Encrypted messaging app Signal is rolling out support for encrypted group video calls with up to five participants in its latest update.
In a blog post announcing the update, Signal developer Randall-Signal explained:
Today, we're launching group calls in Signal with the latest versions of our apps. Group calls are free, private, and end-to-end encrypted — like everything else on Signal.
Now when you open a group chat in Signal, you'll see a video call button at the top. When you start a call, the group will receive a notification letting them know a call has started.
When you start or join a group call, Signal will display the participants in a grid view. You can also swipe up to switch to a view that automatically focuses the screen on who is speaking, and it will update in real time as the active speaker changes.
Group calls are only supported in new style Signal groups, so users won't see the call button in their legacy groups, but the developers say legacy Signal groups will start automatically updating to New Groups in the coming weeks.
Group calls are currently limited to 5 participants, but developers are working to let users have more participants in a group call soon.
Home theater brand Definitive Technology today is announcing a new Studio 3D Mini Sound Bar System that includes a slim sound bar and wireless subwoofer with support for Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, and AirPlay 2.
The Studio 3D Mini consists of a 4.1 channel, six-driver array with aluminum tweeters and a compact 8-inch wireless subwoofer. The system can process Dolby Atmos and DTS:X encoded movies via a single HDMI eARC connection, and it offers a number of connectivity options including 4K HDMI in, 4K HDMI with eARC out, optical in, AUX in, and a USB port for music playback.
With AirPlay 2, the Studio 3D Mini will appear in the Home app and Control Center on Apple devices to let you easily beam content from your device and sync among multiple AirPlay 2-compatible speakers, and it can all be controlled via Siri. The system also supports Alexa and Google Assistant for integrating with those ecosystems.
Beyond the usual third-party speaker ecosystems, the Studio 3D Mini is Definitive Technology's first product to include support for HEOS Built-in, which similarly allows users to easily link compatible speaker products together in multi-room audio systems and manage them while also streaming from services such as Spotify and Deezer or directly from the user's music library.
The Definitive Technology Studio 3D Mini sound bar system will be available next month and will be priced at $899.
Multiple rumors have indicated that Apple is working on a refreshed version of the Apple TV, and a report today by Nikkei Asia Review adds to speculation that Apple will release a new version of its set-top box next year.
Cites sources familiar with Apple's plans, Nikkei's Apple TV mention appears in a broader report about Apple's 2021 production plans.
Apple is also preparing an aggressive production schedule for its high-end computers, including the MacBook Pro and iMac Pro, for 2021, two other people familiar with the matter said. The company is in the midst of replacing Intel central processors in its computer lineups with self-designed CPUs built using technology from British chip designer Arm. Apple already introduced three MacBook models powered by its M1 central processor in late 2020 and announced it will take about two years to fully transition to CPUs designed in-house. The U.S. tech giant is also working on a new Apple TV, a home entertainment device for video-on-demand services, for next year, one of the people said.
Rumors have been bubbling all year about a new Apple TV ever since signs of the unreleased device were spotted in an iOS 13.4 beta in January. At the time, rumors suggested it would feature an A12 chip and come in 64 and 128GB storage sizes.
Beyond possible remote changes, storage capacities, an updated processor, and a "T1125" codename, there's little else known about the new Apple TV, although Prosser recently suggested it could include a U1 chip that enables Ultra Wideband support for improved spatial awareness between devices.
Given the spate of rumors, one theory is that Apple is working on multiple Apple TV set-top boxes, which could explain the discrepancy in chip rumors. Whatever Apple's plans are, a new Apple TV next year feels like a safe bet – Apple hasn't updated the current Apple TV 4K since September 2017.
Before Apple Fitness+ launched on Monday, Apple advertised a promotion that allowed all customers who purchased an Apple Watch Series 6, SE, or Series 3 a free three-month free trial of Fitness+. However, while that free three-month trial is meant to activate automatically and be available when first signing up for Fitness+, many people that should be eligible for the 3-month trial are instead being offered a standard 1-month trial.
Several users have contacted Apple Support about the problem, but there's a way to resolve the issue manually that's likely to be faster for many people than waiting to hear back.
