Apple today released iMovie version 10.1.9 for macOS as a free update to its consumer video editing software on the desktop. It's the first update to the app since shortly after macOS High Sierra was released.
iMovie 10.1.9 adds support for the iPhone X and additional iPad resolutions in relation to App Previews, the feature for creating short videos that appear alongside screenshots in App Store listings on iPhone and iPad.
The update also includes a range of bug fixes and stability improvements:
• Resolves an issue which could prevent logging into Facebook • Resolves an issue in which HEVC video clips and HEIF photos could appear black in the viewer • Resolves an issue in which the import date was used as the capture date when importing from certain SD cards or AVCHD cameras • Resolves a playback issue with Sound Designer 2 files • Resolves an issue in which iMovie could hang when quitting the app • Resolves an issue in which opacity controls may disappear when using iMovie in German or Polish • Fixes an issue that could prevent sending certain iMovie projects to Final Cut Pro • Addresses an issue that could lead to slower media import from SD cards on iMac Pro • Improves stability when working with Camtwist Studio
Apple today released Final Cut Pro version 10.4.1, the latest update to its professional video editing software that it previewed last week.
The update is available from the Mac App Store free of charge for existing users, while Final Cut Pro remains $299.99 for new users in the United States. The update may still be in the process of appearing for some users.
Final Cut Pro 10.4.1 introduces a new ProRes RAW format, which combines the visual and workflow benefits of RAW video with the performance of ProRes, a lossy video compression format developed by Apple for post-production.
With ProRes RAW, editors can import, edit and grade pristine footage with RAW data from the camera sensor, providing ultimate flexibility when adjusting highlights and shadows — ideal for HDR workflows. And with performance optimized for macOS, editors can play full-quality 4K ProRes RAW files on MacBook Pro and iMac systems in real time without rendering. ProRes RAW files are even smaller than ProRes 4444 files, allowing editors to make better use of storage while providing an excellent format for archiving.
The update also adds advanced closed captioning tools that allow video editors to view, edit, and deliver captions from right within the app.
Apple says Final Cut Pro users can import closed caption files directly into their project or create them from scratch. Captions appear in the viewer during playback and can be attached to video or audio clips in the timeline, so they automatically move with the clips to which they're connected.
Final Cut Pro 10.4.1 release notes:
Closed Captions • Import caption files into a Final Cut Pro project to automatically create time-synced, connected captions in the timeline • See captions directly in the Viewer • Use the Inspector to adjust text, color, onscreen location, and timing • Create captions in multiple languages and formats in the same timeline • Use the new Captions tab in the Timeline Index to search text, select captions, and quickly switch between different versions of your captions • Attach captions to audio or video clips in the timeline • Extract embedded captions from video to view and edit the captions directly in Final Cut Pro • Send your project to Compressor in a single step, making it easy to create a compliant iTunes Store package with audio and video files, captions, and subtitles • Validation indicator instantly warns about common errors including caption overlaps, incorrect characters, invalid formatting, and more • Embed captions in an exported video file or create a separate caption sidecar file • Share captioned videos directly to YouTube and Vimeo • Support for CEA-608 and iTT closed caption formats
ProRes RAW • Support for ProRes RAW files lets you import, edit, and grade using pristine RAW image data from the camera sensor • RAW image data provides ultimate flexibility when adjusting highlights and shadows — ideal for HDR workflows • Enjoy smooth playback and real-time editing on laptop and desktop Mac computers • Highly efficient encoding reduces the size of ProRes RAW files, allowing you to fit more footage on camera cards and storage drives • ProRes RAW preserves more of the original image data, making it an ideal format for archiving • Work natively with ProRes RAW or ProRes RAW HQ files created by ATOMOS recorders and DJI Inspire 2 drone
Enhanced export • The new Roles tab in the share pane displays title, video, and audio roles in a single, consolidated interface • Quickly view and choose roles to be included in exported video files • Roles settings and enabled/disabled states from the timeline are carried through to the share pane • Embed closed captions in a video file or export a separate captions sidecar file in CEA-608 and iTT formats
Apple has also updated Final Cut Pro's companion apps Motion and Compressor with ProRes RAW and closed captioning features respectively. Likewise, the updates are now rolling out on the Mac App Store.
