MacRumors

During Square Enix's E3 event that was held this morning, the company announced plans to bring iconic game Final Fantasy VII to iOS "before the end of summer" this year. Little detail was made available on the game aside from an upcoming release date, but it appears it's a port of the original PS1 game and not the Final Fantasy VII remake that was announced by Sony earlier this week.

Square Enix has made the first six Final Fantasy games available on iOS devices, but Final Fantasy VII for iOS will mark the first Final Fantasy port coming from a PlayStation game. Released in 1997, Final Fantasy VII was the first game in the Final Fantasy series created for PlayStation and it quickly became one of the most popular Final Fantasy games.

In 2013, Square Enix producer Takashi Tokita said in an interview that a release of Final Fantasy VII was "years away" from release on iOS because of the space limitations on the platform. "It's that currently, space will be an issue," he said. "Phones won't be able to contain the space it takes. It's over a gigabyte. People are probably going to have to wait for a few years."

Prior to 2015, Apple limited the size of apps to 2GB, but in February, that limit was expanded to 4GB, perhaps making games like Final Fantasy VII more feasible on iOS. A PC port of Final Fantasy VII comes in at over 3GB, so it's possible that the 2GB size restriction was the limiting factor.

A game that's 3GB in size will be a tough sell to customers who have 16GB iPhones and iPads, but upcoming features in iOS 9 could help slim down the install size of Final Fantasy VII and other games that take up a lot of storage space. App Thinning, a feature Apple introduced at WWDC, allows developers to optimize apps for specific devices for the first time. For example, a game being played on the iPhone won't be required to download all the iPad art assets, saving much needed space.

The App Store and operating system optimize the installation of iOS and watchOS apps by tailoring app delivery to the capabilities of the user’s particular device, with minimal footprint. This optimization, called app thinning, lets you create apps that use the most device features, occupy minimum disk space, and accommodate future updates that can be applied by Apple. Faster downloads and more space for other apps and content provides a better user experience.

Square Enix also gave an update on Kingdom Hearts Unchained X, its upcoming smartphone game. Unchained X was previously announced in May, but as of today, Square Enix has confirmed that it will be available worldwide when it launches.

Apple Stores in the United States have begun to receive shipments of the Apple Watch to fulfill in-store reservations through Personal Pickup, according to BGR. The report claims the Apple Watch will be available for in-store pickup starting today or tomorrow, but the exact product mix remains unclear at this point.

A spot check of the Apple Online Store reveals that the Personal Pickup option remains unavailable for the Apple Watch at brick-and-mortar Apple Store locations in New York and elsewhere in the United States. A dedicated Reserve and Pickup page for the Apple Watch that was live in early April also continues to redirect to the main Apple Watch product page on the company's website.

Apple Watch orders have been taken exclusively online since pre-orders began on April 10, although Apple is now catching up on the backlog of shipments and is better positioned to sell the wrist-worn device in stores soon. Apple executive Jeff Williams confirmed earlier this month that it would soon begin selling some Apple Watch models in Apple Stores, but he did not provide a specific date.

“The response to Apple Watch has surpassed our expectations in every way, and we are thrilled to bring it to more customers around the world,” said Jeff Williams, Apple’s senior vice president of Operations. “We’re also making great progress with the backlog of Apple Watch orders, and we thank our customers for their patience. All orders placed through May, with the sole exception of Apple Watch 42 mm Space Black Stainless Steel with Space Black Link Bracelet, will ship to customers within two weeks. At that time, we’ll also begin selling some models in our Apple Retail Stores.”

Apple Watch launches in seven additional countries on June 26: Italy, Mexico, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland and Taiwan. The wrist-worn device will be sold through the Apple Store, Apple Online Store and select authorized resellers in the countries, including 10 Corso Como in Milan, BOONTHESHOP Cheongdam in Seoul and Malmaison by The Hour Glass in Singapore.

Adobe today announced that all of its Creative Cloud desktop apps, including Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Dreamweaver, Lightroom, Premiere Pro, After Effects, and more, will receive updates as part of the company's 2015 Creative Cloud Update.

The updates bring new features and performance enhancements with "Adobe Magic" to all of Adobe's Creative Cloud apps, notably including Linked Assets that will allow assets within Creative Cloud Libraries to be updated whenever a change is made, ensuring the update is available to all team members in Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign.

Photoshop CC is gaining Artboards, letting artists create multiple design surfaces within a single document for a bird's-eye view of all designs at once. There's also a new preview feature called Photoshop Design Space, which lets users create design-focused desktop tool layouts that ignore unnecessary tools. The exporting experience has been improved, and the Spot Healing Brush and Patch tools are now 120x faster than the same tools in Photoshop CS6 thanks to Mercury Graphics Engine enhancements.

