MacRumors' Mac Blog: Mac Apps, News and Rumors

Skype has introduced support for custom backgrounds in video calls, following the recent popularity of an equivalent feature in Zoom. The option to use custom backgrounds is part of the version 8.59.0.77 update for Mac, Windows, Linux, and Web, which began rolling out on April 16. As Skype's release notes describe the feature: "Want to look like you're calling from the beach, or from space?...

Apple's vice president of Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives Lisa Jackson today participated in the Earth Day Live series on Twitch, where she talked about Apple's environmental efforts. Jackson started things off by speaking a bit about her background and what inspired her to advocate for the environment and join the EPA prior to taking on her current role at Apple. Before coming...

Today you can get the new 256GB 13-inch MacBook Air for $899.00 at B&H Photo, down from $999.00. Note: 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. Compared to other retailers, this is the best price currently available online for the 256GB MacBook Air, and it's the lowest...

Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming macOS Catalina 10.15.5 update to developers for testing purposes, two weeks after seeding the first beta and a month after releasing macOS Catalina 10.15.4 with Screen Time Communication Limits, iCloud Folder Sharing, and real-time Apple Music lyrics. The new macOS Catalina beta can be downloaded from the Software Update mechanism in System...

As part of its updated parental controls, Netflix now includes an option that lets account holders PIN protect individual profiles to help prevent kids from using them. Even if you're not a parent or guardian, so long as you're the account holder you can still use the PIN feature to prevent other people in the same household from watching stuff on your Netflix profile and messing up your...

Woot is selling the 13-inch MacBook Pro with a 128GB SSD today for $899.99 in refurbished condition, down from Apple's price of $1,299.00 ($400 off). This model has a 1.4GHz Intel Core i5 processor and 8GB RAM, and first launched in mid 2019. Comparatively, Apple's own refurbished store is selling this model for $1,099.00. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Woot. When you click a...

Apple has just added multiple 2018 Mac mini models to its US online refurb store, offering customers potentially hundreds of dollars in savings on a variety of configurations. Last month, Apple updated the ‌Mac mini‌, but the only change it made was that standard configurations now come with double the storage capacity for the same price. Prior to that, Apple's 2018 ‌Mac mini‌ refresh...

Apple today released a new update for Safari Technology Preview, the experimental browser Apple first introduced four years ago in March 2016. Apple designed the ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ to test features that may be introduced into future release versions of Safari. ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ release 104 includes extensive bug fixes and performance improvements for Web Inspector, Web API,...

B&H Photo has a trio of new deals today, offering discounts on an iMac, MacBook Pro, and iPad Air from 2019. All of the deals are among the best prices online for each of these devices. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with B&H Photo. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running. To start, you can get the 21.5-inch...

Logitech-owned company Streamlabs, a provider of live streaming tools, has today expanded its software to the Mac. Streamlabs OBS is available on macOS in an open beta capacity, allowing live streamers on Mac to access customization tools for creating professional broadcasts, engaging with audiences, and monetizing content on Twitch, YouTube, Mixer, Facebook, and other streaming platforms. ...

When it comes to the iMac, Apple's focus has shifted to the M4 iMac. At the current time, the M4 iMac comes in one size option, 24-inch, and an array of "fresh shades" of Blue, Green, Pink, Silver, Orange, Yellow, and Purple. The 24-inch iMac was first announced in April 2021, and it came with the M1 chip. In October 2024, Apple refreshed this lineup with the M4 chip, making the new desktops ...

Apple today released ProRes RAW for Windows in a beta capacity (via Mark Gurman), with the software designed to allow ProRes RAW and ProRes RAW HQ video files to be watched in compatible applications on Windows machines. According to Apple, the software will let the files be played within several Adobe apps: Adobe After Effects (Beta) Adobe Media Encocder (Beta) Adobe Premiere...

One week after we tracked deals on the new 2020 MacBook Air on Amazon, today the retailer expanded its sales to include the new 512GB model of the MacBook Air. You can get this notebook with increased storage for $1,243.55, down from $1,299.00 (only in Gold). Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which...

Apple today released a new update for Safari Technology Preview, the experimental browser Apple first introduced four years ago in March 2016. Apple designed the ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ to test features that may be introduced into future release versions of Safari. ‌Safari Technology Preview‌ release 103 includes bug fixes and performance improvements for Web Inspector, Web API, CSS, Page...

Woot is back today with new discounts on refurbished MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models from 2018. This sale will last until tonight at 12 a.m. CT. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Woot. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running. To start, you'll find a refurbished 2018 13-inch MacBook Air with a 128GB SSD for ...

A pair of rare classic Apple sneakers sold for $9,687.50 at auction this week, reports GQ. Apple launched a fashion line in 1986, but these kicks were reportedly made as prototypes for Apple employees in the early 90s and never went on sale to the general public, making them an even more sought-after collectible today. Another pair fetched nearly $30,000 at auction in 2017, underlining just...

Best Buy introduced a new one day sale today, offering deals on iMac, MacBook Pro, and Windows computers. For Apple users, the most notable discount in the sale is on the 21.5-inch iMac from March 2019. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running. Best Buy has the...

Woot today kicked off a new Apple sale on refurbished iMacs, MacBooks, and iPads. These devices represent previous-generation computers and tablets, and sales start as low as $99.99 for the first-generation iPad mini. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Woot. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running. There's...