Apple is planning to retire its Music Memos app, which was first released in 2016 as an app designed to allow musicians and songwriters to capture song ideas on the fly. Since its launch, the app received few updates from Apple, and going forward, the app will receive no more updates.
According to an Apple Support document, Music Memos will no longer be available for download after March 1, 2021, but the app will still be available for use and can be downloaded from the App Store purchase history.
Still, Apple says that users should export Music Memos recordings to the Voice Memos library to ensure that they're saved, and the company is encouraging people to use Voice Memos over Music memos.
Apple today updated Music Memos to version 1.0.7, adding a new feature that allows Music Memos recordings to be exported to the Voice Memos library. Apple says that Voice Memos can be used to quickly capture ideas, and recordings can be taken further with GarageBand.
Exporting Music Memos to Voice Memos requires an iPhone with iOS 14 or an iPad with iPadOS 14, along with the latest versions of Voice Memos and Music Memos. Exported content will appear in Voice Memos in a folder titled "Music Memos."
Apple CEO Tim Cook is set to speak at the United Nations Climate Ambition Summit on Saturday, December 12, reports Reuters.
Co-hosted by the United Nations, the UK, and France, the summit is being held on the fifth anniversary of the international Paris climate agreement and ahead of U.N. talks next year in Glasgow, Scotland. From the Climate Summit website:
Leaders across government, business and civil society will gather for this online summit as the world deals with coronavirus. But the science is as urgent as ever and tells us that we need to limit the rise in global temperature to 1.5C degrees. We know climate change will not wait. Action must be taken now, together, for our planet, so we can build back better.
The Summit will provide a meaningful platform for civil society, young people and Indigenous Peoples representatives, many of whom disproportionately experience the impacts of climate change. Climate change must also be tackled by entire systems and we therefore also want to provide a platform for businesses, cities and other non-state actors who are rallying together and collaborating to support governments and accelerate the systemic change required to reduce emissions and build resilience.
Cook will likely speak about Apple's environmental efforts. The Cupertino company recently pledged to make all of its products carbon neutral by 2030.
Apple's stores, offices, and data centers worldwide are already powered by 100% renewable electricity, and its operations, from commute to business travel, are carbon neutral. The company is aiming to transition its supply chain to 100 percent renewable energy as well to reach its carbon neutral goal by 2030.
Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
Apple has given a straight-to-series order to "The Last Thing He Told Me," a high-profile limited series set to star Julia Roberts, reports Deadline.
The series is based on author Laura Dave's upcoming novel of the same name, and it is being produced by Reese Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine, which has teamed up with Apple for several shows.
"The Last Thing He Told Me" follows a woman who forms an unexpected relationship with her sixteen-year-old stepdaughter while trying to discover the truth behind why her husband has mysteriously vanished. From the book's description:
Before Owen Michaels disappears, he manages to smuggle a note to his beloved wife of one year: Protect her. Despite her confusion and fear, Hannah Hall knows exactly to whom the note refers: Owen's sixteen-year-old daughter, Bailey. Bailey, who lost her mother tragically as a child. Bailey, who wants absolutely nothing to do with her new stepmother.
As Hannah's increasingly desperate calls to Owen go unanswered; as the FBI arrests Owen's boss; as a US Marshal and FBI agents arrive at her Sausalito home unannounced, Hannah quickly realizes her husband isn't who he said he was. And that Bailey just may hold the key to figuring out Owen's true identity--and why he really disappeared.
Hannah and Bailey set out to discover the truth, together. But as they start putting together the pieces of Owen's past, they soon realize they are also building a new future. One neither Hannah nor Bailey could have anticipated.
The novel is set to come out on May 4, 2021, and was optioned by Hello Sunshine ahead of its release. Hello Sunshine got Roberts on board, and the series reportedly sparked a bidding war before Apple picked it up. Hello Sunshine has been responsible for other limited series based on books that have proven to be popular, including "Big Little Lies" and "Little Fires Everywhere."
Apple's redesigned Maps app is now available in Canada following a test of the feature that kicked off back in October. The Canadian expansion comes 11 months after Apple finished the rollout of the revamped Maps app in the United States.
