Apple's new high-end modular Mac Pro is set to be released in December, according to a new report from Bloomberg.
The launch timing of the Mac Pro was shared in a report on the new 16-inch MacBook Pro, which is set to come out as soon as tomorrow.
Apple unveiled the new 2019 Mac Pro in June at its Worldwide Developers Conference, but since then has not provided any details on its prospective release date.
A December launch would be in line with the launch of the 2013 Mac Pro, which came out on December 18, and the 2017 iMac Pro, which came out on December 14.
The new Mac Pro is designed for Apple's pro user base with a heavy focus on upgradeability and expansion. It features a traditional PC shape, but with an Apple-esque stainless steel frame with a lattice pattern that maximizes airflow.
The Mac Pro uses workstation-class Xeon processors with up to 28 cores, and it supports up to 1.5TB of high-performance memory. Pricing on the new Mac Pro will start at $6,000.
Alongside the Mac Pro, Apple will likely launch the Pro Display XDR, which is a 32-inch 6K display with a resolution of 6016 x 3384 and more than 20 million pixels. Pricing on the Pro Display XDR will start at $5,000.
While Bloomberg has disclosed a December launch month for the Mac Pro, there's still no word on a specific date. Given past launch timelines, it could come on either the week of the 9th or the week of the 16th.
Apple's upcoming 16-inch MacBook Pro is set to replace the current 15-inch MacBook Pro, which is priced starting at $2,399, according to a new report from Bloomberg.
The new 16-inch machine, which will be the largest laptop Apple has offered for sale since the 17-inch MacBook Pro was discontinued, will "cost about the same" as the current 15-inch model.
Prior reports suggested the 16-inch MacBook Pro would be sold alongside the 15-inch model as a higher-end, more expensive option, but it sounds like it won't be quite as pricey as first expected.
The new MacBook Pro is said to feature a revamped keyboard that's designed to be "more reliable," and previous rumors have indicated that it will abandon the butterfly switch mechanism Apple has been using for a new scissor switch mechanism.
The display of the upcoming machine will be brighter, and Bloomberg suggests it will appeal to video and photo editors, gamers, and software developers.
As for launch timing, Bloomberg believes that the new MacBook Pro will come out as soon as Wednesday, with the Mac Pro to then follow at some point in December.
Apple this week has been holding private press briefings at its luxury loft mansion in New York City, likely providing media sites with review units for first impressions. Apple will announce the new 16-inch MacBook Pro via press release, as there are no more Apple events expected this year.
Apple CEO Tim Cook and United States President Donald Trump will soon tour facilities in Texas where Apple products are made, reports Reuters.
The goal of the trip is to showcase companies that "keep jobs in America." Both Apple and the White House declined to comment on the upcoming tour.
The planned journey comes as Apple is seeking tariff waivers on imports from China that include iPhone components, Apple Watch, AirPods, HomePod, and more.
Apple in September said that its newest Mac Pro will be manufactured in Texas at the same Austin facility where the existing Mac Pro has been made since 2013.
According to Apple, the new Mac Pro includes components designed, developed, and manufactured by more than a dozen American companies. Suppliers span states that include Arizona, Maine, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Vermont.
Apple has pledged to invest $350 billion in the United States economy by 2023, and last year, spent more than $60 billion with 9,000 domestic suppliers across the country.
Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues 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 in late October released a new 13.2 software update for the HomePod with a bunch of new features, but it turned out the update was bricking some HomePods.
Apple addressed the bug in an updated 13.2.1 software release a couple days later, making the new functionality available without the risk of ruining a HomePod. In our newest YouTube video, we go over all of the new HomePod features for MacRumors readers who may have been put off by the bug reports.
With the new update, HomePod can distinguish between different users in the household, introducing multi-user support for the first time.
Siri is able to tell who is speaking, allowing each person in the home to access their own selection of music, playlists, radio stations, and preferences.
Setting up multi-user support requires a device running iOS 13.2 or later, and you need to invite your family members to be a member in the Home app. From there, open the Home app, choose Home Settings, tap on your user profile under people, and then turn on the "Recognize My Voice" option.
If you're listening to a song on your iPhone and want to transfer it over to your HomePod, you can do so with iOS 13.2.1's new Handoff feature.
To use Handoff, have a song playing on the iPhone and then bring it over to the top of the HomePod. The audio playing on the iPhone will swap over to the HomePod, pausing audio on the iPhone. You'll get a notification letting you know about the transfer of content, and while this feature is still a bit buggy, it's useful.
