Apple granted approval to test its 5G wireless technology

The FCC has approved an application for Apple to begin testing its 5G technology, which means the company is joining a number of others already working towards bringing 5G to the masses. Sprint is looking to launch its 5G service in 2019, while T-Mobile is shooting for 2020. AT&T and Verizon are making moves towards 5G networks as well.

However, Apple is targeting millimeter-wave broadband at higher frequency and smaller wavelength bands than the spectra T-Mobile and Sprint are currently focusing their networks on. However, those companies and others have acquired plenty of millimeter-wave spectra of their own. Millimeter-wave technology allows for larger data transmission at faster delivery speeds, but these types of signals can’t really go through objects all that well, so a direct line of sight is needed — an added complication. While Apple is just getting started in this field, Facebook, Google, Samsung and Starry have been working on it for a while.

Apple’s application doesn’t provide any details on how its 5G service would work in practice, but it has been granted access to test its technology in two locations near its California offices until August, 2018.

Via: DSL Reports

Flash was useful, but developers are glad it’s on the death march

Earlier this week, Adobe announced it would cease support and development of Flash at the end of 2020, a decision that had many people saying, “Finally.” The “Flash is dead” rhetoric has been around for years, and people like Facebook’s chief security officer, Alex Stamos, have called for Adobe to set an end-of-life date for some time. Well, it finally has, and Adobe tells Engadget that the transition out has been planned for several years.

The company killed the software for mobile devices back in 2011 — a decision largely ushered in by Apple’s refusal to allow Flash on iPhones and iPads. Though, there was a fairly drawn out will-they-won’t-they moment when it looked like Flash might have a shot with Apple mobile devices. But the first real acknowledgement that the era of Flash was over occurred in 2015, when Adobe switched the name of its Flash Professional development app to Adobe Animate CC. Its irrelevance was made very clear shortly thereafter, when over a 12-month span in 2015 and 2016, Google, Apple, Microsoft and Mozilla all announced that they would be blocking Flash and making HTML5 the default instead — a series of nails in the coffin.

With its demise having been so clear, Tuesday’s announcement had plenty of people wondering what took so long. Steve Wozniak (no, not that one) is a web developer with Meetup and music festival The Fest, and he told us, “I think it feels ‘late’ from a developer’s perspective, in the sense that we have better options available to us — through HTML5 APIs, CSS3, and the rapid advances in JavaScript-engine performance — for just about everything we used to power with Flash.”

So, with such an already-drawn-out death and so many having already left it behind, the 2020 end-of-life date for Flash seems like an unnecessarily far out deadline. Why not kill it sooner?

Mike Costa is a senior web developer with Bandsintown, and he says it’s actually not so long. “With so many websites still using Flash and relying on that technology, I think three-and-a-half years is a decent timeline for web developers to transition properly to a different medium, if they choose to do so,” he said. And Wozniak agrees. “It’s not that easy to turn off support for a technology that has been so widely distributed and is still installed on so many systems in use around the world,” said Wozniak.

According to Statista, around half of all websites used Flash in 2011. However, technology metrics company W3Techs reports that the number of websites using Flash has been dropping by a percentage point every six months for some time, and only around 6 percent of websites use it today. But with hundreds of millions of active websites, that’s still a lot. Ben Lovejoy of 9to5Mac recently tried switching off his Safari Adobe plug-in, but had to revert rather quickly. “I was expecting this to be relatively painless, as I assumed that by now most websites would be using HTML5 to display video content. Boy, was I wrong! The number of mainstream sites that would not display video without Flash was incredible – with news sites the worst offenders,” he said.

Even though most major browsers and websites like YouTube have moved beyond it, Flash hasn’t just disappeared. “There are still businesses who still depend on Flash widgets and applications, and they need some time to finish porting their solutions to more modern and well-supported technologies,” said Wozniak. Those and plenty of other Flash-based holdouts need time to adjust. “Three years may seem generous on the surface, but I wouldn’t be surprised if some development teams will be heads-down porting their legacy software until 2020,” said Wozniak. “Chances are decent that if they haven’t already done it by now, it’s not because they’re lazy — it’s probably because it’s a difficult job.”

Wozniak and Costa both feel like it’s time for Flash to come to an end, and neither are really affected by the announcement because they don’t work with it much these days. “The impact of Adobe ending Flash is very-minimal-to-none, as we’ve already started phasing it out,” said Costa. “It’s the end of an era, for sure. I’m sure our community is relieved we won’t have to think about it for too much longer. I certainly am,” said Wozniak.

