MacRumors

Subscription-based iOS gaming service GameClub today announced new changes aimed at families who are stuck at home, expanding the number of family members that can use a single subscription.

Up to 12 players can use GameClub's family sharing feature to play GameClub games with a single $4.99 per month subscription. For those who aren't familiar with GameClub, it revives older, long forgotten iOS titles so you can replay your favorite classics.

GameClub has more than 100 titles available, none of which have ads or in-app purchases. There are a number of new titles available this spring:

• Aralon: Sword and Shadow - An epic Skyrim-esque RPG featuring multiple playable races and classes, an extensive crafting system, and tons of quests.
• Neon Shadow - An action-packed first-person shooter in the spirit of the PC classics, reimagined for a new generation of mobile gamers.
• Stellar Wars - The final entry in the Wars trilogy takes place in a distant sci-fi future, delivering its classic take on supremely strategic gameplay with even more possibilities.
• Bardbarian - Recruit companions and fight hordes of enemies in this fun blend of shooter, castle defense, and role-playing game with a great sense of humor.
• The Big Journey - This family-friendly platformer features a cast of adorable kittens and loads of unique worlds while offering challenges for any level of gamer.
• Bridgy Jones - This fantastic physics-based bridge construction puzzler with visual flair lets you build rickety structures that will (hopefully!) survive a train crossing.
• Circa Infinity - Work through intensely difficult levels to see how deep into the circle you can descend in this highly stylized 2D game with the feel of Super Mario Galaxy.
• Swap This! - A hit on Nintendo Switch, this twist on matching games lets you swap cubes to create monumental chain reactions.
• Toki Tori - One of the all-time best puzzle platformers, this highly requested fan favorite is reborn for mobile with the Nintendo Switch version's high-resolution graphics.

There are tons more games available from GameClub, ranging from puzzles to strategy games to RPGs and more, with more information available on the GameClub website. New games are added to GameClub on a weekly basis.

To share a GameClub subscription with family members, GameClub users will need to log in with an email address on the new device, enter a 4-digit confirmation code sent to that email address, and then enter the code on the device to confirm. It's a simple process that works outside of Apple's normal Family Sharing feature.

GameClub offers a free one-month gameplay trial, and after that, the service is priced at $4.99 per month.

Apple this week acknowledged that MacBook Air models with Retina displays can exhibit anti-reflective coating issues, as indicated in a memo shared with Apple Authorized Service Providers and obtained by MacRumors.

"Retina displays on some MacBook, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro computers can exhibit anti-reflective (AR) coating issues," the memo states.

Apple's internal service documentation for this issue previously only mentioned MacBook Pro and discontinued 12-inch MacBook models with Retina displays, but the MacBook Air is now mentioned in at least two places. Apple added a Retina display to the MacBook Air in October 2018 and all models of the notebook have featured one since.

Apple has a free repair program for the anti-reflective coating issue in place internally, but it has yet to add any MacBook Air models to its list of eligible models, despite mentioning it elsewhere in the documentation. However, with Apple at least acknowledging that the MacBook Air can exhibit the issue, customers may have a valid argument for at least a free in-warranty repair.

The eligibility list remains the same as in December 2019 for now:

• MacBook Pro (13-inch, Early 2015)
• MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2015)
• MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016)
• MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2016)
• MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017)
• MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2017)
• MacBook (12-inch, Early 2015)
• MacBook (12-inch, Early 2016)
• MacBook (12-inch, Early 2017)

Apple began the repair program in October 2015 after some MacBook and MacBook Pro users experienced an issue with the anti-reflective coating wearing off or delaminating on Retina displays. Apple has never posted the repair program to its website, opting instead to handle the matter more quietly. For that reason, your mileage may vary.

Over the years, the issue led to an online petition with nearly 5,000 signatures, a Facebook group with over 17,000 members, and complaints across the Apple Support Communities, Reddit, and our own MacRumors forums. A so-called "Staingate" website was set up to share photos of affected Mac notebooks.

Apple Stores outside of China and many Apple Authorized Service Providers are closed right now, but customers can visit support.apple.com for service and support.

Update: Apple has informed us that the MacBook Air, Retina or otherwise, is not part of this program and does not exhibit this issue, adding that this was a mistake on an internal document that has since been fixed.

Update 2: A technician at an Apple Authorized Service Provider disagrees with Apple, informing us that they have serviced several 2018 MacBook Air units that exhibited anti-reflective coating issues.

Apple has expressed a profound interest in augmented reality in recent years, making a major push into the space with frameworks like ARKit and RealityKit, creative tools like Reality Composer and Reality Converter, and hardware like the LiDAR Scanner on the new iPad Pro and likely some iPhone 12 models.

