MacRumors

A group of major U.S. news publishers have joined the Coalition for App Fairness, a collaborative organization set up to highlight issues with Apple, mainly from developers (via TechCrunch).

Digital Content Next, which represents the AP, The New York Times, NPR, ESPN, Vox, The Washington Post, Meredith, Bloomberg, NBCU, The Financial Times, and more, has become the 50th member to join the Coalition for App Fairness.

A number of other European media organizations have already joined the Coalition for App Fairness, including the European Publishers Council, News Media Europe, GESTE, and Schibsted. Digital Content Next is the first to represent the news and media industry in the United States, and accumulatively reaches an audience of over 233 million unique visitors and 100 percent of the U.S. online population.

The publishers believe that Apple "severely impacts" their subscription-based models by serving as an intermediary. In short, the argument postulates that Apple is wrong to force publishers to use in-app payments for subscription services, which, in turn, means that prices have to rise to account for Apple's commission.

"DCN is pleased to join the Coalition for App Fairness working to establish a fair and competitive digital landscape," Digital Content Next CEO Jason Kint said in a statement. "The premium publisher members of DCN enjoy trusted, direct relationships with consumers, who don't expect intermediaries to impose arbitrary fees and rules which limit their ability to consume the news and entertainment they love."

Earlier this year, Digital Content Next criticized Apple's business practices when it halved its commission from 30 percent to 15 percent for video subscription apps. The organization alleges that Apple amended its App Store rules for Amazon specifically, in order to get Amazon's Prime Video app on iOS and tvOS. Publishers essentially wanted the same discounted fee for themselves but were unable to do so, despite the fact that Apple says its App Store rules are applied evenly.

Furthermore, Digital Content Next argues that Apple's fees and Safari's blocking of third-party cookies and tracking workarounds have pushed publishers away from direct audience revenue, such as subscriptions and events. It claims that Apple has instead pushed them toward digital ads where they had to pay a 30 percent commission on earnings.

Publishers have also expressed concerns about Apple News+ limiting revenue, affording "little in the way of direct relationships with readers," and giving "little control over the business," with some publications such as The New York Times, which is part of Digital Context Next, withdrawing from the service entirely.

"Having DCN join the Coalition for App Fairness is a landmark moment for our campaign, and their insight into core issues with the App Store that top outlets face will only make our voice stronger," said Sarah Maxwell, spokesperson for the Coalition for App Fairness, in a statement. "We're excited to work with them to advocate for App Store policies that are fair, hold Apple accountable, and give consumers freedom of choice."

The Coalition for App Fairness was founded by a large group of companies, such as Epic Games, Spotify, Tile, Basecamp, Blix, Blockchain, Deezer, Match, Prepear, ProtonMail, and SkyDemon, many of whom have had major disagreements with Apple over various issues.

The organization describes itself as "an independent nonprofit organization founded by industry-leading companies to advocate for freedom of choice and fair competition across the app ecosystem." The coalition is based in Washington D.C. and Brussels, and aims to lead legal and regulatory changes with regards to what it says are three key issues; "anti-competitive policies," "30 percent app tax," and "no consumer freedom."

Google's Stadia cloud gaming service is now available on iOS through a dedicated web app, which means that it is playable on the iPhone and the iPad for the first time. For those unfamiliar with Stadia, it is a gaming platform that lets you play your favorite video games on any device.

Google was not able to bring Stadia to iOS through a dedicated app because of Apple's restrictions on cloud gaming services, so Google had to find a workaround.

The new progressive web version of Google Stadia is able to be run through the Safari web browser, and it is available in a public beta capacity. Those who want to try it out can visit Stadia.com. It supports all kinds of popular games, like NBA 2K21, DOOM Eternal, Red Dead Redemption 2, Assassin's Creed Valhalla, and more.

Google says that the Safari gameplay experience is still in development, and additional features and performance improvements will be added going forward as it gathers user experience data. The Stadia experience on iOS is similar to Stadia on Android, and the web app supports playing and purchasing games.

