Apple is expected to unveil macOS 14 at WWDC in June this year, but little is known about what enhancements and new features the company will debut with the update. Last year, macOS Ventura introduced Stage Manager, Continuity Camera, FaceTime Handoff, undo send and improved search in Mail, the Weather and Clock app on the Mac for the first time, Shared Tab groups in Safari, and more. We talk through some of the areas where we feel Apple could bring useful changes to the Mac this year, with particular attention to Safari, Mail, Apple Music, notifications, widgets, app organization, and Spotlight.
If you haven't already listened to the previous episode of The MacRumors Show, catch up for our discussion about the design of Apple's upcoming mixed-reality headset with professional product designer Marcus Kane.
Amazon today has the Beats Studio Buds in six colors for $99.95, down from $149.95. This is a match of the all-time low price on the earbuds, and Amazon is estimating an April 16-20 delivery date for most colors.
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.
We haven't tracked a record low price on the Beats Studio Buds since earlier in 2023, so Amazon's deal is a good opportunity for those who have been waiting for a discount on the AirPods alternatives. Colors on sale include Black, Pink, Red, White, Moon Gray, and Ocean Blue.
For this week's giveaway, we're teaming up with ColorWare to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win a set of custom-painted third-generation AirPods or second-generation AirPods Pro. All of ColorWare's products come in hundreds of unique color combinations.
For those unfamiliar with ColorWare, it is a customization company that has been offering custom painted Apple products and accessories for many years now. ColorWare offers up unique painting options for the AirPods, AirPods Pro, AirPods Max, AirTag, and Magic Mouse, plus it also provides custom painting for Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony devices, including consoles and controllers.
Custom-colored third-generation AirPods can be purchased from ColorWare for $329, which includes custom painting for both the AirPods and the accompanying MagSafe case. Custom AirPods Pro 2 can be purchased from ColorWare for $389. There's definitely a premium for ordering from ColorWare, but since Apple only makes AirPods and AirPods Pro in white, going through ColorWare is the only way to get AirPods in black, red, blue, pink, or dozens of other colors.
ColorWare offers both solid and metallic paint options, with gloss and matte finishes depending on your preference. You can get the traditional gray, gold, or silver colors to match Apple's devices, but there are also colors in every shade of the rainbow. If you want AirPods or AirPods Pro in yellow, orange, teal, green, deep purple, blue, pink, or one of dozens of other colors, ColorWare is your best bet.
Each AirPod can be custom painted in the same color as the case or you can order the case and the earbuds all in different colors, so there are many color combinations to choose from.
ColorWare also has some fun special edition options like the "CowPods" with a black and white cow-patterned case accompanied by AirPods Pro 2 painted either pink or black. There's also a "Supernova" color option that features a glittery, prismatic effect in an array of rainbow colors.
In business since 1998, ColorWare has perfected its painting process. The company uses a multi-step coating sequence that includes a primer, the application of a proprietary color formula, and an X2 liquid plastic coating that protects the color. The custom painting is guaranteed for 12 months or 24 months with the purchase of an additional warranty.
ColorWare uses standard third-generation AirPods and second-generation AirPods Pro from Apple and paints them, which leaves the full AirPods functionality intact.
We have two sets of custom-painted AirPods to give away, with each winner able to choose AirPods model and the the color and finish of their choice. To enter to win, use the Gleam.io widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winners and send the prizes. You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, following us on Instagram, or visiting the MacRumorsFacebook page.
Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years or older, UK 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. All federal, state, provincial, and/or local taxes, fees, and surcharges are the sole responsibility of the prize winner. 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 14) at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time on April 21. The winners will be chosen randomly on April 21 and will be contacted by email. The winners will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before new winners are chosen.
Microsoft last year said it would be ending support for SwiftKey on iPhone, then only weeks later it backtracked and asked users to "stay tuned" for the arrival of new features. The company has now lived up to its promise with a fresh update that, perhaps unsurprisingly, integrates its ubiquitous Bing AI chatbot into the predictive keyboard app.
There are three components to SwiftKey's new Bing integration: Search, Chat, and Tone. As the names of the first two functions suggest, users can now search the web without leaving the app and chat with Bing to ask additional queries and questions. Microsoft says the features can be used when you're talking to a friend and want to look something up mid-conversation, for example.