Multiple reports have indicated that Apple also plans to release a combination AR/VR headset by 2021 or 2022, and MacRumors has uncovered significant evidence of this project in a leaked build of iOS 14 that has been circulating.

MacRumors has obtained a photo from iOS 14 of what appears to be a generic looking controller for an AR/VR headset, with a very similar design as the controller for the HTC Vive Focus headset, released in 2018. Back in 2017, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that Apple engineers were using HTC Vive hardware for internal testing purposes.

Given the basic design of the controller, we suspect that it is for internal testing purposes only. Apple's consumer-facing controller would likely be much more polished.

Earlier this month, it was reported that iOS 14 contains a new augmented reality app codenamed "Gobi," and we believe that Apple is using this app along with QR codes to test augmented reality experiences on its AR/VR headset. There are QR codes that trigger experiences related to the Apple Watch, Mac Pro, Apple Store, Starbucks, and a movie poster.

One particularly interesting augmented reality experience that Apple is testing is a "crosswalk bowling game," which we believe may allow Apple engineers to roll a virtual bowling ball across the crosswalk to knock down virtual bowling pins on the other side of the street while waiting for the pedestrian light to change from stop to go.

This crosswalk bowling game can only be triggered at an intersection near an Apple office known as "Mathilda 3" at 555 N Mathilda Ave in Sunnyvale, California, which may be one of the locations that Apple is developing its AR/VR headset. This office is located roughly five miles from the company's Apple Park headquarters in nearby Cupertino.

All of this suggests that Apple remains deeply invested in its AR/VR headset project, although development may have slowed as of late due to the ongoing pandemic that has forced many Apple engineers to work from home for now.

Apple last week announced new 11 and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models, and as of today, the new iPads are arriving to customers. We picked up one of the new 12.9-inch models and checked it out to see just what's new and whether it's worth buying.

When it comes to design, the new ‌iPad Pro‌ models are identical to the 2018 ‌iPad Pro‌ models, but with one important distinction -- a new square-shaped camera bump that accommodates a new camera setup.

There's a 12-megapixel wide-angle camera and a 10-megapixel ultra wide-angle camera, which, notably, is not the same as the 12-megapixel ultra wide-angle camera that's in the iPhone 11 Pro, though it's very similar when it comes to image quality.

Along with the two cameras, there's a new LiDAR Scanner, which is meant to add some pretty nifty new AR capabilities. The LiDAR Scanner uses reflected light to measure the distance from the sensor to surrounding objects up to five meters away, indoors and outdoors. It can basically create a more complete and detailed understanding of a scene and what's around you, which is useful for AR.

There are some improvements you'll see immediately in AR apps like people occlusion and better motion capture, but right now, there aren't a lot of AR apps that can take full advantage of the LiDAR Scanner. We'll have to wait to get a more complete picture of what it does, and we can also expect this same technology in next-generation iPhones.

The cameras look great, and are basically equivalent to what you're going to get with the ‌iPhone‌, but improved camera capabilities may not be what most people are looking for in an iPad as it's not the easiest device to capture images and video with.

Though there are two cameras, there's still no rear portrait mode, which is something to be aware of. The front-facing TrueDepth camera system hasn't changed and it's still 7-megapixels.

Along with the new square-shaped camera bump, the ‌iPad Pro‌ comes with an upgraded A12Z Bionic chip. It's an improvement over the A12X in the previous-generation ‌iPad Pro‌, but only when it comes to GPU performance. CPU performance is just about the same based on Geekbench tests, though there's an 8-core GPU instead of a 7-core GPU, so there are some modest performance gains.

The processor in the 2018 ‌iPad Pro‌ was powerful enough for gaming, 3D rendering, video editing, and other intensive tasks, and the 2020 ‌iPad Pro‌ is just as capable, though not really more capable. Base RAM in the new ‌iPad Pro‌ has been bumped up, though, and all models now ship with 6GB RAM. In 2018, only the ‌iPad Pro‌ models with 1TB of storage had 6GB RAM, while others had 4GB.

Apple's 2020 ‌iPad Pro‌ models also have more LTE bands, which is great if you're traveling, and they're WiFi 6 compatible, ideal for future proofing. WiFi 6 isn't widely used yet, but it may be much more widespread in a few years.

There are also now five studio quality microphones, and audio recorded with the new ‌iPad Pro‌ sounds great.

In May, Apple will release the new Magic Keyboard that's compatible with 2018 and 2020 ‌iPad Pro‌ models, bringing trackpad functionality. Trackpad and mouse support on the ‌iPad Pro‌ is great so far in our testing, but it's not an ‌iPad Pro‌ specific feature and so isn't a key reason to purchase one of the upgraded tablets.

