Apple Begins Shipping the Insanely Powerful 18-Core iMac Pro

Just over six-weeks after pre-orders initially opened up, Apple on Wednesday morning began shipping the first batch of its top-of-the-line 18-core iMac Pro, which should reportedly start showing up on customers’ doorsteps by next Tuesday, February 6, MacRumors confirmed.

According to readers Anthony Berenato, Steve McKinnon, and several others over on the MacRumors iMac Pro discussion forum, Apple allegedly began sending out FedEx shipping notifications on Wednesday.

iMac Pro Specs

Boasting a trove of advanced features and industry firsts, including a powerful Intel Xeon CPU, super-fast ECC RAM, Apple’s T2 chip and more, the iMac Pro was released back in December to much fan-fare.

It’s truly a special — and especially powerful — all-in-one Mac computer, which the company designed to court professionals with demanding workflows, who require maximum precision, speed, and fluidity to conduct their work.

While a base-model iMac Pro with Intel’s 3.2GHz 8-core Xeon processor, 32GB of super-fast ECC memory, a 1TB SSD and AMD’s Radeon Pro Vega 56 with 8GB memory will set you back a cool $4,999 — the model we’re talking about today is of the highly-upgraded configuration boasting Intel’s 2.3GHz 18-Core Xeon CPU, as much as 128GB of ECC memory, and AMD’s Radeon Pro Vega 64 with as much as 16GB of memory.

Here in the U.S., said configuration starts out at the base-price of $7,399, and goes all the way up to $13,199 for the ‘maxed-out’ model boasting an 18-core Xeon processor, 4TB of SSD storage, 128GB of ECC RAM, and AMD’s Radeon Pro Vega 64 with 16GB of HBM2 memory.

Worth noting is that back when the 18-core iMac Pro configuration first went up for pre-order on Apple’s website, the company quoted shipping estimates of 6-8 weeks; based on today’s notifications, that would put the first deliveries slightly ahead of their anticipated mid-February rollout.

Yes, some 18-core iMac Pro buyers were notified last month that their machines would be shipping by early January — however Apple was quick to notify customers of their false alarm in a follow-up email. Though, it seems today’s shipping updates are in fact the real deal.

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Beats Teams up with Undefeated for Bold Tiger Camo Accessories

Beats By Dre has once again teamed up with lifestyle brand Undefeated with the release of new limited edition versions of the Beats Pill+ portable speaker and the BeatsX earphones.

Both limited edition products sport Undefeated’s signature tiger camouflage pattern in olive, tan and black. The Apple-owned Beats by Dre said that the new collection is “designed for the ones dedicated to staying ahead of the game.”

“Back the underdog. Push boundaries. Take a stand,” the Beats splash page reads. “That’s what Beats and UNDEFEATED both believe in, which is why we joined forces for a third time with this must-have collection.”

• The BeatsX Earphones are available for $179.95 in an olive and black color scheme, with a military survival kit-inspired orange Undefeated logo. The matching carrying case sports the Undefeated tiger camouflage pattern.
• The Beats Pill+ speaker is available for $199. The speaker mesh is clad in the tiger camouflage and black, and will feature the same prominent orange Undefeated branding. It’ll also ship with a unique accessory not included with most Beats Pill+ speakers: a fabric carrying case in an olive green shade.

James Bond, Undefeated’s co-founder, says that the company’s signature tiger camouflage is inspired by hip-hop culture. Bond added that “it’s a metaphor for falling into the shadows but still being heard.”

This isn’t the first time that Beats by Dre and Undefeated have partnered for a limited edition collection. The two companies teamed up in 2013 to offer headphones in a similar olive green shade.

Apple’s Beats brand is known for partnering with designers, fashion houses and other high-profile firms for special edition products. In July 2017, Apple collaborated with French luxury fashion house Balmain and Kylie Jenner for a collection of gold-tinted accessories. Prior to that, the accessory maker also partnered with American Alexander Wang and Italian design house Fendi.

The special edition Undefeated accessories are currently available to purchase from Beats by Dre’s online store, as well as from Undefeated’s website.

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Analyst Worries Apple’s iPhone Lineup Won’t Get More Expensive

Between the barrage of reports about dwindling sales and production cuts, it would appear that Apple is having some trouble selling its thousand-dollar iPhone X.

As you’ll recall, in the months leading up to its November 3 launch, the company’s first Face ID & OLED equipped iPhone model was widely expected to sell like hot-cakes. And though initial pre-order and launch day indications hinted that sales were off to a strong start, these emerging reports make it clear that at least some analysts are becoming increasingly skeptical about the device.

Just yesterday, The Wall Street Journal published a report indicating that since iPhone X demand began dwindling earlier this month, Apple’s stock (NASDAQ: AAPL) has taken a minimum 5.1 percent hit — meaning the company lost an estimated $46.4 billion in value so far this year — though its stock was up slightly as of Wednesday morning trading.

More Doom and Gloom?

Unfortunately, since Apple never breaks down its iPhone sales by the model, we may never know the real, total number of iPhone X units sold during the holiday shopping quarter.

And though we’re just a day away from the company’s anticipated earnings call tomorrow afternoon — during which we should get a better idea, at least — one super-skeptical analyst is now suggesting it’s not the figures Apple will reveal tomorrow we should even be worrying about..

Rather, it’s the company’s outlook moving forward that’s of imminent reason for concern, according to BMO Capital Markets analyst, Tim Long.

So What’s the Issue?

Long predicted in his latest research note that Apple will encounter “problems,” “down the road,” because the ASP (or average selling price) of its iPhone models will remain for the most part stagnant from here on out — a reality which he suggests will affect the company’s profitability moving forward as the cost of components rise.

“Following 10 years where ASPs have generally moved higher, we believe prices will plateau as with the rest of the industry,” Long wrote in a research note this week, adding that, up until this point “Apple has done a good job of moving ASPs higher despite others in the industry flat-lining.”

Nevertheless, Long said, “We estimate that about 30% of iPhones will be priced over $900 this year, but we do not expect this figure to go any higher, particularly as only 12% of smartphones globally sell for over $600.”

Worth pointing out is that while iPhone X currently retails for $999 or $1,149, depending on your storage preferences, Apple is rumored to be readying an even larger and, consequentially, more expensive ‘iPhone X Plus’ model this fall, alongside a refreshed 5.8-inch OLED, and all-new 6.1-inch LCD model.

While Long doesn’t mention the iPhone X Plus, specifically, he does go on to provide an overall skeptical outlook for iPhone sales in the coming months, saying that while “We still view the iPhone base as growing, and the devices are on average getting older” — “without a compelling product cycle in September, we may see a slow upgrade cycle once again.”

He went on to equate the recent surge in Apple’s stock to a similar rally which took place back in early, 2016.

“But later that year, many investors started looking towards OLED and the 10-year anniversary phone, which drove the stock higher,” Long recalls, cautioning that “No such product is on the horizon now.”

As a result of these concerns, Long revised his second-quarter revenue outlook for Apple down to just $39.9 billion from his previous estimate of $46 billion; while his annual revenue estimate was brought down to just $161 billion from $176.88 billion.

Of course, while Long’s analysis certainly appears to be ‘on the page’, especially with regards to Apple’s increasingly smaller window of opportunity to profit on its increasingly more expensive iPhone — it’s simply too early in the year to start reaching such firm conclusions about what’s to come.

