Pegatron will set up a manufacturing base on the factory site mainly for production of iPhone smartphones, with production to begin the earliest in the second half of 2021, according to industry sources, adding Pegatron plans to employ about 14,000 workers there.
Pegatron is Apple's second-largest iPhone assembler after Foxconn, and in June of last year registered a wholly-owned subsidiary called Pegatron Technology India. In late 2020, its board of directors approved a proposal to spend $150 million to build its first iPhone manufacturing plant in the country.
Pegatron has been cleared to take part in India's billion-dollar Production-Linked Incentive Scheme, which provides incentives on locally-produced smartphones. The Taipei-based assembler joins rival iPhone manufacturers Foxconn and Wistron, which are already signed up to the scheme.
Pegatron has also established a Vietnam-based wholly-owned subsidiary, Pegatron Vietnam, with initial paid-in capital of $150 million, some of which was used in late 2020 to acquire land in Haiphong, where it plans to set up a production base.
The iPhone assembler recently drew the ire of Apple after it was discovered that the iPhone supplier had been committing labor violations at a student workers' program at its Shanghai and Kunshan campuses in eastern China.
Apple put Pegatron on probation as a result of the violations, and while the supplier's current iPhone business is not expected to be affected, it could lose some iPhone 12 orders to rival Luxshare next year.
Facebook has followed through on its threat to ban users from sharing news on its platform in Australia, in response to proposed media laws in the country that the company claims "fundamentally misunderstand" its relationship with publishers who share news content.
The move is a retaliation to Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's (ACCC) proposed Media Bargaining law, which seeks to redress the balance in terms of the bargaining power between Australian news media businesses and digital platforms.
The law would allow Australian news publications to negotiate for fair payment for their journalist's work, effectively forcing social media companies to pay for news content.
Facebook and Google have had three months to negotiate with Australian media organizations to find a solution, but those discussions have failed to reach an agreement. Facebook concluded that the law "seeks to penalize Facebook for content it didn't take or ask for," while an inquiry last month saw Google go so far as to threaten to pull its search engine from the country entirely.
Facebook' decision means Australian news publishers are no longer able to share stories on the platform, while Facebook users won't be able to see or share international news to local Facebook users. At the same time, Facebook users overseas won't be able to read or share Australian content.
Announcing the change in a press release, Facebook explained its reasoning behind the nationwide content block and its total opposition to the proposed change in law:
The proposed law fundamentally misunderstands the relationship between our platform and publishers who use it to share news content. It has left us facing a stark choice: attempt to comply with a law that ignores the realities of this relationship, or stop allowing news content on our services in Australia. With a heavy heart, we are choosing the latter.
This discussion has focused on US technology companies and how they benefit from news content on their services. We understand many will ask why the platforms may respond differently. The answer is because our platforms have fundamentally different relationships with news. Google Search is inextricably intertwined with news and publishers do not voluntarily provide their content. On the other hand, publishers willingly choose to post news on Facebook, as it allows them to sell more subscriptions, grow their audiences and increase advertising revenue.
In fact, and as we have made clear to the Australian government for many months, the value exchange between Facebook and publishers runs in favor of the publishers — which is the reverse of what the legislation would require the arbitrator to assume. Last year Facebook generated approximately 5.1 billion free referrals to Australian publishers worth an estimated AU$407 million.
For Facebook, the business gain from news is minimal. News makes up less than 4% of the content people see in their News Feed. Journalism is important to a democratic society, which is why we build dedicated, free tools to support news organisations around the world in innovating their content for online audiences.
Australia's communications minister Paul Fletcher hit out at the decision, telling Australia's ABC News this morning that Facebook needs to "think very carefully about what this means for its reputation and standing."
"They're effectively saying, on our platform, there will not be any information from organizations which employ paid journalists, which have fact checking processes, editorial policies," said Fletcher. "They're effectively saying any information that is available on our site does not come from these reliable sources."
The fallout from the ban is already impacting a range of Facebook-hosted organizations in the country, with the ban curtailing access to the Australian Council of Trade Unions, Queensland Health, and the Department of Fire and Emergency Services WA. Other pages for charities, politicians, sports groups, and other non-news organizations have also been affected.
