MacRumors

Apple today seeded the third beta of an upcoming macOS Monterey 12.3 update to its public beta testing group, with the new software coming a week after the second macOS Monterey 12.3 public beta.

macOS Monterey 2
Public beta testers can download the macOS 12.3 Monterey update from the Software Update section of the System Preferences app after installing the proper profile from Apple's beta software website.

Universal Control is the major new feature in macOS Monterey 12.3, and it is designed to allow multiple Macs and iPads to be controlled using a single mouse/trackpad and keyboard. If you have a MacBook Pro and an iPad Pro, for example, both devices can be controlled with the ‌MacBook Pro‌'s trackpad and keyboard or a keyboard attached to the iPad.


iPadOS 15.4 is required for ‌Universal Control‌ on the ‌iPad‌, and once the updates are installed on your devices, the feature just works as it is automatically enabled.

macOS Monterey also includes new Emoji 14 characters like melting face, biting lip, heart hands, and more, and plus it adds support for updating AirPods with a Mac. There's no official update interface, but your AirPods can receive firmware updates over-the-air when connected to a Mac, similar to how the update process works with an iPhone.

There are some under-the-hood changes as well. Apple is removing Python 2 from macOS with macOS 12.3 after support was suspended in January 2020, and Apple is eliminating some kernel extensions used by Dropbox and OneDrive, necessitating software updates for those apps.

Related Forum: macOS Monterey

Apple today seeded the third betas of upcoming iOS 15.4 and iPadOS 15.4 updates to public beta testers, with the software coming a week after Apple seeded the second public betas.

iOS App Store General Feature gray blue
iOS and iPadOS 15.4 can be downloaded over the air after the proper profile from Apple's public beta testing website has been installed on an iPhone or iPad.

iOS 15.4 and iPadOS 15.4 are major updates. iOS 15.4 brings a new feature for unlocking your ‌iPhone‌ with Face ID even when wearing a mask, and iPadOS 15.4 introduces Universal Control. When paired with a Mac running macOS Monterey 12.3, ‌Universal Control‌ allows multiple Macs and iPads to be controlled with a single cursor and keyboard, and it's super simple and intuitive to use. ‌Universal Control‌ requires macOS Monterey 12.3, which does not yet appear to be available for public beta testers.

The second beta introduced support for the "Tap to Pay on ‌iPhone‌" feature that is designed to allow NFC-compatible iPhones to accept payments through Apple Pay, contactless credit and debit cards, and other digital wallets, without requiring additional hardware.

tap to pay iphone
Code for Tap to Pay on ‌iPhone‌ is in the iOS 15.4 beta, but it does require third-party providers to add support, so it is not yet available for use. There are no outward-facing signs of it that are visible to end users, but there's a new "PaymentReceived" sound file and images that show off the Tap to Pay interface.

There are signs that Apple may be planning to roll out support for digital IDs and driver's licenses in iOS 15.4. There isn't a ton of evidence for this at the current time, but there was a mention of the feature in the PassKit code in beta 2. "Find out when your driver's license or state ID is ready to use and get important updates about your ID," it reads.

The betas also bring new Emoji 14 characters, an Apple Card widget, a keyboard brightness Control Center option on ‌iPad‌, support for on-device custom email domain setup, easier access to SharePlay, and tons more.

We have a full list of everything new in iOS 15.4 available in our iOS 15.4 features guide. Apple has also released the third tvOS 15.4 public beta.

Related Forum: iOS 15

In the iOS 15.4, iPadOS 15.4, and macOS Monterey 12.3 betas, Apple has added a minor quality of life improvement to the way Safari saves passwords. At the current time, Safari will gladly save a password without a username, which can lead to confusion later, but that's no longer the case in the beta updates.

safari icon blue banner
When you are prompted to save a password to iCloud Keychain in iOS 15.4, iPadOS 15.4, or macOS Monterey 12.3 and Safari has only detected a password, Safari will pop up a window asking for a user name. "To save this password, enter the username for your [website] account," reads the alert.

