MacRumors

Apple appears to be working on new "Powerbeats4" wireless earphones to replace the existing Powerbeats3, based on strings in iOS 13.3 code uncovered by MacRumors contributor Steve Moser.

9to5Mac was first to discover the Powerbeats4 reference, noting that the earphones will likely support hands-free "Hey Siri." This means the Powerbeats4 will likely have an Apple-designed H1 chip or newer, which delivers a faster and more stable wireless connection to your devices.

With the H1 chip, the Powerbeats4 would likely support "Announce Messages with Siri." When enabled, Siri reads your incoming messages out loud when your earphones are connected to your iPhone or iPad running iOS 13.2 or iPadOS 13.2 or later, you're wearing them, and your device is locked. Siri plays a tone, then announces the sender's name and reads the message.

Apple already released totally wireless Powerbeats Pro with "Hey Siri" support earlier this year for a regular price of $249.95. Powerbeats4 would likely be a cheaper version of the earphones and will presumably stick with the cord between the left and right earphone like the Powerbeats3, which retail for $199.95.

It is unclear if and when Apple will release the Powerbeats4 or if that will be the final consumer-facing name of the earphones.

iOS 13.3 was released yesterday.

Early reports from 16-inch MacBook Pro owners who have installed the macOS Catalina 10.15.2 update suggest that the new software fixes some of the speaker popping issues that were plaguing these machines.

According to a reddit user, after installing the update, the popping issue is no longer occurring, even after attempts to trigger it in VLC, Safari, Chrome, Netflix, YouTube, Premiere Pro, and Amazon Prime Video, all apps 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ owners previously complained were affected.

There are similar reports from 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ owners on the MacRumors forums. MacRumors readers Dextera, donawalt, and Lobwedgephil say their popping problems are entirely solved.

Just installed it over 10.15.1, ran about 6-7 different loud Youtube songs, tried the skip ahead/right arrow, and stopping songs, NADA! FIXED!

Reports from other 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ owners are more mixed, though. Some users say that the update improves the popping problem, but does not eliminate it entirely.

Some users are hearing lighter and more muted popping sounds in apps like Chrome and Safari, and some report that the popping has stopped for some apps like Spotify, but not for others. From MacRumors reader Ries:

10.15.2, occasional pops still happen for me in all scenarios. Thou a lot less frequent and at lower volume than they used to be.

From MacRumors reader covedrop:

Just installed 10.15.2 and can confirm that although the popping has been significantly reduced (more often it sounds like a minor crackle as I would expect when signal is cut), it is still there. I'm inclined to think that since the issue has been reduced as it has, if you're not hearing it you may just not be hearing the old sound, as it now sounds different. It's about 50% of the max it was previously (the loudest I experienced).

I also had to skip pretty aggressively in YouTube to really get a good pop - better, but certainly not fixed. I also had my volume up quite loud, but not full.

16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ owners have been complaining of popping sounds since the machine was first released in October. Apple in a memo to Apple Authorized Service Providers confirmed the popping issue and said that a fix would be implemented in the near future.

When using Final Cut Pro X, Logic Pro X, QuickTime Player, Music, Movies, or other applications to play audio, users may hear a pop come from the speakers after playback has ended. Apple is investigating the issue. A fix is planned in future software updates. Do not set up service, or replace the user's computer, as this is a software-related issue.

Apple in its note to service providers said that the fix would require updates plural, not a single update, which may explain the mixed reports that we're hearing from 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ owners. The macOS Catalina 10.15.2 software appears to partially address the problem, but further software updates may be required to stamp it out entirely.

With the new 2019 Mac Pro now available for purchase, Apple has begun sharing support documents and tutorial videos covering the new high-end machine that's designed for professional users.

Two new support videos shared this morning walk ‌Mac Pro‌ owners through RAM upgrades and graphics upgrades through adding a new MPX Module. Apple designed the ‌Mac Pro‌ to be upgradeable over time, so all of the components can be swapped out.

Upgrading the ‌Mac Pro‌'s RAM can be done by lifting off the aluminum housing, opening up the DIMM cover, opening the DIMM ejectors, pulling out old RAM, and then aligning the DIMMs of the new memory into the optimal slots and pushing it in gently.

Installing a new MPX Module requires lifting off the aluminum housing, loosening the screws of the MPX base with a screwdriver and removing the clamp plates, unlocking the MPX base, and then sliding in a new module.

Apple also has a support document highlighting all of the parts that can be replaced and upgraded in the ‌Mac Pro‌, including the memory, PCIe cards, Apple I/O card, power supply, SSD, and wheels.

