Update: TSMC has now confirmed the earlier report; Reuters reports a statement by the company’s founder, added at the bottom of the piece. It’s looking increasingly likely that some future Apple chips will be made in the US, following a new report about A-series and M-series chipmaker TSMC. The report says that TSMC plans to build a second plant in Arizona, and that this one will use the company’s most advanced tech …...
As COVID-19 cases continue to surge and set new records in the United States, Apple is again adjusting its protocols and requirements for employees. As reported by The Verge, Apple is now requiring employees to provide proof they received their COVID-19 booster shot, or else take frequent COVID-19 tests. Apple, however, continues to stop short of a full vaccine mandate. Apple announced the changes in an internal email sent this week....
The latest Apple return-to-office policy is being opposed by Apple Together, which rejects CEO Tim Cook’s argument that in-person collaboration is essential to effective working. The group points out that Apple’s valuation doubled during the pandemic, when most corporate employees were working from home. The group has started a petition calling for a more flexible approach, though is not currently revealing the names of signatories for fear of retaliation by HR …...
When beta 1 of iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 dropped earlier this month, based on code findings and wording on Apple’s official feature preview website page, it seemed that the iPad will no longer be a supported device to act as as a HomeKit home hub. However, in a new statement to The Verge, Apple says this isn’t correct. Apple says iPads can continue to be home hubs in iPadOS 16 “with no loss of functionality”....
As a response to recent coverage of software being purged from the App Store, Apple is sharing its criteria for how it chooses to remove abandoned apps. The company is also reiterating that the practice is not new but instead part of an initiative that started six years ago. Developers will also have more time to comply after being notified. Abandoned apps The effort started in September 2016 as part of a greater initiative to revitalize the App Store with daily editorial and clearer policy decisions....
Another Apple supercycle has been predicted, thanks to a growing number of products being bought by those new to the company’s products. A new market intelligence study says that the iPhone 14, Macs, and Apple Watch all saw very large numbers of those buying for the first time … What is a supercycle? Many products experience cycles in demand – higher at some points, lower at others. A supercycle is when demand continues rising, even when the normal cycles would have it falling....
New photos from the floor of San Diego Comic-Con 2018 offer the first glimpse of the completed costumes of Mera and Black Manta from the upcoming Aquaman movie. Although previous photos from the set have offered fans a glimpse of Black Manta’s helmet, the full costume for Aquaman’s most famous enemy had not yet been revealed and has yet to appear in the so-called DC Extended Universe. By contrast, Mera - a warrior princess with the power to move water with her mind - had a brief cameo fighting alongside Aquaman in the Justice League movie....
Aquaman is now the highest-grossing DC movie of all time, dethroning The Dark Knight Rises. Over the last several years, Warner Bros. has been trying to achieve a shared universe based on DC characters that can rival what Marvel Studios has created. They’ve seen success with Wonder Woman, but disappointments with other entries. The studio decided to give James Wan almost complete control over their fish-talking superhero, which Jason Momoa was tasked with bringing to life and changing the perception of what many believed to be a goofy character....
Video game adaptations have had a difficult history in Hollywood, with most missing the mark both critically and financially throughout the years. With just a few more weeks to go before 2016 comes to a close though, fans everywhere are waiting with anxious anticipation to see if the trend of disappointing adaptations might finally be broken with the upcoming Assassin’s Creed. Based on the beloved Ubisoft franchise of the same name, and featuring an all-star cast of actors, it seems like everything is there, on paper at least, to make Assassin’s Creed possibly the first critical success to come out of the entertainment industry’s many attempts at bringing popular gaming titles to the big screen....
A Wrinkle in Time director Ava DuVernay reveals she would not be interested in helming a future Star Wars movie. While Lucasfilm has brought back the galaxy far, far away with three consecutive $1 billion hits, the franchise is not beyond criticism. In the wake of Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss developing their own series of Star Wars films, many bemoaned the fact the movies are predominantly spearheaded by white men....
Typically, studios and filmmakers like to strike when the iron is hot when it comes to developing franchises. James Cameron, however, operates quite differently. His sci-fi/fantasy blockbuster Avatar became the biggest film of all-time back in 2009, earning a whopping $2.7 billion at the worldwide box office and receiving much critical acclaim. The Oscar-winner plans to direct four followups in an ambitious undertaking, but they’re taking a while to come into fruition as Cameron (ever the perfectionist) dedicates time to fine-tuning the scripts with his writing team....
UPDATE: The Avengers 4 trailer has been released. Watch it here! The Avengers 4 trailer release date rumors now indicate it will drop at the end of this week. The anticipation for the first footage from the conclusion to Phase 3 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been high for months, but it has recently grown to become overwhelming. And considering the wait, fans are eager to know when exactly the trailer will debut....
If Batman fans ever wondered what would have changed if Bruce Wayne’s parents had a daughter instead, they now have their answer: an evil version of Aquaman, apparently. That’s the alternate reality set to be explored in BATMAN: THE DROWNED, just one of several comics focused on the nightmares that Bruce Wayne could have become, had his relationships with the rest of the Justice League’s heroes (specifically, their powers) turned from cooperation to competition....
The price change will go into effect for new customers starting February 18, 2022, while current Prime members will have their plans updated after March 25, 2022. For comparison, Apple offers the Apple One individual bundle for $14.95 per month, which gives you access to Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, and 50GB of iCloud storage. The Premier plan with 2TB of iCloud storage, Apple News+, and Apple Fitness+, plus family sharing for up to five additional people, costs $29....
The casting of superhero group The Seven had already been announced, but according to Deadline, Alonso will take the role of Mother’s Milk. The site describes Mother’s Milk as the “second in command of the Boys, he’s is a great detective, highly intelligent and observant and an intuitive investigator.” Known for his role as Detective Billy Soto on procedural comedy The Mysteries of Laura, Alonso also played antagonist Fenix Calderon in 2009’s Fast & Furious and starred as Na’vi warrior Tsu’tey in Avatar....
Chris Miller is teasing that news on the animated Spider-Man movie - cowritten by Miller and Phil Lord - will arrive in two days. Seeing as the project doesn’t have an official title at the moment, it’s just as plausible that the news will involve a title reveal as it will involve actual footage from the animated feature. The animated Spider-Man film features Miles Morales, making it the first Spider-Man film that isn’t focused around Peter Parker....
App Clips were announced in 2020 as a feature of iOS 14, but this year Apple is expanding that feature with some enhancements. With iOS 15, developers will be able to integrate App Clips into websites as a full-screen card that will appear in Safari. For those unfamiliar, an App Clip is a small part of an app that can be accessed without having to download the full version of that app....
Apple released iOS 15.5 in May with enhancements to the Podcasts app, Apple Cash, and overall bug fixes. However, it seems that the update also caused some issues for Apple Books users as the app stopped working for some people after the iOS 15.5 update. It’s unclear at this point how many users have been affected by the bug, but App Store reviews for the Apple Books app corroborate that there are a reasonable number of users experiencing some issues with the app....
Update: Apple reached out and pointed out a support page from September 2021 saying the company intended to offer “important security updates” for iOS and iPadOS 14 users for “a period of time.” While it was once rumored that it could be a bug, Apple told Ars Technica that it didn’t intend to let users stay forever on iOS 14. In fact, the company wanted this to be only a “temporary” option....
Apple has always stood for privacy as a “human right” while the company has never liked the idea of having advertisements on its platforms. But as the App Store is now getting new ad placements, some people have become concerned about how the company’s policies may change. To add more fuel to the fire, developers have discovered that Apple may keep track of everything you tap while browsing the App Store....
