MacRumors

During normal WWDC events, Apple often hosts a WWDC Bash for developers with a musical guest. In 2019, for example, Weezer performed at Discovery Meadow in San Jose, with Apple providing food and drinks.

The 2020 WWDC event is digital only with no in person gathering, so rather than offering a Bash, Apple has put together a WWDC20 playlist that developers can listen to.

Available on Apple Music, the playlist features artists like Glass Animals, Alicia Keys, Aurora, The Killers, and more.

Apple is also adding a new "Music to Code to" series that features multi-hour playlists with different musical styles and genres. The announcement article has highlights from developers who like to listen to music while coding, such as MacStories' Federico Vittici, who developed a MusicBot shortcut to speed up Music app interactions.

Others, like writer and Shortcuts developer Federico Viticci, have built entire projects around a love of music. In 2019, the Italian native designed and built a shortcut, MusicBot, that helps people listen to more of their library and speed up common Music app interactions.

"When developing MusicBot, I needed to test it with data that was easy to find in my music library," he told us. Viticci's choice: His "all-time favorite band," Oasis, whose myriad albums provided plenty of testing material.

The new playlist options are rolling out on Apple Music as of today.

Introduced last year, the U1 chip in iPhone 11 models enables Ultra Wideband support for improved spatial awareness, but Apple has so far only used the technology to power a directional AirDrop feature in iOS 13.

In the upcoming months, that should change, as Apple has announced that it is opening up its U1 chip to developers with a new "Nearby Interaction" framework for iOS 14. This framework can stream distance and relative direction between U1-equipped devices, paving the way for some interesting new spatial-related user experiences.

Apple provides some examples:

• A multiuser AR experience places virtual water balloons in the hands of its participants
• A taxi or rideshare app employs a peer user's direction in real time to identify the relative locations of a driver and a customer
• A game app enables a user to control a paddle with their device and respond to a moving ball on the peer user's screen

"Nearby Interaction" will function on an opt-in basis, with users having to grant permission for their iPhone to find and be found by nearby devices each time they open an app that incorporates the framework. Random identifiers are generated for each session.

In its video overview of the framework, Apple noted that both iPhones should be in portrait orientation to ensure accurate measurement of distance and direction. If one iPhone is in portrait orientation and the other is in landscape, this could limit the measurement capabilities, as can walls, people, pets, objects, and other obstacles between the devices.

Apple has added "Nearby Interaction" support to its Simulator tool within Xcode 12 so that developers can experiment with the framework.

Apple today released a new firmware update for the AirPods Pro, upgrading the existing 2D15 firmware to 2D27.

No details are available on what's included in the refreshed firmware at this time, but there have been ongoing complaints from ‌AirPods Pro‌ users about issues with Active Noise Cancellation and crackling or popping sounds.

Apple is also adding a new spatial audio feature to the ‌AirPods Pro‌ in iOS 14, so there's a chance the firmware update is related to that new option. Spatial audio essentially provides surround sound using advanced motion tracking and device location techniques.

There's no clear cut way to upgrade the firmware of the ‌AirPods Pro‌, with the new firmware installed over-the-air while the AirPods are connected to an iOS device. Putting the ‌‌AirPods‌‌ in the case, connecting the ‌‌AirPods‌‌ to a power source, and then pairing the ‌‌AirPods‌‌ to an iPhone or an iPad should force the update after a short period of time.

You can check your ‌AirPods Pro‌ firmware by following these steps:

• Make sure the ‌‌AirPods‌‌ are connected to your iOS device.
• Open the Settings app.
• Tap General.
• Tap About.
• Tap ‌‌AirPods‌‌.
• Look at the number next to "Firmware Version."

It's been over a month since Apple released the 2D15 firmware, and there were mixed reports about whether that update helped with some of the issues that people have been experiencing.

‌‌AirPods Pro‌‌ firmware updates often include performance improvements, bug fixes, and feature tweaks, but we may not find out what's new for some time as Apple does not provide any kind of release notes for ‌‌AirPods‌ updates.

macOS Big Sur does away with the "Energy Saver" section of System Preferences, replacing it with a new "Battery" section that expands the battery reporting capabilities of the Mac.

A new Usage History feature provides details on the Mac's battery life over the course of the last 24 hours or the last 10 days, broken down into Battery Level and Screen On Usage so you can see how your battery is performing.

There does not appear to be a detailed rundown on which apps used the battery the most as there is on iOS, but it does provide a better look at how the battery is being consumed over time.