But, as Wozniak points out, even though Flash has been a huge pain in the ass for most of its existence — it’s been riddled with security issues, frequently caused browsers to crash and is a major power suck (a particular talking point for Steve Jobs) — it did have a lasting imprint and made a lot of things we have today possible. “Flash moved the needle so far forward in what could be served in a web browser. Flash helped power browser games, YouTube, real-time webcam chats, Homestar Runner, rounded corners, streaming music and so much more,” said Wozniak. And he noted that Flash also inspired engineers in ways that led to advances in JavaScript-engine performance, CSS3 and HTML5 APIs. “All upgrades that have brought us to where we are now and what we can do today on the web,” said Wozniak. “Flash served its purpose, and then some.”

Adobe told us that it made its decision for a 2020 deadline in collaboration with several technology partners, including Apple, Facebook, Google, Microsoft and Mozilla, all of which have released their own statements laying out how they’ll handle Flash between now and the end. And Adobe tells us 2020 really will be the end: “2020 is a firm deadline and we believe it gives remaining developers, designers, businesses and other parties sufficient time to migrate existing Flash content to new, open web standards.”

After the news, Tom Fulp, founder of Flash-powered site Newgrounds, tweeted that Adobe should open-source Flash for those who want to preserve sites like Newgrounds and Homestar Runner that would basically cease to exist in their original form come the end of 2020. It’s unlikely that Adobe will do that, but there are already Reddit threads discussing how to maintain Flash-based programs. For those who have something they want to save, get on it. You have three-and-a-half years.

US self-driving car bill heads to the House floor

Last month, a Senate committee created a proposal to allow autonomous vehicles onto the roads under specific safety and “tech neutral” requirements. Now that the bill has hit House of Representatives, the bipartisan Energy and Commerce Committee voted to send it along to the full chamber. The Safely Ensuring Lives Future Deployment and Research In Vehicle Evolution Act, or SELF DRIVE, is aimed at allowing companies like Uber and Google to test up to 100,000 autonomous vehicles across the country. While we’re far from an actual bill, this seems like good forward movement.

If driverless cars are ever going to gain a foothold on the road, they’ll need to be as safe as (or safer that) current automobiles are. Companies like Lyft, GM and Toyota have been lobbying for this type of legislation for a while now. The Department of Transportation will need to ensure this if it wants to exempt the vehicles from federal rules that govern current cars, like the requirement they have steering wheels, for example. The proposed bill, which isn’t yet scheduled for full House consideration, also bars states from setting their own possibly conflicting regulations around the design, operation and software components of self-driving cars. States will be able to restrict autonomous vehicles on public roads in some way, according to ReCode.

Via: ReCode

Source: US House of Representatives

ASUS Chromebook Flip C302 review: King of the Chromebooks

It’s been years in the making, but Chromebooks are escaping “second computer” or “cheap netbook” status. Google thinks these machines can be your main computing device, and they’re finally getting better build quality, nicer screens and quality keyboards. But they’re also getting higher prices.

ASUS’ first entry into the premium Chromebook space is the Chromebook Flip C302. This is the second Flip ASUS has made, but it’s significantly different from the first, which was a tiny, netbook-sized device with a low-quality touchscreen and weak Rockchip processor. But for only $250, it offered the essential Chrome OS experience in a super-portable package.

The new Flip is a different beast entirely, made to compete directly with Samsung’s $550 Chromebook Pro. It has a bigger, pixel-dense screen, Intel processor and access to the Google Play Store for Android apps. The Flip’s $470 price, significantly higher than the original, reflects these upgrades. But after spending a few weeks with the Flip C302, I’ve come to think it might be the best Chromebook on the market right now. It’s not perfect, but it’s enough computer for almost anyone.

Hardware

The Chromebook Flip C302 is significantly larger and heavier than its predecessor — but that’s a good thing. The original Flip was too cramped to use comfortably for long periods of time, and its screen was tiny, dim and pixelated. ASUS went back to the drawing board here, and about the only thing the new Flip has in common with the original is its 360-degree hinge.

