Benjamin Mayo

With the latest version of iTunes, Apple buried the interface for making ringtones on the Mac. It’s still possible but a lot more cumbersome to manage.

A little-known secret is that you can actually make custom alert ringtones for iOS on your iPhone itself, using GarageBand. Here’s how.

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Some iPhone X customers have complained in the last week that their phone screen does not work at near-freezing temperatures.

Apple has now said that it has an identified an issue where the iPhone X display becomes unresponsive to touches after a ‘rapid change’ in temperature. The company promised a forthcoming software fix will resolve the problem.

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Apple is reportedly gearing up to release its own augmented reality ‘headset’ as early as 2020, according to a new report from Bloomberg. The device would feature an independent screen and integrated chipsets. Bloomberg says the device could ship by 2020, but the plan is ‘very aggressive’ and timelines can always slip back.

Apple is engineering its own system-on-a-package for the headset, similar to the Apple Watch S1 chip. The product would run a new ‘rOS’ operating system, based off of an iOS core.

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Update: Apple has now released iOS 11.1.1. If you were affected by the symbols autocorrect glitch when typing the letter A, update to iOS 11.1.1 and your problem will be resolved.

Some iPhone and iPad users are facing a weird bug after updating to iOS 11.1. When trying to type the lowercase letter ‘i’, autocorrect replaces the word with the letter ‘A’ and a question mark symbol.

Apple has documented steps for a workaround fix until a real bug-fix software update is released …

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Apple will hold a special Apple Watch Activity Challenge to commemorate Veterans Day on November 11 in the United States. Apple Watch owners can earn a special badge and iMessage sticker for the event.

To earn the award, simply complete an 11 minute workout on Veterans Day. Accumulate time with the Workout app or a third-party app that adds workouts to the HealthKit database.

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The iPhone X features a very different external appearance and design. Thanks to the iFixit teardown, we can now confirm that the internal design is also radically different and new.

The iPhone X has an L-shaped two-cell battery, an ‘unprecedented degree of miniaturization’ for the main logic board, and many other changes compared to the iPhone 8 series.

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Apple has started updating customers with Apple Store orders that their launch day iPhone X units are now shipping.

Dispatch notifications for iPhone orders are slightly meaningless (the phone has already been working its way through plane freight and delivery couriers at this point), but it’s still fun to get the official confirmation.

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One small nicety included with the iPhone X is a new ringtone called ‘Reflection’. Until now, every iPhone has defaulted to the ‘Opening’ ringtone since iOS 7.

‘Reflection’ is not only exclusive, but the default for fresh iPhone X setups. We’ve embedded it below so you can listen to it ahead of the phone’s release …

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After a few false starts, IKEA has finally added HomeKit integration to its Tradfri smart light range. For owners of Tradfri smart bulb accessories, you can now update your hub firmware and get the latest version of the Tradfri app from the App Store.

This allows you to generate a HomeKit code for your existing accessories and add them using the Apple Home app. You can then control the devices like any other HomeKit accessory, including Siri voice control.

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Apple took an iMac Pro to the Final Cut Pro X Creative Summit to demo its power to the professional video editors attending the conference. Whilst we still don’t know exactly when the computer will be available, Apple has promised a December launch and photos of the iMac Pro in the flesh certainly help to build the hype.

Gallery of photos after the break …

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Whilst we are waiting for the onslaught of iPhone X reviews to drop, Steven Levy (now writing for Wired) has published his hands-on with the device, having been given a review unit last Tuesday. Levy was one of the four journalists who reviewed the original iPhone in 2007, so Apple decided to give him the opportunity to publish first impressions with the ‘milestone’ iPhone X.

Levy was impressed by the ‘Super Retina’ 5.8-inch OLED display in the body of a phone only slightly larger than a 4.7-inch iPhone 8. He also quickly adapted to the new swipe gestures that replace the home button, but hit some frictions with Face ID.

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Apple stopped disclosing preorder numbers for iPhone sales a few years ago, so exact metrics on iPhone performance will have to wait at least until the earnings call on November 2. However, Apple has released a statement confirming that demand is indeed very strong for the radically redesigned iPhone X …

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The iPhone X went on sale just two hours ago, and it is now very much sold out around the world. Almost all models of iPhone X listed on Apple.com are now estimated to ship  at least five weeks out, which means customers trying to order now won’t see the phone until December.

As always, scalpers are trying to profit on the constrained supply with dozens of ‘confirmed preorders’ hitting eBay … with prices skyrocketing above the normal retail price …

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Amazon has today announced its latest expansion into smart home ecosystem, with a new Alexa Cloud Cam security camera ($120) and a new Amazon Key service, which works with some smart locks to allow Amazon couriers to unlock your front door and deliver packages inside your house.

Amazon Key sends a notification to your iPhone that a courier is outside. If you aren’t at home, the Amazon courier will walk in and leave your parcel inside your house. You can use the security cam to keep eyes on the delivery person as they drop off your package.

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Update: Apple has issued a statement refuting the claims made in the Bloomberg article. The statement says “Bloomberg’s claim that Apple has reduced the accuracy spec of Face ID is completely false.” Original story below.

The problems with the iPhone X production are very well documented by this point. We have been hearing for months that suppliers were having yield issues with the 3D-sensing components.

Bloomberg reports Apple helped suppliers increase production by lowering the specifications of the components that make up Face ID, which allowed the supply chain to test dot projector modules faster and push out units at a faster rate.

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Nikkei is reporting that Apple will be able to ship just 20 million iPhone X units in 2017, half of what the company originally planned to make, due to production issues and component delays. KGI previously stated that 2-3 million units would be available for the launch on November 3.

Repeating previous reports, Nikkei blames quality issues with the TrueDepth camera system components as the reason for the low shipments.

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Update: Unsurprisingly, video has now been pulled from YouTube. Reupload embedded after the jump.

YouTuber Brooke Peterson uploaded a video to her channel documenting her trip to Apple’s campus, where her father appears to be an employee and is carrying an iPhone X.

The video includes several minutes of hands-on time with the iPhone X from within Caffè Macs, probably our best look yet at the device in action …

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Apple is continuing the expansion of Apple Pay today with the addition of four new countries; Sweden, Finland, Denmark and the United Arab Emirates – the Scandinavian countries first reported last week . See a list of banks for the new countries after the jump.

Apple Pay enables users to pay with their iPhone or Apple Watch at retailers with contactless terminals. Users can also Apple Pay on supported websites with iOS devices or the MacBook Pro with Touch Bar.

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Apple is reportedly ordering the parts it needs for the iMac Pro in volume, as it readies for the debut of the new lineup. Back at WWDC, Apple officially announced the iMac Pro would be released in December (it also introduced new 2017 iMacs for consumers).

The iMac Pro uses high-end GPUs from AMD including the Radeon Pro Vega 56 and 64 graphics cards; these parts are packaged using a newer 2.5D technology …

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