MacRumors

Netflix is working to extend its nascent video game platform to TVs and part of the plan involves allowing subscribers to use their iPhone as a controller, reports Bloomberg.

According to the report, app developer Steve Moser shared code he discovered hidden within Netflix's iOS mobile app that contains references to games played on TVs, including one line which reads "A game on your TV needs a controller to play. Do you want to use this phone as a game controller?"

Netflix launched its gaming platform on iPhones, iPads, and Android devices in November 2021. Games are released as individual apps on the iOS App Store, while the full catalog of games is maintained in the Netflix app. Many of the titles are tie-ins to popular TV shows, such as "Stranger Things 3: The Game."

Similar to the way Apple Arcade operates, there are no ads, additional fees or in-app purchases included in the games, with the idea being that customers remain engaged with the streaming service while they are waiting for new installments of TV shows and series hosted by the platform.

As Bloomberg's Mark Gurman notes, expanding gaming to TVs would be a major extension of the service, as Netflix is now built into many smart TVs and is available on several platforms, including Apple TV.

Ultimately, Netflix plans to launch a cloud gaming service that could let users stream games without installing them locally. Such a plan would enable the company to offer many more titles than it does currently, potentially providing competition to existing cloud gaming services offered by the likes of Microsoft, and may even rival non-cloud-based platforms such as Apple Arcade.

The periscope camera lens that will be exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro Max will be solely supplied by Largan, according to the latest note by Apple industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

Rumors about the iPhone getting a periscope lens have been circulating since early 2020, when Kuo first mentioned the possibility. The analyst originally said that a periscope lens would be an iPhone 14 Pro feature, but that never happened. Since then, Kuo has maintained that the lens type will exclusively debut in the iPhone 15 Pro Max, a prediction that analyst Jeff Pu has also made.

In a periscope system, light entering the telephoto lens is reflected by an angled mirror towards the camera's image sensor. The change in direction in which the light travels allows for a longer "folded" telephoto setup inside phones, enabling users to zoom in further without any blurriness.

Kuo's latest note is contextualized in terms of two risks that Apple camera lens suppliers face going forward: High inventory levels leading to a weaker-than-expected second quarter this year, and suppliers being unable to profit from periscope camera lenses.

According to Kuo, the average selling price for Largan's shipped periscope camera lenses is around $4 (including the prisms), which is notably lower than the market consensus of $4.50 to $5 or higher. Kuo claims that the $4 price means Largan cannot profit from the periscope camera lens.

Looking ahead, Kuo believes both iPhone 16 Pro models in 2024 will use the same or similar periscope lens as the one used in the ‌iPhone 15 Pro‌ Max, with Apple continuing its trend of setting apart standard and Pro models by reserving certain higher-end hardware features for the latter.

It is anticipated that Apple supplier Genius will start supplying periscope lenses for the iPhone 16, at which point the component's price will be even lower, negatively impacting lens suppliers, said Kuo.

Apple today released an iTunes 12.12.8 update for Windows, with the software introducing security improvements and "support for new devices." This is the first update to iTunes since iTunes 12.12.7, which came out in December 2022.

The "new devices" that Apple mentions in the launch notes for the update likely pertain to the HomePod, which was released in January 2023. Apple at the time also introduced new 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro models and refreshed versions of the Mac mini.

iTunes for Windows can be downloaded from the Microsoft Store or from Apple's website.

Apple today announced the WWDC 2023 event, which is set to be held from June 5 to June 9. Alongside the announcement, Apple began accepting submissions for the annual Swift Student Challenge, which tasks students with creating an innovative coding project using Apple's Swift Playgrounds app.

Submissions are open starting today, with Apple to accept projects through April 19 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time. Entrants must be at least 13 years old (in the U.S.) and need to be registered as a member of the Apple Developer Program. There's also an academic requirement, so those who enter must be students in some capacity.

Students will need to create an interactive scene in an app playground that can be experienced within three minutes. Entries are judged on technical accomplishment, creativity of ideas, and content of written responses explaining the project and other app development experience.

Winners will receive exclusive WWDC 2023 outerwear (which has been a jacket in past years), AirPods Pro, a customized pin set, and a one year membership in the Apple Developer Program.

There will also be a random selection process among winners to choose students to attend the special event that Apple plans to hold at Apple Park on June 5. Students can opt-in to this selection process when uploading their projects, and this lottery is separate from the main developer lottery for the event. Travel and accommodations will not be included.

