Apple and its partner film studio A24 have acquired the rights to "Boys State" a political coming-of-age documentary that examines the health of American democracy, reports The Hollywood Reporter.
Apple is said to have paid $10 million for the documentary, which was directed by Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine. Laurene Powell Jobs, Steve Jobs' widow, served as an executive producer on the project.
Image courtesy of Sundance Film Institute
The film features an experiment in which 1,000 17-year-old boys from across Texas gather together to build a representative government from the ground up, reproducing some of democracy's worst principles and flaws.
Strap up your saddle and get ready for a wild ride. Boys State is a political coming-of-age story, examining the health of American democracy through an unusual experiment: a thousand 17-year-old boys from across the state of Texas gather together to build a representative government from the ground up. High-minded ideals collide with low-down dirty tricks as four boys of diverse backgrounds and political views navigate the challenges of organizing political parties, shaping consensus, and campaigning for the highest office at Texas Boys State--governor.
Documenting impeachment threats, dramatic debates, underdog victories, and even nefarious internet memes, filmmakers Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine (The Overnighters, 2014 Sundance Film Festival) chart the dramatic twists and turns of these intersecting stories to reveal profound truths about our political choices and civic obligations and to remind us, ultimately, that democracy is not a spectator sport. With cunning insight that will have audiences buzzing, Boys State holds a mirror up to our divided country. This is a film for the ages in every sense of the term.
Prior to being purchased by Apple, the documentary premiered on January 24 at the Sundance Film Festival.
Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
Apple has all kinds of fanciful patents for imaginative devices that will likely never come to fruition, such as an iMac-like desktop computer made entirely of glass, which was shared last week in a patent published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Apple's patent describes an electronic device with an upper portion that serves as a display area, a lower portion that serves as an input area, and a transitional section that connects the two halves for a "continuous curved surface between the upper portion and the lower portion."
The lower section of the device rests on the desktop and is used for holding input devices, while the larger flat area serves as the display, with a stand at the back for propping it up and holding it in place. Given the thinness of the all-glass curved design of the Mac, the stand that holds it in place would be able to house necessary components and would also be able to be positioned differently to adjust the angle of the display.
The glass between the two sections of the device is described as flexible and able to change in angle between the display area and the input area. The input area is said to extend along a portion of the display area to form a "touchscreen-style display," and functionality such as wireless charging for other devices or data transfer capabilities could be included.
Apple separately describes multiple embodiments of the design, including one with a detachable, removable keyboard that fits over the lower portion of the glass design, which, when in place, allows the glass to detect the keystrokes.
An electronic device comprising: a slumped glass housing member defining: a continuous exterior surface of the electronic device; and an opening extending through the slumped glass housing member; a support structure coupled to the slumped glass housing member and configured to support the slumped glass housing member; a display coupled to an upper portion of the slumped glass housing member; and a keyboard having: a storage configuration in which the keyboard is positioned at least partially within the opening; and a use configuration in which the keyboard is extended from the opening.
This portion of the patent also highlights a camera that could be built into the glass of the enclosure, using an "optically transmissive material." Apple says that the design outlined in the patent could be made of glass, but the housing could also feature plastic or ceramic, as long as the material is light-transmissive.
The material for the design could have special features like scratch resistance, wireless charging support, or it could be able to allow touch and force to be detected through it. Apple also says biometric sensing capabilities could be included, detecting everything from fingerprints to heart rate, blood oxygenation levels, and temperature.
Because the patent describes both an "electronic device" and a "desktop computer," it suggests that this same design could be used for Macs or potentially an iOS device like an iPad. The patent goes into great detail about possible designs and functions, and further reading is available in the application on the US Patent and Trademark Office website.
Apple hasn't redesigned the iMac in some time, and although the patent appears to describe an iMac-like desktop computer, this probably isn't the implementation that we're going to see when Apple ultimately debuts a new iMac enclosure. Apple patents all manner of devices that never make it to production, but with curved glass and foldable devices becoming more popular, there is a possibility that we could see some of the functionality described in this patent at some point in the future.
