This week, Apple launched its Freeform app for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. Freeform is a collaborative whiteboard app announced earlier this year. It's an infinite canvas-like tool similar to Mural. Freehand, Figjam, and several other tools. The collaborative whiteboard scene is pretty crowded, with many solutions used by consumers and the enterprise. The growth of whiteboard tools reflects collaborative work outside a physical conference room. Freeform, of course, promises seamless integration across Apple's main platforms.

"Freeform opens up endless possibilities for iPhone, iPad, and Mac users to visually collaborate," said Bob Borchers, Apple's vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. "With an infinite canvas, support for uploading a wide range of files, iCloud integration, and collaboration capabilities, Freeform creates a shared space for brainstorming that users can take anywhere."

Bloomberg via Ars Technica

Employees across Apple are working on changes to iOS that would open the iPhone to apps outside Apple's App Store, a report in Bloomberg claims. Citing people familiar with the efforts, the article claims that Apple is attempting to take action by 2024, in response to regulations from the European Union, such as the Digital Markets Act. In fact, the changes could go wide as soon as the release of iOS 17 late next year.

This would mark a dramatic shift from Apple's long-standing position that third-party app stores and sideloading apps from outside the App Store would pose security and privacy risks for iPhone owners. However, Apple is exploring ways to limit users' exposure to potentially malicious apps. For example, the company is discussing the possibility of still requiring outside apps to be "verified" by Apple, with specific security requirements.

Apple announced improved features to secure data using its iCloud services. The most significant feature is the new Advanced Data Protection, which is an opt-in feature that expands end-to-end encryption. This means no one but the encryption key holder can access the data. The encryption keys are generated on the user's device, which means Apple or any third party can't access the data without being granted access by the user.

Apple has been encrypting certain data types stored in iCloud. Apple has expanded the option to now protect iCloud Backup, Notes, and Photos. Data already protected is considered by most as the most sensitive data, like passwords and health data; however, backed-up contents of devices contain an enormous amount of data, with some of it certainly being considered sensitive. Additionally, photos and notes are considered private also.

Apple says it will continue to not provide this level of encryption to iCloud Mail, Contacts, and Calendar to continue providing interoperability with user services.

Advanced Data Protection is expected to be available to U.S. users by the end of the year, with a worldwide rollout beginning in 2023.

Other security announcements include contract verification for iMessage and FaceTime. iMessage Contact Key Verification will provide greater assurance that the device of contact hasn't been compromised. This is likely an edge case for individuals who may be targeted by an advanced persistent threat. iMessage Contact Key Verification is expected to be available in early 2023.

Apple also added support for hardware security keys for Apple ID verification. This is a physical device to perform multi-factor verification. This is an improvement over device verification, where a code is displayed on an authenticated device. A hardware security key requires the person to possess the security device to authenticate. This makes it more difficult to breach and also harder to scam through phishing. Apple didn't provide details on keys, but it appears wired keys that plug into the device's port and wireless NFC keys will be supported. Security keys are expected to roll out in early 2023.

Apple announced a new Apple Music feature called Sing. Apple Music Sing is a karaoke-style feature that automatically adjusts the vocal levels of songs for you to sing along. Apple says it will be available on tens of millions of songs and across iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV. Apple also said there would be 50 dedicated playlists.

Apple Music Sing will over "beat-by-beat" lyrics to follow a song. Controls will allow the user to adjust the song lyric volume to their liking. Apple also says people can sing along as backup singers or as a duet.

Apple Music Sing seems like a fun addition to the music service. Apple Music Sing is expected to be available to Apple Music subscribers worldwide in December.

Coinbase recently announced the removal of the ability to transfer NFTs using the Coinbae Wallet app. Apple's position, apparently, is that it should collect 30% of the network gas fee used to move crypto assets from wallet to wallet. NFTs are purchased and traded peer-to-peer between issuers and owners. At face value, it may seem consistent for Apple to collect its fee for in-app purchases, but Gas fees are charged to perform any blockchain task on the Ethereum network, including moving between two wallets the same person owns.

Coindesk:

"For anyone who understands how NFTs and blockchains work, this is clearly not possible," Coinbase said. "Apple's proprietary In-App Purchase system does not support crypto, so we couldn't comply even if we tried."
The dispute is the latest in a months-long saga between Apple and the NFT community. In October, Apple officially refused to exempt NFT trading from its 30% App Store fee, a policy that has kept marketplaces like OpenSea from offering NFT trading within its mobile app.