Image via Justin O'Beirne
The launch of the redesigned Maps app in Canada was shared by Justin O'Beirne, who follows Apple's work on the Maps app, and it was highlighted by Apple in an announcement. The expansion to Canada is Apple's largest Maps expansion to date, and Canada is the fourth country to get the new design.
"With Apple Maps, we have created the best and most private maps app on the planet and we are excited to bring this experience to our users in Canada," said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services. "We have rebuilt Apple Maps from the ground up to provide better navigation, richer detail, more accurate information for places, and incredible features like Look Around, curated Guides from trusted sources, and much more. Now it is easier than ever for users in Canada to explore and navigate the world."
O'Beirne says that this is likely Apple's last Maps expansion of the year, and he also shares some other fun facts. Apple's new map now overs 12.5 percent of Earth's land area, and more than 440 million people or 5.7 percent of the global population. Screenshots of the new maps in Canada can be found on his website.
Apple's redesigned Maps app was first introduced in iOS 12, and since then, the Cupertino company has been working on expanding it. The updated Maps app offers up faster and more accurate navigation along with more detailed views of roads, buildings, parks, airports, malls, sports fields, foliage, pools, pedestrian pathways, bodies of water, and more.
Today's update brings Look Around to Canada, allowing Maps users in Canada to see street-level imagery with 3D photography. Look Around is available in cities like Calgary, Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver, as well as parts of Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, and more.
Also new in Canada is support for Guides, the iOS 14 feature that offers up a curated list of interesting places to visit within a city.
iOS and iPadOS 14.3 can be downloaded through the Apple Developer Center or over the air after the proper developer profile has been installed. Today's update has a build number of 18C66, while Tuesday's RC had a build number of 18C65.
The iOS 14.3 update brings the ProRAW format to the iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max. ProRAW is designed for those who prefer to shoot in RAW but also want to take advantage of the Apple image pipeline data like noise reduction and multi-frame exposure adjustments.
Ecosia, a search engine that plants trees when people conduct searches, can now be set as the default search engine on iPhone and iPad, and the update adds support for the AirPods Max headphones that were announced today.
Code in iOS 14.3 suggests Apple is laying the groundwork to add support for third-party item trackers and Bluetooth devices in the Find My app, allowing these devices to be tracked right alongside iPhones and iPads.
In iOS 14.3, it's easier than ever to launch apps with custom icons right from the Home Screen, which is great for those who prefer to customize their Home Screens.
When opening an app that has a custom icon created using Shortcuts, it is no longer routed through the Shortcuts app and is instead able to open much more quickly. There's still a banner that pops up, but it's a more streamlined experience than before.
iOS 14.3 will introduce support for Apple Fitness+, Apple's upcoming fitness service that will work with the Apple Watch, plus it brings a new Cardio Fitness feature that lets you know if your VO2Max levels are low. VO2Max is a useful measurement of overall fitness and heart health.
Other new features include pregnancy data in the Health app, third-party app suggestions at setup in certain countries, support for scanning App Clips QR codes with the camera app, an option to update HomeKit products with the Home app, and more, with Apple's full release notes below.