The steps below take you through the process of unpairing your Apple Watch from your iPhone and then re-pairing it, after which you should see your three-month trial in the Fitness app. It should take about 15 minutes in all, although bear in mind that if you use Apple Pay on your Apple Watch then you'll need to set it up again afterwards, which is easier to do with some card issuers than others. It's also worth noting that this method only works if you haven't already accepted the one-month trial.
How to Get Your Apple Watch Fitness+ 3-Month Trial
Make sure your iPhone and Apple Watch are updated to iOS 14.3 and watchOS 7.2, respectively.
Open the Watch app on your iPhone.
Tap the My Watch tab in the bottom-left corner of the screen, then select All Watches in the top-left corner.
Under My Watches, tap the Info button (the encircled "i" icon) next to the watch that you want to unpair.
Tap Unpair Apple Watch, then tap again to confirm. (For GPS + Cellular models, choose to keep your cellular plan.)
Enter your Apple ID password to confirm once again.
Once your watch is unpaired, the Watch app will invite you to Start Pairing an Apple Watch.
When prompted, position your iPhone so that your Apple Watch appears in the viewfinder in the Apple Watch app.
Tap Set Up Apple Watch, then follow the instructions on your iPhone and Apple Watch to finish setup, and remember to choose your most recent Apple Watch iCloud backup to restore when prompted.
Now that you've re-paired your Apple Watch to your iPhone, enter the Fitness app, tap the Fitness+ tab, and you should see an option to "Start 3 Months Free."
It's December 15 in Australia and New Zealand, which is AirPods Max launch day. The first AirPods Max orders have begun arriving to customers in the two countries, as Apple fans in Australia and New Zealand are always the first to get their hands on new devices.
Those in New Zealand and Australia who were able to place an order for launch day delivery before the AirPods Max sold out are receiving their orders, and have been sharing photos on Twitter and other social networks.
There are no Apple Stores in New Zealand, but Apple Stores in Australia have appear to have a limited amount of AirPods Max stock available for in-store pickup. Based on a spot check, most locations in Australia appear to have the less popular silver and space gray models available in store.
The black AirPods Max look pretty good. More subtle than the colours, but will go better with my hair once it’s red again. pic.twitter.com/5qhKEVKJ9l
— Alice Clarke (@Alicedkc) December 14, 2020
It's possible that stores also had the other colors and have now sold out, but as with orders placed for shipping, the pink, blue, and green colors appear to be highly limited if they're available at all.
Store availability in Australia means that Apple will also have stock available in retail locations in the United States on December 15 for those who were not able to place a preorder that arrives in a reasonable amount of time. Orders placed today for all colors of the AirPods Max will not ship for 12 to 14 weeks, which means the AirPods Max are backordered until March.
Following New Zealand and Australia, AirPods Max sales will begin in the Middle East, Europe, and then North America.
It's not clear why Apple didn't just add the Fitness+ app to the iPad when updating to iPadOS 14.3, but it's as simple as any other app to download. Just look it up in the App Store or click the link up above to access it, and then tap on "Get."
Once installed, the Fitness app on iPad can be used to view Fitness+ workouts, with or without an Apple Watch to track the workout. Unlike the Fitness app for iPhone, the Fitness app for iPad does not have a summary of fitness metrics nor does it list other fitness information -- the app is designed as a portal for Fitness+ and that's it.
When Fitness+ was first released, the iPad app was nonfunctional and wasn't available to be downloaded, but Apple has now fixed that problem and everyone should be able to download it from the App Store.
Fitness+ is compatible with all iPad Pro models, the fifth-generation iPad and later, the iPad mini 4 and later, the third-generation iPad Air and later, and the 2014 iPad Air 2 and later. iPadOS 14.3 is required.
Apple in iOS 14.3 quietly added a new Siri feature that's designed to allow the personal assistant to replicate all manner of sounds, from animals to alarms, musical instruments, and more.
According to CNBC, you can ask Siri questions like "what does a humpback whale sound like?" or "what does a lion sound like?" to have Siri play the sound of a whale or a lion.
Apple added hundreds of different sounds, and on iPhone and iPad, Siri will also display a picture of the animal or device and then link to more information from Wikipedia after playing the sound.
