Amazon is making it possible to use Alexa "hands free" from within its Alexa mobile app for iOS, reports TechCrunch.
Up until now, you had to tap the blue Alexa button at the bottom of the screen before you could issue a voice command.
After updating the app, users will be able to simply speak to Alexa to make lists, control smart home devices, and more, without having to touch their iPhone.
While Amazon calls it "hands free," it's not like you'll be able to invoke the company's digital voice assistant if your phone is locked or when you're in another app.
What users will be able to do, however, is ask Siri to open the Amazon Alexa app, and then they can start using the new hands-free experience from there.
After updating the app, users will be presented with the option to enable the hands-free detection and can then begin to use the feature. According to TechCrunch, a setting is also being made available that will allow users to turn the feature off at any time.
Amazon says the feature is rolling out over the next several days to users worldwide on both iOS and Android.
Four Apple stores in Victoria, Australia are set to reclose for up to six weeks from July 9, following a spike in coronavirus infections in the state.
As reported by 9to5Mac, Apple Highpoint in Melbourne was the first store to reclose on July 2 as the deteriorating health situation prompted a reintroduction of stage three lockdown measures across the state capital.
Apple's other retail stores in Victoria will now also reclose. They include Chadstone, Southland, Doncaster, and Fountain Gate. All four stores had been operating on a reduced pickup and appointment-only Genius Support service since last week.
The reimposed stay-at-home measures are expected to last at least six weeks, with only essential travel like buying groceries and medicines allowed. Restaurants and cafes have been ordered to shut, although shopping malls and other retailers are technically allowed to remain open, suggesting Apple took the decision to close its stores of its own accord.
Melbourne's stage three restrictions were reintroduced on Tuesday following a record high of 191 new coronavirus cases.
Hundreds of users, many running iOS 13.5.1 on devices both new and old, are experiencing rapid battery drain when the Music app is not in use. In some cases, the background activity occurs over several hours each day, even if the app has not been used for weeks or even at all.
User: Mojo06 I just purchased a new iPhone 11 a few days ago, and my battery is crashing so fast. I haven't even used the Apple Music App yet and it says that it has been running in the background for over 18 hours and has used 95% of my battery. My phone is also getting very hot from this. I am concerned this will kill my battery on my new phone.
User: Brianwpi Phone is burning up. Switched off background app refresh. Restarted phone. Battery health 91%. iPhone X running iOS 13.5.1. Had to recharge several times during the day just to keep up. Help?
User: svphies I'm having this exact same problem with my iPhone 11, recently updated to IOS 13.5.1. I never had Background App Refresh turned on and I haven't found any downloading song in the Music app. I might try to backup my phone to iTunes and do a reset later. I hope Apple fixes this issue soon.
While reports of the Music app draining battery in the background go back to April, there has been a rapid uptick in reports over the last week, suggesting Apple may have recently changed something on the server side which is causing the problem.
Below are some of the steps that users have taken to try to resolve the issue, but which appear to have a low rate of success.
Force quit the Music app.
Restart / Restore iPhone.
Delete Music app then reinstall it.
Turn off Automatic Downloads (Settings -> Music -> Automatic Downloads).
Turn off Mobile Data (Settings -> Music -> Mobile Data).
Cancel all downloads in the Music Library.
Some users have resorted to deleting the Music app on their device, which brings the battery usage to an end. For those with Apple Music subscriptions, however, this isn't even a short-term solution, so we're bringing these reports to the attention of the wider community in the hope that it will prompt Apple to investigate.
Code in iOS 14 suggests that Apple is working on a feature that would let users make payments with Apple Pay by scanning a QR code or barcode with the iPhone camera.
The feature for scanning a QR code does not work at this time, but it appears users will scan a QR code with the iPhone's camera to pay bills using an Apple Pay-compatible card stored in the Wallet app.
Apple did not announce this feature at WWDC and the implementation in the current beta is unfinished, so it may be something that's perhaps going to launch later in the year following the release of iOS 14.
Anker today announced the launch of the eufyCam 2 Pro, a new home security camera available under the company's eufy brand.
