Month: November 2023

Apple VP Lisa Jackson named to TIME100 Climate list

CompuScoop Staff November 16, 2023 4

Lisa Jackson, Apple’s Vice President of Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives, has been named to TIME Magazine’s TIME100 Climate list of the “Most Influential Climate Leaders in Business for 2023.”

What is the single most important action you think the public, or a specific company or government, needs to take in the next year to advance the climate agenda?

Businesses can lead climate progress by cutting greenhouse gas emissions across the value chain—as much and as fast as we can. We’re approaching our Apple 2030 goal to make every product carbon neutral by reducing emissions from their three biggest sources: electricity, materials, and transportation.

What is a climate technology that isn’t getting the attention or funding it deserves?

Drastic emissions reductions are possible with today’s solutions — for our carbon neutral Apple Watch, we’ve reduced its emissions by a massive 78%. But there are emissions that simply can’t be avoided with today’s available solutions. One big example is transportation—there just aren’t technologies available at scale that can zero-out emissions from business travel, commute, or shipping. Ramped up innovation and investment can break through those technical and commercial barriers.

What’s the most important climate legislation that could pass in the next year?

We were glad to see the Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act become law in California this year. It requires companies to model, measure, and report on their greenhouse gas emissions across all scopes—something Apple has been doing for the last decade.

Via: TIME Magazine

[Update]:  Apple extends Emergency SOS via satellite for an additional free year for existing iPhone 14 users

Apple Inc November 15, 2023 3

Apple extends Emergency SOS via satellite for an additional free year for existing iPhone 14 users

Since its launch a year ago, this groundbreaking service has made a significant impact around the world

One year ago today, Apple’s groundbreaking safety service Emergency SOS via satellite became available on all iPhone 14 models in the U.S. and Canada. Now also available on the iPhone 15 lineup in 16 countries and regions, this innovative technology — which enables users to text with emergency services while outside of cellular and Wi-Fi coverage — has already made a significant impact, contributing to many lives being saved. Apple today announced it is extending free access to Emergency SOS via satellite for an additional year for existing iPhone 14 users.¹

“Emergency SOS via satellite has helped save lives around the world. From a man who was rescued after his car plummeted over a 400-foot cliff in Los Angeles, to lost hikers found in the Apennine Mountains in Italy, we continue to hear stories of our customers being able to connect with emergency responders when they otherwise wouldn’t have been able to,” said Kaiann Drance, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide iPhone Product Marketing. “We are so happy iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 users can take advantage of this groundbreaking service for two more years for free.”

Building on this satellite infrastructure, Apple recently introduced Roadside Assistance via satellite to connect users to AAA if they have car trouble while outside of cellular and Wi-Fi coverage.²Other safety capabilities that can provide assistance when it matters most include:

Users can open the Find My app and share their location via satellite to reassure friends and family of their whereabouts while traveling off the grid.
Crash Detection can detect a severe car crash and automatically dial emergency services if a user is unconscious or unable to reach their iPhone.
Check In allows users to automatically notify friends and family when they have made it to their destination safely.³
Users can set up their Medical ID in the Health app to help first responders access critical medical information from the Lock Screen without needing a passcode.

The free trial will be extended for iPhone 14 users who have activated their device in a country that supports Emergency SOS via satellite prior to 12 a.m. PT on November 15, 2023. For Emergency SOS via satellite availability, visit support.apple.com/en-us/HT213426.
Roadside Assistance via satellite is available in the U.S., in partnership with AAA, and is included for free for two years, starting at the time of activation of a new iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, or iPhone 14 Pro Max. This satellite service requires iOS 17. There may be associated costs for certain roadside assistance services provided by AAA. iPhone 15 and iPhone 14 users who are not AAA members can take advantage of Roadside Assistance via satellite on a pay-per-use basis for AAA’s roadside assistance services.
Check In is available on iOS 17 or later.

App sideloading coming to EU iPhone users in 2024

CompuScoop Staff November 14, 2023 0

Bloomberg News‘ Mark Gurman reports that iPhone users in the European Union (EU) will be able to install apps hosted outside of Apple’s App Store to comply with the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) regulations.

[T]he change coming sometime in the first half of 2024 will allow customers to download apps without needing to use the App Store, which will mean developers won’t need to pay Apple’s 15 to 30 percent fees.

Writing in the latest subscriber edition of his Power On newsletter, Gurman said Apple will introduce a “highly controlled system” that lets EU users install apps hosted elsewhere. Apple also will reportedly alter Messages and payment apps as part of the changes, likely via a localized iOS 17 update.

Apple has claimed that sideloading will “undermine the privacy and security protections” that iPhone users rely on, leaving people vulnerable to malware, scams, data tracking, and other issues. Regardless of its stance, Apple must comply with the DMA or it risks fines of as much as 20 percent of its global revenue if the EU laws are violated.

Via: MacRumors.com

Apple TV+ may acquire the rights to Coyote vs. Acme from Warner Brothers

CompuScoop Staff November 14, 2023 0

Instead of burying the “Coyote vs. Acme” movie for a tax write off, Warner Bros. Discovery will now allow director Dave Green to shop his live-action/animation hybrid movie to other potential buyers.

The move comes days after the The Hollywood Reporter broke the news that Coyote vs. Acme would become Warners third already-shot film to get shelved after previously nixing nearly completed projects Batgirl and Scoob! Holiday Haunt in August 2022.

The Coyote cancelation roiled the creative community perhaps even harder than Batgirl and Scoob!, because those had been positioned as a one-off change in strategy, never to happen again. According to sources, after the Coyote vs. Acme news broke last week, several filmmakers instructed reps to cancel meetings they had on the books with Warners. But now that Coyote may ultimately find a new home, these filmmakers are taking a wait-and-see approach.

Unlike the other films Warners canceled, Coyote vs. Acme was fully completed and had tested multiple times in the 90s. (Best picture winner Argo, both Deadpool movies, and the first The Conjuring are among features that likewise tested in the 90s.) According to sources who have seen the film — which stars Will Forte, John Cena and Lana Condor — Coyote vs. Acme is a popcorn-style crowd-pleaser.

“Coyote vs. Acme is a great movie,” tweeted writer-director BenDavid Grabinski, who worked with Green on Happily. “The best of its kind since [Who Framed] Roger Rabbit … The leads are super likable. It’s beautifully shot. The animation is great. The ending makes everyone fucking cry. I thought the goal of this business was to make hit movies?”

Via: The Hollywood Reporter