This Siri feature is still in the process of rolling out and we here at MacRumors were not able to get it to work properly on devices running iOS 14.3. We were, however, able to get it to work on HomePod in one case.
Apple today released iOS 14.3 and iPadOS 14.3 to the public, introducing some notable new features. We've highlighted the biggest changes so you can get a quick overview of what to expect after installing it.
Priced at $9.99 per month and included in the highest-tier Apple One bundle, Apple Fitness+ is Apple's latest service that's designed to work with the Apple Watch. It offers guided workouts provided by Apple-hired trainers, with the Apple Watch used to track progress through the workout.
Video workouts are watched on Apple TV, iPad, or iPhone, with Apple Watch metrics provided right on the screen. Workout types include High Intensity Interval Training, Indoor Cycling, Yoga, Core, Strength, Dance, Rowing, Treadmill Walking, Treadmill Running, and Mindful Cooldown, with Apple offering workout suggestions and recommendations.
The update adds support for Apple's newest product, the AirPods Max over-ear headphones. Apple says the update enables high fidelity audio for rich sound, Adaptive EQ for adjusting sound in real time to the personal fit of the ear cushions, Active Noise Cancellation for blocking environmental noise, Transparency mode to hear the environment around you, and Spatial audio with dynamic head tracking for a theater-like experience.
ProRaw Support
iOS 14.3 brings the new ProRAW format to the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro Max. ProRAW is designed for those who prefer to shoot in RAW but also want to take advantage of the Apple image pipeline data like noise reduction and multiframe exposure adjustments.
ProRaw can be enabled in the Camera section of the Settings app for those who have installed the iOS 14.3 beta on a new iPhone 12 Pro or Pro Max. When activated, there's a RAW toggle in the upper right side of the camera app that can be tapped to turn it off or on.
ProRaw photos are approximately 25MB in size, so the feature may need to be used sparingly if iPhone storage space is an issue. ProRAW photos can be edited in the Photos app.
Other Camera Additions
There's now an option to record video at 25 frames per second, plus there's a new option to mirror the front-facing camera for still photos on iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone SE, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X. This feature was already enabled on newer devices.
Siri Sounds
Siri in iOS 14 is able to replicate all manner of sounds, from animals to alarms, musical instruments, and more. You can ask Siri questions like "what does a humpback whale sound like?" or "what does a lion sound like?" to have Siri play the sound of a whale or a lion.
Apple added hundreds of different sounds, and on iPhone and iPad, Siri will also display a picture of the animal or device and then link to more information from Wikipedia after playing the sound.
Home Screen Shortcuts
iOS 14.3 makes it easier and quicker to launch apps with custom icons from the Home Screen. When opening an app that has a custom icon created using Shortcuts, it is no longer routed through the Shortcuts app and is instead able to open much more quickly. There's still a banner that pops up, but it's a more streamlined experience than before.
Ecosia Search Engine
Ecosia is a search engine that lets users fund the planting of trees when searches are conducted. iOS 14.3 allows Ecosia to be set as the default browser as an alternative to Google, Yahoo, Bing, and DuckDuckGo.
TV App
Apple is adding a new Apple TV+ tab that's designed to make it easier to discover Apple TV+ original content and to make it less confusing for customers who have trouble discerning what's available through an Apple TV+ subscription and what's not.
There's also an enhanced search feature for browsing by category like genre, and when typing in a search, Apple will provide recent searches and suggestions. Apple also now shows top search results with relevant matches across movies, tv shows, cast, channels, and sports.
Cardio Fitness
There's a new Cardio Fitness feature for Apple Watch, which also shows up in the Activity app on the iPhone. Cardio Fitness measures VO2 Max, which is the maximum amount of oxygen that your body is able to consume during exercise.
Measurements are done over time, with the iPhone and Apple Watch able to send notifications to let you know about VO2 Max fluctuations. VO2 Max is a metric that can help you chart your overall fitness level and fitness gains. Cardio Fitness can be accessed through a new trend that's been added to the Activity app, and it can be set up in the Health app on iPhone. Cardio fitness levels are available for users age 20 and above, and are estimated by age.
