MacRumors

Popular writing app Ulysses received its twentieth major update today, and gained new grammar and style checking tools as well as a redesigned dashboard.

The grammar and style check is an integration of the LanguageTool Plus service, and can analyze texts and provide informed suggestions in categories such as capitalization, punctuation, semantics, redundancy, typography, and style.

"The challenge was to integrate the text check in a way that feels both natural and easy to use," said Ulysses creative head, Marcus Fehn. "It was also critical for us that the users perceive all results as suggestions rather than corrections. Because what is a mistake? When it comes to writing style, that's up to the author."

Users can review the checker's grammar and style suggestions at once or per category, and apply or ignore them. The grammar and style check is available in over 20 languages, and for now it's available for Ulysses for Mac. The developers plan to add the feature to the app's iPad and iPhone version in another release this fall.

Also new in this update is a redesigned dashboard, which offers convenient access to the new grammar and style check while consolidating many existing functions into a more organized overview.

The new dashboard contains an outline navigator where all headlines are displayed in a hierarchical order, allowing users to get an overview of their text's structure, and jump quickly between its various parts. Elsewhere, additional navigator sections list embedded images, videos, links, footnotes, annotations, and marked text passages.

Various views gather available information with a certain focus, such as all statistics, all comments and notes, all media items, and so on. The dashboard is also configurable, so writers can display only the information they need. A more compact version of the new dashboard is also available on ‌iPhone‌ and ‌iPad‌ that allows users to check their text's statistics, add keywords, and attach notes or images.

Ulysses can be downloaded for free on the App Store and the Mac App Store, with version 20 rolling out to existing users today. After a 14-day trial period, a subscription is required to unlock the app on all devices. A monthly subscription costs $5.99, while a yearly subscription is $49.99.

Students can use Ulysses at a discounted price of $11.99 per six months. The discount is granted from within the app. Ulysses is also included in Setapp, the subscription-based service for Mac applications created by MacPaw.

iOS 14 brings Picture in Picture mode to the iPhone, allowing movies, TV shows, and videos to be watched in a small window while you do other things on your ‌iPhone‌.

Picture in Picture Mode won't be compatible with the YouTube app until YouTube updates it with support, but for now, you can watch YouTube videos in Picture in Picture Mode through Safari.

Activating Picture in Picture Mode

1. Open Safari.
2. Navigate to the YouTube website.
3. Find a video that you want to watch.
4. Tap on the square icon at the bottom to put the YouTube media player in full screen mode.
5. Tap on the video to display the controls.
6. Tap on the Picture in Picture icon that looks like a larger screen with an arrow going to a smaller screen. Alternatively, double tap with two fingers on the screen or swipe upwards from the bottom of the ‌iPhone‌ to activate Picture in Picture.
7. To continue browsing Safari while watching your video, just open another Safari tab, or swipe to get to the Home Screen to open another app.

Once Picture in Picture mode is activated, you can swipe out of Safari to do other things on your ‌iPhone‌. You can move Picture in Picture windows anywhere on the display and double tap to change the size to small, medium, or large. If you need to use your ‌iPhone‌'s full display but still want to hear the video, you can even drag the Picture in Picture window all the way off the screen.

Exiting Picture in Picture Mode

1. Tap anywhere on the video to bring up the video controls.
2. Tap on the Picture in Picture icon in the upper right side of the window. You can also double tap on the video with two fingers.
3. Alternatively, if you're done watching the video, tap on the "X" to close it entirely.

For more on how Picture in Picture mode works with apps, the web, and FaceTime, make sure to check out our Picture in Picture guide.

SoftBank, the company that owns chip designer Arm Holdings, is exploring options that include a full or partial sale or a public offering, reports The Wall Street Journal.

SoftBank is working with Goldman Sachs Group as an advisor, and the explorations are at an early stage. The Wall Street Journal says that it's unknown how much interest there would be in Arm from financial or industry players, so there's a chance that SoftBank will ultimately do nothing.

Apple has licensed technology from Arm Holdings for its A-series chips used in iPhones since 2006, and Apple is planning to expand the use of Arm-based chips to Macs, with the upcoming launch of Macs equipped with Apple Silicon.