Both Photoshop and Lightroom CC are gaining new haze removal features that will allow haze to be added or removed to a photograph with click, and Photoshop now has the option to add noise to Blur Gallery effects.

Illustrator CC has been updated with significant performance improvements, making it 10x faster than CS6. Zoom magnification is now ten times higher, reaching up to 64,000 percent instead of 6,400 percent, and there's a new Chart interface that makes it easier to create custom charts and graphics.

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Apple today seeded the sixth beta of OS X 10.10.4 to developers and public beta testers, approximately one week after releasing the fifth OS X 10.10.4 beta and nearly two months after releasing the first OS X 10.10.4 beta. OS X 10.10.4 has been in testing since mid-April, following the early April release of OS X 10.10.3, which included the new Photos for OS X app.

The new beta, build 14E36b, can downloaded through the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store or through the Mac Developer Center.

OS X 10.10.3 brought several consumer-facing changes including the new Photos for OS X app, a redesigned emoji picker, and diversified emoji, but OS X 10.10.4 appears to be an under-the-hood update that brings performance enhancements and bug fixes.

Thus far, OS X 10.10.4 betas have not included outward facing design changes or feature additions, but the fourth beta introduced a significant behind-the-scenes update that may improve networking performance for users who have experienced issues with OS X Yosemite.

Discoveryd, a somewhat problematic networking process that has been linked to multiple bugs in OS X 10.10, was removed in favor of the older bug-free mDNSresponder.

It is not clear when Apple plans to release OS X 10.10.4 to the public, but the fact that we've now received six betas suggests we may be nearing the end of the beta testing period. It's possible we could see the public release of OS X 10.10.4 on June 30, the same day Apple plans to release iOS 8.4 with the new Music app and Apple Music service.

Apple today updated its "Shot on iPhone 6" microsite to add four new videos to the "World Gallery films" section of the site. While the Shot on iPhone 6 campaign has been running since March, the dedicated video gallery was just added in early June.

Today's videos come from the Netherlands, Australia, the United States, and Norway. Like the existing videos in the gallery, the new videos showcase content shot using the iPhone and its video capturing tools like Slo-Mo and Time Lapse Each of the 15-second videos is accompanied by music and concludes with the tagline "Shot on iPhone 6."

The first video, shown above, is a Time Lapse of clouds passing over a mountain, while the second depicts a caterpillar inching along the grass. The other two videos depict what appears to be a swarm of birds and a Slo-Mo video of the shadows cast by skateboarders.

Apple's Shot on iPhone 6 microsite also includes a range of photographs that were taken with the iPhone 6, some of which have been edited using various apps. The site features photos and videos from more than 70 photographers in 24 countries, with the images being used in print media, transit posters, and billboards across the world.

Taiwanese iOS developer Hiraku Wang has shared further iOS 9 beta code (via Steven Troughton-Smith) that suggests the 12.9-inch "iPad Pro" could have a 2,732×2,048 pixels display at 264 PPI based on Apple's @2x high-resolution modifier. The findings corroborate a DisplaySearch report from last January, in which the research firm said that Apple had a tablet display with a resolution of 2,732×2,048 pixels and 265 PPI under development.

Apple's existing lineup of iPads with Retina displays, ranging from the third-generation iPad to iPad Air 2, each have 9.7-inch screens at 264 PPI, so it would make sense that the larger 12.9-inch "iPad Pro" would have a scaled up resolution with the same pixel density. Specifically, a 2,732×2,048 display with 264 PPI points towards an approximately 12.93" diagonal screen size. As a @2x display, this would represent 1,366x1,024 points as shown in the onscreen dimensions for the keyboard.

Earlier today, iOS developer Steven Troughton-Smith discovered that the new iPad keyboard on iOS 9 beta is capable of scaling to a larger size with rearranged keys, providing further evidence that Apple could be planning to release the much-rumored 12.9-inch "iPad Pro" in the future. The A9-based tablet is rumored to feature a flexible display with increased pressure sensitivity, built-in NFC chip, Force Touch, USB-C port and possibly a pressure-sensitive Bluetooth stylus.

At its Worldwide Developer's Conference last week, Apple introduced OS X 10.11 El Capitan, the newest version of its Mac-based operating system. At the time, Apple provided the software both to registered developers and to members of the media. Media reviews are hitting the web, giving us our first in-depth opinions on OS X El Capitan.

We've rounded up details from some of the best reviews in order to give MacRumors readers a look at OS X El Capitan from the perspective of people who have used it extensively over the course of the last week. Each of the reviews is worth reading in full to get a feel for how OS X El Capitan builds upon the features introduced with OS X Yosemite.