Details about the new feature were shared by Safari Apple employee Ricky Mondello, after they were asked about it on Twitter. According to Mondello, Apple made the change to "address a pain point" with the way that Safari and ‌iCloud‌ Keychain operate, and the update will indeed cut down on instances where a password is saved without a username.


iOS 15.4 also adds notes to ‌iCloud‌ Keychain and it lets you hide password update alerts, so there are quite a few useful updates in the betas. For a full rundown of everything in iOS 15.4, we have a dedicated features guide.

Tag: Safari
Related Forum: iOS 15

Though Apple last week announced changes to AirTags that will likely help cut down on unwanted tracking, officials are starting to take notice of complaints. New York Attorney General Letitia James today sent out a consumer alert with "safety recommendations" to protect New Yorkers from AirTags (via The Mac Observer).

airtag in hand

Across the country, Apple AirTags are being misused to track people and their belongings to cause harm. Tracking people without their awareness or consent is a serious felony and will not be tolerated by my office. I urge all New Yorkers to pay close attention to their belongings and follow the tips provided by my office to stay safe. New Yorkers' safety is my top priority and my office will continue to do everything in its power to protect New Yorkers.

James' alert echoes many of Apple's own recommendations, suggesting that people listen for unfamiliar beeping, watch for "Item Detected Near You" notifications on iPhones, use Apple's Tracker Detect app on Android phones to manually scan for AirTags, and keep Apple devices up to date.

The alert includes a small paragraph noting that not all unfamiliar AirTags are malicious because they are actually sometimes lost by users when a device goes missing. New Yorkers who find a misused AirTag tucked inside their belongings are urged to contact the Office of the Attorney General immediately by filing a complaint with the OAG Internet and Technology Bureau.

Using GPS and Bluetooth-based tracking devices for stalking purposes is not new, but Apple's item trackers have received quite a bit of attention because of the built-in warning system. With most trackers, people might not even know they're being stalked, but AirTags are designed to provide alerts.

‌AirTag‌ critics have also taken issue with how easy it is to use and obtain AirTags, and with the vast Find My network that allows an ‌AirTag‌ to be tracked down almost anywhere. Apple has been combatting unwanted ‌AirTag‌ stalking with a number of different measures.

Last June, Apple narrowed the window in which AirTags begin playing a sound after being separated from their owners. Originally, AirTags began sending out sounds after three days, but that timeline is now eight to 24 hours.

In December, Apple released the "Tracker Detect" app that allows Android users to scan for AirTags to make sure there are none around, and then amid continued reports of stalking and misuse of AirTags, Apple last week announced several new measures.

Going forward, when users set up an ‌AirTag‌, there will be a warning that the ‌AirTag‌ is linked to an Apple ID and that using an ‌AirTag‌ to track people is a crime. Apple will also make it clear that it will cooperate with law enforcement to find people who are using AirTags maliciously.

Later this year, Apple will allow iPhone 11 and later models to use Precision Finding to track down nearby AirTags, and sounds will be accompanied by alerts for those who might not hear a nearby ‌AirTag‌. Apple is also working to make AirTags louder and the alert system will be updated to notify users even earlier about AirTags that might be traveling with them.

Apple has pledged to continue to work on ‌AirTag‌ security, and the company says that it is listening to user feedback and innovating to make additional improvements to AirTags.

Google has announced plans to strengthen user privacy on Android with a new initiative that will put an end to cross-app tracking on Android over the next two years, making it more difficult for advertisers to track users across other apps.

Google Logo Feature Slack
In a blog post, Google announced a multi-year project named "Privacy Sandbox" that introduces "more private advertising solutions" for mobile apps. The cornerstone of Privacy Sandbox will limit data shared with other third-party apps, making it more difficult for advertisers to build a profile of users for targeted advertising purposes.

Today, we're announcing a multi-year initiative to build the Privacy Sandbox on Android, with the goal of introducing new, more private advertising solutions. Specifically, these solutions will limit sharing of user data with third parties and operate without cross-app identifiers, including advertising ID.

The new initiative will draw similarities with Apple's App Tracking Transparency framework (ATT) that launched with iOS 14.5 last year. Unlike Apple's ATT, which requires all apps to ask for user consent before tracking them across other apps and websites, however, Google's Privacy Sandbox will limit app ability as default while also looking for new privacy-preserving ways to enable mobile advertising.