The third function, Tone, is more clever. It's designed to make it easier for users to communicate more effectively by allowing Bing to act as editor and reword text to fit a desired tone.
As Microsoft describes it, "Whether you struggle to be formal in your work emails, or you're learning a new language and want help with the nuances of word choice, the Tone feature has got you covered, with tones to make your words sound more professional, casual, polite, or concise enough for a social post."
After updating SwiftKey, users will see a Bing icon above the keyboard, and tapping it brings up the three new features. Anyone can use the Search function, but accessing Tone and Chat requires users to sign into their Microsoft Account, which needs to have been approved to access the new Bing preview.
Apple TV+ will be made available to every Canal+ subscriber in France at no extra cost from April 20, Apple has announced.
The move means millions of Canal+ customers will soon be able to access TV+ content directly on their existing set-top box – no separate app or subscription necessary.
"I've long admired Canal+ and their commitment to high-quality programming, so we couldn't be more excited to work with them to bring the award-winning films and series of Apple TV+ into even more homes across France," said Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice president of Services. "This is an incredible offering for Canal+ customers. And through shows like Liaison and Drops of God, we remain committed to the country's creative industries and shining a spotlight on many of its best writers, directors, actors, and artists."
"For the first time in its history, the CANAL+ Group has chosen to offer access to content from a partner platform to all of its subscribers in France," said Maxime Saada, chairman and CEO of CANAL+ Group. "With this historic partnership, we are consolidating both our business as an aggregator, through carrying Apple TV+, and our business as a publisher, with the broadcasting of select Apple Original series on our CANAL+ channel, to the delight of our subscribers."
This is the second time Apple has joined forces with Canal+ to increase its presence in French homes. In May 2018, Apple partnered with the premium TV company to allow subscribers in France to opt to receive an Apple TV 4K on a rental basis in lieu of a traditional cable box.
Apple has started testing iOS 16.6 internally, according to our website's analytics logs, which have proven to be a reliable indicator of upcoming software updates. iOS 16.6 will likely be one of the last updates in the iOS 16 software cycle.
It's still too early to know when the first beta of iOS 16.6 will be released, but the first betas of iOS 13.6, iOS 14.6, and iOS 15.6 were all made available to developers prior to WWDC over the last three years. WWDC is scheduled for June 5 through June 9 this year and is where Apple will announce iOS 17 and other new software.
iOS 16.6 will likely be a smaller update given that iOS 17 is on the horizon. With the Apple Card's savings account expected to launch next week, iMessage Contact Key Verification will be one of the only previously-announced iOS features that has yet to launch, but it is unclear exactly when the optional security setting will launch.
In the meantime, iOS 16.5 remains in beta testing. So far, only two notable changes have been discovered in the update, including the addition of a Sports tab in the Apple News app and the ability to start a screen recording with Siri.
Apple has decided to make a last minute design update to the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, and the two devices will not feature the unified volume button that has been rumored for the last several weeks, according to Unknownz21. Instead, the iPhone 15 Pro models will have a two-button design for the volume module, which will look similar to the two-button design on the iPhone 14 Pro models.
While Apple is planning to revert back to two buttons instead of the planned unified volume button, there will still be a change to the mute switch. Rather than a switch, Apple will use a physical button. Internally, this button has been referred to as the "ringer button" or the "action button," and rumors have suggested that it could be a customizable button that is similar to the Apple Watch Ultra Action button.
Up until earlier this week, Apple was still working on a unified, solid-state volume button that offered haptic feedback rather than a physical button mechanism. Apple abandoned the solid-state button design on Tuesday, and Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says the change was due to "unresolved technical issues."
At the time, Kuo said that Apple would revert back to a "traditional physical button design," but it was not clear if Apple would continue to use the unified button that it had designed or if the company would swap back to a two-button design. Unknownz21's sources today learned that Apple will opt to revert to two buttons, delaying the unified button design until the iPhone 16 Pro.
Earlier today, MacRumors shared renders of what the iPhone 15 Pro models would have looked like with the unified volume button design. This is the design that Apple planned on using for most of the iPhone 15 Pro development period, and it is just this week that the change was made to shift back to the old design.
