Apple to use drones to improve Maps service

Apple is putting a lot of effort to improve its Apple Maps data and design. According to a new report from Bloomberg, the company plans to use drones to track changes and improve mapping data over time. It would apparently be faster to use a fleet of drones rather than vans with sensors.

Apple already admitted that mapping data is a harder problem than the company first anticipated. You need to update maps all the time and fix mistakes as quickly as possible. Roads change and new buildings keep popping up. That’s why the company now works with thousands of employees in India and elsewhere to work on mapping data.

But that’s just one part of the equation. Having a big moderation staff is useless if you don’t have fresh data coming from all over the world. Companies like Google and Apple rely on user reports and vehicles driving around multiple countries.

Bloomberg found a 2015 document from the Federal Aviation Administration. The administration granted Apple a license to “operate an unmanned aircraft system to conduct data collection, photography, and videography.” It also says that the company plans to buy drones from DJI and Aibotix for this operation.

Now, it’s unclear if Apple already started using these drones in the U.S. and in other countries. As it’s not a user-facing feature, nothing stops Apple from using drones without telling its users.

In other news, Apple also acquired Indoor.io for indoor mapping. Bloomberg got an official confirmation from Apple. Apple has already made another acquisition of an indoor mapping company and is playing catch up on this front.

In Google Maps, you can already find maps of popular malls, museums and public buildings. Apple wants to provide indoor maps as well as an indoor positioning system that would take advantage of your iPhone’s sensors to locate you within a building. It would go beyond a simple GPS dot.

All of this is great, but I still miss an equivalent of Street View in Apple Maps. This feature is quite useful when you want to see what a building looks like. I’ve been using Apple Maps every day for a couple of years now, and it’s the only thing that makes me open Google Maps every now and then.

Apple Mulls Moving iPhone Production to US

President-elect Donald Trump has said he wants Apple to start making its "damn computers and things" in the US, and he may get his wish. Citing unnamed sources, Japanese-based Nikkei claimed that Apple's key partner Foxconn "is studying the possibility of moving iPhone production to the US."

One source reportedly told the paper that Apple in June asked Foxconn and another Taiwanese iPhone assembler Pegatron to look into making the handsets in the states.

"Foxconn complied, while Pegatron declined to formulate such a plan due to cost concerns," the source said, according to Nikkei.
Moving iPhone production to the US would undoubtedly be more costly for Cupertino. One source told the newspaper that production costs would more than double.

Apple and Foxconn did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In 2011, Steve Jobs reportedly scoffed at the idea of bringing iPhone production to the US when asked by President Obama what it would take to make that happen.

"Those jobs aren't coming back," Jobs said at the time.

A year on, Apple CEO Tim Cook announced plans to bring some parts of Mac production to the US; Apple reportedly invested more than $100 million as part of that effort.
This isn't the first time Foxconn has considered setting up shop in the US. The manufacturing giant in 2012 confirmed that it was looking to expand operations in North America, but that has not yet happened.

"We are looking at doing more manufacturing in the US because, in general, customers want more to be done there," Louis Woo, a Foxconn spokesman, told Bloomberg Businessweek at the time.

15in Apple MacBook Pro Uses a Non-Removable SSD

Apple creates device it expects you to use and then replace, but never repair. We know this from the countless teardowns iFixit carries out on iDevices only to find lots of glue, soldered in place components, and a generally hostile environment for anyone venturing inside.

With the launch of the 15in Apple MacBook Pro with Touch Bar late last month, Apple removed the last user-friendly component from the notebook: the SSD.

The 13in Apple MacBook Pro without the Touch Bar retains the removable SSD seen in earlier models, but the new 15in Touch Bar entry, and we have to assume the 13in model as well, replaces it with storage chips soldered to the logic board.

The change had been confirmed via MacRumors reader Jesse D. who had been brave enough to unscrew the base of his new MacBook Pro to take a look. Sure enough, he found the logic board cutout where the removable SSD usually sits is now gone. The soldered in place chips can be seen in the image above.

Storage is usually the first component that gets replaced in a notebook, either due to an issue or simply as part of an upgrade. But Apple removes that option completely from its Touch Bar models entries. If anything goes wrong with the SSD, the entire logic board will have to be replaced, which won't be cheap.

The situation is actually worse than that, though. By soldering the storage to the board, if anything else goes wrong on the logic board you also lose all your data. You can't simply remove the SSD and recover the data anymore.
Backing up your data on a regular basis is a task everyone should be doing anyway, but if an Apple MacBook Pro with Touch Bar is your next purchase, it becomes absolutely essential.