The folio, which looks more like burgundy in the render, will be available for $99 beginning tomorrow, Tuesday, April 10, from Apple.com, Apple Stores, and the Apple Store app in the United States and several other countries.
(RED) was founded in 2006 by U2 frontman Bono and activist Bobby Shriver to raise funds for The Global Fund, which helps people affected by HIV or AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria in eight African countries, including Ghana, Lesotho, Rwanda, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Kenya, and Zambia.
Apple makes an unspecified contribution to The Global Fund for every (RED) product it sells, raising over $160 million to date in the past 11-plus years.
No Red or Gold Finish
Over the past few weeks, rumors have suggested the (PRODUCT)RED finish may extend to the iPhone X, but it appears the color will be limited to the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus. There's also no sign of a twicerumored Blush Gold finish.
AirPower Wait Continues
With the (PRODUCT)RED edition iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus debuting today, it was reasonable to assume that availability of Apple's new AirPower charging mat could also be announced. Alas, it appears more patience will be required.
Apple has only stated that AirPower will be available at some point in 2018. A trio of reports that pinpointed a March release date proved to be inaccurate.
One possibility is that the AirPower will merely show up on Apple's online store tomorrow alongside the red-colored iPhones, but this is purely speculation. It's very possible the AirPower simply isn't ready for an imminent release.
Apple today introduced a (PRODUCT)RED edition of the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, available to order on Apple.com starting Tuesday, April 10, after 5:30 a.m. Pacific Time, and in Apple Stores starting Friday, April 13.
PRODUCT(RED) editions will be available with 64GB or 256GB storage for the same $699-$849 and $799-$949 prices as the equivalent iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus models in space gray, silver, and gold.
Notably, the red finish is complemented by black front bezels, compared to white bezels on the (RED) edition iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. Otherwise, these are identical iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus models as unveiled last September, with the new color introduced mid-cycle likely only to bolster sales.
Orders begin Tuesday, April 10 after 5:30 a.m. Pacific Time, with deliveries and in-store availability beginning Friday, April 13 at Apple Stores and select authorized resellers in the United States, Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, and the United Kingdom.
Availability in Brazil, Denmark, Ireland, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, and other regions will follow later in April, followed by Chile, Colombia, India, Israel, Turkey, and more regions in May.
Apple also introduced a new (PRODUCT)RED edition iPhone X Leather Folio, which will be available for $99 beginning Tuesday, April 10 from Apple.com, Apple Stores, and the Apple Store app around the world.
(RED) was founded in 2006 by U2 frontman Bono and activist Bobby Shriver to raise funds for The Global Fund, which helps people affected by HIV or AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria in eight African countries, including Ghana, Lesotho, Rwanda, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Kenya, and Zambia.
(RED) CEO Deborah Dugan:
Today's announcement is further evidence of Apple's leadership in and commitment to the AIDS fight since the beginning of (RED) in 2006. The more than $160 million Apple has donated in the last 11 years today equates to more than 800 million days of lifesaving ARV medication that prevents the transmission of HIV from mothers to their babies. We're honored that Apple has dedicated its resources to our purpose, and can't wait to see customers bring our mission to life through the purchase of iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus (PRODUCT)RED Special Edition.
Apple has partnered with (RED) for nearly 12 years to sell a variety of red-colored devices and accessories. For each product sold, Apple makes an unspecified contribution to The Global Fund, raising over $160 million to date.
Thanks to Apple customers around the world for helping raise more than $160 million for @RED, fighting the spread of HIV in Africa and bringing us closer to an AIDS-free generation. https://t.co/uUolpv5Kv6
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) April 9, 2018
Apple's vice president of product marketing Greg Joswiak:
This special edition (PRODUCT)RED iPhone features a stunning red and black color combination and also offers customers the opportunity to make an impact in fighting the spread of HIV and AIDS. iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus improve on everything we love about iPhone, including Retina HD displays that are more beautiful than ever, the most powerful and smartest chip ever in a smartphone with the A11 Bionic and more advanced cameras for unbelievable photos and videos. We are proud to support (RED) with this bold new iPhone and hope customers think it is as special as we do.