However, the Australian government is standing by the law, which passed the lower house of parliament on Wednesday. It has broad cross-party support and will be debated again in parliament on Thursday, according to the BBC.
"We will legislate this code. We want the digital giants paying traditional news media businesses for generating original journalistic content," said Treasurer Josh Frydenberg who added that "the eyes of the world are watching what's happening here". He said he'd also had a discussion with Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg which had been "constructive".
The decision by the social network has been met with anger among many of its Australian users, with the hashtag #DeleteFacebook currently trending on Twitter.
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.
Google has just rolled out a new pay for parking feature in the U.S. that lets Android users pay for street parking and mass transit fares right from within Google Maps, without having to come in contact with a parking meter or ticket machine.
These days, people are upping their hand sanitizing game and avoiding touching public surfaces as much as possible. Thanks to an integration with parking solutions providers Passport and ParkMobile, you can now easily pay your meter right from driving navigation in Maps, and avoid touching the meter altogether.
According to Google, users will get a "Pay for Parking" button in the driving navigation interface when they're nearing their destination, and when they arrive they can enter a meter number, input the amount of time they want to park for, and then hit "Pay" to use Google Pay. If users need to extend the time they need to park for, they can easily extend your parking session with just a few taps.
Google says it is also expanding the ability to pay for transit fares from Maps for over 80 transit agencies around the world, meaning users will be be able to plan their trip, buy their fare, and start riding without needing to switch between apps.
When you get transit directions, you'll see the option to pay with your phone with the credit or debit cards already linked to your Google Pay account. And in places like the San Francisco Bay Area, you'll also be able to buy a digital Clipper card directly from Google Maps.
Once you've purchased your fare, all you need to do is tap your phone on the reader or show your digital ticket to breeze on board.
Pay for parking is rolling out now in the U.S. on Android in over 400 cities, and Google says the same features will soon be coming to iPhone owners who use Google Maps – presumably via Apple Pay integration.
Apple is looking to begin iPad production in India by participating in a new government proposed scheme to increase India's exports of computer parts and products, according to sources cited by Reuters.
Last year, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a new PLI (performance-linked incentive) scheme to encourage major companies, such as Apple, to produce more products in the country. The scheme has a government budget of nearly $1 billion and offers suppliers and manufacturers a cashback for exports.
The new scheme, reported today, is aimed directly at boosting the production of IT products such as tablets, laptops, and servers. Apple is reportedly among a group of companies lobbying the Indian government to increase the budget of the new proposal to $2.7 billion, to compensate for the lack of supply chain infrastructure needed to produce IT products, such as tablets and the iPad.
A source cited by Reuters says that the Indian government "is asking Apple to get iPads assembled by its contract manufacturers here, the non-Chinese companies." Currently, three Apple suppliers operate in the country: Foxconn, Wistron, and Pegatron. Out of the three, it's not clear which one would be responsible for producing the iPad, or which iPad model would be produced.
A report by Nikkei Asia last month reported similar ambitions by Apple to increase local production of the iPad, alongside the iPhone and Mac in India. The report cited production beginning as early as the middle of this year, which seems to line up with the expected announcement of the new Indian PLI scheme.
A number of Apple suppliers have already begun operations in India. Last year, iPhone supplier Pegatron reportedly increased its investment in India to $150 million, and an earlier report cited that Apple may be planning to produce up to $40 billion worth of smartphones in the country.
Despite the efforts by the tech-giant to boost the production of products outside of China and into India, recent riots have put a dampener on the pace of those efforts. In December, workers at a factory owned by supplier Wistron went on a rampage, ransacking and damaging the site over claims of unpaid wages. In response, Apple placed the supplier on probation and found that it had violated its "Supplier Code of Conduct." Apple has yet to remove the supplier from probation.
The Clipper card, used for transit in the San Francisco Bay Area, appears set to gain support for Apple Pay with Express Transit mode in the near future.
With Apple Pay integration, Clipper cards will be able to be added to iPhone and Apple Watch and used for BART, Caltrain, Muni, VTA and more. Express Transit Mode will be supported, which means transit can be authenticated with just a tap, and no need to use Face ID, Touch ID, or touch a vending machine.
Though BART and Muni will offer tap authentication, Apple says that using the Clipper card with Apple Pay on SFMTA cable cars and other transit services with handheld card readers will require authentication with Face ID, Touch ID, or a passcode.