There's no going back now: Two months with iPhone 7 Plus

Even before Apple announced the iPhone 7 Plus, I made the decision to go big with this year's model, despite my reservations.

Once Apple confirmed nearly every rumor we'd covered and read leading up to the iPhone 7 announcement, including two cameras on the back of the 7 Plus model and increased battery life, there was no turning back.

On launch day, my iPhone 7 Plus arrived, and I spent a weekend adjusting and tweaking how I held the phone and where I placed it while driving my car.

Fast-forward two months, and it's (mostly) as if I've always used the larger iPhone.

A BIGGER SCREEN REALLY IS BETTER
By far, my favorite aspect of the iPhone 7 Plus is the size of the screen. From watching videos to reading news, I appreciate the added screen real estate.

Due to the increased screen size, I've found myself using my iPhone in landscape mode more often. When Apple first announced the larger "Plus" model iPhone 6 in 2014, the company also revealed developers could create custom interfaces to take advantage of the bigger screen, even in landscape orientation.

For example, when using an app like Safari in landscape orientation, you can view and manage tabs in the same manner as on an iPad or Mac.

I'm continuously surprised each time I rotate my phone and find myself interacting with more than one column of information in Mail or an iPad-inspired look in a third-party app such as Deliveries. Even the home screen is usable in landscape.

Other than when watching a video, I don't recall ever using the standard iPhone 6S in landscape mode. Now, it's a common occurrence.

After using countless Android phones with screens larger than 4.7-inches, I knew the added screen size would be useful. I just didn't imagine it being this useful on an iOS device.

PORTRAIT MODE IS HIT OR MISS
If you recall, one of the headlining features of the iPhone 7 Plus over the standard iPhone 7 is an additional camera lens on the back of the phone that can be used to optically zoom, and thanks to some fancy software tricks, create a depth-of-field effect on some photos.

IPHONE 7 PLUS REVIEW
The iPhone 7 Plus is the best iPhone, as it should be.

Read More
Despite announcing it at the iPhone event in September, the iPhone 7 didn't launch with Portrait mode. It wasn't until a few weeks later that Apple released a beta version of iOS 10.1 with a Portrait mode included for the iPhone 7 Plus. A few weeks after that, the update went live for all (although the Portrait mode feature is still labeled as a beta).

The short review of Portrait mode is this: when the software gets it right, it looks amazing. You'd be hard pressed to find another smartphone camera with a similar effect that can pull it off with the same level of clarity.

However, when Portrait mode gets it wrong, it's laughable. I've taken countless photos where the top half of a glass is cut off or an entire side of someone's face is blurred out all together.

That said, after you use Portrait mode for an extended amount of time, you begin to learn situations, subjects, and lighting environments that work well with the camera's latest trick.

Having the option to optically zoom in on a photo or video has proven invaluable, as I take photos of my kids or products for work. I want every phone to have optical zoom after using the 7 Plus.

NO GOING BACK NOW

Out of curiosity, I picked up the review iPhone 7 I have on hand and was shocked at just how small the phone felt. It was a similar feeling when Apple launched the 4-inch iPhone 5, using it for a while, then picking up the 3.5-inch iPhone 4S.

That said, I find myself still trying to figure out the best technique for one-handed use -- specifically when typing. I haven't dropped the 7 Plus yet, but plenty of close calls and miraculous catches as my phone spiraled toward the floor would make you believe my phone has nine lives of its own.

I have yet to master shuffling the 7 Plus up or down in the palm of my hand with just my thumb, while keeping it secure.

It's still a big phone, too big most of the time, but at this point I've learned to deal with the size in exchange for the larger screen, better camera, and battery life.

I'm disappointed to read rumors about next year's bigger iPhone getting a bigger screen, but leaving the overall footprint of the phone the same. That is to say, the 2017 Plus model -- whatever Apple ends up calling it -- might have the same size of housing, but thanks to new display technology, the company can increase the screen size.

I would much rather Apple use the same size of screen and shrink down the overall size of the phone. While carrying the Plus model, I am constantly reminded of its size when it's in my jeans or coat pocket, and when I'm trying to get it to sit in a cup holder as I drive, if it fits at all.

Despite my gripes, I can't see myself ever using a smaller iPhone.

Apple Now Selling Refurbished iPhones

Looking to buy an Apple iPhone, but don't have the money to pay full price? Apple has a new option. As 9to5Mac noted, the tech giant has long offered refurbished Mac devices and now it's selling refurbished iPhones as well.