Apple introduced a (PRODUCT)RED edition iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus in March 2017. The special color was discontinued alongside the launch of the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X in September 2017.
Back in February, Feral Interactive announced that Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration would make its way onto macOS this spring. The title is a port of the 2016 PS4 game and the sequel to the series reboot Tomb Raider from 2013.
In a follow-up announcement today, Feral revealed an April 12 release date for the title as well as pricing and the official system requirements that Mac owners will need in order to run the game at an acceptable performance.
As well as AMD and NVIDIA graphics cards, Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration will support the following Intel integrated graphics cards: Intel Iris Plus Graphics 540, Intel Iris Plus Graphics 550, Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640 and Intel Iris Plus Graphics 650.
Feral says the game will be supported on the following Macs:
All 13-inch MacBook Pros released since 2016
All 15-inch MacBook Pros released since Late 2013 with a 2.3GHz processor or better
All 21.5-inch iMacs released since Late 2017
All 27-inch iMacs released since Late 2013 (models with an Nvidia GT 755M graphics card are not officially supported)*
All Mac Pros released since Late 2013
*Late 2012 models with a 2GB Nvidia 680MX graphics cards are also supported.
Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration can be pre-ordered on the Feral Store for $59.99, which includes the base game and all the DLC ever released for it. It's also worth checking your Mac's hard disk space before purchasing the game: Customers who download it from the Mac App Store will need 37GB of available storage, while purchases from Steam will come in at a less weightier 27GB.
iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus models in a limited edition (PRODUCT)RED color will be unveiled as early as tomorrow, according to an internal memo distributed to Virgin Mobile employees in the UK and obtained by MacRumors.
(PRODUCT)RED edition iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus
Virgin Mobile UK states that it will add the new smartphone models to its inventory system on Monday, April 9, coinciding with a launch announcement from Apple, which would likely be in the form of a press release. The memo doesn't mention a (PRODUCT)RED edition iPhone X, so there might not be one.
The memo notes that there will be pre-orders, so it's unclear if the new color would be available immediately or begin shipping later in April, but it does appear that Apple will introduce the models this week.
Apple unveiled a (PRODUCT)RED edition of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus in March 2017, but it may have decided to wait until April this year so that sales of the red iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus models are fully reflected in its earnings results for the third quarter, generally a slower period of its fiscal year.
A recent report said Apple will also unveil a gold iPhone X, which the Virgin Mobile UK memo does not mention. It's certainly possible Apple could have a wave of press releases tomorrow detailing availability of the (PRODUCT)RED edition iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, gold iPhone X, and its AirPower charging mat.
Update: This story has been updated to reflect that the memo originated from Virgin Mobile in the United Kingdom.
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MacBook Air - Save up to $200 / starting at $849 with Student Deals for students and parents of students
Best Buy is also still offering its in-store iPad trade-in deal that gives users a minimum $125 Best Buy gift card when trading in a working iPad mini 2 or newer, iPad Air/Air 2, iPad Pro, or fifth-generation iPad.
Best Buy's outlet store for refurbished and clearance products offers up to 40 percent on a wide array of products, including some solid deals on refurbished Apple devices. AirPods are priced at $142.99 (save $17 over new), select Apple Watch Series 3 models are available for as low as $294.99 for GPS (save $34 over new) or $319.99 for Cellular (save $79 over new), AirPort Express is just $52.99 (save $47 over new), and BeatsX and Powerbeats3 headphones are 50–60 percent off compared to new. Lots of other non-Apple products are also included in the outlet, so make sure to check our the full listings.
Along with the MacBook Air, iPad, and refurbished deals, there are also multiple savings on accessories launching this week. Best Buy has marked down or introduced new offers for the Beats Studio3 wireless headphones, a few JBL speakers, various smart assistant devices like Google Home Mini and Echo Show, and more. You can check out these sales in the list below:
Philips Hue - Buy a Philips Hue Color Starter Kit and get a $49 Hue Tap Remote at no cost
Finally, Best Buy has launched a new discount that's offering 25 percent off three or more cell phone accessories. These products can include cases, chargers, cables, adapters, screen protectors, and more, as long as they are each priced at $9.99 and above.