Cardio Fitness information will vary based on age and sex, and will be categorized into one of four ranges: high, above average, below average, or low. Notifications will let you know if your cardio fitness is at a low level, providing motivation to move more. Apple Watch has previously been able to measure VO2Max, but the new feature includes support for lower ranges that have needed clinical testing in the past.
App Clips
iOS 14.3 includes support for launching App Clips by scanning Apple-designed App Clip Codes using the Camera or the shortcut in the Control Center.
Health App
The Health app has a new section on pregnancy that works with pregnancy tracking devices and provides information on pregnancy. Apple says there are options to indicate pregnancy, lactation, or contraceptive use in Cycle Tracking in the Health app to better manage period and fertile window predictions.
Find My
Code in iOS 14.3 also indicates Apple is laying the groundwork to add support for third-party item trackers to the Find My app. Third-party item trackers and Bluetooth-enabled items will be able to be tracked using the Find My app, and it seems the first items with this capability could perhaps be launching soon.
Weather
Air quality health recommendations are now provided at specific air quality levels in the U.S., UK, Germany, India, and Mexico, with air quality data provided by Breezometer. Air quality data is also now available in China.
Bug Fixes
iOS 14.3 fixes a bug that could case some MMS messages to not be received, along with an issue that could prevent contact groups from failing to display members when writing a message.
Some videos were not appearing correctly when shared from the Photos app, and app folders could fail to open, both of which are fixed. Apple addressed a big that could cause opening apps from Spotlight to not work, and the Bluetooth option to fail to appear in Settings.
There's also a fix for a bug that could cause the MagSafe Duo Charger to fail to wirelessly charge an iPhone at less than the maximum power, with full release notes available in our iOS 14.3 release article.
With the launch of Apple Fitness+, Apple now has a section on its workout for Fitness+ equipment, which offers links to buy the workout items that are used in Fitness+ videos.
Many of the Fitness+ workouts are designed to work with no equipment at all, but some do require specific equipment. Cycling workouts, for example, require a cycling bike, while treadmill workouts require a treadmill.
The only fitness-specific items that Apple actually sells through its store are Manduka yoga blocks and mats, which Apple began offering last week. Other equipment links to outside stores where the devices can be purchased, with the exception of a few stands that Apple offers.
For dumbbells, Apple recommends the Rogue Rubber Hex Dumbbells, which are, like many dumbbells at the current time, out of stock. Many people have turned to strength training in their homes, which has led to a lack of available equipment.
Though Apple recommends this equipment on its website, the Apple Fitness+ workouts are designed to be equipment agnostic and will work with the treadmills, cycles, and other devices that you already own.
Best Buy has teamed up with Apple for several Fitness+ trial exclusives, which offer extended access to Apple Watch owners who are also Best Buy customers.
Customers who purchased an Apple Watch Series 3, Series 6, or SE from Best Buy after on or after September 15, 2020, are eligible for a total of six months of Fitness+ access for free. Best Buy is offering an additional three month trial that combines with Apple's three month trial.
My Best Buy customers who already owned a qualifying Apple Watch before September 15, 2020 that was purchased from Best Buy can get one additional free month of Fitness+ on top of the one month trial offered by Apple for a total of two months free.
Eligible Best Buy customers are receiving an email through their Best Buy accounts that can be used to redeem the free Fitness+ trial, with more information available on Best Buy's site.
Note that some users have been having issues getting Apple Fitness+ to recognize their free three month trial. There is no solution beyond contacting Apple Support at this time, so those affected should get in touch with Apple for help.
Apple Fitness+ is Apple's latest subscription service, offering home workout options for Apple Watch users across a range of different fitness categories like yoga, cycling, running, core, and more.
The Fitness+ service is designed to work with an Apple Watch, with videos able to be watched on iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV. Starting a workout is simple, with instructions below.
On iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV, open up the Fitness app and choose the Fitness+ tab. It's installed automatically on iPhone and Apple TV, and must be downloaded on iPad.
Find a workout that you want to do.
Tap the workout.
Tap on the "Let's Go" button on iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV, or tap on preview first to see what the workout includes.
