According to a report from the Associated Press, Apple plans to file legal papers in which it will argue that its fight with the FBI of decrypting an iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino gunmen should be settled by Congress. This report follows Apple CEO Tim Cook’s letter to employees in which he stated that the government should withdraw its demands because they are invalid under the All Writs Act from 1789.

Theodore Boutrous Jr., a lead lawyer for Apple, reportedly previewed the company’s legal plan and arguments to the Associated Press, much of which Cook hinted at in his open-letter to customers and subsequent letter to employees. Apple will argue that the fight should be decided by Congress, where it spent $5 billion lobbying in 2015.

Boutrous echoed Tim Cook’s sentiments while speaking to the AP, explaining that the law does not give the government the authority to force companies to create a backdoor to their devices:

“The government is really seeking to push the courts to do what they haven’t been able to persuade Congress to do,” Boutrous said in an AP interview. “That’s to give it more broad, sweeping authority to help the Department of Justice hack into devices, to have a backdoor into devices, and the law simply does not provide that authority.”

Yesterday it was revealed that in addition to the San Bernardino case, the government is seeking data from at least 12 other iPhones involved in criminal activities. Apple will argue against all of these cases with this battle, the report claims.

Apple’s battle with the FBI over national security versus user privacy began last week and has since become one of the biggest and most complex stories in tech and politics. You can view all of our extensive coverage at the links below:

• U.S. judge orders Apple to help FBI access data on San Bernardino gunman’s iPhone 5c
• Apple publishes letter responding to FBI iPhone unlock demand: ‘an unprecedented step which threatens the security of our customers’
• Google CEO Pichai appears to side with Apple in series of vague tweets on FBI encryption battle
• Security firm shows how Apple could bypass iPhone security to comply with FBI request
• Opinion: How likely is Apple to succeed in resisting the FBI court order?
• Should Apple comply with FBI request to bypass San Bernardino gunman’s iPhone? [Poll]
• Civil rights groups and tech companies express support for Apple’s stand against the FBI
• Opinion: Why an iPhone master key is better than a backdoor, but still too dangerous
• Petition urges White House to support Apple in blocking government access to locked iPhones
• Senate Intelligence Committee considering bill to penalize companies refusing to decrypt user device
• Report: Apple to get more time to formally respond to government’s request for access to locked iPhone
• Apple/FBI fight looks destined to go all the way to the Supreme Court as more background is revealed
• Department of Justice files motion to force Apple to comply with FBI iPhone backdoor request
• Apple implies FBI screwup: iPhone Apple ID password changed in govt possession, backdoor unnecessary
• FBI explains why it changed Apple ID password in iPhone unlock case, retrieved iCloud backups up to October 19 but wants more
• San Bernardino victims divided on iPhone issue as FBI claims not trying to set a precedent
• Apple/FBI: Tim Cook sends memo to employees, wants government to drop All Writs Act demands, posts customer FAQ
• Mark Zuckerberg sides w/ Apple in encryption battle as poll suggests public supports FBI
• Report says DOJ seeking data from ‘about’ 12 other iPhones as Bill Gates sides with FBI

Filed under: AAPL Company, iOS Devices Tagged: Apple, Encryption, FBI, iOS

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In a blog post, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak detailed that he has recently met with Apple executives Jeff Williams and Lisa Jackson at the company’s headquarters in Cupertino. In addition to Apple, Razak also met with Tesla. The Prime Minister described the meeting with Apple on his blog, explaining that they discussed ideas such as research and development and education.

Razak said that the country of Malaysia would like Apple to set up a research and development center in the area. The Prime Minister says that building a research and development center in Malaysia would boost learning among young children with innovative mobile technology:

“We will look at opportunities to commercialize the Apple Research and Development Center in the Asia Pacific region in Malaysia, which will focus on innovative ways to use mobile technology to boost learning among children,” the Prime Minister wrote.

Furthermore, Razek said that he would like Apple to open an App Development Excellence Center to identify, educate, and produce more Malaysian app developers. Razek notes that local developers are already designing applications for the App Store that are appropriate for the local market:

“In addition, to further develop the potential of young minds Malaysia, we will also explore opportunities to establish a Centre of Excellence Application Development Apple to identify, educate and produce local application developers,” he said.

Razek concludes by explaining that he hopes one day Apple and Tesla will bring the innovations they have already developed to Malaysia and make the country a part of its production and innovation process.

