We've got all the latest updates on Apple's upcoming iPhone 11
For iPhone 11 features:
The overall design and form factors are expected to be the same as current gen models with the "big" exception of the "big" square camera bump
That bump will incorporate a new camera system, featuring a wide angle, telephoto, and ultra-wide lens on the flagship models. The update XR is expected to use the existing 2 lens system, but still with a square bump.
An updated A13 processor
Upgraded Taptic Engine
Bilateral wireless charging
Looks like Apple is expecting demand to be roughly the same as it was for iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR
According to sources cited by Bloomberg, Apple suppliers have been instructed to manufacture parts for about 75 million phones for the initial launch period from September to November
Apple confirms buying Intel's modem business
The deal is expected to close during the fourth quarter of 2019 and is subject to regulatory approval and the transaction is valued at $1 billion dollars. (am I legally obligated to say that with a Dr. Evil pinky at the corner of my mouth?)
The acquisition will add over 17,000 patents to Apple wireless technology portfolio and Apple says about 2,200 Intel employees will join Apple.
Intel does get to keep the ability to development modems for non-smartphone applications like PC's or IoT devices.
The purchase should be a huge help to Apple's rumored on going efforts to design their own 5G modems for future iPhones
Apple apparently wants to have an in-house chip ready for use in some of its products by 2021.
Ming Chi Kup reports that Apple devices coming in 2020 are expected to have 5G modems, but expect those to be from Qualcomm.
Intel wasn't making significant enough progress in 5G modem tech and Apple was forced to settle their ongoing lawsuits with Qualcomm to get 5G modems in time for the 2020 launch.
Quo also believes the 2020 devices will feature 3D sensing rear camera setups with Time-of-Flight (ToF) camera lenses on their rear camera setups.
A rear Time-of-Flight camera would improve photo quality and offer improvements and features for AR applications
Apple Card expected soon.
Apple will keep with their announced "Summer release" for Apple Card
According to Bloomberg they believe Apple will open up applications to US consumers as early as the first half of August.
The iOS 12.4 included the new interface and functionality needed for Apple Card sign-up and management.
Customer will sign up for the Apple card using the Wallet app and after approval, which should take minutes, have the Apple Card in their digital wallets
The physical titanium cards will be mailed and received up to a few weeks later.
Apple has partnered with Goldman Sachs to launch the card and back in May apparently Apple with some of the card's mechanics and asked for changes. It must have gone OK.
Bloomberg says Apple has also been discussing an expansion into Europe with financial regulators.
Not for Siri's ears only?
The Guardian wins the Apple news this week for "exposing" that Apple shares audio recordings from Siri with a contractor.
The recordings are listened to by humans to help improve the Siri voice experience and help Siri better understand incoming commands and queries.
The information came to the Guardian from an employee of the contractor who was concerned with Apple's lack of disclosure about human involvement
That's crazy because Apple has disclosed this information at least a few times in the past that I'm aware of.
We know that recordings are stripped of identifiable information and stored for six months with a random identifier.
One of the concerns cited in the Guardian report is that recordings contain sensitive and potentially embarrassing audio including "private discussions between doctors and patients, business deals, seemingly criminal dealings, sexual encounters and so on".
Apple did, AGAIN, confirm that a small number of anonymized Siri requests (less than 1 percent) are analyzed for the purpose of improving Siri.
The work is also performed in "secure facilities and all reviewers are under the obligation to adhere to Apple's strict confidentiality requirements"
The point of contention is that Apple's privacy terms don't explicitly state that Siri information is listened to by humans.
Accidental triggers on Apple Watch seem to be the biggest issue with some recordings lasting up to 30 seconds.
The whistleblower claims that they are give user data showing location, contact details, and app data; something Apple denies.
There reportedly are occasions where the audio reveals things like names or address info.
If you're concerned about accidental triggers you can disable Siri or "Hey Siri".
More on the 16-inch MacBook Pro
We started hearing about this a couple weeks ago. That Apple has at least on more "big" MacBook Pro release to make before 2020
It's the rumored 16-inch version.
I said it was the return of the "lunch tray" MacBook Pro, but now it sounds like I could be wrong about the new notebook's "largeness"
We had heard it would be an "all new design" and now we're hearing that could mean narrower bezels allowing for a 16-inch display in a 15-inch form factor.