The touchscreen now measures 12.5 inches with a 2,400 x 1,350 resolution, compared to the original’s 10.1-inch, 1,280 x 800 display. At the Flip’s highest resolution, everything is insanely tiny, and most people will probably run it at either 1,900 x 1,080 or 1,536 x 864. I stuck with the latter and found that I had enough real estate to work comfortably while both text and images stayed crisp and sharp. I prefer the taller, brighter and more vibrant screen on Samsung’s Pro, but the Flip’s display is still one of the better I’ve seen on a Chromebook.

Thanks to its larger screen, this year’s Flip also has a significantly more comfortable keyboard. It’s full-size, and the keys have a surprising amount of travel. It’s backlit as well, and overall it offers a better typing experience than the Chromebook Pro and the original Flip. I had no qualms using this computer for hours on end every day. The trackpad is similarly solid: It’s responsive, large and comfortable. I wish it was a little taller, but that’s a minor nit.

The one downside of the larger hardware is that the Flip is much less usable as a tablet. With a 12.5-inch screen and an all-aluminum body that weighs 2.65 pounds, it’s not at all comfortable to hold up in front of you. Microsoft’s Surface Pro (1.7 pounds) and Apple’s 12.9-inch iPad Pro (1.5 pounds) both have removable keyboards, which makes them significantly lighter in tablet mode. Despite the versatility of the 360-degree hinge, the Flip is a traditional laptop first and foremost.

To make audio work in both tablet and laptop modes, ASUS put the speakers on the side of the Chromebook Flip. Whether because of this placement or the hardware inside, sound is even worse than I would have expected from these tiny speakers. There are a number of tablets and laptops with surprisingly good audio, but this isn’t one of them. It’s not a deal breaker but something to be aware of if you envisioned watching a lot of movies without headphones. (Ed. note: Just use headphones.) Port selection is also limited — with two USB-C jacks and a micro SD slot you get the basics, nothing more.

Performance and battery life

This year, ASUS traded the rather weak Rockchip processor for Intel’s Core m3-6Y30, which proved to be more than enough for my typical Chrome OS workflow. I didn’t experience any slowdowns or stutters while running several browser windows with about a dozen open tabs in each. I was also running the web apps for Google Keep, TweetDeck, Slack, Hangouts, Google Play Music and Todoist, as well as the occasional Android app (more on that later). The Intel processor along with the 4GB of RAM provided smooth performance — occasionally, tabs might have needed to refresh when I had a lot open, but by and large I had a smooth experience.

ASUS dropped 64GB of storage in this computer, which is twice what you’ll find in Samsung’s competitor. In the past, I’ve had no problems using Chrome OS with only 32GB of storage — but since the Flip lets you install Android apps (many of which save data on local storage), going with 64GB was a smart move.

Unfortunately, a higher-resolution display and more-powerful processor mean battery life has taken a hit, relative to the original Flip. This year’s model lasted 7 hours and 47 minutes in our battery test, which loops an HD video with screen brightness set to 66 percent. That’s about three hours fewer than the original and a good bit below the 10 hours ASUS claims. My day-to-day usage saw similar results: I’d usually have to reach for a charger after six or seven hours. That’s not bad, but it’s pretty pedestrian. However, I’m absolutely willing to trade a few hours of battery life for a bigger, better screen and more horsepower. Fortunately, the USB-C charger tops the battery off pretty quickly — you just won’t want to leave it at home if you’re planning to be out and about for a full day of work.

Software

When I reviewed Dell’s Chromebook 13 almost two years ago, I was surprised at how much of my work I could do in Chrome OS without any compromise. Things have only improved since. At this point many people will be able to get by easily with just a Chromebook. So much of our lives run through a browser these days that not having native apps just isn’t a deal breaker anymore.

Of course, there are plenty of people who need more power and flexibility than a Chromebook provides; the Flip isn’t for them. You can’t edit 4K video (or really any video at all), and there still isn’t a great native photo editor for Chrome OS. If you need to store a lot of files locally, the 64GB hard drive will prove inadequate.

If you find Chrome OS to be too limiting, access to the many apps in the Google Play Store might help you locate the software your Chromebook needs. I’ve been playing around with Android on Chrome OS for about a year now, and what I’ve decided is that for the most part, you’re better off sticking with web apps. There’s no real reason to install the Facebook app over just opening the site in your browser, for example. But if there’s a specific piece of software that isn’t on the web, the Play Store can often close that gap.

I’m a Lightroom user, so I installed Adobe’s mobile Lightroom app and now I can edit photos on a Chromebook. It’s not perfect (I still haven’t found a good way to watermark photos when using Chrome OS), but it’s a lot better than other options. Microsoft’s Office apps for Android are surprisingly robust and work well on a desktop — you’ll just need to shell out for an Office 365 subscription to use them.