Apple Fitness+ - A new fitness experience powered by Apple Watch with studio-style workouts available on your iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV (Apple Watch Series 3 and later) - New Fitness app on iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV to browse Fitness+ workouts, trainers, and personalized recommendations - Video workouts added each week in ten popular workout types: High Intensity Interval Training, Indoor Cycling, Yoga, Core, Strength, Dance, Rowing, Treadmill Walking, Treadmill Running, and Mindful Cooldown - Playlists curated by Fitness+ trainers to complement your workout - Fitness+ subscription available in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, United Kingdom, and United States
AirPods Max Support for AirPods Max, new over-ear headphones - High fidelity audio for rich sound - Adaptive EQ adapts sound in real time to the personal fit of ear cushions - Active Noise Cancellation to block out environmental noise - Transparency mode to hear the environment around you - Spatial audio with dynamic head tracking for a theater-like listening experience
Photos - Apple ProRAW photos can be captured on iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max - Apple ProRAW photos can be edited in the Photos app - Option to record video at 25 fps - Mirror the front facing camera for still photos on iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone SE, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X
Privacy - New privacy information section on App Store pages that includes a developer-reported summary of the app’s privacy practices
TV app - An all-new Apple TV+ tab makes it easy to discover and watch Apple Original shows and movies - Enhanced search so you can browse by category such as genre, and see recent searches and suggestions as you type - Top search results shown with the most relevant matches across movies, TV shows, cast, channels, and sports
App Clips - Support for launching App Clips by scanning Apple-designed App Clip Codes via Camera or from Control Center
Health - Ability to indicate pregnancy, lactation, or contraceptive use in Cycle Tracking in the Health app in order to better manage period and fertile window predictions
Weather - Air quality data is now available in Weather, Maps, and Siri for locations in China mainland - Air quality health recommendations are provided in Weather and Siri for the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, India, and Mexico at certain air quality levels - Air quality data in Weather, Maps, and Siri reflects updated national scales for Germany and Mexico
Safari Ecosia search engine option in Safari
This release also addresses the following issues: - Some MMS messages may not be received - Contact groups failed to display members when composing a message - Some videos would not appear correctly when shared from the Photos app - App folders may fail to open - Spotlight search results, and opening apps from Spotlight may not work - Bluetooth could be unavailable in Settings - MagSafe Duo Charger could wirelessly charge your iPhone at less than the maximum power - Wireless accessories and peripherals using the WAC protocol could fail to complete setup - The keyboard would dismiss when adding a list in Reminders while using VoiceOver
iOS 14.3 is set to be released on Monday, December 14, which is also the day that Apple Fitness+ is coming out.
Apple today seeded the release candidate version of an upcoming macOS Big Sur 11.1 update to developers for testing purposes, with the update coming one week after the release of the second beta and a month after the launch of macOS Big Sur 11.0.1, the release version of the software.
Developers can download the macOS Big Sur 11.1 beta using the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences after installing the proper profile from the Apple Developer Center.
There's no word yet on what's included in macOS Big Sur 11.1, but it likely includes performance improvements, security updates, and fixes for bugs that weren't able to be addressed in the release version of macOS Big Sur. It also likely includes new features for the AirPods Max headphones launching next week.
No major new feature changes were discovered in the first two betas, but we'll update this article should something new be found in the release candidate. The software should see a launch on December 14 to add support for the AirPods Max.
Back in 2008, Jay Freeman first released Cydia as an app store designed for the iPhone, offering apps a few months before Apple had its own App Store. Since then, Cydia has served as an app repository for jailbroken iPhones and iPads, making it easy to install unauthorized software on compatible devices.
Now Cydia is joining a growing cadre of developers accusing Apple of anticompetitive behavior, reports The Washington Post. Cydia on Thursday sued Apple, accusing the company of using anticompetitive tactics to "nearly destroy Cydia" ahead of the App Store launch, which Cydia's lawyers say has a monopoly over software distribution on iOS devices.
According to Cydia, if Apple did not have an "illegal monopoly" over iOS app distribution, users would be able to choose "how and where to locate and obtain iOS apps," and developers would also have alternate distribution methods.
Apple spokesperson Fred Sainz told The Washington Post that Apple will review the lawsuit and that Apple is not a monopoly because it faces competition from Android. Apple also must maintain control over the way software is installed on the iPhone to prevent customers from accidentally downloading viruses and malware, which iPhones would be more susceptible to with a third-party App Store.
The App Store is the only authorized way to install apps on an iPhone or iPad, with more than 1.8 million apps available worldwide. Over 28 million developers around the world use the App Store to distribute apps, and Apple earns somewhere around $15 billion in revenue from the App Store each year. Apple has a dedicated App Store review team that reviews every app submitted to the store, along with guidelines that developers have to follow.
Before the App Store, though, there was Cydia. Jay Freeman told The Washington Post that he developed Cydia as a way to make it easy for customers to jailbreak their iPhones and install new software to support features created by developers who wanted to make apps and new functions for the original iPhone.