Unfortunately, we were working on these renders before we got the news about the solid-state button change, and we did not hear about Apple's revised plans for the buttons until after the renders were published. The renders we shared are now representative of the solid-state button design that Apple planned to use for the iPhone 15 Pro, which will not be the final design.
The renders offer a look at what the design might have been had Apple stuck with solid-state technology, and they feature the button design that Apple is likely to adopt for the iPhone 16 Pro models. Though delayed for now, Apple is continuing to work on haptic buttons, and the company is expected to implement the technology in next year's Pro iPhone models.
Apple will use standard mechanical buttons for both the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro models, but as mentioned before, the mute button that is in the renders remains accurate. Apple is expected to use a mute button instead of a mute switch for the iPhone 15 Pro lineup. These design changes are able to be made because the devices are still in the Engineering Validation Test stage and have not reached final production.
Apple did create some iPhone 15 Pro models that have solid-state buttons and the volume button design that we shared, and these will be used internally for testing to ensure the technology is ready for the iPhone 16 lineup.
Renders, case makers' dummies, CADs, and other leaked information that has depicted a unified volume button is now out of date due to Apple's late design shift. Late stage design changes are unusual for Apple, but do happen when there are issues with a feature that can't be worked out in time for launch.
The AirPower, for example, was nixed entirely after Apple could not get it to work as intended. Back in 2011, there were widespread rumors of a teardrop design for the iPhone 5 that did not pan out after Apple went with a different design, and with the third-generation iPod touch, Apple added a camera during the design stages and then removed it from the final product.
There are a number of new features still rumored for the iPhone 15 Pro models, such as a titanium frame, a faster A17 chip, periscope lens technology (iPhone 15 Pro Max only), thinner display bezels, and a USB-C port instead of a Lightning port.
Google today shared details on several optimizations that have been added to the Chrome browser on the Mac, which have made the browser "faster than ever" on Apple's Speedometer browser benchmark.
Google says that with the latest release of Chrome, the company went "deep under the hood" to find new opportunities to increase speed and efficiency. Google implemented improved HTML parsing for select CSS and JavaScript functions, and added more efficient pointer compression.
Optimizations were made to how pointers are compressed and decompressed, with Google avoiding compressing high-traffic fields. With the frequency of those operations, there was a notable impact on performance. Frequently accessed objects like JavaScript's "undefined" were also moved to the beginning of memory bases, which allows them to be accessed using faster machine code.
These changes have improved Chrome's speed on Apple's Speedometer 2.1 browser benchmark by 10 percent over the last three months. Google Chrome for Mac can be downloaded from the Google website.
Update: Newly obtained information confirms that Apple plans to revert to a two-button design for the iPhone 15 Pro models, rather than using the single unified volume button. The unified volume button was a design planned for the solid-state technology, and Apple is opting to use the older design now that solid-state buttons have been delayed.
Though Apple is using the prior two-button design for volume, the company still plans to replace the mute switch with a new mute button. The mute button could potentially be customizable, working similarly to the Action button on the Apple Watch Ultra.
The renders in this article represent the design that Apple planned to use prior to opting to eliminate solid-state buttons, featuring the design that Apple planned for during much of the iPhone 15 Pro development process. This is likely the design that Apple will use for the iPhone 16 Pro models, which are now expected to include the solid-state button technology instead of the iPhone 15 Pro models.
The original article is below.
With recent rumors indicating a last-minute change to the iPhone 15 Pro's feature set, what's in store for the device's volume buttons remains to be seen. We've heard multiple rumors that the iPhone 15 Pro models are set to adopt a new volume button and mute switch design, but emerging rumors about Apple's abandonment of solid-state button technology throw the design rumors into chaos.
As of right now, there is no indication that Apple will change its plans for a single, elongated volume button and a mute button instead of a mute switch, and we have an accurate look at what the buttons will look like provided there are no radical design shifts in store. Leaker Unknownz21 worked with MacRumors to share the actual design of the iPhone 15 Pro's volume and mute buttons, which haven't been seen before now.
We used iPhone 15 Pro information sourced from Unknownz21 to create images that depict the design of the volume, mute, and power buttons, including a view of the internal components. Note that these renders were created before the most recent solid-state rumors, there could be changes to the internal layout, but there is a good chance the external design will remain the same. In fact, Unknown21 has confirmed that the solid-state button design was still in development until very, very recently, and there is a chance that it hasn't been canceled at all.
