Club Closure Update!  

The club is open as follows:

The MacsWest Users Group will offer one-on-one hands on problem solving as well as application education on Wednesdays from 12:pm till 2:pm by appointment in Room C of the Computer facility. Masks are required and Social distancing must be maintained between requesting members.  In addition there are two weekly Zoom meetings; see the calendar section directly below for more specifics.

We are operating under the premiss that either 2 actual monitors or 2 members that have been delegated monitor responsibility will be present at all times when the Club is open.

 This Week @ MacsWest

Teaching, Helping, Learning and Having Fun! 

 • Monday, APRIL 12, 2021 
     Nothing Scheduled at MacsWest Today (i.e., No Physical Meetings)

 • Tuesday, APRIL 13, 2021  
     Nothing Scheduled at MacsWest Today (i.e., No Physical Meetings)
     1:00 PM – Q&A Zoom Meeting: *** Click here ***
         Meeting ID: 811 1859 6201, Passcode: 606852 

 • Wednesday, APRIL 14, 2021
     12:00 PM – BY APPOINTMENT ONLY: SENIOR GENIUS BAR. Make an appointment for a one-on-one session with a “Genius” [insert quiet chuckle here] and get all the help you need. To make an appointment, send a request to . We’re here to help solve your Apple device and Apple app problems. Be sure to bring your list of IDs and passwords, and PLEASE WEAR A MASK 

 • Thursday, APRIL 15, 2021 
     Nothing Scheduled at MacsWest Today (i.e., No Physical Meetings) 

 • Friday, APRIL 16, 2021
     Nothing Scheduled at MacsWest Today (i.e., No Physical Meetings)
     1:00 PM – MACSWEST REGULAR MEETING led by Nick Gruin, followed by: “Efficient Internet Searching,” shared by Ed Archambault. To join the meeting at 1:00 PM, click HERE

CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today announced it will host its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) June 7 through 11, in an all-online format. Free for all developers, WWDC21 will offer unique insight into the future of iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS. Building on the record-breaking participation and learnings from last year’s online conference, WWDC21 is an opportunity for developers to learn about the new technologies, tools, and frameworks they rely on to build innovative and platform-differentiating apps and games. Apple also announced that this year’s Swift Student Challenge, an opportunity for young developers to demonstrate their coding skills by creating a Swift playground, is now accepting submissions.

For those looking to get their hands on the all-in-one-Mac, they can still do so for a limited time. The $4,999 standard model can still be purchased on Apple's website, but only while supplies last. Once existing inventory runs out, the iMac Pro will no longer be available, Apple told CNN Business. 

(Bloomberg) -- All of Apple Inc.’s 270 U.S. retail stores are now open in some capacity for the first time since closures due to the Covid-19 pandemic began nearly a year ago, an Apple spokesman confirmed.

Apple’s retail locations across the country have opened and closed multiple times as the spread of the pandemic fluctuated and restrictive measures were implemented and lifted. On Monday, Apple re-opened its last remaining closed stores, which were at locations in Texas, leading to the milestone.

While all shops are now open, many sites are still operating by appointment only or via a concept known as Apple Store Express, which replaces a store’s front with a bank teller-like setup for making purchases. Outside of the U.S., the company’s two stores in Mexico re-open Tuesday, while its Brazil locations and some stores in France remain closed.

Apple's health-monitoring claims go far beyond those from typical fitness gear.

"Including support for Fitness+" might actually be putting the cart before the horse—Apple Fitness+ requires an Apple Watch to function. The service bundles trainer-led workout videos and regimens with Apple Music, for $9.99 per month, and you can't sign up for it without an Apple Watch. The watch syncs with whatever device you're watching the class on, overlaying metrics and progress measured by the watch on top of the video.

WatchOS 7.2 also includes new cardio fitness notifications:

With iOS 14.3 and watchOS 7.2, Apple Watch users can view their cardio fitness level in the Health app on iPhone, and receive a notification on Apple Watch if it falls within the low range. Breakthrough technology released in watchOS 7 allows Apple Watch to easily measure low cardio fitness, and today cardio fitness notifications empower users to be more active for dramatic long-term health benefits.

Cardiorespiratory fitness, as measured by VO2 max, is the maximum amount of oxygen the body can use during exercise, and it can be increased through physical activity. Apple Watch already estimates average and higher levels of VO2 max during vigorous outdoor walks, runs, or hikes, which many runners and other athletes monitor to improve performance.