Learn More: 5 Ways Apple Can Fix Slumping iPhone X Sales

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Samsung Is Building Specialized Chips for Cryptocurrency Mining

Samsung has recently overtaken Intel as the world’s largest chip manufacturer, but the South Korean tech giant might have broader ambitions: recent reports suggest that it’s edging its way into the cryptocurrency mining industry, too.

Samsung has confirmed that it has begun manufacturing Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) chips. An ASIC chip is a specialized chip that’s used in cryptocurrency mining, and they can be much more efficient at the task than, say, a GPU (which are also used in mining).

The official announcement follows Korean media reports that claimed Samsung had made the move in partnership with an unnamed Chinese distribution partner. But while Samsung confirmed ASIC manufacturing to TechCrunch, it declined to comment on its collaborator. Local media outlet The Bell reported that Samsung began ASIC mass-production in January.

“Samsung’s foundry business is currently engaged in the manufacturing of cryptocurrency mining chips,” a Samsung spokesperson told TechCrunch. “However we are unable to disclose further details regarding our customers.”

Samsung already makes high-capacity memory chips for GPUs, which as stated above, are also used for crypto mining purposes. But its manufacturing of mining-specific hardware suggests that it’s ready to make a bigger move in the cryptocurrency industry.

The South Korean firm could certainly bring large-scale competition to the ASIC sphere, which is currently dominated by China-based crypto hardware-makers like Bitmain and Canaan Creative. Both of those companies work with Taiwanese giant and Apple supplier TSMC.

How Samsung will enter and change the cryptocurrency chip market is currently unclear, but its size could certainly allow it to rival TSMC as far as attracting attention from crypto mining firms. Whoever Samsung’s Chinese partner is, or even if the company decides to produce first-party mining chips itself, the China crypto mining market seems like it’ll a bit of a shakeup in the near future.

As far as the effect on Samsung’s bottom line, that’s also up in the air. TSMC, for example, has added roughly $350 to $450 million to its quarter revenues thanks to the cryptocurrency market explosion. Samsung, which already logged $69 billion in chip sales last year, could certainly stand to benefit.

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Apple Responds to Govt. Probe, Begins Testing Battery Reservations

Apple this week seems to be taking additional steps to mitigate the so-called “Batterygate” controversy that followed its admittal of throttling older iPhones.

Battery Reservations

Since the iOS device throttling mechanism only kicks in when an iPhone’s battery is aging or degraded, the easiest way to circumvent the measure (currently) is to simply replace a device’s battery.

In the wake of consumer outrage after its iPhone slowdown announcement, Apple apologized and began offering discounted replacement batteries for $29 — down from the usual $79.

Of course, with the sharp increase in service orders and the constrained stock of batteries, many users have had trouble trying to get their own batteries replaced. For certain models of iPhone, Apple has simply run out of replacement parts.

But on Wednesday, Apple is seemingly taking steps to make the process easier. The Cupertino tech giant has added a “Reserve a Battery” option to its support website in Canada. The feature will let users reserve a battery online. Apple will then contact those users when a battery for their device becomes available.

How to Reserve a Battery

• Early reports seem to indicate that the option is only available in Canada currently, which may hint that the country is being used as a trial run. Apple may choose to expand battery reservations to other regions in the future.
• Users in Canada can find the page by going to Apple’s Get Support webpage, logging in with their Apple ID, and selecting Battery, Power, and Charging > Battery Replacement > Reserve a Battery.
• The battery reservations are also available to Canadian users via the Apple Support app.
• Apple promises to contact users within three to five days to let them know when a battery will be available. Currently, Apple’s Canadian website lists a wait time estimate of two to four weeks.

DoJ, SEC Probe

In addition to the battery reservation feature, Apple also confirmed a U.S. government investigation into “Batterygate” in a public statement on Wednesday.

Earlier this week, Bloomberg reported that the U.S. Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission had launched a probe to determine whether Apple broke federal law in its disclosure of iPhone throttling.

In the statement, provided to Axios, Apple wrote that its intention with the throttling measure was to “improve the customer experience.” The iPhone slowdown mechanism was implemented to reduce the chance of random reboots or other issues when a device’s battery is degraded.

“We have never — and would never — do anything to intentionally shorten the life of any Apple product, or degrade the user experience to drive customer upgrades,” Apple wrote. “We have received questions from some government agencies and we are responding to them.”

iOS 11.3 Power Management Toggle

In the statement, Apple also doubled-down on the timing for its promised power management toggle.

The feature, which will let users turn off the iPhone throttling, is expected to be implemented for iPhone 6 through iPhone 7 Plus in iOS 11.3. Of course, users who do choose to turn throttling off might see more random reboots as a result.

The toggle will be featured in a future iOS 11.3 beta this month. The final release of iOS 11.3 will roll out as a free update to all users later this spring, Apple said.

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10 Key Takeaways from Phil Schiller’s HomePod Exposé

February 9th is coming and you know what that means: HomePod is just around the corner. Apple’s latest music gadget is an incredibly small, six-inch-tall speaker with big sound. It boasts a seven-tweeter array and a high-excursion woofer; it also dynamically adapts to the room it’s in, using what Apple calls “spatial awareness.”

In addition to big sound in a tiny package, HomePod also features Siri and Apple Music. Besides being a great virtual assistant, Siri on HomePod can act as your personal DJ and select from millions of songs on Apple Music; or control various aspects of your home using HomeKit.

But even with everything we know about HomePod, there are still some things we don’t know. Luckily, Phil Schiller spent 15 minutes in an interview with Sound & Vision answering some questions regarding the upcoming product. Here is what we learned.

10 Apple Wants to Invent the Future

Steve Jobs often quoted Alan Kay, so it’s probably no surprise that Mr. Schiller likes to quote him, too. When asked where he saw the future of smart speakers headed, he provided this quote from Kay: “The best way to predict the future is to invent it.” Schiller says that he believes Apple is inventing “a new kind of music experience” that’s both fun and interactive. Oh, and it will have Siri, too.

9 Apple Wants Siri to Be Everywhere

Apple really wants us to know this is a music speaker, not another Amazon Echo. But the reality is, it has Siri and many consumers want the HomePod to also function as a virtual assistant. According to Schiller, Siri handles over two billion requests per week. What they’ve learned from Siri is that it shouldn’t be contained to one platform. Instead, Apple wants Siri to be everywhere, from your pocket, to your car, to your wrist, to your home.

“You can listen to the same music, control your home accessories, or ask Siri to do something for you, wherever you are,” says Schiller. It becomes clear from Schiller’s comments that HomePod isn’t about Siri, instead it’s just another product that happens to include Siri—since the overall vision is to have it be everywhere. If you think about it, there isn’t really a current Apple product that doesn’t have or integrate with some form of Siri. Even Apple TV, AirPods, and macOS, now have access to Siri in one way or another.

8 Apple Has an Incredible Team of Audio Engineers Working on All of Their Devices

It’s no secret that Apple loves music and audio, they are constantly finding new ways to miniaturize and include speakers in small spaces on their devices. The iPod, AirPods, Steve Jobs’ love for the Beatles, Apple Music and iTunes, and even Apple’s purchase of Beats, helps illustrate just how embedded music is in their DNA.

In the interview, Schiller refers to Apple’s “team of incredible audio engineers” on a couple of separate occasions. He mentions “the magical AirPods” and the iPhone’s speakers; and, he talks about the quad-speaker system that’s found on the iPad Pro. He explains that engineers worked hard to engineer the iPad so it “dynamically changes the stereo feel depending on how you’re holding it.”

