Dashboard, a longtime Mac feature that Apple has been phasing out for the last few years, has been eliminated in macOS Catalina and it is no longer available for use.
The Dashboard option, first introduced in OS X 10.4 Tiger, used to be a prominent Mac feature, housing sticky notes, a weather interface, a clock, a calculator, and other customizable widgets.
It was disabled by default starting in macOS 10.10 Yosemite, and in the current version of macOS, Mojave, it's still disabled unless you seek it out, enabling it as part of Mission Control or adding it to the Dock.
In Catalina, there is no more Dashboard app at all, as pointed out by Appleosophy. It can't be enabled via Mission Control and there's no sign of it in the operating system, marking its official demise.
Spotify has brought its experimental Stations app to the U.S. after over a year of testing iOS and Android versions exclusively in Australia.
Designed to let Spotify account holders stream free music from curated, radio-like stations, the app has similarities with Pandora, offering personalized stations or playlists based on the user's Spotify history.
Music starts playing as soon as the app is launched, and then users can choose from a list of several preset stations. Like in Spotify proper, premium subscribers get unlimited skips and ad-free listening, while non-paying listeners can use the free ad-supported version which comes with limited skips.
The success of the Stations app in Australia hasn't been disclosed, but presumably it's done well enough for Spotify to extend testing to the U.S. where the majority of its subscribers reside.
"At Spotify, we routinely conduct a number of experiments to create better listening experiences for our users," a Spotify spokesperson told Engadget. "Some of those tests end up paving the way for our broader user experience and others serve only as an important learning. Spotify Stations is one of those tests."
Aside from the personalized content, the Stations app also serves popular playlists from the main Spotify platform, including Discover Weekly, Favorites, and Release Radar.
While the Mac and iPad remain distinct products, Apple continues to bridge the gap between its desktop and mobile platforms. In 2014, for example, it introduced Continuity features like Handoff and Universal Clipboard that enable more seamless experiences across the Mac, iPad, and other Apple devices.
The next step in this process is Project Catalyst, which makes it much easier for developers to extend iPad apps to the Mac.
Starting with macOS Catalina and Xcode 11, developers can create a Mac version of an iPad app using UIKit, an Apple framework that until now was intended solely for iOS apps. Adding macOS support to an iPad app is as easy as opening an Xcode project and clicking the Mac checkbox under General > Deployment Info.
While the Mac version of the app should run after the box is checked, this is not always the case, as the Xcode project may contain code that no longer compiles due to frameworks, APIs, or embeddable content that is incompatible with the Mac, according to Apple's developer documentation:
Most iPad apps are great candidates for adaptation, but a few rely on iPad features that don’t exist on a Mac. For example, if your app's essential features require iPad capabilities like gyroscope, accelerometer, or rear camera, iOS frameworks like HealthKit or ARKit, or the app's main function is something like navigation, it might not be suited for the Mac.
iPad apps ported to macOS run natively on the Mac, utilizing the same frameworks, resources, and runtime environment as traditional Mac apps, according to Apple's developer documentation:
The Mac version of your iPad app supports many system features found in macOS without requiring any effort from you…
- A default menu bar for your app. - Support for trackpad, mouse, and keyboard input. - Support for window resizing and full-screen display. - Mac-style scroll bars. - Copy-and-paste support. - Drag-and-drop support. - Support for system Touch Bar controls.
Apple's updated Human Interface Guidelines are a helpful resource for designing and coding the ideal iPad app for Mac.
DC Universe is an example of a Project Catalyst app coming to Mac
If this all sounds familiar, it is because Project Catalyst is Apple's public-facing name for this initiative, which has been referred to by its internal name of Marzipan until now. Apple's plans to allow iOS apps to easily run on Mac were first reported by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman over 18 months ago.
Apple provided us with a first glimpse of Project Catalyst when it brought the iPad versions of its Apple News, Home, Stocks, and Voice Memos apps to the Mac last year in macOS Mojave. Third-party developers are now able to follow suit in macOS Catalina, which will be released to the public in the fall.
Apple announced iPadOS and Sign In with Apple at yesterday's WWDC keynote, and today Apple executives provided CNET with some additional insight on the thinking behind its new iPad-dedicated OS and secure sign-in system.
With Sign In with Apple, users can log in to third-party apps and services using their Apple ID, providing a more convenient way of logging in using Face ID without revealing additional personal information.
