MacRumors

Apple today announced that its weekly MLB doubleheader "Friday Night Baseball" returns in April. While the games were free to watch last season, an Apple TV+ subscription is now required, with U.S. pricing set at $6.99 per month or $69 per year.

"Friday Night Baseball" will include two live MLB games each Friday throughout the 2023 regular season. The games will be available to stream in 60 countries and regions, up from 13 last season, with no local broadcast restrictions. The action will begin on Friday, April 7, with the Chicago Cubs facing the Texas Rangers at 2 p.m. Eastern Time and the Atlanta Braves taking on the San Diego Padres at 7 p.m. Eastern Time.

In the U.S., DirecTV will make "Friday Night Baseball" games available to more than 300,000 restaurants, bars, hotel lounges, retail stores, and other venues throughout the regular season on existing satellite TV equipment, according to Apple.

Apple and the MLB shared the "Friday Night Baseball" schedule for the first half of the season, through June 30. Each game will feature "state-of-the-art cameras to present vivid live-action shots," along with live pre-game and post-game coverage.

2023 "Friday Night Baseball" Schedule on Apple TV+

Friday, April 7
Texas Rangers at Chicago Cubs
2 p.m. ET

San Diego Padres at Atlanta Braves
7 p.m. ET

Friday, April 14
San Francisco Giants at Detroit Tigers
6:30 p.m. ET

Los Angeles Angels at Boston Red Sox
7 p.m. ET

Friday, April 21
Toronto Blue Jays at New York Yankees
7 p.m. ET

Houston Astros at Atlanta Braves
7 p.m. ET

Friday, April 28
Philadelphia Phillies at Houston Astros
8 p.m. ET

St. Louis Cardinals at Los Angeles Dodgers
10 p.m. ET

Friday, May 5
Chicago White Sox at Cincinnati Reds
6:30 p.m. ET

Minnesota Twins at Cleveland Guardians
7 p.m. ET

Friday, May 12
Kansas City Royals at Milwaukee Brewers
8 p.m. ET

Chicago Cubs at Minnesota Twins
8 p.m. ET

Friday, May 19
Baltimore Orioles at Toronto Blue Jays
7 p.m. ET

Seattle Mariners at Atlanta Braves
7 p.m. ET

Friday, May 26
San Diego Padres at New York Yankees
7 p.m. ET

Chicago White Sox at Detroit Tigers
6:30 p.m. ET

Friday, June 2
Milwaukee Brewers at Cincinnati Reds
5 p.m. ET

Cleveland Guardians at Minnesota Twins
8 p.m. ET

Friday, June 9
Kansas City Royals at Baltimore Orioles
7 p.m. ET

Seattle Mariners at Los Angeles Angels
9:30 p.m. ET

Friday, June 16
Pittsburgh Pirates at Milwaukee Brewers
8 p.m. ET

Chicago White Sox at Seattle Mariners
10 p.m. ET

Friday, June 23
Pittsburgh Pirates at Miami Marlins
6:30 p.m. ET

New York Mets at Philadelphia Phillies
7 p.m. ET

Friday, June 30
Milwaukee Brewers at Pittsburgh Pirates
7 p.m. ET

Arizona Diamondbacks at Los Angeles Angels
9:30 p.m. ET

For more "Friday Night Baseball" programming details, read the Apple Newsroom press release.

Samsung today refreshed its "Discover Samsung" event with new discounts on monitors and more markdowns on TVs. All of these sales can be found directly on Samsung's website, and if you want more monitor-focused deals be sure to visit our post from Monday.

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

This time we're focusing on TV-related deals offered by Samsung, with up to $3,000 off select TVs during the event. You'll find both 4K and 8K TVs with notable markdowns, as well as Samsung soundbars and a 4K laser projector on sale.

A few highlights of the sale are markdowns on Samsung's QN90B Neo QLED 4K Smart TVs, starting at $999.99 for the 43-inch model, down from $1,199.99. In total, you can save up to $2,200 on these models. Additionally, there's the cheaper Q60B QLED 4K TVs available from $429.99 for 43-inch sets.

• The Frame QLED 4K TVs (2022 Models) - Save up to $800
• QLED 4K TVs - Save up to $1,400
• The Terrace Outdoor QLED 4K TVs - Save up to $2,000
• Neo QLED 4K TVs (2022 Models) - Save up to $2,200
• Neo QLED 8K TVs (2022 Models) - Save up to $3,000
• The Premiere 4K Smart Laser Projector - $699.99, down from $799.99
• Q Series Soundbars - Save up to $500
• Ultra Slim Soundbar - Save $200

Remember to check out every category during the event if you're interested in smartwatches and audio, tablets and computers, or monitors and memory. Each of these categories have plenty of deals going on this week, as well as highlighted deals of the day that will expire at the end of the day.

