Saturday, July 11, 2020

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Arm-Intel-PowerPC Universal Binaries are Possible

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Casual MacRumors visitors may not realize that we have a very active PowerPC forum where users discuss issues related to PowerPC Macs that have not been produced since 2006. Threads range from hardware upgrades, software options, to nostalgia:

Photo by AphoticD


Apple's recently announced transition to Apple Silicon (Arm) based Macs raised some interesting questions about future support for these old machines.

In particular, MacRumors forum member Wowfunhappy asked about ongoing support for Universal binaries in the upcoming Arm-based macOS, and whether or not a four-way universal binary was possible:
During their 2020 WWDC keynote, Apple announced the reintroduction of Universal Binaries, for developers to create apps that work on both Intel and Arm Macs during the transition.

But Universal Binaries never really went away the first time! You can run PPC-Intel apps on Mojave, and I assume also Catalina. Also, many Intel-only apps are still "universal," in that they contain versions for both i386 (32bit Intel) and x86_64 (64bit Intel).

Thus, I am intensely curious: would it be possible for a developer to create a single universal binary that works natively on all four architectures: PPC, i386, x86_64, and ARM?

The answer, it appears, is yes. The TenFourFox developer blogged about the possibility, confirming that it is indeed possible:
A question I got repeatedly the last couple days was, now that AARM (Apple ARM) is a thing, is the ultimate ARM-Intel-PowerPC Universal Binary possible? You bet it is! In fact, Apple already documents that you could have a five-way binary, i.e., ARM64, 32-bit PowerPC, 64-bit PowerPC, i386 and x86_64. Just build them separately and lipo them together
TenFourFox is a Firefox port for PowerPC Macs running OS X 10.4 or 10.5. It provides those users with a modern browser support. The developer actually points out that each architecture can even have their own subtype, meaning that ultimately a so called "Super Duper Universal Binary" could have support for 17 different instruction sets, which could run on any machine from PowerPC to future Arm-based Mac with full support for all processor subtypes.
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Metal Developer Tools on Windows Offer New Gaming Opportunities

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Game developers are now able to more easily develop games for Apple devices using Windows machines, thanks to a new set of Metal developer tools released by Apple.



Apple quietly released a set of Metal Developer Tools for Windows 10 at WWDC this year, which enables Metal Shading Language (MSL) compilation on Windows into Metal Library Objects targeting Apple platforms. This means that game production teams may now use PCs to compile games developed on Windows for macOS and other Apple operating systems.

Many game development studios have established game or graphics asset production pipelines that use the Microsoft Windows infrastructure. One of the key final steps in the asset creation process is compiling the graphics and compute shaders for inclusion in the game.

Since Apple is transitioning the Mac to custom silicon, developers that bring their games to Metal will be able to run them on iOS, iPadOS, tvOS, and macOS. Apple's API automatically translates all inputs to whatever the available input method may be, such as touch, controller, or keyboard and mouse. Developers targeting the Apple platform can now develop for iPad, iPhone, Mac, and Apple TV simultaneously. This may make the Apple platform more attractive to game developers as they will have access to a far larger market share than on macOS or iOS alone.

Although it is not possible to develop games for Apple devices on Windows entirely, since a Mac is still needed to sign software and for testing, the availability of gaming-oriented Apple developer tools for Windows marks a significant step in gaming on Apple devices.

As Apple moves the Mac to custom silicon, where it will no longer support Boot Camp, it is interesting that Apple is releasing developer tools specifically for gaming with regards to Windows. Seeing that these new developer tools allow Windows games to be compiled into Metal for Apple platforms, rather than being completely rebuilt, it should now be easier for developers to port native PC games and AAA titles to the Mac.
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LinkedIn Sued for Reading Universal Clipboard Data

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Microsoft's LinkedIn was sued yesterday for allegedly reading and diverting users' private information using the iOS clipboard.


The lawsuit filed in San Francisco federal court states that LinkedIn "secretly" read the clipboard "a lot," without notifying the user, according to Reuters. The complaint also claims that LinkedIn has been gathering clipboard information from nearby Apple devices through the Universal Clipboard feature, and has been circumventing Apple's Universal Clipboard timeout.

The lawsuit attempts to certify the complaint as class action based on alleged violation of the law or social norms, under California laws. Last week, LinkedIn claimed that the clipboard copying behavior is a bug and is not an intended operation. A VP at LinkedIn commented that the contents of the clipboard are not stored or transmitted, and that a fix for the issue will soon be available.

iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 include a new privacy banner feature that informs users when an app pastes from the clipboard. Other apps, such as TikTok, Twitter, Starbucks, Overstock, AccuWeather, and more, have also been caught snooping on user clipboards for no clear reason, but this is the first legal case of its kind related to clipboard spying.
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Apple TV+ to Adapt Thriller 'Snow Blind' Starring Jake Gyllenhaal

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Apple has won the rights to make a film adaptation of BOOM! Studios' graphic novel "Snow Blind," starring Jake Gyllenhaal.



The film was fiercely fought over in a competitive six-way bidding war, reports Deadline, but exact financials are unknown. Gustav Möller is set to direct and Patrick Ness to write.

The thriller graphic novel by Ollie Masters and Tyler Jenkins tells the story of high school teen Teddy, as his life in a sleepy Alaskan suburb is turned upside-down when he posts a photo of his dad online, only to learn he and his family are in a Witness Protection Program. A man seeking revenge visits their town, followed soon after by pursuing FBI agents.

"Snow Blind" will be the third Apple Studios production. It is currently developing an adaptation of "Killers of the Flower Moon" with Martin Scorsese. Last week, Apple Studios won the rights to "Emancipation," starring Will Smith. While Apple has heavily relied on commissioning third-party production houses for Apple TV+ to date, Apple Studios is the company's attempt to make entertainment in-house, bringing more creative control and reduced production costs in the long term.

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Foxconn to Invest $1 Billion in India Amid Strong Push From Apple

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Apple supplier Foxconn plans to invest $1 billion in India to expand a factory that assembles iPhones, reports Reuters.


One source told Reuters that Apple has been pushing Foxconn and other suppliers to move production outside of China. The move will ultimately help the company in diversifying its supply chain in an effort to reduce its reliance on Chinese manufacturing amidst the ongoing trade war between China and the United States.

Foxconn's investment is being made in the Sriperumbudur plant, which is responsible for producing some iPhone XR models. The improvements, which will take place over three years, include the addition of 6,000 new jobs and the production of other iPhone models in the plant.

Should Apple's supply chain expansion into India prove successful, the company may begin using the country as an "export hub."
With India’s labour cheaper compared with China, and the gradual expansion of its supplier base here, Apple will be able to use the country as an export hub,” Neil Shah of Hong Kong-based tech researcher Counterpoint said.
Apple is rumored to be expanding its presence in India by introducing an online Apple Store in the third quarter of 2020. The company is also reportedly working on opening retail locations in the country beginning with a store in Mumbai.
Tags: Foxconn, India

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