Announcing Privacy Sandbox today, Google seemingly took aim at Apple's ATT framework, saying "blunt approaches are proving ineffective" and that "other platforms have taken a different approach to ads privacy, bluntly restricting existing technologies used by developers and advertisers." The goal with Privacy Sandbox is for "users [to] know their information is protected, and developers and businesses have the tools to succeed on mobile," according to Google.

generic tracking prompt blue

Apple's ATT prompt shown to all users when an app is first opened on iOS 14.5 and later

Soon after Apple previewed ATT and following its launch with iOS 14.5 last year, Facebook, now renamed to Meta, became vocal about its displeasure with the new requirement amid fears it would significantly impact its advertising business. Its fears seemingly became true, with the social media giant saying ATT will cost it $10 billion in lost revenue this year.

Google's approach is striking a different tone, with Snapchat, who had previously said ATT presented a "risk" to its business, saying in a statement that it is "excited to collaborate with Google to develop new privacy-preserving standards for Android." Google said it would receive input across the industry as it builds Privacy Sandbox over the next two years.

Tag: Google

Amazon today has a pair of all-time low deals on Apple's 24-inch iMac, starting with the entry-level 7-core GPU/256GB model in Green for $1,199.00, down from $1,299.00. This $100 off sale is only available in Green, and it's currently in stock and ready to ship from Amazon.

imac color optionsNote: 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.

Amazon's sale represents a new record low price for this model of the 24-inch M1 iMac, beating the previous low by about $30. It's currently the only major Apple reseller offering the 24-inch iMac at this price.

You can also still save on the 8-core GPU/256GB 24-inch iMac, priced at $1,349.99, down from $1,499.00. This one is available in Blue, Orange, and Yellow, and you'll need to wait to see the final sale price in your cart, after an automatic coupon is applied to the order.


Final price includes $100 taken off at checkout.

Similar to the entry-level M1 iMac, this sale is an all-time low price on this model. It's shipped and sold directly from Amazon, with delivery available for February 18-21 for most colors.

You can keep track of ongoing sales on Apple's iMac line by visiting our Best iMac Deals guide. There, we keep track of the best iMac offers from Amazon, Adorama, B&H Photo, and other retailers, so be sure to check back often if you're shopping for an iMac for the first time, or thinking of upgrading.

Related Roundup: Apple Deals

Google has announced early access to Chrome OS Flex, a method of replacing the operating system on older PCs and Macs "within minutes" to essentially turn them into Chromebooks.

chrome os flex mac
The company is encouraging individuals, schools, and businesses to download Chrome OS Flex so they can "easily try modern computing with cloud-based management" while extending the lifespan of older devices, thereby reducing e-waste.

The idea is that if you have an aging Mac lying around that can't run macOS 12 Monterey, then you can install Chrome OS Flex on it using a bootable USB stick and then try out what Google's cloud-first operating system has to offer. From the website:

The free upgrade your PCs and Macs have been waiting for.

Install Chrome OS Flex on your PCs and Macs so they are secure, boot fast, don't slow down over time, update automatically in the background, and can be managed from the cloud.

Google says Chrome OS Flex has the same look and feel as the Chrome OS shipped with every Chromebook, as it's built on the same code base and includes Google Assistant, the Chrome browser, and Nearby Sharing. However, there's currently no Google Play Store, and Google has outlined some other, mainly system-level limitations of OS Flex that distinguish it from Chrome OS on native Google devices.

Chrome OS Flex is the result of Google's 2020 purchase of Neverware, a company that offered an app called CloudReady that allows users to convert old PCs into Chrome OS machines.

Google says it will automatically move CloudReady home, school, and enterprise users to Chrome OS Flex when the OS is stable. Use of OS Flex is free for individuals, but schools and businesses using CloudReady will continue to be charged a fee and subscription rate, respectively.

If you want to try out Chrome OS Flex, you can learn more and download it on the Chrome Enterprise website. As this is early access, expect some bugs, although the OS can be booted directly from a USB stick if you don't want to commit to installation. A stable version of the OS is expected to launch in the coming months.