Apple already offers its flagship products in Malaysia, including the Apple Watch and iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus. Now, it appears that Malaysia wants Apple to bring more of its behind-the-scenes efforts to the country. Apple has recently announced a new development center in India, perhaps hinting that it’s looking to expand globally. The company also announced its first iOS App Development Center in Italy recently.

Filed under: AAPL Company Tagged: Apple, Jeff Wiliams, Lisa Jackson, Malaysia, Najib Razak

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When Apple released the first beta of iOS 9.3, iPad Pro users quickly discovered that the update essentially crippled the Apple Pencil’s functionality with the device. Since its release, the Apple Pencil had been able to be used to navigate throughout iOS, in addition to the oft-touted drawing capabilities. The 9.3 betas, however, removed the accessory’s ability to be used to navigate iOS. Apple has confirmed to The Verge, though, that the capability will return in the next beta.

With iOS 9.3, users are able to tap icons with the Apple Pencil, but are unable to scroll or perform any other navigation tasks. In the statement, Apple explained that it is working on better ways to implement the ability to use the Pencil as a navigation tool:

“We believe a finger will always be the primary way users navigate on an iPad, but we understand that some customers like to use Apple Pencil for this as well and we’ve been working on ways to better implement this while maintaining compatibility during this latest beta cycle,” a spokesperson said. “We will add this functionality back in the next beta of iOS 9.3.”

When we reviewed the Apple Pencil last year, we noted that Apple Pencil is unable to activate things like Notification Center, Control Center, and Multitasking while drawing. At the time, this seemed like a decision on Apple’s part to remove any stress of accidentally activating those features while in the middle of a project.

This change almost feels like a reversal on Apple’s part after much outcry from iPad Pro users. Given that Apple has released four betas of iOS 9.3 without Pencil navigation support, it certainly seemed like it was the company’s intention to remove the capability, especially given its stance on using a stylus in the past.

Nevertheless, Apple says that the ability to navigate iOS with Apple Pencil will return with the next beta of iOS 9.3.

Filed under: iOS Devices Tagged: Apple, Apple Pencil, iOS 9.3, iPad Pro

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Yesterday, I presented a list of 10 different tips that I thought any new Mac owner should know. As stated in that walkthrough, I don’t consider every recommendation on the list to be an absolute must-follow for new Mac users. There are a few items on the list, however, that are staples in my opinion.

For example, I would hate it if every minimized window on OS X occupied its own space on the Dock. For that reason, I rush to enable the “Minimize window into application icon” option (found in System Preferences → Dock) after every new install. But enabling such a feature comes with its own caveat — it’s hard to know exactly what’s behind an app icon on the Dock once you’ve minimized its respective windows. Thankfully, there’s a handy Mac utility that allows you to preview app windows by hovering over icons in the Dock.

HyperDock ($9.99 on the Mac App Store) is a must-have app for OS X in my eyes, as it brings the ability to preview what’s running in the dock without fully opening an app window. When HyperDock is active, simply hovering over an open app in the Dock will reveal a small preview window displaying its current state.

I find HyperDock to be especially useful when you have more than one window open for a single application. HyperDock will allow you to preview both windows right from the dock without opening either window.

The great thing about HyperDock is that the previews can be large enough to actually display content therein. It even updates the small preview screenshot of the apps running in your Dock to show their current state. For instance, if your Twitter timeline is refreshed, you’ll see a preview of the timeline’s latest state, even if the app is minimized into the Dock.

But HyperDock doesn’t just stop with window previews. Along with tons of customization options to change the look and size of said previews, the utility adds window snapping into the mix. While it’s true that Apple implemented iOS 9-esque side-by-side multitasking in OS X El Capitan, HyperDock’s window snapping capabilities bring much more flexibility to the table. For example, you can easily use HyperDock to snap a 2×2 grid of windows together in order to display four apps on screen at once.

Lastly, you might enjoy the fact that HyperDock adds special window previews to certain apps like Calendar, iTunes, and even Spotify. By hovering over the Dock icons of certain apps, it’s possible to enjoy enhanced functionality like music controls, calendar events, etc.

Needless to say, HyperDock is one of the very first apps that I install on my Mac. It’s an app that I go out of my way to tell people about — it’s just that good. You can find HyperDock on the Mac App Store for $9.99. You can also download a 15-day trial version of the utility outside of the Mac App Store, which can be licensed for only $6.95.