Android apps are also useful if you want to take things offline. Installing the Android Netflix or Google Play movies and TV apps means you can download shows and watch them on a flight. Similarly, you can save playlists and albums through the Google Play Music and Spotify apps for Android. And you’ll be able to edit those Office docs while offline as well. Chromebooks, like most modern computers, are still much more useful with an internet connection, but at least you don’t have to stow your Chromebook away and forget about it when you’re on a cross-country flight.

Probably the biggest catch here is that most developers design their apps for phones and rarely take larger screens into account. It’s the same thing that has doomed Android tablets. Occasionally it’s nice to have a small vertical app slice on the side of your screen, but it would be great if more apps had a better full-screen experience. Another downside is that Chrome OS doesn’t let you dynamically resize Android apps the way you would with native programs on basically all other platforms. You’re stuck with either phone view or full-screen. That’s not to say that Android apps aren’t useful; just be aware that the experience doesn’t feel complete quite yet.

The competition

Samsung’s Chromebook Pro

If you’ve paid any attention thus far, you’ll know that the Chromebook Flip’s most direct competitor is the $550 Samsung Chromebook Pro. For the extra money, you get a slightly better screen and Samsung’s S Pen stylus for note-taking and drawing apps, but the keyboard is slightly worse and not backlit. That said, I haven’t reviewed a final production version of the Chromebook Pro; I’ve only tried a preproduction model. There have also been reports about a critical deal-breaking bug in the Chromebook Pro, though an update that rolled out a few days ago could fix that problem.

Even if the Chromebook Pro was bug-free, it’s hard to say if it’s worth the $70 premium over the Flip. Aside from the display, they have similar hardware, and the Flip has twice the storage space. I originally thought the superior display on the Pro would make it my favorite of the two, but now I’m not so sure.

Another option is Samsung’s Chromebook Plus, a laptop that’s identical to the Pro except that it uses an ARM processor instead of an Intel chip. At $450, only $20 cheaper than the Flip, we wouldn’t recommend it — non-Intel Chromebooks have always been a mixed bag from a performance perspective. There’s also Lenovo’s Chromebook 13. It’s a no-frills laptop that handles the basics well but lacks a backlit keyboard, touchscreen or 360-degree hinge, and it won’t save you any money over the Flip.

Beyond Chromebooks, there are countless Windows laptops to consider, but $500 usually won’t get you much. One good option is Acer’s $550 Aspire S5-371-3164 (whew). It’s a 13-inch Windows 10 machine with a 1080p screen, Intel Core i3 processor, 4GB of RAM and 128GB of solid-state storage. Most Windows laptops at this price are pretty compromised, but this Aspire should provide a decent experience.

Wrap up

After the frustrations that ASUS’ first Chromebook Flip caused, I wasn’t expecting much out of the new model. But I’m happy to say I’ve been surprised. This is probably the best Chromebook for most people. For less than $500, the Flip gets almost everything right: It’s fast, with a good keyboard, screen and battery life. On the software side, Android apps are starting to make the Chrome OS experience more complete.

I wish the screen was a little better and that the battery lasted an hour or two longer — but when we’re talking about a $470 laptop, I’m willing to compromise a little bit. It won’t replace a fully loaded MacBook Pro or Surface Book, but the Chromebook Flip is a strong performer that’s compact, well-built and won’t break the bank. It’s exactly what a Chromebook should be in 2017.

Researchers make biomedical adhesive inspired by slug slime

Being able to repair internal tissue with adhesives would be incredibly useful in the medical world. As of now, those kinds of repairs are limited to sutures and staples, which are far from ideal and while external wounds can be closed with certain glues, they don’t work for internal surfaces. First, the insides of our bodies are really wet — not great for glues. And many of the strongest adhesives we have are either toxic to cells or too stiff to work on squishy, moving organs. But researchers have created a new class of adhesives that get around all of these problems, and they were inspired by slug slime.

A defensive mucus created by Arion subfuscus slugs has a makeup that’s ideal for medical adhesives. It’s really sticky, but also very tough and flexible. So, researchers at Harvard modeled their adhesives after it, giving theirs a sticky surface and a flexible, stretchable matrix. It’s non-toxic and was able to strongly stick to pig skin, cartilage, beating and non-beating hearts, arteries and even livers, which are particularly slimy. The adhesive was able to strongly adhere to the surfaces, hold up to movement and stretch really far. Adhesion occurs in just minutes and it can stick to surfaces even when they’re covered in blood.