Handoff works with the Apple Music app, podcasts, phone calls, and more. If you don't want to use the feature, you can turn it off in the Settings app by going to General > AirPlay > Handoff and toggling off "Transfer to HomePod."
Adding Music to HomeKit Scenes
When creating or editing a HomeKit scene, you can now add songs from your Apple Music Library. You can, for example, create a "Good Morning" or "Relax" scene that does things like change the lighting and start a song playing on HomePod.
Just select the "HomePod" option when creating a scene under the list of accessories. From there, choose the "Play Audio" option and then select "Choose Audio" to select a song.
Ambient Sounds
The 13.2.1 update also introduces a neat new feature called Ambient Sounds, which is designed to let you ask Siri to play relaxing sounds like rain, white noise, and more.
There are seven different options that you can choose from:
Rain
Stream
White Noise
Fireplace
Forest
Night
Ocean
To use Ambient Sounds, just ask Siri. Asking Siri to play Ambient Sounds will select a random sound, but you can also ask for a specific sound with a command like "Hey Siri, play rain sounds."
Setting a Sleep Timer
Ambient Sounds can be set up with a sleep timer so that the noise automatically turns off after a set period of time. When an Ambient Sound is playing, ask Siri to set a sleep timer for a set amount of time.
"Hey Siri, set a sleep timer for 45 minutes," for example, will play the ambient noises for 45 minutes before the HomePod turns off.
If you don't want to listen to Ambient Sounds, this also works with any music that happens to be playing.
Downloading the Update
Downloading the new HomePod software can be done by opening up the Home app, selecting "Home Settings" after tapping the house icon in the upper left corner, and choosing the "Software Update" option. If the "Install Updates Automatically" feature is turned on, your HomePod has likely already updated to 13.2.1.
Walmart this week announced a new partnership with Apple, which allows the Walmart Voice Order feature to be used with Siri.
With this option, Apple users can ask Siri to add items to their Walmart Online Grocery Cart through a new Siri Shortcut. After pairing an account, customers can create a shopping cart by saying "Add to Walmart" and then naming the product they want to purchase.
Once finished shopping, customers can place the order with the Walmart app and then Walmart personal shoppers will gather the items. Customers can have their orders delivered or pick them up at a local Walmart store. Items can be added to the Walmart cart on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Mac, HomePod, and CarPlay.
According to Walmart, the more customers use the feature, the better the experience will be. The app is designed to quickly and accurately identify desired items based on purchase history.
For example, if a customer says, "add orange juice to my cart," we'll make sure to add the specific orange juice the customer buys regularly. Instead of saying "Great Value organic orange juice with no pulp," they'll simply say: "orange juice" and we'll add the right one.
The voice ordering feature is aimed at letting customers add to a list of items over time as they realize what they need for a weekly shopping trip. Walmart customers interested in using the feature can go to the Walmart Grocery App and choose the "Voice Shopping" option on their account page.
Minecraft Earth, Microsoft's new augmented reality Minecraft game, is now available on iOS and Android devices in the United States.
Microsoft has been testing Minecraft Earth in other countries like the UK, Australia, Canada, Iceland, Mexico, New Zealand, Philippines, Sweden and South Korea, but now it is also available in an early access capacity in the U.S.
Minecraft Earth is designed to let users access a tabletop mode that displays Minecraft creations in the real world at life size, bringing Minecraft designs to life.
Gamers will be able to add a buildplate. creating an interactive Minecraft diorama. Tappables, which unlock in-game materials, will be able to be found in the real world, such as on a walk, and resources can be used for crafting and smelting. There are also monsters to encounter and other discoveries to make.
Multiple players can team up with one another to create structures together, and in adventure mode, there's an option to battle against hostile mobs to survive.
The app can be downloaded for free from the App Store, though it is a freemium title and "Minecoins" can be purchased in app.
AirPods Pro sport an all-new in-ear design with three sizes of soft, flexible silicone tips included in the box, including small, medium, and large. Apple does not sell the ear tips directly, but if you happen to lose them, replacements are available for $3.95 per pair through the company's support channels.
There are multiple ways to obtain replacement AirPods Pro ear tips, including ordering them online, contacting Apple by phone or online chat, or booking an appointment with a Genius Bar at an Apple Store:
Choose from one of four options: Order Replacements for online ordering, Chat for online chat, Talk to Apple Support Now for a phone call, or Make an Appointment at a Store for a Genius Bar appointment.
If you choose the Order Replacements option, you will be prompted to enter your Apple ID email address and password and complete two-factor authentication if necessary. Then you will be presented with a list of your Apple products. If your AirPods Pro are not shown, enter their serial number at the bottom of the page and select Continue. On the next page, select a size of ear tips, and hit Continue once more. The total cost comes to $3.95 plus tax per pair, including shipping, with payment collected online.
