MacRumors

For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with Softorino to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win a fully upgraded iPad Air and a copy of WALTR PRO to go along with it.

WALTR PRO is the third iteration of the popular WALTR app that's designed to make it easy to get any file from your computer onto an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. It's fantastic for transferring photos, videos, music, and more with an intuitive drag and drop format.

Priced at $29.99, WALTR PRO is available for both Windows and macOS. It supports files of any kind and has a built-in converter so you don't even need to think about file types -- WALTR PRO handles everything for you, turning files into Apple-compatible versions.

File conversion happens automatically when uploading something to an ‌iPhone‌ or ‌iPad‌, but you can also drag and drop to convert media files locally and save them to your internal or external drive in an Apple-friendly format.

The new version of the app includes an upgraded version of the Automatic Content Recognition tool, which is designed to scan your files and add appropriate metadata like album names or movie titles. Users can now manually edit all metadata before files are transferred so everything's perfect the first time.

The original WALTR app has been great for transferring music and videos to an iOS device, but WALTR PRO takes it a step further and offers up control over where files are transferred, so you can choose specific apps. If you import a video, for example, you can choose to transfer it right to VLC. Holding down the Option key will let users choose a target app after dragging a file into the WALTR PRO window.

WALTR PRO can be used to add music files to Apple Music, and with iCloud enabled the content uploaded is backed up and able to be played directly from the HomePod or HomePod mini.

WALTR PRO has always been a useful alternative to iTunes for getting content from a Mac or PC to an iOS device, and now that iTunes has been retired, it's even more useful. It's easily one of the most hassle-free ways to initiate file transfers for those who need to manually transfer movies, videos, documents, PDFs, and more to the ‌iPhone‌ or ‌iPad‌.

Softorino is providing a 256GB ‌iPad Air‌ in the color of the winner's choice, with the winner able to choose a WiFi or a WiFi + Cellular model and engraving if desired. The winner will also get a free copy of WALTR PRO Family Pack for either macOS or Windows.

To enter to win, use the Gleam.io widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winners and send the prizes. You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, following us on Instagram, or visiting the MacRumors Facebook page.

Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years or older and Canadian residents (excluding Quebec) who have reached the age of majority in their province or territory are eligible to enter. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.

The contest will run from today (May 21) at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time on May 28. The winner will be chosen randomly on May 28 and will be contacted by email. The winner will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before a new winner is chosen.

Apple today added a new "Why Mac" explainer page to its main Apple.com website, which, as the name suggests, pitches reasons why customers should choose to buy a Mac.

The Mac is "easy to learn," powerful, and equipped with tons of apps and free software updates.

Easy to learn. Astoundingly powerful. And designed to let you work, play, and create in ways you never imagined. It's the computer that comes packed with apps that are ready to go right out of the box. Free, regular software updates keep things up to date and running smoothly. And if you already have an iPhone, it feels familiar from the moment you turn it on.

The mini site features highlights on how easy it is to set up a Mac and migrate info and accounts, the Mac's capabilities, and details on how simple the macOS software is to learn.

Apple points out how well the Mac works with other devices like iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch thanks to continuity features, and the privacy features introduced with the M1 chip and the macOS Big Sur update.

The new "Why Mac" site is featured on the homepage, and it includes purchase links for the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and iMac.

Apple today seeded second release candidate versions of iOS and iPadOS 14.6 to developers for testing purposes, with the new software coming five days after Apple seeded the first release candidates.

iOS and iPadOS 14.6 can be downloaded through the Apple Developer Center or over the air after the proper profile has been installed on an iPhone or iPad.

iOS and iPadOS 14.6 add support for Apple Music features, including Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos and Lossless Audio.

Spatial Audio will provide an immersive audio experience that makes it sound like music is coming from all around you, while Lossless Audio will provide higher-quality music that sounds exactly as it does when artists create it in the studio. At launch, thousands of tracks will feature Spatial Audio support, and more than 20,000 songs will support Lossless Audio. By the end of the year, 75 million songs will support it.