According to his estimations, more than half of early iPhone customers were jailbreaking their iPhones to use Cydia, and in 2010, 4.5 million people were searching for apps weekly. By then, Apple had come out with its own App Store and started making it harder to jailbreak new iPhones, and over the years, also added features that were previously only available through Cydia, such as the Control Center.
Freeman claims that the risks of jailbreaking are "overblown" and are similar to downloading software from a PC. "Morally speaking, it's your phone and you should be able to do whatever you want with it," he said. The lawsuit claims that Apple used "coercive" terms to prevent customers from using Cydia, and as security ramped up, Cydia's business waned.
Cydia lawyer Stephen Swedlow says that the "legal climate" has been changing, which makes it the ideal time to file against Apple. Cydia is the "perfect claimant" for an antitrust case given that it has an app store that's an alternative to Apple's own offering. If the suit is successful, Cydia plans to once again compete with Apple, but without the need for jailbreaking.
Apple's iPhone 12 Pro Max has the most advanced camera technology in the iPhone lineup, but how does it match up to flagship smartphones from other companies? In our latest YouTube video, we compared the iPhone 12 Pro Max to the Google Pixel 5 and the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra to see the differences in camera quality.
The $1099 iPhone 12 Pro Max has a triple-lens camera setup with 12-megapixel Ultra Wide, Wide, and Telephoto lenses, with upgrades in sensor size, stability, and telephoto lens over the iPhone 12 Pro.
In comparison, the $699 Pixel 5 has a 12.2-megapixel wide-angle lens and a 16-megapixel ultra wide-angle lens, while the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra has a 108-megapixel wide-angle lens, a 12-megapixel ultra wide-angle lens, and a 12-megapixel telephoto lens. All three of the smartphones have similar capabilities such as HDR enhancements, portrait mode for background blurring and night mode for taking low light shots. The iPhone 12 Pro Max has a LiDAR Scanner for improved low light photography, while the Note 20 Ultra has a laser AF sensor.
These are all high-end flagship smartphones with excellent camera quality, so before we even get into the comparison, it's worth noting that all of these smartphones take excellent images, with small differences between them that vary from photo to photo. Some people may prefer one camera's tendency towards cooler tones, or have a preference for warmer colors or a certain softness or sharpness, but for the most part, there's no one smartphone camera that's a clear winner because a lot comes down to personal tastes.
When taking these photos during a cloudy Ohio day, we found that the iPhone 12 Pro Max has a bit of a quirk when it comes to the sky. In all photos where there's a cloudy sky, the iPhone 12 Pro Max is tending towards blue, creating an artificially blue sky. Apple added HDR 3 Scene Recognition to this year's iPhones to better let the iPhone distinguish buildings and sky to "optimize" a scene, and that may be what's going on here.
It doesn't look bad, and some people may prefer the bluer sky, but it's not what the scene looked like in real life. Color wise, the Pixel 5 is probably the most true to life, and in several photos, the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra used the same kind of effect to colorize the sky, albeit less dramatically.
Viewed alone, the iPhone 12 Pro Max photo doesn't look out of the ordinary and is arguably brighter and more engaging, but next to the Pixel 5, there's a stark difference. Most of the time, the blue tint applies only to the sky, but there are a few instances where the entire photo has a blue cast. This is, of course, limited to situations with cloudy outdoor skies, but it does persist across the Wide and Ultra cameras.
An ultra-wide shot
In Portrait Mode day shots, the iPhone 12 Pro Max has a tendency to blow the highlights just a bit with higher brightness and a boost to the colors, which again, doesn't look bad and is probably what most people will prefer, but is a different look than the Pixel 5 and Note 20 Ultra, both of which have cooler tones.
The iPhone 12 Pro Max does a lot better with edges in Portrait Mode than prior iPhones, but compared to the Pixel 5, it seems a little bit soft. That said, the Pixel 5 has problems with edge detection and is sharpening areas that it should not in some situations. Looking at the water in the above shot is a good example of the Pixel 5's uneven blurring.
In Night Mode, the iPhone 12 Pro Max trends towards much warmer tones than the Pixel 5 and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. The Note 20 Ultra is also on the warmer side, while the Pixel 5 seems to be erring on the side of being a little too cool. In the gazebo photo below, the gazebo is white and there's no real reason for it to have such a warm cast. Not all Night Mode photos from the iPhone have warm tones that dramatic, but the color is noticeable next to photos from other smartphones.