Many other ‌Mac Pro‌ support documents are available to walk users through component replacement and other features, with a list below:

• Mac Pro Technical Specifications
• Install and replace parts in your Mac Pro
• 2019 Mac Pro memory specifications
• Install and replace memory in your Mac Pro
• Install PCIe cards in your Mac Pro
• PCIe cards you can install in your Mac Pro
• About graphics-card compatibility between Mac Pro models
• Use the Radeon Pro 580X MPX Module with your Mac Pro
• Use the Radeon Pro Vega II MPX Module with your Mac Pro
• Use the Radeon Pro Vega II Duo MPX Module with your Mac Pro
• Using AMD graphics cards with Microsoft Windows on Mac Pro
• About the Promise Pegasus R4i MPX RAID storage module for Mac Pro
• Mac Pro status indicator light behavior
• Replace the power supply in your Mac Pro
• Replace the Apple I/O card in your Mac Pro
• About the Afterburner accelerator card for Mac Pro
• Use multiple displays with your Mac Pro

Apple warns that damage caused by failing to follow the specific instructions provided on replacing components in the ‌Mac Pro‌ is not covered by Apple's warranty.

There are also some support documents specific to the new Pro Display XDR.

• Pro Display XDR Technical Specifications
• Set up and use Apple Pro Display XDR
• Use reference modes with your Apple Pro Display XDR
• How to clean your Apple Pro Display XDR
• Change the refresh rate on your Apple Pro Display XDR

Both the ‌Mac Pro‌ and the Pro Display XDR are available for purchase starting today, with pricing on the ‌Mac Pro‌ starting at $5,999 and pricing on the Pro Display XDR starting at $4,999.

Apple's new Pro Display XDR comes with an optional nano-texture glass, which is etched at the nanometer level to cut down on reflectivity and glare for a matte look.

The nano-texture glass costs an extra $1,000, and as it turns out, it also impacts how the Pro Display XDR can be cleaned.

According to an Apple support document, the Pro Display XDR with nano-texture glass must be cleaned only with the dry polishing cloth that Apple provides. No water or liquids should be used to clean the glass.

Apple warns that Pro Display XDR owners should never use any other cloths to clean the glass, and if the included dry polishing cloth is lost, Apple Support should be contacted so another cloth can be ordered. There's no word yet on what Apple is charging for replacement cleaning cloths.

Apple also has specific instructions for washing the polishing cloth, which includes using dish soap and water, rinsing thoroughly, and then letting it air dry for at least 24 hours.

The standard Pro Display XDR glass can be cleaned with a standard microfiber cloth and a small amount of water, while the casing can be cleaned using a soft, slightly damp, lint-free cloth.

Since its announcement, the Pro Display XDR has been the butt of multiple jokes as Apple is charging $4,999 for the display, and an extra $999 for its stand. The need for a specific Apple-designed cleaning cloth isn't likely to help the situation.

Apple's Pro Display XDR, which is meant to be used alongside the Mac Pro, is available starting today. Pro Display XDR orders with standard glass will start arriving to customers on December 20, but the Pro Display XDR with nano-texture glass won't be available until January 21 at the earliest.

There was a serious AirDrop bug in iOS 13.2.3 that let attackers overwhelm nearby iPhones with files, causing them to lock up, reports TechCrunch. Apple addressed the bug in the iOS 13.3 update, and the details of how it works are now public.

AirDrop is designed to allow users to share files with one another, and depending on settings, it can be restricted to contacts, no one, or any nearby iPhone. Kishan Bagaria discovered the AirDrop bug in iOS 13.2.3, finding that he could lock up nearby iPhones that were able to accept files by flooding them with multiple files in a row.

When receiving an AirDrop file, an ‌iPhone‌ or iPad blocks the display until the incoming request is accepted or rejected. iOS did not limit the number of requests that a device can accept, so with repeated message requests, an attacker was able to send files over and over again to cause the iOS device to get stuck in a loop.

Devices with AirDrop set to "Everyone" were primarily vulnerable to the attack, which is not the default AirDrop setting. AirDrop is limited to Contacts, and the "Everyone" setting must be manually enabled.

As of now, though, the bug no longer works and Apple has limited the number of AirDrop messages that can be sent to an iOS device in quick succession. Given that this wasn't a traditional security vulnerability, Apple will not provide a common vulnerability and CVE score, but has instead acknowledged it in a separate section of the security support document.

Ahead of the release of the Mac Pro and Pro Display XDR, Apple gave several of the machines to prominent tech YouTubers to test out, and their first impressions, overviews, and unboxings of the ‌Mac Pro‌ are now available.

MKBHD, iJustine, and Jonathan Morrison were each able to spend a couple of weeks with the ‌Mac Pro‌ and Pro Display XDR, using the setup for video editing workflows. YouTubers were provided with higher-end machines featuring the 28-core Intel Xeon W processors, 384GB RAM, 4TB SSD, an Afterburner Card, and two AMD Radeon Pro Vega II GPUs.

MKBHD had a few interesting ‌Mac Pro‌ tidbits to share, including details on the inclusion of a new memory management interface that shows an overview of memory management with how the memory is arranged, along with an overview of PCI slots.