Keep up with all of this week's best discounts on Apple products and related accessories in our dedicated Apple Deals roundup.

iOS 16.4 includes additional Crash Detection optimizations for all iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models, according to Apple's release notes for the software update, which is expected to be released to the public as early as next week.

Apple does not provide any specific details about the optimizations, but the company has been working to improve Crash Detection after emergency dispatchers in several U.S. states and Canada complained about the feature triggering an influx of false 911 calls from skiers and snowboarders throughout the winter. This is the third update with Crash Detection optimizations after iOS 16.1.2 in November and iOS 16.3.1 last month.

Crash Detection launched last year for all iPhone 14 models and the latest Apple Watch models. The feature is designed to detect a severe car crash and automatically call emergency services if a user does not respond to the device within 20 seconds, but has sometimes mistaken a skier or snowboarder falling down as a car crash, according to reports out of Colorado, Utah, New York, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, and other popular skiing areas.

It's unclear if the latest optimizations will fully resolve the issue. The skiing season is drawing to a close in the U.S. and Canada, so we will have to wait until next winter in order to know if iOS 16.4 leads to a reduction in false 911 calls.

Nanoleaf today began accepting pre-orders for its Matter-enabled Essential lights, which are designed to work with HomeKit, Google Home, Amazon Alexa, and more through the Matter cross-platform smart home connectivity standard.

Matter-compatible Essential bulbs that include the A19 and BR30 are available, as is the Essential Lightstrip that works with Matter. Matter is a new smart home standard and is still rolling out, so these are some of the first lighting products that have native Matter support.

For ‌HomeKit‌ users, Matter works the same as ‌HomeKit‌ devices, but it connects through Matter instead of ‌HomeKit‌. That doesn't mean much for someone who has an all-HomeKit setup, but for households with multiple smart home platforms or different smartphone brands, it means the Matter lights can be controlled from any device. Both Android and iPhone users can control a Matter-enabled Nanoleaf light from their respective devices, provided the proper hub setup is available.

The new Nanoleaf Essentials lights work with Matter over Thread for an improved connectivity experience with other Thread devices. Nanoleaf's bulbs and lightstrip can be set to any one of 16 million colors or can be used to provide different shades of white lighting.

Essentials lights with Matter support can be controlled from any smart home app, such as the Home app or the Nanoleaf app. The Nanoleaf app offers useful scene setups for working, evening ambiance, and more, and it provides an option to have the color temperature of the light shift throughout the day.

Matter-enabled Nanoleaf lights can be ordered from the Nanoleaf website, with prices ranging from $20 to $50. The A19 bulb and Lightstrip are available for preorder today, while the BR30 is coming in April. Later this year, Nanoleaf will provide a GU10 light and a Recessed Downlight.

Nanoleaf is also working on an over-the-air update to add Matter to its existing line of light panels and light bars.

Verizon today has deals for nearly every one of Apple's AirPods, including the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods 3, and AirPods 2. As with all other Verizon deals, you don't need to be a Verizon customer to get these savings, and all orders receive free two-day shipping.

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

Starting with the AirPods Pro 2, these are once again available for $199.99, down from $249.99. This remains the best price of the year so far on the newest AirPods Pro model.

Secondly, Verizon has both models of the AirPods 3 on sale. You can get the AirPods 3 with Lightning Charging Case for $149.99, down from $169.99; and the AirPods 3 with MagSafe Charging Case for $159.00, down from $179.00. Deals on the AirPods 3 have been rare over the past few months, so this is a great chance to finally get some savings on these models.

Finally, Verizon has the AirPods 2 for $89.99, down from $129.00. Although this is an overall second-best price, it is the lowest price that we've tracked since the holidays, making it the best price of 2023 so far on the entry-level AirPods 2.

We track sales for every model of the AirPods in our Best AirPods Deals guide, so be sure to bookmark that page while you shop around for the wireless headphones. Keep up with all of this week's best discounts on Apple products and related accessories in our dedicated Apple Deals roundup.

Apple Music appears to be sparking serious privacy concerns for some users, with multiple complaints on Reddit about other people's playlists randomly appearing in their music libraries in the Music app.

Redditor adh1003, who contacted MacRumors about the issue, has compiled several reports from users complaining about the appearance of strange playlists in the app that they do not recognize. MacRumors has since found other posts on Reddit from users reporting the same behavior.

In some cases, unknown playlists have been merged with users' existing playlists. In other cases, users' playlists have gone missing or been replaced by unrecognized ones.