Estimation of lower levels of VO2 max is new to watchOS 7.2, and it uses an optical heart sensor, GPS, and accelerometer. Although only an estimate, Apple says this feature is significant because direct measurement requires clinical testing with specialized equipment, which isn't readily available for most people. Apple goes on to reference an American Heart Association report which states that lower cardio fitness—as the new watchOS feature estimates through multiple sensor readings—is "associated with a high risk of cardiovascular disease, all-cause mortality, and mortality rates attributable to various cancers."

Apple Watch users can visit the Cardio Fitness category in the Health app on iPhone to check their cardio fitness level, which the system classifies as high, above average, below average, or low. The ratings are relative to other people in the same age group and of the same sex as the user, and they can be seen on a week-, month-, or year-long timeline to track changes.

WatchOS 7.2 also allows new optional notification classifications—if enabled, users can get push notifications for low cardio-fitness rating detections, as well as for irregular heart rhythms that may be suggestive of atrial fibrillation. Irregular-heart-rhythm detection and notification, oddly, is not available in all locations—if this is an important feature for you, there's a list of supported regions to check.

It's also more expensive than other similar offerings: Bose's Noise-Cancelling Headphones 700 cost $339 and Beats Studio 3 cost $349.

The wireless headset comes with noise cancellation and built-in Siri capabilities. They also come with the popular Transparency mode from Apple's in-ear counterpart, AirPods Pro, which allows you to hear some of the world around you. 

Apple promises about 20 hours of battery life before a recharge. When placed inside the included slim "smart case," they enter a low-power mode intended to preserve that battery. The headset can switch between Apple devices, such as iPhone to iPad to Mac.

Here's everything Apple announced today at its "One More Thing" event.

Apple held what's likely to be its final special event of the year on Nov. 10. Apple used the event, called One More Thing, to dive deeper into details about the company's switch from Intel processors to ARM-based Apple Silicon revamped Mac lineup, including which models would be the first to get the new chip. We also learned more about MacOS 11 Big Sur, and when it'll be available as an update to current Macs.  

Here's everything Apple announced during Tuesday's event.  

Apple Silicon

In June, Apple made the announcement it would start to transition its Mac computer lineup away from Intel processors, opting instead to use its own ARM-based Apple Silicon processors. It's the same type of processor that Apple has used in its iPhone and iPad models.  

Apple stated the transition would start by the end of this year, and finish in 2022. To help developers get their apps ready for the move, Apple made a Developer Transition Kit available to developers who applied. The DTK used the same processor that's in the 2020 iPad Pro, the A12Z. It included 512GB of storage and 16GB of memory.  

We now know that the first Apple Silicon processor will be the Apple M1 system on a chip (SOC). That combines the CPU, GPU, and memory, among other aspects, into a 5nm chip with 16 billion transistors. It has an eight-core CPU, with four high-performance cores and four high-efficiency cores. Apple claims the M1 has two times the CPU performance over the leading PC processor. The M1 also includes an eight-core GPU, again, with two-times performance gains when compared to the latest PC laptop processor, according to Apple.  

New M1-powered Macs

Apple announced three Macs available with the M1 chip. They are available to purchase right now and will ship next week.  

Safari 14 comes with macOS Big Sur, and it brings a refreshed design and new features like privacy reports, a built-in translator, and 4K HDR video support. While macOS Big Sur is not yet available, Apple today released Safari 14 as a standalone update with some of those new features for macOS Catalina and Mojave users.

Users with Macs running macOS Catalina or macOS Mojave can now update to Safari 14 and benefit from some of the changes that will be available later this year with macOS Big Sur.

One of the changes available for all Mac users with Safari 14 is the redesigned start screen, which features website suggestions and custom wallpapers. Apple has also added more privacy controls with Safari 14, as users can now check every tracker on each website they visit, as well as detailed privacy reports.

There are also security improvements and the end of Adobe Flash Player support, which has now been officially discontinued. However, features such as 4K HDR video support and the built-in translator require macOS Big Sur.

Users can download and install Safari 14 on macOS through the Software Update menu in the System Preferences app.

How much does Apple One cost and what's included?

Apple One comes with a 30-day free trial for any services that customers haven't already subscribed to in the past. All the plans are billed monthly but can be canceled at any time. 

Apple One Individual plan
The Individual plan is the cheapest of the three Apple One tiers. For $14.95 a month in the US, users get access to Apple Music, Apple TV Plus, Apple Arcade, and 50GB of iCloud Storage. Apple says the Individual plan works out to a monthly savings of over $6 per month. 

