MacRumors

Users may notice that a number of very old apps are receiving new App Store updates. Instead of fixing bugs or adding new features, the updates are occurring because Apple is updating developers' apps that use a legacy ‌App Store‌ code signing certificate with the latest version so that they can launch correctly in the upcoming releases of iOS 14.5 and iPadOS 14.5.

Developers of affected apps do not need to re-sign their apps themselves, since Apple will issue the update and new signing certificate itself. Apple is issuing the updates with the What's New text "This app has been updated by Apple to use the latest Apple signing certificate."

Apple alerted developers of affected apps about the required update and its purpose, and the updates have now started rolling out to users.

The change only affects apps that have not been updated at all for several years, and therefore have an outdated code signing certificate. Apple conducted a similar wave of signing certificate updates in July last year.

The updated signing certificates will allow apps to launch as expected in iOS 14.5 and iPadOS 14.5, which are due to be released very soon.

Apple has today published its 2021 Environmental Progress Report, setting out the company's ongoing efforts to reduce its impact on the environment and combat climate change.

Apple's goal of reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2030 is central to the report. For example, Apple highlights its increasing use of recycled materials in its products and packaging, emphasis on environmentally-conscious design, and use of renewable energy, to reduce carbon emissions.

Apple explained that increasing a device's power efficiency can significantly reduce the carbon emissions a device instigates over the course of its use. For example, it mentioned that the low power-per-watt requirements of the M1 chip have reduced the overall carbon footprint of the Mac mini by as much as 34 percent.

The company addressed some of the more controversial environmental decisions that it has taken over the past year, such as removing the power adapter and EarPods from the iPhone. Apple says that this will save 861,000 tons of copper, tin, and zinc ore from being unnecessarily mined from the earth. The move allowed for thinner ‌iPhone‌ boxes, which meant that 70 percent more iPhones can now fit in every shipping pallet, reducing overall the carbon footprint of device transportation.

The report also drew attention to Apple's recent announcement of its $200 million contribution to the "Restore Fund," which will make investments in forestry projects to remove carbon from the atmosphere.

See the full PDF version of Apple's 2021 Environmental Progress Report for more information.

In a letter slated to be shared with artists today through the Apple Music for Artists dashboard, obtained by The Wall Street Journal, Apple has reportedly revealed that it pays music rights holders one cent per song streamed on Apple Music.

The report claims that Apple Music's payment structure is thus roughly double what Spotify pays music rights holders per stream, which averages to about one-third to one-half penny per stream, although the report cites music industry experts who say that Apple Music's payments can dip lower. Apple Music's payments come directly from the service's subscription-based revenue from customers, the report adds.

In the letter, Apple says it pays 52% of subscription revenue, or 52 cents of every dollar, to record labels and other music rights holders, according to the report. These music rights holders in turn pay artists based on their recording, publishing, and distribution agreements, so artists might not receive the entire cent per stream.

"As the discussion about streaming royalties continues, we believe it is important to share our values," Apple said in the letter, the report says. "We believe in paying every creator the same rate, that a play has a value, and that creators should never have to pay" for their music to be featured in prominent sections of the Apple Music app.

Spotify has significantly more users than Apple Music worldwide, with 155 million paying subscribers and 345 million total users as of the end of 2020. Apple Music's last known subscriber count is around 60 million, including those on a free trial, but Apple has not provided an updated figure in nearly two years now.

In the sixth beta of iOS 14.5, Apple introduced a recalibration process for the battery health reporting system on the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max to address inaccurate battery health estimates for some users.

Apple said this process might take a few weeks to be completed, and now that two weeks have passed since the sixth beta of iOS 14.5 was released, some users are beginning to see revised battery health percentages. 9to5Mac writer Benjamin Mayo tweeted that his iPhone 11 Pro's maximum battery capacity relative to when it was new increased from 86% to 90%, for example, and tech website The 8-Bit has compiled other users' results.

In a support document, Apple said this bug with inaccurate battery health reporting does not reflect an issue with an iPhone's actual battery health, and the recalibration process should resolve the issue. Symptoms of the bug include unexpected battery drain or, in a small number of instances, reduced peak performance capability, according to Apple.

While the battery health reporting system is recalibrating, users will see an "Important Battery Message" in Settings > Battery > Battery Health, but the displayed maximum capacity percentage will not change during recalibration. When the process is complete, the new percentage will appear and the message will be removed.

In a small number of instances, recalibration might not be successful and a new battery service message will appear. If this occurs, an Apple Authorized Service Provider can replace the battery free of charge to restore full performance and capacity, according to Apple, but the company ensures there is no safety risk posed to customers.

iOS 14.5 has been in beta testing for over two months and could be released next week. Apple will be hosting a virtual event on Tuesday, April 10 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time, with a new iPad Pro and other announcements expected.

A video purporting to be of the third-generation Apple Pencil has today been shared online, showing a glossy finish that mirrors previous leaks.

The brief video from Twitter account @ileakeer, spotted by 9to5Mac, shows an ‌Apple Pencil‌ with a glossy finish much like the first-generation model, but with the flat edge that was added on the second-generation version for magnetic charging. The design mirrors previously leaked images suggesting that Apple is returning to the glossy finish for the ‌Apple Pencil‌.

Other reports from the leaker "Uncle Pan Pan," who seemingly leaked the entire spring range of iPhone cases, have also said that Apple is actively preparing to launch the third-generation ‌Apple Pencil‌.

It is not clear what new features may be coming to the new ‌Apple Pencil‌, but it seems that upgrades may be more focused on the internals of the accessory rather than any significant external design changes. Nevertheless, it is not unreasonable to expect some added functionality over the current model to justify a new iteration of the device.

The leaked video serves as yet another indication that the launch of the third-generation ‌Apple Pencil‌ is imminent and will likely be announced at the "Spring Loaded" Apple event next week alongside new iPad Pro models.

Facebook is facing calls from an international coalition of children's health advocates to abandon its plans to build a version of Instagram for kids, reports The Guardian.

The campaign follows news that broke in March which revealed that Facebook is developing a version of Instagram that's specifically aimed at children under 13. Instagram's current policy prohibits kids under 13 from using the platform.

In an open letter organized by the youth advocacy non-profit the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, dozens of groups, individual advocates, and researchers call on Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to ditch the plan, arguing that it would put young people at risk and do more harm than good.

A growing body of research demonstrates that excessive use of digital devices and social media is harmful to adolescents. Instagram, in particular, exploits young people's fear of missing out and desire for peer approval to encourage children and teens to constantly check their devices and share photos with their followers. The platform's relentless focus on appearance, self-presentation, and branding presents challenges to adolescents’ privacy and wellbeing.

Younger children are even less developmentally equipped to deal with these challenges, as they are learning to navigate social interactions, friendships, and their inner sense of strengths and challenges during this crucial window of development. Moreover, young children are highly persuadable by algorithmic prediction of what they might click on next, and we are very concerned about how automated decision making would determine what children see and experience on a kids' Instagram platform.

The letter goes on to argue that pre-teens who have established existing Instagram accounts by lying about their date of birth are unlikely to migrate to a "babyish" version of the platform, and that the real target for a kids' version of Instagram is a much younger cohort that doesn't currently use the platform.

Last month, Congress Democrats Edward Markey, Kathy Castor, Richard Blumenthal and Lori Trahan wrote to Zuckerberg to say they had "serious concerns" about his plans to make a version of Instagram for children.

"Facebook has an obligation to ensure that any new platforms or projects targeting children put those users' welfare first, and we are skeptical that Facebook is prepared to fulfill this obligation," the lawmakers wrote.

In 2017, Facebook launched Messenger Kids, which is aimed at children between the ages of 6 and 12. Following the launch, several children's health advocates called on Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to discontinue the product, citing research that "excessive use of digital devices and social media is harmful to children and teens, making it very likely this new app will undermine children's healthy development."

Facebook said it had consulted multiple experts during the app's development, although a Wired report later revealed that the company had financial relationships with many of the people and organizations that advised on the product.

Microsoft has released a new Kids Mode for its popular Edge browser that allows children to discover the web in a fun way while limiting their access to only approved sites.

Aimed at pre-teens, Kids Mode can be accessed via the profile button in the toolbar, although it doesn't require a child account or a profile to use. It offers options for age ranges 5-8 and 9-12 years old.