Given the minor upgrades in the 2020 ‌iPad Pro‌ models, it's not worth picking up one tablets if you've already got a 2018 ‌iPad Pro‌. Sure, there's a better AR experience, but as of right now, with no AR apps taking advantage of it, it's not a major selling point.

If you have an older ‌iPad‌ model and are thinking of upgrading to an ‌iPad Pro‌, the 11 and 12.9-inch 2020 ‌iPad Pro‌ models are an excellent choice and are more than powerful enough to replace a computer. And with the upcoming Magic Keyboard and the built-in trackpad support, they're also much more capable of serving as a Mac replacement.

What do you think of the new 2020 ‌iPad Pro‌? Let us know in the comments.

T-Mobile has added Apple Pay support to its website and the T-Mobile app, allowing customers to pay their monthly cellular bills using Apple's payments service.

MacRumors readers and users on Reddit started noticing the change today, which provides ‌Apple Pay‌ as an alternative method to saving a credit card or bank account information.

‌Apple Pay‌ can be set up for auto payments, and when used with Apple Card, the ‌Apple Card‌ provides three percent cash back.

‌Apple Pay‌ is not available when making purchases of devices or accessories from the T-Mobile website, and it appears to be limited to bill payments.

Apple is preparing to delay the launch of the 2020 iPhones expected to be equipped with 5G technology, according to sources with knowledge of Apple's plans that spoke to Japanese news site Nikkei.

Apple has reportedly held internal discussions about the possibility of delaying the launch "by months" over fears of how well iPhones would sell in the current situation, and supply chain sources also believe that "practical hurdles" could push back the launch date, which was scheduled for September.

"Supply chain constraint aside, Apple is concerned that the current situation would significantly lower consumer appetite to upgrade their phones, which could lead to a tame reception of the first 5G iPhone," said a source with direct knowledge of the discussion. "They need the first 5G iPhone to be a hit."

Apple is monitoring the outbreaks in the United States and Europe and assessing whether a delay might be necessary. A final decision could be made around May at the latest, with Apple perhaps waiting to finalize the timetable for the launch until the work from home order for its employees is lifted.

Apple this week told employees that it planned to extend the worldwide work from home order until April 8, with stores to begin opening once again in mid-April on a staggered basis. MacRumors heard from a source this morning that stores in the United States will not be among the first opened.

Nikkei says that the engineering development of the 2020 iPhone lineup has been affected by travel restrictions to the United States, China, and elsewhere. Apple was meant to work with suppliers to develop a "more concrete prototype" for the new iPhones in early March, but had to delay the collaboration until the end of the month before postponing it again. Suppliers believe that given where Apple is in the engineering process, the possibility of a delay "is looming."

Some suppliers have, however, been told to defer their mass production schedules for about two to three months.

"We have been notified to start shipping in big volumes to meet Apple's new product launch by the end of August, instead of like in previous years, when it would be sometime in June," said a supplier of components related to printed circuit boards. "The change was made very recently, and that could imply that the mass production of the phone could also be delayed for months."

At this time, suppliers have not been notified of a possible change in the production timeline and Apple is urging many of them to make up for time lost due to recent disruptions. "We are not giving up yet," said one of the sources that spoke to Nikkei. "We are doing whatever we can to sort the issue out."

Apple's discussions are said to be in the early stage, and the fall launch is not "completely off the table" yet. In a worse case scenario, though, the 5G iPhone could be postponed until 2021.

A recent report from Bloomberg suggested that the ‌iPhone‌ 12 models are still on course for a fall launch despite disruptions to Apple's supply chain, and Foxconn this week said that it now has enough workers to meet "seasonal demand."

Rumors have indicated that Apple is working on four new ‌iPhone‌ models for 2020, which will be available at various price points. All models are expected to have 5G capabilities and A14 chips, and higher-end models are expected to be equipped with new 3D camera systems like the LiDAR Scanner in new iPad Pro models.

iFixit today shared the results of one of its traditional teardowns of the new MacBook Air, which Apple unveiled last week.

The major notable new feature in the MacBook Air is the scissor switch keyboard, an upgrade over the much-maligned butterfly keyboard that was prone to failure and spurred Apple to implement a wide-ranging repair program.

The scissor switch keyboard was first introduced in the 16-inch MacBook Pro, but Apple is planning to expand it across the MacBook lineup, starting with the MacBook Air. The updated keyboard adds a mere half a millimeter of additional thickness to the body of the machine, with the MacBook Air now measuring in at 0.63 inches at its thickest point, up from 0.61 inches in the prior version.