Apple has set up an Apple Pay website for the Clipper card, allowing those in the San Francisco Bay Area to be notified when the Apple Pay feature launches.
Malware specifically tailored to run on Apple's M1 chip has been discovered, indicating that malware authors have begun adapting malicious software for Apple's new generation of Macs with Apple silicon.
Mac security researcher Patrick Wardle has now published a report, cited by Wired, that explains in detail how malware has started to be adapted and recompiled to run natively on the M1 chip.
Wardle discovered the first known native M1 malware in the form of a Safari adware extension, originally written to run on Intel x86 chips. The malicious extension, called "GoSearch22," is a well-known member of the "Pirrit" Mac adware family and was first spotted at the end of December. Pirrit is one of the oldest and most active Mac adware families, and has been known to constantly change in an attempt to evade detection, so it is unsurprising that it has already begun adapting for the M1.
The GoSearch22 adware presents itself as a legitimate Safari browser extension, but collects user data and serves a large number of ads such as banners and popups, including some that link to malicious websites to proliferate more malware. Wardle says the adware was signed with an Apple Developer ID in November to further conceal its malicious content, but it has since been revoked.
Wardle notes that since malware for the M1 is still at an early stage, antivirus scanners are not detecting it as easily as x86 versions and defensive tools like antivirus engines are struggling to process the amended files. The signatures used to detect threats from malware on the M1 chip have not yet been substantially observed, so the security tools to detect and deal with it are not yet available.
Researchers from security company Red Canary told Wired that other types of native M1 malware, distinct from Wardle's findings, have also been found and are being investigated.
Only the MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and Mac mini have Apple silicon chips at this time, but the technology is expected to expand across the Mac lineup over the next two years. Given that all new Mac computers are expected to feature Apple silicon chips like the M1 in the near future, it was somewhat inevitable that malware developers would eventually start to target Apple's new machines.
While the M1-native malware that researchers have found does not seem to be unusual or particularly dangerous, the emergence of these new varieties acts as a warning that there is likely more to come.
See Wardle's full report for more information about the first M1-native malware.
A group of mobile advertising companies today announced the launch of the Post-IDFA Alliance, a partnership that's designed to help marketers and app developers adjust to the ad tracking changes that Apple is implementing with the launch of iOS 14.5, reports Reuters.
The Post-IDFA Alliance will offer up tips that will help advertisers and developers get effective ads in front of customers and measure the efficiency of those ad campaigns. The group is planning to offer videos, webinars, and other materials to help advertisers understand how to use data in an "Apple-friendly manner."
"No IDFA? No Problem," reads the website, which also offers articles like "What does the IDFA change mean? and "How does SKAdNetwork work?" SKAdNetwork is a privacy-focused ad platform that Apple is providing to developers as an alternative to current ad tracking measures.
The partnership includes Liftoff, Fyber, Chartboost, Singular, InMobi and Vungle, all of which are mobile advertising companies that will be impacted by Apple's upcoming changes.
Starting with the launch of iOS 14.5, Apple will begin enforcing App Tracking Transparency, a feature first announced when iOS 14 debuted following the Worldwide Developers Conference in June. Apple delayed the implementation of the feature to give developers extra time to adjust, but the delays are ending in early spring.
With App Tracking Transparency, developers are no longer able to access a user's IDFA or advertising identifier on the iPhone or the iPad without first obtaining express user permission. When access to the IDFA is declined, apps are also expected not to use workaround methods to track users against their wishes as well.
The IDFA is used by app developers and ad companies to track user behavior across apps and websites for ad targeting purposes, something that will no longer be possible when people begin declining to allow ad tracking functionality.
Users will be able to disable ad tracking on an app-by-app basis, with apps required to show a pop up that will ask users if they want to be tracked. Ad companies assume that the majority of people are going to decline this request, which will have a broad impact on advertising on iOS devices going forward.
Facebook has been the most vocally against Apple's planned ad tracking changes because App Tracking Transparency will impact Facebook's ad revenue. Facebook has claimed that Apple is harming small businesses, but Facebook's own employees have criticized the anti-Apple campaign and the EFF has called Facebook's efforts to get Apple to drop the privacy changes "laughable."
