Today the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple that relates to an enhanced automotive passive entry system. The patent makes no mention that it applies to autonomous vehicles which is interesting. The system could use an iPhone, Apple Watch or other wearable device to lock and unlock vehicles doors, open the trunk, start the vehicle and may support an in-vehicle wireless charging system for Apple devices and more.

Today the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple that relates to Apple's TrueDepth camera. The invention filed in April 2018 would suggest that the patent advances the TrueDepth camera. The patent filing introduces the use of two groups of VCSEL diodes to implement a zoom function in depth mapping system.

Apple will release a new MacBook Air at the end of the third quarter, according to Taiwanese research firm TrendForce. That lines up with either September or October, depending on how the wording is interpreted.

TrendForce also refers to a new MacBook Pro in future tense, but it is surely referring to the models released in July, when the third quarter began:The second quarter was the transition period when Apple was preparing for the releases of the upcoming new MacBook devices for the year. TrendForce therefore expects MacBook shipments to again post a large QoQ increase in 3Q18, as Apple will be releasing a new MacBook Pro at the start of the quarter and a new MacBook Air at the end of the quarter.The report does not provide additional details, but both Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and...

Berkshire Hathaway and Soros Fund Management have made big investments in AAPL after Apple becomes the first U.S. company to cross the 1 trillion dollar ...

Before every new iPhone release, we're often inundated with rumors, part leaks, mockups, and dummy models, giving us a clear picture of what to expect when the new devices come out.

This year is no exception, and we've managed to get our hands on dummy models that are said to resemble the rumored 6.1-inch and 6.5-inch iPhones that are coming in 2018, both of which offer up a look at the sizes and designs we can expect from the 2018 iPhone lineup.

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Apple's 2018 iPhone lineup, like the 2017 lineup, will include three phones, but the lineup's composition is unlike anything we've seen before. Apple is planning to introduce a 5.8-inch OLED iPhone that's a follow up to the iPhone X, a 6.5-inch OLED iPhone that can be thought of as an "iPhone X Plus," and a 6.1-inch LCD iPhone that's going to have a much lower price tag than...

There's a thriving market for unofficial, aftermarket iPhone parts, and in China, there are entire massive factories that are dedicated to producing these components for repair shops unable to get ahold of parts that have been produced by Apple.

The entire Apple device repair ecosystem is fascinating, complex, and oftentimes confusing to consumers given the disconnect between Apple, Apple Authorized Service Providers, third-party factories, and independent repair shops, so we thought we'd delve into the complicated world of Apple repairs.

The Aftermarket Factories

Our exploration of the repair ecosystem was inspired by a video sent to us by a trusted source that MacRumors has worked with in the past, who captured footage inside one of the many facilities in China that are dedicated to creating aftermarket iPhone parts.

This is a small scale operation where workers appear to be creating an aftermarket touch screen digitizer for the iPhone,...

At its iPhone X event last September, Apple previewed a new wireless charging case for AirPods, for use with its upcoming AirPower charging mat. The new case looks similar to the current version, which charges via Lightning cable, but it has a built-in induction coil that also enables wireless charging.

Conveniently, it appears that the AirPower won't be the only way to wirelessly charge AirPods placed in the new case.

Chinese publication Chongdiantou, citing unnamed sources within Apple's supply chain, claims that the wireless AirPods case supports the Wireless Power Consortium's universal Qi standard, implying that it will be compatible with any Qi-certified charging mat from companies beyond Apple.

This would differ from the Apple Watch, which uses a modified version of the Qi standard that only...

HomePod shipments totaled an estimated 700,000 units in the second quarter of 2018, giving Apple a roughly six percent share of the worldwide smart speaker market, according to research firm Strategy Analytics.

Strategy Analytics previously estimated HomePod shipments totaled 600,000 units in the first quarter of 2018, suggesting that worldwide shipments have reached 1.3 million units since the speaker became available to order in the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom in late January.

That figure is much lower than one shared by research firm Consumer Intelligence Research Partners, which recently estimated Apple has sold three million HomePods in the United...

According to a new TrendForce report, Apple plans to introduce three new iPhone models later this year with an interesting revelation

Apple introduced the iOS 12 Group FaceTime feature at their annual WWDC event in June and we're now learning that it is being delayed until later this year and miss the iPhone launch next month.

Some Google apps on iOS and Android devices continue to store location history even with the setting disabled, according to a new AP report citing data collected by computer science researchers at Princeton.

Location History, a feature available in Google apps like Google Maps, is an option that allows the app to display the locations that you've visited in a timeline. Princeton researcher Gunnar Acar turned off the Location History option in his Google account, but his devices continued to record the locations he had visited.