Stadia can be added to the Home screen and launched like a traditional app by visiting the website, tapping on the share button, and choosing the "Add to Home Screen" option.

Google first launched Stadia a year ago in November 2019, allowing subscribers to play cloud-based games on compatible laptops, PCs, Macs, phones, and tablets. Stadia requires an internet connection of 10Mb/s or more, and while it's free to use, some games must be purchased. Google also offers Stadia Pro for $10 per month with access to some free games and higher resolution streaming rates.

Google today announced that the Apple TV app will be rolling out to the new Chromecast with Google TV dongle starting early next year, and to more devices powered by the Android TV operating system in the future.

With the addition of the Apple TV app, Chromecast with Google TV users will be able to access Apple TV+ with a subscription, as well as their library of movie and TV show purchases from Apple and content from Apple TV channels.

This marks Google's second partnership with Apple this month, following Apple Music rolling out to Google Assistant-enabled smart speakers and displays like the Nest Audio, Nest Hub Max, and Nest Mini in the United States and select other countries.

The Apple TV app has been rolling out to a wide variety of platforms in recent months, including the PlayStation, Xbox, and Roku.

Nearly a decade ago, Apple launched a new "Giving" program for employees. For every hour an employee volunteers or dollar they donate, Apple says it matches that with a monetary donation to the same organization.

Apple today announced that employees have raised almost $600 million in total donations — and logged more than 1.6 million hours volunteered — for more than 34,000 organizations since the program's inception in 2011. This is on top of the donations that Apple makes each year to non-profit organizations around the world, such as Feeding America.

Apple also announced that it is investing in a "multimillion-dollar annual grant program" in an effort to support organizations "in communities where Apple teams live and work," including food banks, health and social services, youth art programs, and more.

And this holiday season, Apple said it is donating an additional $5 million to support various organizations that are offering COVID-19-related support to communities around the world, ranging from hunger relief to medical care.

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.

Boss Audio and sister brands Planet Audio and Sound Storm Laboratories today are introducing new car stereo head units that include support for wireless CarPlay and Android Auto at a price of just $400. With a capacitive 6.75-inch screen and support vehicle features like a rear camera and steering wheel controls, the new systems offer a solid value for those with older vehicles looking to update to a more modern head unit.

I've had a chance to spend the past couple of weeks checking out the Planet Audio version of the head unit, model PCPA975W, and I've been pretty impressed with its performance and simplicity. While you won't get features like a CD/DVD player or built-in navigation, many users find those features unnecessary when much of that content can be driven straight from their phones.

Back in the early days of wireless ‌CarPlay‌, I was skeptical of its utility, considering the potential for running down the phone's battery and the fact that the car is frequently a good place to plug in and get a bit of a recharge during the day. As I've been able to spend substantial time using the feature, however, I've come to love it. So many car trips are short commutes or errands, and having ‌CarPlay‌ automatically pop up on the dash without having to take my phone out of my pocket is just so convenient.

Between the short trip lengths and Apple's improvements in power management for wireless ‌CarPlay‌, pretty much any battery concerns I had about it have been a non-issue. If I'm taking a longer road trip, I'll certainly plug my phone in, but that's such a small fraction of my trips that it's rarely something I end up doing.

I won't really spend time going over the details of ‌CarPlay‌ itself here, as it's a pretty standard experience that most are familiar with by now, and Apple has steadily improved the experience over the years with features like the Dashboard, revamped Apple Maps, better support for third-party apps, and EV routing.

The new systems from Boss Audio aren't super flashy, but they certainly get the job done, at least as far as I've seen in my testing. User interfaces on both original and aftermarket infotainment systems have long lagged behind those of smartphones in their visual appeal and utility, but they're starting to make some real headway on that front. You won't mistake Boss's interface for that of an iPhone, but it's much better than some other ones I've used, including a previous Boss Audio system I tested just last year.