Unrest in China has reportedly put severe constraints on some products. Specifically the iPhone 13 and 14 Pro models. A mega factory in Zhengzhou, China, reportedly accounted for 85% of Apple Pro iPhone models. That factory has seen labor disruptions as workers have protested wages and national COVID lockdown protocols.

Apple is reportedly looking at increasing production in India and Vietnam. The transition, though, is challenging as Apple and its Chinese partners have built up current capacity and capabilities during the decade-and-a-half cycles of annual iPhone launches.

The Wall Stree Journal:

The executives referred to what is known as new product introduction, or NPI, when Apple assigns teams to work with contractors in translating its product blueprints and prototypes into a detailed manufacturing plan.

It is the guts of what it takes to actually build hundreds of millions of gadgets, and an area where China, with its concentration of production engineers and suppliers, has excelled.

Apple has told its manufacturing partners that it wants them to start trying to do more of this work outside of China, according to people involved in the discussions. Unless places such as India and Vietnam can do NPI too, they will remain stuck playing second fiddle, say supply-chain specialists. However, the slowing global economy and slowing hiring at Apple have made it hard for the tech giant to allocate personnel for NPI work with new suppliers and new countries, said some of the people in the discussions.

Apple this week announced Apple Podcasts Award. The awards are new recognition for podcasts. Apple has recently been working to promote podcasts on its platforms as competitors like Spotify and Audible compete for podcast content. The premium history podcast Slow Burn from Slate was awarded Podcast of the Year for it's Roe v. Wade season.

Apple today announced the Apple Podcasts Award honoring a Show of the Year and its team for outstanding quality, innovation, and impact. Inspired by the signature app icon, the Apple Podcasts Award represents Apple's decades-long commitment to supporting creators as they share their voices with the world and helping listeners to discover the best podcasts.
The recipient of the Apple Podcasts Award is Slate's critically acclaimed narrative history series, Slow Burn, for its latest season, Roe v. Wade, hosted by Slate executive editor Susan Matthews. Published throughout June 2022, the four-episode season explores the events leading up to the landmark 1973 Supreme Court decision, offering listeners an in-depth perspective on this universal and timely human rights issue.

Yoel Roth recently published an op-ed in the New York Times detailing his experiences with content moderation at Twitter. He stepped down this month. Roth's role was head of trust and safety. One bit noted challenges of complying with Apple's governance in app reviews, which at times can seem arbitrary and capricious.

Apple's guidelines for developers are reasonable and plainly stated: They emphasize creating "a safe experience for users" and stress the importance of protecting children. The guidelines quote Justice Potter Stewart's "I know it when I see it" quip, saying the company will ban apps that are "over the line."

In practice, the enforcement of these rules is fraught.

In my time at Twitter, representatives of the app stores regularly raised concerns about content available on our platform. On one occasion, a member of an app review team contacted Twitter, saying with consternation that he had searched for "#boobs" in the Twitter app and was presented with ... exactly what you'd expect. Another time, on the eve of a major feature release, a reviewer sent screenshots of several days-old tweets containing an English-language racial slur, asking Twitter representatives whether they should be permitted to appear on the service.

Reviewers hint that app approval could be delayed or perhaps even withheld entirely if issues are not resolved to their satisfaction -- although the standards for resolution are often implied. Even as they appear to be driven largely by manual checks and anecdotes, these review procedures have the power to derail company plans and trigger all-hands-on-deck crises for weeks or months at a time.

Apple announced today a redesigned Replay feature for Apple Music. Replay showcases favorite music for the year as a playlist. The 2022 Replay list is still evolving for listeners through the end of December. At that point, a 2023 Replay starts fresh for the coming year.

New in 2022 is a year-end experience complete with expanded listening insights and new functionality, including a completely personalized highlight reel. Users can discover their top songs, top albums, top artists, top genres, and more. Superfans can even discover whether they are in the top 100 listeners of their favorite artist or genre.

The Oceanic+ dive computer app is now available on the App Store. The app is for Apple Watch Ultra models and was promoted for recreational scuba diving during the high-end watch launch.

Today, the Oceanic+ app comes to Apple Watch Ultra, turning Apple's most rugged watch into a fully capable, easy-to-use dive computer. Designed by Huish Outdoors in collaboration with Apple, Oceanic+ enables recreational scuba divers to take the watch they wear every day to previously unreachable depths -- up to 40 meters, or 130 feet, to be exact -- with the all-new depth gauge and water temperature sensors on Apple Watch Ultra.

The Oceanic+ app on Apple Watch Ultra and the companion app for iPhone provide all of the key features of an advanced dive computer, robust dive planning, and a comprehensive post-dive experience.

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