Lauren Goode, Re/code:

The most notable I've-seen-this-before feature in OS X El Capitan is Split View: Now, two apps can run in split view on a full screen. Finally! Mail and TweetDeck side by side throughout the day, on a full screen, without having to manually drag windows into place. Of course, Microsoft Windows has had this "snap" feature for years.

Jim Dalrymple, The Loop:

I use Mail a lot. Unfortunately, I've had some trouble lately with Mail on Yosemite getting stuck while checking IMAP connections, especially after I wake the computer from sleep. All I ask for in El Capitan is for that to be fixed.

The good news is that it seems much better in this beta version of the operating system. Apple said Mail in El Capitan delivers an improved IMAP engine, so I'm very hopeful. I haven't had Mail stop working yet and I'm a week into using it--that's a damn good sign.

Lance Ulanoff, Mashable:

The differences between Apple OS X Yosemite and El Capitan are so subtle that it often feels like one of those puzzles where you have to spot 11 differences between two photos. Considering Yosemite was a lauded OS overhaul, this isn't a bad thing, but the best way to sum up Apple's OS update is this: If you like Yosemite, you'll like El Capitan, too. [...]

Apple tweaked system performance to improve mail load times and application launches, but it was hard for me to tell the difference. Did it seem fast? Yes. Does Yosemite also seem fast? Yes. I did notice one very beta glitch when I unexpected ran out of system memory in El Capitan.

Darrell Etherington, TechCrunch:

Now, Apple has added a lot of muscle to Notes in 10.11, turning into a much better competitor not only for other text editors, but for things like Evernote, too. You can integrate images, PDFs, videos and other media right into notes via drag-and-drop insertion, for instance, and crate checklists out of line-separated items with a single click.

Formatting ensures that you can create headers, paragraph styles, bold and italicize text and you can attach from your Photos app directly. Open content from other apps directly in Notes, too, using the Share menu across OS X, and even add stuff like Maps locations, spreadsheets and more. Folders keep things more organized, and thumbnails provide easy identification of what's within a Note from the sidebar menu when you're including media.

Dieter Bohn, The Verge:

Why would you choose Apple's solutions in El Capitan? Because they're all so tightly integrated. Maps talks to Notes, Calendar talks to Mail, and all of them talk to Spotlight. All of those interconnections and digital conversations could subtly drive you to opt for Apple apps instead of whatever you might have been using before. Think of it like Continuity, but inside the computer instead of between devices. And all of it works incredibly well.

Dana Wollman, Engadget:

Some of my favorite updates are in Safari, though many would rightfully argue that these improvements aren't necessarily novel. In fact, some appear to take after features already offered in Chrome, and other competing browsers. For instance, there's now an option to identify which tab is playing sound. From there, you can hit a mute button on the tab itself, or click the speaker icon in the address bar. The latter option comes in handy when you have sound coming from multiple tabs -- say, a song you meant to stream, and an auto-playing video ad in the other. By clicking the sound icon in the URL bar, you can see a list of all the tabs playing sound and selectively mute the one that's bothering you.

Perhaps my favorite new feature is the addition of pinned sites. They sort of form a bookmarks bar, only better: Here, these tabs can't be closed, and because they look like shrunken buttons, they take up much less space than a regular tab.

Rene Ritchie, iMore:

Thanks to a new CoreSpotlight API, developers can now make the content in their apps, including documents, messages, and more, available to Spotlight as well. That means it'll be even easier to find what we're looking for, no matter where it's contained.

I've tried LaunchBar, Alfred, and Quicksilver, but none of them ever stuck: Spotlight has always been my go-to. Yosemite made it significantly more functional, but natural language and the new results engine promises to make it integral to the Mac experience. I'm really looking forward to using it full-time come the fall.

Other Reviews:
Ryan Smith, AnandTech
David Pierce, Wired
Ed Baig, USA Today
David Pogue, Yahoo
Andrew Cunningham, Ars Technica

OS X El Capitan is currently only available to registered developers. Apple has plans to introduce a public beta test of the software in July, following that with a fall public release. For detailed information on all of the new features in OS X El Capitan, make sure to check out our El Capitan roundup.

Apple has updated its GarageBand for Mac website to confirm that the music creation software will be updated with new features on June 30 alongside the launch of Apple Music, as noted by Macworld editor Kirk McElhearn on his personal blog Kirkville. GarageBand will gain new synth sounds and the software's built-in recording and editing features will be improved.

Apple will be adding 100 shape-shifting EDM‑ and Hip Hop‑inspired synth sounds to GarageBand that each feature the Transform Pad Smart Control for morphing and tweaking sounds to your personal liking. The new controls are very similar to the Alchemy software that Apple acquired through its recent purchase of Camel Audio, known for its range of plug-ins, synthesizers, effects and sound libraries.