The eufyCam 2 Pro features a 2K resolution for crisp, sharp video, and it is compatible with HomeKit. According to Anker, the eufyCam 2 Pro features support for HomeKit Secure Video, which means video is encrypted and stored in iCloud and footage is viewed in the Home app. All detection is also done on-device for privacy purposes, with no data sent to eufy.
HomeKit Secure Video requires an upgraded iCloud storage plan. The 200GB plan supports one camera while the 1TB plan supports up to five HomeKit Secure Video cameras, but the camera can also be used with local storage options.
The camera has a 140 degree field of view, customizable notifications, two-way audio, and support for night vision in infrared and color.
As with other cameras made by eufy, the eufyCam 2 Pro has a battery that lasts for 12 months before it needs to be recharged.
The eufyCam 2 Pro can be purchased exclusively from Best Buy for $150 for a single camera (hub required, the camera doesn't work on its own) and $350 for a bundle that includes a home base and two cameras.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Best Buy. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Apple today released the second beta of iOS 14 to developers for testing purposes, tweaking and refining some of the features that are coming in the update. Below, we've rounded up all of the changes that we found in the second beta.
- Calendar icon - There's a new Calendar app icon in iOS 14 beta 2, with the day of the week abbreviated rather than spelled out.
- Clock icon - The clock icon has also been slightly tweaked with a bolder font and thicker hour and minute hands.
New clock icon on left, beta 1 clock icon on right
- Files widget - There's a new widget for the Files app that can be added to the Today View or the Home Screen.
- Congestion Zones - Alerts are now provided in cities with congestion zones that charge tolls, such as London and Paris. There are also alerts for license plate restriction zones in countries that have license plate restrictions.
- Weather widget fix - The Weather widget has been fixed so it no longer shows Cupertino instead of current location.
- Shortcuts - There's no longer an option to open .shortcuts files in the Shortcuts app.
- App Library - Apps downloaded to the App Library and not the Home Screen can now be deleted directly from the App Library. The "Remove" feature for other apps is now "Delete."
- HomeKit Favorites - The HomeKit favorites listed in the Control Center now feature larger icons for some people.
- Music - A Music app setting allows animated cover art to be disabled. The Music app also no longer features a toggle for "Show Apple Music."
- Music haptics - Pressing the play, pause, next, and back buttons on the Now Playing screen in Apple Music provides haptic feedback.
- Family Sharing - There's a new icon for family sharing in the Settings app.
- Apple Pay - Apple Pay is now available in Mac catalyst apps.
- WiFi Privacy Warning - When connecting to a WiFi network that doesn't use Private Wi-Fi Address, Apple provides a warning message in the Settings app.
- Control Center - Control Center now displays which apps have recently accessed the microphone or the camera.
Have you found other changes not listed here? Let us know in the comments and we'll add them to the list.
Apple has provided HomePod beta software to a selection of AppleSeed testers, and today released a second version of the HomePod update alongside iOS 14 beta 2.
The second HomePod software beta update adds an option to select a new default service for Apple Music, Podcasts, and Audiobooks as noted on Twitter and the MacRumors forum.
Apple at WWDC did not publicly announce the new option that will allow other music services to be set as the default on the HomePod, but there was a brief mention of the feature on a HomeKit-related slide.
At the current time, third-party music services like Spotify can only be streamed on the HomePod using AirPlay and an iPhone, iPad, or Mac. The new feature will presumably allow Spotify and other music services to be set as the default music service, letting users ask Siri to stream music from Spotify.
Third-party app developers may need to implement support for the HomePod, as Spotify is not listed as an option at the current time.
Apple today seeded the second beta of iOS 14 to developers for testing purposes, one week after seeding the first beta following the WWDC keynote.
Registered developers can download the beta over the air after installing the proper profile from the Apple Developer Center.
iOS 14 introduces a redesigned Home Screen that supports widgets for the first time, plus widgets have been redesigned and can now be customized in three sizes through the new widgets gallery.
