Gurman on New MacBook Pros

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Mark Gurman, writing at Bloomberg:

The new top-of-the-line MacBook Pros will be slightly thinner than
the current models but are not tapered like the MacBook Air and
latest 12-inch MacBook, one of the people said. The new MacBook
Pros have a smaller footprint than current models and the casing
has shallower curves around the edges. The pressure-sensitive
trackpad is also slightly wider, the person added.

Interesting. I was expecting a tapered design.

The new computers have been in advanced testing within Apple since
earlier this year, said one of the people, who didn’t want to be
identified discussing products before their release. The MacBook
Pros aren’t likely to debut at an event currently scheduled for
Sept. 7 to introduce next-generation versions of the iPhone,
according to one of the people. Apple spokesman Bill Evans
declined to comment.

Interesting. I definitely expected them to be announced at the September event, even if they’re not available for sale until late October or early November. That’s what Apple did with the iPad Pro last year. If they’re not announced at the September 7 event, when will they be announced? They could do a smaller event in October, but I was told last year that Apple no longer wanted to do that.

New MacBook Pros are reportedly on deck, but not in September

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Everyone knows the MacBook Pro has languished. Apple has focused less on its portable option for power users in recent years and more on iPads, of which there are now two Pro models. But many, many people still rely on the MacBook Pro to get work done, and after more than four years without a major overhaul, Apple is reportedly gearing up to surprise us all with a huge upgrade.

We’ve heard this before. Back in May, rumors swirled that Apple was slimming down the 13- and 15-inch Pro models while also planning to add a touchscreen panel to the keyboard. That panel would replace the current strip of physical function keys and make the MacBook more responsive and interactive, since the function keys could change depending on the app you’re using.

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Bloomberg: Apple said to be testing new MacBook Pro

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Mark Gurman:

The updated notebooks will be thinner, include a touch screen strip for function keys, and will be offered with more powerful and efficient graphics processors for expert users such as video gamers, said the people, who asked not to be named.

The new computers have been in advanced testing within Apple since earlier this year, said one of the people, who didn’t want to be identified discussing products before their release. The MacBook Pros aren’t likely to debut at an event currently scheduled for Sept. 7 to introduce next-generation versions of the iPhone, according to one of the people.

And:

The most significant addition to the new MacBook Pro is a secondary display above the keyboard that replaces the standard function key row. Instead of physical keys, a strip-like screen will present functions on an as-needed basis that fit the current task or application. The smaller display will use Organic Light-Emitting Diodes, a thinner, lighter and sharper screen technology, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said earlier this year.

Apple’s goal with the dedicated function display is to simplify keyboard shortcuts traditionally used by experienced users. The panel will theoretically display media playback controls when iTunes is open, while it could display editing commands like cut and paste during word processing tasks, the people said. The display also allows Apple to add new buttons via software updates rather than through more expensive, slower hardware refreshes.

You had me at new MacBook Pro.

∞ Read this on The Loop

Apple details iOS security at Black Hat conference

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Apple engineer Ivan Krstić spoke on far more than Apple’s new bug bounty program at the Black Hat security conference, and delved into the inner workings of iOS hardware and software security features both in iOS 9 and the forthcoming iOS 10.

Security is such an important issue these days. It’s a great move for Apple to speak publicly about what they are doing to make its products secure.

∞ Read this on The Loop

Inside Tim Cook’s Apple

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Rick Tetzeli has published a wide-ranging interview with Tim Cook, Craig Federighi and Eddy Cue.

At the heart of the article is the concern that Apple is stretching too thin, moving far beyond it’s old scope of projects and products:

Steve Jobs had been the company’s editor, proud of saying no to features, products, business ideas, and new hires far more often than he said yes. Apple’s seemingly diffuse product line reinforces the argument that Cook is not as rigorous. (The fear has a worrisome precedent: During the early and mid-1990s, Apple’s product line was a mess of marketing-inspired offerings, and both its reputation as a unique manufacturer and its business suffered.)

I don’t know if Apple’s doing too many things or not, but I think it’s worth keeping in mind that the company isn’t led by the bozos that ran it in the 1990s. Tim and company know what they’re doing.