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) today announced the upcoming launch of its next-generation infotainment system, Uconnect 5. The new version of Uconnect has been rebuilt from the ground up on an Android platform with a number of new features including wireless CarPlay and Android Auto, a familiar-yet-revamped user interface, support for up to five user profiles for customization, Alexa support, improved voice control, and more.
Uconnect 5 home screen
We've been fans of the current Uconnect 4 infotainment system and the way it nearly seamlessly blends CarPlay into the native system, and making CarPlay wireless will no doubt make that experience even better. Many of the other improvements in Uconnect 5 such as enhanced customizability, faster hardware performance, and new features and services should also make for a better user experience.
Uconnect 5 user profiles
The award-winning Uconnect system offers new conveniences, keeping customers engaged and informed all while keeping their hands on the wheel and eyes on the road. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are currently available on more than 80 percent of FCA's North American applications. Uconnect 5 will bring Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to 100 percent of FCA's North American offerings. The feature also adds wireless connectivity, allowing customers to wirelessly project phone apps quick and easy, while leaving phones securely stowed.
Uconnect 5 TomTom navigation
Wireless CarPlay has so far been largely limited to a handful of luxury brands like BMW, Audi, and Porsche, with some aftermarket systems also supporting it, but more mainstream manufacturers are on the verge of adding wireless Carplay as they launch major updates to their infotainment technology. Ford announced last October that its SYNC 4 system will support wireless CarPlay in select vehicles, and now FCA is following suit with its family of brands including Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, and more.
FCA has yet to announce exactly when and on which models Uconnect 5 will first launch, but it should start rolling out later this year.
Tile today is offering two flash sales on some of its most popular Bluetooth trackers. To start, the Tile Pro 2-pack is on sale for $34.99, down from $59.99. Secondly, you can get the Tile Essentials 4-pack for $39.99, down from $69.99.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Tile. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
The Tile Pro is considered the company's high-performance tracker, with a 400ft range, the loudest ring possible among the Tile family, and a 1-year replaceable battery. Tile Pro are meant to be placed on key rings, bags, important accessories, and more, and if you ever lose your items you can track them down via the connected Tile app on your smartphone.
The Tile Essentials 4-pack includes 2 Tile Stickers, 1 Tile Mate, and 1 Tile Slim. The Tile Mate is one step down from the Tile Pro and offers a range of 200ft for item tracking. The Tile Slim is built to mimic the look of a credit card and can fit easily into your wallet, while the Tile Sticker is the company's smallest tracker and can be easily attached to most items with its sticky adhesive backing.
Tile has made a name for itself as one of the best-known Bluetooth tracking companies, but it's been fighting back against recent changes made by Apple in iOS 13. Tile claims that Apple's Bluetooth and location tracking services have hurt its business, allowing Apple to get a leg up on these services with the new "Find My" app, and causing Tile users to go through a series of buried menus in order to place Tile as the preferred Bluetooth tracker on its device.
Furthermore, Apple is rumored to launch its own dedicated "AirTags" Bluetooth tracker, which would allow Apple device users a first-party solution to keeping track of keys, bags, and equipment. It's not clear when AirTags will launch, but we've organized all of the most recent rumors and leaks on the Bluetooth trackers in our AirTags Guide.
Head to our full Deals Roundup to shop for even more discounts on Apple products and related accessories.
A new sale on the 10.2-inch iPad from 2019 has opened up this morning on Amazon, providing a round of lowest-ever prices on the cellular model of the tablet. You can get the 32GB cellular iPad for $379.99, down from $459.00, which represents a new low price on this model among the major Apple resellers online.
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.
There are also a few Wi-Fi models on sale, starting at $249.99 for the 32GB and increasing to $329.99 for the 128GB model. All of these sales can be found on Amazon, but a few models do have delayed shipping estimates due to low inventory.
Apple has shared a new teaser video for its upcoming "Beastie Boys Story" documentary that's coming to Apple TV+ in the spring.