Along with the Usage History section, there are Battery and Power Adapter sections that replace the functionality that was previously available through Energy Saver. You can choose when to turn the display off, enable or disable power nap, and more, with the settings split for battery usage and usage when connected to power. The schedule feature is also present.

In the menu bar, clicking the battery icon now provides an estimate of remaining battery life, a feature that was removed from macOS Sierra back in 2016. At the time, Apple said that the battery life indicator in macOS Sierra was inaccurate and led to confusion about battery performance.

The menu bar battery icon also displays apps that are using significant energy, as in macOS Catalina, and it provides an option for opening up Battery Preferences. There does not appear to be an option to display current battery life percentage right in the menu bar, however.

macOS Big Sur is limited to developers at the current time, but Apple plans to make a public beta available this July ahead of when the software sees a full release in the fall.

Apple in iOS 14 added an Optimized Battery Charging feature for the AirPods, which is designed to preserve the battery of the AirPods to maximize longevity.

The new AirPods charging feature lets the AirPods learn a person's daily charging routine, and will wait to finish charging past 80 percent until they're needed.

So, for example, if the AirPods are charged at night while you sleep, the optimization feature might charge them up to 80 percent right away, but wait until an hour or so before you wake up to charge the remaining 20 percent.

Apple uses a similar battery health optimization system for iPhones and Macs to extend the total battery life of the devices. Avoiding topping up a lithium ion battery continually while it sits on the charger reduces the amount of time that a device spends at maximum capacity, and over a long period of time, this better preserves the health of your battery.

Optimized Battery Charging was added to the iPhone in iOS 13 and a similar Battery Health Management feature was added to macOS in macOS Catalina 10.15.5.

iOS 14 is better about letting you know when your iPhone accessories are charged or need charging, and there is a new feature that sends a notification when a connected Apple Watch has finished charging.

The new charged notification is a useful feature for the Apple Watch's Sleep app, which lets users wear the Apple Watch at night for sleep tracking purposes.

The Apple Watch can't be charged while it's worn at night, of course, so after waking up, it will need to be placed on the charger if the battery is getting low. The notification feature will let users pull their Apple Watches off the charger as soon as charging is finished to go about their day.

Apple doesn't list the Apple Watch charging notification feature on its website, but it does highlight one other battery life notification for AirPods. When the AirPods battery begins to run low, iOS users will receive a notification letting them know that it's about time to charge.

There are dozens of other smaller features and tweaks in iOS 14, and we've got a list of everything interesting that we've found so far in our tidbits article.

(Thanks, Chris!)

macOS Big Sur, the newest version of Apple's operating system designed for Macs, brings back the classic startup chime that was eliminated from the MacBook lineup in 2016.

The sound was removed from the 13- and 15-inch MacBook Pro models that were released in 2016, as those models booted up when opened or connected to a power source, making the sound unnecessary. There was a method for reenabling the sound through Terminal, but it was a hassle. In macOS Big Sur, the chime that sounds when starting up a Mac has returned, as demoed below.

The chime is the same as the chime that used to sound on older Macs, and those who were fond of the sound for diagnostic purposes or will be pleased about its return.

Though turned on by default, if the sound isn't working, macOS Big Sur users can make sure it's enabled by going to System Preferences > Sound and checking "Play sound on startup." Likewise, those who do not prefer the sound can turn it off here.

In other sound-related updates, as noted on the MacRumors forums, Macs with MagSafe connectors once again play a sound when the cable is connected to the Mac to signal a successful connection. USB-C Macs have long had this feature, but it has been missing for older Macs that use ‌MagSafe‌.

To go along with the redesign in macOS Big Sur, system sounds throughout the operating system have been redesigned to sound "more pleasing to the ear." Apple created the new sounds based on snippets of the original, so everything should sound familiar but fresh.

We'll have a hands-on look at macOS Big Sur and the new sounds later this week, so make sure to stay tuned to MacRumors.

Apple has deprecated its long-standing Network Utility app in macOS Big Sur, with the app no longer functioning in the first developer beta.

Network Utility provided information and troubleshooting tools to help users check their network connection, view routing tables, trace network traffic paths, check for open TCP ports, and more. Since the release of macOS Mojave, the app had been rather hidden under System > Library > CoreServices > Applications.

Network Utility's functionality can still be replicated with Terminal commands, and for Wi-Fi issues, Apple says to use the Wireless Diagnostics app.