Leaks to date have gotten the single volume rocker rumor right, but the design that Apple developed includes a split in the middle to designate the volume up and volume down sections of the button. With the middle split, the design looks similar to two separate buttons, but it is a notable departure from the current button design in which the volume up and volume down buttons are distinct.
Apple has not used this kind of unified button design since the iPhone 3GS in 2009, as the company swapped to two separate round volume up and down buttons with the iPhone 4, and ultimately transitioned to dual elongated buttons with the 2014 launch of the iPhone 6. It is worth highlighting that the single button design the middle separation has been in place since the early iPhone 15 Pro development period.
Apple initially planned to introduce the single volume button design alongside solid-state technology, but reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes solid-state buttons have been abandoned. There were "unresolved technical issues" that Apple was unable to address before mass production, so solid-state buttons will be delayed and ultimately introduced with a later version of the iPhone.
Solid-state technology is what Apple uses for the Mac's trackpad and the Home button on Touch ID iPhones. With this feature, the volume button on the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max would not have physically depressed, instead using haptic feedback to mimic the feel of a press. With haptic buttons delayed, Apple could instead use the single button design with standard physical buttons.
So far I haven’t seen anything to suggest a different exterior design for the buttons - if this is true then I think it’ll likely be more of an internal change, rather than something visible.
Currently, EVT units use the existing design - although changes are always possible 🤔 https://t.co/eK71637HRJ
— Unknownz21 🌈 (@URedditor) April 12, 2023
In his Medium post, Kuo said the buttons will have a "traditional physical button design," but he did not provide context on whether Apple would stick with the single volume button design change or revert to the same two button design that was used for the iPhone 14 models. There is now some added mystery surrounding what kind of volume button design we'll get for the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max, and there are arguments both for keeping the single button design and for reverting to the prior design. Unknownz21 believes that Apple will make minimal changes to the buttons at this point, and that while there could be added separation between the buttons, the design will not be the same as the iPhone 14 button design.
Given that there are other internal changes planned for the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max to accommodate new camera technology (specifically in the case of the periscope lens for the Pro Max), it may not be easy for Apple to go back to the original volume button design. Additionally, there were rumors that Apple planned to replace the mute switch with a mute button, and that the button could serve as a multi-use Action button similar to the Action button on the Apple Watch Ultra.
The Apple Watch Ultra Action button and the Side button on all Apple Watch models use physical button technology. They are not haptic or solid-state, so a case can be made that what works for the watch will work for the iPhone. Apple can retain the single volume button and the "Action" button even without a shift to haptic technology. Apple has been referring to the button as the "ringer button" or "action button" internally, which does indeed seem to suggest there could be a multi-function customizable button.
We have a detailed look at the module (codenamed "Bongo") that Apple designed for the volume button, mute button, and power button, created with information about the internal layout. While the renders still give a look at the potential external design that Apple will go with, it is likely that there are going to be internal changes to this design. Apple initially intended to add two additional Taptic Engines to the iPhone 15 Pro models to power the haptic buttons, but those will no longer be needed.
Unless Apple has last minute plans to abandon the mute switch to button transition and the elongated volume button in favor of the prior design, what we are sharing here today is a true-to-life depiction of what the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max will look like. It is the most complete picture of the iPhone 15 Pro to date, and it is the design that Apple has conceptualized since the iPhone 15 Pro was in early design stages.
While the loss of solid-state button technology is a major disappointment for those who were looking forward to it, Apple has other notable design changes that are coming to the iPhone 15 Pro models. The device chassis will be made from titanium, which is the same material that Apple uses for the Apple Watch Ultra. Like the frame, the buttons will be made from titanium as well.
Titanium is stronger than aluminum and lighter weight than stainless steel, the material that Apple used for the iPhone 14 Pro. We are expecting a weight reduction for the iPhone 15 Pro compared to the iPhone 14 Pro just based on material update, but final weight will be dependent on the alloy that Apple uses and the internal layout changes.