For AirTags, the beta adds a new feature that allows an email address to be entered as a contact method for Lost Mode instead of a phone number. In iOS 14.5, there is no option to use an email, with Apple only allowing for a phone number.

iOS 14.6 will see the debut of Apple Podcasts Subscriptions, which were first introduced at Apple's April event. With Podcasts subscriptions, Podcasts users can sign up to subscribe to their favorite podcasters, unlocking ad-free listening, bonus episodes, and other perks.

The update also includes new features for marking all Podcasts episodes as played, removing downloads, and recovering episodes, all of which are designed to address complaints that surfaced after the release of the updated Podcasts app in iOS 14.5.

iOS 14.6 lays the groundwork for Apple Card Family, a feature that Apple introduced at its April event. ‌Apple Card‌ Family allows spouses to share a single ‌Apple Card‌ account, with each person serving as a co-owner to build credit.

‌Apple Card‌ Family also lets parents share an ‌Apple Card‌ with their children for making purchases, with optional spending limits and parental controls to help children learn smart financial habits. All spending by the family is tracked with a single monthly bill, and up to five people over 13 can be added to an ‌Apple Card‌ account for sharing purposes.

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

Apple Card Family
- Apple Card can be shared with up to five people, including anyone 13 years or older in your Family Sharing group
- Apple Card Family adds support for families to track expenses, manage spending with optional limits and controls, and build credit together

Podcasts
- Subscription support for channels and individual shows

AirTag and Find My
- Lost mode option to add an email address instead of a phone number for AirTag and Find My network accessories
- AirTag will show the partially masked phone number of the owner when tapped with an NFC-capable device

Accessibility
- Voice Control users can unlock their iPhone for the first time after a restart using only their voice

This release also fixes the following issues:
- Unlock with Apple Watch may not work after using Lock iPhone on Apple Watch
- Reminders may appear as blank lines
- Call blocking extensions may not appear in Settings
- Bluetooth devices could sometimes disconnect or send audio to a different device during an active call
- iPhone may experience reduced performance during startup

iOS 14.6 is expected to be released in the near future, and Apple has already seeded iOS 14.7 to developers.

The 2nd generation iPad, introduced by Steve Jobs in March of 2011, has officially been marked as an obsolete product worldwide. Released less than a year after the launch of the original ‌‌iPad‌‌, the second-generation ‌‌iPad‌‌ marked a breakthrough for the product line and set the groundwork for years to come.

Apple added the ‌iPad‌ 2 to its "vintage and obsolete" product list in May of 2019, which marked the ‌iPad‌ as obsolete in all countries except the United States and Turkey, where local law required Apple to continue to consider it a vintage product. Yesterday, however, Apple updated its list to add the new ‌iPad‌ to its official obsolete list, deeming it obsolete worldwide.

The second-generation ‌iPad‌ included an updated design that was 33% thinner than the original ‌iPad‌. The new ‌iPad‌ also sported new capabilities, including a front-facing camera for FaceTime calls, a gyroscope, and an updated dual-core A5 processor, twice as fast as the original ‌iPad‌ and up to nine times faster in graphics. The ‌iPad‌ was also offered in both white and black models.

Apple classifies products that have been discontinued for at least seven years as "obsolete," meaning that they are unable to receive any hardware service from Apple or its service providers.

Snap CEO Evan Spiegel today told CNBC that his company is "happy" to pay Apple's 30 percent cut of in-app purchases because of the benefits that Apple provides with its software and hardware.

We really feel like Snapchat wouldn't exist without the iPhone and without the amazing platform that Apple has created. In that sense, I'm not sure we have a choice about paying the 30% fee, and of course, we're happy to do it in exchange for all the amazing technology that they provide to us in terms of the software but also in terms of their hardware advancements.

Spiegel went on to say that Snapchat is "aligned" with Apple on the App Tracking Transparency changes implemented to protect privacy. "The early investments we made starting almost 10 years ago to protect user privacy on our platform are really paying off," said Spiegel.

Snap is working to help its advertising clients migrate to Apple's SKAdNetwork, which Apple has provided as an alternative to the Advertising Identifier. "So far, that transition has gone smoothly for our business," Spiegel said.