A potential sale would not likely impact Apple, nor is it known if Apple would be interested in a partial or full purchase of Arm Holdings.

In every version of iOS, Apple adds new Accessibility features and improves others, and iOS 14 is no exception. The Magnifier tool, designed by those with visual issues who need assistance, has new capabilities in iOS 14.

Updated Interface

The app features an updated interface that makes controls more readily available and offers clarity on what each tool does. There are options for adjusting brightness and contrast, or adding a filter to change what's being magnified to a color that's easier for an individual to see.

All of the controls can be rearranged to best meet a user's needs, and the filter options can be customized so you can set the one that you need and toggle it on with a tap.

In a dark area, the flashlight can be toggled on with a tap, and the magnification level can be easily controlled with a slider bar. Many of these features were available in the prior version of the app, but multi-shot, an option for capturing more than one photo at once, is new.

Multi-Shot

With a new multi-shot option, Magnifier users can take multiple photos at one time, capturing something like different pages of a menu, and then review them all at once, rather than having to take single shots that need to be reviewed one by one.

Adding Magnifier to Home Screen

For frequent Magnifier users, an app icon to activate the Magnifier function can be added to the Home Screen by accessing the App Library, searching for Magnifier, and then dragging it over to one of the app pages or long pressing and choosing "Add to ‌Home Screen‌." The feature can continue to be accessed with a triple tap on the side button as well.

To find Magnifier in App Library, make sure it's turned on by opening up Settings, tapping on Accessibility, choosing Magnifier, and then toggling it to the on position.

More Accessibility Info

The changes to the Magnifier app are small but significant, making the app customizable for each user and streamlining the use process. Apple also added several useful new Accessibility features to iOS 14, such as Back Tap for manually activating some iPhone features and Sound Recognition for recognizing sounds like water running, sirens, alarms, and more. Additional detail on the new Accessibility features can be found in our iOS 14 roundup.

With coronavirus outbreaks across the United States continuing to spike, Apple is finding new roles for retail staff as it closes more of its store locations and is no longer expecting corporate employees to fully return to on-campus work in the U.S. in 2020, according to Bloomberg.

Apple has been forced to re-close many retail locations in the United States that had previously reopened, with stores in California, North Carolina, Florida, and more shuttered at the current time. In these locations, Apple is asking retail employees to work remotely in work from home support roles that the company has been offering since March.

Retail employees are able to serve as support advisors to handle online service requests and questions from customers unable to receive services in store. Apple has not made working from home in this way mandatory for retail employees and has continued to pay employee wages, but the company is now pushing retail employees unable to return to stores to participate in the work from home program as the need for customer support representatives has grown, leading to long wait times for service.

"If your store is closed, please sign up for Retail at Home, please talk to your manager, because we really need to make sure that we shift our teams to greet our customers remotely in this time," O'Brien told staff in the video. "We may need to be working remotely for some period of time."

"This is not the experience that we want to have for our customers," O'Brien added. "So we really want to make sure that we are moving to where our customers are, to help them during this very challenging time. As you know people are really dependent upon their devices, especially right now."

For retail employees who are able to return to work, Apple is requiring masks. Apple is providing name tag lanyards that can be customized with Memoji to help retail staff be more recognizable with masks on.

Along with encouraging retail employees to work from home, Apple has also made adjustments to its corporate plans. Apple told employees in a memo that it does not expect all of its U.S. office workers to be able to return to their jobs on site before the end of the year.

Apple's offices in Europe and Asia, however, are expected to return to normal in the coming months with all employees returning to their jobs.

Some employees began returning to Apple's Silicon Valley campuses in May. Employees who have come back to work are offered optional coronavirus testing, with Apple also shipping test kits to both its retail and corporate staff at home.

Apple is limiting the number of employees allowed in buildings and specific work areas, plus it is requiring masks and conducting temperature checks.

Apple in the second quarter of 2020 paid Samsung approximately $950 million for not meeting OLED panel purchase goals established in agreements between the two companies, according to display analysts at Display Supply Chain Consultants.