The iPhone 12 Pro Max tends to produce more even lighting in Night Mode, while the Pixel 5 makes some areas of the image too bright. The iPhone 12 Pro Max also seems to be softer in some Night Mode photos, like this portrait shot.
All in all, Both the iPhone 12 Pro Max and Pixel 5 seem to beat out the Note 20 Ultra, but again, it's a matter of preference. The Pixel 5 tends to have colors that are more realistic in terms of white balance, but some of the iPhone images are more visually appealing.
As for video, that's an area where the iPhone 12 Pro Max is a clear winner. Filming in 4K 60 fps, the other two smartphones just can't match the image quality and stability of the iPhone 12 Pro Max during the day. Quality is closer at night, but the iPhone still wins out with better stabilization.
Make sure to watch our video to see all of the photo comparisons, and then let us know what you think in the comments. Which smartphone takes the best images?
Apple today shared the full trailer for the second season of "Servant," which will be released on Apple TV+ on Friday, January 15. The first season of the show was popular with Apple TV+ subscribers, and Apple renewed Servant shortly after it launched.
"Servant" is a horror thriller produced by M. Night Shyamalan, who has also directed a few of the episodes. The series follows a Philadelphia couple who are in mourning after losing their child. Their baby, Jericho, is replaced by a reborn doll that the mother thinks is real, and a strange nanny, Leanne, is hired to look after the doll. After Leanne arrives, bizarre things happen to the family.
The show stars Lauren Ambrose, Nell Tiger Free, Rupert Grint, and Toby Kebbell. The full first season of "Servant" is available on Apple TV+.
ElevationLab has a range of useful accessories for Apple products, and in June, launched a new accessory that's designed to turn the Mac's power adapter into a hub.
There are many USB-C hubs available on the market, but the ElevationHub is unique because it works directly with the power adapter rather than plugging into the Mac itself. The USB-C accessory attaches to the USB-C port on one of Apple's official chargers for the MacBook Pro, providing additional ports.
Design wise, it's made from the same white plastic as Apple's power adapter for a sleek, clean look when attached, and it is sized to fit the 61W, 87W, and 96W power adapters Apple offers. For those with a MacBook Air, it unfortunately isn't recommended with the 30W power adapters.
The best fit is with the 61W power adapter Apple provides with the 13-inch MacBook Pro, but it also works fine with the larger power adapters supplied with the 15 and 16-inch MacBook Pro models. Though able to fit those chargers, the ElevationHub is limited to passthrough charging up to 61W, so it may not be able to supply enough power to charge the larger MacBook Pro models when they're under a heavy load.
For that reason, it's an ideal product for the 13-inch MacBook Pro models, though if you don't often do system intensive tasks on a larger MacBook Pro, it should also work fine. If used with larger MacBook Pro models, be aware that they will charge slower than with a standard USB-C cable.
In addition to 61W passthrough charging, the ElevationHub includes a USB-A 3.0 port and an SD card slot, useful for attaching USB-A accessories or getting photos from an SD card pulled from a camera or drone.
You can purchase the ElevationHub with an optional 6-foot USB-C cable that supports transfer speeds up to 5Gb/s, or use it with the standard USB-C cable that Apple provides. It comes with a built-in cable wrap for cable management, and I do recommend the add-on cable even though it's $10 more because it's high quality and features a nice braided design that will hold up to heavy use.
Depending on your particular desk setup, the ElevationHub might be of limited use. I charge my MacBook Pro using a power adapter that's plugged in behind my table and in a cable management box, which means that USB-A port and SD card slot are not easy to get to. I don't find this to be a convenient solution in that situation, but for those who have a setup where the charging is done in a way that keeps the power adapter on a desk, it's useful.
If you plan to use those ports in a plug something in and forget about it kind of way, there are more possibilities. You could plug an SSD or hard drive into the USB-A port and tuck it away with the power adapter under a desk for a convenient Time Machine or add-on storage solution, and the same goes for the SD card slot. All of the ports worked as expected during my testing.