Apple One Family plan
Apple's middle-tier plan, the Family plan, includes access to Apple Music, Apple TV Plus, Apple Arcade, and 200GB of iCloud storage for $19.95 per month in the US. This tier can be shared with up to six family members. You will save over $8 per month with this plan. 

Apple One Premier plan
Apple's largest bundle package, the Premier plan, costs $29.95 a month in the US. You'll have access to Apple Music, Apple TV Plus, Apple Arcade, Apple News Plus, Apple Fitness Plus, and 2TB (terabytes) of iCloud storage. This plan can also be shared with up to six family members, and although it costs the most, it does save you the most money, with a monthly discount of over $25 per month.

Apple One's subscription services explained

To help you choose which Apple One plan will be the most beneficial for you and your family, here's a quick rundown of what each Apple subscription service includes:  

Apple Music
Apple Music is a music streaming service offering over 70 million songs, as well as thousands of playlists, daily selections from the world's best music experts, and Apple Music radio. Without Apple One, Apple Music costs $9.99 per month in the US. 

Apple TV Plus
Apple TV Plus is a video streaming service that's home to Apple Originals in the Apple TV app. It has earned over 100 awards recognitions, including 18 Emmy nominations, for its original TV shows and films. Without Apple One, Apple TV Plus costs $4.99 per month in the US. 

Apple Arcade
Apple Arcade is a subscription service that gives gamers unlimited access to more than 100 titles across iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Mac, and Apple TV -- with no ads or in-app purchases. Without Apple One, Apple Arcade costs $4.99 per month in the US. 

Apple News Plus
Apple News Plus is a news subscription service that provides premium access to the leading newspapers and hundreds of magazines in a digital format through the News app. Without Apple News Plus, Apple News costs $9.99 per month in the US. 

Apple Fitness Plus
Apple Fitness Plus is Apple's newly announced fitness service for Apple Watch users. It will arrive late in 2020. Fitness Plus intelligently incorporates metrics from Apple Watch for users to see right from their wrist, offering a first-of-its-kind personalized workout experience. There are workouts for everyone, from beginners to committed exercisers, all delivered by inspiring world-class trainers. Without Apple One, Fitness Plus will cost $9.99 per month in the US. 

Apple iCloud
iCloud is Apple's cloud-based storage service that stores customers' photos, videos, files, and more. Files and documents can sync and are available across all your Apple devices. Without Apple One, you get 5GB of iCloud storage for free. Otherwise, iCloud plans start at 50GB for 99 cents per month in the US.

Apple on Tuesday announced a bunch of new hardware and some software. Here are the biggest announcements:

• Apple Watch Series 6
• The Apple Watch SE
• The new 8th-generation iPad
• The new iPad Air
• Fitness+ workout services
• Apple One service bundles

It also said that iOS 14, its new iPhone software, will launch on Wednesday with lots of new features such as widgets, a new way tro organize your home screen, security enhancements and more.

Of note: Apple did not announce new iPhones. Those are expected at a future launch, perhaps next month. Check out everything Apple announced below.

iOS 14 New Features

App Library

iOS 14 adds a new App Library view for organizing all of your apps. Apps are automatically organized in the App Library, and you don’t have to keep all of the icons on your actual home screen view. There is also a new list view as well as features for sorting applications based on usage and more.

Widgets

iOS 14 adds widgets to the home screen of the iPhone and iPad for the first time. Widgets are more data-rich than ever and come in a variety of sizes. Apps move out of the way automatically to make room for the widgets. You access these widgets through the “Widget Gallery,” with multiple different sizing options.

Picture in Picture on iPhone

iOS 14 also provides support for picture in picture, works very similar to the iPad experience. Meanwhile, Siri has a new interface that does not overtake the entire screen.

Translate App

A new translate app in iOS 14 is designed for conversations and works completely offline. All you have to do is tap on the microphone icon and the app will translate to your chosen language. There will be 11 languages supported at launch.

App Clips

iOS 14 also adds a new App Clip feature to easily access applications quickly without downloading the full version from the App Store.

“Small part of an app that is quick and easy to access,” Federighi explains.

Launch an app with a single tap and pay and log in with Apple Pay and Sign in with Apple.

New iMessage Features

For iMessage, Apple is adding new Memoji accessories (including a new face mask Memoji) as well as pinned messages. New features for group iMessages as well: in-line replies, mentions.