Samsung last week shared guidance on revenue and operating profit for the second quarter of 2020, which included a one-time gain related to its display business. The one-time payment is believed to be from Apple, caused by Apple purchasing fewer than expected OLED panels for smartphones during the second quarter of the year.

Samsung reported that its estimate of operating profit included a one-time gain related to its display business, according to a report at wsj.com, but did not disclose the amount. Last week theelec.net reported that Samsung Display is believed to have received KRW 900 billion from Apple for purchasing fewer OLED smartphone panels than required, but DSCC sources suggest that the payment is closer to US$950 million.

During Apple's third fiscal quarter, or second calendar quarter, many of its retail stores in the United States in other countries around the world were closed for several months, which, along with economic uncertainty, likely had a major impact on sales. Even now, many stores in the U.S. have been forced to close again as coronavirus outbreaks have continued to spike.

The payment suggests Apple did not meet projected iPhone sales and thus did not order the number of OLED panels from Samsung that it expected to need, requiring the Cupertino-based company to compensate Samsung. Apple in April reported revenue of $58.3 billion, up from $58 billion in the year-ago quarter, but the company declined to provide guidance for the third fiscal quarter of 2020 due to the instability caused by the ongoing health crisis.

Apple plans to announce earnings for the third fiscal quarter (second calendar quarter) of 2020 on Thursday, July 30, which will give a better picture of how ‌iPhone‌ and other product sales fared during the prolonged store closures.

Apple also made a $683 million payment to Samsung in July 2019 after missing OLED display purchase targets due to poor sales in China and other parts of the world in the 2018 holiday quarter. Apple addressed those issues with ‌iPhone‌ trade-in promotions, price cuts, and monthly payment options, which boosted sales until the coronavirus hit at the beginning of 2020.

Apple today shared a funny video focused on the problems that people working from home have to deal with, including noisy children, chaotic schedules, communication issues, and more.

The video focuses on showing off Apple products and their capabilities that can be useful when working from home, such as the ability to scan a document with an iPhone, mark up a PDF, Siri Reminders, and more.

The Underdogs are back, navigating their new normal with lots of unknowns but one reliable constant: Apple helps unleash their creativity and productivity even when they're working from home.

It's still a world of deadlines, meetings, group chats, conference calls, coworkers, and bosses. But it's also a world of kids, a dog, and a hairless cat. And it's a world where collaboration never misses a beat, whether the team uses iPad, iPhone, iMac, MacBook, or all of the above. Working from home (or working from anywhere) isn't new, but what you can make happen together is.

The seven minute video follows a group of colleagues attempting to work through an important project while overcoming all the problems that come with working remotely, and it comes after a similar "Apple at Work" video that Apple published last year featuring the same actors.

Other highlighted products and features in the video include Memoji, writing with Apple Pencil, Group FaceTime, AirPods, the iPad Pro's measure app, and the sleep tracking feature on the Apple Watch.

Idris Elba will develop and produce television series and films for Apple TV+ through his production company Green Door Pictures after striking a first-look deal with the streaming service, according to Deadline.

Elba is known for his award-winning performance as John Luther in the BBC psychological crime drama series "Luther," as well as roles in the HBO drama "The Wire" and the Fast & Furious film "Hobbs & Shaw." Fans of NBC sitcom "The Office" will also remember Elba for his brief role as Charles Miner, Vice President of the Northeast Region.

Apple TV+ has reached similar production deals with Oprah Winfrey, Alfonso Cuarón, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Ridley Scott, and many others.

Earlier this year, Apple agreed to settle a U.S. class action lawsuit that accused the company of "secretly throttling" older iPhone models. Now, eligible iPhone owners are beginning to be notified about their legal rights and options.

Under the proposed settlement, Apple will provide a cash payment of approximately $25 to each eligible iPhone owner who submits a claim, with its total payout to fall between $310 million and $500 million. The exact amount that each iPhone owner receives could vary slightly based on the number of claims submitted.