Some of the new synths are demoed on the GarageBand website, including Sweeping Arp, Droplets, Bright Punchy Synth, Pumping Synth Waves and Epic Hook Synth. Apple further outlines that GarageBand's software instrument Smart Controls and Piano Roll Editor will be improved, allowing changes to be captured in real time and fine-tuning of music afterwards.

"Capture your changes in real time by adjusting any of your software instruments’ Smart Controls while recording a performance," reads a caption on the GarageBand website. "You can also fine‑tune your music later in the Piano Roll Editor." A footnote lists the new features as available on June 30 in the United States and as "coming soon" in other countries, consistent with the Apple Music website.

It is possible that Apple may also add a way for GarageBand users to upload new music to Apple Music Connect, a social platform that will enable artists to connect with fans. Apple hopes that Apple Music Connect will help not only well-known musicians, but also unsigned artists, to more easily promote their music and engage with their fans through one centralized platform.

Apple vice president of iTunes content Robert Kondrk has confirmed to Re/code that the Cupertino-based company will share 71.5% of Apple Music revenue with music owners in the United States.

That number will be slightly higher outside of the United States, averaging around 73%, but Apple will pay no royalties during the three-month free trial period in return for paying a few percentage points extra.

"Apple won’t pay music owners anything for the songs that are streamed during Apple Music’s three-month trial period, a bone of contention with music labels during negotiations for the new service. But Kondrk says Apple’s payouts are a few percentage points higher than the industry standard, in part to account for the lengthy trial period; most paid subscription services offer a free one-month trial."

The payments will be primarily sent to record labels and publishers that own the rights to songs and their underlying compositions, meaning that the royalties will not necessarily line the pockets of musicians directly. Artists often have their own individual deals with the record label they are signed to, so their payouts are often dependant on the terms of their contracts.

Apple paying seven-tenths of every dollar to rights holders is the standard rate paid by other streaming music services such as market leader Spotify, although Apple Music may be more lucrative for record labels due to its absence of a free ad-supported tier. Spotify argues that Apple also offers free streaming music through iTunes Radio and its upcoming Beats 1 global radio station.

Apple Music was unveiled last week as an all-in-one streaming music service, live global radio station and social platform for artists to connect with fans. The subscription-based service will be available June 30 for $9.99 per month after a three-month free trial period for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac and PC. Apple TV and Android versions of the service will be available in the fall.

iPhone developer Steven Troughton-Smith has discovered that the new iPad keyboard on iOS 9 beta is capable of scaling to a larger size with rearranged keys, providing further evidence that Apple could be planning to release the much-rumored 12.9-inch "iPad Pro" in the future.

At a larger resolution, the UIKeyboard view automatically adjusts with repositioned keys to fill the extra screen space available. Specifically, the new keyboard has wider keys, a new row of symbols at the top, Caps Lock and Tab keys on the far left and some other moved keys.

The secondary keyboard view has also gained the new chiclet-sized row of symbols and has enough room to fit all symbols and characters on one page, potentially eliminating the need for a tertiary keyboard view normally accessed by tapping the "#+=" button on the left or right.

iOS 9's new Slide Over, Split View and Picture in Picture features on iPad Air 2 further suggest that Apple may be working on a larger iPad, as the new split-screen multitasking views would be ideal for a larger screen and could benefit from the tablet's increased processing power.

The so-called "iPad Pro" is rumored to feature a 12.9-inch flexible display with increased pressure sensitivity, built-in NFC chip, Force Touch, USB-C port and possibly a pressure-sensitive Bluetooth stylus. The tablet would also likely have an A9 processor with 2GB of RAM and Touch ID.

Somewhat lost among all of the announcements coming out of WWDC last week, Apple on Monday introduced a new set of colors for the Beats Powerbeats2 wireless in-ear headphones, with the new colors matching the Apple Watch sport band options of black, white, blue, green, and pink.

Carrying the same $200 price as the original Powerbeats2 introduced last June after Apple had announced it was acquiring Beats but before the deal officially closed, the new versions are identical with the exception of the new colors. The new headphones have begun showing up in Apple's retail stores, where they are being given a significant amount of promotional space.

The Powerbeats2 have received mixed reviews over the past year, with reviewers disagreeing over whether the headphones suffer from the excessive bass that has been common with Beats products over the years. The headphones come with a set of ear tips in various shapes and sizes, and the listening experience appears to vary significantly for many users depending on which tips are used.

As Bluetooth headphones, the Powerbeats2 can connect wirelessly to a wide variety of devices, including the iPhone, iPad, and now the Apple Watch. With the Apple Watch's ability to store music on the device for playback via Bluetooth and serve adequately as an exercise tracker under certain circumstances even without a paired iPhone present, wireless headphones are proving to be a popular accessory for Apple Watch owners and something Apple has clearly chosen to capitalize on with the new Powerbeats2 colors.

(Thanks, Ben!)