Apple will inform students about their status by the end of the business day on Tuesday, May 9. Entries can be submitted through Apple's developer website. The full terms and conditions of the challenge are also available for those who have questions.

WWDC 2023 will be held online from Monday, June 5 through Friday, June 9, but there will also be an in-person component. Like last year, randomly selected developers and students will be able to attend Apple Park on the Monday to watch the WWDC keynote video, meet some of the teams at Apple, enjoy evening activities, and more.

Below, we have outlined how to request to attend the special all‑day event, who is eligible to attend, and other important details.

How to Request to Attend

To request to attend the special event at Apple Park, head to the WWDC 2023 website and click or tap the request button. You will be prompted to sign into your Apple Developer account and must be enrolled in Apple's Developer Program for $99 per year, or have a complimentary membership, such as by winning last year's Swift Student Challenge.

Next, review the information provided on the next screen, such as your name and email address, and submit the request to Apple.

Apple says invitations will be allocated by a random selection process and are non-transferrable. Apple will notify individuals who are selected to attend the event by April 5 at 6 p.m. Pacific Time. Travel and accommodations are not included.

Who is Eligible

• Apple Developer Program members (including Enterprise Program)
• Swift Student Challenge winners (2020 to 2022)
• Apple Entrepreneur Camp alumni

2023 Swift Student Challenge applicants can opt in to be included in a separate random selection process for winners of the challenge when they submit their entry. Apple says up to 350 winners will be selected for the challenge.

Key Dates

• April 4 at 9 a.m. Pacific Time: Deadline to submit a request to attend
• April 5 at 6 p.m. Pacific Time: Those who request to attend will be notified of their status by this date
• June 5: Apple Park special event day

Apple today announced that its 34th annual Worldwide Developers Conference will take place from Monday, June 5 to Friday, June 9. Like WWDC 2020, 2021, and 2022, WWDC 2023 will be an online event for the most part, and it will be open to all developers at no cost.

Apple will provide online sessions and labs, which will allow developers to learn about the new features and software that will be announced at WWDC. There will also be a traditional Swift Student Challenge, with Apple accepting applications through April 19.

While WWDC 2023 will once again be held online, Apple is planning an all-day special event for select developers and students, which will take place at June 5 at the Apple Park campus. Attendees will be able to watch the keynote and State of the Union videos, meet some Apple employees, and attend the Apple Design Awards. Apple held a similar in-person event last year.

Current Apple Developer Program members, Apple Entrepreneur Camp alumni, prior Swift Student Challenge winners, and current Apple Developer Enterprise Program members can submit a request to attend the ‌Apple Park‌ event. Apple plans to select attendees by random lottery, with notifications set to go out by April 5 at 6:00 p.m.

Apple will hold a keynote event on Monday, June 5 to show off iOS 17, iPadOS 17, tvOS 17, watchOS 10, and macOS 14, plus there could be new hardware announcements. This year's event is expected to focus on the AR/VR headset that Apple has in development, and we could also see the Mac Pro and a 15-inch MacBook Air.

Prior to 2020, WWDC was an in-person event that was held at the McEnery Convention Center in San Jose, but even with the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions lifted, Apple is choosing an online-focused event. The online format allows more developers to get the WWDC experience as there are no attendance limitations.

Apple plans to provide developers with additional information in advance of WWDC 2023 through email, the Apple Developer app, and the Apple Developer website.

B&H Photo and Amazon today are discounting Apple's 2023 MacBook Pros, including both 14-inch and 16-inch models. Most of the deals shared below are matching previous record low prices, with B&H Photo having the majority of the sales this time around.

14-Inch MacBook Pro

Starting with the 10-Core M2 Pro, 512GB 14-inch MacBook Pro, this model is on sale for $1,899.00 [Amazon / B&H Photo], down from $1,999.00. At $100 off, this is actually a second-best price on this version of the MacBook Pro, as we saw a $200 discount in February for a very brief time.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

The only other 14-inch MacBook Pro model on sale is the 12-Core M2 Pro notebook with 1TB, and it's priced at $2,299.00 [Amazon / B&H Photo], down from $2,499.00. This is a new all-time low price on this version of the 14-inch MacBook Pro.

16-Inch MacBook Pro

For the larger display models, the 12-Core M2 Pro, 512GB 16-inch MacBook Pro is on sale for $2,299.00 [Amazon / B&H Photo], down from $2,499.00. For more storage, the 12-Core M2 Pro, 1TB 16-inch MacBook Pro is available for $2,499.00, down from $2,699.00. The 1TB model is temporarily out of stock right now on B&H Photo, but you can lock in the price today and the retailer will ship out the notebook once stock reappears within the next few weeks.