Spiegel's comments come on the last day of the ongoing Epic Games v. Apple trial, a legal battle that is taking place because ‌Epic Games‌ has rebelled against Apple's App Store fees and policies.

‌Epic Games‌ attempted to skirt Apple's ‌App Store‌ rules with a direct payment option in the popular Fortnite game, leading Apple to pull the app and creating an antitrust dispute that will be decided in court. ‌Epic Games‌ does not want to pay Apple's 30 percent fee, and is lobbying for alternative payment options and alternative ways to install apps on iOS devices.

Today is the one of the last days of the Epic Games v. Apple trial, and Apple CEO Tim Cook has taken the stand to ask questions levied by both Apple and Epic lawyers.

Cook's testimony won't be integral to the outcome of the trial, but what he has to say is of interest because this is the first time that he's testified in a legal case, which highlights the serious nature of this dispute.

From the beginning, Cook established that he wasn't deeply involved with the App Store. He said that he oversees the strategic direction of the company, and that he works with the ‌App Store‌ in a "limited review capacity."

Apple's early questioning steered Cook toward discussions of privacy and the privacy protections that Apple has implemented into its devices.

"Privacy is one of the most important issues of the century," said Cook. "And safety and security are the foundations of privacy, and tech vacuums all sorts of data from people so we like to provide tools to circumvent."

Cook went on to explain that in a "world where you view everyone looking at your every move, you do less over time" because it affects freedom of expression.

Questioning then shifted to some of the key issues in the trial. Cook was asked if third-party companies could implement app review as effectively as Apple, and Cook said no.

They're not as motivated as Apple is. For us, the customer is everything. We're trying to give the customer an integrated solution of hardware, software, and services. We deliver a brand of privacy, security, and safety. I just don't think you can replicate that in a third-party.

Cook went on to explain that the ‌App Store‌ is "not perfect" and that Apple does "find mistakes being made," but given that there are 1.8 million apps in the ‌App Store‌, Apple does "a really good job."

Cook will testify for over an hour, and we'll continue to update this article with additional key statements as he answers questions. Cook will be questioned by both Apple and Epic lawyers, beginning with Apple and then going over to Epic. Apple's questioning will steer Cook in the direction of issues and documents that Apple wants to highlight or explain, while Epic's questioning will be more targeted and difficult for Cook to answer.

Questioning by Judge Rogers

Judge Rogers engaged Cook in a long debate about in-app purchases and how they're driven by games. Rogers is curious what's wrong with Apple providing users with choice within in-app purchases. If people want to buy v-bucks separately, what's the issue with Apple giving them that option? Or telling them they can make the choice?

Cook said that if people were allowed to link out, Apple would "in essence give up [its] total return on [its] IP. The judge then pointed out that games make up most of the in-app purchases. "It's almost as if they're subsidizing everybody else," she said.

"We need a return on our IP," said Cook. "We have 150,000 APIs to create and maintain, numerous developer tools, and processing fees."

She had several questions about in-app purchases and Apple's business model, and she also said that she didn't believe that Apple introduced the 15 percent cut because of COVID rather than because of the litigation that Apple is facing.

Apple's system is "quite lucrative" and the judge says it's a choice that Apple made, not something that Apple was required to do. Apple, for example, does not take a cut of the money when a customer uses a banking app. "You don't charge Wells Fargo, right? But you're charging gamers to subsidize Wells Fargo." Cook explained that gamers are "transacting" on Apple's platform, while other apps are not.

"I understand that Apple is somehow bringing the customer to the gamers, but after that first time, after that interaction, the developers of the games are keeping their customers. Apple's profiting off of that, it seems to me," said the judge.

"I view it differently," said Cook. "We're creating the entire commerce on the store, and we're doing that by focusing on getting the largest audience there. We do that with a lot of free apps, and those bring a lot to the table."

The judge went on to cite a study that showed 39 percent of developers are dissatisfied with the ‌App Store‌. "It doesn't seem like you have competition or feel much incentive to work for developers or to change the way that you act to address the concerns of developers," said Judge Rogers.