Both ranges provide the highest level of tracking protection and use Bing's SafeSearch to filter out adult content from searches, but the 9-12 range adds a news feed to the tab with curated articles from MSN for Kids that includes subjects like science, fun facts, and animals.

Microsoft includes 70 popular kids' sites in its built-in whitelist, and parents and guardians can add more sites if they choose. If a kid tries to navigate to a site outside of that allowed list, they’ll be greeted with a friendly block page, encouraging them to either ask for permission or try navigating elsewhere.

Kids Mode features customizable themes that include Disney and Pixar wallpapers, and Microsoft believes it will be a "game-changer" for parents, with children spending more time online. Kids Mode is available in the browser's latest updates for iOS and Mac.

Firefox will soon hand over FTP requests to other applications, as Mozilla begins to phase out the browser's long-standing FTP implementation in the next stable release.

Mozilla announced its intention to disable support for the FTP protocol last year, but the plan was delayed because of the global health crisis.

One of the oldest network protocols still in use, FTP handles file transfers between a server to a client, but it's no longer considered a secure way of uploading and downloading resources, and there are no good reasons to prefer it over HTTPS.

FTP will be disabled by default in Firefox 88, set to be released on April 19. Come June, all code relating to FTP will be removed altogether with the release of Firefox 90.

"Most places where an extension may pass 'ftp' such as filters for proxy or webRequest should not result in an error, but the APIs will no longer handle requests of those types," wrote Mozilla add-ons manager Caitlin Neiman in a blog post.

"To help offset this removal, ftp has been added to the list of supported protocol_handlers for browser extensions. This means that extensions will be able to prompt users to launch a FTP application to handle certain links."

When Firefox 90 is released, users will need a dedicated FTP browser to access remote servers in the future. Google removed FTP support with the release of Chrome 88 in January.

Information and alleged CADs of the upcoming iPhone 13 series, shared in a video from EverythingApplePro, indicates that Apple plans to make this year's ‌iPhone‌ camera module significantly bigger, likely to make way for larger sensors and sensor-shift stabilization.

According to the CADs shared in the video, the ‌iPhone‌ 13 mini, Pro, and Pro Max camera module will all be a "perfect square." Dimensionally, the ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro Max camera system will protrude 0.87mm more than the current iPhone 12 Pro Max. As a result, the overall body thickness will also increase by .25mm, according to the CADs. The camera module of the ‌iPhone 12 Pro Max‌ will be 3.38 taller and 4.77 wider.

For the ‌iPhone‌ 13 mini, the CAD shows a diagonal camera setup for the 5.4-inch form factor ‌iPhone‌. Specific measurements from the CAD say that the camera setup will protrude 0.99mm more than the iPhone 12 mini, and be 3.06mm longer in width, and 0.14mm shorter in height. The overall ‌iPhone‌ 13 mini body will be 0.26mm thicker.

Moving over to the ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro, the camera module itself will be 3.41mm taller and 4.81mm wider than the current ‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro. The significantly larger camera housing will include a larger LiDAR sensor, and while not mentioned in today's video, will likely include better accuracy for corners, edges, and AR. Alongside the increase in actual size, the camera system for the 13 Pro will protrude 3.65mm, compared to the 2.79mm of the current high-end ‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro.

The majority of the information shared today by EverythingApplePro was echoed in a previous report this week from 91Mobiles, who failed to provide specific dimensions, but did offer a look at the larger camera setups. The CADs from EverythingApplePro also corroborate previously leaked information regarding the notch. According to the CADs, Apple will move the earpiece to the bezel of the display, making the notch smaller.

Owners of OPPO's Watch and Band wearables can now use their devices with iPhone, thanks to OPPO's HeyTap Health companion app making it onto the App Store.

Spotted by XDA Developers, the HeyTap app lets OPPO users collect and analyze fitness tracking data collected by the wearables. Users can personalize watch faces, customize workout and health settings, and sync tracking data with Apple Health.

In addition, the app tracks SpO2 data from the Band, and users can keep tabs on their sleep quality, heart rate, and daily activity goals. iOS notification support is also included, so OPPO users can get ‌iPhone‌ notifications on their wrist.

OPPO launched its Watch in China last year, and the Watch and Band have since been made available in additional markets worldwide. Its introduction was met with derision in some quarters because of its similar design to Apple Watch.

OPPO HeyTap is a free download from the ‌App Store‌. [Direct Link]

The Clipper card, used for most transit options in the San Francisco Bay Area, now supports Apple Pay with Express Transit Mode. Starting today, Clipper cards can be added to the Wallet app on an iPhone and Apple Watch and used wherever Clipper cards are accepted.

Clipper cards can be reloaded directly in the Wallet app, making it more convenient to travel throughout the Bay Area. Apple has a dedicated Clipper card website with details on how to transfer a Clipper card to the ‌iPhone‌.

In the San Francisco Bay Area, Clipper cards are used for BART, Caltrain, Muni, VTA and more. With Express Transit Mode, transit can be authenticated with a tap and no need to use Face ID, Touch ID, or touch a transit machine.

Anker, a company known for its range of accessories designed for Apple products, recently came out with one of the first MagSafe-compatible battery packs, so we thought we'd check it out to see how it compares to a standard battery pack.

Design wise, Anker's power bank looks like a typical battery pack, but it has magnets built in that are designed to adhere right to the back of an iPhone 12 model. It's made from a plastic material with some rubber accenting, and it's fairly small and lightweight given that it needs to attach to an ‌iPhone‌ magnetically.

The PowerCore Magnetic 5K Wireless Power Bank is MagSafe-compatible, not MagSafe, so it is limited to 5W charging rather than 15W charging like a MagSafe charger. At 5W, it's going to charge at slower speeds, but since it is able to adhere to the back of an ‌iPhone‌ magnetically, it's more convenient than a standalone power bank because it stays in place.

Magnetic strength is decent, but it stays adhered best when used with a MagSafe-compatible ‌iPhone‌ case. Without a case, the magnet is decent, but the hold is better with a magnetic case.

With a 5,000mAh capacity, the PowerCore Magnetic Power Bank can charge an iPhone 12 mini to full, but for other iPhones, you're only going to get a partial charge. Anker says it can charge the ‌iPhone‌ 12 and 12 Pro to 95 percent and the iPhone 12 Pro Max to 75 percent, so it doesn't have as much capacity as other power banks on the market, but it's still a useful charge amount when you're in a pinch because of its portability and ease of use.

The PowerCore Power Bank can be charged over USB-C, and you can check the charge level with the indicator lights that are next to the USB-C port on the device. You can use Anker's power bank with other Qi-enabled accessories, but the magnetic attachment feature is limited to the ‌iPhone‌ 12 models.

The PowerCore Magnetic 5K Power Bank can be purchased from Amazon for $40, but Anker is having supply issues at the current time and it is out of stock.

Docker today announced that it has launched a new version of Docker Desktop for Mac with Apple silicon support, allowing developers to use the Docker software on the M1 MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and Mac mini.

Prior to launching, the version of Docker Desktop for Mac with ‌M1‌ compatibility has been available as a technical preview, and Docker says that testers have found the software to be faster and quieter.

The Apple silicon version of Docker is also "just as easy" to get up and running on an ‌M1‌ Mac, allowing developers to rapidly code and test with consistency between development and production environments. Developers can build and run end-to-end on Arm architecture from Docker Desktop on ‌M1‌ Macs to Arm-based cloud servers like AWS Graviton 2.

Docker Captain Ajeet Singh Raina said that the new software will "let you do everything you've been able to do on a Mac already, and you'll be able to do it faster and with less noise."

Docker for Mac [Apple Silicon] can be downloaded from the Docker website.

Apple today announced it is introducing new Fitness+ workouts geared specifically toward pregnancy and older adults, as well as several new Yoga, High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), and Strength workouts for beginners.

The new Workouts for Pregnancy, Workouts for Older Adults, and Workouts for Beginners will be available in Apple Fitness+ on April 19.

The new pregnancy workouts consist of 10 workouts across the Strength, Core, and Mindful Cooldown categories. Every workout is 10 minutes long and designed to accommodate any stage of pregnancy and any fitness level, and includes tips for modifying workouts using a pillow for comfort as the body changes during pregnancy, according to Apple.

