MacRumors

Hit-and-miss leaker Jon Prosser has today alleged that the upcoming 2021 iMac models will offer five color options, mirroring the colors of the fourth-generation iPad Air, and revealed a number of additional details about the Mac Pro with Apple Silicon.

In a new video on YouTube channel FrontPageTech, Prosser explained that the redesigned iMacs will come featuring options for Silver, Space Gray, Green, Sky Blue, and Rose Gold.

He shared renders of what these new color options may look like on a redesigned ‌iMac‌, but noted that he has yet to see the rear of the new design, so his renders are purely speculative beyond color.

Prosser explained that the range of color options aims to capitalize on nostalgia for the original ‌iMac‌, which came in a selection of iconic colors such as lime, strawberry, blueberry, grape, and tangerine.

Redesigned iMacs with slimmer bezels and ‌Apple Silicon‌ chips have been expected for some time, but it is unclear exactly when they are expected to be launched this year or if both model sizes will come out at the same time.

Prosser also outlined a number of additional details about the upcoming ‌Mac Pro‌ with ‌Apple Silicon‌, supporting previous rumors from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman has said that the new ‌Mac Pro‌ will be less than half the size of the current ‌‌Mac Pro‌‌, putting it somewhere between the existing ‌‌Mac Pro‌‌ and the Mac mini. The machine is speculated to feature a mostly aluminum exterior and may "invoke nostalgia" for the Power Mac G4 Cube.

Prosser has now said that the new ‌Mac Pro‌ will feature a design that looks like "three to four Mac minis stacked on top of each other," and provided renders of the purported new look.

Internally, Prosser says that the ‌Mac Pro‌ will be designed with the "compute unit on the bottom" and a "big heat sink on top."

Late last year, Bloomberg reported that Apple plans to launch the new, smaller ‌‌Mac Pro‌‌ with ‌‌Apple Silicon‌‌ by the end of 2022, but it could arrive as soon as this year.

Apple co-founder and former CEO Steve Jobs was born on February 24, 1955, and if he was still alive, today would mark his 66th birthday.

Jobs founded Apple alongside Steve Wozniak in 1976, producing the very first Apple computers, but he also served as CEO during a pivotal period and was largely responsible for the company's wild success with products like the iPhone and the iPod.

Under Jobs' leadership from 1997 until his 2011 death from cancer, Apple went from a company on the brink of failure to one of the biggest tech companies thanks to the launch of the 1998 iMac and the well known "Think different" ad campaign.

The 1998 ‌iMac‌ was followed by a slew of other successful products, including the ‌iPhone‌, iPod, and iPad along with the iTunes Store. Jobs also oversaw the opening of the first Apple retail locations in 2001, and he established a company culture that Apple still operates under today.

As Apple CEO Tim Cook has said multiple times in the past, Jobs' thinking, unwavering perfectionism, dedication to hard work, and lust for innovation are the "foundation of Apple."

Millions of lives have been touched by Apple devices, and there are few technology products on the market that have not been influenced by Apple and Steve Jobs in some way, even today. ‌Tim Cook‌ has since taken over for Steve Jobs, and has kept Jobs' legacy alive.

Apple fans around the world will celebrate Steve Jobs and his accomplishments today, and ‌Tim Cook‌ as always has tweeted in memory of Jobs' birthday.

MacRumors also happens to share a birthday with Steve Jobs, and as of today, the site is turning 21. MacRumors was founded on February 24, 2000 by Arnold Kim, and what started out as a side project has grown right alongside Apple into the number one Apple news site on the web.

We're grateful to all of our dedicated readers, passionate community members, and volunteers, and we look forward to bringing you Apple news and rumors for the next 21 years. 🥂

Apple will host a new Apple Watch Activity Challenge in celebration of International Women's Day in March, according to 9to5Mac.

International Women's Day is celebrated every year on March 8 around the world as a focal point for women's rights.

The Activity Challenge will appear as an alert for Apple Watch users in the days leading up to the event. To win the International Women's Day award, Apple Watch users will need to complete a workout of any kind with a length of at least 20 minutes.