There's a solid range of connectivity options and supported sources, including terrestrial radio, Bluetooth streaming, USB media, and an AUX input for older iPods and other devices. An external microphone can be routed to a convenient spot like the headliner at the edge of the windshield for optimal performance. SiriusXM is not supported.

The 6.75-inch capacitive display with a resolution of 480x800 takes up the vast majority of the unit's face, and the display is bright and responsive to touch. There's some Planet Audio and model number branding along the bottom of the face, and then a strip of touch controls along the left side. The touch-sensitive buttons support multicolor illumination configured through the head unit's settings, and they offer quick access to a number of functions with a dedicated power/home button to help with navigating the system, a microphone button for activating Siri, up and down volume buttons, and a mute button.

The user interface is simple and easy to navigate, with the radio screen offering a clear view of the currently tuned station, song and other information for stations that broadcast info via RBDS, and a strip with three pages of station preset slots. Onscreen icons offer access to tuning, station scanning, and an EQ that offers various preset sound profiles and the ability to customize your own.

Setup for wireless ‌CarPlay‌ was easy, and all I needed to do was plug my phone into the system over USB, walk through a couple of steps to configure wired ‌CarPlay‌, and then toggle on the option for wireless ‌CarPlay‌. From that point on, I had few difficulties with ‌CarPlay‌. It does take 15 seconds or so for ‌CarPlay‌ to come up on the screen from the time you start the car, and I did have a couple of instances where it didn't automatically pop up, but it was easy enough to manually activate it from main screen on the head unit and the issue was likely related to brief hiccups between handing off between my home Wi-Fi network and the head unit as I departed my home.

For those who don't want to use ‌CarPlay‌ or Android Auto, you can still pair your phone via Bluetooth for phone calls and media, which can be controlled through the head unit.

While $400 is a great value for a system that supports wireless ‌CarPlay‌, it's important to note that that's just for the head unit itself and there will be other costs involved in getting the unit installed in your car. Items like wiring harnesses to interface with your specific car model, modules for integrating with steering wheel controls and the backup camera, and a trim plate to match your car's dashboard will increase the cost. And if you don't feel comfortable doing the installation yourself and need a professional to do it, those ancillary costs for parts and labor could add up to more than the price of the head unit, doubling your costs.

Still, the cost may be worth it for a big upgrade in your driving experience, particularly if you're willing to do a self-install. Recent models have so much functionality packed into their native infotainment systems that it's not really feasible or desirable to swap them out for aftermarket units, but there are still plenty of cars on the road, some even only a few years old, that can certainly benefit from the technology upgrades available in these head units.

Boss Audio is debuting four new models today under its various brands: BOSS Audio BVCP9850W, Planet Audio PCPA975W, Sound Storm Laboratories DD999ACP, and BOSS Elite BE950WCPA. All four models are priced at $400 and they are essentially identical with the exception of branding.

Note: Boss Audio provided MacRumors with the Planet Audio PCPA975W unit and installation services for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received. MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Facebook has today attacked Apple in a series of full-page newspaper ads, asserting that iOS 14's privacy changes regarding data gathering and targeted advertising are bad for small businesses (via Bloomberg).

The ads are running in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post, feature the headline "We're standing up to Apple for small businesses everywhere."

Earlier this year, Apple introduced a number of privacy changes that curb the ability of companies like Facebook to gather data on users and target adverts. In ‌iOS 14‌, Apple has made the "Identifier for Advertisers," used by Facebook and its advertising partners for ad targeting, an opt-in feature, providing more transparency for users who would prefer not to be tracked in apps and on websites. The update simply asks users if they want to agree to ad tracking or prevent cross-app and cross-site tracking to provide targeted ads.

‌iOS 14‌ also has a prominent "Tracking" section in the Privacy portion of the Settings app, where users can disable the option for apps to track them altogether. Even if this feature is toggled off, apps must still ask permission to track users across apps and websites owned by other companies, which is a blow to the silent ad-related tracking that has been going on behind the scenes.