Titanium has more of a brushed, matte finish than stainless steel, and the more subdued texture will be more resistant to fingerprints. Apple has also tested a shiny mirror finish for the iPhone 15 Pro frame, so there is a small chance that both shiny and matte options could be offered for some of the models. As titanium is stronger than stainless steel, the iPhone 15 Pro's frame could be more resistant to dents, dings, and bending, but it may be easier to scratch because the oxide layer is easily damaged.
In addition to a titanium frame, the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max will also have a design that slims down the bezels and deepens the curve at the corners of the device, so while it will look similar to the iPhone 14 Pro, it will be distinct. The bezels are notably smaller and will increase the available display area somewhat, but no changes are expected for the Dynamic Island.
Other iPhone 15 Pro features include TSMC's 3-nanometer A17 chip, a USB-C port instead of a Lightning port, a periscope camera lens for the iPhone 15 Pro Max with expanded optical zoom, faster 5G, and Wi-Fi 6E.
Note that many new additions, including the planned unified volume button, the mute button, and the titanium frame, will be limited to the higher-end iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max and will not be available with the standard iPhone 15 models.
For more on the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, we have a dedicated iPhone 15 Pro roundup that aggregates everything we've heard so far, and we also have a separate iPhone 15 roundup that gives a better idea of the differences between the Pro and non-Pro models.
Spotify today announced that it now offers a Lock Screen widget on the iPhone, allowing users to quickly access the app with a single tap. The widget is available with the latest version of the Spotify app released on the App Store earlier today.
Lock Screen widgets require iOS 16 or later. To add a widget, tap and hold the Lock Screen, tap on the Customize button, tap on the Lock Screen, tap on Add Widgets, select Spotify from the list that appears, and tap on the widget. For emphasis, the Spotify widget will only appear in the list if the app has been updated to the latest version.
While a Lock Screen widget is nice, Spotify has still yet to implement native support for the HomePod, meaning that Spotify cannot be fully controlled with Siri on the speaker like Apple Music can be. Spotify also lacks support for AirPlay 2, which launched in 2018 with less buffering, support for stereo-paired HomePods, and more.
Rumors about a fourth-generation iPhone SE have been circulating since just months after the current model launched in 2022. Below, we have recapped the latest rumors about the device, including potential features and release timing.
Unfortunately, there has been uncertainty surrounding the fourth-generation iPhone SE, with rumors conflicting about if or when the device might launch.
Yesterday, analyst Jeff Pu claimed that the fourth-generation iPhone SE with an Apple-designed 5G modem was delayed until 2025. Today, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo agreed that mass production of Apple's modem could begin in 2025 at the earliest, but he said the iPhone SE that Apple is using to test the modem is actually an internal prototype that the company does not plan to mass produce for release to the public. Based on Kuo's latest information, it is now unclear if a fourth-generation iPhone SE is still planned.
Kuo had previously claimed that the next iPhone SE would have a similar design as the standard iPhone 14 model released last year, suggesting that the device would have been equipped with a 6.1-inch OLED display and Face ID.
The current iPhone SE was released in March 2022 with a 4.7-inch LCD display, Touch ID, 5G, a 12-megapixel rear camera, and the A15 Bionic chip. Priced starting at $429 in the U.S., it is one of Apple's more affordable iPhone models. Previous generations of the iPhone SE were released in 2020 and 2016, so the device has gone multiple years between each refresh, meaning that any new model is unlikely to launch until at least 2024.
All in all, fourth-generation iPhone SE rumors have been in an on-again, off-again state, so there is still uncertainty surrounding the device.
Amazon today has new deals on cases for the iPhone and iPad, including Magic Keyboard cases for the iPad Pro and 10.9-inch iPad. You can also get solid markdowns on clear, silicone, and leather cases for the iPhone 14 family of smartphones.
iPad Keyboards
Starting with the 11-inch iPad Pro Magic Keyboard, Amazon has this accessory for $229.00 in Black, down from $299.00. This is a second-best price on the 11-inch Magic Keyboard, and only Amazon has this price.
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.
Additionally, the 12.9-inch iPad Pro Magic Keyboard is on sale for $299.99 on Amazon, down from $349.00. This is another second-best price for the Magic Keyboard, and for the 12.9-inch size only White is available.
