MacRumors' Mac Blog: Mac Apps, News and Rumors

Google has shuttered the Chrome Apps section of its Chrome browser web store, following through on an announcement the company made more than a year ago. As of Wednesday, the Apps selection no longer appeared in the web store's search panel filters below Extensions and Themes. Prior to yesterday's removal, Chrome apps were available in two flavors: packaged apps and hosted apps. As Ars Technica...

Alongside of the release of macOS High Sierra 10.13.2, Apple today released an updated version of iTunes for Mac machines. iTunes 12.7.2 is a minor update, and according to Apple's release notes, it introduces minor app and performance improvements. Today's iTunes update can be downloaded from the Mac App Store for free using the Software Update function. iTunes 12.7.2 follows iTunes...

Apple today released a new update for Safari Technology Preview, the experimental browser Apple first introduced more than a year ago in March of 2016. Apple designed the Safari Technology Preview to test features that may be introduced into future release versions of Safari. Safari Technology Preview release 45 includes bug fixes and feature improvements for Rendering, JavaScript, CSS, Web...

Swiss-based encrypted email provider ProtonMail today announced Bridge, an app for premium account holders that aims to bring easy-to-use email encryption to desktop email clients like Outlook, Thunderbird, and Apple Mail. One of our goals has always been to bring easy-to-use encrypted email to desktop. The problem is formidable. Desktop systems encompass multiple operating systems with dozens ...

Apple is opening a new store at the Crabtree Valley shopping mall in Raleigh, North Carolina this weekend, as part of its efforts to modernize its chain of nearly 500 retail locations around the world. Apple's upcoming store at Crabtree Valley via Will Sigmon The new store will celebrate its grand opening on Saturday, December 9, likely at 8:00 a.m. local time, according to Slice podcast...

In August 2016 the European Commission ruled that Apple must repay 13 billion euros ($15.46 billion) in back taxes dating between 2003 and 2014. According to the EU, the taxes were avoided with the help of sweetheart tax deals from Ireland, and today The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple will now begin paying these back taxes "as soon as early next year." Ireland's Finance Minister,...

Spotify is quietly testing a new feature that enables listeners to provide positive or negative feedback on track selections in Discover Weekly playlists. First spotted by Mashable, Spotify has started including a small heart symbol and a blocked sign at the lower left corner of the desktop app interface when a song is playing in a Discover Weekly playlist. When users hover over the heart or ...

For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with Understands to give MacRumors readers a chance to win one of several "Baxter" storage solutions for the iMac. Joe Baxter Currently available through a Kickstarter project that launched this week, Baxter is a series of rear-mounted storage options designed to add more storage space to your iMac. Nigel Baxter There are several different Baxter...

Apple today seeded the sixth beta of an upcoming macOS High Sierra 10.13.2 update to developers, a few days after seeding the fifth beta and a month after releasing the macOS High Sierra 10.13.1 update. The new macOS High Sierra 10.13.2 beta can be downloaded from the Apple Developer Center or through the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store with the proper profile installed....

Last month, Logitech released the CRAFT, a wireless "Advanced Keyboard" complete with a creative input dial for controlling customizable, app-specific functions. I've been testing one out over the last few weeks to see if the company's latest Mac/PC accessory can live up to its $200 price tag. ...

The team behind the popular Pixelmator photo editing app for iOS and Mac today launched its latest Mac app, Pixelmator Pro. Pixelmator Pro is a more advanced version of its existing Pixelmator software, built from the ground up for the Mac. First announced in September, Pixelmator Pro features a reimagined workflow with simplified editing tools, a single-window interface, and intelligent image ...

A newly discovered bug in macOS High Sierra enables the root superuser on a Mac with a blank password and no security check, essentially giving anyone full access to your Mac. Apple is likely already working on a fix, but in the meantime, there's a temporary workaround -- enabling the root user with a password. Here's how: Open Spotlight and search for Directory Utility. Double click...

Apple today seeded the fifth beta of an upcoming macOS High Sierra 10.13.2 update to developers, a week and a half after seeding the fourth beta and a month after releasing the macOS High Sierra 10.13.1 update. The new macOS High Sierra 10.13.2 beta can be downloaded from the Apple Developer Center or through the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store with the proper profile installed. ...

The U.K. government announced in Wednesday's annual budget that it plans to clamp down on tax avoidance by increasing the tax it collects from online giants such as Apple and Amazon. In his Treasury speech to the Commons, Chancellor Philip Hammond said income tax would be charged on royalties relating to U.K. sales, even when they are paid to a low-tax jurisdiction and would not normally be...

Apple premium reseller Expercom this week launched a few discounts on high-end build-to-order configurations of the iMac and MacBook Pro. All of these selections include models that have the best sale prices in comparison to the other Apple resellers, and many configurations aren't on sale anywhere else this week, allowing those planning on making a big purchase to save a bit of money on a new...

Apple chief designer Jony Ive is scheduled to give a talk on the "future of design" at the Hirshorn Museum in Washington, DC, next week. Beginning at 3 p.m. local time on Wednesday, November 29, the one-hour speaking engagement has been arranged in collaboration with Smithsonian Magazine, with free places being offered on a first-come, first served basis.[Ive] has been described as one of the ...

Vivaldi web browser, the spiritual successor to Opera 12, released version 1.13 on Wednesday, introducing an easier way of managing multiple tabs, as well as new file download features and other improvements. In line with the Norwegian team's aim to make Vivaldi the most feature-rich and customizable browser available to power users, the developers have created the new Window Panel. This...

Following B&H Photo and Adorama, MacMall today has started its Black Friday savings a few days ahead of the shopping holiday. While there are exceptions, many of MacMall's deals are matching the discounts for the same products over at B&H Photo and Adorama. We've listed some of the best sales below, so be sure to look them over, and you can also check out MacMall for the full array of Apple...