7 Apple Doesn’t Know What Makes HomePod Better Than the Competition

When asked how HomePod will stack up against smart speakers from Amazon, Google, and the like, Schiller continued to pander the idea that it’s easy-to-use, sounds great, and has Siri. But, that really doesn’t answer the question.

To be fair, he just got done explaining that HomePod isn’t really the same as those devices, and that Siri shouldn’t be contained to just one device. But, the fact that audio quality—and price—is the only thing distinguishing it from similar products is a bit disconcerting. Until we get our hands on the device, it’s hard to know how it will stack up. But in someways this seems more like a hobby project for Apple, kind of like the original Apple TV. It’s possible they’re still trying to figure it out for themselves.

6 How Spatial Awareness Works

Sound & Vision pointed out that the device is really small (5.6 inches in diameter) and asked how it produces such large sound. Schiller explained that it’s all about Spatial Awareness: the technology that allows the device to adapt to any room.

According to Schiller, it works by sensing the area around it using the microphone array in conjunction with the A8 chip. Essentially it listens for the reverberations and then adjusts the sound using beamforming technology. “HomePod intelligently beams center vocals and directs energy away from the wall while reflecting the ambient reverb and back-up vocals against the wall for dispersion into the room,” Schiller explains. “The end result is a wide soundstage with a feeling of spaciousness and depth.”

While this “scan” happens the first time HomePod is setup, Schiller says it doesn’t stop there. The device has a built-in accelerator to sense if it’s been moved so it can readapt. “We’ve also done some great things to help minimize the audible side effects of compression artifacts by developing studio level dynamic processing to optimize for rich, clean bass even at loud volumes.”

5 Apple Takes Your Privacy Siri-ously

Bad pun aside, Apple says it won’t be listening to you through HomePod. While discussing how voice recognition works, Schiller explained the HomePod uses deep neural networks to listen for “Hey Siri,” even in rooms with lots of background noise. Because the detection happens on the device itself, no audio data is sent to Apple’s servers until the Siri waveform is displayed on top of the HomePod.

4 Siri Knows What “Dinner Music” is

In addition to respecting your privacy, Siri has brushed up on its knowledge of music. Many sites have been reporting that Siri is now better at pronouncing artists’ names; and, Schiller says Siri learns your music tastes so you can just say “play some music” and get something that you like. Additionally, Siri now understands moods and activities. If you ask Siri to “play some dinner music,” you should be presented with music appropriate for your evening.

3 Siri Understands Over a Dozen Categories

Apple claimed they were working hard to expand Siri to the “domains”—or categories—that mattered most. When asked about this Schiller said that music isn’t the only thing Siri knows well. According to Schiller, Siri “understands dozens of categories.” Here are the ones he listed:

• Music
• News
• Alarms & Timers
• Weather
• Sports
• Messages

Of course, Siri understands many more categories than just those, and it’s always learning new things.

2 HomePod Supports SiriKit

Schiller also brought up SiriKit and explained it’s been included in HomePod. This means third-party apps on your iPhone should work with HomePod.

Additionally, SiriKit on HomePod may help developers to think of new perspectives for Siri in the home. Only time will tell.

1 Apple Still Designs First, Engineers Later

During their discussion of audio engineering, Schiller revealed that Apple still designs products that engineers are expected to make work: “We have an amazing audio team now and with HomePod they were asked to deliver amazing sound from a small, cylindrical design.”

This should be no surprise as Apple has long been known for finding innovative ways to make products work in a particular form. If anything, this just shows that even as Apple grows, they’re still doing things the Apple way.

√ Final Thoughts

HomePod seems like its going to be a really awesome, intelligent speaker, but will it be game-changing? Its high price and lack of some features may make it a hard sell for many potential customers. For example, while Alexa and Google Assistant can recognize different voices, HomePod is tied to one user via iCloud. And, although it’s billed as an excellent speaker, not everyone has $350 to drop on a speaker.

In the end, Apple isn’t targeting the mass market, they’re likely looking for people who love music, love Apple products, and are heavily submerged in the Apple ecosystem. If history repeats itself, subsequent generations of HomePod will likely have more functionality, be better refined, and may even drop a little in price.

With HomePod just around the corner, it’s only a matter of days before we get to see firsthand what HomePod’s all about. You can preorder your HomePod today on Apple’s website.

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7 Steve Jobs Quotes That Will Change the Way You Think

Steve Jobs, Apple’s late co-founder and former CEO, will forever be known as one of the most influential figures of our time. In his role as the head boss at Apple, Inc., Jobs was a leader, an innovator and saw the company he founded through multiple periods of trial, uncertainty, and, ultimately, abundant growth — thanks in no small part to his portfolio of game-changing innovations like the iPod, iPhone, iPad and more.

Beyond his official role and contributions to our modern tech landscape, Jobs was also known for his humanitarian efforts — as a philanthropist, an advocate, and a proponent for advancing world peace. As you might imagine, he was likewise a wellspring of knowledge, wisdom, and insight, and was not abashed to share his infallible lessons abundantly with anyone willing to lend an ear. Use the right arrow to browse 7 of Steve’s most inspirational and motivational lessons.

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Apple Wins Patent for Quirky ‘Perspective Changing Video Headset’

Back in May, 2015, Apple filed a patent with the European Patent Office (EPO) covering a ‘multimedia-centric video headset’ – a device which, via a connected iPhone or iPad, was designed to provide users with a realistic viewing experience of live events.

Nearly three-years after it’s application was sent into the EPO, PatentlyApple reported that Apple was awarded a similar video display patent from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

Titled “Adjusting media display in a personal display system based on perspective,” Apple’s patent essentially describes a “personal display device” capable of providing its wearer with an immersive view — as if they were actually present in a theater, hall or other venue watching a live performance.

The device resembles a wearable, adjustable headset – styled much like a ski mask but equipped with advanced components. PatentlyApple notes that the headset would be able to “provide the user with an opportunity to view media associated with a baseball game,” for example, as if they were watching it in a baseball stadium.

The patent goes on to describe various embodiments of the device and how users can use it to manually select from theaters. According to the patent literature, Apple uses the term “theater” loosely to describe “any suitable movie theaters, performing art theaters, auditoriums, lecture halls, sports stadiums, or any other suitable environment for attending a performance.”

Meanwhile, Apple chose Figure 5 (FIG. 5,), shown above, to showcase its patent’s practical uses.

As you can see, FIG. 5 illustrates what the ‘display screen for selecting seats’ might look like through the device’s standard display view.

Users would be able to select a theater from the list (#502, #504) by highlighting and selecting of the options — or add additional theater options by selecting #506.

“Once the user has selected a particular theater from the listings, the personal display device may display a representation of the available seats in seating map #508,” according to PatentlyApple.

“The personal display device may identify the user’s current viewing position using current seat highlight #510.”

Once users select their seat from the venue diagram (#512), “the personal display device may adjust the displayed media to provide a preview of the newly selected viewing position to the user.”

The remainder of the patent literature is devoted to explaining various embodiments of the system — including one describing an advanced, location-based sound profile which could adjust the headset’s audio output in accordance with where a user’s seat is located in the venue. This would allow a user sitting in the front-center of the theater or concert hall to experience sounds much differently than one sitting in the far back.

While it’s unclear what Apple might do with a device like this — especially considering how it’s already rumored to be working on other, conceptually more advanced headset devices. Still, Apple’s patent No. 9,880,720 at the least offers insight into how a device like this would work.

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ABC Pressures Apple to Make Changes to iOS’ News App

American broadcaster ABC News has confirmed that it’s experienced significant audience growth since joining Apple News, reports Digiday UK.