The new Magic Keyboard is about 0.5mm thicker than the Butterfly keyboard of the prior-generation model, which accounts for the minor increase in thickness. The new MacBook Air is also just a bit heavier at 2.80 pounds instead of 2.75 pounds.

Along with the new keyboard, iFixit found a larger heatsink over the processor, and a new cable configuration between the logic board and the trackpad that makes it easier to do trackpad and battery repairs.

That new trackpad cable configuration pays dividends! Where last year the trackpad cables were trapped under the logic board, they are now free to be disconnected anytime--meaning trackpad removal can happen as soon as the back cover comes off. And since the battery rests under these same cables, this new configuration also greatly speeds up battery removal by leaving the logic board in place. That's two very tasty birds, one stone, for those of you counting. This is one of those happy (but all too rare) occasions where we can identify a hardware change from Apple that's squarely aimed at improving serviceability in the existing design. Sometimes they do listen!

The battery model number and specs are unchanged compared to last year, and Apple uses both pull-tab adhesive and screws to hold the speakers in place in the new model. The SSD and the RAM continue to be soldered in place and cannot be upgraded.

All in all, the MacBook Air earned a repairability score of four out of 10 for the quicker access to trackpad and battery replacements, and the modular and easy to access fans, speakers, and ports. Though the keyboard is now more reliable, it's still integrated into the top case, requiring a complete teardown for service purposes.

Apple's new MacBook Air can be purchased from the online Apple Store and it is priced starting at $999.

Apple over the weekend announced plans to donate millions of N95 masks to hospitals in the United States and Europe, and according to Apple CEO Tim Cook, Apple has been able to source more than 10 million N95 masks in the U.S. and millions more in Europe.

Apple CEO ‌Tim Cook‌ said on Saturday that Apple was aiming to donate supplies to healthcare providers fighting COVID-19, and clarified today that Apple's ops teams are working to find and purchase masks from Apple's supply chain in coordination with governments worldwide.

The ongoing outbreak in the United States and other countries has led to a shortage of N95 masks, and there have been reports of healthcare workers doing their jobs without adequate protection due to the supply issues, which is why Apple made an effort to source mask supplies and provide them to hospitals.

Update: A previous version of this article stated that Apple had stockpiled nine million masks, and it has been updated with more accurate information.

Apple has shared a new support document that indicates kernel extensions — which it calls "legacy system extensions" — will not be compatible with a future version of macOS because they "aren't as secure or reliable as modern alternatives."

System extensions are a category of software that works in the background to extend the functionality of your Mac. Some apps install kernel extensions, which are a kind of system extension that works using older methods that aren't as secure or reliable as modern alternatives. Your Mac identifies these as legacy system extensions.

Starting in macOS 10.15.4, released this week, a warning will now appear when a kernel extension first loads, and again periodically while the extension remains in use. Users began noticing the warning during beta testing.

Apple says it began informing developers that macOS Catalina will be the last macOS to fully support kernel extensions in 2019, adding that it has been working with developers to transition their software. A final transition date has not yet been set, but some developers are assuming that kernel extensions will be deprecated in macOS 10.16.

Apps with kernel extensions will continue to work in macOS Catalina.

"By moving beyond these extensions, developers are helping to further modernize the Mac, improve its security and reliability, and enable more user-friendly software distribution methods," the support document reads.

One affected app is Malwarebytes, which said that "a significant percentage of our total support case volume" was related to the new kernel extension warning less than 24 hours after the public release of macOS 10.15.4.

Malwarebytes director Thomas Reed said Apple has a new EndpointSecurity framework as a replacement for kernel extensions:

We are aware of this, and have been working on replacing our kernel extension since late last year. We plan to replace it with Apple's new EndpointSecurity framework before the release of macOS 10.16, when it is assumed that kernel extensions will no longer work, in part or in full. (We only know that Apple has said they "will not work without compromise" in "a future version of macOS." But we'd rather not find out the hard way exactly what that means.)

The kernel extension will continue to be supported for macOS 10.14 (Mojave) and earlier, but macOS 10.15 (and later) will no longer need it, once we have an update available.

So, no need to panic. We've still got your back, and won't let your protection falter. All you've got to do is make sure you're keeping Malwarebytes for Mac up-to-date. If you have updated to at least version 4.2, and have not disabled the new auto-update feature, it'll update itself in the background without you needing to do anything. To ensure you're up-to-date, just open Malwarebytes and choose Check for Updates from the Malwarebytes menu.

Technical details for developers are available in an Apple document titled "Deprecated Kernel Extensions and System Extension Alternatives."