Data collected from a Princeton researcher on an Android phone with Location History disabled

It appears that even with Location History paused, some Google apps are ignoring the setting and continue to store time-stamped location data, due to confusing data collection policies that allow other app features to also store location information.For...

Apple today removed Group FaceTime from the latest iOS 12 and macOS Mojave betas, which were released this morning, and has instead decided to release the feature at a later date.

One of the key features of iOS 12 and macOS Mojave, Group FaceTime is designed to allow up to 32 people to chat together at one time via FaceTime audio or FaceTime video.

The feature has been available in iOS 12 and macOS Mojave since the first betas became available in June, and it's not clear why Apple has decided to push the feature back to a later date. Group FaceTime worked well in our testing, but we also did not push the limits with a large group of people.

In release notes for both macOS Mojave and iOS 12, Apple says the feature has been removed from the initial releases of macOS Mojave...

Apple today seeded the seventh beta of an upcoming macOS Mojave update to developers for testing purposes, one week after releasing the sixth beta and more than two months after introducing the software at the Worldwide Developers Conference.

macOS Mojave introduces a new method of installing software updates, so after you've installed the initial beta using the appropriate profile from the Developer Center, additional betas can be downloaded through opening up System Preferences and choosing the "Software Update" icon.

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Apple's macOS Mojave update introduces a systemwide Dark Mode, with Mojave users able to choose between a light theme or the new dark theme, which changes the color of the dock, menu bar, apps, and other...

In a surprising revelation found in a supply chain this morning we learng that Apple supplier Quanta has been an order for new MacBooks that are ...

Apple has successfully completed certification of key component suppliers for its widely rumored trio of 2018 iPhones, expected to be announced in September, according to Taiwanese publication Economic Daily News.

2018 iPhone imitation models via Marques Brownlee/MKBHD

The report claims that these suppliers have begun shipping large quantities of camera lenses, metal chassis, and other components to larger manufacturers, including Foxconn, which is expected to assemble the majority of 2018 iPhones, according to Taiwanese research firm Fubon Securities.

In particular, Fubon Securities said Foxconn will assemble...

Taiwanese manufacturer Quanta will fulfill orders for new "inexpensive notebooks" from Apple in the fourth quarter of 2018, according to DigiTimes, suggesting they could be released in September or October.

The report does not provide additional information about the notebooks, but two reliable sources in Bloomberg News reporter Mark Gurman and TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo both expect Apple to unveil at least one all-new, lower-priced notebook of some kind later this year.

It's unclear if the new notebook will be branded as a MacBook, MacBook Air, or otherwise. DigiTimes previously reported it will be a 13-inch model with a...

Samsung today uploaded new ads in its ongoing "Ingenius" series that makes fun of the Apple Genius Bar and pits the iPhone X against Samsung's Galaxy devices.

In the first ad, called "Power," a customer tells the "genius" that the Galaxy Note is "really powerful." "You know what I think is powerful?" the genius replies. "Being able to unlock your phone with your face." "It does that too," the customer replies.

The genius bar then points out that on iOS 12, you can FaceTime up to 32 people. "Why would I ever want to do that though?" asks the customer.

In the second ad, entitled "Pen," a customer comes into the "ingenius bar" and asks about the difference between the Apple Pencil and the S Pen that comes with the Galaxy Note 9. "Well, the Apple Pencil only works on the iPad," says the genius. "Okay, so what can I use on my phone?" asks the customer. "Uh... your finger?" replies the genius.

Samsung's newest ads in the "Ingenius" series are promoting the...

Corning introduced Gorilla Glass 6 along with Gorilla Glass DX and DX+ on July 18th. The new glass is made with all new glass composite features such as an antireflective property that vastly improves optical clarity and superior scratch resistance and more. Yesterday Samsung was first to adopt Corning's DX+ for their updated Galaxy Watch.

Beyond the major stories of the day, our 'At the End of the Day' report takes a final look around the blogosphere at other technology news that was published today that might be of interest to our readership. Our byline gives you a peak at what our report covers today

Apple gave a straight to series order for a half-hour scripted comedy show created by Rob McElhenney and Charlie Day, reports Variety. The show is said to be set in a video game development studio.

Rob McElhenney and Charlie Day are best known for popular comedy show "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," which the duo have starred in since 2005 alongside Glenn Howerton, Kaitlin Olson, and Danny DeVito.

McElhenney and Day will write and executive produce the series, and McElhenney is set to be one of the show's stars.

Apple has inked deals for more than a dozen TV shows, including several other comedy shows. A "You Think It, I'll Say It" TV show based on Curtis Sittenfield's short story collection is in development, as is "Central Park," an animated series developed by Loren Bouchard.