An App Library shows all of the apps installed on an iPhone in one place, both in an icon view and in an alphabetical list. With all of the apps in the App Library, app icons and Home Screen pages can be hidden for a cleaner look.
Incoming phone calls and FaceTime calls no longer take up the entire iPhone/iPad display, and Siri requests have also been minimized so summoning Siri doesn't monopolize the screen. Siri is smarter in iOS 14 and can send audio messages, and dictation can now run on device.
A Picture in Picture mode allows users to watch videos or use FaceTime while using other apps,
App Clips lets users take advantage of some app features without needing to download a full app, useful for quick actions like purchasing a coffee, making a restaurant reservation, or renting a scooter, where downloading an entire app would be a hassle. App Clips can be scanned from QR codes, NFC tags, or Apple-designed App Clip Codes, plus they can be shared in Messages or accessed from Safari.
In the Messages app you can now pin important conversations, use @mentions in group chats, and take advantage of inline replies to keep multi-person conversations better organized. There are new Memoji options and group chats can be assigned icons with photos, emoji, or Memoji.
The Health app supports the Apple Watch's new Sleep Tracking feature and there's a Health Checklist for managing health settings, and in the Weather app, there's more info on precipitation and severe weather events.
Cycling directions are available in the Maps app with directions incorporating elevation, how busy a street is, and stairs, plus for those who own electric vehicles, there are options for routes with EV charging stops.
Digital Car Keys let an iPhone be used in lieu of a physical key, a feature that's coming soon to BMWs, and CarPlay now lets users set wallpapers.
A new translate app provides text and voice translations to and from 11 languages, and there are tons of new privacy protections. Developers need to get user permission before accessing devices on a local network, limiting access to photos, and providing apps with approximate locations instead of exact locations.
Safari has a Privacy Report that lets you know which websites have trackers, and there are new icons on the Home screen that let you know when an app is using a camera or microphone. Third-party browser and mail apps can be set as default for the first time, and Apple added new AirPods capabilities.
For the iPad, the Apple Pencil can now be used in any text field, with handwritten text converted automatically to typed text thanks to the new Scribble feature.
There are tons more features in iOS 14 and iPadOS 14, so make sure to check out our iOS 14 roundup and our iPadOS 14 roundup for a full list of everything new. We'll also be highlighting all of the features tweaks and changes made in beta 2 in a separate article that's coming soon.
Only registered developers can download the iOS and iPadOS 14 betas at this time, but Apple plans to provide a public beta for public beta testers in July. Beta testing for iOS 14 will last for several months, with the update set to be released in September 2020.
Apple today seeded the second beta of macOS Big Sur to developers for testing purposes, two weeks after releasing the first beta following the Worldwide Developers Conference.
The macOS Big Sur beta can be downloaded through the Apple Developer Center and once the appropriate profile is installed, subsequent betas will be available through the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences.
As with all of the new betas, Apple recommends not installing macOS Big Sur on a primary machine because it is early release software and could have major bugs.
macOS Big Sur brings a refreshed design to the Mac operating system, overhauling the entire look from the curvature of the window corners to the dock icons to the system sounds.
Everything feels fresh but familiar, with a lighter and more modern appearance. There's a new customizable Control Center that mirrors the Control Center on iOS devices, putting key system controls right at your fingertips.
The Notification Center has been redesigned with iOS-style widgets that are available in multiple sizes, plus there are more interactive notifications that are now grouped by app to make it easier to see what's going on.
Safari is faster and more battery efficient, plus there's a new start page that can be customized with wallpapers and sections that include Reading List and iCloud Tabs, which makes Safari more tailored to your individual usage needs.
Tabs have been redesigned, there's a built-in language translation feature, and Chrome and Firefox Extensions can be ported to Safari. There's also an option to choose which sites an extension works with for greater privacy. Speaking of privacy, a new Privacy Report feature lets users know the trackers Safari is blocking when you visit websites.
Messages is now more similar to the Messages app on iOS with support for pinned conversations, mentions, inline replies, and Memoji creation, plus the built-in search feature has been overhauled to make it easier to find links, photos, and conversations in the app.