Brydge today announced the upcoming launch of a new beta firmware update designed for the Pro+ keyboards, which launched last spring. The Pro+ keyboards feature integrated trackpads and came out ahead of when Apple added dedicated trackpad support to iPadOS.
The software available from Brydge adds native multi-touch capabilities and should much improve the trackpad experience of the Pro+ keyboard. We reviewed the keyboard back in March and found the trackpad to be inferior as it wasn't initially designed with Apple's integrations in mind.
According to Brydge, the firmware will bring a "natural" multi-touch experience, with the update available through the Brydge Connect app. Using the new beta firmware requires customers to have the iPadOS 14.5 update installed.
Brydge Pro+ keyboard users who want to try out the new firmware update can sign up on the Brydge website. The first 500 who sign up for the public beta will be able to access the firmware on February 24, while others will get access on March 3. For a limited time, Brydge is also offering up to 25% off on Pro+ keyboards.
Priced at $130, the 10.2 MAX+ has a built-in native multi-touch trackpad and an integrated backlit keyboard, plus it offers full device protection. Brydge says that it is designed to combine the functionality of a Brydge keyboard with the protection of OtterBox. The 10.2 MAX+ can be pre-ordered from the Brydge website.
Lyon shared the news in an interview with TechCrunch, where he said that he moved on to Astra because he was interested in Astra's vision as it works on small satellite deployment. "I think the Astra vision is this magical combination of fundamentally taking the rocket science out of space. How do you do that? Well, you better have a great foundation of a team, and a great foundation of core technologies that you can bring together in order to make a compelling series of products," he said.
Prior to leaving Apple, Lyon worked on the iPhone, input devices and sensor hardware, and finally, the Apple Car. In 2016, he was working under Bob Mansfield, but Apple Car leadership has since shifted to AI chief John Giannandrea. Prior to leaving Apple, Lyon was reporting to Doug Field, the former Tesla engineer serving as vice president on the project.
Lyon has been on the Apple Car team since 2014, and according to Bloomberg, weathered all of the changes in leadership until moving on to Astra this year.
Apple has commissioned LG Display to develop a display panel destined for a foldable iPhone, according to the Chinese-language version of DigiTimes.
Citing industry sources, DigiTimes claims that LG Display is assisting Apple with the development of a foldable OLED display panel for an iPhone. It is not clear, however, if LG Display will supply Apple with this display panel for mass production once it has been developed.
Samsung has been rumored to be Apple's supplier of choice for an OLED foldable display and the company was said to have provided Apple with a large number of foldable display samples for testing last year, so it is unclear how the news of a collaboration with LG fits into this. Apple has used both LG and Samsung OLED displays for the iPhone to date, and it is possible that the display for the long-rumored foldable iPhone may be provided by both suppliers.
Yesterday, it was reported that Apple is planning to launch a foldable iPhone with a 7-inch OLED display and Apple Pencil support as soon as 2023. Apple has been researching foldable devices since 2016, but rumors surrounding a foldable iPhone have noticeably increased in recent months, suggesting that the device may be gathering momentum behind the scenes.
Starting today, Twitter users in India will have the ability to send voice messages in their Twitter DMs that are up to 140 seconds long, the company announced (via The Hindu).
Twitter says the rollout in India will be conducted in phases, so not all users will see the feature straight away. For users who do, there’ll be a new icon that replaces the typical "Send" button within existing or new chats on iOS and Android that starts the recording. Once you begin recording, Twitter starts a countdown from 140 seconds until you press stop, or the time runs out. Before you send the audio message, Twitter does offer you the ability to listen to the recording.
The ability to record and send messages is currently only available on iOS and Android, while users on the web can only so far listen to recordings. With the rollout in India today, Android Central reports the feature is now available in three countries: India, Brazil, and Japan.
Twitter announced plans to bring voice messages to chat last year as part of its effort to offer users more options to "express themselves in conversations." Support for voice messages follows the rollout of audio tweets in June, and recent testing of audio group room chats called "Spaces."