Facebook has previously cautioned that Apple's changes would lead to difficulties, not only for its own business model, but also for small businesses who use its platform to advertise. Facebook claims that ads displayed without personalized targeting generate 60 percent fewer sales than ads that do target consumers.

Apple responded to the criticisms after delaying the rollout of the new privacy measures, accusing Facebook of making clear its intent "to collect as much data as possible across both first and third party products to develop and monetize detailed profiles of their users, and this disregard for user privacy continues to expand to include more of their products."

The full-page ads are the latest salvo in the increasingly heated tensions between the companies. Facebook has heavily criticized Apple in recent months, chastising the company's App Store policies, "stranglehold as a gatekeeper," and fees structure. It has also repeatedly leveled accusations of anti-competitive conduct at Apple, such as for disallowing Messenger from being selected as the default on iOS.

With iOS 14.3, Apple introduced App Store privacy labels, which clearly indicate to users how data is collected by apps they may choose to download. Last week, Facebook-owned WhatsApp protested the App Store privacy labels, saying that users may be discouraged from using its app.

Apple on Tuesday released an iOS 14.3 update for HomePod and HomePod mini, which Apple's release notes said included "general performance and stability improvements," but it actually failed to mention a new feature that allows the head of a household to assign primary users to different HomePods in the same home.

‌HomePod‌ can automatically recognize voices to personalize music requests, playlists, and recommendations. However, Apple acknowledges that Siri may not always recognize individual voices. Therefore, the new feature allows you to assign a primary user for each ‌HomePod‌, and when ‌Siri‌ fails to recognize the voice of a user, that ‌HomePod‌ will fall back to the primary user to which it has been assigned and carry out the request. Here's how to access the feature and set it up.

1. Launch the Home app on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Press and hold on the ‌HomePod‌ or grouped HomePods that you want to assign a primary user.
3. Scroll down to the bottom and tap the settings button (the cog icon) in the bottom-right corner of the interface.
   
   

4. Under "Music & Podcasts," tap Primary User.
5. Select the person that you'd like to assign as the Primary User of this ‌HomePod‌ or grouped HomePods. Alternately, select HomePod Account to use the default account used for Apple Music and Podcasts when ‌Siri‌ fails to recognize the voice that made the request.

The feature appears to have been added because Apple recognizes that some homes will have multiple HomePods located in different rooms, some in which particular users may reside more than others – such as in a private bedroom, for example. In other words, if ‌Siri‌ fails to recognize their voice, it can still process their personal request.

The new feature in iOS 14.3 was originally spotted by The 8-bit.

Apple's third-generation AirPods, which are expected to adopt the AirPods Pro design but lack noise-cancelling and transparency features, will launch in the first half of next year for around $200, claims a new report from TheElec today.

Not for the first time in the rumor sphere, today's report refers to the earbuds as a "Lite" version of the ‌AirPods Pro‌, but TheElec additionally suggests they will be priced "20% cheaper" than the $249 ‌AirPods Pro‌, which would put them around the $200 price point.

Apple will launch a Lite version of its Airpods Pro wireless earphones without noise canceling feature in the first half of 2021, TheElec has learned.

A person familiar with the matter said the Lite version will be priced 20% cheaper than the normal Airpods Pro which has noise canceling tech.

This is the same price as the current second-generation AirPods with Wireless Charging Case, suggesting the new model would replace them. If so, Apple's AirPods lineup would adopt the ‌AirPods Pro‌ design signature across the board – or at least until Apple releases its second-generation ‌AirPods Pro‌, which could look more like Samsung's Galaxy Buds, according to Bloomberg.

Rumors that Apple is working on third-generation AirPods for launch in the first half of next year first surfaced in April 2020 in a note to investors by Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

Kuo said the new ‌‌AirPods‌‌ will adopt the system-in-package (SiP) used for the ‌‌AirPods Pro‌‌‌‌, and later suggested this will allow for a form factor similar to the ‌AirPods Pro‌, featuring a shorter stem and replaceable ear tips. Kuo also said battery life could be improved, and a lack of noise cancelation features would make the AirPods 3 more affordable.