Here's a little story they're about to tell…Coming April 24 to Apple TV+, Mike Diamond and Adam Horovitz share the story of their band and 40 years of friendship in a live documentary directed by friend, collaborator, and their former grandfather, Spike Jonze.
"Beastie Boys Story" is described as a live documentary experience that focuses on the history and the legacy of the group and its personal story. It's based on the "Beastie Boys Book," published in October 2018, and will feature Horovitz and Diamond discussing their long running friendship and rise to fame.
The film will be available in IMAX theaters in a limited release on April 3 before launching on Apple TV+ on April 24. You can learn more about the "Beastie Boys Story" on the Apple TV app: http://apple.co/_beastieboysstory.
The release of the documentary comes ahead of the 26th anniversary of the release of "Ill Communication," the band's fourth album. Spike Jonze originally directed the music video for the hit song "Sabotage."
U.S. App Store customers spent $3.6 billion on the top 100 subscription apps of 2019, up 16 percent from the $3.1 billion spent in 2018, according to the latest report from Sensor Tower. The total spent on subscription apps was 24 percent of the $15.3 billion that the store generated from user spending overall last year.
Owing to its ad-free premium service, YouTube was the top subscription app on the U.S. App Store, followed by dating app Tinder. During 2019, YouTube crossed the $1 billion milestone through in-app user spending alone.
On Google Play in the U.S. in 2019, users spent more than $1.1 billion in the top 100 grossing subscription apps on the platform, up 42 percent year-over-year from the $775 million spent in 2018. However, the App Store still leads in consumer spending, with $3.6 billion versus Google Play's $1.1 billion, according to the report.
Across both the Apple App Store and Google Play, U.S. subscription app revenue reach over $4.6 billion in 2019, up 21 percent from the $3.8 billion generated by the top 100 subscription apps last year. The subscription revenue accrued by these apps is said to have accounted for 19 percent of the total $24 billion in U.S. consumer spend in 2019.
According to Sensor Tower, the top 10 subscription apps on iOS and Android devices grew by 10 percent in 2019, but the No. 11 to No. 100 apps grew by 35 percent in the same period of time, indicating that the subscription model is also helping the less popular apps earn more recurring revenue.
Despite their growth, subscription-based apps tend to divide the user community. Apple began incentivizing developers to sell their apps for a recurring fee instead of a one-time cost when it made changes to its App Store subscription policies in 2016. Usually, Apple takes 30 percent of app revenue, but developers who are able to maintain a subscription with a customer longer than a year see Apple's cut drop down to 15 percent.
Apple is likely to announce iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 at the Worldwide Developers Conference in June, and a new rumor claims the next major version of iOS will support the same iPhone models as iOS 13, while iPadOS 14 will trim its compatible devices list.
According to French site iPhoneSoft.fr, iOS 14 will continue to support the iPhone SE, the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, and all newer devices that Apple has released since. That would include the following:
The site qualifies its claim by suggesting the list is not final, and that the iPhone SE and iPhone 6s could get bumped off it because of the introduction of Apple's next-generation iPhone 12 models, expected in September, and the so-called "iPhone 9" or "iPhone SE 2" that's rumored to be arriving as early as this March.
Over on the iPad front, the site's source claims that Apple will drop support for the iPad mini 4, originally released in September 2015, and the iPad Air 2, released in October 2014. That would leave the following devices supported by iPadOS:
This isn't the first time iPhoneSoft.fr has made predictions about the device compatibility list of future iOS versions. In May 2019, the French blog claimed iOS 13 would drop support for the iPhone SE, but that turned out to be incorrect. However, it did accurately predict that iOS 13 would not support the iPhone 5s, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.
Apple is likely to prioritize access to services in iOS 14, with Apple Arcade, Apple TV+, Apple News and Apple Music becoming ever more important revenue streams for the company, so it would make sense for Apple's mobile software to continue supporting a wide range of devices.
These new hardware capabilities are also likely to feature prominently in iOS 14. Whether that means it will still be practicable to maintain compatibility with the same devices as iOS 13 remains to be seen.