Additional Testimony From Cook - Epic's Lawyers

• Cook was asked whether Apple competes against Google in operating systems. "We compete against Samsung and LG," Cook said. "Customers don't buy operating systems, they buy devices," said Cook, before Epic's lawyer referenced a video where Cook did say that Apple competes with Google. Apple's lawyer asked Cook if that was him. "It sure looks like me," Cook joked.
• Epic went back to questioning Apple about profit and loss estimates that were shared earlier in the trial. Epic's lawyer referenced a "Fiscal Year '20 Services Summary" that has classified operating margin estimates for the ‌App Store‌. Cook said these estimates don't represent "fully burdened" costs for the ‌App Store‌, which is why they're inaccurate, but Epic maintains that these high profit estimates are accurate and is attempting to demonstrate to the judge that this is the case.
• Earlier, Cook said that the estimates pertain to both the iOS and macOS App Stores. Epic's lawyer asked him to clarify the split of revenues from both, and Cook said that iOS "would be a lot larger." More discussion on this point will happen in a sealed session.
• Epic's lawyer questioned Cook about in-app purchases. In-app purchases are designed to reduce friction for customers (no need to enter a payment method), which is one of the benefits. "Apple doesn't want customers to make a purchase on the web if it's possible to make it within the app?" asked the lawyer. "We want them to do what they want to do," said Cook. "Focus is on them." Cook did, however, acknowledge that he wants users to stay in app.
• "In-app purchases are a substantial portion" of ‌App Store‌ purchases, right?" asked the lawyer. "It would be the dominant way of purchasing," said Cook. "Is it the dominant source of revenue too?" asked the lawyer. "I think so," Cook said.
• "Apple will make 15 to 30 percent whether it's an impulse purchase or a thoughtful decision. Apple has no policy against impulse purchases," said Epic's lawyer. Cook disagreed, pointing out that parental controls are available so parents can make sure children aren't making impulse purchases.
• "Do you not believe that it is as easy to buy virtual currency on the web as it is when you are in the app?" asked the lawyer. "It takes another click to leave the app and then go to the web. Lots of people do it," said Cook.
• Questioning switched over to Apple's decision to ban Fortnite and its attempt to ban the ‌Epic Games‌ account. Cook says that he reviewed the decision that Apple made to cut off Epic's access, and agreed with it. Epic's actions were "malicious," said Cook.
• Apple has said that banning ‌Epic Games‌ was its only viable action, but at the same time, the company offered to let Fortnite back in the ‌App Store‌ if it agreed to the ‌App Store‌ rules. "Why would Apple do that if Epic is a bad actor?" the lawyer asked Cook. "It would benefit users to have them back on the store, if they abided by the rules," Cook said. "The user is trapped between two companies and it's not the right thing to do to the user." Cook said that Apple was not thinking about money at all, and Fortnite's revenue was not a consideration.
• The lawyer insinuated that Apple's decision to try to ban the ‌Epic Games‌ account as well was a form of retaliation, pointing out another issue with the Down Dog Yoga app, which Cook said he was not familiar with. Cook said bullying and retaliation are against Apple's core culture.
• Lawyer said that it's impossible to say a store with 1.8 million apps is curated, but Cook said that's not true and he didn't agree with that assessment. Lawyer pointed out that Apple does not go through and make editorial judgements on an app by app basis to decide what's allowed, and Cook said that the lawyer doesn't understand the term curation, so the lawyer gave a dictionary definition of curated.
• Lawyer asked about third-party app stores that are tailored to people's specific interests or more curated, and Cook said he's not aware of that kind of app store. The point of the questioning is to point out that other kinds of app stores could have value in addition to the ‌App Store‌. The lawyer also highlighted the fact that only Apple can recommend apps in the iOS ‌App Store‌.
• The lawyer asked Cook about his prior statements that no company would be as dedicated as Apple managing a third-party ‌App Store‌. "Could third-parties do a better job? You have no idea if that's true on iPhone because no one has had the opportunity," said the lawyer. "It's an experiment I didn't want to run," said Cook. "I'm giving you my business judgement." "The market could come to a different judgement," said the lawyer. If there were a third-party ‌App Store‌, Apple would have to actually compete and persuade users to use its version. "There's no way to know if someone could do a better job than Apple," said Epic's lawyer. "I disagree," said Cook.
• Cook was asked that if there were multiple stores, would customers be able to tell the difference between them? Cook said he didn't know. "When customers buy an ‌iPhone‌ today, they buy something that just works. They buy into a total ecosystem." Epic's lawyer pointed out that Apple trusts customers to know the difference between content in the ‌App Store‌ and content on Safari. Couldn't Apple educate customers? and wouldn't customers be able to choose the ‌App Store‌ if it offered features they liked? asked the lawyer. "It seems like complexity they shouldn't have to deal with," said Cook.
• Do all developers like things the way they are? asked the lawyer. "Some developers don't like it," said Cook, referencing ‌Epic Games‌. He said there are a "few others" who aren't satisfied with the ‌App Store‌ policies, prompting Epic's lawyer to ask how many developers came in to testify on Apple's behalf in this trial. "Would it surprise you to hear it's zero?" asked the lawyer. "No, it wouldn't surprise me," said Cook "I don't see that there would be a natural way to include them.
• Cook was asked if Apple's privacy stance sets it apart from other companies. "I think we care more than others do," said Cook. "There's some people that really want that and buy an ‌iPhone‌ because of it." Cook was asked about ‌App Store‌ data collection, and said "we generally collect the minimum amount that we can." Epic's lawyer suggested that someone could offer a store that collects less, which users might prefer, a situation Cook called "very hypothetical."
• "Do you see any benefit at all to Mac users being able to download apps outside of the Mac App Store?" asked the lawyer. "Mac and ‌iPhone‌ are very different," said Cook. "Not all of the apps are on the ‌Mac App Store‌." "Are there any benefits to the design that allows users to choose apps that are outside of the ‌Mac App Store‌?" pressed the lawyer. "They'd be a lot safer if they did it the other way," said Cook.