A South Korean supplier is developing the AirPods' new SiP used for the H1 chip, which is said to be a "simple square shape," in contrast to the ‌AirPods Pro‌ SiP, which is "round-shaped like a mouse," according to TheElec. The supplier will go through Apple's quality review within the year and begin mass production next year, the report adds.

One day after their official launch, AirPods Max have now become available in select Apple Stores for same-day pickup in several European countries, including France, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom.

‌AirPods Max‌ are currently available for pickup in some stores in Space Gray and Silver, but other colors remain largely unavailable with some exceptions. In-store pickup options are available either today or tomorrow in most major stores.

For those interested, many stores also have the optional Lightning to 3.5mm audio cable in stock in both black and white colors.

To initiate the pickup process, add the ‌AirPods Max‌ to your cart on Apple.com and select the "I'll pick it up" option during checkout. Next, select a pickup date and a 15-minute check-in window, enter your personal information, and complete payment online. Make sure to bring a government-issued photo ID with you to your appointment, and remember that health precautions such as face coverings and temperature checks are currently in effect.

‌AirPods Max‌ are Apple's new premium over-ear headphones, featuring active noise cancellation, spatial audio, adaptive EQ, and more. Priced at $549, the headphones are designed with memory foam ear cushions, a stainless steel frame, and a mesh headband. Like the Apple Watch, the ‌AirPods Max‌ have a Digital Crown for volume control and Siri, and there's an Apple-designed H1 chip in each ear cup for instant pairing with Apple devices.

The pickup option has yet to go live in some European countries, and inventory will likely fluctuate, so act fast if interested. ‌AirPods Max‌ still face a lengthy 12-14 week delivery estimate for online orders.

Today is the official launch day for the AirPods Max, Apple's newest headphones in the AirPods family. ‌AirPods Max‌ are a little bit controversial because of the high price, so we picked up a pair to see what you're getting for that $549 price tag.

‌AirPods Max‌ have aluminum ear cups that are cool to the touch with mesh padded ear cushions and a mesh headband. Design wise, the headphones look and feel premium when it comes to build quality. There's a Digital Crown on the top which is a nice physical control method, along with a button for controlling Active Noise Cancellation.

The buttons work well, but we missed the inclusion of a power button as there's no way to turn the headphones off. They go into standby mode when removed or an ultra low power mode right when put in the case, but otherwise there's no power control option.

Speaking of the case, it's not great. It looks weird and it doesn't offer much protection at all because it's made from a soft material. The case doesn't cover the headband, and there are openings at the bottom too, so it's not something you're going to want to toss in a bag with your $549 headphones inside.

The case also doesn't charge the headphones (there's a USB-C to Lightning cable included for that), and it's made from a smart cover-like material that may attract dust and dirt.

When it comes to comfort, the ‌AirPods Max‌ didn't cause pain even though they're very heavy, but we've only used them for a short period of time so far. In the amount of time we've had them, we've been impressed with the comfort level and the way the mesh band distributes weight on the head. The telescoping arms for adjusting fit are also a nice touch, and overall, everything feels premium.

By the way, the ear cushions are magnetic and pop off, so if you want to buy a second set for $69 when Apple starts selling them, you can mix and match colors. The headband isn't removable though, so the ear cushions are the only customization option.

‌AirPods Max‌ have all of the same H1 features that other AirPods do, so expect quick pairing, easy device swapping, and long Bluetooth range. They have Adaptive EQ to adjust the sound to the fit on your head, and Active Noise Cancellation. We're going to go more in-depth on Active Noise Cancellation in a future video that compares the ‌AirPods Max‌ to other noise cancelling headphones, but so far, the noise cancellation is excellent.

In terms of sound quality, the ‌AirPods Max‌ sound amazingly crisp, even at high volume levels. Combined with the Active Noise Cancellation, it's an isolating experience that completely blocks out the outside world.