Tag: Google

In an interview with Billboard, Apple's vice president of Apple Music and Beats, Oliver Schusser, details the growth of and reaction to Spatial Audio and Lossless Audio on the streaming platform.

apple music spatial audio ad
‌Apple Music‌ gained Spatial Audio and Lossless support in June 2021, and since, Apple has continued to add new songs to its catalog that support both new features. Apple had previously promised that its entire catalog of 75 million songs would be made available in Lossless, and according to Schusser, the company has fulfilled its promise.

Schusser said that while the entire catalog of ‌Apple Music‌ songs supports the higher-quality format, the limitations of Bluetooth and the inability for headphones, such as AirPods, to play back the audio continues to be a challenge.

"Everyone in the industry was really focused on Lossless," says Schusser. "We have every song in our catalog available in Lossless to us delivered by the industry, but the challenge is it doesn't play on any headphone in the world over Bluetooth or any wireless connection, and that is by a country mile the number one way how people consume music these days."

Apple Music subscribers can listen to Lossless using the built-in speakers on their iPhone, iPad, Mac, and HomePod. Still, though, Schusser admitted that Lossless remains a niche feature that most average listeners won't notice but that Apple still wanted to move ahead in bringing it to the masses.

Schusser says most people can't tell the difference when Lossless music is played and noted that while it's an important feature to a select niche, it isn't a mass-market product. "And so," he says, "we went out and said we would like to have a feature for the mass market that works on pretty much every device and where people notice a difference."

Discussing Spatial Audio, which provides listeners with an immersive listening experience, Schusser says that compared to when the feature launched last summer, ‌Apple Music‌'s offering of Spatial Audio content has grown exceptionally. Schusser says that more than 50% of ‌Apple Music‌ subscribers are now listening in Spatial Audio.

Apple Music only had a few thousand songs available in Spatial Audio when it launched the feature last year, and the company went on a journey to sell artists and producers — along with listeners — on the new immersive experience.

"We now have more than half of our worldwide Apple Music subscriber base listening in spatial audio and that number is actually growing really, really fast," says Schusser. "We would like the numbers to be higher, but they are definitely exceeding our expectations."

While Apple continues to add new songs to its database that support Spatial Audio in partnerships with studios, the company is still focusing on ensuring the quality of the mixing on those songs.

For Apple's part, the company is emphasizing the importance of quality mixing here — compared to the early days of Dolby Atmos Music, when some mixes didn't live up to the quality of the original recordings. "We listen to every song that comes in Spatial Audio to us and we try to engage with people who make the cut during the process," Schusser says.

Spatial Audio is not only allowing listeners to enjoy new music in a more immersive way, but it's also re-engaging fans with older songs, according to Rachel Newman, ‌Apple Music‌'s global head of editorial and content.

"We're seeing huge uptick in artists' back catalog off the basis of them re-engaging their fans with a new way of listening to the music," says Rachel Newman, Apple Music's global head of editorial and content. Streams of Spatial Audio tracks on Apple Music editorial playlists have grown by 125% since the feature launched last summer, Newman notes.

In a previous interview made in December, another ‌Apple Music‌ executive echoed similar remarks made by Schusser regarding the limitations of Bluetooth and Lossless audio.

Apple would like "more bandwidth" than what Bluetooth can provide, said Apple's vice president of acoustics, Gary Geaves. "I'll stop right there. We would like more bandwidth," Geaves added.

Apple is very possibly working on addressing the limitations of Bluetooth by creating a new wireless protocol, and the company's next-generation high-end AirPods Pro expected to launch this year could be the first AirPods to support playback of Lossless Audio.

In the third beta of macOS Monterey that Apple released to developers today, there is a small Universal Control update that is designed to make it easier to access the various ‌Universal Control‌ settings that you might need when using the feature to control multiple Macs and iPads with a single mouse/trackpad and keyboard.

universal control 1
If you open up the Displays section of System Preferences after updating to the new software, there is a new "‌Universal Control‌..." button that was first noticed by 9to5Mac. The ‌Universal Control‌ button goes directly to the three ‌Universal Control‌ settings that are available.

universal control 2
Prior to this beta, the ‌Universal Control‌ options were located under the now-removed "Advanced" tab, and were just a bit harder to get to.