Parallels today launched a new bundle of eleven macOS apps that is available for new and current Parallels Desktop 16 Mac users. Once you purchase or upgrade to Parallels Desktop 16, you'll gain access to the ten other bundled apps at no extra cost, all of which include one year subscription licenses.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
If you’re a new Parallels Desktop 16 customer, you can buy a new license for $79.99 and get access to the ten macOS apps for free. If you’re upgrading to Parallels Desktop 16, you can pay $49.99 for the upgrade and also gain access to the bundle. You can also make a one-time purchase of the app for $99.99.
This bundle includes Fantastical, 1Password Families, and more. You can find out more information about the bundle on Parallels' website. This bundle will last through February 28 at 11:59 p.m. PST.
Parallels Desktop for Mac: Efficiently run Windows, Linux and other popular operating systems on your Mac without rebooting.
Parallels Toolbox for macOS or Windows: [One year subscription] An all-in-one solution with more than 30 tools that simplify common tasks to just one-click.
Parallels Access for iOS or Android: [One year subscription] Remotely access up to five computers and work easily via any HTML5 web browser.
MindManager For Mac 13: [One year subscription] Capture, organize, manage and share your business-critical information more easily.
1Password Families: [One year subscription] Helps your family practice smart online security by generating strong, unique passwords for all your online accounts.
Fantastical Premium: [One year subscription] Provides many features including events, tasks, weather, interesting calendars, meeting proposals, instant conference call joining, quick conference call creation, calendar sets, 14 widgets and much more.
Octopus.do Pro: [One year subscription] Create your website map, add notes, wireframes, specify page content and use color schemes to improve your site map design.
Intego Mac Internet Security X9: [One year subscription] Protect your Mac against malware and network attacks.
Acronis True Image 2021 Premium: [One year subscription] Protects photos, files, applications, systems and the devices they are on, through an intuitive interface that is accessible from anywhere.
Pocket Premium: [One year subscription] Save articles, videos and stories from any publication, page or app.
Gravit Designer PRO: [One year subscription] Full-featured vector graphic design software that works on all platforms.
Head to our full Deals Roundup to get caught up with all of the latest deals and discounts that we've been tracking over the past week.
Apple has established a multi-year partnership with Skydance Animation, which will see the animation studio producing TV shows and films for Apple TV+ that are aimed at kids and families, reports Deadline.
Rumors back in December suggested that Apple was in talks with Skydance Animation to acquire the rights to "Luck" and "Spellbound," two animated films that are set to be released in 2022.
"Luck" follows the unluckiest girl in the world who stumbles upon the never-before-seen world of good and bad luck. She has to team up with magical creatures to discover a force more powerful than luck itself. "Spellbound" is a musical fantasy that's set in a world of magic where a young girl aims to break the spell that has split her kingdom in two.
Under the partnership, two seasons of Skydance Animation series "The Search for WondLa" will be coming to Apple TV+. The show is based on the science fiction children's book by Tony DiTerlizzi, which follows the story of Eva Nine, a girl who spent most of her life living underground before being forced to flee outside and survive with a robot named Muthr, an alien named Rovander Kitt, and a water bear named Otto.
Skydance Animation is headed up by John Lasseter, the former chief creative officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar, but he left Disney in 2018 following allegations of sexual misconduct. Prior to joining Skydance Animation in 2019, Lasseter directed popular Disney movies that include Toy Story, Cars, and A Bug's Life, plus he executive produced many others.
Disney+ is set to expand its streaming service offering next week with a rollout of its more adult-aimed Star brand to existing subscribers in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.
According to CNET, the Star brand will include content from Disney Television Studios, FX, 20th Century Studios, and 20th Television that's more adult-friendly, as opposed to the all-ages content that's currently available on Disney+.
Disney is also reportedly adding parental controls to the Star content to prevent children from gaining unapproved access.
As well as a long list of familiar movies and shows, Star will feature some original content that's currently only available on Hulu and ABC in the U.S., including "Victor," teen drama "Love," detective show "Big Sky," animated series "Solar Opposites", and Marvel show "Helstrom."
Movies including "Can You Ever Forgive Me," Danny Boyle's "The Beach," "Gone in 60 Seconds," and "Taken" will appear on the Star service in March, and every season of The Golden Girls is coming to Disney+ this summer. Disney is also set to bring more Marvel movies to subscribers in Europe within a year.