We haven't been able to test battery life, but Apple says the ‌AirPods Max‌ will last for up to 20 hours before needing a recharge. There's also a quick charge feature that gives you over an hour of battery life after five minutes.

‌AirPods Max‌ now have a 12 to 14 week wait if you're ordering online for shipping, but you may be able to get them in an Apple retail location if you check each morning now that in store pickup is available.

Have you picked up ‌AirPods Max‌? Are they worth the price? Let us know in the comments.

Twitter-owned app Periscope today announced that the dedicated app for the live video service will be shut down by March 2021 now that most of the Periscope functionality has transitioned into the Twitter app.

The Periscope app in its current state is in an "unsustainable maintenance-mode state" with declining usage and rising costs. The Periscope team says that leaving the app as is "isn't doing right by the current and former Periscope community or by Twitter."

The writing has been on the wall for Periscope because the app's core capabilities are already available through Twitter. In fact, the Periscope team says that the app would have been pulled sooner but projects were reprioritized because of the events of 2020.

Periscope will be removed from app stores by March 31, but starting with the next release, there will be no option to create a new account in the app. Broadcasts shared to Twitter will be available as replays, and all Periscope users will be able to download an archive of broadcasts and data before the app is removed.

Although it's time to say goodbye, the legacy of Periscope will live on far beyond the boundaries of the app itself. The capabilities and ethos of the Periscope team and infrastructure already permeate Twitter, and we're confident that live video still has the potential of seeing an even wider audience within the Twitter product.

Going forward, people will be able to broadcast using Twitter Live within the compose view by tapping on the in-app camera option. Brands, publishers, and creators can go live using Media Studio.

Apple yesterday introduced a new ProRAW format that's available on the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max, allowing pro photographers to have more control over their images without losing the benefits of Apple's computational photography software.

Ben Sandofsky, one of the developers behind popular camera app Halide, did a deep dive into ProRAW to explain how the feature works. ProRAW, says Sandofsky, is about making RAW a more approachable format, and he believes that it could change how beginners and experts alike shoot and edit photos.

A standard RAW photo includes no processing so that people can make edits on their own and tailor an image to personal preference. It's great on DSLRs, but on iPhones, there's so much going on behind the scenes that a standard RAW was never going to be an option.

As Sandofsky explains, iPhones have a lot of computational tricks going on behind the scenes. For many shots, iPhones take several photos and then combine them all into one to make the best possible image, none of which works with a RAW file. Standard RAW modes in third-party camera apps were also not able to work with all of the ‌iPhone‌ cameras.

That's why ProRAW is a great step forward. It keeps the behind-the-scenes magic that the iPhones do when capturing a photo, but gives photographers control over white balance, noise control, and more by storing computational photography inside the RAW format. Plus ProRAW works with the front-facing camera and all of the rear cameras on the ‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro and Pro Max.

ProRAW preserves Smart HDR info, Deep Fusion, and Apple's depth detection functionality, all of which goes into making ‌iPhone‌ photos look the way they do through software enhancements.

Apple worked with Adobe to introduce a new type of tag into the DNG standard, called a "Profile Gain Table Map." This data gives your editor everything it needs to know to tone map your photo image and end up with results identical to the first party camera. Because it's separate data, you can turn down its strength, turn it off completely.

Sandofsky also points out the RAW editing functionality that's been added in iOS 14.3, iPadOS 14.3, and macOS Big Sur 11.1, making it much easier to work with ProRAW photos. Casual users who don't often deal with RAW files will be able to use Apple's tools.

The most underrated improvement in iOS 14.3 is that the native Photos app now supports RAW editing. This is huge, because it abstracts away all the complexity of higher-end apps. No fiddling with "black point" and "color profiles." Casual users who only know how to edit photos in the built-in apps don't have to do anything different. It just works.

ProRAW does have a few downsides, such as working on the Pro iPhones only and slower processing times, plus it doesn't work with Burst Mode nor can ProRAW photos be shared as is on social networks at this time. It still lags behind traditional RAW files in terms of sharpness and noise reduction, according to Sandofsky, and the file size is around 25MB, which is going to eat up storage space fast.