Some have speculated a display resolution of 3072 x 1920
That should also mean similar size and weight to the current 15-inch models.
Outside of the bezels and display the design is expected to be close to the same.
We would expect the processors to be similar to the current 15-inch model which starts with a 6-core 9th-generation Intel Core i7 processor
Perhaps even bigger news than the display size is that Ming Chi Kuo thinks this model could mark the return to a scissor switches keyboard design after four generations of Apple's controversial "butterfly" design.
The scissor switch design is expected to incorporate a new enhancement of reinforcing glass fiber to help improve reliability.
The price is expected to start around USD $3,000, so possibly $2,999.000 and it's expected to rollout sometime this Fall.
Possibly even with an October special event to announce it along with updated iPads.
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Most of you seemed to agree that the idea of a Podcast being "exclusive" to a particular platform, app, or service in general sounds like a bad idea
General consensus is that this kind of thing would be reserved for shows with bigger name celebrities or shows that might draw someone to that platform
I think the Obama's podcast is exclusive to Spotify and new Gimlet shows will be as well
I'm bummed on Gimlet, because I'll likely just not listen to the new shows
That's the rub. If it's too inconvenient to listen or discover new shows i'll just not find them
This is already a dilemma with streaming video services and "originals"
Unless someone tells me about it, especially one services or channels I don't frequent, I don't know about it.
We need podcast discovery to be better not worse.
I agree with most of you that this is likely to be a minimal issue with podcasts. the vast majority will still go out on RSS feeds picked up on most platforms
To me an "exclusive" show on a service or app should not be called a "podcast".
If Apple does do this I think having spoken audio "shows" on demand on Beats one is a better way to market exclusive "Podcasts"
My assumption though is that Apple exclusive "podcast" will be part of the Podcast app.
Maybe at least they can have a separate tab or space away from "general" podcasts
Media Library caches hogging storage
Play question from Paul
So what is this: /Users/phylaxis/Library/Containers/com.apple.MediaLibraryService/Data/Library/Caches/com.apple.iLifeMediaBrowser.ILPhotosTranscodeCache?
As you pointed out this is related to the Media Browser which is part of the File > Open dialog box.
The "Caches" that are in there are images and videos that get generated to support apps that don't support Apple's new HEIC and HEVC formats.
It's generating JPG and H.264 versions of those files for those Apps.
What's frustrating about this is it basically defeats the purpose of having these high efficiency codecs in the first place.
I did some testing and you can safely delete this folder, but the next time you access the "media" browser from a file open dialog then it will recreate the cache.
Open ANY app that supports media files
Choose File > Open…
Scroll down to the "Media" section of the sidebar
Don't see it? Click the "Columns" icon in the tool bar and make sure "Show Sidebar" is checked.
Click on Photos or Movies (or don't)
The size of this cache will depend on:
How large a Photo Library you have
How many of those items are in HEVC and HEIC format (could be a lot of you have a modern iOS device)
So you can delete it and if you NEVER access the Media section of the Open Files dialog then it shouldn't ever recreate that cache.
I would also assume that storage is flagged by the system as "purgeable", but as you noted then it shouldn't be a factor with you running out of storage.
Too few secrets any more?
Play comment from Paul
I disagree with the general consensus that there weren't rumor's in the past. I don't think you're implying that, but some folks do.
There were definitely rumor sites. AppleInsider, MacRumors, SpyMac and other's all existed and "leaked" info.
What has likely changed is the number of sources of information and how it is disseminated
It used to be just Magazines, slow. Then blogs, a little faster, but you still had to be paying active attention
Now add YouTube, podcasts, social media
Also more and faster ways for info coming out of places like China.
Do we need to stop?
I don't think so, nor do I think we can.
There is always the ability to "skip" segments if you don't want to "ruin" the surprise.
Personally I get excited for the leaks and speculation and I still get excited when I see the actual products.
Very often the rumors don't get everything right (though sometimes they do).
For me the hype is just as exciting as the reveal. It's if it isn't for you.
I do try to preface MOST of my coverage with "let's talk about iPhone 11 rumors", so hopefully those who want can skip. Plus I use chapters so that should make it even easier to jump over.