But it’s calling on Apple to implement more customizable push notifications. The firm said that since enabling Apple News alerts, its added over 400,000 subscribers to its database.

In comparison, more than two million people use the company’s self-developed mobile news service. The firm revealed that more people open the alerts issued through the ABC News App, though.

According to ABC News Digital vice president Colby Smith, open rates for the app stand between 2 and 5 percent. He attributes the success of the ABC News app to personalized alerts.

With the app, users can opt to be sent news alerts based on their interests, the types of articles they read and their location among other areas. Currently, Apple News doesn’t offer these options.

Smith said that ABC has spent “a lot of time on is using explicit and implicit indicators to send personalized alerts”. Speaking about the ABC News app, he said: “If we send an alert about news that’s happening by your intersection, you’re naturally more likely to open that alert.”

For many news publishers, Apple News has become a useful tool for reaching out to new subscribers. Smith said that out of the 400,000 Apple News users, around half of them open alerts.

This isn’t a bad statistic, but users would likely be more inclined to click on to alerts if they were relevant. Unfortunately, Apple hasn’t announced any plans to roll out personalized alerts.

Smith explained that Apple News is also becoming useful for referrals but that growth is still a tad low. At the moment, he’s experiencing “double-digit percentage points”.

The news executive also spoke about ABC’s audience development team. He said: “They are becoming an increasingly vital part of how we react to the landscape,” said Smith.

“This can also require strategic decision-making in terms of when to put content on individual platforms. For instance, some things we might publish on Apple News but won’t publish on Facebook.”

“It’s important to have that one group that can oversee all of those distribution decisions and relay important feedback to editorial.”

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iPhone X Owners Will Soon Be Able to Approve Family Purchases with Face ID

Numerous iPhone X owners have recently discovered they can no longer approve Family Sharing purchases using biometrics.

While it’s still possible to approve purchases using Touch ID on other devices, Face ID doesn’t appear to be supported.

This means Family Sharing requests for purchases in iTunes, iBooks, and the App Store, required iPhone X users to manually type in their passwords to approve (#firstworldproblems).

This may finally be about to change with iOS 11.3. Staffers at 9to5 Mac have been playing around with the latest beta and discovered a prompt asking them if they want to enable Face ID for Family Sharing.

Once enabled, purchase request could be easily approved using just the user’s face.

Of course, you may want to think twice before enabling. Although Face ID is said to be more secure than Touch ID, it can confuse identical twins and some family members. However, for most people this will likely be a welcome improvement.

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5 Ways Apple Can Fix Slumping iPhone X Sales

Apple’s new iPhone X is not doing as well as the company had hoped. Recent reports suggest that demand for the device is weak, and tapering off. It seems as if the so-called “supercycle” never happened.

That might be due to its high price point relative to its set of features, among other factors. But it’s worth venturing that Apple could have mitigated or even prevented the worse-than-expected sales performance of the device with a few simple strategies. It could apply some of these to the current iPhone X, and others to its next generation of premium OLED flagship. Use the Right Arrow to Browse 5 Ways Apple Could Fix Slumping iPhone X Sales.

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Apple Co-Founder Steve Wozniak Is Losing Faith in Tesla, Elon Musk

Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple, isn’t so sure he can believe Elon Musk, founder and CEO of Tesla. While Wozniak says he still loves his Tesla, he also says he no longer “believe[s] anything Elon Musk or Tesla says.”

Ouch! According to CNBC these comments were made Sunday, during a Q&A session at the Money 20/20 conference in Las Vegas.

One of Wozniak’s biggest gripes is how Autopilot is perceived by the general public: “Tesla has [it] in people’s mind that they have cars that will just drive themselves totally, and it is so far from the truth, so they have deceived us.” While it’s true that Autopilot is often regarded as self-driving technology, some consider the technology to be a driver’s assistance feature rather than fully self-driving.

That being said, their website literally markets Autopilot as “Full Self-Driving Hardware on All Cars.” It’s easy to see how customers may be confused.  “Man, you’ve got to be on your toes all the time with it,” says Wozniak. Additionally, he thinks that Tesla utilizes “cheap tricks” to deflect Autopilot issues by claiming it’s in beta.

Is Elon Musk the New Steve Jobs?

According to Business Insider, Wozniak went on to say “can you really believe in him? Is he just a good salesman, like Jobs, and may not be there [in the end]?” But is comparing Elon Musk to Steve Jobs fair? While Steve Jobs was arguably more than a “good salesmen,” Wozniak may have somewhat of a point:

Apple is the largest company in the world by market cap, and interestingly enough, Tesla has been squaring off with General Motors and Ford for the top spot in the automotive industry. Apple often pushes back products that aren’t ready and has been known for hyping hobby products like Apple TV and the new HomePod. And much like Jobs, Musk is a showman; but in his own way.

Of course, these are just some observations on the surface. Apple has been a well established player in its market and in the world for over a decade now. While it’s had its ups and downs, it’s widely regarded as a success. Tesla, on the other hand, is still in it infancy; and, as Wozniak pointed out, is still playing second fiddle to many bigger vehicle manufacturers. What Tesla has going for them now is their brand loyalty and a lot of hype, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Riding the Hype Train

Hype is extremely important in business. If you can’t get your customers excited about your company’s future, then it may not have a future. On the flip side, creating a lot of hype over nothing will only result in upset customers who feel cheated. Musk has shown that he’s willing to take personal risks for Tesla to succeed. Wozniak won’t be the only Tesla customer who loses trust as they try to grow, the question is: can Tesla rebuild that lost trust overtime?

“Not a Real Silicon Valley Boy”

During the Q&A session, Wozniak also vented about the various upgrades he’d added to his Tesla over the years. There was four wheel drive, camera and sensor upgrades, and more. All of this added to an already expensive car to give it more “self-driving” capabilities. It’s easy to see from a consumer standpoint how this could become frustrating. At some point the upgrades need to deliver on what’s being sold.

But this begs the question: isn’t that what technology is all about? From a consumer standpoint, maybe not. But for techies and people looking to push the envelope, there is an understanding that technology moves at alarmingly quick rates. Often in order to be first, and have the latest and greatest, there will be some sacrifices. According to Wozniak, Musk sent him an email after he cancelled an order for a Tesla that read “you’re not a real Silicon Valley boy,” and after Sunday’s rant Musk might be right. But are cars technically a Silicon Valley product?

Detroit or Silicon Valley?

Wozniak’s story illustrates a very real conundrum with new vehicles. Should they be high-tech gadgets or well-designed automobiles? The focus of the manufacturer is going to be on the market they’re trying to capture. Tesla sets out to do both, but may fall short when it comes to the quality that’s being offered by similarly priced vehicles from manufacturers like Mercedes and Audi. Alternatively, they provide a futuristic option that thinks outside of the metaphorical box.

Final Thoughts

It’s still early on in the game to really know where electric vehicles are headed. As Tesla continues to grow (and if they can rise to meet the hype) they could prove to be the vehicle that everyone is hoping for. Maybe then Woz will be a Tesla fan again. Until then, you may want to decide for yourself if you’re a techie or a gear head (or a little of both) before you make your next vehicle purchase.

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Move Over iMessage, WhatsApp Now Supports CarPlay

WhatsApp now supports Apple CarPlay – once the app has been updated to its latest version (2.18.20) users will see it appear automatically in their vehicle’s CarPlay apps.

The number of unread messages will appear as a badge, Siri will be able to read unread messages, and users will be able to dictate replies. However, users will not be able to scroll through message threads on their car’s display. While this may seem limited, Apple has strict guidelines for what kind of functionality CarPlay apps can provide.