Apple Watch users who earn the award will also unlock a series of five animated stickers for Messages and FaceTime. Apple has offered similar Activity awards for International Women's Day in recent years, with the same 20-minute workout challenge.

Earlier this month, Apple hosted Activity Challenges for Heart Month and Black History Month, and there will be more challenges for special occasions throughout the year.

In previous years, Apple has celebrated International Women's Day with "She Creates" workshops at Apple retail stores and usually highlights apps, TV shows, and podcasts made by women.

As reported by Musically (via iMore), Apple's global Senior Director of Music publishing, Elean Segal, has shot down the possibility that Apple will introduce a free Apple Music tier, based on ads.

Segal was answering questions to British members of parliament in the UK's Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport committee, alongside representatives from Spotify and Amazon, about the economics of streaming services. The trio of representatives was asked about the price of their subscriptions, and their thoughts about free tiers for their services.

Spotify and Amazon both offer free tiers for their music streaming services, however, the experience includes frequent interruptions with ads and limited in-app features. On whether Apple would introduce a free tier for ‌Apple Music‌ with ads, Segal says that a free tier wouldn't generate enough revenue to "support a healthy overall ecosystem," and that it "also really goes against our fundamental values on privacy."

At a FAQ section on the ‌Apple Music‌ webpage, when asked whether the service has commercials, Apple emphatically says "‌Apple Music‌ has zero ads." An ad-free listening experience has always been a cornerstone of Apple's marketing for the service, and while it was unlikely a free-tier with ads would ever launch, the confirmation from an Apple executive will now put to rest any simmering hope.

Apple doesn't have tiers for ‌Apple Music‌ that offer different features, such as some of its competitors. Instead, Apple's pricing model around the service is based on users' personal needs. For a single user, ‌Apple Music‌ costs $9.99 a month, a family plan which allows up to six members is $14.99 a month, and students get a discounted $4.99 per month plan. Additionally, ‌Apple Music‌ is part of Apple One, a bundle that offers customers a set monthly price for access to different Apple services.

‌Apple One‌ includes three separate plans, each offering ‌Apple Music‌. The lowest plan costing $14.95, includes access to ‌Apple Music‌, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, and 50GB of iCloud storage. The mid-tier for $19.95, adds an extra 150GB of ‌iCloud‌ storage, and the highest tier for $29.95, offers 2TB of storage, the ability to share with five other family members, and access to Apple News+ and Apple Fitness+ (where available).

With more and more Android smartphone vendors coming out with their take on the foldable phone concept, and Apple rumors swirling about a possible future foldable iPhone, Google appears keen to get in on the act as soon as this year with its first foldable Pixel device.

According to a new report by The Elec, Samsung is in the process of developing in-folding foldable OLED panels to supply to Oppo, Xiaomi, and Google. The panels are said to be destined for use in devices to be launched later in 2021, and Google has reportedly requested Samsung Display develop a foldable OLED panel around 7.6-inches in size.

Documents leaked in August last year suggested Google plans to release a foldable pixel phone in the fourth quarter of 2021. Google confirmed in 2019 that it is developing technology that could be used in foldable devices, although at the time the company played down the prospect of actually launching a foldable, saying it didn't see "a clear use case yet."

That said, Google develops the software that has to run on all Android foldable devices, which would put it at a distinct advantage when it comes to foldable hardware-software integration.

Today's report adds further support to the prospect of a Google foldable, which will use the now more commonly preferred in-folding design, demonstrated most recently by the Xiaomi Mate X2, whose predecessor was out-folding by comparison. According to Xiaomi, advances in hinge technology and materials used in the Mate X2 allow for a seamless fold without a gap and eliminate the problem of display creasing.

Samsung was first to launch a consumer foldable device, but the 2019 Galaxy Fold suffered from major design issues including display creasing and panel breakages along the hinge due to the ingress of debris and other issues.

Thanks to lessons learned from the design of the Fold, Samsung improved the design and eventually brought the Fold back to market. The company has since released foldable flip phones - most recently the clamshell-style Galaxy Z Flip.