Lastly, the 12-Core M2 Max, 1TB 16-inch MacBook Pro has been discounted to $3,299.00, down from $3,499.00. All three 16-inch MacBook Pro sales represent best-ever prices for these computers.

You can find even more discounts on other MacBooks by visiting our Best Deals guide for MacBook Pro and MacBook Air. In this guide we track the steepest discounts for the newest MacBook models every week, so be sure to bookmark it and check back often if you're shopping for a new Apple notebook. Our full Deals Roundup has more information on the latest Apple-related sales and bargains.

iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max models are rumored to feature a customizable Action button like the Apple Watch Ultra, according to a MacRumors forum member who leaked accurate details about the Dynamic Island on iPhone 14 Pro models last year.

The source claimed the Action button will replace the Ring/Silent switch that has been included on every iPhone model since 2007. They did not explain how the Action button will work, but it will presumably be customizable like it is on the Apple Watch Ultra, allowing users to map the button to various system functions for convenient access.

Apple's exact implementation remains to be seen, but here are some potential functions that could be controlled by tapping the Action button:

• Ring/Silent
• Do Not Disturb
• Flashlight
• Low Power Mode
• Light/Dark Mode
• Lock Rotation
• Show the Home Screen
• Show the Lock Screen
• Open Control Center
• Open Notification Center
• Open Camera
• Screenshot
• Screen Recording
• Run a Shortcut
• Toggle on Reachability
• Show the App Switcher
• Show the App Library
• Shazam
• VoiceOver
• Magnifier
• Background Sounds

Most of these functions can already be controlled with Back Tap, an accessibility feature introduced with iOS 14. Back Tap lets you double or triple tap the back of an iPhone to trigger a certain action, such as turning on the flashlight or taking a screenshot. The feature can be set up in the Settings app under Accessibility → Touch → Back Tap.

On the Apple Watch Ultra, the Action button can be mapped to these apps and features:

• Workout
• Stopwatch
• Waypoint
• Backtrack
• Dive
• Flashlight
• Shortcut

It was already rumored that the mute switch would be replaced with a button on iPhone 15 Pro models, but an Action button was mostly logical speculation until now. The source claimed the Action button will continue to work for a period after an iPhone runs out of battery thanks to the inclusion of a new low-power chip.

In addition to an Action button, iPhone 15 Pro models are rumored to have a singular volume button that can adjust the volume both up and down. Both buttons are expected to have a solid-state design, meaning they will not physically move when pressed and instead provide haptic feedback from additional Taptic Engines to simulate the feeling of movement, similar to the Home button on the iPhone 7 and the latest iPhone SE.

Apple will likely unveil the iPhone 15 series in September as usual. These changes are only rumored for the Pro models, with the standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus models still expected to have a mute switch and two volume buttons.

Apple's Beats by Dre brand is launching a new collaboration with graphic artist Verdy and the Tokyo-based Girls Don't Cry project, featuring custom-designed Beats Flex earphones in a distinctive blue and red theme with a detachable heart charm on the cable.

The collaboration includes an ad campaign featuring model Jasmine Daniels, who appears in a Girls Don't Cry-inspired bedroom listening to Koteri's "Something I Need."

"Im really happy to work on the Beats Flex earphones because it's my wife's favorite style," said Verdy. "We've made a friends-and-family version in the past, so I'm really excited to release this special colorway to the public."

Beats Flex originally launched in late 2020 as the lowest-cost option in the Beats family. An evolution of the previous BeatsX model, the Beats Flex connect to your device wirelessly over Bluetooth, but the individual earbuds are connected by a cable that wraps behind the neck.

Inline modules along the cable house the battery, electronics, and physical controls for the earphones. Standard Beats Flex were originally priced at $49.99, but Apple increased the price to $69.99 in late 2021, likely due to supply chain issues that increased the cost of components. Occasional sales have, however, continued to drop pricing to the $50 range from time to time.

The limited-edition Girls Don't Cry Beats Flex will be available for $69.99 (£69.99 / ¥9800) starting Saturday, April 1, via Girlsdontcryshop.com and Dover Street Market locations in the United States, United Kingdom, and Japan. Verdy will also host a special retail pop-up on April 1 at Rise Above Gallery in Osaka, Japan.