Some users have expressed concerns that their Apple accounts have been hacked, but the more likely cause of the issue is an unspecified problem with Apple's iCloud server. Unsyncing and then re-syncing iCloud for the Music app (Settings -> Apple ID -> iCloud -> Show All) has worked for a handful of users, but not all.

Based on reports, the appearance of unrecognized playlists is only occurring in the Music app for iPhone, with the Music app for macOS remaining unaffected. User reports regarding the issue date back to mid February, suggesting the problem could be related to the release of iOS 16.3.1, which included a bug fix for iCloud settings.

Some users have contacted Apple support to resolve the issue but none have reported success. We've contacted Apple about the problem and will update this article if we learn more.

The issue is reminiscent of another iCloud bug that occurred last year in which some users reported videos and images from strangers appearing in their Photos library.

WhatsApp parent company Meta has announced two new updates related to WhatsApp groups, including a new privacy control tool for admins and a way for users to find out which groups they have in common.

For group admins, WhatsApp now includes a Pending participants tool that gives them the ability to decide who can join the group.

When an admin chooses to share their group's invite link or make their group joinable in a community, they'll now have more control over who can join, says WhatsApp.

It's also now possible for a user to find out which groups they have in common with someone else. This can be done by simply searching a contact's name, where they will be able to see the contact's group memberships.

The new group features are rolling out over the coming weeks on iOS and Android.

Looking ahead, WhatsApp has been testing a new feature that will allow group chat memberships on the encrypted platform to expire after a set period of time, although it's not clear when it will be ready to go live.

Google today began allowing users to sign up to use Bard, its AI-powered chatbot that rivals Microsoft's Bing chatbot. First announced back in February, Bard is an experimental conversational AI service for Google Search.

Those interested in Bard can join Google's waitlist to get access, and some users have reported getting invitation emails just hours after signing up. There are a long list of sample functions that Google says Bard can perform:

• Explain why lightning might strike in the same place twice
• Help you write your first novel
• Draft a packing list for your weekend trip
• Outline a blogpost about your summer mocktail recipes
• Explain why large language models might make mistakes
• Generate an art studio tagline
• Suggest high-protein options to add to a vegan diet

Bard beta access is limited to the United States and UK at the current time, and there is an unknown wait time. Google does not allow Google Workspace accounts to request an invitation.

According to Google, Bard is using a "lightweight and optimized version of LaMDA," so the chatbot will offer a different experience than the OpenAI-powered Bing chat interface.

Bard is not designed to replace Google Search, and Google instead says it is "complementary." Google warns that Bard learns from a wide range of information that includes real-world biases and stereotypes, so the chatbot can provide inaccurate, misleading, or false information. It will improve over time based on feedback, and Google plans to add capabilities like coding and more languages in the future.

Microsoft today announced that its AI-enhanced Bing browser now includes Bing Image Creator, image-generating technology powered by OpenAI's DALL-E deep learning model.

DALL-E is designed to generate digital content through natural language descriptions, and it has been a popular image generation tool for some time now. Microsoft says that the Bing Image Creator will bring AI-powered visual stories and updated Knowledge Cards to both Bing and the Microsoft Edge preview that has the same AI capabilities.

Bing Image Creator is integrated into the Bing chat experience, launching in creative mode to begin with. Typing in a description for an image, adding context like location or activity, and providing an art style will allow the Image Creator to generate a unique image.

Microsoft says that it is working with OpenAI to curb potential misuse of the image creator, and that it has implemented safeguards and additional protections to limit the generation of harmful or unsafe images.

Using the Bing Image Creator requires access to the Bing preview or the new Microsoft Edge experience. Not all Bing preview users will have access to the Image Creator right away, as Microsoft says it will be deployed with a phased approach. It will be available on both desktop and the Bing mobile apps for those who have been given access.

Apple is developing a new version of the Beats Studio Buds called the Beats Studio Buds+, signs of which were discovered in the iOS 16.4 release candidate today by 9to5Mac.

The Beats Studio Buds+ look similar to the Beats Studio Buds that were initially introduced in 2021. 9to5Mac has suggested that the earbuds will be upgraded to an H1 or W1 chip, but MacRumors has learned that the Beats Studio Buds will continue to feature a Beats chip rather than the H1/W1.

Apple is planning to add improved Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency to the Beats Studio Buds+, which still have some time to go before they see a public launch.

The original Beats Studio Buds were introduced in 2021 and were positioned as a cheaper alternative to the AirPods. The Beats Studio Buds are priced at $150, and the new model is likely to have a similar price tag.