Visit our full Deals Roundup for more of the latest sales happening this week.
Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met with Tim Cook and other top Apple executives on Saturday at the company's new Apple Park headquarters in Cupertino to discuss app development, education, and other partnership opportunities (via Saudi Press Agency).
For the Saudi prince and his entourage of officials, the visit was part of a whirlwind tour that included stops to visit Virgin founder Richard Branson, Google co-founder Sergey Brin and CEO Sundar Pichai, and Magic Leap founder Rony Abovitz.
According to the press release, the aim of the discussion with Apple executives was to talk about technological solutions for "enriching the Arabic educational content in the classroom" as well as the creation of an educational curriculum for Saudi schools. The meeting also covered the potential creation of job opportunities for Saudi youths who received their training at Apple's headquarters.
Following the meeting, members of the official delegation received technology-led presentations on Apple's work in the areas of health and marketing, before visiting the Steve Jobs Theater to learn more about Apple's "modern voice applications", which is likely a reference to the Siri digital assistant.
Apple is known to have been in discussions with Saudi Arabia to open its first retail store in the country as soon as 2019. State officials are said to be in licensing discussions with both Apple and Amazon in an effort to entice major technology companies into the country.
Saudi Arabia also recently lifted a ban on FaceTime and other services that provide access to calling someone over the internet, as part of government efforts attempting to attract more business to 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 CEO Tim Cook is set to appear on MSNBC tonight at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time or 8:00 p.m. Eastern time in an interview called "Revolution: Apple Changing the World" with MSNBC's Christopher Hayes and Recode's Kara Swisher.
Much of what Tim Cook had to say was already covered in news stories earlier this week as the interview took place on March 28 and was covered by reporters who attended it live.
It will be well worth watching in its entirety, however, as Cook had a lot to say during the segment. He covered favored topics like education and coding, but he also commented on the current political climate in the United States and talked extensively about the ongoing Cambridge Analytica privacy scandal Facebook is facing.
We could make a ton of money if we monetized our customers. If our customers were our product. We've elected not to do that. ...We're not going to traffic in your personal life.
Cook also said Apple's customers are not the company's product, and that "well-crafted" regulation "is necessary" to prevent another Cambridge Analytica-style scandal.
It's clear to me that something, some large profound change is needed... I'm personally not a big fan of regulation because sometimes regulation can have unexpected consequences to it, however I think this certain situation is so dire and has become so large, that probably some well-crafted regulation is necessary.
Cook also commented on criticism over the fact that the iPhone is manufactured in China. "It's not true that the iPhone is not made in the United States," he said, referencing U.S.-based component manufacturers like Corning and Finisar. Cook also said Apple is always focused on job creation and doesn't need political pressure to do the right thing.
"We know that Apple could only have been created in the United States. We know that. This company would not have flourished in any other country in the world. We love this country. We are patriots. This is our country and we want to create as many jobs as we can in the U.S. We don't need any political pressure for that."
Cook also discussed DACA, a fourth major U.S. campus that's in development, the importance of coding, technology in education, lifelong education, and more.
We already have a full, detailed recap of what Tim Cook discussed during the interview, but should there be other interesting comments that were missed in earlier coverage, we'll update this post.
We'll also plan to provide an update if Recode and MSNBC make the interview available to watch for free after it airs. To watch the interview as it airs, you will need to tune into MSNBC through your cable package.
You can also watch on the NBC website or through the "Live" section of the MSNBC app, but cable authentication is required.
Apple is facing a lawsuit from Omni MedSci, a company that says Apple is infringing on its patented technology with the Apple Watch's heart rate sensor, reports Axios.
Omni MedSci claims to have met with Apple from 2014 until 2016, but Apple ultimately ended discussions for a partnership and then reportedly used Omni MedSci's patented technology.
Omni MedSci filed a lawsuit in the Eastern district of Texas today, claiming that Apple willfully infringed on its patents and asking for an injunction against Apple along with damages.