February 23 is the date that the app will be added to Disney+ for existing subscribers in the above regions. The European countries set to get the Star content include the U.K., Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Austria, Switzerland, Portugal, Belgium, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and Iceland.
The Star brand and additional content arrive at a cost, though, as Disney+ is getting a price bump in these regions. In the U.K., the monthly subscription rate is set to increase from £5.99 to £7.99, or £59.99 to £79.90 per year, with an equivalent increase in the EU in euros. Current subscribers however will enjoy a pay freeze until August 23.
The increased cost is in line with a $1 price hike for subscribers in the United States that will come into effect on March 26.
New data shows that Chromebook laptops outsold Mac computers for the first time over the course of a full year in 2020, a year largely driven by commercial demand for lightweight, powerful, and affordable personal computers. The data from IDC (via GeekWire) shows that Windows continues to dominate the market, although its share declined over the course of the year as Chrome OS surged past macOS into second place.
For the full year, the market share of Windows was down 4.9% in 2020 compared to 2019, while the Mac grew from 6.7% to 7.5%. IDC's data includes collective information about desktops, laptops, and workstations, and doesn't provide a breakdown of specific different product types. It is worth noting, however, that Chrome OS includes products made by Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, and Lenovo.
Demand for personal computers skyrocketed during 2020, largely thanks to the shift to working and learning at home. Market data estimates that in Q4 of 2020, the Mac grew by around 30% compared to the same quarter the previous year. In comparison to other makers, Apple had the most significant year-over-year growth in the quarter.
In addition to market shifts due to changes in work and school patterns, the fourth quarter of 2020 notably also saw Apple launched its first Apple silicon Macs, which have been very well received.
Apple's iPhone 12 Pro Max held the title of most popular 5G smartphone in 49 of 50 U.S. states as of January 2021, according to PCMag, citing data from Speedtest.net parent company Ookla and research firm M Science.
The methodology behind the rankings:
M Science directly tracks sales, and gave us cumulative sales figures up until Jan. 23. Ookla looks at the usage of its Speedtest apps on consumers' phones, and gave us data for tests taken in January. They agree that the iPhone 12 Pro Max is the most popular 5G phone in the US.
The standard iPhone 12 Pro was the most popular 5G smartphone in Vermont and the Washington, D.C. capital region, the report claims.
While the iPhone 12 Pro Max, iPhone 12, and iPhone 12 Pro took the top three spots in the rankings, the smaller iPhone 12 mini was far less popular, in line with reports indicating that the 5.4-inch device has faced lackluster sales. Samsung's Galaxy S20+ and Galaxy S20 Ultra rounded out the top five best-selling 5G smartphones.
Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming macOS Big Sur 11.3 update to developers for testing purposes, with the new beta coming two weeks after the launch of the first beta and a little over two weeks the release of macOS Big Sur 11.2, a bug fix update.
Developers can download the macOS Big Sur 11.3 beta using the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences after installing the proper profile from the Apple Developer Center.
macOS Big Sur 11.3 introduces more customization options for Safari, adding a way to rearrange the different sections on the Start Page like Favorites, Reading List, Siri Suggestions, Privacy Report, and more. Developers also have access for a new integration to develop features for the Start Page.
The update also includes optimizations for using iOS apps on M1 Macs. When running iPhone and iPad apps on M1 Macs, there's a Touch Alternatives preference pane that allows users to set keyboard commands for touch input alternatives, plus iPadOS apps launch with a larger window if the Mac's display allows it. Touch Alternatives can be enabled for iPhone or iPad apps by clicking on the app's name in the menu bar and then selecting the Preferences option. Touch Alternatives let you customize taps, swipes, and drags.
In the Reminders app, reminder lists can be sorted by Due Date, Creation Date, Priority, or Title, and there is an option to print lists by going to File > Print. Reminders can also be moved manually across lists with drag and drop, something that wasn't possible before.
Apple is adding a new "Made For You" library shortcut in Apple Music for finding personal mixes and Replay playlists, and the Listen Now section has been updated with support for highlighting live events.
There are new sorting options in the Reminders app along with options to print, and Apple Music has been updated with a Made for You shortcut and a live events option in the Listen Now section.