Apple is opening its fifth retail store in South Korea this Friday, and the company has enlisted K-pop girl band NewJeans to woo the country's users, reports Bloomberg.

The new store will be located in the central Gangnam district of Seoul, the capital city of South Korea, and in a promotional event on Wednesday, Apple set up a pop-up studio inside the new store where visitors could listen to an exclusive version of NewJean's hit song "OMG" recorded in spatial audio.

The marketing strategy of involving a K-pop band isn't new in South Korea – Samsung has a BTS edition of its Galaxy S20+ smartphone there – with such collaborations often going viral online.

As Bloomberg notes, the move is another signal that Apple is ramping up its post-pandemic offensive in the key Asian growth market. Apple Pay went live in South Korea earlier this month, and local media reports that there are plans in place to open a sixth store in Seoul this year. The capital would then have more Apple Stores than there are in Tokyo, Japan.

Apple Gangnam is Apple's first new retail store to open since Apple American Dream opened in New Jersey in December. Apple now has a retail team of nearly 800 on the ground in South Korea, according to Patrick Schuerpf, director of Apple's retail business in Asia.  

The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max will use a new ultra-low energy microprocessor allowing certain features like the new capacitive solid-state buttons to remain functional even when the handset is powered off or the battery has run out, according to a source that shared details on the MacRumors forums.

The source of this rumor is the same forum member that shared accurate details about the Dynamic Island last year before the iPhone 14 Pro was officially launched, so there is good reason to believe that the following information is reliable.

According to the anonymous source, the new microprocessor will replace Apple's current super-low energy mode that allows an iPhone to be located via Find My after it has been powered off or for up to 24 hours if its battery has been depleted, and enables Apple Pay Express Mode to be used for up to five hours after the battery has run out.

The new chip will allegedly take over these existing Bluetooth LE/Ultra Wideband functions in addition to powering the solid-state buttons – including an "action" button that replaces the mute switch – when the phone is on, off, or the battery is depleted. The microprocessor will "immediately sense capacitive button presses, holds, and even detect their own version of 3D Touch with the new volume up/down button, action button, and power button, while the phone is dead or powered down," says the tipster.

The source also claims that the new low-energy capacitive features are currently being tested with and without Taptic Engine feedback while powered off, but not while the battery is dead, however "whether this tidbit makes it to production or not is highly uncertain but IS being tested," they added.

The source claims that their "man inside" Apple has seen two functional versions of the rumored new unified volume button in testing, including one where the volume goes up/down faster depending on the amount of force used when pressed, and another where the volume can be adjusted by swiping up and down on the button with a finger. They do not know which method will be adopted for the final release, but these features are enabled by software, so this functionality may well be user-customizable.

The anonymous tipster claims that their inside source is on the Apple development team, so they do not have additional information about the design of the new models unless the physical features require software development to complement them.

As per previous rumors, solid-state capacitive buttons are expected to be exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro models, with the standard iPhone 15 models retaining the same traditional button mechanism as on the iPhone 14 series. The iPhone 15 Pro is also rumored to be gaining a software-customizable button in lieu of the mute switch, with a unified volume button or "rocker" replacing the separate up/down volume buttons. For everything else we know about the new iPhone 15 series, check out our dedicated roundups using the links below.

Autodesk today announced that the updated AutoCAD 2024 and AutoCad LT 2024 software for macOS is able to run natively on Apple silicon Macs for the first time.

Optimized for both Apple silicon Macs and Intel Macs, the updated AutoCAD software will bring performance improvements to those who have M1 and M2 series Macs. Autodesk says that the native Apple silicon support can increase performance by up to two times compared to the non-optimized 2023 software.

"AutoCAD for Mac 2024 and AutoCAD LT for Mac 2024 deliver incredible, new performance improvements with the ability to run AutoCAD natively on Apple silicon," says Dania El Hassan, Director of Product Management for AutoCAD, Autodesk. "It's exciting to see how customers can now take full advantage of the latest hardware and M-series chips for faster ways to work."

Other new features include Markup Import, Markup Assist, Smart Blocks Placement, Trace Updates, and more, with full details available on the Autodesk website.

Eve Systems today announced the launch of its updated Matter-enabled Eve Energy smart plug, which is its first out-of-the-box Matter-compatible device. Eve previously released a beta firmware update to add Matter to some existing Eve accessories, but as of today, it is possible to buy the Eve Energy with Matter integration.

The Matter-equipped Eve Energy is available in North America, Europe, and the UK starting today. The Matter-enabled Eve Motion and Eve Door and Window are set to launch in stores on April 17.