Additional Testimony From Cook - Apple's Lawyers

• Cook said Apple implemented the 15% cut to ‌App Store‌ commissions for developers making under $1 million because of the impact of COVID. Apple considers regulatory issues when making decisions it was in the back of Cook's mind, but he maintained COVID was the reasoning. Schiller previously said it was in the works for years but COVID pushed Apple to get it out.
• Apple spent $18.8 billion on R&D in 2020. Cook said R&D benefits the ‌App Store‌, but Apple doesn't allocate a specific amount of money for ‌App Store‌ improvement. "We don't allocate like that."
• The ‌App Store‌ is a "great opportunity" for developers and more importantly, great for users. "The breadth of apps and what you can do with them, it's hard to imagine a part of your life that you can't have an app for."
• In-app purchase commission is used for payment processing, developer support, APIs, and more. If IAP didn't exist, "we would have to come up with another system to invoice developers, which would be a mess," Cook said.
• When asked why apps can't direct users to deals on their websites, Cook said it would be "akin to Apple down at Best Buy saying 'Best Buy, put a sign there advertising where we are and that you can go across the street and get an ‌iPhone‌.'"
• In emails, Apple often refers to "stickiness," which Cook says sticky means to "have such high customer satisfaction that people don't want to leave." Apple also references locking people into devices, which Cook says means making products work so well together that customers don't want to switch. Cook said that he is unaware of anything Apple could do to actually lock people into devices. This line of questioning relates to a 2010 email from Jobs that said Apple's strategy is to tie its products together to "further lock customers into our ecosystem."
• iMessage's platform exclusivity has been brought up several times during the trial, and Cook was asked about the difficulty of leaving iMessage. Cook said it's a "really good feature" but it doesn't prevent people from going to Android.
• Cook says that estimates that have suggested Apple's profit margins are 70 to 80% do not take into account many of Apple's investments, and those estimates are also based on both the ‌App Store‌ and ‌Mac App Store‌ combined. This line of questioning stems from an internal document where Apple discussed profit and loss internally. Cook says this document does not show P&L, and this document is sealed and won't become public.
• Cook says that third-party app stores would be "terrible for the user." Without Apple's review, the store would be a "toxic mess" that would be bad for developers.