A full list of all of the TV shows that Apple has in...

An estimated 31 percent of iPhone users have made a purchase with Apple Pay in the past year, up from 25 percent a year ago, according to a new Apple Pay estimates shared today by Loup Ventures analyst Gene Munster.

Apple Pay now has an estimated 252 million users, equating to 31 percent of the active installed iPhone base, according to Munster.

Apple does not provide official details on how many people use Apple Pay, but in a recent earnings call, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that there were upwards of 1 billion Apple Pay transactions in Q3 2018, triple the amount from a year ago.

Based on these figures combined with past Apple reports of yearly Apple Pay growth, Munster expects transaction growth of 200 percent over the course of the next 12 months.

Bank adoption of Apple Pay is also growing...

Samsung this morning debuted its latest flagship smartphone, the new Galaxy Note 9. The Galaxy Note 9 is equipped with a 6.4-inch 2960 by 1400 Super AMOLED screen, and like previous Note models, it works with the S Pen stylus. Design wise, it looks quite similar to the Note 8.

Inside, the Galaxy Note 9 features Qualcomm's Snapdragon 845 processor, 6 to 8GB RAM, dual AKG speakers, and a 4,000 mAh battery. Samsung is using the same 12-megapixel dual-aperture camera system it used in the Note 8, with the addition of an Intelligent Camera function that's able to detect what you're taking a photo of.

Samsung says that with the Snapdragon 845, it has included "Water Carbon Cooling System" inside the phone for improved performance with processor intensive apps such as Fortnite.

The S Pen that comes with the Galaxy Note 9 introduces new Bluetooth-enabled features that allow it to be used to control the...

Earlier today Patently Apple posted a patent report titled "Apple invents a new Approach to Touch ID by using Multiple Cameras under the Display to capture 3D Fingerprint Data." The timing of that patent was just right as a second patent published today covers the possible introduction of the iPhone acting as your future e-Passport that clearly points to fingerprint ID as a major part of such a system that also may include voice and facial recognition and other biometric measures.

It's been rumored for some time now that Samsung may introduce ultrasonic fingerprint ID under the display as soon as the Galaxy S10 that will be released later today in a special Samsung event in New York. In an Apple patent that surfaced back in October 2017 we learned that Apple was considering moving Touch ID to under the display and away from the Home Button. In a separate filing we learned that Apple was likewise considering the use of ultrasonic biometric sensing to achieve that goal. Today the US Patent & Trademark Office published yet another patent application from Apple that advances their work of tweaking Touch ID to work with multiple cameras that are capable of capturing a 3D image of the fingerprint.

Verizon and Apple today announced a new partnership which will see Verizon Unlimited customers able to sign up to receive six months of Apple Music for free.

Starting on Thursday, August 16, both new and existing customers who have one of Verizon's Unlimited wireless plans can access a special offer for six months of Apple Music at no cost. Following this period, the subscription will be priced at $9.99 per month, the standard cost for an Apple Music subscription.

This is available to both new and existing Apple Music subscribers. According to Verizon, current Apple Music subscribers will get the same six months of free service as new subscribers, but will be required to cancel and reactivate their Apple Music subscriptions.

Verizon says that once registered, its VZW Unlimited customers will have full access to Apple Music on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV, Mac, HomePod, CarPlay, PC, and Android devices."This first-of-its-kind offer is just the first...

A Bloomberg report posted today by Sarah Frier titled "Is Apple Really Your Privacy Hero?" mercilessly hammers Apple for this contradiction if not outright hypocrisy.

A new analytical report published today shows Apple's iPhone is stuck at 5% in Vietnam with Xiaomi and Huawei dramatically catching up with them.

On July 10th Patently Apple posted a report titled "House Republicans Query Google and Apple on Privacy and Audio Recordings triggered by 'Okay Google' and 'Hey Siri.'" The report noted that the chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, Greg Walden, along with three other senior Republicans on the panel, had written Apple and Google 'to probe the companies' representation of third-party access to consumer data, and the collection and use of audio recording data as well as location information via iPhone and Android devices." Today we've learned in-part what Apple said to lawmakers in a letter.

Last month, the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce sent letters to Apple and Google parent company Alphabet with 16 multi-part questions about how the companies handle customer data.

Apple has since responded to the letter, reiterating the company's belief that "privacy is a fundamental human right" and that it purposely designs its products and services to minimize its collection of customer data.

Timothy Powderly, Director of Federal Government Affairs at Apple, responded on behalf of Apple CEO Tim Cook:Dear Mr. Chairman:

Thank you for your inquiry regarding the capabilities of Apple iPhone devices. Not all technology companies operate in the same manner— in fact, the business models and data collection and use practices are often radically different from one another. Apple’s philosophy and approach to customer data differs from many other companies on...