Actually getting adhesives like this from the lab to the surgical room is an uphill battle, but the results of the researchers’ study on this new type of adhesive, which was just published in Science, is promising and could be a new direction for biomedical adhesives. Check out this video to see the adhesive in action on a beating heart, but be warned, it’s not for the sensitive viewer.

Via: The Verge

Source: Science

BuzzFeed Debuts iOS-Connected ‘Tasty One Top’ That Automatically Adjusts Recipe Settings as You Cook

BuzzFeed and its food-centric brand Tasty today announced its first foray into smart consumer appliances with a device called the “Tasty One Top,” a $149 Bluetooth-enabled induction cooktop that consumers can place anywhere in their kitchen and connect to an iOS app for easy-to-follow recipes. BuzzFeed Product Labs partnered with GE Appliances to create the Tasty One Top, with the announcement coming ahead of Tasty’s two year anniversary on July 31.

When the device syncs to the Tasty iOS app, users can choose which recipe they want to create. As they start cooking, the Tasty One Top will automatically adjust the temperature and power settings for each step of the recipe. When the recipe calls for specific instructions like flipping a pancake or adding veggies, the cooktop will notify the user with audible cues.

Images via Tasty

BuzzFeed today unveiled its first-ever smart appliance, the Tasty One Top, a Bluetooth-enabled induction cooktop now available for pre-order. The One Top will connect directly to the all-new Tasty app for iPhone, which is available on the App Store today with nearly 1,700 video recipes.

Designed by BuzzFeed Product Labs and brought to life with the help of GE Appliance’s First Build team, the One Top tracks the surface temperature of a pan or pot, as well as the internal temperature of your food, to assure perfect execution of every recipe. It’s induction technology is faster, safer, and more precise than traditional forms of cooking.

Tasty said that the One Top is perfect for pan cooking, pot cooking, slow cooking, sous vide, and more, with the ability to heat up faster and more consistently than traditional stovetops. The top of the device has capacitive touch power control buttons, and it’s all housed in a pentagon design that the company pointed out is perfect for posting pictures on Instagram.

The Tasty One Top is up for pre-order today for $149, which is at a 15 percent discount from its normal $175 price tag. The device comes in blue and black, and there’s also a 4-piece cookware set with a fry pan, sauce pan, and stock pot for $184. Both packages come with a thermometer so users can cook food like steak to a precise temperature. The device will begin shipping this November, and Tasty mentioned that production is limited and the One Top will be sold on a first-come, first-serve basis.

“Tasty’s strong brand and massive fan base give it almost limitless avenues for expansion — from cookbooks to licensing to consumer tech — and we’re excited to take a new big step with the One Top, a product that has the potential to truly make precision cooking widely accessible,” said Ben Kaufman, Head of BuzzFeed Product Labs.

Starting today, users can download the new Tasty iOS app through a one-time SMS link on BuzzFeed’s One Top product page, with a wider launch expected to follow. With the app, users can browse more than 1,700 recipes that can be searched by specific ingredients, time of day, social events, difficulty, speed, or dietary needs. Recipes can be made without the One Top’s automatic recipe adjustments, with the app offering step-by-step instructions along with helpful videos.
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You Can Now Order Ahead at Tim Hortons Using Your iPhone With Apple Pay

Canadian coffee and donut chain Tim Hortons today launched a revamped app that enables customers to order and pay ahead of time with Apple Pay. Customers can also add a credit card or TimCard manually and pay by scanning an in-app barcode.

The app enables customers to choose their preferred Tim Hortons location and pick-up method. Payment is completed within the app, so customers can grab their orders to go at the counter or drive-thru, or dine in at the restaurant.

The minimum reload amount in the Tim Hortons app is set at the default of $10, but can be set at increments of $10, $25, $50, or $100, in both Canadian or U.S. dollars. Tim Horton’s app FAQ outlines more details.

Tim Hortons locations will have new “Mobile Pickup” signage displayed at counters to inform customers where to pick up their mobile orders, enabling them to skip the line, according to the blog iPhone in Canada.

The new Tim Hortons app replaces the company’s old TimmyMe app with limited TimCard barcode functionality. Tim Hortons says customers can seamlessly transfer their TimmyMe funds for use in the new app.