The class includes any U.S. resident who owns or previously owned an iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, and/or iPhone SE that ran iOS 10.2.1 or later, and/or an iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus that ran iOS 11.2 or later, before December 21, 2017. Class members also must have experienced "diminished performance" on their devices.

A website has been set up where eligible class members can submit a claim or review their other options, including excluding themselves from the lawsuit to retain the ability to sue Apple individually over the matter. All claims must be submitted online or received by letter mail by October 6, 2020, or else payment is forfeited.

Apple has denied all allegations and is entering into this settlement to "avoid burdensome and costly litigation." The settlement is not an admission of wrongdoing by Apple, according to the U.S. District Court for Northern California.

The class action lawsuit was filed in December 2017, shortly after Apple revealed that it throttles the maximum performance of some older iPhone models with chemically aged batteries when necessary in order to prevent the devices from unexpectedly shutting down. The complaint described the move as "one of the largest consumer frauds in history."

Apple introduced this battery/performance management system in iOS 10.2.1, but it did not initially mention the change in the update's release notes. Likewise, in a statement issued a month later, Apple still only mentioned vague "improvements" resulting in a significant reduction in unexpected ‌iPhone‌ shutdowns.

Apple only revealed exactly what the so-called "improvements" were after Primate Labs founder John Poole visualized that some ‌iPhone‌ 6s and ‌iPhone‌ 7 devices suddenly had lower benchmark scores starting with iOS 10.2.1 and iOS 11.2 respectively, despite operating at maximum performance on previous versions.

Apple apologized for its lack of communication in December 2017, and reduced the price of battery replacements to $29 for ‌iPhone‌ 6 and newer through the end of 2018 to appease customers.

(Thanks, Ben Hurley and Oscar Falcon!)

Apple today announced that it is allocating more than $400 million toward affordable housing projects and homeowner assistance programs in California this year, as part of the company's multiyear $2.5 billion commitment to combat the housing crisis in the state.

Apple says the funding will support thousands of Californians with first-time homebuyer assistance or new affordable housing units.

In November 2019, Apple committed $2.5 billion to combat the housing crisis in California across a series of initiatives over several years, including:

• A $1 billion affordable housing investment fund with the state of California.
• A $1 billion first-time homebuyer mortgage assistance fund, with increased funding opportunities for essential services personnel, school employees, and veterans.
• $300 million in Apple-owned land made available for affordable housing.
• A $150 million Bay Area housing fund, in public-private partnership with Housing Trust Silicon Valley.
• $50 million to support Destination: Home's efforts to address homelessness in Silicon Valley.

"As cities and states have been forced to pause many of their long-term affordable housing investments amidst the current public health crisis, Apple is proud to continue moving forward with our comprehensive plan to combat the housing crisis in California," said Kristina Raspe, Apple's vice president for Global Real Estate and Facilities.

Apple has announced that it will report its earnings results for the third quarter of fiscal 2020 on Thursday, July 30.

The quarter began on March 29, just over two weeks after the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. Apple did not provide guidance for the quarter due to these uncertain times, but analysts expect the company to report revenue of $51.4B on average, down from a record $53.8B in the year-ago quarter.

The earnings results should be posted at 1:30 p.m. Pacific Time, followed by a conference call with Apple CEO Tim Cook and Apple CFO Luca Maestri at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time. MacRumors will provide live coverage of the call.

MySmartPrice has spotted certifications for three new Apple batteries that it believes could be for the upcoming iPhone 12 lineup, despite them being less capacitive than the batteries in the current ‌iPhone‌ 11 series.

The batteries are identified with the model numbers A2471, A2431, and A2466, and appear on Safety Korea, China's 3C, and the Danish agency UL Demko.