Filed under:
How-To, Apps, iOS Devices, Mac Tagged: dock, how to, Mac App, Mac OS X, tutorial

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Fabric, a subsidiary of Twitter, has today expanded its comprehensive platform for developers by releasing an iPhone app, Fabric for iPhone. The app lets developers monitor various analytics and diagnostics about their applications while on the go. Stats like current active users and crash rates are instantly visible from the dashboard.

Most notably, the app features push notifications for realtime updates about major issues. For instance, developers will get a push alert if their app suddenly starts crashing for a new reason.

The app tries to be intelligent, striking a balance to send relevant notifications about important issues without bombarding the developer’s phone too much. You can control notifications on a per-app level and each banner alert includes a button action to ‘Mute for 2 hours’, if you really don’t want to be disturbed.

There’s also an Activity feed inside the main app screen that lists recent activity as a stream of text, almost like a Twitter timeline for a developer to track the stability of their app. You can tap through to see more details about an issue, including full stacktraces so developers can start thinking about the solutions to the bugs before getting back to their desk. The summary highlights what OS versions and what devices are exhibiting the errant behavior, again helping to narrow in on the bugs.

The companion app will help developers that already use Fabric and Crashlytics SDK in their apps. Whether the addition of a mobile app is enough to convince a developer to move from their existing crash reporting solution to Fabric’s is unknown. Although it is compelling, its functionality is limited as a 1.0 release. Developers on the app have already said they will expand the features with app updates in the future.

Check out the Fabric app in the App Store now. More information is available on Fabric’s blog.

The @fabric app for iOS is written 100% in Swift (and using ReactiveCocoa 4) http://twitter.com/NeoNacho/statu…

—
Javi.swift (@Javi) February 23, 2016

Filed under: Apps, Developers, iOS, iOS Devices, Tech Industry Tagged: Apps, developers, iOS, Swift

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9to5Mac has reported that Apple will hold a media event next month on March 15th where it will unveil the 4-inch iPhone 5se, new iPad Air 3, and new versions of Apple Watch bands. We’ve already seen one band accidentally revealed, the space black Milanese Loop that has yet to be released, and now another space black version of a current Apple Watch band has been spotted in the wild (via WatchGeneration.fr) …

Currently on display on marketing material at an Apple Premium Reseller called iConcept Toulouse Esquirol is what appears to be an unreleased space black stone leather Modern Buckle strap paired with a stainless steel space black Apple Watch.

Apple originally only sold the DLC stainless steel space black Apple Watch in 38mm and 42mm versions with the Link Bracelet for a premium over the standard stainless steel version, then introduced a less pricey version in both sizes paired with a black Sport band last fall.

The Modern Buckle style band is currently only sold in stainless steel 38mm options including soft pink, midnight blue, or standalone black or brown.

No space black Modern Buckles or versions with what appears to be stone leather like Apple’s Leather Loop has yet to be introduced.

(via WatchGeneration.fr)

If Apple indeed introduces space black versions of the Modern Buckle band and Apple Watch configuration, pricing will likely be between $249 and $349 per standalone band and $749 to $849 when bought with the space black Apple Watch.

As for the other space black Apple Watch band that we’ve already seen but hasn’t been officially sold yet, Apple briefly ousted that band earlier this year on its Czech website.

The difference here, however, is that we’re dealing with marketing material, not a premature store listing, which we’ve seen in the past time and again as a result of Photoshop mixups.

9to5Mac has since reported that the unreleased space black Milanese Loop and new Sport bands will be introduced next month. Unreleased NATO-style nylon bands have also been in the works and could be released at the same event.

Based on Apple’s history with leaking that it’s expanding the band lineup with more space black versions, it’s possible that the marketing image is an early look at what’s to come, or it could just be a mistake that coincidentally reveals what Apple might or might not inevitably release.

Filed under: Apple Watch Tagged: Apple watch

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Coca-Cola could easily equip just about everyone in the country with a free Google Cardboard-style VR viewer if the above experiment turns into reality.

The project envisions packaging for a 12-pack of Cokes and other products that is easily converted into a virtual reality viewer for an iPhone or other smartphone and it looks like it’s based on Google Cardboard specs. In the video below we see Coke’s prototype for the idea, which uses only recycle cardboard from its popular 12-pack box to create a VR viewer that works with a smartphone.