Market research firm Omdia expects foldable OLED sales to reach US$2.1 billion this year, a 203% increase from 2020. Most of the sales are expected to come through foldable panels made by Samsung Display, and while Apple appears to have not made a firm decision on whether it will launch a foldable smartphone, previous rumors have suggested that Apple has requested foldable display samples from Samsung for testing purposes in a future ‌iPhone‌.

Samsung has historically been a key supplier to Apple, providing the OLED screens for iPhones. The company intends to dominate the foldable display market as a supplier, and was considering a move to step up production to 10 million units a year depending on demand.

Apple has been known to be working on foldable display technology for some time, filing multiple patents regarding the technology, and rumors have also floated around LG's potential involvement.

The repeated insinuation of Samsung's involvement and orders being placed by Apple offers a more concrete suggestion that work on a foldable ‌‌iPhone‌‌ is continuing at pace, with some rumors suggesting a release as early as 2023.

Apple has amended its trademark for Final Cut Pro, its professional high-end video editing software, in a way that suggests it could be planning to turn the now one-time payment model for the software into a subscription.

As reported by Patently Apple, on Monday, Apple added a Nice Classification #42 listing to its Final Cut Pro trademark in Europe. The Class 42 identification is listed as including software as a service (SaaS), or a platform as a service (PaaS). For context, Microsoft Office 365, which is based on a monthly or yearly subscription, includes the same Class 42 listing for its suite of software.

Final Cut Pro is currently sold for $300 and is used widely by professional videographers, YouTubers, and content makers. Potentially changing the price and payment model into a monthly, or yearly subscription could entice even more customers to use the software. If Apple is planning the subscription route, it'll likely include more than simply the software itself.

With a subscription, Apple theoretically could offer subscribers access to original content, such as in-depth tutorials, walkthroughs, or exclusive videos/sessions with prominent video makers who use Final Cut Pro as part of their workflow.

Whether Apple takes the route is unknown, however, the pure nature of the updated trademark is rather telling. Apple over the years has launched a number of new services, the most recent being Apple Fitness+. The momentum is not slowing down, however. Apple is reportedly eyeing to launch a new podcast subscription service that would offer listeners exclusive and original content.

Dutch company Coulisse is working with Eve Systems to launch a range of HomeKit-compatible smart window covering motors.

According to HomeKit News, the new range will include wireless motors to work with roller blinds, Venetian blinds, cellular shades and curtains. Notably, they will also be the first product of their kind to support the Thread wireless protocol, of which Apple is a supporter.

Thread is a low-power IP-based networking technology for connecting Internet of Things (IoT) devices, offering a secure, mesh-based system that makes it easy to build an ecosystem of devices. Eve plans to help to equip the Coulisse curtains with HomeKit and Thread integration and to spread them in a wider market.

"Thanks to the Eve software, this new motor range is a game changer in the interior window coverings market," said Christiaan Roetgering, owner and CEO of Coulisse. "The simplicity of both installation and use is unmatched. All complexity is eliminated, and the installation time drastically reduced. Combined with the fact that you don't need a hub anymore this offers major cost advantages. It opens up the way to make motorized blinds available to a broad audience and widely embraced as a product that brings joy and value to everyday life in the home."

While Thread is essentially agnostic to the application layers that run on top of it, it can support multiple layers and may play a role in Project Connected Home over IP, the alliance of Apple, Amazon, Google, and other companies that is seeking to make it simpler to build devices compatible with multiple ecosystems such as Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant.

The HomePod mini is Apple's first (and currently only) product to support Thread networking technology. For the time being, however, Apple says in a footnote that ‌‌HomePod mini‌‌'s Thread support is limited to ‌HomeKit‌ devices, so the technology can't yet be leveraged cross-platform and it remains to be seen how Apple will embrace Thread going forward.

Apple is a noted supporter of the Thread project, with longtime Apple engineer Stuart Cheshire, who developed the Rendezvous/Bonjour zero-configuration standard nearly 20 years ago, serves as a director of Thread Group.