Real-Time Headphone Audio Alerts

You can measure headphone audio levels in real-time with a new option in Control Center. This new feature has a similar interface to the Apple Watch Noise app, which measures the audio levels of the environment instead of headphones.

QR code payments

9to5Mac reported exclusively that Apple is working on QR code payments for iOS 14.

References found in the iOS 14 code reveal that Apple is working on a new method for letting users make payments with Apple Pay by scanning a QR Code or traditional barcode with the iPhone camera.

This information wasn’t announced at WWDC, so it’s possible it won’t launch with the first version of iOS 14 and could come later in the year.

Leaked passwords

Leaked passwords are when you use the same password across multiple websites and one of them gets hacked. iCloud keychain is going to build in a feature to alert you about leaked passwords.

With iOS 14, Apple offers a new “Security Recommendations” menu that shows only your passwords that could put your accounts at risk for some reason. This includes passwords that are easy to guess and even those that may have leaked on the web.

Voice Memos

Apple is also updating the Voice Memos app with iPhone and macOS Big Sur. The most exciting feature this year is the new Enhance Recording functionality. The Enhance Recording feature reduces background noise and room reverberation with a single tap. Once you create a recording, you’ll see a small icon similar to the Auto adjustment feature in the Photos app. Details on exactly how this feature works are unclear, but Apple is heavily promoting the simplicity of the process.

iOS 14 compatible Devices

Apple says that iOS 14 can run on the iPhone 6s and later, which is the exact same compatibility as iOS 13. Here’s the full list:

Apple on Tuesday announced the Apple Watch Series 6, its latest smartwatch iteration that includes a new health sensor for measuring blood oxygen levels and improved fitness monitoring. Apple also announced a lower-cost version of the smartwatch called the Apple Watch SE.  

Apple said measuring blood oxygen saturation and pulse oximetry are important barometers of health, but even more so during the coronavirus pandemic. For many people infected with COVID-19, blood oxygen monitoring is critical for knowing when it's time to seek immediate medical care. The Series 6 is the first Apple Watch to include this sensor. 

See it now: Apple Watch Series 6 at Apple

The Apple Watch SE is touted as a budget-friendly option with a starting price of $279. The watch uses the S5 chip and shares some tech specs with the Series 6 but with a Series 4-like design.  

The updated Apple Watch is the successor to the Apple Watch Series 5 and will run WatchOS 7.  

Apple held its annual Worldwide Developer Conference in late June where the company announced the beta version of WatchOS 7 for its smartwatch lineup. Key updates to the OS include the ability to track various workouts as well as sleep patterns. Apple said WatchOS 7 will also get new exercises, and users will get more credit for exercise thanks to the combination of various sensors in Apple Watch with heart rate.  

Apple COO Jeff Williams said WatchOS 7 can measure a full range of VO2 max, which Apple says is a key predictor of health. Apple also bolstered sleep tracking in WatchOS 7 with wind-down tools. The Activity app is also now called Fitness. 

Meanwhile, Apple also announced its latest subscription service called Fitness Plus. The service gives users access to a variety of workout videos and uses the Apple Watch to power the sessions. Apple Fitness Plus will cost $9.99 a month or $79.99 a year. The service will be available at the end of the year in a limited set of countries, and new Apple Watch customers will get it for free for 3 months.

Apple revamped its 27-inch iMac with new Intel processors, AMD graphics and upgrades across the board. The 27-inch iMac starts at $1,799 and Apple also updated the iMac Pro as well as the 21.5-inch iMac.  

The performance bump comes as Apple aims to drive iMac demand with more memory, up to 10 cores on its Intel processors, Retina 5K display and audio and camera improvements. Apple is also looking to prep its Mac desktop lineup for its latest Big Sur macOS release.  

Apple's 27-inch iMac is likely to be the workhorse, but the iMac Pro, which has Intel Xeon processors and a $4,999 price tag, may also garner a look. The 21.5-inch iMac starts at $1,099. 

Core additions to the 27-inch iMac include: 

• The latest 6- and 8-core 10th generation Intel processors.
  
• iMac Pro has up to a 10-core processor option.
• Up to 65% faster CPU performance from its predecessor.
• Double memory capacity up to 128GB.
• Lastest AMD Radeon Pro 5000 series graphics with the latest RDNA architecture.
• SSDs across the 27-inch lienup with an 8TB SSD option.
• Retina 5K display with nano-texture glass option.
• FaceTime HD camera with 1080p resolution.