The Apple iPhone maker currently has a number of refurbished Apple iPhones for sale on its website for 15% off the price of a new model. You can, for instance, get a 16GB Apple iPhone 6s for US$449, an equivalent US$80 off. If you'd rather have the larger-screen model, you can get a 16GB Apple iPhone 6s Plus for US$529, a full US$100 off. The 64GB Apple iPhone 6s Plus can be yours for US$589.

This is the first time Apple has offered refurbished Apple iPhones directly. The company is offering its refurbished models in a number of colour options, including silver, gold, space gray, and rose gold.

Apple tests and certifies all refurbished products before selling them. For added peace of mind, the company also included a one-year warranty with refurbished models, all of which also include a brand-new battery and outer shell.
"Supply is limited and availability is guaranteed once we receive your full payment," Apple said on its website.

In other Apple news, Cupertino recently dropped the price of dongles in response to complaints about all the connectors needed with the new Apple MacBook Pro, a flagship that only has USB Type-C/Thunderbolt 3 ports. Apple's USB Type-C adapters and some of its USB Type-C cables are now US$6 to US$20 cheaper.

Eject a disk safely from your Mac

When you have finished with disks they should be ejected properly, which unmounts them. You’ll need to take care though, because files can be corrupted if you don’t follow the right procedure.

One of the main causes of problems is pulling out the plug when files are open. This leads to corrupted files and you might be unable to save work you have open. Files must be closed and applications quit before drives can be ejected safely. This is to ensure that all the data is written to the drive.

1 Do not unplug

Don’t pull out the USB flash drive or USB disk drive plug, or OS X will inform you that you have done it incorrectly. You will be told to eject the disk before disconnecting it.

2 Eject a disk
If there is an icon on the desktop, drag it to the Trash. It’s not deleted, it is ejected. You can right click disks in Finder or click the Eject button in the sidebar.

3 Eject partitions
If a disk is a partition on a drive, you are asked if you want to eject just this partition or all of them. Click Eject or Eject All. Keyboard shortcuts can do this too.

4 Avoid common problems
A frequent cause for the failure to eject a disk is because an application has a file open. Close all the files and quit all applications, then try ejecting the disk again.

How to spot fake iOS and Android Apps

The New York Times and New York Post discovered hundreds of counterfeit shopping apps in Apple's App Store. This is also a problem we have seen in Google's Play store. While some of these apps will display annoying banner ads, others could have more serious consequences.

Some apps may contain malware that could steal personal information. Scammers could also benefit from unsuspecting customers entering credit card information in these bogus apps.

Here are a few tips to help you identify the real apps from the fake ones:

Check to see who published the app. Be careful, though, scammers will use similar names; such was the case for Overstock.com (real) and Overstock Inc (fake).
Check the reviews in Apple's App Store and Google's Play store. A real app will likely have thousands of (hopefully positive) reviews, while a fake one will likely have zero.
Look at the publish date. A fake app will have a recent publish date, while the a real one will have an "updated on" date. For example, that fake Overstock app was only published on October 26 of this year.

Check for spelling mistakes in the title or description. Many of these apps come out of China. Take extra caution if it looks like English isn't the developers' first language.
Beware of apps that promise shopping discounts. Sound too good to be true? It probably is.
When in doubt, visit a store's website in your browser and look for an icon or button that reads "Get our app." This will take you to the App Store or Google Play store where you can download the correct app.

Apple addresses ‘Touch Disease’ with reduced cost repair for iPhone 6 Plus

Many an iPhone 6 Plus has been struck down by the scourge known as “Touch Disease,” but Apple has not acknowledged the problem was systematic or widespread — until now. In what we have to imagine is as close to a mea culpa as Apple is likely to offer, iPhone 6 Plus devices exhibiting flickering displays and touchscreen issues are eligible for a reduced-price repair.

Apple is careful to note that this problem mainly appears “after being dropped multiple times on a hard surface and then incurring further stress,” though iFixit suggested that the problem could also be due to the phone’s infamous tendency to bend. Either way, some force must be exerted on the phone, resulting reliably in a critical touchscreen component being damaged or unseated — and that makes it, like it or not, at least partially a user-caused issue. Apple declining to call it a design flaw or manufacturing defect seems to be a point of pride on their part.

Phones with Touch Disease will be repaired for $149, and if you previously had it repaired or replaced for similar symptoms — which might have cost you upwards of $300 — Apple will reimburse you the difference.
iFixit pointed out in an email to TechCrunch that this price is about what third-party repairers have charged in the past to fix the issue, and considering refurbished phones are subject to the same problem, the 90-day warranty is rather short.

