Apple Intelligence to Expand to New Languages, the EU, and Vision Pro in April

By John Voorhees

Apple has announced that its personal intelligence system dubbed Apple Intelligence will debut in additional languages in April when iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, and macOS 15.4 are released.

In addition to the currently supported languages, Apple will add French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Chinese (simplified), and localized English for Singapore and India. Developers running the latest betas can start testing their apps in these languages today.

The updates in April will also bring Apple Intelligence features to the iPhone and iPad for EU users and Apple Vision Pro users.

It’s great to see that Apple Intelligence will expand in so many ways soon. For the feature to be widely adopted, localization is important, as is availability in the EU and on as many devices as possible, including the Vision Pro.

Apple to Eliminate Advanced Data Protection for iCloud Accounts in the UK →

Linked By John Voorhees

A couple of weeks ago, I linked to a report from The Washington Post, which said that the UK government has demanded that Apple create a back door to access the encrypted iCloud data of Apple’s customers. Today, instead of creating the access the UK demanded, Apple announced it will remove Advanced Data Protection for its UK customers, which is the feature that allows users to end-to-end encrypt their iCloud data.

In doing so, Apple told 9to5Mac:

Apple can no longer offer Advanced Data Protection (ADP) in the United Kingdom to new users and current UK users will eventually need to disable this security feature. ADP protects iCloud data with end-to-end encryption, which means the data can only be decrypted by the user who owns it, and only on their trusted devices. We are gravely disappointed that the protections provided by ADP will not be available to our customers in the UK given the continuing rise of data breaches and other threats to customer privacy. Enhancing the security of cloud storage with end-to-end encryption is more urgent than ever before. Apple remains committed to offering our users the highest level of security for their personal data and are hopeful that we will be able to do so in the future in the United Kingdom. As we have said many times before, we have never built a backdoor or master key to any of our products or services and we never will.

This is a real shame to see and something I hope doesn’t spread to other countries, but I’m not optimistic that will be the case.

UK users who have enabled Advanced Data Protection will need to disable it to continue using their iCloud accounts. More details on the process and time frame for doing so are expected from Apple soon.

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My Latest Mac Hacks Column: Using Google Gemini with Read-Later and Listen-Later Services for Research →

Linked By John Voorhees

A Google Gemini report on the Sony PlayStation Portable.

Yesterday, I published the latest installment of my Mac Hacks column, an exclusive perk of Club MacStories+ and Club Premier, covering how I use Google Gemini combined with read- and listen-later services to do preliminary research for projects.

What started as a way to reduce distractions when doing research with the help of Google Gemini quickly evolved into something more. As I explain in the conclusion:

The result of this workflow is that I can generate a Gemini report for an ongoing project and then read it at my leisure somewhere other than at my desk, whether I’m using my laptop, an iPad, or an e-ink device. I also have the option of heading out to my local coffee shop for a change of scenery and listening to a report as I walk. On a busy day, it’s a nice way to get some exercise and knock out some research at the same time. That flexibility, combined with fewer up-front distractions, has proven to be a great productivity boost.

Research is a universal task that touches every sort of project. It’s also a place where it’s easy to get bogged down. If you’re interested in streamlining the process, don’t miss the latest Mac Hacks.

Discounts are just one of the many Club MacStories perks.

Mac Hacks is just one of many perks that Club MacStories+ and Club Premier members enjoy, which also include:

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live Discord audio events after Apple events and at other times of the year.

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The Latest from AppStories and Ruminate

By John Voorhees

Enjoy the latest episodes from MacStories’ family of podcasts:

AppStories

This week, Federico and I each pick two apps you may or may not have heard of or considered using and explain why you should give them a try.

On AppStories+, we extend our picks with several more apps we’ve been testing recently.

This episode is sponsored by:

Memberful – Easy-to-Use Reliable Membership Software
Incogni – Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code APPSTORIES with this link and get 60% off an annual plan.

Ruminate

A live snack test, some new task managers, and I bought a 15 year old handheld.

Apple Reveals New iPhone 16e with Face ID and 48MP Camera

By John Voorhees

Source: Apple.

Today, Apple unveiled the iPhone 16e, which replaces the iPhone SE. The new iPhone tracks with the rumors that have been circulating for months, but for those who don’t follow rumors closely, it’s worth running down the specs of Apple’s most affordable iPhone, because the changes are significant.

Let’s start with the design. With this update, the phone moves from an iPhone 8-era look to a style that fits in better with today’s iPhones. Similar to the iPhone 14, which debuted a couple of years ago, the new 16e includes a notch at the top of the screen that houses the front-facing camera and other sensors. The screen has been expanded to 6.1” and switched to Super Retina XDR OLED as well.

The new 16e ditches the Home button for Face ID, which goes a long way toward refreshing its look. The new budget phone doesn’t include the Camera Control like the iPhone 16, but it does feature the Action button, which debuted on the iPhone 15 Pro.

Source: Apple.

Notwithstanding the lack of Camera Control, the new iPhone 16e ushers in a significant upgrade to its camera. The single rear-facing camera now features a 48MP sensor, first introduced in the iPhone 14 Pro. That’s a big step up from the iPhone SE, which only had a 12MP sensor. That camera upgrade will pair nicely for photographers with the 16e’s new USB-C port, which is compatible with a wider range of accessories than Lightning, such as external storage.

The new iPhone 16e is powered by an A18 processor, making it capable of running Apple Intelligence. I’m not sure that’s a huge selling point yet, but the increased processor power and memory headroom should also make the 16e far more capable at tasks like transcoding and editing video, too.