If you choose the Chat option, you will be prompted to enter your first name, last name, and email address. You will then join an online chat with an Apple support specialist who can assist you with obtaining replacement AirPods Pro ear tips.
If you choose the Talk to Apple Support Now option, you will be prompted to enter your first name, last name, email address, and phone number. Within a few minutes, you should receive a phone call from an Apple support specialist who can assist you with obtaining replacement AirPods Pro ear tips.
If you choose the Make an Appointment at a Store option, you will be prompted to enter your Apple ID email address and password and complete two-factor authentication if necessary. After entering your location, select an Apple Store from the list and confirm an appointment time. Apple requests bringing a valid government-issued photo ID to your appointment for verification.
Apple says replacement AirPods Pro ear tips take 3-5 business days to arrive. If you need them sooner, opt for a Genius Bar appointment. The replacement tips only come in the one size you select, so choose carefully.
Pricing and replacement methods vary outside of the United States.
Former HBO CEO and chairman Richard Plepler is in talks with Apple about an exclusive Apple TV+ production deal, reports Deadline.
Plepler is planning to launch a production company and is currently negotiating a deal that would land him with Apple, producing content for Apple's streaming television service.
Plepler, known for his showmanship, creative instincts and willingness to take risks, had been a key driving force behind HBO's success over the past couple of decades. He was elevated to HBO CEO in 2012. Before that he was co-president.
Plepler left HBO in February after spending 30 years at the company and has reportedly spent the last several months exploring different opportunities. According to Deadline, Plepler was not interested in returning to TV as an executive, but was instead looking for opportunities as a producer.
The talks are being conducted by Jamie Erlicht and Zack Van Amburg, two former Sony executives who have been spearheading Apple's television efforts.
Apple has already signed production deals with multiple companies, including A24, Imagine Documentaries, and Oprah Winfrey, plus it has established deals with producers and directors like Jason Katims, Alfonso Cuaron, and Justin Lin.
The iOS 13.3 update that is currently available to developers and public beta testers has a new Safari feature that supports NFC, USB, and Lightning FIDO2-compliant security keys.
This option was activated in the first beta of iOS 13.3, but in the second developer beta, Apple has added details about it in the release notes.
Now supports NFC, USB, and Lightning FIDO2-compliant security keys in Safari, SFSafariViewController, and ASWebAuthenticationSession using the WebAuthn standard, on devices with the necessary hardware capabilities.
With the iOS 13.3 update, Safari will support physical security keys like the Lightning-equipped YubiKey, which can be used for more secure two-factor authentication.
Yubico announced the YubiKey 5Ci back in August, but at the time of launch, it was of limited usefulness because it did not work with Safari, Chrome, or other major browsers, though it was compatible with apps like 1Password.
With Safari support, the YubiKey 5Ci is a legitimately useful tool that can be more convenient than software-based two-factor authentication because there's no need to enter a security code -- you simply plug it in to an iPhone or Mac (there's also a USB-C connector) to authenticate. Support for FIDO2-compliant USB security keys using WebAuthn was previously added to Safari 13 in macOS.
Other NFC, USB, and Lightning-based security keys will also work with Safari following the iOS 13.3 update. There's no word yet on when iOS 13.3 will be released, but we may see it sometime in December after a few more weeks of beta testing.
The Facebook for iOS app appears to be accessing the iPhone or iPad's camera in the background when the app is in use, according to multiple reports on Twitter.
The sliver of brown in this demo photo is the Facebook app accessing the camera behind the timeline.
When scrolling through the Facebook timeline, several users saw the camera activated in the background, as demonstrated in the tweets below.
Found a @facebook#security & #privacy issue. When the app is open it actively uses the camera. I found a bug in the app that lets you see the camera open behind your feed. Note that I had the camera pointed at the carpet. pic.twitter.com/B8b9oE1nbl
— Joshua Maddux (@JoshuaMaddux) November 10, 2019
Facebook app on iOS 13.2.2 opens my phone’s rear camera when I open a profile photo swipe down to return (look at the little slit on the left of the video). Is this an app bug or an iOS bug?? @facebook@AppleSupportpic.twitter.com/WlhSXZulqx
— Daryl Lasafin (@dzlasafin) November 10, 2019
One Facebook user found it through an interface bug that shows a small sliver of the display when looking at a photo, while another found it when rotating a device.
Both The Next Web and CNET were able to reproduce the issue and confirmed that the camera is activated in the background when using Facebook on iOS. The issue appears to impact iPhones running iOS 13, including the newest release version of iOS 13, iOS 13.2.2. Devices running iOS 12 do not appear to be impacted.
