Apple is Increasingly Focused on Developing Succession Plan for Cook, Other Executives [Report]

Apple is increasingly focused on developing a succession plan for CEO Tim Cook and other top executives, reports Bloomberg.

As Cook begins his 10th year at the helm, his management group is filled mostly with senior vice presidents who have worked at Apple for more than two decades, made tens of millions of dollars and are at or near the ages of 55 to 60 when many previous executives have stepped aside. That, along with typical corporate planning, has spurred the Cupertino, California-based company to cultivate its next class of top managers, said people familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified talking about internal company discussions. Apple declined to comment.

If Tim Cook were to retire, Apple has purportedly chosen Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams to take over. Starting in 2013, Williams oversaw development of the Apple Watch and the company's health initiatives. In 2019, he took on oversight of Industrial and Human Interface design, following Jonathan Ive's departure. Similar to Cook, Williams is seen as an operations-focused executive rather than a product visionary.





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Prosser: Lower-Priced Apple Watch With Series 4 Design Coming Next Week

Earlier this month, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and Debby Wu reported that Apple plans to introduce a replacement for the Apple Watch Series 3 that competes with lower-cost fitness trackers like those from Fitbit.


This rumor has now been backed by hit-or-miss leaker Jon Prosser, who claims that Apple plans to announce a lower-priced Apple Watch model at its virtual event on September 15. In a tweet, Prosser said the new model will feature a similar design as the Apple Watch Series 4, with 40mm and 44mm sizes to be available.

It's worth noting that Prosser inaccurately claimed that new Apple Watch and iPad models would be announced via press release on Tuesday of this week, but on other occasions he has shared accurate information about Apple's product release plans.

Prosser added that this lower-priced Apple Watch will lack some newer features like the ECG app and an always-on display. Confusingly, he also mentioned that the model will include the M9 chip, which is one of Apple's older motion coprocessors found in devices like the iPhone 6s, the original iPhone SE, and the fifth-generation iPad.

Apple Watch “SE?” (more affordable Apple Watch.)

Codename: N140S
GPS 40mm
Codename: N140B
Cellular 40mm

Codename: N142S
GPS 42mm
Codename: N142B
Cellular 42mm

- Series 4 design
- No always-on display
- No ECG
- M9 chip

Coming at the September 15th “Time Flies” Event.

— Jon Prosser (@jon_prosser) September 11, 2020

Correction: 44mm*

Not 42mm

— Jon Prosser (@jon_prosser) September 11, 2020

Last month, Apple filed several more unreleased Apple Watch models in the Eurasian Economic Commission database than it has in prior years, lending further credence to the possibility of both Apple Watch Series 6 and lower-priced models being announced next week.

Apple will be streaming its September 15 event on its website and YouTube starting at 10 a.m. Pacific Time, and we'll have full coverage of the announcements here at MacRumors. Gurman recently indicated that the event will be focused on new Apple Watch models and potentially a redesigned iPad Air, with new iPhones not expected until October.

Related Roundups: Apple Watch 6, watchOS 6, watchOS 7

Tags: Jon Prosser, September 2020 event

Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Don't Buy)

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England and Wales' Contact-Tracing App With Apple and Google API to Launch September 24

An NHS COVID-19 contact-tracing app using the Apple and Google API is finally set to launch in England and Wales on September 24, the UK government has announced today (via BBC News).



The app performs distance-based contact-tracing like similar apps released in other countries. It will also allow users to scan QR codes to register visits to hospitality venues to aid contact-tracing.

UK businesses are being asked to display QR code posters to advertise the app. The Department of Health and Social Care also said that an alternate system, such as a handwritten register, must also be maintained for visitors who do not have smartphones.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock described the launch as "a defining moment and will aid our ability to contain the virus at a critical time."

The first version of the NHS contact-tracing app, intended for all regions of the UK, was trialed on the Isle of Wight in May. The app used a centralized tracing solution rather than the Apple and Google API, and was later scrapped entirely.

The new contact-tracing app for England and Wales will use the Apple and Google API for detecting other nearby smartphones. Scotland has already launched its contract-tracing app using the Apple and Google API.

The API is built into iOS 13.5 and later, and allows iPhones and Android smartphones to interface with one another for contact-tracing purposes. If and when you happen to be nearby someone who later tests positive for COVID-19, you can receive a notification and take the appropriate steps to self isolate and seek medical help if necessary.

Apple recently rolled out a new Express Exposure Notifications System that does not require an app to be downloaded for the feature to be turned on. After updating to iOS 13.7, a new ‌Exposure Notification‌ section appears in the Settings app where there's a toggle to "Turn on Exposure Notifications."

Activating Exposure Notifications lets you know if the feature is available in your country, state, or region through a contact tracing app. In areas that are participating in the Exposure Notifications Express program, users can turn on Exposure Notifications without the need to download an app.

Apple and Google have stressed the privacy of their Bluetooth-based solution, which must be enabled in the Settings app under Privacy > Health > COVID-19 Exposure Logging to function. Read our Exposure Notification guide for more details.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Tags: COVID-19 Coronavirus, Exposure Notification

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iOS 14: How to Set Google Chrome as the Default Browser on iPhone and iPad

Apple made a change in iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 that enables third-party browsers and email clients to be used as default apps, meaning users who don't get on with Safari or Apple's native Mail app can choose an alternative and it will be opened automatically whenever the system requires it.


The latest version of Google Chrome now supports this ability, so anyone on iOS 14 can set Google's app as their default browser and it will be used to automatically open web page links that are tapped in other apps.

Note that these steps will only work if you have iOS 14 or iPadOS 14 installed.

1. Download the latest version of Google Chrome from the App Store [Direct Link] or update the app if you already have it.
   
2. Launch the Settings app.
   
3. Scroll down and select Chrome.
   
4. Tap Default Browser App.
   
5. Tap Chrome.

After you've completed these steps, any app that tries to open a web page will launch Chrome instead of Safari. To change this behavior, simply repeat the steps and select Safari in the Default Browser Apps screen.

As of writing, no other third-party web browser provides an option to set it as the default browser for the iOS, but give it some time and the option will surely arrive for Firefox, Opera, and others.

Apple is expected to release iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 for all users later this month, and we could even see them announced next week at Apple's "Time Flies" event on Tuesday, September 15, where it is expected to announce the Apple Watch Series 6 and new iPads.

Related Roundups: iOS 14, iPadOS 14

Tag: Chrome

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Ewan McGregor Says the Obi-Wan Show Is a Limited Series

Another iconic hero returns for Screen 5. The writers behind The Conjuring have written an Omen prequel. Batwoman casts a mysterious new figure, while Creepshow adds to its roster. The cast and crew of Supernatural prepare to say goodbye. Plus, Amazon teases Billy Butcher’s between-seasons antics on The Boys, and…

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