Apple has shared a new video in its ongoing "Shot on iPhone" series, showing off the photographic capabilities of the iPhone 11 Pro.
Shot in the British Columbia Interior, Canada, the video features past and present Winter X Games competitors snowboarding down slopes and valleys at Baldface Lodge.
Follow past and present Winter X Games snowboarding competitors Red Gerard, Danny Davis, Kimmy Fasani, and Ben Ferguson as they explore untouched powder in the backcountry of the British Columbia Interior at the legendary Baldface Lodge.
Apple has shared dozens of "Shot on iPhone" photos and videos over the course of the last several years, updating the content with the launch of each new iPhone model.
Apple's iPhone 11 Pro, which is used for the newest ad, features a triple-lens camera with the best wide-angle sensor Apple has released so far along with a telephoto lens and a super wide-angle lens for better landscape shots.
Today marks the 10th anniversary of Steve Jobs unveiling the iPad at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco. It was one of the last major products that he unveiled before his death in 2011.
Jobs argued that there was room for a new device category between the smartphone and the laptop, but only if that device was superior at some tasks. He then introduced the iPad as exactly that, referring to it as a "magical and revolutionary device" for browsing the web, reading and sending email, viewing photos, watching videos, listening to music, playing games, reading ebooks, and more.
"iPad is our most advanced technology in a magical and revolutionary device at an unbelievable price," said Jobs. "iPad creates and defines an entirely new category of devices that will connect users with their apps and content in a much more intimate, intuitive and fun way than ever before."
The original iPad featured a 9.7-inch display, a single-core Apple A4 processor, up to 64GB of storage, 256MB of RAM, an advertised 10 hours of battery life, Bluetooth 2.1, a 30-pin dock connector, and a headphone jack. Wi-Fi-only models started at $499 in the United States, while models with both Wi-Fi and 3G cellular connectivity started at $629. Notably, the original iPad lacked cameras.
At only 0.5 inches thick and weighing just 1.5 pounds, Apple said the iPad was thinner and lighter than any laptop or netbook at the time.
Apple released the iPad on April 3, 2010 and, one day later, the company announced that it had already sold over 300,000 iPads. When unveiling the iPad 2 in March 2011, Jobs gave an update on this figure, revealing that Apple sold nearly 15 million iPads during its first nine months of availability.
Over the last decade, a new generation of the iPad has been released every year, with several new features and design changes along the way. We've recapped some of the bigger milestones in the device's history below:
March 2011 — iPad 2: 33% thinner, up to 15% lighter, dual-core Apple A5 processor, front and rear cameras, and new white color option
March 2012 — Third-generation iPad: Retina display, 4G LTE, Apple A5X processor, and 1080p video recording
October 2012 — Fourth-generation iPad: Lightning connector and Apple A6X processor
October 2012 — iPad mini: 7.9-inch display
October 2013 — iPad Air: 64-bit Apple A7 processor, 20% thinner and 28% lighter than the fourth-generation iPad, and slimmer bezels
October 2014 — iPad Air 2: Touch ID, fully-laminated Retina display, and Apple A8X processor
September 2015 — iPad Pro: 12.9-inch Retina display, Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard support, Apple A9X processor, and four speakers
March 2017 — Fifth-generation iPad: $329 starting price with 9.7-inch Retina display and Apple A9 processor
June 2017 — Second-generation iPad Pro: ProMotion refresh rate of up to 120Hz, Apple A10X Fusion chip, and slimmer bezels
March 2018 — Sixth-generation iPad: $329 starting price with Apple Pencil support and Apple A10 processor
October 2018 — Third-generation iPad Pro: Major redesign with slimmer bezels, Face ID, USB-C connector, Apple A12X Bionic processor, up to 1TB of storage, and second-generation Apple Pencil support
September 2019 — Seventh-generation iPad: 10.2-inch Retina display and full-sized Smart Keyboard support
Looking ahead, rumors suggest that Apple will refresh its iPad Pro lineup as early as March. A key new feature is expected to be a triple-lens rear camera system with advanced 3D sensing for augmented reality.