Apple redesigned the Maps app to add support for Look Around, indoor maps, and Guides, which are lists of notable attractions, restaurants, and more created by trusted sources. Maps can also be used to generate directions for cycling routes and electric vehicle trips that can be sent to iPhone, and shared ETA updates are now viewable on the Mac.
Photos has a better Retouch tool, Apple Music's For You section has been replaced with a Listen Now section, HomeKit Secure Video cameras support Face Recognition and Activity zones, and Siri can answer a wider range of questions than before.
As of macOS Big Sur beta 2, Apple Pay support is available for Mac Catalyst apps. Developers will now be able to easily get Apple Pay up and running in Mac Catalyst apps. From the iOS 14 release notes: "Apple Pay support is now available to Mac Catalyst apps. Two methods have been added to existing delegate protocols. No changes are required for iPad apps, but one or both of these methods must be implemented when building for Catalyst."
In the future, the macOS Big Sur App Store will help users better understand privacy practices with clear info on the information that an app collects, and after installing macOS Big Sur, you'll see faster updates that begin in the background and then finish more quickly to make it easier to keep your Mac up to date.
For more on everything that's new in macOS Big Sur, make sure to check out our roundup.
Apple today seeded the second beta of watchOS 7 to developers, the newest version of the watchOS software designed to run on the Apple Watch. The second beta comes two weeks after Apple released the first beta following WWDC.
To install the beta, you will need to download the proper configuration profile from the Apple Developer Center. Once the profile is in place, the watchOS 7 beta can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General > Software Update.
To update to the new software, the Apple Watch needs to have 50 percent battery life, it must be placed on the charger, and it must be in range of the iPhone. It would be wise to install the beta on a secondary device rather than a primary device as this is an early version of the watchOS software that could have bugs that still need to be addressed.
watchOS 7 brings a new watch face sharing feature that lets you share your watch faces with others through Messages or Mail, the App Store, through websites, or through social Media.
There are new Chronograph Pro watch faces, as well as a filters option for the Photos face and rich complications for the X-Large face. Developers can now offer more than one complication per app, and Apple has introduced new complications for Shortcuts, Moon phases, the World Clock, and more.
watchOS 7 introduces a new Sleep Tracking feature for the first time that uses the Apple Watch's accelerometer to detect small movements associated with breathing when asleep. The feature provides information on sleep duration and offers a Wind Down feature for helping users get ready for bed to increase sleep times.
Putting the Apple Watch in Sleep Mode turns on Do Not Disturb and automatically darkens the watch screen while you're sleeping, while an alarm feature uses haptic feedback or gentle sounds to wake you up with a greeting and a weather report.
In addition to Sleep Tracking, Apple also added a new handwashing tracking feature to help people wash their hands for at least 20 seconds. There's a 20-second countdown timer that comes up whenever the Apple Watch detects handwashing motions and sounds. The Health app will also show the frequency and duration of the user's handwashing.
Additional details on everything new in watchOS 7 can be found in our watchOS 7 roundup. watchOS 7 is only available to developers at the current time, but Apple plans to offer a watchOS 7 public beta this month.
Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming tvOS 14 update to developers for testing purposes. Designed for the fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV models, the new tvOS 14 beta comes two weeks after the release of the first beta.
Registered developers can download the tvOS 14 beta onto the Apple TV through a profile installed using Xcode.
tvOS 14 adds a Picture in Picture mode, a feature that lets you watch movies or TV shows, in a small window in the corner of the screen while you do something else on the Apple TV.
There's also a new Home app for the Apple TV in tvOS 14, which allows HomeKit-connected devices to be controlled right from the TV. There's an option to view HomeKit camera feeds on the larger screen of the television or in Picture in Picture mode so you can keep an eye on your house at all times.
Apple Arcade on Apple TV now supports multiple users, so each tvOS user can keep track of their individual game levels, leaderboards, and invitations. Additional gaming controllers are supported, including the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 and Xbox Adaptive Controllers, and Apple TV games can now take advantage of haptic feedback and other features built into controllers.