Coulisse is keen to emphasize how secure the combination of ‌HomeKit‌ and Thread is, since they be can linked with other ‌HomeKit‌ products and all data is stored locally. The roller blinds can be connected via Bluetooth, but Thread should in theory offer a more resilient connection by linking up with nearby Thread-supporting "hubs" such as a ‌HomePod mini‌.

According to iCulture, the roller blind motors will be launched in the second quarter of 2021. More information on the Coulisse range of products can be found on their website.

Mozilla today released Firefox 86 for Macs, Windows, and Linux machines, introducing a new feature called Total Cookie Protection.

Total Cookie Protection is designed to stop cookies from tracking users across the web by introducing a "separate cookie jar for every website."

Total Cookie Protection is available as part of Firefox's Enhanced Tracking Protection functionality, and can be enabled when the browser is set to ETP Strict Mode. Mozilla says that Firefox now offers "strong, comprehensive protection" to combat cookie tracking.

The update also adds support for multiple picture-in-picture views, plus keyboard controls for fast forward and rewind. Firefox 86 is available now from the Mozilla website.

Apple today informed developers that it has introduced additional guidance for App Store privacy labels, a feature that Apple has been requiring for all apps since December.

Apple says that rules surrounding data types like email, text messages, and gameplay content have been expanded to make it easier for developers to understand and comply with requirements.

Additional details have been published on completing your App Store privacy labels, including more information about data types, such as email or text messages, and gameplay content. You'll also find more information about data collected in web views and data that may be entered by users within documents or other file types.

On its developer website, Apple has a detailed list of the kind of information that developers must provide for their apps, and explanations of the types of data collection that must be disclosed.

Data collection for tracking purposes, third-party advertising, marketing, and other reasons must be disclosed to users, and developers are required to self-report using Apple's guidelines. As of December, Apple has been requiring ‌App Store‌ developers to provide App Privacy label information to submit new apps and app updates to the ‌App Store‌.

Apple does not check the data that each app submits, and in January, The Washington Post found more than a dozen apps providing inaccurate or misleading data in their privacy labels.

Apple said in response that it is subjecting developers to routine and ongoing audits of information provided. The company works with developers to correct inaccuracies and has said that apps that fail to disclose accurate privacy information may have future updates rejected or could be removed from the ‌App Store‌ entirely.

The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating complaints from developers over Apple's "Sign in with Apple" option, reports The Information.

Introduced in iOS 13, Sign in with Apple is a privacy-focused login option that lets users opt to sign in to an app with their Apple ID, without the need to create a username or share an email address with developers.

Apple requires all App Store apps that offer Google, Facebook, and Twitter sign-in options to also provide a Sign in with Apple alternative (with exceptions for apps that exclusively use third-party accounts like Gmail and Tweetbot), which some developers are unhappy with.

Developers complaints filed last summer are now being investigated by U.S. antitrust regulators, according to sources that spoke to The Information. The U.S. DoJ is looking into how Apple uses its sign-in button and "other ‌App Store‌ rules that make it difficult for users to switch to a rival device maker."

The probe is examining Apple's control over the ‌App Store‌, the fees that it charges developers, and complaints on restrictions on location tracking and other forms of tracking that Apple's own apps are not subject to.

Apple spokesman Fred Sainz declined to comment on the antitrust investigation when queried by The Information, but said that the Sign in With Apple feature is designed to give customers a privacy-focused alternative to sign in options provided by other companies.

The Department of Justice has not yet decided whether to sue Apple, and that decision could take months. Facebook and Google are also facing antitrust investigations, and lawsuits have already been filed against them.

U.S. antitrust regulators last year launched an investigation into Apple's ‌App Store‌ fees and policies. Led by the U.S. House Judiciary Antitrust Subcommittee, the inquiry ultimately likened Apple, Google. Facebook, and Amazon to oil barons and railroad tycoons.

The committee released a 450 page report highlighting CEO interviews, over 1.3 million documents, and findings from hearings with app developers. The report recommended new antitrust laws after concluding that Apple had a monopoly over the distribution of software apps on iOS devices.

Apple is also facing antitrust investigations from in the European Union,Australia, Russia, Germany, and Italy, and has been fined by France and South Korea.