Apple first introduced the Apple Watch in 2015, and since its debut, the Apple Watch has featured a built-in heart rate sensor. Heart rate sensing is a key feature of the wrist-worn device, and recent studies have suggested it can be used to detect a wealth of health problems, like atrial fibrillation, early signs of diabetes, hypertension, and more.
Omni MedSci, the company suing Apple, is owned by Mohammed Islam, who in 2015 was described by a Detroit news site as a "poster child for a patenting professional." He owns six companies and has collected more than 150 patents.
"There's getting a patent and there's getting a patent that will withstand litigation," he told the site. "It's an art form."
Islam has expertise in optical and laster technology and appears to hold several related patents. His patent holding company, Cheetah Omni, has levied lawsuits against companies that include Fujitsu, Alcatel-Lucent, Huawei, Nokia, and Siemens.
In 2015, Islam said that Omni MedSci was working on a wearable glucose monitor that uses lasers to monitor blood sugar levels. At the time, he said that he had met with Apple about the product.
Elevation Lab has been working on docks for the iPhone for several years, ever since a dock Kickstarter project took off back in 2011.
All of that dock expertise has culminated in the simple, versatile CordDock, released in March. Priced at $39, the CordDock is similar in design to the ElevationDock 4, which quickly became my favorite dock after it came out last year.
The CordDock is like the ElevationDock 4, only better, and in my opinion, it's one of the best wired docks you can get for the iPhone. Much like its sister dock, the CordDock has a super small footprint -- it takes up minimal space on your desk.
The base is narrower than an iPhone, so the maximum amount of horizontal space it's going to take up is the width of your iPhone, and it's also less than two inches thick. It's tiny compared to most other iPhone stands, which is nice on a cluttered desk.
CordDock's small base might make it seem like it wouldn't be as sturdy as heavier docks, but it is thanks to a micro air-suction base that feels a little bit like magic. It's not sticky when you touch it, but when you put it on a hard surface, it adheres tightly enough to be super stable.
Micro air suction is strong enough that the CordDock stays in place even when you pick up the iPhone with a single hand, and that's not something that's true for other docks I own. I generally need to use two hands when I undock a phone -- one to hold the iPhone and one to hold the base down to detach it.
You will need to put the CordDock on a solid, smooth surface so it can get a good grip, but it's going to work well on a desk, night stand, countertop, or other location. I've tested it on wood, painted wood, metal, glass, and granite, and it's stuck to all surfaces.
It's also worth noting that it can be picked up and moved at anytime (just twist a bit as you pull). The dock's bottom suction doesn't diminish, and I haven't seen any damage from using it (or the ElevationDock 4, which I've been using for a longer period of time).
The CordDock is made from stainless steel and a reinforced polymer material, and that's perhaps the one downside -- its black exterior is not as fancy looking as some other docks that are made from materials like brushed aluminum. CordDock is small enough that it's not particularly noticeable if you're not a fan of the design, though, especially with the iPhone charging.
Elevation Lab designed the CordDock to work with a naked iPhone or an iPhone with a case, and it has two knobs at the back that let you adjust the depth of the space between the back mount and the Lightning connector.
I use a standard Apple case so I didn't have to do much adjustment, but rotating each knob will move it forward slightly for a tighter or looser fit. Elevation Lab says CordDock will work with cases up to 4mm, which covers all but the thickest cases (think Otterbox). There are also two removable magnetic pads under where the iPhone rests that can be swapped out for thicker or thinner versions, with two options available in the box.
Along with the two adjustment knobs, there's another feature that is unique to CordDock among its competitors -- the ability to pick up the iPhone from the dock with the cable still attached so you can use it while it's charging.
This works because the Lightning cable on the CordDock features two steel ball bearings built into the sides, while the head of the cable has two indents. The two ball bearings slot into the indents, allowing the cable portion to be pulled out with ease.
