Remember back in March of 2010 when an Apple employee left an iPhone 4 prototype in a bar, and it was subsequently purchased by Gizmodo and revealed to the world? It looks like an Apple employee goofed again, but instead of leaving an iPhone in a bar, this time the employee posted software for the unreleased HomePod on a public server. Not only did that firmware software contain previously unknown details about the HomePod, but it also contains details about an unannounced iPhone — presumably a higher-priced version of the iPhone (iPhone Pro?) that Apple is rumored to release later this year. Jason Snell of Six Colors has more details on what was revealed including the lack of a home button, a bezel-less design, and an infrared face unlock feature. I presume that some Apple employee just made a mistake, but as they say, you cannot unring the bell. Of course, the new revelations raise far more questions than they do answers, so now I’m just anticipating even more the announcement of the next iPhone, which I’m guessing will occur on Sept. 6 or Sept. 12, 2017. And now, the rest of the news of note from the past week:
- California attorney David Sparks discusses the recent leak from Apple about the upcoming iPhone.
- Sparks also compares and contrasts the 10.5″ iPad Pro with the 12.9″ iPad Pro and gives advice for deciding which one to buy. I love my 12.9″ iPad Pro and cannot imagine going back to a smaller size, even though I understand the appeal of a smaller and lighter device.
- A few weeks ago, I discussed the risks of your iPhone being searched when you cross the border to return to the United States. We now have the first ethics opinion to discuss this issue, as reported by Debra Cassens Weiss of the ABA Journal. There’s a lot of interest in this opinion — Formal Opinion 2017-5 of the New York City Bar. For example, the opinion says that if a border agent asks to search an iPhone which contains privileged information, “the attorney first must take reasonable measures to prevent disclosure of confidential information, which would include informing the border agent that the device or files in question contain privileged or confidential materials, requesting that such materials not be searched or copied, asking to speak to a superior officer and making any other lawful requests to protect the confidential information from disclosure. To demonstrate that the device contains attorney-client materials, the attorney should carry proof of bar membership, such as an attorney ID card, when crossing a U.S. border. Finally, if the attorney discloses clients’ confidential information to a third party during a border search, the attorney must inform affected clients about such disclosures pursuant to Rule 1.4.” The opinion also recommends that, in certain cases, a lawyer consider not keeping confidential information locally on the device and instead use secure remote access technology to access confidential information when abroad.
- In an article for Backchannel on Wired, Steven Levy discusses Apple’s efforts to make Cochlear implants (which allow some deaf people to hear for the first time) work with the iPhone.
- If you use the Uber app, I see that you now have an option to tip your driver, and then when the app sends you an email receipt, the tip is indicated on the receipt.
- Rene Ritchie of iMore reports that the Find My Friends app was used to save the life of an injured climber.
- And finally, Apple is about to release the new Carpool Karaoke series. I’ve always enjoyed these segments on the Late Late Show with James Corden, and it is possible that Apple may have a hit on its hands. We’ll see. The first show in the series will feature James Corden and Will Smith, and here is a preview of that episode, and here is a longer preview of the entire series: