Apple's new AirTag item tracker will be available to order starting this Friday, April 23 at 5 a.m. Pacific Time, and it will begin arriving to customers on Friday, April 30. Priced at $29 each or $99 for a four pack, users can attach AirTags to personal belongings like a wallet, keys, purse, or backpack and then keep track of the location of those items in Apple's built-in Find My app on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
Ahead of AirTag orders beginning tomorrow, Apple has provided some YouTube channels and media outlets with an early look at the item tracker. We've rounded up some unboxing videos and first impressions below.
Apple will introduce several new features and enhancements in iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 later this year, including a redesigned Home Screen for iPad, an updated Lock Screen, and new notification preferences for users, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
Apple Inc. is readying a major revamp of its mobile software that will include an upgrade to how users handle notifications, a redesigned iPad Home Screen, an updated Lock Screen, and additional privacy protections for its flagship devices, according to people with knowledge of the matter.
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The company is planning a new feature that will allow users to set different notification preferences, such as if the phone makes a sound or not, depending on their current status. The enhancement will come in the form of a new menu that lets users select if they are driving, working, sleeping or custom categories of their choosing. The menu will be shown on the updated Lock Screen and in Control Center, the iPhone and iPad's menu for quickly accessing settings.
There will also be an option to set automatic replies to messages depending on their status. That will be an improvement over the current auto-reply feature, which is only currently available while driving. Apple has added some unique notifications features such as Do Not Disturb and Sleep Mode, but this will mark the first time the company offers a systemwide feature for changing notifications depending on a user's status.
According to the report, Apple is working to bring parity to the iPad Home Screen, by allowing users to place widgets in any part of the screen, iPhone-style, rather than the current setup that limits placement to the Today View column on the left-hand side. The company also plans to allow users to replace the entire app grid with only widgets, for additional customization.
Codenamed "Sky," Apple's planned software updates otherwise read like selective enhancements rather than major changes. For example, today's report indicates that Apple is working on upgrades to iMessage, with the eventual goal of acting as more of a social network that is in a better position to compete with WhatsApp, although details are scant on what those changes could be.
Elsewhere, Apple is said to be working on introducing a new privacy menu that will show users which apps are silently collecting data about them. The move sounds like an additional bulwark against apps which attempt to skirt protections that Apple is introducing in iOS 14.5, such as its App Tracking Transparency rules.
According to Gurman, Apple is planning a more minor update to macOS after its redesign last year with macOS 11 Big Sur, alongside updates to watchOS and tvOS.
Apple typically releases new versions of iOS and iPadOS around September, near to the launch of new iPhones, but the company likes to preview upcoming software features during its annual Worldwide Developers Conference in June.
With the release of iOS 14 and macOS 11, Apple introduced a new way for users to review places of interest and upload photos to Apple Maps that doesn't rely on third party integrations like Yelp and TripAdvisor.
Users who tap a marker for a place on the map that they have physically visited are offered the ability to recommend a place using a thumbs up/thumbs down rating that can also distinguish between relevant categories, such as ratings for the quality of products and services in a shop, for example. An "Add Photos to Maps" option in place cards also lets users upload pictures directly to Apple's Maps servers.
As it stands, Apple's rollout of native ratings in Maps has been patchy, with users in the United Kingdom, Australia and a handful of other regions able to recommend places they've visited. Apple's in-house ratings remain unavailable for places of interest in the United States, for both users in and outside the country.
However, a brief shot from Tuesday's "Spring Loaded" Apple event, spotted by an eagle-eyed Redditor, suggests that could be set to change very soon. During the iMac announcement, Apple showed a macOS desktop screen with the Maps app open and a thumbs up/thumbs down recommendation option for Joshua Tree National Park in Southern California.
Notably, the image shows that Yelp reviews are still listed, indicating that Apple is continuing to provide third-party recommendations alongside its own ratings system as it works to build up a database of crowdsourced reviews across the States.
While we can't be certain, the likelihood is that Apple will make native Maps ratings available for U.S. places of interest with the release of iOS 14.5 and macOS 11.3 sometime next week.
Apple is seemingly expecting high demand for its new M1-powered iPad Pro as the company has asked its main chip supplier, TSMC, to ramp up production of the chip for its new iPad, and newer Mac computers, according to industry sources cited by DigiTimes.
The M1 chip first started shipping in November, and amid an ongoing global chip shortage, demand for the chip is even more pronounced thanks to the new iPad Pro. DigiTimes reports that TSMC had a previous goal of 120,000 chip wafers per month for the second half of the year. Thanks to a strong push from Apple, TSMC now has its eyes set on 140,000 to 150,000 monthly chip waters from the second to the fourth quarter of the year.
Even though the new iPad Pro and 24-inch iMac were announced this week, they won't begin shipping until the second half of May. The significant delay between announcement and shipments is likely due to strain put on Apple's suppliers.
Research cited by another DigiTimesreport today suggests that the new higher-end 12.9-inch iPad Pro which features a new Liquid Retina XDR Display, will reach 5 million shipments this year. The new iPad Pro and 24-inch iMac will be available for pre-order starting Friday, April 30.
After several false dawns, Apple Pay looks finally ready to come to Israel early next month, based on local reports.
According to Hebrew-language site Calcalist, barring a last-minute change, Apple is expected to launch its digital payment system in the country in the first week of May.
Several previous reports over the last year have hinted at an imminent Apple Pay launch in Israel, but so far it hasn't come to pass. According to today's report, the infrastructure for Apple Pay has been ready in the country for some time, and the delay has been due to closures in the economy and the need to make sure that enough businesses can accept the payment method.
Apple Pay payments go through Apple's digital Wallet app for mobile iOS devices, therefore any financial entity that wants its customers to pay using the method must sign an agreement with Apple.
In the past year, several banks and credit card companies in Israel have signed such an agreement, and as part of the contract, they must pay Apple a commission derived from the amount of the transaction, estimated to be 0.05%.
Apple's iPhones command a 20% share in Israel's smartphone market, so there's plenty of scope for Apple Pay to become a popular payment method in the country. First introduced in 2014, Apple Pay is now available in over 50 countries or regions around the world.
Microsoft Teams for macOS has been updated so that other people on a video call are able to hear a Mac's system audio when another user is screen sharing.
Teams for Windows has always offered users the option of system audio sharing. Today's update brings parity to the Mac app by including the optional feature, which is likely to be welcomed by teachers and businesses.
Microsoft also says that support for native macOS system notifications will be enabled for Teams with an upcoming app update. Microsoft started rolling out native notifications to Windows 10 users in early April, and the feature is expected to come to the Mac app imminently.
Currently, Teams for Mac uses its own notification system instead of being integrated with Apple's macOS Notifications Center. The next update to Teams should fix that, although no specific date has been given.
Apple is planning to boost its advertising business through a new ad slot on the App Store search page which will allow developers to promote their apps across the entire platform, rather than just when users search for a specific app, according to a new report from the Financial Times.
Apple already boasts an App Store advertising business where it allows developers to pay for the top result spot when users search for a specific app on the platform. Apple says these ads are "an efficient and easy way to help people discover your app at the top of App Store search results," and now the company wants to expand on it.
According to the Financial Times, citing people familiar with the matter, the company plans to roll out a second ad slot within the App Store, but this time directly within the Search page, by the end of the month. The new ads will appear alongside the current "Suggested" section on the page and will be visible to users across the whole platform.
The report lacks specific details on the mechanism behind the new ad slot. For example, Apple's current search ads include careful features that ensure smaller developers can bid and pay for ads and not get dominated by large developers and corporations. The new ad slot comes as the advertising industry is bracing for impact from the fallout of the upcoming iOS and iPadOS 14.5 update.
Beginning with the new update rolling out to users next week, apps will be required to ask for users' permission to access their IDFA or identifier for advertisers. By accessing the IDFA, developers can track a user's activity across other apps and websites, even those owned by different companies, to provide personalized ads to users.
The new requirement, called App Tracking Transparency, has received heavy criticism from companies such as Facebook, who are concerned that the new requirement will result in a majority of users opting out of ad tracking. A large portion of Facebook's business comes from selling ads across its platform, and ATT could cut into its revenue by making it harder to provide personalized, relevant ads to users.
In the Apple TV and Apple Books app, Apple will highlight special content in its Earth Day collections that "explores the science and human cost of climate change and its impact on wildlife, and offer hope for the future." Also, Apple TV+ subscribers can enjoy streaming the newly premiered "The Year Earth Changed" documentary and new seasons of "Tiny World" and "Earth At Night In Color."
Apple will place apps that target sustainable shopping, food waste reduction, and donations in a Today App Store story. The new story, Apple hopes, will encourage people to donate to different causes and "find a wealth of information on how to make a positive environmental impact."
On Apple Music, Apple will highlight "earth-inspired music" such as "Sounds of Nature" and a "Mixtape for Mother Earth" playlist. Apple Music will also feature a "special editorial space that features a peaceful soundscape of the seven continents and exclusive motion covers."
Remaining in the audio space, Apple Podcasts will offer content and shows that provide "insight and education on environmental issues, providing inspiration for active participation in the fight against climate change and underscoring the power and importance of nature itself." Apple on its home page also shared a video where highlighting its environmental goals for the coming decade.
Additional new content will include special new curated guides within Apple Maps in partnership with the National Park Foundation, The Nature Conservancy, Red Tricycle, Culture Trip, FATMAP, and Lonely Planet. Apple Watch owners can also earn a special Earth Day Award by completing a 30-minute work on Earth Day.
macOS Big Sur 11.3 includes a hidden "Hello" screen saver that appears to be designed for the new iMac models, but which can also be installed on any Mac that's running the 11.3 update.
As outlined by 9to5Mac, the new screen saver is not available by default, but with a simple set of instructions, can be accessed on even non-M1 iMac machines.
On a Mac running macOS Big Sur 11.3, follow these instructions:
Open the System folder.
Click on Library.
Click on Screen Savers.
Drag the "Hello.saver" file to the desktop.
Rename the "Hello" file to something else.
Double click the file.
Follow the instructions to install it.
From there, you should see the "Hello" screen saver added as an option in the list of Mac screen savers available in System Preferences > Desktop > Screen Saver > Screen Saver.
The Hello screen saver cycles through various colors, and there are several themes to choose from including "Soft Tones," "Spectrum," and "Minimal." Soft Tones uses the pastel colors introduced with the new iMacs and matching colored text, while Spectrum uses more saturated shades with lighter text. "Minimal" shows the "Hello" wording in black, white, and gray.
By default, the screen saver will display "Hello" in multiple languages, but you can force it to use only your native language by toggling off "Show 'hello' in all languages in the Screen Saver Options.
A "match system appearance" toggle is also available for use to match light and dark mode preferences.
At an App Store antitrust hearing that took place today, Spotify and Match Group (the company behind Tinder) accused Apple of abusing its App Store powers to to disadvantage rival services, reports Bloomberg. Spotify chief Legal Officer Horacio Gutierrez said that Apple's rules are "nothing more than an abusive power grab."
"Apple abuses its dominant position as a gatekeeper of the App Store to insulate itself from competition and disadvantage rival services like Spotify," Horacio Gutierrez, Spotify's chief legal officer, told lawmakers. Apple's restrictions on developers, he added, "are nothing more than an abusive power grab and a confiscation of the value created by others.
Spotify has had an ongoing feud with Apple since the debut of Apple Music. Apple Music is priced at $9.99, a price point that Spotify is unable to match due to the 30 percent cut that Apple takes, as it does not leave enough margin for Spotify to make money. Spotify has complained that it has no choice but to charge more on iOS devices and no alternative as Apple does not allow it to offer alternative signup or payment options in its app.
Match, meanwhile, complained that it had wanted to add ID verification rules to boost the app's safety in Taiwan, but Apple would not allow it to do so. Match contacted an Apple executive, who allegedly told the company that it should be glad Apple was not taking all of its revenue. "You owe us every dime you've made," the Apple executive reportedly said.
The "Antitrust Applied: Examining Competition in App Stores" hearing is examining App Stores and mobile competition, and is focused on Apple and Google. Apple's Chief Compliance Officer Kyle Andeer was in attendance to defend Apple.
Andeer stuck to Apple's standard talking points about how the App Store revolutionized software distribution and made it easier for developers to reach new users. Andeer said that Apple's strict App Store rules are designed to meet privacy, safety, and performance standards.
Apple's App Store rules are also facing a U.S. Department of Justice antitrust investigation, and Apple is currently gearing up for a showdown over its App Store policies with Epic Games.
Twitter today announced that iOS and Android users are now able to view and upload 4K images when using the mobile Twitter apps.
To view and uploaded images in 4K, Twitter users can opt for high-quality images under the "Data Usage" setting in the Twitter preferences.
Time to Tweet those high res pics –– the option to upload and view 4K images on Android and iOS is now available for everyone.
To start uploading and viewing images in 4K, update your high-quality image preferences in “Data usage” settings. https://t.co/XDnWOji3nx
— Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) April 21, 2021
Twitter has been testing higher resolution photo uploads with a limited number of Twitter users since March, but the feature has now rolled out for everyone. Twitter already supports high-resolution images on the web.
While the Touch ID sensor on the new Magic Keyboard is compatible with all M1 Macs, including the new iMac and last fall's 13-inch MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and Mac mini, MacRumors has confirmed with Apple that the Touch ID sensor will not function with the new iPad Pro, even though it also has an M1 chip.
The new Magic Keyboard can still be used with the iPad Pro and other devices, like Intel-based Macs, with the exception of Touch ID.
Apple will be offering three versions of the Magic Keyboard, including a standard version with Touch ID, a standard version without Touch ID, and an extended version with Touch ID and a numeric keypad. However, the new Magic Keyboard will only be available with the new iMac and not sold separately, at least initially, according to Apple.
Higher-end 24-inch iMacs will ship with the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID in the box at no additional charge, but it will be a $50 upgrade option for the base model.
Schematics stolen from Apple supplier Quanta Computer outline Apple's plans for the next-generation MacBook Pro models that are expected in 2021, and clearly confirm plans for additional ports and a return to MagSafe.
MacRumors saw the schematics after they were leaked online, and some of them feature the logic board of the next-generation MacBook Pro. On the right side of the machine, there's a visible HDMI port, accompanied by a USB-C/Thunderbolt port and followed by an SD Card reader. The left side features two additional USB-C/Thunderbolt ports and a MagSafe charging slot, for a total of three USB-C/Thunderbolt ports instead of four as we have today.
Rumors from Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and Bloomberg have previously said that all of these ports will be coming to the 2021 MacBook Pro models, but the schematics both confirm the addition of the new ports and give us insight into their positioning.
The codename for the Mac is "J316," which suggests that the logic board that we've seen is for the 16-inch MacBook Pro. There's also a "J314" model that likely correlates to the 14-inch MacBook Pro that Apple is also rumored to be working on. Both machines are expected to feature the new ports, MagSafe charging option, and upgraded Apple silicon chips.
This information, which was also shared by 9to5Mac, comes from a ransomware group called REvil, which claims to have accessed the internal computers of Apple supplier Quanta Computer.
Along with the logic board layout, the documentation includes deeply technical listings of MacBook components and layouts that may ultimately provide additional information on these machines as it's parsed. Leaked images of the new MacBook Pro floating around on Twitter also confirm that the device will not feature a Touch Bar, which is in line with rumors that we've heard. The casing design may also feature more rounded corners.
REvil has threatened to release additional documents stolen from Quanta Computer if Apple does not pay a ransom fee by May 1. REvil plans to release new files every day until Apple pays the fee, and Apple has not commented on the situation.
Quanta Computer said that it has indeed been subject to "cyber attacks on a small number of Quanta servers" but that there's "no material impact on the company's business operation.
Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming macOS Big Sur 11.4 update to developers for testing purposes, with the new beta coming while the macOS 11.3 beta is still in testing.
Developers can download the macOS Big Sur 11.4 beta using the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences after installing the proper profile from the Apple Developer Center.
According to Apple's developer release notes, the macOS Big Sur 11.4 update adds Intel Mac support for AMD's 6000-Series Navi GPUs. It is not yet clear if there are also other outward-facing features included.
Apple has seeded the release candidate version of macOS Big Sur 11.3, and the update will likely see a launch next week alongside iOS 14.5, tvOS 14.5, and watchOS 7.4.
U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, who is spearheading an antitrust hearing on competition in App Stores, today called Apple's AirTags release "timely" because it is the type of conduct that she plans to examine, reports Reuters.
"It's timely given that this is the type of conduct that we'll be talking about at the hearing," she said, while also mentioning that criticisms of the App Store and Play Store have not received enough attention.
The "Antitrust Applied: Examining Competition in App Stores" hearing takes place today to examine App Stores and mobile competition. Executives from Apple, Google, Tile, Spotify, and Match Group will be participating. Apple initially did not plan to send anyone to attend, but agreed to provide Chief Compliance Officer Kyle Andeer after senators complained.