Restaurants offering the ability to order and pay ahead on a smartphone is hardly a new concept, but it’s nice to see Canada’s largest quick service chain, with over 3,800 locations across the country, get on board.

The new Tim Hortons app is available now for free on the App Store [Direct Link] for iPhone users in Canada and the United States.

Related Roundup: Apple Pay
Tags: Canada, Tim Hortons
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Apple Store App Now Supports Touch ID For Authenticating Payments With Apple ID

Apple today updated its official Apple Store shopping app with the ability to use Touch ID to securely and conveniently pay for an order with a credit card tied to an Apple ID, as well as make changes to account settings.

The Apple Store app has long allowed shoppers to pay for purchases with the credit card associated with their Apple ID, but users needed to type their password for authentication. Now, users can simply use Touch ID.

To pay with a credit card associated with an Apple ID at checkout, tap on the white “buy with other payment options” button.

Apple said the new Apple Store app also makes its easier to see if an iPhone you want is available at an Apple Store near you.

The Apple Store app is free on the App Store [Direct Link] for iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch.

Tag: Touch ID
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Apple Granted License to Test Next-Generation 5G Wireless Technology

The FCC has granted Apple a license to test next-generation 5G wireless technologies, as brought to our attention by DSLReports.

In May, Apple submitted an application for an experimental license to test wireless technology on millimeter wave spectrum bands. Millimeter wave bands provide higher bandwidth and throughput up to 10Gb/s, but they are limited by line of sight issues that can cause problems in dense urban areas.

An excerpt from Apple’s application with the FCC:

Apple Inc. seeks to assess cellular link performance in direct path and multipath environments between base station transmitters and receivers using this spectrum. These assessments will provide engineering data relevant to the operation of devices on wireless carriers’ future 5G networks.

Apple intends to transmit from two fixed points located at Apple-controlled facilities in Cupertino, California, where it is headquartered, and nearby Milpitas, according to its FCC application. Apple said it anticipates that it will safely conduct its experiments for a period not to exceed 12 months.

Apple will use the 28 and 39 GHz bands, which were among those opened up by the FCC last year for the purpose of next-generation 5G broadband.

It’s not entirely clear why Apple is planning to test millimeter wave performance, but it will join the likes of Google, Facebook, and major U.S. cellular carriers like AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile, who are testing 5G networks in preparation to deploy the next-generation technology in the coming years.

Apple could perhaps be preparing its future iPhones to take advantage of 5G technology, or the company may have some other purpose in mind. The 28GHz band in particular has been earmarked for earth-to-space transmissions, an area Apple has been exploring based on recent hires with satellite expertise.

Tags: FCC, 5G
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Lease Approved For Apple Store at Carnegie Library in Washington, D.C.

Apple has finalized terms with Events DC, the official convention and sports authority for the District of Columbia, to lease a portion of the Carnegie Library at at Mount Vernon Square, described as a newly transformed convention and entertainment district in downtown Washington D.C.

The leased area, approximately 19,000 square feet, will eventually be home to an Apple retail store. The lease term is ten years with two five-year options, according to Events DC. The Historical Society, under its existing 99-year lease, will continue to operate its museum and library in the building.

“As part of its philanthropic efforts, Apple will also empower local youth with job-training and educational programming,” said Max Brown, chairman of Events DC’s Board of Directors. “Through this collaboration, Apple’s investment in the neighborhood will stimulate additional activity and spending in the area to ensure that the community will continue to thrive.”

Carnegie Library is a 114-year-old building located across the street from the Washington Convention Center in Mount Vernon Square. Apple will work with Foster + Partners, as it often does, to redesign the interior, which will likely draw similarities to stores like Apple Opéra in Paris and Apple Grand Central in New York.

Washington D.C.’s National Capital Planning Commission still has to approve Apple as a tenant due to the building’s historical legacy and importance to the city. Apple is expected to begin construction of the store later this year if approved.

Apple has promised to respect Carnegie Library’s historical integrity. For example, Apple’s logo won’t be prominently featured on the library’s facade or sides. Apple does plan a few changes to Carnegie Library, including a major new skylight, but the company aims for its presence to be as subtle as possible.

Rumors about Apple opening a retail store at Carnegie Library first surfaced last September. Apple has been in talks with Events DC and the Historical Society of Washington, D.C. since then.

Related Roundup: Apple Stores
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