He said that he has two main takeaways after using the ‌Mac Pro‌ for a few weeks: "It's really quiet and it's really fast." In a rendering test, the ‌Mac Pro‌ did in four minutes what it took the 16-inch MacBook Pro 20 minutes to do and the iMac Pro 12 minutes to do.

iJustine focused on the new accessories that come with the ‌Mac Pro‌, including a black Magic Mouse, a black Magic Trackpad, and a black and silver Magic Keyboard.

iJustine also provided an interesting visual comparison between the old ‌Mac Pro‌ tower and the new ‌Mac Pro‌ machine, which have quite a few design similarities.

Morrison said that the Pro Display XDR with its nano coating technology is a "game changer," though you need to see the display in person to really appreciate it. He too highlighted the ‌Mac Pro‌'s quiet operation, saying that it was near silent even with "every core lit up."

The ‌Mac Pro‌ is "far beyond what most of us need" according to Morrison.

Additional hands on experiences, benchmarks, and reviews should be forthcoming now that the ‌Mac Pro‌ is available to order. The first machines purchased today will be arriving to customers starting next week.

Executives from Apple and Facebook were grilled over their encryption policies in a U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, with senators threatening encryption regulation.

According to Reuters, senators told Apple and Facebook that the two companies need to find a way to make encrypted data available to law enforcement for investigations.

"You're going to find a way to do this or we're going to go do it for you," said Senator Lindsey Graham. "We're not going to live in a world where a bunch of child abusers have a safe haven to practice their craft. Period. End of discussion."

Facebook earlier this year said that it would extend end-to-end encryption across all of its messaging services and has since faced blowback from U.S., UK, and Australian government officials who have requested backdoor access.

Apple faced a major encryption battle with the United States government in 2016 when it refused to provide the government with the tools to unlock the iPhone owned by the San Bernadino shooter.

Apple at the time argued that adding backdoor access to the ‌iPhone‌ would weaken it for everyone and that criminals would quickly gain access to any backdoor tools that Apple established.

Facebook privacy chief Jay Sullivan was at the hearing with Apple privacy chief Erik Neuenschwander, and even amid scrutiny from regulators, the two companies were still at each other's throats, with Neuenschwander and Sullivan each suggesting lawmakers focus scrutiny on the other company's business.

Sullivan pointed out that Facebook does not build devices or operating systems, while Neuenschwander said that Apple doesn't have "forums for strangers to contact each other" and doesn't see Apple "scanning material of our users to build profiles of them."

Apple has been staunchly against creating backdoors for government access and has warned of the dangers of weakening encryption. Apple does cooperate with law enforcement by providing relevant iCloud data in law enforcement investigations when requested.

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 today released the Mac Pro, its high-end modular desktop machine designed for professional users. While the base ‌Mac Pro‌ machine is priced starting at $5,999, there are many other upgrade options available.

Right now, the ‌Mac Pro‌ maxes out at 4TB of SSD storage space, but in the future, Apple plans to expand that to 8TB. On the specs page, Apple says that an 8TB SSD storage option is "coming soon."

Pricing is not available on the component, but given that the 4TB option costs an additional $1,400, it's likely to be expensive. Apple first introduced 8TB SSD storage options in the MacBook Pro, and in that machine, the upgrade costs $2,200 over the base 1TB storage option.

Apple also currently provides Radeon Pro 580X, Radeon Pro Vega II, and Radeon Pro Vega II Duo graphics cards, but in the near future, Apple will also offer both a single or double Radeon Pro W5700X GPU with 16GB GDDR6 memory.

There is no word yet on pricing, and no clear information on when we can expect the new upgrade options to be available. Those who want the specific GPU or the 8TB of storage should wait to order.

‌Mac Pro‌ models ordered today will ship out between December 19 and December 27.

Along with the new Mac Pro and Pro Display XDR, Apple has added a variety of related accessories to its online store.

The new Mac Pro accessories include Apple's Afterburner card, AMD's Radeon Pro Vega II MPX and Vega II Duo MPX graphics modules, Promise's custom Pegasus R4i and Pegasus J2i storage modules, Belkin's lock adapter for use with a third-party lock or cable, Belkin's AUX power cable kit, and up to 256GB DDR4 ECC memory kits.

For the Pro Display XDR, there is an optional $999 stand, a VESA mount adapter, and Logitech's 4K Pro Magnetic Webcam for $199.95.

Designed specifically for the Pro Display XDR, the Pro Magnetic Webcam features 4K Ultra HD resolution video with advanced HDR. "RightLight 3" technology automatically adjusts the video based on both poor lighting and direct sunlight. A secure magnetic mount attaches the webcam to the display.

Many of the accessories ship within the next week, but some are not yet available.

Silver-and-Black Magic Accessories Limited to New Mac Pro

The new Mac Pro comes with a new silver-and-black Magic Keyboard with a numeric keypad and a black Magic Mouse, with an optional silver-and-black Magic Trackpad available as well. These accessories are currently limited to the new Mac Pro and have not been made available to purchase separately.

This is similar to when Space Gray versions of the Magic accessories were limited to the iMac Pro when that computer launched in December 2017, but they became available to purchase separately in March 2018.