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Apple begins building iPhones in India
Apple has begun building iPhones in India, a huge victory for that country's push for more companies to build products locally. According to The Wall Street Journal, iPhone SE models are being assembled at Wistron's plant in Karnataka. Apple has since confirmed that a small number of handsets have been produced, and are due to be shipped to customers in the near future.
Google Assistant is expected to hit iOS and washing machines
Google's voice-controlled Assistant has only been available on Android and Home so far, but it might just spread its wings in the very near future. To start, Bloomberg tipsters claim that Google will use its I/O developer conference to launch Assistant on iOS as a free app. It wouldn't have the deep integration that comes with Android, but you could use it to access content available in YouTube and other Google apps. The app would only be available in the US at first, but you might not mind so much when the same sources also hint that Assistant will also provide a boost to Google Photos and appliances.
iPhone 8 renders point to glass back and wireless charging (updated)
Rumor has it that we won't be seeing the next flagship iPhone until much later this year, but we may have just the right thing to keep y'all entertained for the time being. Earlier this week, a reliable source in the accessory industry showed Engadget a highly detailed CAD file of the "iPhone 8's" chassis, which allowed us to generate several renders for publishing. The most obvious takeaway here is the dual camera's new orientation, and that both the microphone plus the flash will be part of the camera bump.
Senator confirms FBI paid $900,000 to unlock San Bernardino iPhone
In early 2016, Apple was embroiled in a battle with the FBI over privacy, specifically whether it could (or would) crack an iPhone 5C following the San Bernardino terrorist attack. Apple refused to specifically create a backdoor piece of software that would circumvent the security protections built into iOS, citing concerns for the privacy of the other millions of people out there using iPhones and iPads. Ultimately, it became a moot point: the FBI purchased software to crack the iPhone in question. The agency refused to say how much it spent, but now Senator Dianne Feinstein has revealed that it cost $900,000 to break into the shooter's phone.
Qualcomm might try to block iPhone shipments over royalty dispute
The Qualcomm vs. Apple licensing squabble had already gotten messy with lawsuits flying in both directions, but a report by Bloomberg says things could go to the next level soon. That's because according to sources, Qualcomm plans to ask the ITC to block Apple from importing its phones from where they're built in Asia to the US, ahead of new devices that we're anticipating in the fall. We don't know if it could be successful, although Qualcomm holds a number of patents in the space and Apple stopped making payments while the dispute is ongoing.
Google iOS search now finds streaming movies, music and TV
Finding streaming content on your iPhone is getting easier. Google announced on Wednesday that the newest update to its search app on iOS devices will enable users to find TV shows, movies and songs on streaming services. That includes iTunes, Hulu, Amazon Video, Google Play, YouTube and Spotify.
It looks like Apple is resurrecting its Venmo competitor
Apple began considering its own peer-to-peer payment system back in 2015. Since then, however, nothing seems to have come of it. Today, however, Recode reports that Apple is again in negotiations to launch its own money-transfer system to rival competing services like PayPal's wildly popular Venmo. Apple's new service, likely a feature for Apple Pay, could enable you to send money to a friend's iPhone from your own.
Apple's iPhone 8 might not ship in September
Apple has practically settled into a routine with its flagship iPhone launches: it announces the new model in early September and ships it later that month. You can practically set your clock by it. Well, you might not want to bank on that schedule this year. KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has a mostly solid track record when outlining Apple's plans, believes that the long-rumored OLED iPhone won't enter production until October or November. Reportedly, the new model's "significant hardware upgrades" (such as the OLED screen and depth-sensing front camera) are pushing back the release. There could be shortages until Apple refines its manufacturing, too.
Apple threatened to drop Uber's app over iPhone tagging (updated)
Uber is no stranger to trouble, but it may have landed in some especially hot water two years ago. New York Times sources claim that Apple CEO Tim Cook held a face-to-face meeting in early 2015 to call out Uber's Travis Kalanick (and threaten to remove his app from the App Store) after learning that Uber was not only violating iOS app privacy guidelines, but was trying to cover it up. Reportedly, the ridesharing outfit had been "fingerprinting" iPhones with permanent identities so that it could prevent drivers from cheating by creating fake accounts and accepting rides from these bogus customers. The IDs would last even after the app was deleted or the entire phone was wiped. While this helped keep drivers honest, it was clearly a privacy violation -- and it was made worse by Uber's bid to hide the tracking from App Store reviewers.
'Anniversary' iPhone reportedly crams big screen into smaller device
Apple is prepping up to three iPhones for a possible fall launch, including a flagship stainless steel and curved glass tenth anniversary model, according to Bloomberg's Apple guru Mark Gurman. That jibes very closely with past rumors from Fast Company and others that believe Apple will release two iPhone 7s models along with a pricey high-end version. Unlike others, however, Gurman thinks the new model will not have a curved OLED display, but merely curved glass on the back and front.