The ‌Universal Control‌ settings have not changed, even though their location has been updated. The first two settings are enabled by default and allow ‌Universal Control‌ to work, while the third is optional and can be toggled on to allow you to automatically reconnect to any nearby Mac or iPad you've previously connected to.

‌Universal Control‌ is live in the macOS Monterey 12.3 and iPadOS 15.4 betas available to developers and public beta testers, and it is working well even in a beta capacity. The feature will be available to everyone when the updates see a public release, which could perhaps come in March following Apple's planned March 8 event.

Related Forum: macOS Monterey

Sony today announced the launch of the LinkBuds, which are the company's latest true wireless earbud product. The LinkBuds have a unique open air design that's not quite like any other earbud on the market.

sony linkbuds 1
Available in black or white, the LinkBuds have a donut-shaped earpiece that goes in the ear. As with the AirPods 3, there are no foam or silicone tips included with the LinkBuds, with the naked earpiece fitting directly inside the ear.

The hole in the LinkBuds, which is an open ring driver, lets users listen to music while also hearing the ambient surroundings, which is similar to other headphone products like sound-equipped sunglasses and bone conduction options.

sony linkbuds 2
Because Sony's LinkBuds do not obstruct ambient sound, they are ideal for situations where listeners might need to be aware of their surroundings, like walking, running, biking, and riding public transportation.


The earbuds are held in place by a secondary bulb that has a little fin, and Sony describes them as ultra-small, light, and able to stay in the ears. They are IPX4 splash and sweat proof, plus an Adaptive Volume Control feature optimizes music to the sound in the ambient environment. The battery in the LinkBuds lasts for 5.5 hours, and there is a charging case that provides a total of 17.5 hours of listening time.

Sony's LinkBuds can be purchased from Amazon for $178.

Tag: Sony

As part of a "Steve Jobs Revolution" collection, RR Auction is this week selling off multiple pieces of rare memorabilia related to Jobs, including a check that was signed by both Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak.

steve jobs check auction
Dated July 15, 1976, the "Apple Computer Company" check is made out to Kierulff Electronics for $3,430. The check was written in the same month that Wozniak demonstrated the first Apple-1 prototype at the Homebrew Computer Company in Palo Alto, California.

The auction site says that based on the date, the check was likely used to pay for parts used in putting together the second batch of Apple-1 computers. So far, the check has a bid of over $23,000, with the next bid set at $25,000. The auction is set to end on March 17, so it could go for much more.

The check is part of a themed sale that is designed to trace the history of personal computers through documents and objects. There are prototypes and early examples of computer mouses created by Doug Engelbart, Pong prototypes from the collection of its creator Allan Alcorn, and original Apple devices.

Along with the check, RR Auction is selling a yearbook that Jobs signed, photos of Jobs as a college freshman, a Steve Jobs signed Atari job application expected to fetch over $300,000, Steve Jobs business cards, and other signed memorabilia. All of the auctions will end on March 17.

Parallels today introduced a new premium Mac app bundle, which includes nine macOS apps when you purchase Parallels Desktop 17. The bundle will remain on sale through the end of the month and is available to new and existing Parallels customers.

newspage premium mac app bundle22Note: 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.

Apps in the bundle include the following: Parallels Desktop 17, 1Password Families, AdRemover, Fantastical, Acronis Cyber Protect Premium, MindManager Essentials, Parallels Access, Cardhop, Parallels Toolbox, and Intego Mac Internet Security X9. Several of the apps in the bundle are one year subscriptions that are only valid for new customers, so be sure to read more about the bundle on Parallels' website.

New customers can purchase the bundle starting at $79.99 for Parallels Desktop 17 Standard Edition. The Parallels Desktop 17 Pro Edition and Business Edition are available at $99.99/year. When purchasing any version of Parallels Desktop 17, you'll get the nine other apps at no extra cost.