Pulling forward on your iPhone while it's attached to the CordDock unseats the cable and lets you pull the phone forward to use as you might use any phone attached to a charging cable. To put it back, you just need to line the Lightning connector portion of the cable up with the dock and give it a good push downwards. Elevation Lab's video demonstrates how it works:
Note that this functionality does not interfere with the one-handed iPhone removal feature. You can still disconnect the iPhone from the CordDock by pulling straight up rather than in a forward motion.
Bottom Line
As someone that owns multiple Apple devices and has used several of the popular docks on the market, the latest docks from Elevation Lab, including the CordDock, are some of my favorites.
The CordDock has a small footprint so it takes up little space on a desk, its sticky bottom means it works when you want to pick up your phone one-handed, and if you happen to need to use your iPhone when it's plugged in nearby, the clever detaching cord mechanism is handy.
If you prefer to charge wirelessly, the CordDock doesn't do that, but there are still benefits to wired charging, including much faster charging speeds that people are going to prefer over wire-free options.
At $39 the CordDock may be more expensive than some other options on the market, and it's a little less stylish than some aluminum docks, but its feature set makes it well worth the purchase price.
The Lightning cable attached to the CordDock is covered in an attractive braided chevron fabric, and at six feet long, it's a good length for allowing you to use the detachable feature of the dock. There's an included velcro cable wrap if you don't need the entire length of the cable.
Earlier this week, Apple confirmed it will release an all-new Mac Pro in 2019, as a bid of reassurance to its professional customers who have waited over four years for the company's high-end workstation to be updated.
Apple still sells a handful of other major products that haven't been updated in between three and six years, however, and unlike the Mac Pro, it has remained silent about any future updates. We've outlined those products below.
Apple hasn't refreshed its lineup of AirPort base stations in around five to six years. The high-end AirPort Extreme and AirPort Time Capsule, which is an Extreme coupled with up to 3TB of internal storage, were last updated at WWDC 2013. The smaller AirPort Express hasn't been updated since June 2012—it still has old 802.11n Wi-Fi.
The current Mac Pro was previewed at WWDC 2013, when Apple's marketing chief Phil Schiller famously quipped "can't innovate anymore, my ass!" The professional desktop became available to order in December 2013, and hasn't been updated since, beyond receiving a price cut across the line in April 2017.
Apple this week confirmed that it will release an all-new Mac Pro with a modular design in 2019. The computer will be influenced by Apple's new Pro Workflow Team, consisting of creative professionals who are experienced in areas such as visual effects, video editing, 3D animation, and music production.
Apple has twice said the Mac mini remains an "important" part of its product lineup, but unlike the Mac Pro, it hasn't provided a timeline for any future updates. While there has been some speculation that the Mac mini could play a role in Apple's modular Mac Pro system, the fate of the machine remains unclear.
While the base model MacBook Air was updated with a slightly faster 1.8GHz processor in June 2017, the notebook hasn't received a significant update in over three years and counting. The latest MacBook Air is powered by Intel's fifth-generation Core processors—again, we're at eight now—and still lacks a Retina display.
The prevailing assumption has long been that once Apple could manage to sell the 12-inch MacBook for $999, that it would replace the MacBook Air. That has yet to happen, however, and now there's rumors suggesting that a new and possibly even cheaper MacBook Air will be released at some point this year.
Once updated on an annual basis like the iPhone, the iPod touch hasn't been refreshed in nearly three years. The portable media player is powered by an Apple A8 chip, which was already around 10 months old at the time, and it has an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera and up to 128GB of storage.
At this point, the iPod touch is a niche product at Apple. It's also the only remaining iPod available to purchase, after Apple discontinued the iPod nano and iPod shuffle last year. However, considering the iPod touch is a gateway product to the iPhone, it's certainly possible it will eventually be updated.
Apple introduced the iPad mini 4 at its "Hey Siri" event in September 2015, and hasn't updated it since, beyond adjusting storage and pricing in 2016 and again in 2017. Like the latest iPod touch, the tablet is powered by an Apple A8 chip and has up to 128GB of storage, the sole capacity currently sold.
Like many other products on this list, the fate of the iPad mini is unclear. One possibility is that it will be discontinued once the new 9.7-inch iPad gets slimmer bezels, which would make it closer in overall size to the 7.9-inch iPad mini. The new iPad also has a much faster A10 Fusion chip and Apple Pencil support.