Notably, the program is only for the iPhone 6 Plus, and although a similar problem has been seen on the 6, we can probably trust Apple’s numbers and say this was primarily an issue with the Plus.

It certainly took long enough: It’s been more than two years since the 6 Plus was announced, and Apple never addressed the Touch Disease issue, despite it being quite common — and despite quietly reinforcing the next generation of iPhones to prevent the problem (the one they didn’t publicly acknowledge) from occurring again.

In fact, it was long enough that a lawsuit was filed alleging that Apple knew the problem existed and failed to provide adequate support to affected users. I contacted the law firm leading that suit to see if the repair program affects it in any way, and will update this post if I hear back.

Better late than never, though, and covering previous repairs is generous by Apple standards. Drop by an Apple store or authorized dealer, or talk to tech support to get your afflicted iPhone 6 Plus back in action.

Apple's HomeKit Requires Apple TV to Use Siri Remotely

Well, that's one way to push adoption of the Apple TV. If you've been reading all sorts of interesting things about Apple's HomeKit platform, and have caught yourself dreaming about having your little not-quite-an-A.I. friend Siri control the various devices around your home on your behalf, you might want to set aside a little extra money for an Apple TV. Yes, an Apple TV. It's not going to be a required element for you to access your HomeKit devices most of the time, but it will be required if you want to be able to tell Siri what to do when you're away from your home.

We realize that's a pretty specific use case, so it might be a bit overkill to condemn early versions of HomeKit just yet for the requirement. However, numerous reports from those who spoke with HomeKit partners and device manufacturers at this year's Consumer Electronics Show all said the same thing: If you want to use Siri to control your home devices when you aren't at home, you'll need an Apple TV (of all things) to do it.

However, that's the only instance right now where you'll need extra Apple hardware to do things with your HomeKit-enabled devices. Otherwise, if you're at the airport, you can still access your HomeKit devices using a related app. And you can use Siri to control your HomeKit devices when you're inside your home. So long as you're on your home's Wi-Fi network, which your various other smart devices are likely also connected to in some capacity, Siri will work just fine sans Apple TV.

And, no, you can't run an oldschool Apple TV, either. The device has to be at least Apple's most recent, third-generation Apple TV in order for the remote-Siri bit to work out. And, of course, the Apple TV has to be running at least version 7.0 of its software—the update that officially added support for HomeKit to the device.

As you might expect, Apple hasn't offered up any comment regarding the HomeKit, Siri, and Apple TV connection. And few Homekit partners or manufacturers seemed willing to talk about it either, when asked. Expect to see the first HomeKit devices launch during the first quarter of this year—perhaps Apple will figure out a new way to tackle remote Siri commands if enough users complain about the extra Apple TV add-on.

Report: iPhone 6 Demand Overwhelms Foxconn

Another iPhone launch, another round of reports about overseas suppliers overwhelmed by orders.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Foxconn is operating 100 production lines "around the clock," churching out 140,000 phablets and 400,000 smartphones every day, but it's still not enough to satisfy pre-orders.

The Journal said the Zhengzhou, China-based factory has more than 200,000 employees dedicated to making iPhone 6 and 6 Plus handsets and their key components. But with a record 4 million pre-orders in the first 24 hours, Foxconn is reportedly struggling to craft the devices fast enough.

These type of reports are nothing new. In 2012, Foxconn acknowledged iPhone 5 production delays. And yet, everyone eventually got their phones.

A July report from the Journal said that Apple asked its suppliers to manufacture between 70 and 80 million of the 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch handsets by Dec. 30.

The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus go on sale Friday in the U.S., Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Puerto Rico, Singapore, and the U.K. A week later, they'll hit 20 more countries.

But only the fastest to successfully pre-order their phones will receive the gadgets this week; others can expect a package later this month or in October, particularly the iPhone 6 Plus. Delivery estimates for iPhone 6 are now at 7-10 days, while iPhone 6 Plus is at 3 to 4 weeks.

A handful devices will be available to walk-in customers at Apple retail stores this Friday at 8 a.m., but don't expect supplies to last. Also check your local AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon brick-and-mortar locations.

Apple did not immediately respond to PCMag's request for comment.

For more, see PCMag's Hands On With the iPhone 6, 6 Plus and the slideshow above. Also check out our side-by-side comparison iPhone 6 vs. iPhone 6 Plus: Big or Bigger?