Qualcomm countersues Apple over iPhone and iPad royalties
For years, Apple and Qualcomm have worked together on technology that' goes inside your iPhone and iPad. Qualcomm specifically handles a lot of the modem chips that connect devices to cellular or WiFi networks, and are crucial to any mobile hardware. Since Apple needed a lot of chips, Qualcomm supplied them, and everything seemed good -- until January when Apple filed a $1 billion lawsuit claiming Qualcomm charged royalties on tech it had nothing to do with, and then followed up with two antitrust lawsuits in China. Tonight, Qualcomm has responded with a lawsuit of its own (you can grab the 139 page PDF here), claiming that Apple is in the wrong, and has breached its contract with the company.
'Archer' mobile game asks you to break out your printer
By their very nature, most augmented reality games are at least a little bit futuristic. The creators of Archer, however, are embracing the past... in more ways than one. FXX's Archer, P.I. mobile game will have you pointing your Android or iOS device at your TV, Facebook and even billboards to scan for clues to a hidden story inside Archer: Dreamland, the film noir-inspired eighth season for the animated series. If you want to claim your rewards and unlock every mystery, though, you'll also have to print and assemble physical objects based on what you see in the show. That's right -- if you've welcomed the paperless future with open arms, you won't get everything the story has to offer.
Google's iOS app comes with its GIF-friendly keyboard on the side
It's no secret that Google is hoping to make its own lineup of search, navigation and email apps the go-to services for Apple users. The folks in Mountain View have even gone so far as to introduce new features in iOS apps months before rolling them out to their Android counterparts. Today, Google is trying to strengthen that hold on iPhone users with even deeper integrations of its flagship, search-focused app into Apple's operating system.
China says Apple isn't cloning a local phone maker
Did it seem ridiculous to you that Beijing officials ordered a ban on the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus over a dubious design patent claim? You're not the only one. A court has reversed the ban (which was suspended during a dispute process) and declared that Apple isn't violating the patents of Shenzhen Baili Marketing Services, which insisted that the iPhone 6 riffed on the look of its 100c smartphone. Regulators issued the ban without real proof of wrongdoing, according to the ruling, and the iPhone has traits that "completely change the effect" of its design versus its (frankly very generic-looking) rival. Customers haven't had a problem telling the difference between the iPhone and 100c, the court says.
48 new emojis are coming to your phone this summer
Near the end of last year, we got word that new emojis were on the way. With that announcement came a list of 51 proposed emojis that would come with the upcoming release of Unicode 10.0. That lineup has been pared down to 48, and as Emojipedia notes, they'll be available to use beginning on June 30th.
Apple explores using an iPhone or iPad to power a laptop
The notion of using a phone to power a computer isn't new -- we've seen companies like HP and Motorola try, and ultimately fail, to make it a reality for years. But that's not stopping Apple from considering the idea. The USPTO issued a patent filing this morning detailing how an iPhone, or an iPad, could be used to power an ultraportable laptop, AppleInsider reports. As usual, the patent idea likely won't end up turning into full-fledged product (it was originally filed last September). But it gives us an idea of how Apple is looking at the future of mobile devices and ultraportables.
WikiLeaks: CIA has all sorts of tools for hacking your 2008-era Mac (updated)
One of Apple's big talking points is that Macs don't get viruses and that they're relatively safe when compared to Windows PCs. Well, WikiLeaks would like you to reconsider that notion with more info about Vault 7. The organization's latest dump is a handful of documents from the Central Intelligence Agency that detail, among other things, how the agency can infect a MacBook Air during its boot cycle via a modified Thunderbolt-to-Ethernet adapter. With "Sonic Screwdriver," the CIA's monitoring tools are stored on the dongle and the machine can be infected even if it's password protected. Considering how dongle dependent the new MacBooks are, this sort of exploit becomes even more worrying.
Apple acquisition hints at deep automation in iOS
You've had a number of built-in options to automate tasks on the Mac over the years, such as AppleScript and Automator, but you've had to turn to third-party apps like IFTTT to do similar things on iOS. You might not have to lean so much on outside help going forward, though. Apple has confirmed that it just acquired Workflow, an app that lets you easily run multi-step, multi-app tasks from your iPhone or iPad. You can upload your latest photo to a cloud service by pushing a button, for instance, or tell a family member when you expect to get home.
Apple's Clips app makes crafting viral videos in iOS dead-simple
Crafting a short-form video masterpiece on an iPhone or iPad is possible, but Apple just made it a little easier. This morning, the company announced a new iOS app called Clips that -- long story short – tries to help anyone piece together a polished, well-produced video without a lot of work. After playing with the app earlier this week, I'd say Apple succeeded.
Teenage paranormal thriller 'Oxenfree' now fits in your pocket
Spooky adventure game Oxenfree has made its way to mobile. Developer Night School's sidescrolling tale debuted on PC and Xbox One early last January, with a stop on PlayStation 4 last May that added, among other things, a New Game+ mode. Now it's available for iOS devices. At the minimum, iPhone 5S and iPad Air running iOS 9.1 or newer. The iTunes listing says that the game has been reworked a bit for the platforms and features "custom touch controls." Sounds like it should make working through the game's radio and cassette puzzles a little more tactile. To celebrate launch week Night School has knocked 20 percent off the regular price, bringing it down to $3.99.