Apple has added a useful accessibility feature to iOS 14 called Sound Recognition that can notify users about important sounds like fire alarms and doorbells, as noted by Federico Viticci. This is especially helpful for people that are hard of hearing.

When the feature is enabled, Apple says your iPhone will continuously listen for certain sounds, and using on-device intelligence, will notify you when those sounds may be recognized. This includes sounds from fire alarms, sirens, smoke detectors, cats, dogs, household appliances, car horns, doorbells, knocking, water running, a baby crying, and shouting.

Apple says Sound Recognition should not be relied upon in circumstances where you may be harmed or injured, in high-risk or emergency situations, or for navigation. The feature is also in beta right now, so it may not be fully reliable yet.

Sound Recognition can be enabled in the Settings app under the Accessibility menu, and requires 5.5MB of on-device storage. Users can quickly access the feature in Control Center, complete with a list of sounds that users can set to be detected.

Installing the iOS 14 beta currently requires an Apple Developer Program membership for $99 per year, but a free public beta will be rolled out next month. The software update will be released to all users with an iPhone 6s or newer in the fall. Due to potential bugs, it is recommended that users avoid installing the software on their main devices.

Earlier this year, developers Talal Haj Bakry and Tommy Mysk revealed that many iPhone and iPad apps quietly access the clipboard, which is where text that has been copied and pasted is temporarily stored. Given that users may have sensitive information copied to the clipboard, such as passwords, this could pose privacy and security concerns.

Fortunately, it appears that Apple is making a change to provide users with more transparency. As demonstrated by Mysk, the first developer beta of iOS 14 notifies users when an app or widget pastes text from the clipboard.

These clipboard notifications are one of many privacy-focused changes introduced in iOS 14, with others including an indicator whenever an app is using your device's microphone or camera, as well as a new setting that lets you choose to share your approximate location, rather than your precise location, with an app.

Installing the iOS 14 beta currently requires an Apple Developer Program membership, which costs $99 per year, but a free public beta will be rolled out next month. The software update will be released to all users with an iPhone 6s or newer in the fall.

Apple on Monday confirmed its widely rumored plan to switch from Intel processors to custom silicon for its Macs, promising "incredible" performance and features.

In a statement given to AppleInsider, Intel promised to continue supporting the Mac through its transition but insisted that its processors are still the best option for developers.

"Apple is a customer across several areas of business and we will continue to support them," said an Intel spokesperson.

"Intel remains focused on delivering the most advanced PC experiences and a wide range of technology choices that redefine computing. We believe Intel-powered PCs — like those based on our forthcoming Tiger Lake mobile platform — provide global customers the best experience in the areas they value most, as well as the most open platform for developers, both today and into the future."

Building on its industry-leading A-series chips for iPhones and iPads, Apple wants Macs with its custom silicon to have the highest performance with lower power usage. Apple says the vast majority of Mac apps can be quickly updated to be "universal" with support for both Intel-based Macs and those with Apple's custom silicon.

Apple said that it expects its first Mac with custom silicon to launch by the end of 2020, and it expects to transition its entire lineup within the next two years. "We plan to continue to support and release new versions of Mac OS for Intel-based Macs for years to come," said Apple CEO Tim Cook.

Developers can apply for a special Mac mini with an A12Z chip inside to help prepare their apps for Apple's custom silicon. This custom ‌Mac mini‌ will be running the macOS Big Sur beta and the latest version of Xcode.

On a related note, readers hoping to see imminent benchmarks of the Apple Silicon-powered ‌Mac mini‌ may be out of luck. Apple's terms and conditions for developers receiving the machines explicitly forbid benchmark tests on the Developers Transition Kit unless separately authorized by Apple.

In iOS 14 for iPhone and iPod touch, widgets can be pinned in different sizes on any home screen page, providing useful information at a glance. The same can't be said for iPad.

In iPadOS 14, the use of widgets is limited to the Today View sidebar that only appears on the first screen of apps when viewing in landscape mode. When viewed in portrait mode, Widgets disappear along with the Today View and the user's apps are automatically rearranged in a typical grid to fill the screen.

In other respects, ‌Widgets‌ in iPadOS 14 share the same new functionality as widgets in iOS 14. Users can create a Smart Stack of widgets, which uses machine learning to surface the right widget based on time, location, and activity. ‌Widgets‌ also can be customized for work, travel, sports, entertainment, and other areas of interest.