By contrast, iMessage offers the same functionality and the ability to scroll through message threads.

Why It Matters

WhatsApp is a popular messenger and VoIP service that was purchased by Facebook in 2014 for over $19B. As of early 2016, the service was the most popular messaging platform with over a billion users. According to Wikipedia, the app is extremely popular in India and Brazil, as well as parts of a Europe.

WhatsApp is the first major messaging service to support CarPlay and could pave the way for other popular platforms such as Facebook Messenger, Google Hangouts, and more. Currently the number of apps supporting CarPlay is very limited. This is in part due to what kind of apps Apple will allow. Currently they allow audio apps, messaging and VoIP apps, and apps from car manufacturers for controlling vehicle functions.

If popular apps continue to make their way over to CarPlay, it’s possible will see Apple open up the platform to additional functionality like navigation apps or travel apps. Maybe in the future CarPlay will support more robust apps—such as YouTube or Safari—while the vehicle is in park.

What Is CarPlay?

CarPlay can be found in many new vehicles and Apple markets it as “a smarter, safer way to use your iPhone in the car.”

CarPlay lets you use Siri and various apps using your vehicles built-in hardware. Users can use Apple’s default apps for navigation,  communication, and streaming their favorite music.

A small number of third-party apps—such as Spotify, MLB At Bat, and Audible—are also available.

The update is available now on the iOS App Store.

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Apple to Delay iOS 12 Features to Focus on Quality Improvements

Apple is delaying certain planned features for its 2018 operating systems to focus on performance and quality improvements, according to a pair of new reports.

Reportedly, Apple software chief Craig Federighi announced the revised plan to employees at a closed meeting earlier this month, according to Axios, which had learned of the meeting and some of its details.

Apple typically releases new software updates once a year. This year, it’s likely to release iOS 12, a successor to macOS High Sierra, and updates to watchOS and tvOS. But a handful of features originally planned for iOS 12, which is expected in the fall, have been delayed until 2019.

While Axios first reported the pushed back software features, Bloomberg corroborated the rumors with its own report released later in the day, citing sources within Apple. The latter outlet added that the delays will affect this year’s macOS release, but not the expected Apple Watch or Apple TV updates.

iOS 12 Delayed Features

For iOS 12, some of the planned-but-delayed features include:

• A refresh of the Home screen app grid.
• A refresh of Apple’s CarPlay interface.
• A multiplayer mode for ARKit-enabled augmented reality games
• Improvements to core apps like Mail.
• Updates to capturing, editing and sharing pictures in Photos.

On the other hand, Bloomberg noted that certain planned features, like the rumored addition of cross-platform support for third-party apps on macOS and iOS, are still on track for a 2018 release.

Along with that feature, Apple is also expected to introduce a handful of other improvements across a variety of first-party apps for iOS. That might include tweaks to Health, the ARKit toolset, and parental controls meant to curb teenage smartphone screen time, Axios reported.

The delay of key features should allow Apple to focus on stability improvements and bug fixes ahead of its iOS and macOS releases. In other words, that might mean a much more stable and less buggy software release in the fall — which could be a sharp departure from the bug-laden releases last year.

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Apple’s Value Dips $46.4 Billion Amid Weak iPhone X Demand

Amid the spate of recent reports suggesting iPhone X demand has tapered off, a new Wall Street Journal report not only appears to corroborate much of what we already know, but offers up a bit of additional insight into how badly Apple has been affected from a financial standpoint thus far.

Since the barrage of lackluster sales and production cut reports began circulating earlier this month, Apple’s stock price (NASDAQ: AAPL) has fallen by at least 5.1 percent — logging its greatest, single-day dip of 2.1 percentage points last Friday, WSJ noted.

Mathematically speaking, the combination of its losses since January 22 have brought down Apple’s overall value by a whopping $46.4 billion.

The report additionally appears to echo much of what we’ve heard  so far: that Apple is in fact planning to reduce iPhone X production from 40 million units to around 20 million during the current quarter, according to “one source with knowledge of the company’s production goals.”

Lamenting how “They always do this when things aren’t selling well,” the source further confirmed that Apple has reduced orders for several of iPhone X’s most crucial components by 60%.

“It’s a real headache,” they added.

KGI Securities heavyweight, Ming-Chi Kuo, was first to publish a research note indicating Apple would slash iPhone X production this quarter. In the weeks since, a number of the industry’s leading analysts have offered similar, dismal reports.

Out with the Old..

Expectations for the iPhone X were so high, that for some time prior to its launch, analyst reports were pointing to an ominous-sounding “Supercycle” of iPhone upgrades — which never quite materialized like they predicted.

While sales of its iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus have been strong in select markets, beyond its initial, pre-order and launch day rush, its iPhone X has for the most part failed to catch on with mainstream consumers in large part due to its sheerly exorbitant cost of ownership.

A base-model iPhone X will run you $999 (plus tax). But as we’ve noted before, the buy-in price can easily skyrocket when you factor in the cost of compatible accessories, protection, and any supplemental warranty coverage.

In with the New?

iPhone X sales and production may be tapering off now, but what’s still uncertain is how these forces will continue to affect Apple’s financial position.

While iPhone represents a large part of Apple’s annual revenue stream, the company markets and sells a variety of products in addition to it. And so, while we’ll have to wait until the company’s earnings call tomorrow afternoon to learn more, it’s possible that products like the iPhone 8, iPhone 7, iPad and more will help balance the scales in Apple’s favor.

Meanwhile, in a separate and more recent note, Ming-Chi Kuo asserted that Apple’s longer-term plans involve completely discontinuing the iPhone X as we know it — although a similar model boasting next-generation components is expected to take its place in Apple’s iPhone lineup this fall.

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U.S. Govt. Launches Investigation into Apple iPhone Slowdowns

The U.S. government is investigating whether or not Apple broke federal laws with a software update last year that throttled older iPhones.

The U.S. Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission have reportedly launched a probe that will determine whether the Cupertino tech giant violated securities laws. The investigation centers around Apple’s public disclosure of the software update’s throttling mechanism, and whether the company misled investors about the performance of older devices.

At this point, the government has only requested information from Apple, according to a source familiar with the matter cited by Bloomberg. The source added that the probe is private, and since it’s still in its early stages, it’s too soon to conclude that the DoJ and SEC will come down on Apple for anything.

Spokespeople for the DoJ and SEC declined to comment on the matter, due to the investigation being private. In addition, Bloomberg said that an Apple spokesperson didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

‘Batterygate’ Timeline of Events

It’s only the latest event in a controversy following Apple’s announcement that it had implemented a software measure that slowed down iPhones as their batteries aged. The power management mechanism was meant to protect against random reboots and other issues that could take place due to degrading batteries on devices like the iPhone SE, iPhone 6s and iPhone 7.

The backlash centers around the fact that Apple wasn’t transparent about the iPhone slowdowns when it released the software in early 2017. Apple admitted to throttling older iPhones several weeks ago, nearly a year after it had implemented the power management mechanism.

Since then, Apple has seen a wave of consumer outrage and increased scrutiny over iPhone slowdowns. As of Jan. 12, there were a total of 32 class action lawsuits levied at the company across the U.S., as well as several government probes investigating the matter in other countries like France and Italy.

Apple did apologize for the lack of transparency and began offering discounted battery replacements so that users could get their devices to perform normally. The vast increase in repair orders and constrained stock of batteries have had some users jumping through hoops to get new batteries for their devices, however.