ElevationHub is also useful for travel. Airports, libraries, and schools often have desktop outlets, and that's the kind of situation where the ElevationHub comes in handy. It adds ports you might need for charging an iPhone or connecting an SSD, plus the cable wrangling feature is useful when you need to toss your power adapter in your bag or backpack.
Bottom Line
The ElevationHub is a bit of a niche product. It works well with the 13-inch MacBook Pro, but it's not compatible with the 13-inch MacBook Air and it isn't ideal for the larger MacBook Pro models in all situations giving the charging limitations.
That said, there are some useful perks depending on your desk setup or how you plan to use the ElevationHub, so it's worth checking out for those who are looking for something for travel or those who want a way to add a MacBook accessory or two that's permanently tucked away.
Woot has been discounting Apple's AirPods Pro for a few weeks now, marking the Bluetooth headphones down to $189.99, from $249.00. Although we saw a better deal over Black Friday, Woot's sale remains the best ongoing discount on AirPods Pro for December, and Woot is still guaranteeing Christmas day delivery.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Woot. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
If you order today, Woot estimates a delivery date between December 21 and 23, so we're getting close to the cut-off day before shipments slip past the holidays. Woot's sale is also beating the $199.00 price tag we're currently seeing at places like Amazon and Walmart.
Although Woot is known for its used and refurbished marketplace, this sale is for a new pair of AirPods Pro. You'll also get a one year Apple warranty on the headphones.
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.
Apple is looking to launch an updated ninth-generation iPad with a larger 10.5-inch display and the A13 chip in Spring 2021, according to Chinese website cnBeta.
The report, spotted by iMore, speculates that the ninth-generation iPad will be similar to the current eighth-generation iPad, but with a number of minor improvements. The ninth-generation iPad is said to have a larger, 10.5-inch LED display, the A13 Bionic chip, 4GB of RAM, and a thinner, lighter design. It will reportedly still have a Home Button with Touch ID and the Lightning port.
It would be possible to achieve a larger 10.5-inch display and thinner design by reusing the chassis and front panel of the third-generation iPad Air. This seems highly plausible because Apple tends to trickle designs down its iPad lineup. For example, the design of the first-generation iPad Air came to the fifth-generation iPad, the design of the 10.5-inch iPad Pro came to the third-generation iPad Air, and the design of the 11-inch iPad Pro came to the fourth-generation iPad Air.
The third-generation iPad Air is 0.07 pounds lighter and 1.4mm thinner than the eighth-generation iPad, has a 10.5-inch display, and retains the Lightning port and Home Button, so it clearly meets the remit of what is expected from the ninth-generation iPad. Reusing this design would also allow Apple to keep costs down for the lower price point of the iPad.
These rumored specifications would also offer some clear upgrades over the current model, while not cannibalizing the mid-range fourth-generation iPad Air, which has a 10.9-inch display, the A14 chip, Touch ID integrated into the Power Button, and USB-C.
However, it would be peculiar for Apple to update its entry-level iPad so soon after the eighth-generation model was released. Apple unveiled the eighth-generation as recently as September with the A12 Bionic chip. Yet this was a very minor update, with only the chip being upgraded from the A10 Fusion to the A12 Bionic. No other specs were changed. So while this ninth-generation iPad is rumored to be released sooner than expected, it is perhaps made more likely by the fact that the previous update was so minor.
The report says that the ninth-generation iPad may start at a slightly lower $299 price point with storage configurations starting at 64GB, which is double that of the current-generation.
Earlier this week, Apple introduced new wireless over-ear headphones called AirPods Max, and first impressions and unboxing videos have now surfaced from various media outlets and YouTube channels. Priced at $549, the AirPods Max launch December 15.
A first real-life look at AirPods Max via CNET
AirPods Max feature a 40-mm Apple-designed dynamic driver that is said to provide "rich, deep bass, accurate mid-ranges, and crisp, clean high-frequency extension." Each ear cup is equipped with Apple's H1 chip for "computational audio" to deliver the "highest quality listening experience possible," according to Apple.