The Sensibo Air smart air conditioning controller was recently updated with HomeKit support, allowing Sensibo Air owners to access air conditioning controls through the Home app in addition to using Siri commands.

Priced at $139, the Sensibo Air is compatible with standalone air conditioning units rather than central air conditioning options. It works with in-window units, introducing smart controls that can be accessed through a HomeKit-enabled device.

The Sensibo Air uses sensors paired with artificial intelligence to optimize the indoor climate and reduce indoor energy consumption by activating the AC when it's needed based on ambient temperature, humidity, and motion. It provides usage tips based on outdoor climate and air quality data.

‌HomeKit‌ compatibility has been in the works for some time now, with the feature rolling out to users starting last week. The product was previously compatible with Alexa, and will now also feature deeper integration and functionality with Apple devices.

Apple today began offering refurbished versions of the M1 MacBook Air that was first released in November 2020. Pricing on refurbished MacBook Air models starts at $849, which is $150 cheaper than the standard $999 starting price for a new model.

Apple has gold, silver, and space gray M1 ‌MacBook Air‌ models with an 8-core CPU, 7-core GPU, and 8GB RAM available to purchase, along with one higher-priced $1,019 model that has 16GB RAM.

Pricing is approximately 15 percent less than retail, which is standard for refurbished devices. Apple yesterday also began selling refurbished M1 MacBook Pro models for the first time.

Apple has limited stock available and the contents of the refurbished store fluctuate based on what people have sent in for repair and replacement. Additional higher-end models may be added in the future, so those looking for a specific ‌M1‌ ‌MacBook Air‌ configuration should check back regularly.

All of Apple's refurbished Macs are sold with the same one-year warranty that's provided with a brand new device, along with all manuals and accessories, including a USB-C power adapter and USB-C cable. Refurbished devices go through a rigorous testing, repair, repackaging, and cleaning process and are identical to new devices.

Apple's annual shareholders meeting took place this morning in a virtual format, allowing shareholders to vote on proposals and submit questions to Apple executives. Apple does not typically reveal product info in shareholder meetings, and 2021 was no exception. Much of what was said was a recap of the Q1 earnings results and a reiteration of Apple's policies on privacy, the environment, and other core values.

Apple CEO Tim Cook told shareholders that 2020 was a period of prolific innovation. "Apple makes the best, most useful, most innovative, most trusted products out there, and this year, we took that mission to another level," said Cook.

Cook declined to provide specific details on any upcoming products, but said there are "exciting things ahead for the iPhone" and "great things ahead for computing." Apple is working on new ‌iPhone‌ 13 models that will follow the ‌iPhone‌ 12 lineup, plus there are rumors of revamped and redesigned iMacs and MacBook Pro models that will feature even more powerful Apple silicon chips.

The AirPods Max are "hugely popular with reviewers and users alike," and the HomePod mini was described as "another hit" during the holiday season.

Cook said that Apple has acquired close to 100 companies over the course of the last six years. "We're not afraid to look at acquisitions of any size," said Cook. "Focus is on small, innovative companies that complement our products and help push them forward."

On the topic of the environment, Cook said that Apple is on track to meet its "most ambitious goal yet," which is to be carbon neutral across its entire supply chain by 2030. Meeting this goal is a companywide effort and that Apple's innovations and breakthroughs are setting it apart. "We firmly believe that all companies -- if they hope to be competitive in the future -- have to begin with leadership in this area," said Cook. Apple is also aiming to make all of its products without extracting anything from the earth in the future, and the "moonshot nature" of this goal has "created enormous energy internally" to make big changes. Apple in 2020 eliminated power adapters and headphones from ‌iPhone‌ packaging, which the company said was done to further environmental goals and reduce waste.

"I've always believed that the time to speak out is the time when you've got something to say," said Cook on a question asking why Apple was speaking out on privacy at this time. Cook said that he hopes Apple's efforts to improve privacy both in the App Store and in apps with App Privacy labels and App Transparency requirements will be a "ripple in the pond" moving the whole industry forward. Apple continues to support a comprehensive federal privacy law in the United States and worldwide laws and international agreements to protect the "fundamental rights of privacy everywhere."