Additionally, the company will release new features in iOS 11.3 that will let users keep a closer eye on their iPhone battery health. As promised by CEO Tim Cook, the software update will also let users turn off throttling for older devices. With the throttling feature toggled off, iPhones might perform better, but they will also be prone to random rebooting.

The situation doesn’t bode well for Apple, which is also struggling with other software and hardware-related issues (some of which aren’t the company’s fault). Earlier on Tuesday, Bloomberg reported that Apple was delaying certain iPhone and Mac software features to focus on quality improvements for its existing platforms.

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How to See and Stream Wednesday’s ‘Super Blue Blood Moon’

During the early morning hours of Jan. 31, an extremely rare celestial event will take place — and it’s probably a once-in-a-lifetime event.

“Super blue blood moon” may sound like a straight-to-VHS werewolf film or an apocalyptic omen, but it’s actually what many are calling the incredibly rare phenomenon that will take place early Wednesday morning. But what is it exactly, and how can you see it for yourself? Here’s everything you need to know.

What Is a Super Blue Blood Moon?

What will make Wednesday’s “super blue blood moon” incredibly uncommon is that it’s a combination of a total lunar eclipse, a blue moon, and a blood moon.

While each of these celestial phenomena aren’t that rare on their own, the fact that all three will take place on the same night makes this a once-in-a-lifetime kind of event. But let’s break it down.

• Firstly, the “super” part. A supermoon is a full moon that occurs at the perigee — when the moon is at its closest point of orbit with Earth. The result is that the moon will look unusually large and bright. This time around, NASA predicts that the moon will be about 14 percent brighter than normal.
• Secondly, there’s the “blue moon” aspect of the trifecta. Chances are, you’ve heard the phrase “once in a blue moon.” The well-known saying is actually the name for a fairly uncommon event: when there are two full moons within a single calendar month. The second full moon of the month is the “blue moon.”
• Lastly, there’s the “blood” moniker. Unlike a super or blue moon, there’s no scientific definition for a “blood moon.” But it’s a common moniker for a phenomenon that occurs during a total lunar eclipse. Specifically, it describes faint red sunbeams that “peak” around the edges of the moon, casting the lunar body in a coppery red light.

How to See the Super Blue Blood Moon

Unfortunately, if you’re in the U.S., the “super blue blood moon” will occur when most of the country is asleep.

For skywatchers in North America, Alaska or Hawaii, the event will happen before sunrise on Wednesday, NASA says. In the continental U.S., the best places to watch it will be California and western Canada.

Residents in the Pacific Standard time zone will be able to see a glimpse of the partial eclipse at around 3:48 a.m., for example. The total eclipse will last from 4:51 a.m. to 6:08 a.m. For a more detailed chart, check this link.

How to Stream the Super Blue Blood Moon

Of course, if you’re not likely to be up at that time, or if you’re in a time zone or region that’ll miss the event, you can stream it live or re-watch it later via YouTube or NASA livestream.

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AMS Posts Impressive 2017 Revenue Thanks to iPhone

Austrian semiconductor company AMS has posted impressive 2017 revenue statistics thanks to growing demand for its chips from phone makers.   

AMS specialises in creating optical sensors that alter the brightness of smartphone screens, also known as ambient light sensors. This technology is useful for a range of applications, including facial recognition. But as Reuters points out, AMS is also developing environmental sensors to track pollution and smartphone-based health monitors. These projects could aid the company’s growth in the coming future.

On Monday, the firm confirmed that it’s to increase its financial forecast for the coming two years and that revenues for 2017 nearly doubled to 1.06 billion euros.

According to Reuters, shares in the company have grown by an estimated 26 percent as a result of the success of Apple’s latest range of iPhones.

It’s also increased its revenue forecast for the 2016-2019 period, expecting to achieve growth rates of 60 percent instead of 40 percent.

That means the company could make as much as 2.2 billion euros. Initially, analysts predicted revenue of 1.8 billion euros, so clearly the company is doing well.

“The substantial upward change, which translates into 2019 expected revenues of more than €2.2bn, is particularly driven by a range of revenue pipeline opportunities in smartphone and consumer applications that are clearly coming into view,” said AMS.

Speaking to Reuters, Vontobel-based analyst Michael Foeth said these numbers will “likely to put investors in good mood and “give a new momentum to the shares”.

This news comes as reports claim that sluggish demand for the iPhone X, which retails for $999, could lead Apple to slash production by up to 50 percent and has revised its targets to 20 million from 40 million units. Just a week ago, it was reported that Apple will discontinue the handset entirely by the end of 2018.

“The U.S. tech giant notified suppliers that it had decided to cut the first-quarter production target to around 20 million units, in light of slower-than-expected sales in the year-end holiday shopping season in key markets such as Europe, the U.S. and China,” said the Nikkei report.

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Apple Rumored to Be Developing 3 New Macs, 1 New iPad for 2018

Apple is developing as many as three new Mac computers, each of which will feature secondary co-processors similar to the company’s custom designed T-series chip, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported this morning.

Details about the models and their specifications are incredibly scant; they were presented as a mere tidbit points towards the end of Bloomberg’s otherwise thoughtful exposé showcasing the history and capabilities of Apple’s custom designed silicon.

That said, we neither know which of Apple’s Mac lineups will be receiving a T-series co-processor upgrade — although the publication seemingly confirmed there will be at least two Mac laptops and one desktop.

Also briefly mentioned in today’s report is the existence of a new iPad model, which could debut later on this fall featuring a powerful ‘A11X’ or ‘A12X’ SoC. While the report is also lacking additional details about said iPad model, it’s worth noting that Gurman was among the first to share details about an upcoming iPad Pro, which will supposedly feature Face ID and an iPhone X-style ‘edge-to-edge’ LCD display.

What’s In a T-Series Chip?

Apple’s T-series chips, which currently include the T1 and T2, are custom CPU co-processors designed to provide users with an array of advanced features on equipped, high-end Macs.

The T1 chip, which is employed in Apple’s 2016 and 2017 MacBook Pro, helps to manage various aspects of the OLED Touch Bar, Touch ID, and Secure Enclave on outfitted machines. The T2 used in Apple’s beastly iMac Pro, meanwhile, is even more powerful than the T1, and provides for a range of security, speed, and data storage capabilities on the $5,000 iMac. Click here to learn more about the T2 chip and all it can do on iMac Pro.

Which Macs Will Get One?

As we mentioned, totally unclear are which Mac machines will receive the internal upgrades — however we do know of several ‘Macs in development’ from past reports, and those might give us a reasonable idea of what to expect:

Mac Pro: Last updated in 2013, though modestly refreshed last summer, Apple’s cylindrical, Xeon-powered Mac Pro is its top-of-the-line desktop offering. Rumors spanning as far back as early last year had indicated a major refresh was imminent. In fact, Apple was itself responsible for confirming its modular Mac Pro plans. And while it’s still unclear when we could actually see one, if at least one Mac desktop is getting a T-series chip this year, it’s only reasonable to assume Mac Pro is a leading contender.

Mac mini: Other potential desktop recipients include a refreshed Mac mini, which was last updated in October of 2014. Thanks to Apple’s CEO, himself, we already know a Mac mini refresh is on the way; though we’re still waiting for additional details about its specifications and design.

13-inch MacBook: Apple is rumored to be working on a new 13-inch variant of its 12-inch MacBook, too. According to a report we published early last week, the company has inked a deal in which it will acquire a sufficient supply of 13-inch LED/LCD displays for a rumored “13-inch MacBook Air killer.”

