Weekly Digest - 2020.16














This week there was plenty of rumors regarding Apple:
Google informed that Google IO 2020 is cancelled. Event was planned for May of this year. Similarly to previous conference cancelations, the reason is Coronavirus outbreak.
Also, Santa Clara County, asked big tech companies to cancel all upcoming big events. It means that Apple's WWDC might not happen this year, or it will be replaced by an online event.
According to German site iPhone-ticker.de, Apple is going to hold a Media Event on March 31st. At this event Apple is supposed to unveil iPhone SE2 (iPhone 9), new iPad Pro and AirTag.
Microsoft has started rolling out new colorful app icons in Windows 10. New Icons are part of the Fluent Design that Microsoft has been working for years now. So far Mail and Calendar apps has been updated; rest of the core apps will be refreshed over upcoming months.
Google has released first developer preview of the Android 11. At the moment preview is available only for selected Pixel phones.
Android 11 offers new capabilities for developers, like enhancements for foldables and 5G, call-screening APIs, new media and camera capabilities, machine learning, and more.
EU lawmakers voted overwhelmingly (540-40) in favor for rules that would establish a common charger standard for mobile devices. It has not been decided which connector is the chosen one, but proposed charging ports include Micro-USB, USB-C and the Lightning connector. Looking at the already wide adoption of the USB-C, it's rather safe to say that it will be chosen. Fortunately, we won't have to wait long for the decision, the European Commission should adopt new rules by July.
Apple's WebKit team published a proposal to change the format of SMS one-time passcodes. The idea is to make the two-factor authentication process more secure. The proposal describes two ideas to achieve that:
Here is an example of such SMS message:
011970 is your Brain Archives authentication code.
@brainarchives․com #011970
So far Apple and Google have backed the proposal.
According to French website iPhonesoft, iOS 14 will be compatible with all iPhones supported by iOS 13, including:
As for the iPads, iPhonesoft informs that iOS14 will drop support for the iPad mini 4, and will support following devices:
This week is the 10th anniversary of the original iPad announcement. iPad supposed to become the "post PC" device that would replace personal computers. 10 years later, we know it hasn't done that yet, but current generation of iPads and iPadOS is closer than ever. Although, tablets hasn't become as popular as smartphones, iPad helped Apple take over this market.
According to report from The Information Google is working on a new communicator for workplaces, that will combine the part of GSuite functionality, like Gmail Google Drive & Hangouts.
Image credits: Lucian Alexe
Photos of the next-gen console has were posted on NeoGAF and Twitter. It’s unclear how legitimate those photos are, but if this they are, it's the first time we can see the console with all the ports:
Microsoft has not commented on the leak, so we will have to wait, probably till E3 2020, for official news.
According to report from Macotakara, this year iPhones will have new dimensions:
Disney announced that its streaming service, Disney+, will launch in Europe on March 24th. It will be available in selected countries:
Belgium, Portugal, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Iceland will get access this summer. Unfortunately, Eastern Europe will have to wait till the first half of 2021.
Google revealed that its annual developer conference will take place from May 12th to May 14th. The conference dates were reveled through a puzzle game.
It's still unclear what Google is going to announce during the conference, but the preview of a new Android is a safe bet.
Image credits: NeoGAF