From there, you'll see the workout start on your linked Apple Watch. Tap on the play button on the Apple Watch to launch the workout on your device.
Note that if this is the first time you're using the Apple TV with your Apple Watch for Fitness+, you will need to tap on the "connect" option and follow the steps. If you're signed into the same Apple ID on all of your devices, starting a workout should be a seamless process, with the Apple Watch metrics showing up right on your device's screen as well as on the wrist.
Note that you can choose to do a workout even if your Apple Watch is not available, you just won't see the metrics on the screen. This only works for iPhone and iPad, with the Apple TV requiring an Apple Watch.
The workout time elapsed, your heart rate, active calories burned, and total calories burned are displayed on the screen, as are any activity milestones that are met.
At the conclusion of a workout, you'll see a complete overview of active and total calories burned, heart rate, and activity ring progress, which can be shared if desired.
The workout is also then listed in the Fitness app with a specific photo and the title of the workout.
Using Fitness+ requires an Apple Watch Series 3 or later with watchOS 7.2 installed along with an iPhone 6s or later with iOS 14.3 or later. It can also be used with the 2014 iPad Air 2 with iPadOS 14.3 or later, and the Apple TV 4K or Apple TV HD with tvOS 14.3 or later.
Apple designed the new Fitness+ service to work with a paired Apple Watch as the Apple Watch is meant to allow you to track your metrics while you follow along on a workout, but as it turns out, an Apple Watch isn't strictly necessary to use the Fitness+ app on an iPhone or iPad.
When starting a Fitness+ workout on iPhone or iPad when you're not wearing an Apple Watch, the app asks if you want to begin a workout without the watch. You can do the entire workout sans watch, but of course no metrics show up on the iPhone or iPad's display.
This is not, however, possible on Apple TV. When using Fitness+ with the Apple TV, Apple requires a synced and connected Apple Watch. Attempting to do a workout on Apple TV without the watch will only let you preview a workout, rather than begin one.
It's not clear why Apple is allowing workouts to be done on an iPhone or iPad without an Apple Watch while that same functionality does not work with the Apple TV, but the service was meant for an Apple Watch and isn't ideal for non-Apple Watch owners.
Apple Fitness+ is available as of today, and some customers have been wondering if it's possible to get the workout videos on a television set without an Apple TV.
There are several smart TVs from brands like LG and Sony that support AirPlay 2 content, but it appears Fitness+ is not designed to work with AirPlay. MacRumors reader scar88 attempted to AirPlay a workout to an LG TV but found that the option was not available.
We tested with an Apple TV, and it appears that AirPlay doesn't even work when attempting to AirPlay to an Apple TV from an iPhone. The audio transfers over, but the video does not.
If AirPlay is indeed not allowed when using Fitness+, there will be no way to display workouts on a larger screen without having an Apple TV device, which some users will find disappointing.
Have you been able to get AirPlay to work with Fitness+ to a smart TV? Let us know in the comments.
Apple today updated its video apps iMovie, Final Cut Pro, and Compressor for Mac with a unified sharing option for platforms like YouTube and Facebook. Apple has also updated its iMovie and Clips apps for iOS with matching functionality.
In a new support document, Apple provides detailed instructions on how to share video files from iMovie, Final Cut Pro, Compressor, and Clips on YouTube, Facebook, and Vimeo. Depending on the app, there are options to adjust a video's aspect ratio, resolution, orientation, compression, captions, or other settings.
The instructions for Final Cut Pro:
1. Select your project in the Final Cut Pro browser, click the Share button , then choose YouTube & Facebook. Or choose File > Share > YouTube & Facebook. 2. In the Share window, click Info to change the name of the clip, the description, and more. Click Settings to choose resolution, compression, and caption settings. 3. Click Next, choose a location to save the video file, then click Save. 4. With Safari or another web browser, sign in to your YouTube, Facebook, or Vimeo account, then upload the video file. You can also get the Vimeo for macOS app from the Mac App Store to upload your video to Vimeo.
While apps like iMovie and Final Cut Pro already had sharing options for YouTube and Facebook, the process is now unified and streamlined. The latest updates for each app are available now on the App Store and Mac App Store.