As today is the last day of the trial, Apple and ‌Epic Games‌ will submit their final briefs of fact by noon today. The judge has said that we should not expect a ruling right away because she has many other cases to deal with.

Apple marketing employee Scott Broderick and display engineer Vincent Gu recently spoke with Apple Bitz XL podcast host Brian Tong about the new iPad Pro, including the M1 chip and the Liquid Retina XDR display.

While the Apple employees dodged many of the questions asked in the interview, they did reveal that the new 11-inch iPad Pro's lack of a Liquid Retina XDR display is at least partly due to weight considerations. The latest 11-inch model weighs 1.03 pounds, while the 12.9-inch model weighs 1.5 pounds, in part due to the heavier XDR display.

"What we know about the 11-inch user is that they just love bringing a super powerful iPad with them in a portable one-pound design," said Broderick. "They just love the form factor of that. Whereas the user who is embracing the 12.9-inch display, they were looking for the largest canvas to do their most creative work on that product, and that made sense to bring that XDR technology to the 12.9-inch display for the iPad Pro."

The interview also discusses the capabilities of the iPad Pro's newly added Thunderbolt support, the new Center Stage front camera feature that automatically keeps users perfectly framed during video calls, and more.

Enabled by the new and more powerful Apple TV 4K, YouTube has enabled 4K video playback at 60 frames per second for its ‌Apple TV‌ app, rather than the previously capped 30 frames per second.

YouTube rolled out 4K support for its Apple TV app in October; however, to much disappointment to users, playback was limited to only 30 frames per second. Thanks to the new powerful A12 Bionic processor, as noted on Reddit and the MacRumors Forum, YouTube is now able to play back 4K video at 60 frames per second. MacRumors testing also confirmed 4K video play back at 60 frames per second is not available on the older ‌Apple TV‌ 4K.

The exclusivity of YouTube playback at 4K at 60 frames per second on the new ‌Apple TV‌ 4K, which began arriving to customers today, is likely due to the video codec that YouTube uses compared to other apps, which requires more processing power.

Despite an updated processor, the new ‌Apple TV‌ features the same design as the previous generation but includes a completely redesigned ‌Apple TV‌ remote. The new ‌Apple TV‌ remote is also available for purchase separately for older Apple TVs.

A questionable report is today claiming that Apple's next-generation MacBook Pro models will feature an "M1X" chip and remove the "‌MacBook Pro‌" logo from below the display.

The report from 9to5Mac says that "a source with a decent track record," iOS developer Dylandkt made the claims. According to Dylandkt, "Apple's planned name for the ‌MacBook Pro‌ chips" is the "M1X."

The M1X is an extension of the M1 that will contain more thunderbolt channels, cpu cores, gpu cores, multiple external monitor support, and greater power draw. These devices will both feature a 1080p webcam, SD card reader, three thunderbolt usb c ports, an updated MagSafe port, and an HDMI port.

9to5Mac suggested that this rumor from its source aligned with reliable Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman's recent report on the new ‌MacBook Pro‌ models, but this does not seem to be the case at all upon closer examination.

Earlier this week, Gurman explained that the upcoming 14- and 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ models will feature a new Apple silicon chip including a 10-core CPU with eight high-performance cores and two energy-efficient cores, 16-core or 32-core GPU options, support for up to 64GB of memory, and support for additional Thunderbolt ports.

Gurman did not comment about how the ‌MacBook Pro‌'s new chip would be branded, but given what he went on to explain in the report, it seems highly unlikely that it would be an "M1X."

The crucial detail Gurman explained was that the 13.3-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ and a high-end version of the MacBook Air are also due to get a new Apple silicon chip. This chip "will include the same number of computing cores as the M1 but run faster. It will also see the number of graphics cores increase from seven or eight to nine or 10."

This means that there are two next-generation Apple silicon chips in the works for MacBooks, with one for the 13.3-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ and high-end ‌MacBook Air‌, and one for the redesigned 14- and 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ models.