The iOS 16.4 release candidate version that was provided to developers today appears to hint at a new set of AirPods that could be coming in the near future. According to @aaronp613, the beta features references to AirPods that have a model number of A3048 and an AirPods case with a model number of A2968.

There have been no rumors that new AirPods are on the horizon, and it is early for Apple to update the earbuds as they were just refreshed in 2021.

It is not clear if there are indeed new AirPods on the way or if this is some kind of iterative update that will see Apple transitioning to USB-C charging instead of Lightning for the charging case as expected.

In addition to new emojis, web push notifications, and a range of other features, the iOS 16.4 update expands support for detecting duplicate images to iCloud Shared Photo Library.

With iOS 16, Apple added a duplicate detection function for the Photos app. If you have duplicate images, the ‌Photos‌ app displays a "Duplicates" folder in the Utilities album section. From there, you can merge all of your duplicate images together.

At launch, the duplicate detection option did not work with ‌iCloud‌ Shared Photo Library, but that's changing with the iOS 16.4 update. According to Apple, after installing iOS 16.4, you will be able to detect duplicate photos and videos in ‌iCloud‌ Shared Photo Library, merging them to cut down on unnecessary extra images.

iOS 16.4 is set to be released to the public as soon as next week. The update also includes VoiceOver support for maps in the Weather app, a fix for an issue that could cause Ask to Buy requests to fail to appear on a parent's device, a bug with Matter-compatible thermostats, and additional Crash Detection optimizations for iPhone 14 models.

The iOS 16.4 update that is set to be released to the public in the near future includes voice isolation for cellular calls, according to notes that Apple shared today.

Apple says that Voice Isolation will prioritize your voice and block out the ambient noise around you, making for clearer phone calls where you can better hear the person you're chatting with and vice versa.

Voice Isolation has been available for VoIP calls that use FaceTime, WhatsApp, and other apps on devices running iOS 15 or macOS Monterey or later, and it is designed to significantly improve microphone quality when on calls by cutting down on background noise. Until now, it was not available for cellular conversations, with Apple offering no way to improve call quality.

On a ‌FaceTime‌ call, Voice Isolation can be enabled by activating control center, tapping on the Mic Mode option, and choosing the Voice Isolation option, so the feature may be able to be activated in a similar way for voice calls.

Other iOS 16.4 features include new emojis, Push Notifications for web apps, bug fixes for HomeKit, Crash Detection optimizations, and more.

Anker is celebrating the start of the new season with a Spring Sale that's taking up to 30 percent off its most popular chargers, cables, USB-C accessories, MagSafe-compatible devices, and more. This time around, you'll find the sale directly on Anker's website, and it will run through March 31.

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

The Spring Sale is mostly focusing on Anker's wall chargers, ranging from smaller 30W USB-C chargers to powerful charging stations with up to six ports. Additionally, you'll find savings on portable batteries, wireless chargers, cables, and various MagSafe-compatible devices.

Shoppers should note that all of the prices listed below will require you to enter a coupon code on Anker's website, but Anker makes this process fairly easy. You'll see the coupon code in an orange box on the product page and just need to click "copy code" before adding to your cart, where it will be automatically applied to your order.

Portable Batteries

• 10,000 mAh Power Bank - $17.60, down from $21.99
• 10,000 mAh Magnetic Battery - $64.00, down from $79.99
• 10,000 mAh Power Bank + 65W Wall Charger - $69.99, down from $99.99
• 24,000 mAh PowerCore Power Bank - $127.50, down from $149.99
• PowerHouse 535 - $449.99, down from $499.99

Wireless Chargers

• Anker 313 Wireless Charger Stand - $15.99, down from $19.99
• 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Station - $22.50, down from $29.99
• Magnetic Charging Station - $69.99, down from $99.99

Wall Chargers

• PowerExtend USB-C Cube (3x AC, 2x USB-A, 1x USB-C) - $18.99, down from $29.99
• Nano 30W Charger (1x USB-C) - $19.55, down from $22.99
• 32W Charger (1x USB-C, 1x USB-A) - $20.80, down from $25.99
• Nano II 30W Charger (1x USB-C) - $23.80, down from $33.99
• 40W Charger (4x USB-A) - $24.99, down from $27.99
• Nano II 65W Charger (2x USB-C, 1x USB-A) - $47.99, down from $59.99
• Charging Station (3x AC, 2x USB-C, 2x USB-A) - $48.00, down from $59.99
• 65W USB Power Strip Station (2x AC, 2x USB-C, 1x USB-A) - $49.00, down from $69.99
• Nano II 100W Charger (2x USB-C, 1x USB-A) - $52.49, down from $74.99
• 100W Charging Station (2x AC, 2x USB-C, 2x USB-A) - $71.25, down from $94.99

Cables

• USB-C to USB-C Cable (2-Pack) - $13.50, down from $14.99
• Ultra High Speed HDMI Cable - $15.99, down from $19.99
• Nano 30W Charger + USB-C to Lightning Cable - $28.50, down from $37.99

Miscellaneous

• Magnetic Phone Grip - $13.60, down from $15.99
• USB-C to 4-Port USB-A Hub - $22.09, down from $25.99

Be sure to visit our full Deals Roundup to shop for even more Apple-related products and accessories.