Unlike similar third-party sign-in services offered by the likes of Google and Facebook, logging in with Apple ID lets users choose to reveal or hide their email address. Users can also get Sign In with Apple to generate a unique random, anonymous email address that can be managed for specific apps, giving users more control of their data.
Guy "Bud" Tribble, Apple's vice president of software technology, told CNET that the feature was a direct challenge to the idea you need to "pay a heavy price" for the convenience of a sign-on service.
"It's not rocket science to say, 'Hey wouldn't that be great to have that without the tracking part of it.' Our whole point of view is giving more control to the user over things like their data."
Sign In with Apple is coming in the fall as part of macOS Catalina, iOS 13, and iPadOS, the latter of which is designed to take advantage of the larger screens in the iPad family, featuring a redesigned Home screen, an updated Split View, overhauled Apple Pencil integration, and more.
Speaking about the decision to break out the iPad from its traditional iOS branding, Senior VP of software engineering Craig Federighi explained that it was a reflection of the device's increasingly unique capabilities.
"It's become a truly distinct experience. It's not an iPhone experience. It's not a Mac experience. The name is a recognition of that. We've expanded the domain where people can say the iPad is the best solution."
iPadOS can be downloaded now by Apple Developer Program members, while the public beta will launch later this month. In the fall, iPadOS will be available as a free software update for the iPad Air 2 and later, all iPad Pro devices, the fifth-generation iPad and later, and the iPad mini 4 and later.
As one of many updates to its App Store Review Guidelines this week, Apple has indicated that parental control app developers are again permitted to use Mobile Device Management (MDM) technology in their apps, so long as they do not sell, use, or disclose any data to third parties for any purpose.
You must make a clear declaration of what user data will be collected and how it will be used on an app screen prior to any user action to purchase or otherwise use the service. MDM apps must not violate local laws. Apps offering MDM services may not sell, use, or disclose to third parties any data for any purpose, and must commit to this in their privacy policy. Apps that do not comply with this guideline will be removed from the App Store and you may be removed from the Apple Developer Program.
This comes a little over a month after The New York Times reported that Apple had removed or restricted many of the most popular screen time and parental control apps on the App Store since launching its own Screen Time feature in iOS 12 last year, raising concerns over potentially anticompetitive behavior.
In response to the report, Apple said it had discovered that some parental control apps were using MDM, putting the privacy and security of children at risk.
"These apps were using an enterprise technology that provided them access to kids' highly sensitive personal data," an Apple spokesperson said in a statement issued to The New York Times on Monday. "We do not think it is O.K. for any apps to help data companies track or optimize advertising of kids."
MDM technology is intended for enterprise users to manage their company-owned devices, and Apple said the use of MDM by consumer-focused apps carried privacy and security concerns that resulted in the company addressing the situation in its App Store Review Guidelines in 2017.
Backlash quickly mounted from parental control app developers, who eventually joined together to petition Apple to "put kids first" by releasing a public API for its Screen Time for use by developers. That never happened, with Apple going down this route instead and allowing MDM usage with stricter privacy requirements.
Apple's updated guidelines also indicate that parental control apps from "approved providers" may use one of its Personal VPN APIs.
Apple is facing a new class-action lawsuit from iOS developers who claim that the company uses its monopoly in the App Store to impose "profit-killing" commissions.
Filed on Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in San Jose, the lawsuit argues that the tech giant's practice of instating a 30 percent commission rate on all app sales is anticompetitive and "sets the stage for Apple to abuse its market power."
The suit also takes aim at Apple's minimum $0.99 price requirement for paid apps in the App Store and in-app purchases, as well as the annual $99 Apple Developer fee, calling these policies "especially damaging to smaller and new developers."
"Between Apple's 30 percent cut of all App Store sales, the annual fee of $99 and pricing mandates, Apple blatantly abuses its market power to the detriment of developers, who are forced to use the only platform available to them to sell their iOS app," said Steve Berman, managing partner of Hagens Berman and attorney representing the proposed class of developers. "In a competitive landscape, this simply would not happen."
"Today's lawsuit seeks to force Apple to end its abusive monopoly and allow competition in the distribution of iOS apps and related products, to get rid of its pricing mandates, and to reimburse developers for overcharges made through abuse of its monopoly power."
"We think app developers should be rewarded fairly for their creations, not over-taxed by a corporate giant," Berman said. "After 11 years of monopoly conduct and profits, we think it's high time that a court examine Apple's practices on behalf of iOS app developers and take action as warranted by the law and facts."