Apple has secured the rights to create a new TV series based on Min Jin Lee's bestselling 2017 novel "Pachinko," reports Variety.

"Pachinko," a National Book Award finalist, chronicles the lives of four generations of a poor Korean immigrant family as they migrate to and establish a life in Japan.

The story begins in 1911 with the birth of Sunja, who becomes involved with a married yakuza, falling pregnant and facing ruin in her small village. The town's minister offers her a new life in Japan as his wife, where she is alone, lost, and unable to speak the language. The book then follows the Sunja's family through eight decades and four generations.

The TV adaptation of "Pachinko" will be written and produced by Soo Hugh, who will also serve as showrunner. Hugh has previously worked on "The Terror," "The Whispers," "Under the Dome," and "The Killing."

"...

Back in March 2014 Patently Apple posted a report titled "European Parliament Rules Apple must use the Micro-USB Standard Port for European iDevices by 2017." Even though the EU's ruling passed 550 votes to 12 in 2014, we're learning today that the EU Commission led by Margrethe Vestager will once again study the issue due to a "lack of progress by phone makers towards this goal." Of course we all know that's code for the EU Commission preparing to fine Apple should USB-C not coming to iDevices in a timely manner.

On Saturday Patently Apple posted a report titled "All TSMC Plants were hit by an Unknown Computer Virus which temporarily shut down Production." Naturally at the time of the initial reports there were no real assessments provided of the potential damage or possible production delays. While TSMC's new CEO CC Wei held a press conference late yesterday to clarify the matter, there was absolutely no mention of a delay for Apple iPhones to kill off potential fake news to upset the market.

Google's latest Android operating system update, Android 9 Pie, was officially released to customers today following a beta testing period that started earlier this year.

Android Pie introduces a new gesture-based system interface that's similar to the interface of the iPhone X, with iPhone-like swipes for navigating through the operating system. We went hands-on with Android Pie earlier this year when it was in a beta testing phase.

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The new update also introduces the Android Dashboard, designed to tell you how much time you're spending on your...

Apple today seeded the sixth beta of an upcoming macOS Mojave update to developers for testing purposes, one week after releasing the fifth beta and two months after introducing the software at the Worldwide Developers Conference.

macOS Mojave introduces a new method of installing software updates, so after you've installed the first beta using the appropriate profile from the Developer Center, additional betas can be downloaded through opening up System Preferences and choosing the "Software Update" icon.

Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.

Apple's macOS Mojave update introduces a systemwide Dark Mode, with Mojave users able to choose between a light theme or the new dark theme, which changes the color of the dock, menu bar, apps, and other elements. Dark...

Apple is in India for the long haul, even if it looks like they're not taking India very seriously on paper at the moment. One of Bloomberg's latest reports rubs it an Apple's face that they've been completely irrelevant in India and after years of being in that country only holds a lowly 1% of the market. It's a myopic view of Apple in India and in the bigger picture is relevant.

Yesterday Patently Apple posted a design patent for the iPhone 8 Plus model and today's report covers design patents for the iPhone 8 (the single camera model), the iPhone X leather folio and a trademark filing discovered in Hong Kong, China.

Rumors have suggested Apple is planning to introduce dual-SIM dual standby functionality in some 2018 iPhone models, which would allow two SIM cards to be used at once, but it appears this functionality could perhaps be limited to China.

According to a new report from Taiwanese site Economic Daily News [Google Translate], a Foxconn source has suggested the dual-SIM dual standby feature will available in a version of the 6.1-inch low-cost LCD iPhone that's "a unique model for China."

Dummy models depicting design of Apple's three rumored 2018 iPhones

Production on the new iPhones slated for a September debut is well underway, with Foxconn employees suggesting Apple is producing four unique model numbers (801, 802...

Apple today added banners to the App Store and iTunes Store on Mac and iOS devices allowing Apple customers to donate to the American Red Cross to support those who have been affected by the fires that have devastated Northern California.

Impacting Shasta County and the town of Redding, the Carr Fire has become the sixth most destructive fire in California's history, ripping through more than 125,000 acres and destroying or damaging over 1,500 homes and buildings. Other smaller fires, such as the Ferguson Fire near Yosemite National Park, are also raging in California due to the hot, dry weather.

The Carr Fire started on July 23 after a car caught fire on California State Route 299. Six people have been killed, including two firefighters. The fire is 39 percent contained at this point, but...

Beyond the major stories of the day, our 'At the End of the Day' report takes a final look around the blogosphere at other technology news that was published today that might be of interest to our readership.