Tile General Counsel Kirsten Daru will also be attending, and yesterday, Tile said that it intends to bring up the AirTags launch. Tile CEO CJ Prober said that the company is "skeptical" about Apple's aims with AirTags, given its "history of using platform advantage to unfairly limit competition."
We welcome competition, as long as it is fair competition. Unfortunately, given Apple's well-documented history of using its platform advantage to unfairly limit competition for its products, we're skeptical. And given our prior history with Apple, we think it is entirely appropriate for Congress to take a closer look at Apple's business practices specific to its entry into this category. We welcome the opportunity to discuss these issues further in front of Congress tomorrow.
Tile has known about Apple's work on the AirTag for some time now and has brought it up in prior legal proceedings as it is unhappy to have Apple as competition in the item tracking space. To avoid antitrust complaints, Apple waited to launch AirTags until it had already debuted the Find My Network accessory program, which allows third-party Bluetooth devices like item trackers to integrate into the Find My app alongside AirTags.
The Find My network is open to Tile, but it does require item trackers to work exclusively with Find My, and Tile already has an established item tracking app and its own network that uses smartphones for crowdsourced tracking purposes.
Apple in a statement said that it has worked to build a platform that enables third-party developers to thrive.
"We have always embraced competition as the best way to drive great experiences for our customers, and we have worked hard to build a platform in iOS that enables third-party developers to thrive," Apple said in a statement.
Other companies that have long had competitive issues with App Store, such as Spotify and Match will participate, and will complain about the restrictive rules employed by Apple and Google and the App Store fees.
With the App Store competition hearing kicking off today, Fight for the Future launched an "Abolish the App Store" initiative that calls on people to sign a petition to demand that Congress "end the App Store monopoly."
Fight the Future believes that iOS should work like other "general purpose" computing systems, giving users the freedom to install software directly onto their devices without Apple's permission.
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.
After paying upfront for an AppleCare+ plan for a Mac, the initial coverage period remains three years, but customers now have the option to purchase additional coverage that automatically renews annually until canceled. The new coverage must be purchased within 30 days of the end date of the original coverage, according to Apple.
Previously, there was no way to extend AppleCare+ coverage for a Mac once the initial three-year coverage window elapsed.
AppleCare+ for Mac provides up to two incidents of accidental damage protection every 12 months, each subject to a service fee of $99 for screen damage or external enclosure damage, or $299 for other damage. Customers with an active AppleCare+ plan also have 24/7 priority access to Apple's technical support representatives by online chat or phone.
AppleCare+ coverage for Mac remains capped at three years outside of the United States.
Apple today continued on with its "Behind the Mac" advertising campaign, sharing two new videos in the series. The first new Behind the Mac spot features musical artist FINNEAS, who is Billie Eilish's brother.
The video walks through his creative process using the Mac to develop music, and he calls the Mac "the last instrument" that he learned.
Apple's second Behind the Mac video focuses on students who are reading their college acceptance letters on their Macs and getting excited. "Celebrating college acceptance season and all those students starting their next chapter behind the Mac," reads the video's description.
Apple kicked off the "Behind the Mac" video series in August of 2018, and has been sharing various videos demonstrating the ways people use their Macs since then.
Apple today announced that the critically acclaimed film "CODA" is set to launch on Apple TV+ and in theaters on Friday, August 13.
The film tells the story of a seventeen-year-old girl named Ruby (played by Emilia Jones), who is the sole hearing member of a deaf family, nicknamed "CODA," or "child of deaf adults."
Ruby's life centers around balancing responsibilities as an interpreter for her parents (Marlee Matlin and Troy Kotsur), working on the family's struggling fishing boat, and her new love of singing in her school's choir club.
"CODA" is written and directed by Siân Heder, who directed and wrote one episode - "The Silence" - of the Apple TV+ series "Little America." The film was presented in the U.S. Dramatic Competition category at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, and in total won four awards at Sundance.
These were: Special Jury Award for Ensemble Cast, the Directing Award, the Audience Award, and the Grand Jury Prize. "CODA" joins other award-winning and nominated Apple TV+ films and shows like "Ted Lasso," "Wolfwalkers," "Greyhound," and more.