Hagens Berman won a suit against Apple and various publishing companies in 2016 that settled for a total of $560 million on behalf of e-book purchasers, who said they were forced to pay "artificially high prices due to Apple and the publishing companies' colluded price-fixing." That suit went to the Supreme Court, where the Court ruled against Apple.
The latest class action accuses Apple of violating federal antitrust law and California's unfair competition law.
In macOS Catalina, Apple is sunsetting the iTunes app and has split it into three apps instead: Music, Podcasts, and TV, which has left questions about what's happening to iTunes on other platforms.
Apple told Ars Technica that on Windows, there will be no changes. Those who use iTunes on a PC to manage their devices, listen to music, and make iTunes purchases will be able to continue to do so.
There were no details provided, however, on what's going to happen when the Music, Podcasts, and TV apps gain new features over time. Whether those features will also come to iTunes on Windows remains to be seen.
For now, though, Windows users will see no changes to iTunes on the Windows platform.
As for Mac users, installing Catalina removes iTunes and replaces it with Music and Podcasts (TV is coming this fall). Device management is still present in macOS Catalina, and you'll see an iPhone or an iPad plugged into your Mac listed as a device in the Finder sidebar.
Ina Fried of Axios has provided a few key takeaways from the conversation:
Apple's vision for the new Mac Pro's design changed some and it took somewhat longer than it was anticipating.
The circular cutouts on the front and back of the new Mac Pro are made by machining out spheres from the solid aluminum chassis. This particular aspect of the design was floating around in Apple's design labs before the new Mac Pro was even on its roadmap.
For those who missed the news, Apple is planning a rack-mounted version of the Mac Pro with a different chassis appropriate for a data center. Apple says this version will be available in the fall.
The new Pro Display XDR was "front and center" to Apple and is designed to rival so-called reference monitors that can cost over $10,000.
Other tidbits may surface from other reporters who attended this press briefing, in which case we'll update this post.
Earlier this month, it was reported that 3D Touch will not be supported by 2019 iPhones. This rumor was surfaced by a team of Barclays analysts after they traveled to Asia and spoke with multiple Apple suppliers, likely meaning that there is evidence of 3D Touch being removed at the hardware level.
Now, on the software side, there are changes that suggest the rumor is accurate. It really looks like pressure-sensitive 3D Touch is going away.
Apple has confirmed that both "Quick Actions" menus that float above app icons on the home screen and "Peek" previews of emails, links, messages, and more are now supported on any iPhone or iPad that can run iOS 13 or iPadOS. These features were previously exclusive to iPhones with 3D Touch.
Apple's feature list for iOS 13 and iPadOS
Both features rely on a long press, aka pressing and holding, meaning this is effectively an expansion of the Haptic Touch functionality that debuted on the iPhone XR last year. Haptic Touch is simply a marketing term for a long press combined with haptic feedback from the Taptic Engine.
Notably, this means Quick Actions menus and Peek previews are now supported on the iPhone XR and the iPad Air 2 or newer for the first time ever.
Quick Actions on an iPad and iPhone XR for first time ever
The ability to invoke Quick Actions menus and Peek previews with a long press in iOS 13 is even supported on iPhones with 3D Touch, including the iPhone XS models, likely foreshadowing the removal of 3D Touch from 2019 iPhones.
3D Touch can still be used in iOS 13 on iPhones that support the feature, resulting in two ways to invoke Quick Actions menus. This includes the iPhone 6s through iPhone XS Max, excluding the iPhone SE. However, some users are unable to access 3D Touch settings in the first iOS 13 beta, which is likely a bug.
The transition from 3D Touch to Haptic Touch for Peek previews was hinted at a few weeks ago. As noted by developer Radek Pietruszewski, open source WebKit commits revealed that the APIs for the feature, previously known as Peek and Pop, would be deprecated in a future iOS version.
All in all, there is a strong possibility that 2019 iPhones will feature Haptic Touch instead of 3D Touch when they are released later this year.
Tile next to placeholder image for Apple's item tracker in iOS 13 via 9to5Mac
Like the Tile, users would be able to receive notifications when their device gets too far away from the tag. To avoid false triggers, it would be possible to set a list of common locations to be ignored like a work office so that the item can be left at those locations without the user being notified.
Now, developer Steve Moser and Rambo from 9to5Mac have uncovered references to Apple's item tracker within iOS 13 code.
Now, the first beta of iOS 13 includes an asset package for a device with the product type "Tag1,1". This type of asset package is used for pairing devices by proximity, the same way as AirPods and HomePod can be paired to a user's device.