Lastly, the 10.9-inch iPad Magic Keyboard Folio is down to $229.00, from its original price of $249.00. This accessory launched in 2022 alongside the new iPad, so we haven't seen as many discounts yet. Amazon's sale today is an all-time low price on the folio.
Other than iPad keyboard cases, Amazon also has a notable sale on nearly every official Apple case for the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro lineup. You'll find up to 25 percent off Clear, Silicone, and Leather cases on Amazon, all of which we've collected below. These include some of the lowest prices we've ever tracked on these accessories.
Apple Card Savings will likely be available starting Monday, April 17, according to backend code on Apple's servers uncovered by @aaronp613. The code also suggests that an iPhone with iOS 16.3 or later will be required to use the feature.
Apple Card users will be able to open a high-yield savings account from Goldman Sachs in the Wallet app on their iPhone and start earning interest on their Daily Cash balance. Apple has yet to reveal what the account's interest rate will be, but Goldman Sachs' existing Marcus high-yield savings account currently has a 3.75% APY.
In addition to Daily Cash, users will be able to deposit their own funds into the savings account through a linked bank account, or from their Apple Cash balance. Users will be able to withdraw funds to a linked bank account at any time, with no fees.
To open a savings account in the Wallet app, users will tap on the Apple Card, tap on the circle with three dots at the top of the screen, tap Daily Cash, and select Set Up Savings. Once the account is set up, all Daily Cash received from that point on will be automatically deposited into it and start earning interest. If they prefer, users will still be able to have Daily Cash added to their Apple Cash balance instead at any time.
After re-examining the backend code, it seems like Apple Card Savings Accounts may go live on April 17
Additionally, it seems like the customized Chinese Apple Pay transit cards may go live on April 18 https://t.co/ljJxjqaIFy
— Aaron (@aaronp613) April 13, 2023
Apple Card provides 2% to 3% Daily Cash on purchases made with Apple Pay and 1% on purchases made with the physical card. Apple's credit card remains available in the U.S. only, meaning this savings account feature will only be available there.
Apple first announced the savings account in October and said it would be available in the coming months. It's likely that Apple Card Savings has faced delays, as the feature was initially listed in the iOS 16.1 Release Candidate notes, but it did not end up launching with that update and is still not available six months after being announced.
Apple has gradually expanded into financial services over the past few years. The launch of Apple Card Savings would follow last month's limited rollout of Apple Pay Later, a "buy now, pay later" service for financing purchases made with Apple Pay.
Ahead of the 2023 NAB Show that takes place from April 15 to April 19, Adobe has announced updates to some of its Creative Cloud apps, including Premiere Pro and After Effects.
Adobe says that the new Premiere Pro is the "fastest and most reliable version" to date with background auto save, system reset options, additional GPU acceleration, and more.
The update introduces an Adobe Sensei-powered Text-Based Video Editing option that is able to automatically analyze and transcribe clips so editors can copy and paste sentences in any order they want and see them appear that way on the timeline. Videos are essentially turned into searchable transcripts with specific words and phrases able to be matched for quicker video editing.
Automatic Tone Mapping and log color detection functionality lets editors mix and match HDR footage from different sources into the same SDR project without the need to use LUTs or manually balance footage to get consistent color.
Other new features include Sequence Locking for collaborative editing, presence indicators to see who is online, and Work While Offline to allow editors to work on collaborative projects offline and later publish changes without overwriting others' work.
As for After Effects, there's a new Properties Panel that provides quicker access to key animation settings. The panel is context-sensitive, and will automatically show users the most important controls based on selections. Adobe has also included performance optimizations such as a faster timeline layer selection and multi-frame rendering of shapes, along with new keyboard shortcuts for Selectable Track Mattes.
The latest versions of Premiere Pro and After effects, including beta versions of the Text-Based Editing and Automatic Tone Mapping, will be available starting in May 2023. More information can be found on Adobe's website.
Apple is considering integrating Siri's on-screen interface into the Dynamic Island on newer iPhones, according to an anonymous source who has been sharing details about alleged new features coming in iOS 17.
Currently, invoking Siri with a button press or using the "Hey Siri" spoken command causes an animated sphere to appear at the bottom of the screen. The sphere remains overlaid on the screen while the virtual assistant listens, and any details relevant to the request are displayed at either the top or bottom of the screen in the form of a card, with background content dimmed.