Apple must pay $85 million in royalties to Canadian patent holding company WiLan for infringing patents related to wireless communications, a jury in San Diego has ruled (via Bloomberg).
The two patents relate to making phone calls while simultaneously downloading data. In August 2018, a different jury said Apple infringed the patents and awarded WiLan $145 million, but a retrial was ordered to reconsider the damages.
At the previous retrial in January 2019, the court agreed that Apple had infringed on the patents. However, U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw accepted Apple's argument that the method WiLan had used to calculate the appropriate royalty rate was flawed.
Sabraw urged the Quarterhill company to accept reduced damages of $10 million or prepare for another trial to figure out how much Apple needed to pay. WiLan chose another trial.
WiLan came to the latest royalty figure of $85 million based on iPhone sales. Apple unsuccessfully argued in court papers that the Ottawa-based holding company hadn't provided enough evidence to help the jury determine it was entitled to anything.
WiLan describes itself as "one of the most successful patent licensing companies in the world." Apple's legal dispute with WiLan started back in 2010, when WiLan claimed Apple violated one of its Bluetooth related products.
Apple intends to donate money in support of groups fighting the outbreak of the Coronavirus in China, Tim Cook said on Saturday.
Electron micrograph of coronavirus virions
In a morning tweet marking the Luna New Year, the Apple chief said the company will be "donating to groups on the ground helping support all of those affected."
A coronavirus is a family of viruses that include the common cold, but this particular virus has never been detected before. Medical doctors have subsequently named it 2019-nCov, for "novel coronavirus."
The new virus causes severe acute respiratory infection. Since its discovery in the city of Wuhan in Hubei Province, it has killed at least 42 people and infected 1,372 across China.
On Saturday, Australia confirmed its first four cases in Melbourne, followed by three more in Sydney. Two cases of 2019-nCoV have been discovered in the United States. It has also spread to Europe, with three cases confirmed in France.
The cases largely involve people who had recently travelled from the affected region in China.
As people in China and around the world celebrate the Lunar New Year, we send our love and support to the many impacted by the Coronavirus. Apple will be donating to groups on the ground helping support all of those affected.
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) January 25, 2020
Apple often provides donations during natural disasters and catastrophes. The company recently made a donation pledge to support fire fighting efforts in Australia, where bushfires have been burning after one of the worst droughts in history and record-breaking heat waves.
This week saw an interesting variety of Apple news and rumors, ranging from rumors about upcoming iPhone and iPad releases to Apple TV+ announcements to news that Adobe Flash support will finally be removed from Safari.
One of the quirkier stories of the week was also one of the most popular, as we learned a bit more about Apple CEO Tim Cook's multi-year investment in Nebia, the eco-friendly shower head that's looking to make a bigger splash with an updated model in partnership with Moen.
Apple May Launch Backlit Smart Keyboard Alongside 2020 iPad Pros
The short version of the story is that Nebia co-founder Philip Winter managed to persuade fitness centers in Silicon Valley to run pilot tests of the eco-shower, and after installing the prototypes he would wait outside locker rooms to get feedback. That's when he met Cook.
Winter said Cook invested a "significant" amount of his own money in the eco-shower head and advised Nebia on suppliers. He also pushed the startup to prioritize user experience, design, and sustainability.
iPhone 12 Lineup Rumored to Feature All-New Navy Blue Color Option
Weinbach has accurately revealed a new iPhone color in the past. In May 2019, through his Twitter account PineLeaks, he said the successor to the iPhone XR would come in a new light green color. However, his Apple rumor track record is certainly not perfect.
Apple Reportedly Dropped Plans for End-to-End Encrypted iCloud Backups After FBI Objected
More than two years ago, Apple informed the FBI that it planned to roll out end-to-end encryption for iCloud backups, according to Reuters. Apple ultimately dropped the plan at some point after the FBI objected, although the report notes that it is unclear if the federal agency was explicitly a factor in the decision.