Another asset found on iOS 13 beta 1 also gives us a glimpse as to what this device will look like. It's likely a mockup used for testing that was left out in the OS, but it matches descriptions of the device given by people involved in its development.
It is unclear if and when Apple plans to release the item tracker, which is only known by its B389 codename, but one possibility is that it arrives alongside new iPhones and the public release of iOS 13 in September.
Apple says some users are "experiencing a problem" with each service. The company is investigating and will update the statuses of each service as more information becomes available. The issues began around 5 a.m. Pacific Time.
Update: Apple says all services are now operating normally.
Amazon's latest Gold Box deal of the day today is providing up to 25 percent off Anker accessories, including wireless charging stands, USB-C hubs, and external battery packs. As usual, this Gold Box will last for one day only, so be sure to browse the sales before they expire later tonight.
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.
Outside of the Gold Box, Anker is back this week with a few new discounts across its product categories on Amazon. You'll find savings on the popular Soundcore 2 Bluetooth Speaker, PowerWave Wireless Charging Pad, and more. These devices don't require a code and you'll find the discounts automatically applied on Amazon (although some do have an on-page coupon that will need to be clipped).
Ultimate Ears today announced a new addition to its speaker lineup, debuting the Wonderboom 2, an update to its original Wonderboom speaker. The Wonderboom 2 features the same compact design as the first Wonderboom speaker, but with several internal enhancements.
Ultimate Ears designed the Wonderboom 2 with louder sound, extra bass, and a new Outdoor Boost mode that amps up the volume when you're outdoors. There's also a new Double Up true stereo pairing mode if you have two of the Wonderboom 2 models.
The speaker now has an IP67 rating, up from IPX7, so it's now resistant to both dust and water so long as the port over the charger is closed up. Like other Ultimate Ears speakers, the Wonderboom 2 floats so you can use it in the pool.
There's a larger battery in the Wonderboom 2 so it now lasts for 13 hours before needing to be recharged, so you can use it all day.
A button at the top lets you play, pause, and skip tracks right on the speaker itself, and the button also enables the Double Up and Outdoor Modes.
Design wise, the Wonderboom 2 is made from a two-tone knit fabric and it comes in a variety of colors including Deep Space Black, Crushed Ice, Radical Red, Bermuda Blue, and Just Peach. Ultimate Ears also has a special gray and white camo edition coming exclusively to Apple Stores starting in June.
The new Wonderboom 2 speaker is available today in select countries in Europe and it's available for pre-order in the U.S. from the Ultimate Ears website. It's priced at $99.
Apple's WWDC keynote took place this morning at 10:00 a.m. Eastern, and nearly 12 hours later, the company has finally shared the full video recap of today's event on its Events website and on the Events app on the Apple TV.
With the full keynote now available, people who missed the original presentation can now catch up with all of the announcements and features that were shared today.
Apple usually updates the keynote to its own website shortly after the event, and then later in the week, shares the full video on YouTube.
For those who don't want to watch the entire video, we've shared a highlights version that covers all of the important features in just nine minutes, so make sure to check it out.
Our own event recap also includes all of our coverage today, which is a a great way to get an in-depth look at much of what Apple announced at WWDC.
Today's Worldwide Developers Conference was easily one of the most exciting events we've had this year, with Apple introducing feature after feature over the course of a two and a half hour event.
For those of you who haven't had a chance to watch the keynote or don't want to spend two hours listening to software announcements, we've condensed everything Apple announced into 9 minutes, so you can get a quick recap of everything important.
Apple debuted new versions of iOS, iPadOS (now separate from iOS!), macOS, tvOS, and watchOS, all of which have a long list of new features, plus Apple gave us a peek at the new Mac Pro and 6K Apple Display. In addition to our video, we're also recapping all of our coverage below, giving you a complete overlook of everything new.
Make sure to stay tuned to MacRumors this week, because we're going to be sharing in-depth videos highlighting new features in all of the software updates Apple introduced today. We'll also be publishing detailed roundups on everything you need to know about the new software, and we'll have coverage of every new feature as we delve into the updates.
Following today's WWDC keynote event that saw the debut of new software for iOS, macOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and tvOS, Apple CEO Tim Cook spoke with CBS Evening News and shared a few quick thoughts on one of the new features, Sign In with Apple.
Sign In with Apple is designed to let you sign into apps using your Apple ID for authentication purposes, offering up a privacy-focused alternative to signing in with accounts from sites like Facebook, Google, or Twitter.