Apple is expected to release four iPhones this fall, including one 5.4-inch model, two 6.1-inch models, and one 6.7-inch model. MySmartPrice has interpreted the different capacities as belonging to the following ‌iPhone‌ 12 models (assuming the higher end ‌iPhone‌ 12 Max and ‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro share the same battery):

• Apple ‌iPhone‌ 12 (5.4-inch) – A2471 – 2,227mAh
• Apple ‌iPhone‌ 12 Max (6.1-inch) – A2431 – 2,775mAh
• Apple ‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro (6.1-inch) – A2431 – 2,775mAh
• Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max (6.7-inch) – A2466 – 3,687mAh

Apple improved the capacity of its batteries in the ‌iPhone‌ 11 Pro and Pro Max, which have both heavier and thicker batteries than those used in the previous XS and XS Max models. The ‌iPhone‌ 11 Pro has a 3,046 mAh battery, up from the 2,658 mAh battery in the ‌iPhone‌ XS, while the iPhone 11 Pro Max has a 3,969 mAh battery, up from the 3,174 mAh battery in the ‌iPhone‌ XS Max.

The ‌iPhone 11 Pro Max‌ has the largest battery life of any ‌iPhone‌ ever, lasting up to five hours longer than the ‌iPhone‌ XS Max per charge.

If these batteries are indeed destined for the ‌iPhone‌ 12 series, the numbers are likely to disappoint some waiting for Apple's next smartphone lineup. The capacities are especially discouraging given that Apple suppliers were reportedly developing a custom battery protection module that's 50 percent smaller and thinner than the same component in previous iPhones.

The rumored ‌iPhone‌ 12 series could also have higher battery demands than previous iPhones, meaning Apple would have to make some serious energy efficiency improvements to make them last as long as current-generation models. All four devices are expected to have OLED displays, 5G support, a new ‌iPhone‌ 4-like metal frame, up to 6GB of RAM, up to triple-lens rear cameras with 3D sensing, and more.

Apple is now offering the popular Brydge line of keyboards designed for the newest iPads in retail and online stores across the United Kingdom.

As of today, Apple UK is selling the Brydge 10.2 Wireless Bluetooth Keyboard for the seventh-generation iPad, the Brydge 10.5 Wireless Bluetooth Keyboard for the third-generation ‌‌iPad‌‌ Air, and the Bridge 7.9 Wireless Bluetooth Keyboard for fifth-generation iPad mini.

Starting at £99.95, the Brydge keyboards are more affordable than Apple's own Smart Keyboards and offer a more traditional typing experience with 1.2mm of key travel.

The ‌‌iPad‌‌ nestles into two silicone-lined tabs at the top of the keyboard, with no additional cover required for the rest of the ‌‌iPad‌‌, which keeps the design more minimal. The tabs are hinged, so the keyboard can be closed over the ‌‌iPad‌‌ in a clamshell design.

Brydge keyboards aren't able to take advantage of the Smart Connector on Apple's iPads and instead must use Bluetooth, but Brydge says they're able to last for up to 12 months on a single charge depending on usage. There are integrated iOS battery management tools to cut down on power drain.

The keys are backlit, there's a row of function keys specific to iOS, and the keyboards use Bluetooth 4.0 to connect to the ‌‌iPad‌‌. Each keyboard is made from a heavy, durable aluminum that's able to hold up to wear and tear, and it's simple to remove the ‌‌iPad‌‌ from the tabs that hold it in place.

The Brydge 10.2 for Apple's new ‌iPad‌ (7th Gen), and the Brydge 10.5 for the iPad Air (3rd Gen) are available in Silver, Space Gray, and Gold. The Brydge 7.9 for the ‌iPad mini‌ (5th Gen) is available in Silver and Space Gray.

The Brydge keyboards are available in all Apple Stores across the U.K., Apple's regional U.K. online store, and Brydge's UK website starting today. The keyboards debuted at Apple Stores in the U.S. and Canada last year.

Apple will "significantly increase" MacBook Pro orders with suppliers in the third quarter of this year as the back-to-school season kicks off, according to supply chain sources.

DigiTimes reports that Apple is also set to respond to increasing sales in the creative market, with the number of professionals working from home expected to remain strong in the second half of the year as some countries begin re-imposing regional and city lockdowns in response to the continuing global health crisis.

The upstream supply chain originally believed demand from the work-from-home group would only be short-term, but is now expecting the momentum to last much longer than anticipated, the sources said.