A less welcome change is the 16e’s price, which is significantly more than the discontinued iPhone SE. The SE started at $429, but upgrading to this model will cost you at least $599 with 128GB of storage (twice what the SE offered). The price isn’t surprising considering the many updates included in this generation, but it will make it harder for some consumers to justify the purchase.

Another strange omission is the lack of MagSafe. That not only limits how the device can be charged, but it also rules out a wide variety of third-party accessories.

That said, I’m intrigued by the iPhone 16e and may buy one – not because I need a new phone, but because I want a new camera for shooting multicam video with Final Cut Pro for iPad. It’s such an incredibly efficient workflow for shooting videos for the MacStories YouTube channel that I’ve resorted to using my iPad mini’s 12MP camera alongside my iPhone 16 Pro Max. That has worked reasonably well, but the iPad mini’s camera can’t match my iPhone’s. With the 16e, I’d have a lightweight, highly portable option that’s perfect for my needs. Still, the price and lack of MagSafe are issues that make me hesitate.

The new iPhone 16e will be available for preorder starting February 21, with deliveries and in-store availability beginning Friday, February 28.

The Latest from Comfort Zone, MacStories Unwind, and Magic Rays of Light

By John Voorhees

Enjoy the latest episodes from MacStories’ family of podcasts:

Comfort Zone

Niléane is developing an obsession with remotes, but she swears she’s finally got The One, Chris has found a box that lets him store anything, and another color-based challenge leads to controversy (who saw that coming???).

MacStories Unwind

This week, I take listeners back to the animal kingdom, before Federico and I share a couple of TV recommendations. Plus, I show off a recent dream device acquisition.

Magic Rays of Light

Sigmund and Devon highlight this weekend’s debut of Apple Original film The Gorge starring Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy, discuss Sigmund’s experience of working with Vision Pro on a real TV set, and share their thoughts on the Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show headlined by Kendrick Lamar.

Netflix Appears to Be Rolling Out Apple TV App Integration in the U.S.→

Linked By John Voorhees

Source: FlatpanelsHD.

Update: A spokesperson for Netflix has told The Verge that the integration with the Apple TV app’s Watchlist and Continue Watching features was a mistake and is being reversed. Perhaps the reaction to the change will cause Netflix to reconsider its refusal to participate in the TV app, but I wouldn’t hold your breath waiting for that to happen.

FlatpanelsHD has discovered that Netflix, long a holdout that was unavailable in Apple’s TV app, is beginning to prompt users to add the service to the TV app:

Today, FlatpanelsHD received a prompt on Apple TV 4K to integrate Netflix into the Apple TV app, as shown at the bottom. After accepting, Netflix content appeared in the Continue Watching queue and Watchlist within the Apple TV app, as seen below.

FlatpanelsHD says the feature is currently limited to Netflix Originals programming and users who are also U.S. account holders.

I’ve looked for this myself and haven’t seen it yet, but it may just be that the rollout is happening gradually. As of publication, I haven’t seen an update to the Netflix app (though the update may be a server-side change) and as 9to5Mac points out, Apple’s list of apps that support Watchlist hasn’t been updated in almost one year. So, it’s possible that after more people have the new feature, we’ll see an official announcement from Apple and/or Netflix.

This is great news, although my enthusiasm is tempered by the reported limitations. I hope the feature extends beyond Netflix Originals and to other countries. Still, for a lot of people I’m sure the only service they use that isn’t in the TV app is Netflix, so any integration after all these years is better than none. I know I’ll be checking my Apple TV throughout the day to try this myself.

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Apple’s Tim Cook Teases February 19th Event on X

By John Voorhees

Next Wednesday, Apple is holding a launch event for what Tim Cook described on X as ‘the newest member of the family.’ The cryptic post is accompanied by a short video of a shimmery Apple logo framed by a circle with a rainbow border.

Quoting Cook’s post on X, Mark Gurman of Bloomberg says the event will feature an updated iPhone SE.

Apple Resumes Advertising on X

By John Voorhees

Yesterday, it was reported that Apple had resumed advertising on X (formerly Twitter). The company ceased advertising on the site without comment in November 2023, but earlier this week, ads for a Safari privacy feature and the Apple TV+ show Severance began appearing on X. Apple has not commented on why the change was made.

Apple’s relationship with X has been rocky since Elon Musk took over in October 2022. That fall, it was reported that Apple significantly decreased its advertising on the social media platform. That was seemingly corroborated by Musk himself, who said in November 2022 that Apple had ended most of its advertising and threatened to remove X from the App Store. Musk and Tim Cook then met at Apple Park, and they seemingly resolved the rift for about a year.

In the following months, reports surfaced indicating an increase in hate speech on X. In what may be Apple’s only public statement about its advertising relationship with the social media company, Tim Cook told CBS News in September 2023 that Apple was constantly assessing its advertising on X. Then in November, after Musk endorsed an antisemitic post on X, Apple stopped advertising on the platform, though it never explained why.

Last month, The Wall Street Journal reported that Apple was considering resuming its advertising on X. It has now done so, joining many other major brands.

Apple hasn’t explained the reason for the change, which comes hard on the heels of a report of significant increases in hate speech on X during Musk’s tenure. This has led to speculation that the move is an attempt to appease Musk, who has assumed an unprecedented and unelected position of power in the Trump administration. Whatever the reason, though, it’s not a good look for Apple.