According to Gurman, the high-end chip for the 14- and 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ models differs considerably from the ‌M1‌, hence why it does not seem right that it would be an "M1X." Gurman himself said that the "new chips differ from the ‌M1‌'s design." Even so, it would be a fair guess to assume that Apple's next-generation chip for the ‌MacBook Pro‌ would be called the "M1X" if it was not for the other rumored chip that actually is supposed to be based on the ‌M1‌.

The report is brought even further into question by speculation about the "M2" chip:

Apple is said to be reserving the M2 name for next year's chips, and that this will likely debut in a new MacBook Air.

It seems unlikely that Apple would brand its high-end chip that differs from the ‌M1‌'s design the "M1X," while branding another chip that is less powerful, a direct successor to the ‌M1‌, and based on its design, the "‌M2‌."

Given these two suspect claims, the rest of the report's validity is brought into question. The claim that the ‌MacBook Pro‌ will drop the front-facing logo circulated on Twitter in recent days, including a hint from leaker Jon Prosser, so it may simply be an echo of that speculation.

All of the other claims about the "M1X" chip and the redesigned MacBook Pros in the report, such as additional Thunderbolt ports, SD-card reader, and HDMI port, have been made before by reliable sources such as Gurman and Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

For more information about Apple's upcoming 14- and 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ models, see our dedicated "Everything We Know" guide.

Spotify has announced it will finally allow users to download and play back songs, albums, playlists, and podcasts on their Apple Watch.

So far, Spotify users have been unable to download songs to their Apple Watch, always requiring an internet connection to play back songs. Now, requiring a premium subscription and watchOS 7 or later, Spotify will allow customers to download songs right on their wrist. Spotify already offered users this feature with Fitbit, Samsung Galaxy watches, and other smartwatches.

Spotify has provided these steps for how to download songs, playlists, albums, and more to the Apple Watch:

1. Find the music and podcasts you want to download on your watch.
2 Select the playlist, album, or podcast and press the three dots (…) and choose “Download to Apple Watch.”
3. To check on the progress, head over to the Downloads section on the watch.
4. Once playlists, albums, or podcasts in your library are downloaded, you’ll see a little green arrow next to their names.
5. Connect your headphones and start listening, no matter where you are!

With offline support on the Apple Watch, users can also use Siri to play songs right from Spotify, much like on the iPhone. Spotify says that offline playback from the Apple Watch will be 96 kbps and that the functionality is rolling out to users in the coming weeks.

Apple recently started selling the white PS5 DualSense wireless game controller through its online store, with pricing consistent with Sony at $69.95. Orders placed today are estimated to be delivered next week in the United States.

iOS 14.5, iPadOS 14.5, tvOS 14.5, and macOS 11.3 software updates released last month added support for PS5 and Xbox Series X controllers on the iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, and Mac, respectively. The controllers can be used with any controller-supported games, including those on Apple Arcade or streamed through the PS Remote Play app.

• How to Pair a PS5 and Xbox Series X Controller With iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV

Sony recently announced new Cosmic Red and Midnight Black color options for the PS5 DualSense controller, but Apple is not offering these colors at this time.

Apple continues to sell other "Made for iPhone" game controllers like the SteelSeries Nimbus+.

The Apple TV 4K (second- and third-generation) is capable of relaying audio from a compatible TV to a HomePod – even when you're not using your ‌Apple TV‌. This allows you to stream audio from a TV-connected game console or other set-top box straight to Apple's smart speakers. Keep reading to learn more and how to set it up.

The second- and third-generation ‌Apple TV‌ 4K supports two additional connection standards, called ARC and eARC. ARC (Audio Return Channel) is a feature of HDMI 1.4 that enables audio from a device to be sent to a compatible TV and relayed through its HDMI port to a separate audio receiver, speaker, or sound bar. eARC (enhanced ARC) meanwhile adds support for the passthrough of higher bandwidth audio like Dolby Atmos, as well as 5.1 and 7.1 surround sound.

For ‌Apple TV‌ 4K, ARC and eARC support effectively allows a ‌HomePod‌ or HomePod mini (or stereo-paired Homepods in a Home Theater Audio setup) to play audio from other TV-connected devices like a cable box, PS5, or Xbox Series X. The following steps show you how to get it set up.