The workouts for older adults are focused on strength, flexibility, balance, coordination, and mobility.

Apple is also expanding its roster of Fitness+ trainers by introducing a new Yoga and Mindful Cooldown trainer, Jonelle Lewis, in addition to welcoming current Fitness+ trainer Anja Garcia to the HIIT team.

Last, actress and activist Jane Fonda will share inspiring stories, photos, and a few of her favorite songs in the next episode of Time to Walk in honor of Earth Day. This episode will also be available April 19. Launched in January, the Time to Walk feature provides Apple Fitness+ subscribers with audio stories from influential people that Apple Watch users can listen to with AirPods or other wireless headphones while walking.

Apple Fitness+ is a subscription-based workout video service, available in the United States, the UK, Australia, Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand. A one-month free trial is available for all Apple Watch users.

Peloton appears to be rolling back its support for Apple GymKit on the Bike+, which was one of the first consumer-oriented machines to feature the option of Apple Watch integration, according to Connect The Watts.

Peloton was among the first companies to support GymKit on its home fitness machines, allowing users to easily and directly pair their Apple Watch with their bike. This meant that users could see heart rate information from the Apple Watch on the machine and feed workout metrics into the Apple Watch, the Activity app, and the Health app automatically.

After disabling Apple Watch pairing for Strength and Yoga workouts on the Bike+, one of Peloton's latest updates disables the ability to directly pair the Apple Watch with the Bike+ during Bootcamp workouts. This means that the only remaining class to still work with the Apple Watch is Cycling.

Peloton's responses to complaints about the feature removal on Instagram have claimed that the company hopes "to support GymKit for additional class types in the future," but have inadvertently proven that the gradual removal of GymKit features that has occurred so far is intentional and not a bug.

The move has caused outrage among some Peloton customers, particularly since GymKit was sold as a premium feature on its $2,495 Bike+, and was not available on the cheaper $1,895 Peloton Bike. The Bike+ launched only seven months ago and was largely seen as the only viable consumer option for using GymKit at home.

It is possible that Peloton is planning on releasing its own fitness-oriented smartwatch in the future, which may explain the gradual removal of GymKit features. Peloton purchased fitness smartwatch maker Atlas Wearables earlier this year, so it seems to be a matter of time before the company leverages that acquisition to launch its own integrated smartwatch.

The company would likely want to encourage users who have already invested in costly equipment and an ongoing $39 per month subscription to remain within the Peloton ecosystem with its own smartwatch. Rumors suggest that an announcement of a Peloton smartwatch could come as soon as the end of this month.

Another possibility is that Peloton is concerned about endorsing the Apple ecosystem now that there is a cheaper rival service in the form of Apple Fitness+. Peloton may suspect that Apple Watch users would be attracted to Apple Fitness+, and therefore would not want to provide any additional cause to purchase one by offering integrated features.

Update: Peloton has now confirmed to The Verge that GymKit no longer works in Bike Bootcamp classes and instead will "only be available in cycling classes for now." The Peloton spokesperson also said "Peloton is committed to bringing the GymKit integration to all workouts and disciplines within Apple's terms of service," which seems to suggest that Bootcamp workouts and others that have lost GymKit support did not fall under Apple's terms of service, but it is not yet clear why this would be the case.

Apple recently announced that it will be hosting a virtual event on Tuesday, April 20, and alongside new products like an iPad Pro with a Mini-LED display, new colors are expected for iPhone cases and Apple Watch bands.

Twitter user "Tommy Boi" recently shared a photo of some of the allegedly new colors, including Cantaloupe, Pistachio, Capri Blue, and Amethyst (from left to right).

The leaks have since continued, with Twitter user "Majin Bu" having shared a photo showing off three more allegedly new colors, including a sky blue, mustard yellow, and a red, which could potentially be the existing (PRODUCT)RED case. It's likely that many of these colors will be extended to new Apple Watch bands, like the Sport Band and Solo Loop.

iPhone case and Apple Watch band colors are often refreshed on a seasonal basis. These latest color options will likely be added to Apple's online store following Tuesday's event, which begins at 10 a.m. Pacific Time. We'll have full coverage of Apple's announcements across our MacRumors platforms, so be sure to follow along next week.