The 21.5-inch iMac will also have SSDs across the lineup and the smaller iMac can be configured with a Fusion Drive.  

As for the iMac Pro, Xeon processors are available up to 18 cores with graphics performance up to 22 teraflops and 256GB quad-channel ECC memory.

Apple today announced the next version of macOS, named Big Sur. It features a UI overhaul that brings it closer to iOS in style. Many buttons are now chromeless and highlight as you mouse over. There is a lot more translucency, and app icons in the Dock now resemble their iOS counterparts too.

macOS Big Sur also brings Control Center to the desktop for the first time with quick access to brightness and other toggles.

The Notification Center in macOS is now up-to-date with the iOS version, featuring grouping and rich interface styles. The iOS 14 widget system is also available on macOS.

The Messages app for Mac has also been revamped with an inline photo picker and Memoji. The Maps app has also been modernized, backed by Mac Catalyst so it shares the same codebase with iOS.

Mac Catalyst is getting new features including native screen scaling and updated controls. It should help Mac Catalyst apps fit in better with the platform.

For Apple’s browser, Safari, Apple is bringing one of the biggest updates ever with macOS Big Sur. This includes new iCloud Keychain functionality, updates to app extensions and enhanced privacy options. You can now set a background for the start page, integrated translation and new tab management features.

Similar to iOS 14, you can also take advantage of Apple’s new translation service. If you are browsing a web page written in a foreign language, you can translate in-place in one click.

The company kicked off the event by focusing on iOS 14, the upcoming operating system for the iPhone. As part of its presentation, Apple unveiled a new feature called App Library, which automatically organizes the apps on your homescreen so you don't have to scroll through several pages. 

Apple also unveiled a more seamless way to discover and access new apps. The feature, called App Clips, offers a small part of an app for use at the moment it's needed, whether it's for ordering a scooter on demand or food from a restaurant. These apps are small in size and integrate with Apple Pay. Users can then decide to download the full version of the app from the App Store.

Computers West plans to reopen on Monday, June 15th with generally normal summer hours: 10am - 2pm, provided volunteers are there to monitor. This includes MacsWest. All activities will require physical distancing in every room at the club. Masks will be required to enter and stay in the club. Even after we have finished cleaning, sanitizing, and attempting to ensure appropriate physical distancing, we cannot guarantee that the club will be 100% safe and free of COVID-19. Ultimately, you will be returning to the club at your own risk. Club attendance is in no way mandatory!

The MacsWest “Senior Genius Bar,” it will be held on Wednesdays between noon and 1:30pm in Room C. The Senior Genius Bar is the only routine activity sanctioned by MacsWest at this time. Service will be greatly curtailed and by appointment only. The size of the room (8/9 people max) and the fact that “Geniuses” will be in very short supply for both travel and personal reasons demands this. For further specific information, see the “Genius Bar Operation” section in our weekly Newsletter. Please Remember: all equipment must not only be clean but sanitized before bringing it into the club.

Regarding our regular Tuesday and Friday meetings, we have decided that your continued good health is far more valuable than any words of wisdom we might be able to share with you at this time. There will be no Tuesday or Friday meetings until further notice. We will continue to monitor the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths in both Maricopa County and Sun City West. At this time, the trends are not at all obvious; certainly not headed downward. This, coupled with VERY LIMITED SEATING—20 in Room D and maybe 9 spillover into Room C, would necessitate some sort of confusing registration system. There is no loitering allowed anywhere in Palm Ridge, so if more people show up then can be accommodated, they will, unfortunately have to leave. Collectively, we just don’t need this added stress at this time.

That said, we are looking forward to further re-opening of activities as safety and liability warrant. I truly hope you understand our one-step-at-a-time approach to reopening, and I hope to see all of you back at the club as time and immunity to COVID-19 progresses.

What’s in the update?

Face ID Update – the first potential life-saver

Many of us are wearing face masks at the moment and many more, probably, are going to do so. So, the brilliant Face ID facial recognition system is suddenly less effective (it’s not mask-recognition, after all). When the iPhone doesn’t recognize the face it sees, after a while it shows the passcode entry screen so you can tap in your passcode. The new update is designed so that “after a while” is replaced with “automatically and quickly”. 

I’ve seen people pulling down their face mask in crowded situations to get Face ID to work, which rather defeats the point of a mask at all. 