Currently, the App Library feature is missing in iPadOS 14, although it could possibly appear in a later beta. Apart from this and the limitation of widgets, iPadOS 14 shares the same new features as iOS 14, along with some additional ones that make better use of the larger screen, including new interface functionality for stock apps, universal Search, new Apple Pencil features, and more.

Apple has elected to drop support for Force Touch in watchOS 7, indicating that the Apple Watch Series 6 will not include the firm-press gesture from the outset.

Force Touch can be used in watchOS 6 to reveal hidden menus on Apple Watch, such as options to clear notifications and customize the current Watch Face. These options will no longer be accessed using the Force Touch gesture when watchOS 7 is released. Apple's new Human Interface Guidelines for developers making apps for watchOS 7 confirms the change:

Firm press and long press. In versions of watchOS before watchOS 7, people could press firmly on the display to do things like change the watch face or reveal a hidden menu called a Force Touch menu. In watchOS 7 and later, system apps make previously hidden menu items accessible in a related screen or a settings screen. If you formerly supported a long-press gesture to open a hidden menu, consider relocating the menu items elsewhere.

Several native apps in the watchOS 7 beta already reflect the gesture's removal. For example, the Force Touch gesture for the app layout Grid/List View has been replaced by a menu option in the Settings app. Similarly, changing the Calendar view must now be done in Settings, while the gesture to Change Move Goal in the Activity app has become just another menu item. The Customize Watch Face menu is now accessed via a long press.

In 2018, Apple did something similar when the iPhone XR was introduced with a ‌Haptic Touch‌ feature that replaced ‌3D Touch‌. While ‌Haptic Touch‌ (aka long press) is essentially a feedback mechanism, ‌3D Touch‌ offered genuine input options like Peek and Pop. This change has since expanded to the entire ‌iPhone‌ lineup, which has allowed Apple to remove the capacitive layer integrated into the ‌iPhone‌ display.

Apple's reasoning behind the removal of the firm-press gesture on Apple Watch isn't clear, but it could be that not enough users were aware of it for it to be genuinely useful, or perhaps Apple decided that some of the functions it offered were replicated elsewhere and therefore redundant.

With no need for a Force Touch layer in future Apple Watch models, Apple could conceivably use the extra space to include a larger battery, but that's pure speculation at this point. We won't know until the Apple Watch Series 6 makes its debut in the fall. Will you miss Force Touch or was it something you didn't use? Let us know in the comments.

Apple has quietly started selling its 2-meter Thunderbolt 3 cable priced at $129, offering a braided design and active cable technology that supports full Thunderbolt 3 data transfer speeds of up to 40Gb/s. This marks the first time the cable has been available as a standalone purchase, as it is otherwise only available included with the Pro Display XDR.

Featuring a black braided design that coils without tangling, this 2-meter cable supports Thunderbolt 3 data transfer up to 40Gb/s, USB 3.1 Gen 2 data transfer up to 10Gb/s, DisplayPort video output (HBR3), and charging up to 100W. Use this cable to connect a Mac with Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to Thunderbolt 3 devices such as Pro Display XDR, docks, and hard drives.

Passive Thunderbolt 3 cables like Apple's standard version are limited to shorter lengths of less than a meter, as they are unable to maintain maximum speeds over longer lengths. Active electronics in the cable connectors are required for longer-length cables, which adds significantly to the cost. Even so, Apple's Thunderbolt 3 Pro Cable carries a price premium over many other active cables, including an $80 Belkin one also carried by Apple.

Lengths beyond two or three meters require optical cables that are even more expensive, and optical Thunderbolt 3 cables are only just now starting to come to market with prices starting at several hundred dollars.

Apple plans to launch a 24-inch iMac with a new design in the fourth quarter of 2020, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said today in a research note obtained by MacRumors.

Earlier this week, Kuo claimed that this redesigned iMac will be one of Apple's first two Mac models with a custom Arm-based processor, with the other being a future 13-inch MacBook Pro.

Following years of rumors, Apple today confirmed its plans to switch to its own processors for its Macs, promising "incredible" performance and features. Apple said that it plans to release its first Mac with custom silicon by the end of 2020, and it expects to transition its entire Mac lineup away from Intel processors within around two years.

In the meantime, Kuo expects Apple to refresh its existing Intel-based iMac in the third quarter of 2020, which encompasses July through September. It is unclear if this model will feature a new design. Apple last redesigned the iMac in 2012.

A last-minute rumor suggested that Apple was going to unveil its redesigned iMac at WWDC, but the keynote did not include any specific hardware announcements.