Existing customers can upgrade to Parallels Desktop 17 Standard Edition for a one-time payment of $49.99. Pro Edition options are available in the form of an annual subscription at $49.99/year, or $4.16/month.

  • 1Password Families (1 Year) - $60 value
  • Fantastical Premium (1 Year) - $39.99 value
  • MindManager Essentials (1 Year) - $99 value
  • Cardhop Premium (1 Year) - $39.99 value
  • Intego Mac Internet Security X9 (1 Year) - $49.99 value
  • Ad Remover (1 Year) - $39.99 value
  • Acronis Cyber Protect Home Office Premium (1 Year) - $189.99 value
  • Parallels Access (1 Year) - $20.00 value
  • Parallels Toolbox (1 Year) - $20.00 value

Head to our full Deals Roundup to get caught up with all of the latest deals and discounts that we've been tracking over the past week.

Related Roundup: Apple Deals

Apple today seeded the third beta of an upcoming macOS macOS Monterey 12.3 update to developers for testing purposes, with the new software coming a week after the release of the second macOS Monterey 12.3 beta.

macOS Monterey on MBP Feature
Registered developers can download the beta through the Apple Developer Center and after the appropriate profile is installed, betas will be available through the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences. There is also a macOS 11.6.5 update for those still running macOS Big Sur.

macOS Monterey 12.3 is a major update that introduces Universal Control, a feature that Apple first teased at WWDC and then delayed for several months. ‌Universal Control‌ is designed to allow you to use a single mouse/trackpad and keyboard across multiple Macs and iPads (with iPads running iPadOS 15.4).

After updating your devices to macOS 12.3 and iPadOS 15.4, ‌Universal Control‌ works automatically, allowing your Mac's cursor and keyboard to work on the iPad and vice versa. It's simple and intuitive to use.

maOS Monterey 12.3 adds support for updating the AirPods firmware when the earbuds are connected to a Mac, plus it deprecates kernel extensions used by Dropbox and Microsoft OneDrive, and it eliminates Python 2, with Apple instructing developers to use an alternative scripting language like Python 3 going forward.

There are also new emoji characters, including melting face, biting lip, heart hands, bubbles, beans, face with diagonal mouth, palm up hand, eggs, troll, low battery, coral, lotus, and more.

Related Forum: macOS Monterey

Apple today seeded the third betas of upcoming iOS 15.4 and iPadOS 15.4 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the new software coming one week after Apple seeded the second betas of iOS 15.4 and iPadOS 15.4.

iOS 15
Developers can download iOS 15.4 and iPadOS 15.4 through the Apple Developer Center or over the air after the proper profile has been installed on an iPhone or iPad.

iOS and iPadOS 15.4 introduce some of the most significant changes we've seen in an update since iOS 15 launched. On the ‌iPhone‌ 12 and 13 models, there's now an option to use Face ID while wearing a mask with no Apple Watch required for authentication. It works just like Face ID, but it scans the area around your eyes when you're wearing a mask.

On ‌iPad‌, iPadOS 15.4 brings the long awaited Universal Control feature. Paired with a Mac running macOS Monterey 12.3, Universal Control allows multiple Macs and iPads to be controlled with a single cursor and keyboard. It's a feature that works seamlessly after installing the updates, and it is simple and intuitive to use.

There are 37 new emojis with the addition of Emoji 14 characters, so you can now use emojis that include melting face, biting lip, heart hands, bubbles, beans, face with diagonal mouth, palm up hand, eggs, troll, low battery, coral, lotus, and more.

The second beta introduced support for the "Tap to Pay on ‌iPhone‌" feature that is designed to allow NFC-compatible iPhones to accept payments through Apple Pay, contactless credit and debit cards, and other digital wallets, without requiring additional hardware.

tap to pay iphone
Tap to Pay on ‌iPhone‌ is enabled in the iOS 15.4 beta, but it does require third-party providers to add support, so it is not yet available for use. There are no outward-facing signs of it that are visible to end users, but there's a new "PaymentReceived" sound file and images that show off the Tap to Pay interface.