There's a new option to manually choose a screensaver category in tvOS 14, and for those who watch YouTube, tvOS 14 supports watching YouTube videos in 4K for the first time.
For more on tvOS 14, make sure to check out our roundup. tvOS 14 is limited to developers at the current time, but Apple plans to make a public beta available later this month.
Starting with the iPhone 12 later this year, Apple has been rumored to be omitting the EarPods and power adapter that have traditionally been included in the box, an effort that would save Apple money, reduce e-waste, and cut down on packaging size as Apple would rely on most users already having their own earphones and a plethora of power adapters.
Ran Avni of popular iPhone 3D concept channel ConceptsiPhone has shared a new rendering from a "really reliable source" that is claimed to be a box insert for the iPhone 12.
The insert exhibits a very thin profile with a circular area that would be for a USB-C to Lightning cable and a square area that could be for paperwork and the traditional stickers that come with Apple products, as it looks too thin to house EarPods. A thin depression around the entire insert is likely where the iPhone itself would sit.
Apple typically makes nearly its entire product packaging out of recycled paper products, with the iPhone box inserts firmly glued into the outer retail boxes. The rendering of this insert looks more like plastic, which would be unusual in a modern Apple retail box, but it could simply be due to the rendering process not accurately representing the molded paper products.
We're a little skeptical of the veracity of this for now, but if true, it would be a strong piece of evidence that Apple is indeed planning to not include EarPods or a power adapter with the iPhone 12 and demonstrates how much thinner the overall iPhone box could be without those items included.
With just two months to go until the usual timeframe for Apple's iPhone launch events, Apple is cutting back on maximum trade-in values of previous-generation iPhones for those looking to upgrade to a new model.
Maximum values on more recent models have dropped by $30–$50, while older models have generally dropped by $5–$20 with a few models seeing no change in value.
iPhone XS Max: $500 to $450 (down $50)
iPhone XS: $420 to $370 (down $50)
iPhone XR: $300 to $270 (down $30)
iPhone X: $320 to $280 (down $40)
iPhone 8 Plus: $250 to $220 (down $30)
iPhone 8: $170 (no change)
iPhone 7 Plus: $150 to $130 (down $20)
iPhone 7: $120 to $110 (down $10)
iPhone 6s Plus: $100 (no change)
iPhone 6s: $80 to $70 (down $10)
iPhone 6 Plus: $50 to $45 (down $5)
iPhone 6: $30 (no change)
iPhone SE (1st generation): $30 (no change)
Apple uses a trade-in of an iPhone 8 Plus as its benchmark for advertising the net cost of the iPhone 11 on the front page of its website. As a result, the $30 decrease in value of the iPhone 8 Plus has increased Apple's advertised net price of the cheapest iPhone 11 models from $449 to $479. The iPhone 11 starts at $699 without trade-in.
Apple Music will receive a number of design changes in iOS 14, including a new "Listen Now" tab, improved search, and Autoplay. Another small design update is larger playlist artwork, and today Benjamin Mayo with 9to5Mac shared how some of these designs now include animated art.
On the new Listen Now tab, a "Top Picks" section includes oversized icons for playlists, radio stations, albums, and more, all of which Apple Music thinks you'll like. This week on the iOS 14 developer beta, some of these playlists have now received animated artwork, which you can see in the video below.
This appears to mainly be focused on Apple's own curated playlists, like "Party Starters," as well as your personally curated Mixes. The animations are short and appear similar to live wallpapers on iOS, showcasing brief and colorful sequences that apparently loop infinitely.
Besides Apple Music, there will be numerous changes in iOS 14. You can read up on all of the updates that have been announced and discovered in our full iOS 14 roundup.
Amazon's discount on the Apple Watch Series 3 (38mm, GPS) remains ongoing this week, with the smartwatch available for $169.00, down from $199.00. This version of the Apple Watch typically sees discounts to around $179, so Amazon's sale is about $10 below the previous sale price and among the best online right now.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
This sale is focused on the 38mm GPS version of the Apple Watch Series 3, available in space gray aluminum with a black sport band. Although this is a previous-generation model, the Series 3 model has many useful features like an optical heart sensor, activity tracking, swimproof design, and more.