Apple today seeded the release candidate version of macOS Ventura 13.3 to developers for testing purposes, with the new software update coming a week after the release of the fourth macOS 13.3 beta.

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.

macOS Ventura 13.3 adopts the same new emoji characters that are in iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4, including pink heart, light blue heart, left and right hand, moose, black bird, goose, wing, jellyfish, pea pod, finger, and more.

The update adds the new HomeKit architecture that was initially removed from iOS 16.2 and its sister updates, and the revised version should have fewer bugs that affect ‌HomeKit‌ setups.

Apple today seeded the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming a week after the launch of the fourth betas. The RCs mark the final version of the software that will be provided to the public in the near future.

Registered developers are able to download the iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 updates over-the-air after installing the appropriate profile from the Developer Center. Going forward, beta updates will not require a profile and will instead be done directly on device through an Apple ID linked to a developer account. Apple has also provided an iOS 15.7.4 beta for those still running iOS 15.

iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 add new emoji characters, including shaking head, pink heart, light blue heart, donkey, moose, jellyfish, hyacinth, ginger, black bird, and more. There are 31 new emoji in total, including left and right hand options in several skin tones.

Safari Web Push notifications have been added on the iPhone and iPad, and you can receive them from websites that have been added to the Home Screen on your device. Web Push notifications are identical to the notifications that you get from websites on the Mac, and behave like any other iOS notification.

Third-party browsers like Chrome are now able to let users add websites and websites to the ‌Home Screen‌, and Apple has reintroduced the HomeKit architecture upgrade. There are also changes to Podcasts, minor updates to Apple Music, new options for Shortcuts, a reintroduced page turning animation for Apple Books, and more, with a full list of new features in iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 available in our features guide.

Apple's full release notes for the update are below:

This update includes the following enhancements and bug fixes:

- 21 new emoji including animals, hand gestures, and objects are now available in emoji keyboard
- Notifications for web apps added to the Home Screen
- Voice Isolation for cellular calls prioritizes your voice and blocks out ambient noise around you
- Duplicates album in Photos expands support to detect duplicate photos and videos in an iCloud Shared Photo Library
- VoiceOver support for maps in the Weather app
- Accessibility setting to automatically dim video when flashes of light or strobe effects are detected
- Fixes an issue where Ask to Buy requests from children may fail to appear on the parent’s device
- Addresses issues where Matter-compatible thermostats could become unresponsive when paired to Apple Home
- Crash Detection optimizations on iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models

With RCs now available, iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 could see a release as soon as next week.

Alongside the macOS 13.3 release candidate that came out today, Apple has provided a beta of new 16.4 firmware release candidate that's designed for the Studio Display.

All Studio Display models are able to receive over-the-air firmware updates, but this firmware update is limited to Macs that are running the macOS Ventura 13.3 beta at the current time. Studio Display owners running macOS Ventura 13.3 can go to System Settings > Software Update to install the firmware.

Studio Display owners who are not running macOS 13.3 will be able to download the new firmware when the update launches to the public.

Apple today seeded the release candidate version of an upcoming watchOS 9.4 update to developers for testing purposes, with the software update coming one week after launch of the fourth beta.

To install the watchOS 9.4 update, developers will need to download the configuration profile from the Apple Developer Center.

Once installed, ‌watchOS 9.4 can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General > Software update. To update to new software, an Apple Watch needs to have 50 percent battery life, it has to be placed on the charger, and it will need to be in range of the ‌‌iPhone‌‌ it is paired with.

watchOS 9.4 gains support for new emoji characters that include donkey, goose, black bird, shaking head, hyacinth, pea pod, and more, with 31 new characters available in total.

According to Apple, the watchOS 9.4 update also prevents wake-up alarms from being silenced with the cover to mute gesture to prevent accidental cancellations during sleep. It also brings AFib History to several additional countries including Colombia, Malaysia, Moldova, Thailand, and Ukraine, plus it adds Cycle Tracking in Moldova and Ukraine.