A former Apple employee told Reuters that the company did not want to risk scrutiny from public officials for potentially protecting criminals, being sued for making previously accessible data out of reach, or encouraging new legislation against encryption.
Apple Likely to Drop Adobe Flash Support in Next Version of Safari
As noted in our coverage of Safari Technology Preview 99, Apple has removed all support for Adobe Flash. Safari Technology Preview is basically a beta of the next version of Safari proper, all but confirming that Apple is officially ditching support for Flash in the next version of its native Mac browser.
The elimination of Flash support should not heavily impact users, given that most other popular browsers have already moved away from the format. Likewise, iPhone and iPad users won't be affected because Apple's mobile operating system has never supported Flash.
Back in July 2017, Adobe announced plans to end-of-life its Flash browser plug-in. Adobe said it was ceasing development and distribution of the software at the end of 2020, so its removal from Safari was to be expected.
It's a good moment to reflect on the Steve Jobs letter "Thoughts on Flash."
Apple Shares Release Dates for Upcoming Apple TV+ Series
Refurbished models are available in Space Gray, Silver, or Gold with 64GB, 256GB, or 512GB of storage through Apple's online store in the United States. All of the models are unlocked, aka SIM-free.
Prices are discounted by $300 to $350 compared to September 2018. For example, the base model iPhone XS with 64GB of storage was $999 brand new and is now available refurbished for $699.
MacRumors Newsletter
Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.
Representatives for Apple and Microsoft will be participating in a meeting with the Carin Alliance that's focused on making it easier for patients to access and share their medical information, reports CNBC.
The meeting will focus on efforts to push a rule change proposed by the Department of Health and Human Services that would promote medical data interoperability.
Ricky Bloomfield, a member of Apple's health team who formerly served as Duke University's Director of Mobile Strategy, will participate in the meeting by phone, according to a list of attendees published today [PDF].
Those who are in support of the change want to modernize patient access to data, as it continues to be common for medical facilities to provide health records via CD or Fax, which makes it difficult for people to switch providers and healthcare systems. From a PDF describing talking points for the meeting:
It's imperative to note how important and time sensitive aggregated health information across multiple provider and health plan systems can be for patients going through catastrophic events. This information is essential for patients as they consider options such as treatment planning, consenting to surgical procedures, exploring and enrolling in clinical trials, and matters of continuity of care, examples including expediting an urgent second opinion, appealing insurance denials for standard of care treatments prescribed by patient's board-certified physicians, as well as having all pertinent information when it comes to advance care planning, palliative care, and matters of end of life. Data access is a matter of patient safety, better outcomes, improved costs, and often life or death.
Apple has been working to make health data more accessible for patients with its Health Records feature that is designed to allow iOS users to access their medical records from participating hospitals and medical providers. Apple has partnered with hundreds of providers in the United States, allowing iPhone users to sync their medical data to the iOS Health app.
Choetech's new 61W Wall Charger uses gallium nitride technology, which allows it to be manufactured in a smaller casing than a standard power adapter. It's 50 percent smaller than the original 61W MacBook charger.
Priced at $35, the 61W power adapter is slim, portable, and perfect for use at home or travel thanks to the foldable prongs that tuck into the body of the accessory.
There's a single USB-C port on the charger that can be paired with a USB-C to USB-C cable or a USB-C to Lightning cable for charging up your Apple devices. 61W is ideal for the MacBook Air or 13-inch MacBook Pro, but it's also suitable for the more powerful 15 and 16-inch MacBook Pro models when not doing system intensive tasks.
Choetech says that the charger is equipped with a built-in "smart identification chip" that's able to identify the voltage and current required by a device, providing the right amount of power. It can charge a 13-inch MacBook Pro to full in two hours or a MacBook Air to full in 1.6 hours.
The power adapter features a design made from a fire retardant PC material with over-current, over-voltage, and short-circuit protection for safety purposes.
Along with the 61W GaN charger, Choetech also offers a $15 6-foot USB-C to USB-C cable that supports 100W high-speed charging for all USB-C devices.