You can also purchase the 42mm GPS model for $199.00, down from $229.00, another $30 sale that's only available in the space gray aluminum colorway. When these devices launched in 2017, prices for GPS models started at $329.
Keep up with all of this week's best discounts on Apple products and related accessories in our dedicated Apple Deals roundup. If you're looking for AirPods to pair with a new Apple Watch while working out, we track sales for every model of the AirPods in our Best AirPods Deals guide.
Logitech today announced a new mouse and keyboard built for Macs, called the Logitech MX Master 3 and Logitech MX Keys for Mac. These new accessories are updates that have been optimized specifically for Apple's MacBook and iMac computers.
The Logitech MX Keys for Mac ($99.99) supports a tactile keyboard with smart backlighting that automatically adjusts to ambient lighting conditions. It comes equipped with USB-C to USB-C charging, lasts 10 days on one charge (up to five months with backlighting turned off) and allows users to move from a MacBook to an iPhone or iPad with ease.
Similarly, the Logitech MX Master 3 Wireless Mouse ($99.99) includes MagSpeed scrolling and a handcrafted comfortable shape. The mouse has a Darkfield 4000dpi sensor to track virtually any surface, including on glass, and includes a rechargeable battery lasting up to 70 days.
Lastly, Logitech is also launching a new multi-device Bluetooth keyboard called the Logitech K380 ($39.99), aimed at iOS, iPadOS, and macOS devices. This keyboard is lightweight and includes a space-saving design for typing while on-the-go, and comes in Rose and Off-White color options.
All of these accessories are now available in the United States on Logitech's website, as well as on Best Buy and Amazon. A global launch is set for August.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Logitech. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Amazon has returned the AirPods with Wireless Charging Case to their lowest price of $149.98 today, down from Apple's price of $199.00. This accessory is the model that launched in 2019 and includes a Wireless Charging Case that is compatible with Qi-enabled mats.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Amazon introduced this price point back in April, and the sale has come and gone over the past few months. If you've been on the hunt for the AirPods in 2020, this is definitely the best entry price for a new version of Apple's AirPods with Wireless Charging Case.
Sales have also hit the AirPods Pro, which are available for $219.99, down from $249.00 at Verizon. This remains the lowest we've ever tracked for a new version of the AirPods Pro, and the best online among trusted Apple resellers.
We track sales for every model of the AirPods in our Best AirPods Deals guide, so be sure to bookmark that page while you shop around for the wireless headphones.
macOS 11 Big Sur is the next major release of Apple's operating system for Mac, and following its preview at WWDC, one of the biggest discussions has revolved around the all-new user interface redesign.
Developers are still learning what the impact the new UI will have on their apps, and with that in mind, app designer Andrew Denty has compiled an extensive visual comparison of the user interface changes between macOS Catalina and macOS Big Sur.
All of the screenshots are taken on a default install of macOS and the Catalina version is always on the left. I made a conscious effort not to resize any windows or change any default settings. I haven't captured everything, but it is a good taste of the changes so far.
The side-by-side comparisons cover changes to Finder, Preview, System Preferences, the menu bar, Notification Center, Safari, Calendar, Contacts, Reminders, Notes, Photos, Apple Music, Podcasts, and many other native apps.
Overall, Denty's takeaway is that the UI differences in Big Sur aren't as dramatic as he first thought, consisting of a "largely incremental set of changes to make macOS feel more coherent with iOS and iPad OS."
That said, he thinks Apple "still has a vast amount of work to do to perfect the new macOS UI" before it exits the beta, and he hopes to see more consistency in the launch experience of apps, as well as more visual separation in elements like status bars and path bars, which he admits "look a little unloved" and don't yet feel properly integrated.
Big Sur is available for developers at the current time, but Apple also plans to make a beta available for public beta testers in July, followed by an official release in the fall. What are your thoughts on the redesigned UI? Let us know in the comments below, and don't forget to check out our Big Sur roundup for an extensive look at all the new features.
A significant minority of 
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