Cook was asked whether Apple was taking a shot at the way Facebook and Google collect user data with the new feature, but Cook said that wasn't the case. Apple, he says, focuses on the user, and the company believes people want to be able to use the web without being under surveillance.
You know, we're not really taking a shot at anybody. We're - we focus on the user. And the user wants the ability to go across numerous properties on the web without being under surveillance. We're moving privacy protections forward. And I actually think it's a very reasonable request for people to make.
When asked whether Facebook cares about privacy and security, Cook says that "everybody's beginning to care more" thanks to increased awareness of what's been happening.
Many people are getting more offended. I think this is good. Because we need to shine a light on it. You can imagine an environment where everyone begins to think there's no privacy. And if there's no privacy, your freedom of expression just plummets. Because now you're going to be thinking about how everybody's going know every single thing you're doing. This is not good for our country, not good for democracy.
New App Store guidelines provided to developers today suggest Sign In with Apple is going to be a mandatory feature in all apps that offer third-party sign-in options.
If an app lets you log in using Facebook, Google, or Twitter, the app will also need to present users with the Sign In with Apple option too.
Sign In with Apple authenticates a user with Face ID or Touch ID, and keeps personal information safe from app and website developers. It's designed to let Apple users create a new account in an app using a one-click button without leaking user data.
Sign In with Apple also lets Apple users create a randomly-generated email address that hides your own email address when you're signing up for an app or service.
The new Sign In with Apple feature will be available starting later this year.
Apple tonight officially announced the winners of the Apple Design Awards 2019. Recipients are selected based on what the company thinks are some of the best apps for various Apple platforms.
This year, Apple chose a total of 9 apps that work across iPhone, iPad, and Mac, with the winners listed below:
Apple plans to make a video of the Apple Design Awards ceremony available online in the near future, and it will be available on the Apple Design Awards website.
Aside from a cube-shaped trophy and exposure in the App Store, all Apple Design Award Winners receive a maxed out MacBook Pro and iMac Pro, an iPhone XS (512GB), a 12-inch iPad Pro and Apple Pencil, an Apple Watch Series 4, an Apple TV 4K, and a pair of AirPods.
Apple today unveiled iPadOS, a new version of iOS that's designed to take advantage of the larger screens in the iPad family. iPadOS will incorporate several features that recognize the tablet's function as a computer replacement, including a new Home screen, an updated Split View to enhance multitasking, improved Apple Pencil support, and additional keyboard shortcuts for use with physical keyboards.
During its WWDC keynote, Apple revealed that Safari for iPadOS will include about 30 additional shortcuts, including the following:
Use default font size in Reader (Command + 0)
Open link in background (Command + tap)
Toggle downloads (Command + Alt/Option)
Open link in new window (Command + Alt + tap)
Use selection for Find (Command + E)
Email this page (Command + I)
Open link in new tab (Command + Shift + tap)
Decrease Reader text size (Command + -)
Zoom in (Command + +)
Zoom out (Command + -)
Save webpage (Command + S)
Change focused element (Alt/Option + tab)
Focus Smart Search field (Command + Alt/Option + F)
Dismiss web view in app (Command + W)
Increase Reader text size (Command + +)
Download linked file (Alt + tap)
Add link to Reading List (Shift + tap)
Close other tabs (Command + Alt/Option + W)
Scroll around screen (arrow keys)
Paste without formatting (Command + Shift + Alt/Option + V)
New Private tab (Command + Shift + N)
Actual size (Command + 0)
Open search result (Command + Return)
Toggle bookmarks (Command + Alt/Option + 1)
The keyboard shortcuts will work with Apple's Smart Keyboard or any third-party Bluetooth connected keyboard, which should make web browsing and managing files even easier on an iPad.
In addition, iPadOS automatically presents the desktop version of a website, scaled appropriately for the iPad display, and optimizes it for touch. Safari for iPadOS also comes with a download manager and enhancements to tab management.
Due to be released in the fall, iPadOS will be compatible with the iPad Air 2 and later, all iPad Pro devices, the fifth-generation iPad and later, and the iPad mini 4 and later.
Apple is facing a new class-action lawsuit from iOS developers who claim that the company uses its monopoly in the 
In macOS Catalina, Apple is sunsetting the iTunes app and has split it into three apps instead: Music, Podcasts, and TV, which has left questions about what's happening to iTunes on other platforms.
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.