On navigating the challenges of the pandemic, Cook said that Apple is still learning new things, but the "remarkable run of innovation and creativity" is a testament to employee resilience during a trying time. Apple employees adapted and collaborated better, but Cook said there is "no substitute for meeting face to face" and that most Apple employees "can't wait" to gather in the office again.

Cook also spoke on diversity and inclusion, pay equity at Apple, Apple TV+, ‌App Store‌ regulation, Apple's education goals, and, interestingly, Apple's identity.

In so many ways, the world has changed, but in fundamental ways, Apple has not. Apple is made up of people who want to spend their lives making things that enrich the lives of others, making them more fulfilled, more creative, and more human. We're comfortable saying no to a lot of things and laser focused on the areas where we can have the greatest impact, innovating relentlessly. Technology made by people, for people, and with people's well being in mind. At its best and most hopeful, technology should help us leave the world better than we found it.

Looking forward to the future, Cook said that he doesn't see challenges in 2021, but opportunities that will need to be managed "creatively, intelligently, and diligently." Cook said that across the current ‌iPhone‌, Mac, and Apple Watch product lineups, there's never been a set of products with a "greater degree of future potential."

Cook said that there's never been a more challenging environment that Apple has operated in than this year's pandemic, but he is optimistic about the future and Apple is always thinking about how to help communities emerge stronger, fair and equitable recovery, and "how all of that can be helped by world class technology that puts humanity at its heart."

Nomad today launched a new set of cases for the 2020 iPad Air, including a Rugged Case, Rugged Folio, and lower-cost Performance PU Rugged Case and Folio for anyone who prefers a case that isn't made of leather.

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

To celebrate the launch of the new iPad Air cases, our readers can save 10 percent on each accessory by entering the code MACRUMORS10 at the checkout screen. This code starts today and will last through February 26 at 11:59 p.m., and it only applies to iPad Air cases.

The Rugged Case costs $89.95 with our code (regular $99.95), and it's a minimalist case that offers sturdy protection in a sleek design. The Rugged Folio costs $134.96 (regular $149.95) with a similar construction to the Rugged Case, with the addition of a folio kickstand.

Both of those cases are made of leather, and come in Rustic Brown or Black (only the Rustic Brown option is live now). For a non-leather option, the Performance PU Rugged Case and Folio feature a polycarbonate body, protective bumper, and soft-touch Deep Gray finish.

The Performance PU Rugged Case costs $62.96 (regular $69.95) and the Performance PU Rugged Folio costs $71.96 (regular $79.95). All of Nomad's new cases are compatible with Apple Pencil 2 and they have a cutout to support the iPad Air's Touch ID fingerprint button.

Remember to use the code MACRUMORS10 to get 10 percent off any of the new cases before it expires on February 26. Keep up with all of this week's best discounts on Apple products and related accessories in our dedicated Apple Deals roundup.

Apple is researching how it can reduce the appearance of fingerprints and smudges on the metal surfaces of its products and has hinted yet again at the use of titanium for future Apple devices, according to newly-granted patent filings.

The patent, filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and spotted by Patently Apple, is titled "Oxide coatings for metal surfaces" and explains in detail how a thin coating can significantly reduce the appearance of fingerprints on devices.

Last month, patents for titanium device enclosures came to light, revealing Apple's interest in how various devices, including MacBooks, iPads, and iPhones, could adopt titanium casings with a distinctive textured finish. Now, Apple's patent for oxide coatings has again stressed the advantages of using titanium on consumer electronics, such as "high strength, stiffness, and hardness."

For example, the relatively high hardness of titanium makes it resistant to scratches, and its stiffness makes it durable enough to withstand bending. In addition, titanium is inherently more corrosion-resistant than certain other alloys.

Apple highlights that, compared to other metals, titanium easily shows fingerprints when handled. This is partially due to the relatively low reflectivity of titanium and titanium alloy surfaces.

