some time. Now, there’s a (great) choice for UK homes too: the LightwaveRF Light Switch. Read on for my full review.

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MediaTek is a possible alternative modem manufacturer Apple is considering for future iPhones. Amidst its disputes with Qualcomm over patent royalties, Apple has turned to Intel to reduce Qualcomm’s market share over iPhone modems. However, it has been reported that Apple is also considering to bring MediaTek onboard as a second supplier.

Digitimes says that Apple is yet to commit to orders with MediaTek. For the 2018 iPhone lineup, Apple is currently expected to source about 70% of modems from Intel, with Qualcomm receiving the minor share of orders.

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Pages recently added the ability to set page backgrounds, so you can give your document a blue or pink base color without messing around with full-page objects that just get in the way.

To use this feature, you’ll need to make sure to update to the latest versions of the Pages app for Mac and Pages for iOS, rolled out earlier in June. With the update installed, it’s time to find the page layout settings to change the background. Unfortunately, the feature is a little buried — and there’s an important gotcha to look out for …

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Whilst several Apple executives regularly share updates on social media, with CEO Tim Cook frequently publicising his meetings with app developers and suppliers, and Apple runs various accounts relating to iTunes, Apple Music and other content stores, Apple as ‘the company’ keeps a relatively low profile on social media.

The @Apple Twitter account is nearing 2 million followers, but it has zero actual tweets on its page. However, Apple regularly posts Promoted Tweets to target advertising to certain demographics. It opts to hide these tweets from the public timeline, but there’s actually a way to see them all now, thanks to Twitter’s newly launched Ads Transparency Center …

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Via The Information, Apple is apparently considering combining its upcoming magazine service and original content television, with its existing music subscription, into a single ‘Amazon Prime’-esque subscription. Pricing for this bundle is not clear, right now Apple offers Apple Music for $9.99 per month.

The report says Apple will allow customers to subscribe to each service separately, perhaps there is a cost saving in subscribing to the all-encompassing package compared to paying for each individually however.

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Apple appears to be ramping up its audio accessories in a big way. Bloomberg reports that in 2019, Apple will release higher-end AirPods, likely more expensive than the current $159 AirPods model, ‘studio-quality’ over-ear headphones and a second-generation HomePod.

The new earbuds would tout better noise-cancellation and water resistance against rain and sweat. These would likely be marketed as a ‘pro’ SKU; the $159 AirPods will still be updated with ‘Hey Siri’ support later this year.

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Apple is launching a dedicated section in Apple News to cover the US midterm elections. US Apple users will be able to view the latest updates for the election inside the Apple News app through November.

It will feature content from Fox News, Vox and other curated publications including some exclusives from the Washington Post, Axios and Politico.

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Apple’s AirPower charging mat was first announced in September alongside the announcement of the iPhone 8 and iPhone X, with an opaque ‘2018’ release timeframe. More than half way through, the product is yet to hit shelves. Bloomberg says that Apple had aimed to launch the accessory in June, but hit delays due to problems with overheating.

AirPower is much more complicated than a standard Qi charging mat. The report says the mat actually runs a stripped down version of iOS so it can manage power and complex circuitry, and communicate with the iOS devices, Apple Watch and AirPods that are laid on it.

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