Prior to the launch of Apple Fitness+, Apple introduced a promotion that's meant to give all customers who purchased an Apple Watch Series 6, SE, or Series 3 a free three month free trial of Fitness+.
While that free three month trial is meant to activate automatically and be available when first signing up for Fitness+, it appears that the extended trial is not working for some people.
Based on complaints on the MacRumors forums, some customers who purchased a new Apple Watch in September are not seeing their extended trial as an available option. We can confirm that one MacRumors staff member is also not being presented with the three month trial even though he purchased a Series 6 following the new Apple Watch's September launch.
Customers who are affected are instead being offered a standard one month free trial instead of the full three month offering promised.
To get the free three month trial option, make sure you're signed into the same Apple ID on all of your devices. If the trial offer is not popping up, we recommend contacting Apple Support for further assistance as there appears to be no other solution at this time.
Starting early next year, iOS 14 will require apps to get opt-in permission from users to collect their random advertising identifier, which advertisers use to deliver personalized ads and track how effective their campaigns were.
This new requirement was actually set to go into effect by the end of 2020, but Apple delayed the introduction of the prompt until early 2021 to provide developers with more time to make the necessary changes. Regardless, some companies like Facebook are still unhappy about the upcoming change, and a group of advertising companies and publishers in France have gone as far as filing an antitrust complaint over the matter.
This pressure from some advertisers has led Firefox maker Mozilla to launch a new page in which it urges people to show their support for Apple's decision, so that it does not further delay. "We need a massive outpouring of support for Apple's decision to help strengthen its resolve to protect consumer privacy," says Mozilla. "Sign this thank you to let Apple know consumers are eagerly anticipating anti-tracking protection on iPhone."
Last year, Mozilla urged Apple to reset the unique IDs used to serve interest-based ads in the App Store and Apple News apps on a monthly basis. Mozilla now says that Apple "went even further than what Mozilla supporters had asked for," calling the planned anti-tracking changes a "huge win for consumers."
Life Time Fitness, a gym with facilities located across the United States, today announced that it is including Apple's new Fitness+ subscription service in Life Time memberships starting later this month.
Life Time customers who have a have a membership will be able to access Fitness+ for no additional cost. Fitness+ usually costs $9.99 per month or $79.99 per year. Life Time membership pricing seems to be priced at right around $100 per month, though pricing varies depending on location.
According to Life Time, Apple Fitness+ will complement the gym's existing training and fitness programs, available digitally alongside other health and wellbeing services.
"We are rapidly expanding the way the world connects to Life Time through technology - with the same high-quality experiences our brand has been recognized for delivering at our athletic resorts for nearly 30 years," said Life Time Founder, Chairman and CEO Bahram Akradi. "Apple Fitness+ brings additional best-in-class content and variety to the ever-growing digital and omnichannel wellness programs, services and content we provide our members."
Life Time previously began offering Apple GymKit-enabled cardio equipment in 2017, which is back when GymKit functionality first became available.
Fitness+ is available as of today and requires an Apple Watch Series 3 or later to use as well as a compatible iPhone and optional iPad, or Apple TV.
Update: Beginning on January 1, 2021, UnitedHealthcare is offering five free months of Fitness+ to all UnitedHealthcare Motion enrollees with Apple Watch. Following the trial, UnitedHealthcare Motion users may be able to apply program incentives to cover the monthly Fitness+ cost.
Apple Fitness+ launched this morning for Apple Watch, iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV, but people who have been attempting to use the feature on an iPad have run into a hiccup.
On the iPad, the Fitness app isn't installed automatically and must be downloaded from the App Store. Unfortunately, when attempting to download the app, iPad users are running into an error message that says "This app requires specific features not available on this device."
This message shows up even on a compatible iPad that's running iPadOS 14.3, which is supposed to unlock Fitness+. The feature appears to be working on the iPhone and the Apple TV at this time, but until the Fitness app can be downloaded properly on the iPad, iPad owners have no way to use Fitness+.
Apple is likely working to get the Fitness app out for iPad owners, but there's no ETA on when it might be available at this time. We've reached out to Apple for more information and will update this article if and when we hear back or when the app goes live.