One of the disadvantages of using titanium and its alloys, however, is that oil from fingerprints can be readily seen on bare titanium and titanium alloy surfaces, leaving unattractive marks on consumer electronics. The nature and volume of the fingerprints can be factors, but even clean fingers can leave a relatively dramatic mark on titanium surfaces.

Conventional oleophobic coatings are usually used to reduce fingerprinting on glass surfaces such as the front and back of iPhones, but these types of coatings are much less effective on titanium surfaces. The patent suggests that Apple's interest in using titanium for its devices has led to the need for new, more effective solutions for the prevention of fingerprinting.

What are needed therefore are improved cosmetic surface finishes for titanium and its alloys.

This has led the company to research the use of a thin oxide coating or film "configured to reduce or eliminate interference-coloring effects brought upon by fingerprints or other thin film options." Apple's oxide coating allows the surface of a device to continue reflecting light as though there is no fingerprint present, thereby hiding oily smudges.

In some embodiments, the oxide coatings are sufficiently thick to increase the optical path difference of incident light, thereby reducing any inference coloring by the fingerprint to a non-visible level. In some embodiments, the oxide coatings have a non-uniform thickness that changes the way light reflects off interfaces of the oxide coating, thereby reducing or eliminating any thin film interference coloring.

Apple also notes that an oxide coating could be used on surfaces including "aluminum, aluminum alloy, steel, magnesium, magnesium alloys, zirconium, or zirconium alloys," even though it was developed primarily to address titanium or titanium alloys.

The filing also highlights that the oxide coating can be used "to form durable and cosmetically appealing finishes" on a wide range of Apple devices, including the iPad, iPhone, Apple Watch, and MacBook.

Following last month's news of Apple's curiosity about expanding the use of titanium for its devices, which is currently only available on the Apple Watch Edition, it is interesting that research in the area is leading to other technological innovations.

Apple's research suggests that the company is looking to move beyond standard anodized aluminum casings, but there is no telling if and when this may happen. Nonetheless, patent filings can provide insight into what Apple is exploring and developing behind the scenes, and hint at what we could see in the future.

Apps developed for the Mac don't typically receive as much attention as apps designed for iPhones and iPads, so we've created a series at MacRumors that highlights useful Mac apps worth checking out. This month's picks feature new apps for managing email, organizing calendar events, enhancing productivity, and more.

• Shareful (Free) - Shareful enhances the built-in sharing options on the Mac. You can copy shared items to the clipboard to be pasted into another app, save a shared item to a specific directory, or open a shared item in any app. When enabled, Shareful is available in any app that has a built-in share button, which is applicable to both Apple's own apps like Safari and third-party apps. It's a simple app that adds additional sharing utility for those who need it.
• Postbox ($40) - Postbox bills itself as a "Power Email" app with a built-in Message Triage feature for quickly getting through what's in the inbox. There's a Quick Bar with a series of quick actions for dealing with emails, a built-in unsubscribe feature, gesture support, filters, and deep organization to keep everything where it belongs. There are also quick reply features, canned responses, search tools, professional email examples, quick-insert clips, signatures, image effects, and more. There are also anti-tracking features to let you know if emails contain tracking tools.
• Jettison ($4.95) - Jettison is a simple little app that's designed to eject all external drives automatically when you put your MacBook to sleep. With the app, there's no need to manually eject external drives, and when you open your MacBook back up, any drives that are still connected will mount again automatically.
• Spotter (Free) - Spotter is a productivity tool that lets you search for and launch application actions and the apps themselves, so you can get everything done that you need to from one little app. It's open source and supports custom hotkeys.
• Superpowered ($10/month) - Superpowered is a scheduling app that lets you see your upcoming events for the day and join Zoom and Google Meet meetings with a single click. A menu bar addition counts down the time to your next meeting or event, and lets you know when it's time to join. Multiple calendar accounts and subscriptions are supported so you can see everything you need to do at a glance. Superpowered has a free trial, but costs $10 per month after that.

Know of a must-have Mac app or game that we haven't highlighted yet? Let us know in the comments below and we might feature it in a future video. Many of our Mac apps that we share are recommended by MacRumors readers. For more of our Mac app picks, check out our Mac apps archive.