The cable, which is sold in a set of two, features a braided design along with reinforcing at the ends to make sure it won't fray or degrade with use, and it also cuts down on tangling. Choetech says that the cable supports data transfer speeds of 480MB/s, and that it has been tested through 5,000 bends and 30,000 plugs and unplugs.
We have 61W GaN power adapter and USB-C cable sets for 10 MacRumors readers. To enter to win our giveaway, use the Gleam.io widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winners and send the prizes. You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, following us on Instagram, or visiting the MacRumorsFacebook page.
Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years or older and Canadian residents (excluding Quebec) who have reached the age of majority in their province or territory are eligible to enter. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.
The contest will run from today (January 24) at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time on January 31. The winners will be chosen randomly on January 31 and will be contacted by email. The winners will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before new winners are chosen.
Alongside the giveaway, Choetech is offering several deals for MacRumors readers. The 61W GaN USB-C Power Adapter can be purchased for $28 with the promo code KD8ZFFJ3, and the USB-C to USB-C cable two-pack can be purchased for $9.50 with the promo code USBC100W.
Choetech is also offering a big discount on its standard 60W USB-C charger, dropping the price to $13.59 with promo code IV935S86.
Apple today seeded the third beta of an upcoming macOS 10.15.3 update to developers for testing purposes, one week after seeding the second beta and more than a month after releasing the macOS Catalina 10.15.2 update.
The new macOS Catalina beta can be downloaded using the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences after installing the proper software from the Developer Center.
We don't yet know what improvements the third update to macOS Catalina will bring, but it will likely focus on performance improvements, security updates, and fixes for bugs that weren't able to be fixed in the macOS Catalina 10.15.2 update.
macOS Catalina 10.15.3 has code in it that suggests a new "Pro Mode" is coming to Apple's Macs. Pro Mode appears to be an optional setting that overrides fan speed limits and energy saving restrictions to improve performance. The code says that apps "may run faster" but battery life could decrease and fan noise could increase.
It's not entirely clear if Pro Mode is coming to Macs in the 10.15.3 release, but the code is there so it is a possibility.
We didn't find any other major new changes in the first two betas of macOS Catalina 10.15.3, but we'll update this post if there's anything new in the third beta.
Best Buy has kicked off a new 3-day sale as we head into the weekend, with discounts on MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, Beats products, and iPhone cases. This sale lasts through Sunday, January 26 at 11:59 p.m. CT, and for some products you'll need to be a My Best Buy member to see the discounts.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
MacBook Air and MacBook Pro notebooks are seeing discounts that match the current best prices on select models in many cases. You can get the 128GB 2019 MacBook Air for $949.99 (down from $1,099.99), or the 512GB 16-inch MacBook Pro for $2,199.99 (down from $2,399.99).
Also included in the sale is a handful of discounts on iPhone cases, including ongoing solid deals on the iPhone 11 Smart Battery Case line. You can get this accessory for $103.99 in Black (down from $129.99), and there are also numerous discounts on Leather Cases, Silicone Cases, and Clear Cases.
Best Buy 3-Day Sale
MacBook Air - Save up to $200 on select models / Starting at $949.99
MacBook Pro - Save up to $200 on select models / Starting at $1,199.99
iPhone 11 - Save up to $350 with qualified activation and store trade-in
iPhone cases - Save up to 25% / Including Smart Battery Cases on sale
The App Store is experiencing a temporary outage that started at 7:30 a.m. Pacific Time, according to Apple's System Status website. Apple's site says that there's an unspecified ongoing issue that's affecting some users.
Part of the problem appears to be linked to in-app purchases, based on a tweet from a Fortnite Twitter account, which says that in-app App Store purchases are unable to be completed at this time.
Other users have complained about not being able to make purchases from the App Store, receiving an unable to connect message.
There's no word on when the App Store problems will be resolved, but we'll update this article when the issues have been addressed.
Update: Apple is no longer listing an outage on the System Status website, suggesting the issue has been fixed.
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Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