In the Apple News app, there's a redesigned Apple News+ tab with a dedicated "For You" section and a new Browse tab that makes it easier to browse through available content. The new For You section is designed to help Apple News+ users find favorite magazines and newspapers much faster, plus it adds new tools for managing downloaded issues.
macOS Big Sur 11.3 also adds support for the latest PlayStation 5 DualSense and Xbox Series X/S controllers for use with macOS games.
In the Apple Music app, there's a new autoplay feature that allows the streaming service to continue to play music after a playlist or music queue ends. Apple Music sources music similar to what's in a person's Apple Music library, similar to the autoplay feature added in iOS 14.
With this feature enabled, Apple Music audio will not end even after a playlist or album is over. To check that it's on, play a playlist or album and then click on the three dot/line menu button in the upper right hand corner. From there, make sure the infinity symbol is toggled on.
There's also an updated "Support" interface when accessing "About This Mac." The new design includes details on your warranty and it allows for starting a repair right from the Mac interface.
The tab works similarly to the AppleCare coverage menu in the iOS Settings app, which lets users request repairs, buy an AppleCare plan, and check their coverage.
Code in macOS Big Sur 11.3 suggests that the Optimized Battery Charging feature will now make sure the Mac's battery is fully charged before a scheduled calendar event. The Mac will charge to 100 percent three hours before a calendar event's start time.
Optimized Battery Charging is designed to preserve the lifespan of the Mac's battery by limiting the amount of time that a Mac sits at 100 percent battery.
macOS Big Sur 11.3 brings support for HomePod Stereo pairs, allowing a set of paired HomePods to be set as the default sound output option, with the two HomePods showing up as a single selectable speaker rather than separate as in prior versions of macOS.
Apple today seeded the second betas of new iOS 14.5 and iPadOS 14.5 updates to public beta testers, with the new betas coming two weeks after the release of the first public betas and just a day after Apple provided the second beta software to developers.
Public beta testers who have signed up for Apple's beta testing program can download the iOS and iPadOS 14.5 updates over the air after installing the proper certificate from the Public Beta website on an iOS device.
iOS 14.5 adds a new feature that lets you unlock your iPhone with your Apple Watch when you're wearing a mask, alleviating the need to use a passcode to get into an iPhone with Face ID when you have a mask on. Using this feature requires both iOS 14.5 and watchOS 7.4, and it is opt-in. It can be activated in the Settings app under Face ID & Passcode.
Dual-SIM 5G support is now available globally on iPhone 12 devices, so if you have more than one phone number associated with your iPhone, both lines can now take advantage of 5G networks. Previously, Dual-SIM functionality was limited to LTE in all countries except for China.
With iOS 14.5, iPadOS 14.5, and watchOS 7.4, AirPlay 2 support is available for Apple Fitness+, which lets a workout played on the iPhone or the iPad to be AirPlayed to an AirPlay 2-compatible smart TV or set-top box.
The latest PlayStation 5 DualSense and Xbox Series X controllers are compatible with the iPhone and the iPad after updating, and there's a new feature that lets Siri make an emergency call for you.
iOS 14.5 includes a Waze-like crowdsourcing feature for reporting accidents, hazards, and speed checks along a route in Maps when getting directions.
There's a new "Report" button available in the Apple Maps app that lets you tap to report an accident, hazard, or speed trap at your location in the Apple Maps app, which is a feature that mapping app Waze offers. This is available directly on the iPhone and in CarPlay.
iOS and iPadOS 14.5 add a new feature for choosing a default streaming music service to use with Siri. So if you prefer Spotify over Apple Music, for example, you can now choose Spotify as the default app to use with Siri and all Siri song requests will go through Spotify without the need to add "on Spotify" to the end of Siri requests.
Though not in the update as of yet, iOS 14.5 has code that suggests Apple is adding Family Sharing functionality for the Apple Card, allowing multiple users to share a single card. iOS 14.5 is the update where Apple will officially enable App Tracking Transparency, so developers will need to ask for and receive a user's permission to track their activity across apps and websites for ad targeting purposes.
Apple has said that iOS 14.5 will be released to the public in the early spring, so we can expect to see a launch at some point in March, with the spring season officially starting on March 20. Apple has also seeded a new beta of tvOS 14.5 to fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV users who are signed up for the public beta.
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