Moving the Siri UI to the Dynamic Island would likely allow onscreen content to stay in full view. Originally, the Siri interface would take over the entire screen whenever the user interacted with the virtual assistant, but Apple made this optional in iOS 14 when it adopted the current, more compact interface.
According to the anonymous tipster, Apple "may or may not go with the Dynamic Island version of Siri" that it is presently testing, although "many more" notifications are coming to the pill-shaped interface. Apple is expected to expand the Dynamic Island to all four iPhone 15 models this year. You can read more about other alleged improvements coming to iOS 17 in our previous coverage.
Apple today announced a "major acceleration" of its work to expand the use of recycled materials in its devices.
By 2025, Apple now aims to ensure that:
All Apple-designed batteries will use 100 percent recycled cobalt.
Magnets used in Apple devices will be made with 100 percent recycled rare earth elements.
All Apple-designed printed circuit boards will use 100 percent recycled gold plating and 100 percent recycled tin soldering.
The accelerated time frame comes thanks to a large number of changes the company made in recent years. For example, Apple's use of recycled materials for printed circuit boards was spearheaded by an exclusively recycled supply chain for gold in the plating of the main logic board for iPhone 13. Since then, it has increased the use of circuitry made with recycled materials in the iPad, Apple Watch, AirPods Pro, MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and HomePod. In 2022, a quarter of all cobalt found in Apple products came from recycled material, up from 13 percent in 2021, paving the way for the transition to 100 percent recycled cobalt by 2025.
In 2022, around 20 percent of all material shipped in Apple devices came from renewable or recycled sources. The company said that the change brings it closer to the aim of eventually making all products using only recycled and renewable materials and advances its goal to make every product carbon neutral by 2030.
Apple also flagged that its Material Recovery Lab in Austin, Texas have started using AR video projected directly onto work surfaces to show recycling partners how to disassemble devices. In addition, the company said that by 2025 it will completely eliminate plastics from its packaging. Following the adoption of fibre alternatives to screen films, wraps, and foam, 96 percent of Apple packaging is plastic-free. The company says it is now working to replace the labels, lamination, varnish, and other "small uses" that make up the remaining 4 percent.
Apple plans to let iPhone users in China customize their transit cards with illustrated designs in celebration of Earth Day on Saturday, April 22, according to details found in backend Apple Wallet code by Aaronp613.
Users who keep transit cards in the Wallet app of their iPhone will be able to customize the cards with unique "Made on iPad" designs, which will be available to download for free from new "card art mall" sections of the App Store for transit networks in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Xian, Suzhou, and Changsha.
The florid nature-themed illustrations allude to the use of trains and buses as alternative means of transport that can help reduce carbon emissions.
Apple has honored Earth Day in previous years with specially curated content in the App Store, as well as on Apple TV+, Apple Podcasts, and Apple Maps. This year, it also plans to launch a new Apple Watch activity challenge for Earth Day. To earn the Earth Day award, Apple Watch owners will need to do a workout that lasts for 30 minutes or more.
Apple is said to be in talks with suppliers to make MacBooks in Thailand as the company continues to diversify its supply chain outside of China.
According to Nikkei Asia, suppliers involved in the talks already have established bases in Thailand for other clients, which has facilitated discussion surrounding the possible assembly and production of MacBook components and modules in the country.
"Ideally, Apple asked us to set up facilities in Vietnam for MacBooks, following in the footsteps of other Apple suppliers, but we offered an alternative option of building the product at our Thailand plants, which still have a massive space that can be reserved for the client," a senior executive at one of the suppliers told Nikkei Asia. "As MacBook assembly will begin in Vietnam first, we could support the components from our Thailand plants, too. ... It will only take two to three days of logistics and custom clearance."
Another supplier told Nikkei it is building new plants in Thailand for Apple, and construction of a new factory for MacBooks and other products will be completed this year. Apple has already been mass producing its Apple Watch in Thailand for more than a year, according to the outlet's sources.
Apple has expanded its supply chain beyond China over the past several years, with some production now occurring at factories in India and Vietnam. Apple industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has also said that the main production location outside of China for Apple's future MacBooks may be Thailand, as such diversification helps Apple to mitigate geopolitical tensions and avoid risks like U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports.
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