Make sure that your TV supports ARC or eARC. You can check if it does by seeing if there's an ARC label next to your HDMI port, or try contacting the TV manufacturer.

1. On your ‌Apple TV‌, launch the Settings app.
2. Select Video and Audio.
3. Select Default Audio Output. (Under "Default Audio Output," make sure ‌HomePod‌ is selected.)
4. Under "Audio Return Channel (Beta)," select Play Television Audio. You'll know ARC or eARC is turned on when it says On (ARC) or On (eARC).

If ARC or eARC doesn't work for you after following the above steps, check whether you need to turn on ARC, eARC, or HDMI-CEC in the settings of your TV.

Apple has announced a new affiliate program for its upcoming Apple Podcasts Subscriptions platform that will allow users to earn a commission when a podcast link they share leads to a new subscriber.

Launching this month, Apple Podcast Subscriptions will allow users to subscribe to podcasts to receive perks, such as an ad-free listening experience, early access to episodes, and exclusive episodes.

The affiliate program pays a 50% commission for clicked links that lead to a subscription. For example, for a link to a podcast subscription that costs $10, the user would earn $5 in equivalent commissions. Apple says the payment scales globally based on the local market price.

Users who apply to the program are provided with a token that identifies their affiliate account when they publish a link to a paid-for podcast. This token aggregates all revenue generated through the user's affiliate links and pays out the commission earned with 30 days.

Apple's wording suggests that the affiliate program is geared towards podcast creators, however anyone can sign up to it and generate revenue using affiliate links.

Apple's existing affiliate programs cover content and subscriptions tied to the iTunes Store, Apple Music, Apple TV+, and Apple Books. To apply to the podcast affiliate initiative, visit the Apple Services Performance Partner Program.

Amazon has announced plans to discontinue its Prime Now delivery app and website by the end of the year. In a blog post, the company said it will fold its quick delivery options into the main Amazon app and website, a shift that has already occurred in India, Japan, and Singapore.

Prime Now has become a customer favorite, attracting millions of Prime members around the world with ultrafast delivery of everyday essentials, gifts, toys, high quality groceries, and more from Amazon and local stores. To make this experience even more seamless for customers, we are moving the experience from a separate Prime Now app onto the Amazon app and website so customers can shop all Amazon has to offer from one convenient location. Whether it's two-hour delivery from Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods Market, or one of our local stores like Bartell's in Seattle, Morrisons in Leeds, or Monoprix in Paris, Prime members will find what they need alongside the millions of items available on Amazon. Now that the Prime Now experience has a new home on Amazon, we will retire the Prime Now app and website worldwide by the end of this year.

In the U.S., Amazon began making two-hour delivery from Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods Market available on Amazon in 2019. The company says third-party partners and local stores around the world will be moved onto the main Amazon service by the end of 2021.

The change is part of a wider move to consolidate the company's many grocery services into the main Amazon platform. Amazon in January announced it would be discontinuing its separate Amazon Pantry service and shifting the household goods and grocery services covered by the brand into its main app and website.

Apple's latest iOS 14.7 beta appears to expand support for the Weather app's Air Quality Index feature to more countries and regions, based on user reports on Reddit and Twitter.

As noted by 9to5Mac, the feature is reportedly showing up for users in cities in the Netherlands, France, Italy, Spain, and Canada. Apple last expanded the feature in iOS 14.3 and iPadOS 14.3.

The Air Quality Index (AQI) is a measurement used by governments around the world to indicate the level of pollution in urban environments.

The AQI rates air quality on a scale from 0 (best) to 500 (worst), with values of 151-200 rated Unhealthy, 201-300 Very Unhealthy and 301-500 Hazardous. The measurement appears as a colored bar below the Weather app's 10-day forecast. AQI is also displayed in Maps and can be provided by Siri upon request.

iOS 14.7 appears to be a minor update, but we're likely to discover more small changes and improvements like this as Apple refines and propagates future beta versions before ultimately offering an official release for the general public.