House is a “Main Challenge” for Apple, Apple leads on smartphone sustainability, and sticking the 12 months of the rabbit in your ear.
Experiences Put Issues with Dwelling Structure on ‘Main Points’ Checklist
Apple’s Dwelling structure downside has apparently gone big-time. I informed you about this difficulty final week. In response to a report from iDownloadBlog, Apple rebuilt the Dwelling app in iOS 16.2 as a part of the smart-home software’s transition to the Matter smart-home connectivity customary. When the app was first opened in iOS 16.2, customers noticed “a banner or splash display screen providing to improve their good house.”
For some individuals, there was no downside. For others, there have been error messages, bother with sharing choices, units that would now not talk, and extra. And, it appears, it hasn’t gotten any higher. A report from The Mac Observer lists a number of extra points affecting effected customers, together with:
- HomeKit units getting caught in an “updating” or “configuring” standing.
- HomeKit units disappearing from the Dwelling app fully.
- HomeKit Safe Video not working.
- Invites to share a Dwelling with different customers failing.
Whereas it appears like a serious difficulty for some, “main difficulty” is definitely a factor. Like — a class of points for Apple. In response to The Mac Observer:
…experiences point out that Apple has added the Dwelling app replace to an inner database of main points, a uncommon transfer for a software-related downside. This listing, which is utilized by Apple, Apple Shops, and approved service suppliers, usually solely consists of widespread points confronted by prospects, primarily {hardware} issues.
“Apple has offered directions for working round a number of the points,” in accordance with TMO. No phrase on when (or how) Apple will supply a extra full repair.
Counterpoint Analysis: Apple and Samsung Lead in Smartphone Sustainability
Each smartphone on the market will attain “finish of life” in some unspecified time in the future. Which smartphone maker does the perfect job driving towards sustainability? The reply is not going to shock you. A brand new report from Counterpoint Analysis exhibits Apple main by a protracted shot, Samsung a decent second, and all people else sort of stinking up the sustainability joint.
The report, “Smartphones and Round Financial system: Making a Sustainable Future,” lists three main phases of a smartphone’s life:
- Manufacturing
- Utilization
- Finish of Life
Manufacturing is the most important of the three, in accordance with the agency, with making the telephones accounting for 80% of a tool’s carbon footprint. Counterpoint sings the praises of Apple, Samsung, and OPPO on the manufacturing facet, pointing to the employment of “eco-friendly elements” over “newly sourced supplies.” In addition they spotlight water saving measures within the manufacturing course of and the normalization of “biodegradable and eco-friendly packaging…”
Utilization is sort of a humorous class the place sustainability is anxious. Within the identify of high quality, producers need to make their units power environment friendly and long-lasting. On the similar time, they’d wish to push individuals alongside to upgrading. However who’s gonna wanna improve if the telephone’s a chunk of crap? Counterpoint appears to see this class as a tug of conflict between Apple and Samsung. In response to the agency:
Whereas Apple scores excessive on general longevity, updates, and improvements towards sustainability, Samsung scores increased in restore, power effectivity and after-sales networks. Ultimately, it is determined by how lengthy a shopper chooses to make use of a tool.
The definition of “your mileage might differ.”
As for Finish of Life, Apple and Samsung units fare finest, although that appears to have little to do with the businesses themselves. I imply they do play a big half, in that they make telephones that individuals are pleased to purchase used and use. However, whereas these corporations lead within the renew/reuse area, Counterpoint says, “many of the reclaiming and refurbishing is finished by the opposite gamers within the secondary ecosystem.”
For all the main gamers, Counterpoint thinks the total smartphone lifecycle is one thing all of them want to think about very rigorously. Whereas the telephone makers have already got reputations for his or her units, the analysis agency says “their sustainability initiatives will both make or break their notion within the years to return.”
Taiwanese TSMC Plant Begins Mass Manufacturing of 3nm Processors
From a take a look at holding previous telephones alive, to the processors powering the telephones of tomorrow — A bit from Bloomberg (through Yahoo! Information) says TSMC ended the previous 12 months by beginning mass manufacturing of 3nm processors, whereas making such processors appear previous already.
Probably not. 3nm is at the moment the state-of-the-art in processor know-how. And but, the piece says:
On Thursday, TSMC Chairman Mark Liu expressed confidence within the longer-term outlook for chip demand and promised to construct future generations of 2nm chips within the Taiwanese cities of Hsinchu and Taichung.
Effectively now the 3nm processor I don’t even have but feels cumbersome and dumb.
The brand new facility is located in southern Taiwan, in accordance with Bloomberg. Whereas the corporate has pledged to supply 3nm processors right here within the states, it’ll be a number of earlier than that occurs. TSMC’s 4nm processor plant in Arizona is anticipated to go reside someday in 2024. A 3nm plant is deliberate for Arizona as nicely, although Bloomberg says that one isn’t anticipated to go reside till someday in 2026.
Apple Honors Pelé on Brazilian Homepage
Little question you’ve heard that Pelé died final week. Even when you’re not a lot of a soccer fan — and I’ve to say, I’m not large on the game — when you got here of age within the 60s, 70s, or 80s, you’ve gotten some thought who the person was.
He was, in a long time previous, soccer’s largest star. A bit from 9to5Mac says he “received three World Cups with Brazil [his home country],” and plenty of different titles. “However greater than that,” the piece says, “Pelé was identified for being an envoy in opposition to racism and for supporting organizations to combat poverty.”
To supply one other illustration of the person’s stature, when he died final week, Apple changed the standard iPhones, Macs, and so-on on its Brazilian website with “an emoji of a soccer ball with a crown on it as a tribute to Pelé.” It additionally darkened the often white background for the positioning. It’s the sort of factor Apple has executed for the likes of John Lewis, Nelson Mandela, Queen Elizabeth II, and — in fact — Apple cofounder Steve Jobs, once more — illustrating the person’s stature.
Indications are that he died from “a number of organ failures on account of colon most cancers.” He was 82-years-old.
Apple Outs ‘Yr of the Rabbit’ AirPods Professional 2 for Chinese language Area
Lastly at this time, the 12 months of the rabbit attracts nigh, and Apple has particular version devices with which to have fun. I informed you final week of the 30,000 rabbit AirTags being made accessible in Japan. Now, a chunk from MacRumors says the Cupertino-company is promoting limited-edition, 12 months of the rabbit, second-generation AirPods Professional in and round China. In response to the piece:
The limited-edition AirPods Professional have a specially-designed rabbit engraving on the wi-fi charging case, with a bigger model of the graphic printed in pink on the field they arrive in…
In any other case, they’re regular AirPods Professional “2,” delivery with the standard performance and the standard value. They’re accessible now in Apple retail shops and Apple’s on-line retailer in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau. Lunar New Yr begins this 12 months on 22 January. No phrase within the piece on how lengthy the special-edition AirPods Professional shall be accessible.
Immediately on The Mac Observer’s Each day Observations Podcast
TMO Managing Editor Jeff Butts and I are kicking round iPhone 14 Professional and Professional Max availability. Plus: Apple missed a said deadline and an anticipated deadline in 2022. We’ll speak classical music and the Apple Silicon Mac Professional on the Each day Observations Podcast from The Mac Observer.