While more time is needed for in-depth reviews, The Verge's Nilay Patel said AirPods Max sound "more than good enough to compete with other high-end headphones":
Sound-wise, I've had fun listening to the AirPods Max for a few hours — they're crisp and bright, with a pleasingly wider soundstage than my Sony headphones, and no distortion at all, even at max volume. We'll have a full review of these soon, including tests of spatial audio and Apple's claim of Atmos surround sound support, so stay tuned for that. But for now, rest assured the AirPods Max sound more than good enough to compete with other high-end headphones.
Apple says the AirPods Max feature a "breathable knit mesh" spanning the headband that distributes weight to reduce on-head pressure, but this might be more marketing speak than anything, as Patel said he "can't say it feels very much different than my Sony WH-1000XM2s, but it's possible I just have a very large head."
Patel says that it takes two hours to charge AirPods Max to their full, advertised 20-hour battery life using Apple's small 5W charger, with no option for fast charging, even if you use a Lightning to USB-C cable. That said, if you forget to charge the AirPods Max overnight, a five-minute charge provides enough juice for 1.5 hours of listening time.
CNET's David Carnoy believes the AirPods Max "raise the noise-canceling bar," edging out both Sony's WH-1000XM4 and Bose's Noise Cancelling Headphones 700, two of the most popular over-ear headphone models on the market:
On top of that, their noise canceling is arguably the best I've experienced, slightly edging out the noise canceling on both Sony's WH-1000XM4 and Bose's Noise Cancelling Headphones 700. (I haven't yet compared them closely to Bose's QuietComfort Earbuds, which offer the best noise-canceling for true-wireless earphones.) They don't completely silence the world around you, but I was out on the streets of New York, and they did a bang-up job of muffling noise -- I could barely hear the traffic around me. Finally, they work quite well as a headset for making calls and are particularly good at reducing wind noise.
Carnoy also said the AirPods Max have "impressive" build quality, although he noted that the headphones are quite heavy:
For heavy headphones they are comfortable, but not necessarily super comfy. It'd be nice if they were 20% lighter, but the way the headband is designed, with its mesh canopy, it takes a good amount of pressure off the top of your head. They might look and feel a little big for people with smaller heads, but they do seem to fit a good range of head types.
AirPods Max come with a carrying case called the "Smart Case," which puts the headphones in an ultra-low power state to preserve battery charge when not in use, according to Apple. The case has already become the butt of a joke on social media, and many of the first impressions shared so far agree that the case looks rather peculiar.
Smart Case for AirPods Max via CNET
CNBC's Todd Haselton found the AirPods Max to be "super comfortable" with extended use, and he also praised the precise volume control offered by the Digital Crown, a feature adapted from the Apple Watch:
I wore the AirPods Max for several hours Wednesday and they felt super comfortable. There's a breathable mesh band on the top that felt light on my head and didn't get sweaty or hot. I also love the ear cups, which are spacious and fit around my ears instead of sitting on them.
There are a lot of high-end touches, like aluminum cups and a steel frame, instead of plastic parts you might find in competing headsets. I also dig the Digital Crown that Apple brought over from the Apple Watch. It feels solid and turns easily to adjust the volume. A lot of competing high-end headphones use touch controls for volume, which isn't as accurate as a physical control.
Facebook services including Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp, and Facebook itself are all currently suffering outages, based on user reports posted to social media.
The majority of issues appear to be focused in European countries, but problems have also been reported in other countries, too, suggesting even more widespread outages.
Users of the Facebook-owned apps report issues connecting to the platforms, leaving them unable to post or access news feeds, direct messages, and stories.
Facebook hasn't responded to the reports of widespread connection issues yet, but we'll update this article with any further developments.
Caviar, a site known for creating extravagant, expensive replacement casings for Apple's iPhone models, today announced the launch of its latest custom creation, an iPhone 12 Pro customized in the style of an iPhone 4.
The "iPhone 12 Pro Jobs 4" collection is dedicated to Steve Jobs and the 10th anniversary of the iPhone 4 – the last model to be personally presented by Jobs – and features iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max models in blackened titanium, white, and a luxury gold version.