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Trump Administration Considers a Government-Owned 5G Network

President Donald Trump’s national security team is considering building a government-owned 5G network to counter the threat of Chinese spying, according to a new report.

Details of the tentative plans were first published by Axios, which obtained a copy of a PowerPoint presentation reportedly produced by a senior National Security Council official. Axios wrote that the PowerPoint deck was presented to senior officials in other federal agencies.

A top Trump administration official confirmed the news to Reuters on Sunday, but added that the discussions were taking place at “a low level.” Any plans are six to eight months away from being considered by Trump himself, they added.

5G is the common name for a next-generation wireless technology that would allow significantly improved speeds and coverage over current networks.

The super-fast, government 5G network is apparently being considered as an option designed to counter the threat of Chinese spying on U.S. phone calls. Reportedly, the emphasis is protecting U.S. economic and interest security interests that would be reliant on 5G technology — such as the Internet of Things and self-driving vehicles.

Notably, the network would be built out and owned by the federal government, which would then rent the infrastructure to U.S.-based carriers. That’s a sharp departure from the way things are now: internet providers typically build their own network infrastructure and lease airwaves from the government.

Not everyone in the Trump administration is onboard with the idea, however. On Monday, Trump-appointed FCC Chairman Ajit Pai expressed his opposal in a statement.

“Any federal effort to construct a nationalized 5G network would be a costly and counterproductive distraction from the policies we need to help the United States win the 5G future,” Pai wrote.

The telecom industry is already rolling out its own plans for a 5G future. But, while companies are paving the way for their own 5G networks, widespread adoption of the technology is still years away.

The plan raises a handful of questions about how the government would build the network, and which airwaves it would use to power it. But federal 5G could, in theory, let smaller companies gain a competitive advantage by renting 5G capacity and offering service at lower prices.

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Elon Musk’s Boring Company Has Sold $5 Million Worth of Flamethrowers

Elon Musk’s Boring Company has already sold $5 million worth of its flamethrowers, based on the company’s current pre-order estimates.

Let’s back up a bit. The Boring Company is an Elon Musk-headed company that, once upon a time, was focused on digging massive holes for vast underground freeways. Now, apparently, they’re selling fully functional (and branded) flamethrowers for $500 a piece.

Yes, that sounds like an Onion headline, but if you follow this link, you’ll be able to pre-order what appears to be an Airsoft rifle that’s been modified to shoot flames rather than pellets.

Mark it down as a promise that Musk has made good on. Prior to announcing the flame-spewing device, the Boring Company sold branded $20 hats, of which the firm only made 50,000. Musk tweeted in December that, after it had sold out of hats, the Boring Company would begin selling flamethrowers.

On Christmas Eve 2017, Musk followed up by saying that his company had reached the 50,000-hat cap, and that the flamethrower would be coming “soon.” Most people probably assumed he was joking.

But, sure enough, the flamethrower became available for pre-order on Jan. 27, after its existence had leaked just a few days earlier. Since then, Musk has been tweeting out various flamethrower-sales milestones. As of this afternoon, for example, the Boring Company has sold 10,000 pre-orders of the flamethrower, which roughly translates to $5 million worth of fire-breathing rifles. That number is probably higher by now.

As for why anyone would need a flamethrower, Musk tweeted that the device is great for “roasting nuts.” He also added that “when the zombie apocalypse happens, you’ll be glad you bought (one).”

If you’re interested in a flamethrower, which is “guaranteed to liven up any party,” the device appears to still be available for pre-order. Musk did state that it was a terrible idea and not to buy one … “unless you like fun.” The Boring Company said it will sell a total of 20,000 flamethrowers, so you should probably hurry if you want one.

And before anyone brings up relevant questions of safety, the firm promises that the flamethrower is “the world’s safest.” If you’re still worried about accidentally setting everything on fire, the company is also selling an “overpriced” fire extinguisher.

There’s currently no word on when the flamethrowers will ship out to customers.

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HomePod Supply Hints No One Is Buying Apple’s Smart Speaker

If you’ve followed Apple for any amount of time, you probably know that it’s difficult to score one of the company’s new products shortly after they launch. This does not seem to be the case for HomePod however..

Apple’s first smart home speaker officially became available for pre-order last Friday, Jan. 26, with a delivery date of Feb. 9. But, as of today (three days later), it seems HomePod is still in stock. Apple’s delivery estimates still show Feb. 9.

That estimated delivery seems to be true for both Apple’s online store, and for a range of random of brick-and-mortar Apple Store devices in the U.S., U.K., and Australia.

Similarly, HomePod pre-orders are still available at Best Buy, whose website also shows a Feb. 9 expected shipping or pickup date.

The available supply of HomePod could suggest a few things.

• Firstly, it could simply hint that Apple has set itself up with an appropriate amount of supply for the new smart speaker — marking the first launch in quite a while with good supply-demand equilibrium. Part of that may be the limited, initial three-country launch.
• But there’s also the possibility that consumers are just not that excited about HomePod, and that Apple overestimated the demand for the device at launch.

HomePod’s delay last year, of course, allowed competitors like Amazon Echo and Google Home to carve out a strong hold on the market. That could have been the device’s undoing, considering how crowded the smart speaker market has become in the last year.

Even beyond Amazon and Google, there are a slew of third-party manufacturers who have released higher-end smart speakers that are compatible with digital assistants already on the market.

Sonos, for example, recently announced a special bundle that includes two Sonos One speakers for $349 — the same exact price as one HomePod. The Sonos One is compatible with Alexa voice integration, which also works with a variety of music streaming services (unlike HomePod, which seems to only support Apple Music).

The smart speaker’s premium price may also put it at a disadvantage. $349 is significantly more expensive than either Amazon Echo or Google Home — as the two tech giants offer smart speakers as cheap as $50.

HomePod may be the best sounding smart speaker on the market when it launches, which could still set it apart. But, unfortunately, that fact alone might not be enough to save it, as many market watchers have predicted. Last week, FX Strategy Managing Director Boris Schlossberg told CNBC that he thinks Apple is making a “big mistake.”

“Nobody is going to buy (HomePod) at the price that they’re putting it out right now because the functionality of those products is just nowhere near as great as it needs to be relative to the price difference,” Schlossberg said.

Schlossberg is, admittedly, an Apple skeptic. But whether or not that “big mistake” turns out to be true remains to be seen.

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Weak Demand Causes Apple to Slash iPhone X Production 50%

The stakes were (and continue to be) high for Apple’s high-end iPhone X. A barrage of reports have converged on the bittersweet reality that demand for its first thousand-dollar iPhone flagship may be growing tepid..

Those analyses were corroborated this morning in a fresh report from the well-connected Nikkei Asian Review, which most notably tells us of Apple’s latest decision to slash iPhone X production by a whopping 50 percent during the fiscal first quarter — cutting its targets from 40 million units in the to around 20 million.

Today’s news interestingly comes less than a week after it was reported that Apple plans to discontinue iPhone X entirely by the fall of this year.

The report goes on to cite “slower than expected sales” during the important holiday shopping quarter, which, in combination with Apple’s eleventh-hour attempts to truly ramp up iPhone X production, has merely resulted in inventories of the handset “swelling up.”

“The U.S. tech giant notified suppliers that it had decided to cut the first-quarter production target to around 20 million units, in light of slower-than-expected sales in the year-end holiday shopping season in key markets such as Europe, the U.S. and China,” Nikkei said in its report, adding that “The iPhone X […] has failed to catch on globally.”