The Halide app has been updated with ProRAW support, and the app features a new ProRAW+ mode that captures a ProRAW image and a JPG for simple sharing. There are options to toggle between the standard RAW format and ProRAW, along with a few other benefits for Halide users.

The full post from Halide's developers delves further into the benefits of ProRAW with a full explanation of how a digital camera works and how ProRAW is different than a traditional RAW, and it's well worth reading for those who want to learn more about Apple's newest photography feature.

Today is AirPods Max launch day in the United States and many other countries, and as orders begin arriving, first impressions of the headphones from customers are beginning to surface. We've already shared AirPods Max impressions from media outlets and YouTubers, and customer opinions provide additional perspective.

MacRumors forum member Boardiesboi picked up a pair of AirPods Max from an Apple Store and said they are "premium quality" and "very well made," adding that the stainless steel and aluminum design is "miles ahead" of the plastic used in Bose's QuietComfort 35 II and Sony's WH-1000XM4 headphones. They also found the AirPods Max to have better sound quality and active noise cancellation than those Bose and Sony options.

Boardiesboi finds the ear cups to be "light and airy," but said the AirPods Max are "much heavier" than Bose and Sony headphones. "I've been wearing them for 45 mins or so and I'm starting to notice the weight on the ears (not the top of the head)," they said. (Apple says the AirPods Max headband is designed to distribute weight and reduce on-head pressure.)

Of course, not everyone is as impressed with the AirPods Max. MacRumors forum member Macaday said that while the AirPods Max have superior build quality and aesthetics, they weren't convinced they are better than Sony's WH-1000XM3 headphones:

Mine arrived a couple of hours ago and although it's too early to make a final call - on initial impressions I'm not sure I like them over my Sony XM3's. The sound signature is no doubt very pleasing to some but to me it lacks warmth and depth compared to the Sony's. The Sony's are also a lot comfier, you forget you're wearing them where as the AirPods Max really have a weighty presence that feels like pressure on your head and ears.

I'm a little shocked if I'm honest that the Sony's have a much more pleasing sound. The AirPods Max probably have a little more detail in the mids and highs but being able to EQ the Sony's means I can get a much more custom sound that suits me.

Max volume is also higher on the Sony's which helps with the quieter recordings. Both have no distortion at high volumes.

Build quality and looks go hands down to Apple, the crown to control the volume is brilliant but sound and comfort is surely the number one priority and that is where I'm afraid the Sony's win - so far.

MacRumors forum member LongWayHome ranked Bose's QuietComfort 35 II and Sony's WH-1000XM4 headphones ahead of the AirPods Max in terms of comfort, noting that the AirPods Max are heavy:

I've owned these now for about an hour, and they sound fantastic and theh noise cancellation is excellent. One thing to keep in mind though, these things are heavy. I've been wearing them for an hour and I can definitely feel the weight of them. I hope this doesn't turn into something that I don't like wearing for extended times due to the weight, but I think most everyone will feel it when they wear them.

MacRumors forum member Moriarty emphasized that the AirPods Max ear cups are "deep and spacious," and they feel this deserves more attention:

The earcups are deep and spacious (at least as big as my QC25). My ears touched the insides of the XM4 so I returned them: I do not have this problem with the AirPods Max. I feel like this feature has not gotten half the attention that it deserves. So many wireless headphones have far too small earcups and I cannot stand it. No such problem here. This is partly why the headphones are so big. Most of the depth is taken up by the earcup and the driver, and all the electronics are around the edge. It’s very well thought out.

Several customers expressed appreciation for the physical controls on the AirPods Max, compared to touch controls on some other over-ear headphones. Like the Apple Watch, the AirPods Max have a Digital Crown for volume control, playback, phone calls, and Siri, as well as a noise control button for switching between Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency modes, the latter of which lets a bit more outside sound in.

Like reviewers, many customers agree that the "Smart Case" carrying case included with the AirPods Max ranges from "useless" to "awful."