There are signs that Apple may be planning to roll out support for digital IDs and driver's licenses in iOS 15.4. There isn't a ton of evidence for this at the current time, but there was a mention of the feature in the PassKit code in beta 2. "Find out when your driver's license or state ID is ready to use and get important updates about your ID," it reads.

Other new features include full 120Hz ProMotion support for app animations on ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro models, EU vaccine certificates in the Wallet app, the ability to turn off notifications for Shortcuts automations, keyboard brightness controls in Control Center on the ‌iPad‌, an Apple Card widget, iCloud Keychain notes, support for adding custom email domains to ‌iCloud‌ Mail right on device, and a SharePlay option in the share sheet.

We have a full list of all of the features introduced in iOS 15.4 and iPadOS 15.4 in our dedicated guide highlighting everything new in the update.

Related Forum: iOS 15

Apple today seeded the third beta of an upcoming watchOS 8.5 update to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming a week after the release of the second watchOS 8.5 beta.

watchOS 8 on Apple Watch feature
To install ‌‌‌watchOS 8.5, developers will need to download the configuration profile from the Apple Developer Center. Once installed, ‌‌‌watchOS 8.5‌‌‌ 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 must be placed on the charger, and it needs to be in range of the ‌‌‌‌‌iPhone‌‌‌‌‌. You'll also need the accompanying iOS 15.4 update before you can install watchOS 8.5.

watchOS 8.5 introduces support for Emoji 14 characters, with new additions including melting face, biting lip, heart hands, bubbles, beans, face with diagonal mouth, palm up hand, eggs, troll, low battery, coral, lotus, and more.

We didn't discover any other major features in the watchOS 8.5 update, but we'll update this article should we find anything new.

Related Roundup: watchOS 11
Related Forum: Apple Watch

Apple today seeded the third beta of an upcoming tvOS 15.4 update to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming two weeks after Apple seeded the second tvOS 15.4 beta.

Apple TV tvOS 15 Feature
Developers can download the new tvOS 15.4 beta by downloading a profile onto the ‌Apple TV‌ using Xcode.

tvOS 15.4 adds support for captive Wi-Fi networks, which means that an iPhone or iPad can be used to connect your ‌Apple TV‌ to networks that require additional sign-in steps, such as in hotel rooms.

The update introduces an "Up Next" queue directly to the video player to make it easier to get from show to show when you're watching television. It lets you select your Up Next queue without having to go back to the Home Screen.

tvOS 15.4 also brings a new volume button that's accessible from the video player, and "Tap to Navigate" has returned as an accessibility option. Spatial audio controls have also been redesigned.

Related Roundup: Apple TV
Buyer's Guide: Apple TV (Don't Buy)

Twelve South today debuted a new version of its BackPack accessory, this one designed to fit the 24-inch M1 iMac. The BackPack for 24-inch iMac is available to order on Twelve South today for $44.99, and it only comes in a white color option.

backpack for 24inch imac
You can install the BackPack in two steps, using an included two-piece holster that snaps into the oval opening on the back of the ‌iMac‌ stand. The BackPack itself slides onto the holster and provides a few inches of storage space.

imac back with BackPack
With the BackPack, which is made out of aluminum and is vented, you can store external hard drives, USB-C hubs, collectibles, artwork, and more. The accessory comes with a Sport Loop-like "BackBack Strap" that allows you to strap gear to the top and bottom of the shelf.

backpack for 24inch imac 2
Twelve South also still sells the original BackPack for older ‌iMac‌ models, priced at $34.99. This version has a similar design to the new ‌M1‌ version, offering an aluminum metal shelf to store hard drives and other accessories.

The BackPack for 24-inch iMac can be purchased for $44.99 on Twelve South.

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

Apple's AirPods Pro with MagSafe Charging Case have dropped in price on Amazon, now available for $174.98, down from $249.00. When we first shared a deal on these AirPods earlier in February, they were priced around $179.00.

AirPods Pro Discount Feature TriadNote: 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.

Today's deal is about $15 away from the record low price on the AirPods Pro with MagSafe, but it is now the best deal we've tracked in 2022. The headphones are in stock now on Amazon and ready to ship, with a delivery window between February 16-20.

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.

Related Roundup: Apple Deals