O'Grady's PowerPage

Tag: July

  • Apple receives criticism for under-filled in-person Vision Pro development labs

    Apple receives criticism for under-filled in-person Vision Pro development labs

    Apple may have irritated its developer community and has drawn recent criticism for only offering in-person Apple Vision Pro development labs in Cupertino. It’s also been noted that even those are under-filled.

    Apple has issued a developer kit for the Apple Vision Pro, and they have stringent requirements, but now it is also running in-person development labs. It’s unknown how many developers can simultaneously access the in-person sessions. It’s also unknown whether these sessions are the same as the Apple Vision Pro in-person developer sessions that were announced in July 2023.

    The sessions were initially specified to be taking place worldwide, and it’s possible that the ones in Cupertino are among the first that the program has rolled out.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via AppleInsider and @MarkGurman

  • Rumor: iPhone 15 models could use hybrid lens, wide aperture

    Rumor: iPhone 15 models could use hybrid lens, wide aperture

    Apple’s forthcoming iPhone 15 models may be among the first smartphones to use a new hybrid camera lens that uses glass and plastic components to capture better photos.

    Per a recent tweet from “RGcloudS” on Twitter, the prolific leaker for Android technology issued the rumor that the new devices could have a hybrid lens with an f/1.7 aperture.

    In the context of smartphone camera lenses, manufacturers sometimes use a combination of glass and plastic elements to achieve desired optical performance while managing costs and weight. The arrangement of these elements can influence various aspects of image quality, such as sharpness, chromatic aberration, and distortion.

    The new “1G6P” configuration could indicate that the iPhone 15 models will also have the same Sony IMX sensor as the iPhone 14 Pro models, but the wider aperture will help it capture up to 20 percent more light.

    For the upcoming iPhone 16 Pro Max handset, Apple is said to be working to enhance its wide camera with an eight-component hybrid lens that combines two glass pieces and six plastic ones. It’s also been rumored that hybrid lenses with five and six elements will be featured in the telephoto and ultra-wide cameras, with Sunny Optical Technology as the supplier.

    Other rumors as of July 17 have hinted that the iPhone 15 could use longer-lasting, stacked batteries that can be charged and depleted much more quickly to charge faster and, when needed, pull more energy from the battery.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via AppleInsider and @RGcloudS

  • SAG-AFTRA votes to strike, joins ongoing writers strike

    SAG-AFTRA votes to strike, joins ongoing writers strike

    It could be a rough time for new content in the entertainment industry.

    For the first time in more than 60 years, a “double strike” has commenced following failed negotiations between Hollywood studios and SAG-AFTRA. At this point, both actors and writers are now on strike.

    With film and television studios part of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers unable to reach a deal with SAG-AFTRA as of July 12, the strike officially begins at midnight and will impact 160,000 union members.

    Negotiations between SAG-AFTRA and AMPTP began on June 7, with SAG looking to gain protections against studios using generative AI in films and shows, in addition to better overall compensation for streaming films and shows. SAG has said the AMPTP has not budged on any single talking point, leading to the strike vote.

    Oddly enough, the Apple TV+ service, may not see that much of a downside to the strike, as the streaming service, plays only a small role in Apple’s Services division, which rakes in billions of dollars every quarter.

    As the strike continues, participating actors that are part of the union will stop working on projects, from films to TV shows and promotional efforts. In spite of the ongoing writer’s strike, actors had been working on projects that were already written and completed.

    The writer’s strike already affected Apple TV+, especially for notable series like “Severance” and the highly anticipated “Metropolis.” But the second season of “Loot” starring Maya Rudolph has also seen production halt due to the strike, and even the third season finale for “Ted Lasso” at the Paley Center in California was canceled over the issue. With the strike continuing, any and all Apple TV+ productions will come to a halt as of today. There’s also no way of knowing how long the strike will continue for, and when production will begin for new films and series for any studio.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via AppleInsider and @THR

  • Apple releases iOS 17 beta 2 to developer community

    Apple releases iOS 17 beta 2 to developer community

    Apple has officially released iOS 17 beta 2 to its developer community, and while a public beta is expected sometime in July, followed by a release in September, here’s a list of the following changes and new features to be found in the updated developer beta:

    • The Software Update interface in Settings has been updated in iOS 17 with a new design, as seen above.
    • iOS 17 beta 2 adds support for tapping two iPhones together for AirDrop. This was announced at WWDC but was not available in beta 1.
    • The Settings app on iPhone now includes a dedicated section for the Fitness app for managing data and settings.
    • iPadOS 17 beta 2 enables the ability to Shift-click in Spotlight to add a window to your current workspace in Stage Manager.
    • Crossfade for Apple Music now offers a slider to control the length of the fade between songs. This did not work in iOS 17 beta 1.

    If you’ve had a chance to try the updated developer betas, please let us know about your experience in the comments.

    Via 9to5Mac

  • WWDC: Apple announces macOS Sonoma, highlights new features and changes

    WWDC: Apple announces macOS Sonoma, highlights new features and changes

    macOS Sonoma is coming this fall, was demonstrated on Monday at WWDC, and once again, the company has promised widespread changes and new features to its desktop operating system.

    The company highlighted the following major fixes and changes:

    • Interactive widgets which can be placed on the desktop: Widgets blend into your desktop wallpaper to not be obtrusive when you’re working, and with Continuity you can use the same widgets from your iPhone on your Mac.
    • Enhanced videoconferencing features: This includes Presenter Overlay, which allows the user to display themselves in front of the content they are sharing. Reactions let users share how they feel within a video session. Screen Sharing has been improved with a simplified process.
    • Private Browsing: This has been updated within Apple’s Safari web browser and provides greater protection from trackers and from people who might have access to the user’s device.
    • Profiles within Safari: Offers a way to separate browsing between topics, like having one for work and one for personal browsing. There’s also a new way to create web apps that work like normal apps and let you get to your favorite website faster.
    • Screen Savers: These feature slow-motion videos of various locations worldwide. They shuffle between landscape, Earth, underwater, or cityscape themes, similar to what you’ll see on tvOS.
    • Game Mode: As the name suggests, this is optimized for gaming and delivers an optimized gaming experience with smoother and more consistent frame rates. It dramatically lowers audio latency with AirPods and reduces input latency with game controllers, and it works with any game on Mac.

    The developer beta version was released on Monday, and Apple has stated that a public beta will launch in July.

    Please let us know what you think in the comments as we’ll have additional details as they become available.

    Via MacRumors