"It's almost like Apple's design team forgot about the case and they got one of the cleaners to design it on a piece of paper," quipped MacRumors forum member honglong1976. "The case is absolutely useless for travelling."

Priced at $549, the AirPods Max are available to order on Apple.com, but they currently have a lengthy 12-14 week delivery estimate. For more impressions, visit the AirPods subforum in the MacRumors forums. And if you're still waiting on your AirPods Max, track your order alongside other Apple fans in our pre-order discussion thread.

Photographer Austin Mann, who is known for his camera-focused reviews of Apple's iPhones, today shared details on ProRAW, the new format that Apple enabled for the iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max with the iOS 14.3 update yesterday.

ProRAW is a RAW format for ‌iPhone‌ that also takes advantage of all of the computational photography features that Apple builds into the ‌iPhone‌. As Mann explains, it combines the computations necessary for accurate imaging with user control over preference parameters like white balance, noise reduction, sharpening, and more.

To test the new ProRAW feature, Mann used the iPhone 12 Pro Max to shoot a meteor shower at night. He took the same photo in both ProRAW and standard mode and edited the photos in Lightroom. The ProRAW version captures more detail in the sky, highlighting the stars that were erased by noise reduction in the standard image.

Mann includes a video on the benefits of ProRAW when it comes to HDR scenes that have bright sunlight and shadows, as well as the expanded color range. Images shot in ProRAW are 12-bit color, allowing for more nuanced shades and a significant improvement in color depth.

With 12-bit color, 14 stops of dynamic range, and dramatically more creative control, Apple ProRAW is a massive leap forward in professional imaging with iPhone. I'm now comfortable relying on my iPhone 12 Pro to capture a strong photograph in virtually any light conditions because I know I'm able to custom tailor the processing to my taste, instead of relying on computational generalizations designed for most users.

According to Mann, shooting in ProRAW makes the most sense in extreme scenarios where Apple's general algorithms are unable to do all the work. Indoor mixed lighting, extreme low light, and super high dynamic range images have the potential to benefit from ProRAW settings.

Mann points out that ProRAW files must be edited and are not ready to be shared straight out of the camera, and the feature is not available in Portrait or Panoramic mode. Mann has additional tips on shooting in ProRAW in his full piece on the new feature.

Following yesterday's release of iOS 14.3, Apple today released new 14.3 software for the HomePod. The update comes a little over a month after the release of the 14.2 update that brought support for new Siri and Intercom features.

The ‌HomePod‌ 14.3 is available for the ‌HomePod‌ and the HomePod mini, and according to Apple's release notes, the update includes general performance and stability improvements.

‌‌‌‌HomePod‌‌‌‌‌ software is installed automatically on the ‌‌‌‌‌HomePod‌ unless the feature is disabled‌‌‌‌, but the ‌‌‌‌‌HomePod‌‌‌‌‌ can also be manually updated by following the instructions in our ‌‌HomePod‌‌ update how to.

Microsoft today announced that it is releasing new updates for many of its Microsoft 365 for Mac apps to introduce native support for Apple's M1 MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and Mac mini.

Core Office apps, including Office, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote are now able to run faster on ‌M1‌ Macs. Microsoft has used the Universal app binary so the apps will also continue to run as normal on Intel Macs.

According to Microsoft, the updates are going out today, and users can check the Mac App Store, use AutoUpdate in a Microsoft app, or wait for an automatic update.

The updated Outlook for Mac app that's available today now includes support for iCloud accounts, allowing work and personal emails, contacts, and calendars in one app. This will be rolling out to Outlook for Mac users in the coming weeks.

Microsoft says that it is working to bring native ‌M1‌ support to additional apps, including Teams for Mac. Microsoft has also been redesigning some of its Office for Mac apps with an updated Office Start experience for Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote, and these updates will be available starting next month.

Update: Microsoft has also released a new version of its Visual Studio Code app that's designed for ‌M1‌ Macs. It is available to those who participate in Microsoft's Insider program.