O'Grady's PowerPage

  • Apple to hold Q2 2024 earnings call on Thursday, May 2nd

    Apple to hold Q2 2024 earnings call on Thursday, May 2nd

    You might want to carve out a few hours for Apple’s financial returns on May 2nd.

    Per MacRumors, Apple on Thursday announced that its next quarterly earnings conference call will be held on Thursday, May 2, at 2 p.m. Pacific Time.

    As usual, the call will be streamed live on Apple’s investor website, Apple’s CEO Tim Cook and CFO Luca Maestri will discuss the company’s earnings results for the second quarter of the 2024 fiscal year. The period covers the recent quarter, which ran from December 31, 2023, through March 30, 2024, Apple launched the Vision Pro headset in the U.S., and it updated the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models with its latest M3 chip.

    Apple has not offered any formal guidance as to what to expect since early 2020, although Yahoo Finance has noted that analysts expect the company to report quarterly revenue of $90.6 billion on average. Apple reported $94.8 billion in revenue in the year-ago quarter.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via MacRumors, Apple, and Yahoo Finance

  • FCC to hold new neutrality vote on April 25

    FCC to hold new neutrality vote on April 25

    Following years of debate and controversy, the Federal Communications Commission is set to hold a new vote on April 25 that will likely reinstate net neutrality, restoring protections affecting broadband internet usage in the United States.

    Net Neutrality as a policy functions as the principle that internet providers should handle web traffic equally regardless of what kind of applications or sources are being used. These rules were introduced in 2015 and repealed in 2017, with the FCC considered to be on the verge of restoring them once again.

    The FCC announced on Tuesday that its April 25 meeting of commissioners will vote on the final form of net neutrality rules. Per Reuters, it already voted in October over the proposal to bring back the rules, with the result being 3-2 in favor.

    In this instance, the FCC isn’t planning to make any changes to what it had previously agreed on before the rules were pulled.

    Despite being in power since the end of 2020, the Biden administration wasn’t able to reinstitute Net Neutrality for the first three years, until it came under majority Democrat control in October. At that point, it had the opportunity to introduce a new vote on the matter.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via AppleInsider and Reuters

  • iPadOS 17.5 developer beta code strings hint at possible Battery Health feature for next-gen iPads

    iPadOS 17.5 developer beta code strings hint at possible Battery Health feature for next-gen iPads

    This could definitely come in handy.

    Apple may be planning to bring its iPhone Battery Health menu to upcoming iPad models, as noted by evidence in the iPadOS 17.5 beta.

    Per MacRumors contributors, Steve Moser and Aaron Perris, several new references to the Battery Health menu on the iPad have been discovered in the first iPadOS 17.5 beta, which went out to the developer community earlier this week.

    Apple may be planning to expand the iPhone’s Battery Health menu to upcoming iPad models, based on evidence uncovered in the iPadOS 17.5 beta. The menu is expected to show an iPad battery’s maximum remaining capacity and cycle count.

    The following code string samples have been discovered within the beta:

    • “iPad must be regularly used while not connected to power to show maximum capacity.”
    • “This is the number of times iPad has used your battery’s capacity.”
    • “The iPad battery is performing as expected.”
    • “iPad batteries, like all rechargeable batteries, have a limited lifespan and may eventually need to be serviced or replaced.”
    • “The original battery was designed to retain X capacity at X cycles under ideal conditions. Actual battery performance depends on a number of variables, including how the iPad is used and charged regularly. The one-year warranty includes service for defective batteries in addition to rights provided under local consumer laws.”

    There is no visible Battery Health menu on any existing iPad models on the first iPadOS 17.5 beta, which may indicate that the menu may be limited to the new iPad Pro and iPad Air models that are rumored to launch in May, and likely other new iPads released in the future. Apple has shown battery capacity information on iPhones for many years, but cycle count information is currently limited to the latest iPhone 15 series.

    Apple may release its iPadOS 17.5 update to the public in May, which may sync with the announcement and release of next-gen iPads.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via MacRumors

  • Rumor: Apple Pencil 3 could include squeeze gesture, other new features

    Rumor: Apple Pencil 3 could include squeeze gesture, other new features

    The next-gen Apple Pencil could have a new squeeze feature built into it.

    Per code found in the iPadOS 17.5 beta, a new squeeze gesture could be included with the upcoming accessory. Apple Pencil 2 already supports a double-tap gesture for switching between available tools in an app. Since it has no pressure sensitivity, a squeeze gesture would likely be reserved for Apple Pencil 3.

    Per 9to5Mac, the squeeze gesture, if included, would add shapes, signatures, stickers, or a text field. Squeezing an Apple Pencil would require some pressure-sensitive surface. The gesture is distinct enough to coexist with the double-tap gesture and open up more control options.

    Additional rumors centering around the Apple Pencil 3 also include Find My support as well as changeable tips.

    Apple is expected to reveal an Apple Pencil 3 alongside new iPads sometime in April or early May. The updated products will likely be announced via a press release as opposed to an in-person media event.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via AppleInsider and 9to5Mac

  • Apple updates iWork apps, adds new features, fixes, and changes

    Apple updates iWork apps, adds new features, fixes, and changes

    Apple on Tuesday updates its iWork apps (Keynote, Numbers, and Pages) for the Mac, iPad, and iPhone.

    The release notes for version 14.0 of the Mac apps follow, and the release notes for version 14.0 of the iPad and iPhone apps are nearly identical and are as follows:

    Keynote:

    • Add a new look to your slides with the Dynamic Color, Minimalist Light, and Minimalist Dark themes
    • Streamlined in-app notifications inform you when a person joins a collaborative presentation for the first time
    • Preserve file format and full quality when adding HEIC photos taken on iPhone or iPad
    • Press and hold the Command key to select noncontiguous words, sentences, or paragraphs
    • Improved compatibility for slide transitions when importing and exporting Microsoft PowerPoint files
    • Additional stability and performance improvements

    Numbers:

    • Streamlined in-app notifications inform you when a person joins a collaborative spreadsheet for the first time
    • Preserve file format and full quality when adding HEIC photos taken on iPhone or iPad
    • Press and hold the Command key to select noncontiguous words, sentences, or paragraphs
    • Additional stability and performance improvements
      App Store links: Mac and iPad/iPhone.

    Pages:

    • Press and hold the Command key to select noncontiguous words, sentences, or paragraphs
    • Streamlined in-app notifications inform you when a person joins a collaborative document for the first time
    • Preserve file format and full quality when adding HEIC photos taken on iPhone or iPad
    • Additional stability and performance improvements

    The updates can be located, downloaded, and installed by going to the App Store link under the Apple menu in macOS.

    If you’ve tried the updated versions of these apps, please let us know about your experience in the comments.

    Via MacRumors