Following the release of iOS 11.3 last week, Apple has stopped signing iOS 11.2.6, the previous version of iOS that was available to consumers.
iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch owners who have upgraded to iOS 11.2.6 will no longer be able to downgrade to earlier versions of iOS.
Apple routinely stops signing older versions of software updates after new releases come out in order to encourage customers to keep their operating systems up to date.
iOS 11.3 is now the only version of iOS 11 that can be installed on iOS devices by the general public, but developers and public beta testers can download iOS 11.4, an update that is currently being beta tested.
To go along with the AirPods and the HomePod, Apple is rumored to be working on a set of high-end over-ear headphones that, like its other two products, will be Apple branded rather than Beats branded.
The rumor originated in a February report from KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who often accurately predicts Apple's plans. Kuo says Apple is planning to launch high-end over-ear headphones that marries the convenience of AirPods with better sound quality.
Designers over at Curved.de have taken these rumors and created renderings imagining what Apple-branded over-ear headphones could look like.
The headphones take design elements from the HomePod, such as the acoustic fabric covering and the touch panel that includes a visible Siri waveform, and existing Beats headphones like the Solo3.
On headphones, of course, you wouldn't see the waveform while wearing them so this may not be an entirely realistic concept, but it's interesting to see the HomePod design distilled down into headphones.
Curved.de has imagined the headphones in both black and white, with the touch panel also able to display other graphics like a rainbow Apple logo, and there's a simple wireless charging stand included in the concept.
Ming-Chi Kuo believes Apple could release the headphones as soon as the fourth quarter of 2018, which is fairly late in the year, so we could see them delayed until 2019. Kuo's rumor has been corroborated by Bloomberg, with the site adding that noise-canceling features could be included.
Is this what you think Apple-branded headphones might look like? Let us know in the comments.
For this week's giveaway, we've once again teamed up with ROLI, this time to give away one of the company's LightPad Block M music making devices.
For those unfamiliar with ROLI, it's a company that makes a fun, modular music creation system called Blocks, designed for everyone from beginners to professionals.
The Lightpad M, priced at $200, is a key component in the ROLI system. Lightpad M supports pressure-based multi-touch gestures on its light-up grid surface to make music. The Lightpad M can recreate the sounds of cellos, flutes, drums, violins, and hundreds of other instruments with simple, intuitive touch gestures.
It also supports beats, chords, melodies, and more, and it ships with more than 200 sounds, with options to add more through an accompanying suite of apps that work with the Lightpad M.
Gestures include a strike for sounding a note, a side to side glide to change pitch, an up and down slide to modulate sound, a press for a deeper sound, and lift to change resonance.
There's a soft, silicone top layer on the Lightpad M for precise control, and the top of the square-shaped accessory lights up in hundreds of colors when touched. Microkeywaves on the silicone surface of the Lightpad M offer pleasing tactile feedback, and it's sensitive enough that even a light touch makes music.
You can fit the Lightpad M in the palm of your hand, so it's small enough to go anywhere, and it offers a wireless connection.
We have a ROLI LightPad Block M to give away to a MacRumors reader. To enter to win, use the Rafflecopter widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach winners and send prizes. You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, 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 (April 6) at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time on April 13. The winner will be chosen randomly on April 13 and will be contacted by email. The winner will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before a new winner is chosen.
Twitter is making changes to its API on June 19, and third-party Twitter clients are worried about the impact and Twitter's lack of communication about the issue.
The developers behind popular third-party Twitter apps that include Tweetbot, Twitterrific, Talon, and Tweetings today teamed up to warn users about the upcoming changes and to hopefully spur Twitter to action.
On June 19, Twitter plans to remove several streaming service APIs that are used by third-party apps. Disabling these APIs will prevent third-party Twitter apps from sending push notifications and refreshing Twitter timelines automatically.
We are incredibly eager to update our apps. However, despite many requests for clarification and guidance, Twitter has not provided a way for us to recreate the lost functionality. We've been waiting for more than a year.