Facebook vice president of integrity Guy Rosen this morning said that it "sounds like a bug" and that Facebook is looking into it, but Facebook has not officially commented on the issue.
Thanks for flagging this. This sounds like a bug, we are looking into it.
— Guy Rosen (@guyro) November 12, 2019
Security researcher Will Strafach told TechCrunch that it appears to be a "harmless but creepy looking bug."
For the Facebook app to access the camera in the background, camera and microphone access must be enabled in the Settings app. Those concerned about the bug can disable Facebook's access to these features on the iPhone and the iPad, or delete the Facebook app.
Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming tvOS 13.3 update to developers, one week after seeding the first beta and two weeks after releasing the tvOS 13.2 update.
Designed for the fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV models, the new tvOS 13.3 developer beta can be downloaded onto the Apple TV via a profile that's installed using Xcode.
tvOS updates (aside from major releases) have historically been minor in scale, focusing on under-the-hood bug fixes and improvements rather than major outward-facing changes. Apple provides little to no information on what's included in tvOS beta updates, so we may not discover any major changes after installing the software.
The update does, however, include a useful new setting that's designed to let you change the main banner interface in the TV+ app from What to Watch to Up Next, which shows content from shows that you're already watching instead of show suggestions.
The option can be accessed by going to the Settings app, choosing Apps, and selecting the TV app. From there, select Home Screen and choose "Up Next" in the "Top Shelf" section.
While we don't often know full details about what's new in tvOS during the beta testing process, we let MacRumors readers know when new updates are available so those who are developers can download it upon release.
Once the proper configuration profile has been installed from the Apple Developer Center, the new watchOS beta can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General > Software Update.
To install the update, the Apple Watch needs to have at least 50 percent battery, it must be placed on the charger, and it has to be in range of the iPhone.
watchOS 6.1.1 appears to be a minor update focusing on performance improvements and bug fixes that weren't able to be addressed in watchOS 6.1.
No new features were found in the first beta of watchOS 6.1.1, but we'll update this article should new features be found in the second beta.
Apple today seeded the second betas of upcoming iOS and iPadOS 13.3 updates to developers, one week after seeding the first beta and two weeks after the release of iOS 13.2 with new emoji, Siri privacy controls, Deep Fusion, and more.
iOS and iPadOS 13.3 can be downloaded through the Apple Developer Center or over the air after the proper developer profile has been installed.
iOS 13.3 introduces Communication Limits for Screen Time, a feature that Apple promised would be coming in an iOS 13 update. Communication Limits allow parents to control who their children are able to contact both during downtime and during Screen Time.
Communication Limits include FaceTime, Phone, and Messages, along with iCloud contacts. Calls to emergency numbers are always allowed and will turn off communication limits for 24 hours when placed.
The iOS 13.3 update also appears to address a multitasking issue where iOS 13.2 users were seeing poor RAM management that caused apps like YouTube and Safari to reload more frequently than normal.
After installing iOS 13.3, affected users are now seeing fewer refreshes when accessing these apps, doing another task, and then opening them again.
In the Keyboards section of the Settings app (under General), there's a new toggle that prevents Animoji and Memoji stickers from being displayed as an option on the Emoji Keyboard, and when editing a video, there's an option to save the edited version as a new clip rather than saving over the original.
Apple has also tweaked the Apple Watch app icon, changing the color of the Digital Crown from black to gray.
Apple this morning shared a new "First Look" featurette covering "Ghostwriter," one of the TV shows that launched on Apple TV+ when it became available in early November.
"Ghostwriter" on Apple TV+ is a remake of the of the original "Ghostwriter" series that aired on PBS from 1992 to 1995. It follows the story of a group of kids who discover a ghost in a neighborhood bookstore, going on to solve fiction-related mysteries to learn more about it.
When a ghost haunts a neighborhood bookstore and starts releasing fictional characters into the real world, four kids must team up to solve an exciting mystery surrounding the ghost's unfinished business.
Andrew Orenstein, producer of "Ghostwriter," says that he hopes kids will watch each episode to see how the mystery plays out before going back to rewatch it to find all of the easter eggs.
"Ghostwriter" is one of the Apple TV+ shows aimed at children along with "Helpsters," a show from the makers of "Sesame Street" that's aimed at teaching young kids the basics of coding.
Apple has other TV shows aimed at children in the works, but at the current time, "Ghostwriter" and "Helpsters" are the only two kids shows available. Apple TV+ is available on multiple platforms for $4.99 per month.