April 17 is also the official launch date of Eve's Matter firmware update, which will be widely available for the first time. It has been available to those who signed up to beta test, but the public launch is coming in April. Existing Eve Energy, Eve Door and Window, and Eve Motion Sensor devices will be able to be upgraded to Matter through the Eve app for the iPhone and the iPad.

Matter is a new smart home standard that's being used by Apple, Google, Samsung, Amazon, and others. It allows for interoperability between smart home platforms, so a Matter-enabled Eve Energy Smart Plug can, for example, be added to an Apple HomeKit setup and a Google Home setup at the same time so long as the appropriate Matter hubs are available.

With multi-platform support, Matter-enabled accessories can be controlled with iPhones and Android phones, something not possible with ‌HomeKit‌ alone.

The Eve Energy with Matter can be purchased from the Eve website or from Amazon for $40, and it will soon come to Apple retail stores.

Amazon has slashed its pricing on the version of the Apple Studio Display with nano-texture glass to $1,499.99, down from its regular price of $1,899.00.

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.

This $399 discount on the nano-texture Apple Studio Display is the steepest we've ever seen and is available only with the basic tilt-adjustable stand.

While the standard Apple Studio Display comes with an anti-reflective coating to reduce glare, the nano-texture glass option scatters light to minimize glare even more. Apple says the option, which is normally a $300 upgrade over the standard glass, is ideal for spaces with bright lighting sources.

For more discounts, check out our Deals Roundup to shop for even more Apple-related products and accessories.

With the iOS 16.5 beta, Apple is working to improve Siri's functionality, and there is a new option to start a screen recording with the voice assistant. As noted by 9to5Mac, you can now say "Hey ‌Siri‌, start a screen recording" to use the Screen Record feature.

Using this command will cause the iPhone's screen to be automatically video recorded until you tap in to turn it off or activate ‌Siri‌ and say "Stop the screen recording."

Note that the wording of the screen recording command needs to be fairly specific as something like "take a screen recording" results in a screenshot rather than the video recording function. ‌Siri‌ has been able to take a standard screenshot for quite some time, but the screen recording function is definitely new in this beta.

In prior versions of iOS, when you ask ‌Siri‌ to start a screen recording, the voice assistant does a web search or says you have no such app installed.

iOS 16.5 was provided to developers today and it should be coming to public beta testers later this week. Aside from the ‌Siri‌ screen recording feature, Apple has also added a Sports tab in the Apple News app. No other new additions have been found as of yet.

The iOS 16.5 beta that Apple seeded to developers today doesn't appear to have many features as of yet, but one change has been made to the Apple News app. To go along with its push into sports content, Apple has added a new Sports tab to the app.

Apple has positioned the Sports tab in ‌Apple News‌ right in the middle of the bottom navigation bar, putting it between Today and News+ on the left, and Audio and Following on the right. To make room for the Sports tab, Apple has combined the Following and Search tabs into one tab rather than making them separate actions.

The Sports tab facilitates the picking of favorite teams for personalized news, a feature that was already available in the prior version of ‌Apple News‌ without a dedicated tab.

A tab specifically for sports content comes as Apple is aiming to lure sports enthusiasts to its ecosystem and Apple TV+. Apple has inked deals with Major League Baseball and Major League Soccer for exclusive content, and sports content has been more deeply integrated with the iPhone through features like Live Activities for following games in real time from the ‌iPhone‌ Lock Screen.

Apple today seeded the first beta of macOS Ventura 13.4 to developers for testing purposes, with the beta one day after the release of macOS Ventura 13.3.

Registered developers can download the beta through the Apple Developer Center and after the appropriate profile is installed, with the betas available through the Software Update mechanism in System Settings.

There is no word yet on what's included in macOS Ventura 13.4, but we'll update this article if anything new is discovered.

Apple today seeded the first betas of upcoming iOS 16.5 and iPadOS 16.5 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming a day after the launch of iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4.

Registered developers can opt in to the betas by opening up the Settings app, going to Software Update, tapping on the "Beta Updates" option and toggling on the iOS 16 Developer Beta. Note that an Apple ID associated with a developer account is required to download and install the beta.

We don't yet know what's included in the betas, but Apple has delivered many of the promised features that were announced when iOS 16 was first unveiled. We are still waiting on the Apple Card Savings account and Apple Pay Later, a feature that Apple CEO Tim Cook recently said was coming "soon."

When we learn what's included in the update, we'll share details.