Twitter is replacing its current streaming APIs with a new Account Activity API, which is in beta testing, but third-party developers have not been given access. With access to the Account Activity APIs, third-party Twitter clients say they might be able to enable some push notifications, but Twitter has also provided no detail on pricing. Automatic refresh of the timeline is set to be disabled entirely.
Automatic refresh of your timeline just won't work: there is no web server on your mobile device or desktop computer that Twitter can contact with updates. Since updating your timeline with other methods is rate-limited by Twitter, you will see delays in real-time updates during sporting events and breaking news.
The developers behind Tweetbot, Twitterrific, Talon, and Tweetings are asking customers to contact the @TwitterDev account to correct the situation and to use the #BreakingMyTwitter hashtag to spread awareness.
Update: Twitter has responded to customers unhappy with the changes coming to third-party apps. Twitter plans to delay the scheduled June 19th date for the deprecation of the existing APIs, and it says developers will have at least 90 days before the APIs are retired after being provided with access to the Account Activity API.
Last year we announced our plan to retire Site Streams & User Streams, and replace them with the Account Activity API (currently in beta). We are delaying the scheduled June 19th deprecation date.
— Twitter Dev (@TwitterDev) April 6, 2018
As always, we’re committed to providing ample time to migrate. We will provide at least 90 days notice of deprecation date from when the Account Activity API becomes generally available to all developers. More specifics on timing to come.
— Twitter Dev (@TwitterDev) April 6, 2018
Apple has formally objected the Environmental Protection Agency's proposed repeal of the Clean Power Plan in the United States.
In a letter submitted to the agency today, Apple said repealing the policy would subject the company and its manufacturing partners to increased investment uncertainty in relation to clean energy, according to Reuters.
"Repealing the Clean Power Plan will subject consumers like Apple and our large manufacturing partners to increased investment uncertainty," the California-based company said in a filing to the agency.
Apple, which says it runs its U.S. operations fully on renewable energy such as wind and solar power, added that repeal of the plan would also threaten development and investments that have already been made in renewable power.
The EPA proposed to repeal the Clean Power Plan in October 2017 after U.S. President Donald Trump mandated a review of the Obama-era environmental policy, which would have required U.S. power plants to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions to 32 percent below 2005 levels by 2030.
Apple is the first company to publicly comment on the proposed repeal, which has yet to proceed due to legal challenges, according to the report. The policy's elimination is said to remain a priority of the EPA's administrator Scott Pruitt.
Apple's environmental website notes that 100 percent of the electricity the company uses to power its data centers, and 96 percent used by its facilities worldwide, comes from renewable energy sources like solar, hydro, and wind power. Many of Apple's suppliers have also committed to using 100 percent renewable energy.
Apple's environmental chief Lisa Jackson served as the EPA's administrator between 2009 and 2013 as part of the Obama administration.
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.
The BBC reports today that the Roskomnadzor media regulator has begun legal proceedings to block the app in the country, after Dubai-based Telegram refused to comply with requests that it hand over the encryption keys.
Telegram was given a deadline of 4 April to hand over the keys, but the company has refused, explaining that the way the service is built means it has no access to them.
Russia's main security agency, the FSB, wants the keys so it can read messages and prevent future terror attacks in the country. In its court filing, Roskomnadzor said the legal action was related to the FSB request and Telegram's non-compliance with its legal requirements as a "distributor of information".
Telegram's lawyer, Pavel Chikov, called the Russian attempt to block the app "groundless" and said the FSB's demand to access users' chat logs was "unconstitutional, baseless, which cannot be fulfilled technically and legally".
Telegram had a legal challenge to the demand dismissed in a Moscow court in March, but the platform creator Pavel Durov has said Telegram, which is widely used in Russia, will not "give up" the private data of its users.
Threats to block Telegram unless it gives up private data of its users won't bear fruit. Telegram will stand for freedom and privacy.
— Pavel Durov (@durov) 20 March 2018
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 today released iMovie version 10.1.9 for macOS as a free update to its consumer video editing software on the desktop. It's the first update to the app since shortly after macOS High Sierra was released.
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Following the 
Russia appears to be following through on its threat last year to 