It’s not much of a stretch to imagine Coca-Cola actually making this packaging idea a reality, as Google and third-parties are already selling what are essentially kits of pre-cut cardboard that customers assemble themselves in much the same way.

Users would have to cut out the pieces using guides Coca-Cola has on the inside of the packaging, but the only part missing is the plastic lens, something Coke could easily throw into the box like it does for other product giveaways.

Google’s Cardboard platform, an open spec for virtual reality viewers powered by smartphones, already has over 10 products from various companies ranging from low-cost all cardboard versions to products that more resemble a finished consumer product like Mattel’s revamped View-Master. Last month, Google announced that over 5 million units of Cardboard viewers had been shipped as apps for the platform passed the 1000 mark on the Google Play store.

Check out the full video below:

Filed under: iOS Devices Tagged: Coca-Cola, Google Cardboard, iPhone, packaging, video, viewer, Virtual reality, vr

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Today Google pushed a long-awaited update to its YouTube app, which adds support for the iPad Pro. As you might imagine, the additional resolution makes the app look much more at home on Apple’s super-sized tablet than before. Unfortunately, outside of a few additional bug fixes, no other big features made the cut for today’s update. In other words, support for key features like Split View, which makes it possible to enjoy true side-by-side multitasking, and Picture and Picture mode are still missing in action.

Google has been slow in general when it comes to rolling out support for the iPad’s headlining features. It’s been over three months since the iPad Pro launched, and users are still unable to view videos with the official YouTube app using the handy Picture in Picture mode, not to mention Split View.

What’s New

• Native resolution on iPad Pro
• Fixed bug that caused the keyboard to freeze while commenting
• Fixed bug that caused a crash after adding an account on iOS 7

The good news is that there are iPad apps available that allow you to enjoy YouTube videos with both Split View and Picture and Picture support in tow. In fact, CornerTube and YouPlayer are two helpful apps that come to mind. CornerTube focuses primarily on Picture in Picture mode, and YouPlayer is an outright replacement for the YouTube app, bringing Split View, Picture in Picture mode and other handy features to the fore.

If you’re looking for the best YouTube experience, then I recommend checking out some of the third party offerings, starting with the apps mentioned above.

Filed under: Apps Tagged: Google, iPad Pro, Picture in Picture, Split View, YouTube

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Apple has released the fourth OS X 10.11.4 public beta for non-developer testers. Public beta testers running the El Capitan pre-release can find the new software update through the Mac App Store. The latest public beta update follows the fourth developer beta of the same update earlier this week.

Changes coming with OS X 10.11.4 include support for viewing and sharing Live Photos taken on iPhone 6s and 6s Plus through iMessage using the Messages app as well as the ability to password-protect items in the Notes app for the first time.

Apple is also making it easier to import text files and data from competing note-taking apps like Evernote into Notes with OS X 10.11.4. A new ‘Import Notes…’ option lets you easily migrate from Evernote to Apple Notes in just a few steps, and also lets you add .txt and .rtf text files into the app with iCloud syncing the data back to iPhones, iPads, and the web.

Focus areas so far have included iBooks, Photos, Messages, and Notes. The update is also expected to resolve the issue with opening Twitter URL links in Safari.

Filed under: Mac Tagged: el capitan, Mac, OS X, OS X 10.11.4

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Apple has released the fourth iOS 9.3 public beta to non-developer testers today. iOS 9.3 public beta 4 follows this week’s fourth developer iOS 9.3 beta release as well. The latest beta cleans up issues introduced in the last version while adding some new features as well.

iOS 9.3, which is expected to be released to everyone next month, adds loads of new features for iPhones and iPads including Night Shift mode to change the display temperature for evening reading, Touch ID/secure passwords to protect Notes, new 3D Touch shortcuts on the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, enhancements to the Health and Activity apps, iCloud for iBooks PDF syncing, and much more.

For CarPlay users, iOS 9.3 also adds the full Apple Music experience with For You and New sections as well as Nearby in Maps. iOS 9.3 also includes a major new education initiative with multi-user support and much more.

Changes in the latest beta include an updated Night Shift icon in Control Center as well as new star icons on popular tracks/singles in Apple Music.

Check out our coverage of iOS 9.3 beta 4 for developers for more details.

Filed under: iOS Tagged: iOS, iOS 9.3, iPad, iPhone, IPod Touch, public beta

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