The front of each iPhone has been left untouched, but the backs feature an authentic fragment of Jobs' original famous turtleneck embedded in the Apple logo, while the lower part of the smartphones are adorned with Jobs' autograph, "as a sign of quality, a symbol of his time," and the famous Apple slogan, "Think different."
According to Caviar, the white model is made of composite G10 covered with jewelry enamel and its apple logo is made of 925 sterling silver, while the gold model is made of genuine 18 karat gold and its apple logo is crafted from 750 gold.
More details on the new "iPhone 12 Pro Jobs 4" collection can be found on Caviar's website. The new iPhones are priced starting at $6,490 for a 128GB black titanium iPhone 12 model, and go up to $10,140 for a black and gold iPhone 12 Pro Max with 512GB storage.
Caviar also sells a range of other customized luxury iPhones made from unique materials and with intricate designs. In addition, this year it is also selling custom New Balance 991 sneakers, which also include a piece of Jobs' turtleneck and a little titanium plate featuring the "Think different" slogan.
Caviar says each phone in the series will be released in a limited edition of 10 models, while the custom New Balance 991 sneakers limited to 30 pieces.
Apple is touting next week's launch of its Apple Watch electrocardiogram (ECG) feature in Taiwan, following the upcoming release of watchOS 7.2 and iOS 14.3.
In a newsroom update on its regional Taiwanese website, Apple says the ECG app on Apple Watch Series 4 and subsequent models will be launched in Taiwan via iOS 14.3 and watchOS 7.2 from Tuesday, December 15, Taiwan time.
The ECG feature, which is now available in nearly 50 countries for Apple Watch Series 4, 5, and 6, allows users to directly measure electrical heart activity by simply placing their finger on the Digital Crown for 30 seconds. The irregular heart rhythm feature intermittently measures the user's heart rate in the background and sends a notification if it detects an anomaly it categorizes as atrial fibrillation, which can be a serious heart arrhythmia condition.
Both features are considered medical diagnostics, and so they require approval from regulators in each country where they are to be made available, a requirement that has slowed the rollout of the features.
Apple says the app has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration of Taiwan's Ministry of Health and Welfare as a Class II software for medical devices (SaMD).
iOS 14.3 and watchOS 7.2 are expected to be released on Monday, December 14, which is also the day that Apple Fitness+ is coming out. The new software also introduces new ECG capabilities that allow the ECG app to check for atrial fibrillation (AFib) at higher heart rates.
Apple's Chinese supply partners saw off competition from Taiwanese rivals to bag the majority of orders for Apple's newly unveiled AirPods Max over-ear headphones, a new report today claims.
According to DigiTimes, Chinese manufacturers Luxshare Precision Industry and Goertek won the majority of AirPods Max orders, despite Taiwan-based Iventec's involvement in the early development of the headphones.
The Chinese makers beat Taiwanese rivals to the AirPods Max orders, even though Inventec Appliances had reportedly participated in the early development of the device, said the sources.
Inventec is already a major Apple supplier of AirPods Pro and it's not clear exactly why it lost out on orders of AirPods Max, but it's possible the Taiwan-based manufacturer's production lines lacked the diversification needed to assemble the new devices, which were reportedly delayed multiple times because of production issues.
DigiTimes' sources suggest that both Luxshare and Goertek are actually producing AirPods Max at their plants in Vietnam, underscoring Apple's plan to accelerate the relocation of its related supply chains out of China, without necessarily moving on from its Chinese partners.
AirPods Max are now backordered until March on Apple's online store, although Apple and third-party retailers like Best Buy and Amazon could theoretically have stocks replenished sooner.
Since August, Panera Bread has been an Apple Card partner, providing customers with 3 percent Daily Cash when the Apple Card is used with Apple Pay for purchases in the Panera app, on Panera.com, or in Panera restaurants in the United States.
For the next two weeks, Panera is providing an additional bonus to Apple Card holders, according to a promotional email that went out this evening.
Panera Bread customers can get $5 in Daily Cash back when making a purchase of $25 or more with Apple Pay in the Panera app, website, or in a Panera retail location. The offer is limited to a single qualifying purchase of at least $25, excluding gift cards, and the deal will be available from 12/9/20 to 12/25/20.
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