Separately, on its Apple YouTube channel, Apple today shared a trailer for "What the Golf," one of the games that's available on Apple Arcade.
Apple has been sharing trailers for some of the more popular Apple Arcade games in recent weeks, presumably with the aim of luring in new subscribers. Apple Arcade offers access to over 90 gaming titles for $4.99 per month.
Apple plans to announce its widely rumored 16-inch MacBook Pro this week, according to a tweet from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
In another tweet, Gurman suggested the announcement will be made by Wednesday. The news would likely be shared in the form of a press release on the Apple Newsroom and would also likely coincide with early hands-on impressions of the 16-inch MacBook Pro from select media outlets and YouTube channels.
It’s this week - that’s imminent from two weeks ago.
— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) November 12, 2019
Only question remaining from multiple folks: is the announcement tomorrow (briefings day) or Wednesday (when review embargoes lift)? Also, 24 hours for a review seems like so little time, so I’d hope the stories are framed as “previews” or “first looks.”
— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) November 11, 2019
9to5Mac recently reported that Apple appears to be holding private press briefings of some kind at its luxury loft mansion in New York City this week, likely to facilitate those 16-inch MacBook Pro first impressions. Multiple out-of-town tech reporters have tweeted that they are in or headed to New York City over the last few days.
Amazon has introduced a new sale on the Mid 2019 13-inch MacBook Pro with a 1.4 GHz processor, 8GB RAM, and a 256GB SSD, now priced at $1,299.99, down from $1,499.00. At $199 off, this is the lowest price we've ever tracked for 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.
You can purchase this configuration in both Silver and Space Gray at this price point. Amazon also has the model with a 128GB SSD on sale for $1,149.00, down from $1,299.00 (note that while this is among the lowest prices currently available, it's not a lowest-ever price).
Our full Deals Roundup has even more information on the latest Apple-related sales and bargains. Additionally, you can visit our Black Friday Roundup to stay updated on all of the most notable discounts that are coming later in November.
Last week, Disney CEO Bob Iger revealed that Disney+ will launch in the United Kingdom and other select European countries on March 31, 2020.
Iger didn't mention how much European customers would have to pay to access its 500 feature films and over 7,500 shows, including the entire Pixar library and a raft of original content.
However, one MacRumors reader appears to have discovered the British and French pricing plans ahead of time, simply by switching between Apple accounts on his iPhone.
Jean-Marc first downloaded the Disney+ app from the US App Store using his US Apple ID, and then switched to his French Apple ID, followed by his British Apple ID. The Disney+ subscription screen subsequently presented him with the following monthly and yearly pricing plans.
France: €7.49 per month or €75.99 per year.
UK: £6.99 per month or £68.99 per year.
Of course, these prices haven't been officially announced by Disney and could be subject to change before the service launches in Europe next year.
However, given that Disney+ costs $6.99 per month in the U.S. (or $69.99 per year), it was pretty much expected that the dollar price would be mirrored in pound sterling.
As for the price in Euros, it's unclear if this applies only to France or to other Euro-using countries as well. We do know that Disney+ costs €6.99 in the Netherlands (€69.99 per year) because of its early trial there, so perhaps we can expect some variation between EU territories.
Otherwise, the annual prices given are equal to 12 months at €6.33/month and £5.75/month, respectively, offering a 16 percent saving over the monthly plan.
Twitter is set to roll out a new feature called "Topics" that allows users to follow conversations about subjects of interest, similar to how they'd follow an account.
According to an official Twitter blog post, Topic suggestions will soon start appearing in user timelines and in search, based on what they tend to look for and already follow on the social media platform.
When a user follows a topic, like a music band, sports team, or celebrity, they'll see tweets from a broad range of accounts that share the same interest.
Previously, all of the work was on you to figure out the best way to keep up with what's happening by following certain accounts, searching for it, or looking in the Explore tab for the latest. Now, you have the option of seeing the most relevant and interesting Tweets about what you care about with a single tap, and the conversation will come to you.
A Topics option already appears in the mobile app's sidebar menu, but currently just shows an introductory screen for the feature. When the feature rolls out in full, it will list the topics you've followed.
Hot takes? Always. Hot topics? Brand new.
Now you can follow specific topics to discover the Tweets you care about. pic.twitter.com/3tVBRFuTYd
— Twitter (@Twitter) November 11, 2019
Future features will include the ability to preview the feed content of a topic before choosing to follow it, the ability to add topics to lists, and the ability to mute topics.
Twitter says that Topic suggestions will start showing up in timelines and in searches from November 13, with a worldwide rollout taking place over the coming months.
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.