Apple shipped 3.2-3.5 million MacBooks in the second quarter of 2020, and the volumes are expected to grow to around four million units in the third quarter, according to DigiTimes sources. Apple will see its overall MacBook shipments rise over 20 percent in the third quarter as a result.

Apple has said it plans to deliver the first ‌Mac powered by Apple Silicon by the end of the year, as the two-year-long transition away from Intel commences, but we don't know for sure when the first Arm-based Mac will arrive or which model it will be.

According to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, a 13.3-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ with a form factor similar to the current 13.3-inch ‌‌MacBook Pro‌‌ could be the first Mac to get an Arm-based chip designed by Apple.

Kuo expects the ‌‌Apple Silicon‌‌ 13.3-inch ‌‌MacBook Pro‌‌ to go into mass production in the fourth quarter of this year, but he also predicts we will see an Arm-based MacBook Air either in the same quarter or in the first quarter of next year.

Apple is also expected to launch a redesigned ‌iMac‌ this year, although it's not expected to be an ‌‌Apple Silicon‌‌ machine. Apple has said it still has Intel-based Macs in the pipeline, suggesting they are likely to arrive before the year's end.

In this week's App Recap, we've highlighted finance app "Budget Burndown," health and fitness app "Endel," and music app "Samplr" as three apps that are worth checking out. We've also compiled a list of apps that received major updates this week.

Apps to Check Out

• Budget Burndown (iOS, Free) - Finance app Budget Burndown is a tool that intelligently tracks daily spending and lets users set a maximum spending budget per month. Featuring no sign up, users can simply link desired cards through Plaid and begin tracking spending. As for security and privacy, Budget Burndown's developer says that credentials are both end-to-end encrypted and inaccessible to the app. Although the app is free to download, users have the option to subscribe to Budget Burndown Pro, which offers custom notifications, saving transactions, a home screen widget, and multiple linked cards for $4.99 per month.
• Endel (iOS & Mac, Free) - Endel, an app that uses sounds to help immerse users into various tasks, features four distinct modes: Relax, Focus, On-The-Go, and Sleep. Each mode will play audio continuously, and users have the ability to set a shut-off timer that will stop sounds from playing at a desired time. Endel can also personalize sounds for the best possible experience using weather and light levels (location data), heart rate information, and motion data should the user grant the app access. The app is free to download, but a subscription is needed to access the app after the seven day trial period. The app offers one month, twelve month, and lifetime options priced at $5.99, $49.99, and $89.99 respectively.
• Samplr (Mac, Free) - Samplr for Touchbar, a demo version of Samplr for iPad, utilizes the MacBook Pro's built-in Touch Bar to vary and play back audio samples. Several different controls and effects can also be accessed directly through the Touch Bar. Users can either press the 'R' key to record audio or drag and drop an audio file onto the app when open to begin using the app. Samplr for iPad, the full version of the app, is priced at $14.99 and features six sample slots, additional effects, gesture recording, and more.
  

App Updates

• Amazon Alexa - Amazon this week updated its Alexa app with hands-free Alexa activation. Once both the app has been updated and features has been enabled, users can activate the digital assistant by only their voice. Unlike Apple’s Siri system-wide integration, Alexa can only be invoked while in the Alexa app.
• Gmail (iPadOS) - Google this week announced that it had updated its Gmail app with Split View, which allows the app to be used alongside other apps in a split screen.
• Google Arts & Culture - The Google Arts & Culture app was updated this week with new features and improvements. Users are able to record videos and take photos of artwork using the Art Projector. Users can also play several new games created by the Google Arts & Culture Experiments team.
• iWork - Apple this week updated its slew of iWork apps including Pages, Keynote, and Numbers with several new features. Pages and Numbers now lets users easily add captions and titles to content, play YouTube and Vimeo videos right from their respective files, and more. Along with other new features, Keynote gained a new “Play Slideshow in Window” options that lets users access other applications when presenting.

Are you using a great new app we’ve missed? Let us know in the comments and we’ll check it out for next week’s App Recap. Are you a developer of a unique app you’d like us to consider? Send us a message through our tip line at the top of the page and we’ll check it out.