Domino Effect

Not only will Apple’s decision to cut iPhone X production have an obvious impact on its earnings and sales outlook, but, according to this morning’s report, it may also “have a domino effect” on the company’s various supply chain partners, as well, which could even result in a massive liability for the tech giant.

“The production cuts for the X will have a domino effect on manufacturers that supply high-performance components for the handset,” Nikkei noted, adding that the impact is expected to run into “billions of dollars for the January-March quarter alone.”

Apple’s iPhone X circuit board manufacturer: Murata Manufacturing Co. who will reportedly begin “slowing down production” in response to the news after steadily churning out the flagship’s exclusive MetroCirc board since early January.

Additionally, the decision is expected to affect suppliers including Sony, Kyocera, and TDK, who provide Apple with advanced camera sensors, additional circuitry, and batteries for iPhone X.

Most importantly, however, Apple’s decision is likely to impact Samsung Display Co. — its [currently exclusive] OLED display supplier — with whom it was reported to have inked a major deal last year to provide it with 100 million+ OLED panels for the iPhone X.

Reason for Concern?

While Apple’s decision to cut iPhone X production so soon, and so substantially, is bound to cause concern among its investors, today’s news should hardly come as a surprise to those who’ve been following us. Numerous reports, including an earlier, Economic Daily News analysis, have for weeks been suggesting that iPhone X demand is growing lukewarm.

Apple has not offered comment on any of these reports — and though its stock (NASDAQ: AAPL) has shed about 4 percent of its value since they began swirling, it’s still highly unlikely we’ll hear anything about iPhone X performance until the company’s February 1st earnings call.

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Ming-Chi Kuo Releases New iPhone X Plus, iPhone SE 2 Predictions

Well-connected analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities has several new predictions about this year’s iPhone lineup.

In a research note distributed to KGI’s clients over the weekend, Kuo forecasted details for the rumored iPhone X Plus, as well as rebutted several rumors about the entry-level iPhone SE 2.

iPhone X Plus

In their most recent research note, KGI Securities maintained that Apple will release three iPhones in the fall. That includes two OLED-based devices, as well as one iPhone that sports an LCD display.

While some outlets reported last week that Apple could ditch plans for two OLED-based models,  Kuo, along with several other reputable media outlets, still believe that Apple will release a 5.8-inch iPhone X successor, a 6.5-inch iPhone X Plus, and a 6.1-inch LCD iPhone that’s geared toward the midrange market.

Kuo also gave predictions concerning those devices’ battery specifications.

• The analyst claims that both OLED iPhones — 5.8-inch and 6.5-inch — would sport the L-shaped battery design of the 2017 iPhone X.
• The 6.5-inch OLED iPhone X Plus would be equipped with a battery capacity between 3,300 and 3,400 mAh, while the 5.8-inch OLED iPhone would have a battery similar to the current iPhone X — with a capacity between 2,700 to 2,800 mAh, Kuo wrote.
• The midrange 6.1-inch LCD iPhone would use the traditional rectangular shape for its battery, but could see a capacity bump to 2,850 to 2,950 mAh.

Other Rumors

• Interestingly, Kuo also believes the LCD-based phone could feature the “notch” design of the iPhone X, despite lacking 3D sensing or a rear dual-camera setup (corroborating previous reports about the single-lens nature of the device).
• While Kuo did not mention wireless charging, previous reports suggested that the LCD iPhone would use a metal construction, and as a result, would lack the new charging tech.
• On another note, the lack of 3D sensing seems to suggest that the LCD iPhone won’t feature Face ID or a TrueDepth Camera. Kuo had previously predicted that Face ID could be coming to all iPhones this year, so it seems that the analyst has backpedaled from that prediction.

iPhone SE 2

• Kuo cast doubt on rumors that Apple’s iPhone SE successors would sport high-end features such as wireless charging, 3D sensing technology, or even any upgrades in form factor.
• Previously, a handful of reports suggested that the second-generation iPhone SE would come equipped with a range of iPhone X-esque features, including a glass constructions and wireless charging. But KGI believes that these new iPhone features will be set aside for Apple’s devices on the higher-end of the spectrum, at least for now.
• The research firm believes, purely on speculation, that the so-called iPhone SE 2 could feature a slightly upgraded processor and the ability to run iOS 12, which is expected later this year.
• The device would continue to use cheaper components, which could translate to an overall lower price point.

iPhone SE 2 rumors first surfaced last summer, when reports claimed that the device — which could be manufactured by Wistron in Bengaluru, India — would sport incrementally upgraded internals such as an A10 chipset.

Most reports hint that the iPhone SE 2 could launch in the first half of the year, but individuals reports conflict about the exact timing.

It’s worth noting that Apple released the first iPhone SE in March 2016, before updating the lineup in March 2017. While a March 2018 unveiling isn’t a guarantee by any means, it would line up with Apple’s historical patterns for the device.

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watchOS 4.3 Adds Vertical Nightstand Mode, New Music Features

watchOS 4.3 has been available as a developer beta for the past few days, but the wider masses will soon be able to access it; and the update brings some exciting features.

One of the most popular features of previous versions of the OS was the ability to control speakers and music saved on your iPhone. But last September, Apple decided to remove this functionality.

Many people loved the feature, and Apple didn’t really explain why it had a change of heart. Currently, you’re only able to control music saved on the Watch.

However, with the latest version of watchOS, the feature makes a much anticipated return. Within the Watch Music app, there’s a new option called “On iPhone”.

By clicking on this, you can control music saved on your iPhone and use AirPlay. With this, you’re able to play music through supported speakers – which is pretty cool if you’re in another room or are planning a party.

Of course, there are some other nifty features, including an updated version of Nightstand Mode. Previously, you’ve only been able to use the functionality while the Watch is placed on its side.

But with 4.3, you’ll have the option to make use of the feature when you’re using the Watch in portrait orientation mode. Essentially, the updated functionality gives you a little more choice.

The update also brings new charging animation, and as always, there are some much needed bug fixes. Apple hasn’t announced an official release date for the update, but you shouldn’t have to wait too long.

Apple Watch owners will be able to download the official watchOS 4.3 update this spring.

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There’s a Quirky Hidden Secret in Apple’s New Privacy Icon

Apple is implementing a new anti-phishing Privacy icon in its upcoming iOS 11.3 and macOS High Sierra 10.13.4 operating systems. But other than protecting user’s privacy, the icon also has a hidden and quirky secret.

Word of the Privacy icon’s existence first surfaced earlier this week, when beta testers were greeted with a splash page describing the feature, how it works, and doubling-down on Apple’s commitment to privacy.

The feature is meant to fight phishing by appearing when Apple — and only Apple — is making an official request for confidential information or login credentials.

But, as first pointed out by Business Insider, the Privacy icon isn’t just a logo of two people shaking hands. In the middle of the icon is also a hidden smiley face — created by the shape of the arms and the two silhouetted heads.

It’s not the first time that Apple had some fun with its icons or logos. The current Finder logo is also a smiley face for example, and the original Macintosh icons designed by Susan Kare were similarly playful.

It’s not the first time that Apple has hidden a secret within one of its icons, either. Who can’t forget Apple’s subtle and clever icon-based dig at Microsoft. If you aren’t familiar, in macOS, when a Mac finds a Windows PC in the network, there’s a small icon of a non-Apple computer.

If you look closer, the computer’s display is showing the infamous “blue screen of death” that appears when Windows crashes or suffers another serious error. On a similar note, the design of the PC itself seems to be pretty outdated, too.

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