Apple has stressed that the new system does not make Face ID in any way less secure than before. The only difference is that the passcode option appears much quicker. Read about how to use this update in my colleague Kate O’Flaherty’s excellent how-to guide. 

MORE FROM FORBESNew Apple Watch Patent Reveals Super-Cool Future UpgradeBy David Phelan  

Apple Google COVID-19 API, which could also save lives

As you’ll know, Apple and Google have been working together in an unprecedented way to create a COVID-19 exposure notification system which will work on both Android and Apple phones. Both companies are updating their respective operating systems today to make it possible for apps to appear. 

In the last few minutes, Apple and Google released a joint comment:

“One of the most effective techniques that public health officials have used during outbreaks is called contact tracing. Through this approach, public health officials contact, test, treat and advise people who may have been exposed to an affected person. One new element of contact tracing is Exposure Notifications: using privacy-preserving digital technology to tell someone they may have been exposed to the virus. Exposure Notification has the specific goal of rapid notification, which is especially important to slowing the spread of the disease with a virus that can be spread asymptomatically.  

To help, Apple and Google cooperated to build Exposure Notifications technology that will enable apps created by public health agencies to work more accurately, reliably and effectively across both Android phones and iPhones. Over the last several weeks, our two companies have worked together, reaching out to public health officials scientists, privacy groups and government leaders all over the world to get their input and guidance. 

Starting today, our Exposure Notifications technology is available to public health agencies on both iOS and Android. What we’ve built is not an app — rather public health agencies will incorporate the API into their own apps that people install. Our technology is designed to make these apps work better. Each user gets to decide whether or not to opt-in to Exposure Notifications; the system does not collect or use location from the device; and if a person is diagnosed with COVID-19, it is up to them whether or not to report that in the public health app. User adoption is key to success and we believe that these strong privacy protections are also the best way to encourage use of these apps. 

Today, this technology is in the hands of public health agencies across the world who will take the lead and we will continue to support their efforts.”

One thing that has changed since earlier beta versions of iOS 13.5 is that the API has been updated to make the exposure keys the phones generate randomly to increase privacy. Additionally, all metadata associated with Bluetooth traffic has been encrypted to increase privacy.

This update to iOS was essential if any public health authority is going to be able to deploy an app for COVID-19 tracing. 

Group FaceTime

A new option in the iOS and iPadOS (and indeed macOS0 versions of the group video call app allow users a way to control automatic prominence on Group FaceTime calls so video tiles do not suddenly change size when a participant speaks. When activated, the tiles still appear in the same asymmetric fashion and a user will simply tap on an individual tile to make it larger. 

This may not sound like that big of a change but in fact it will be helpful for users who are sensitive to motion and for anyone who wants to have more control what Group FaceTime is like.

Here’s the full changelog as supplied by Apple. 

iOS 13.5 speeds up access to the passcode field on devices with Face ID when you are wearing a face mask and introduces the Exposure Notification API to support COVID-19 contact tracing apps from public health authorities. This update also introduces an option to control automatic prominence of video tiles on Group FaceTime calls and includes bug fixes and other improvements.

Face ID and Passcode

• Simplified unlock process for devices with Face ID when you are wearing a face mask
• Passcode field automatically presented after swiping up from the bottom of the Lock screen when you are wearing a face mask
• Also works when authenticating with the App Store, Apple Books, Apple Pay, iTunes and other apps that support signing in with Face ID

Exposure Notification

• Exposure Notification API to support COVID-19 contact tracing apps from public health authorities

FaceTime

• Option to control automatic prominence on Group FaceTime calls so video tiles do not change size when a participant speaks

This update also includes bug fixes and other improvements.

• Fixes an issue where users may see a black screen when trying to play streaming video from some websites
• Addresses an issue in the share sheet where suggestions and actions may not load

Some features may not be available in all regions or on all Apple devices. For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website: support.apple.com/kb/HT201222

Cupertino, California — Apple today updated the 13-inch MacBook Pro with the new Magic Keyboard for the best typing experience ever on a Mac notebook and doubled the storage across all standard configurations, delivering even more value to the most popular MacBook Pro. The new lineup also offers 10th-generation processors for up to 80 percent faster graphics performance¹ and makes 16GB of faster 3733MHz memory standard on select configurations. With powerful quad-core processors, the brilliant 13-inch Retina display, Touch Bar and Touch ID, immersive stereo speakers, all-day battery life, and the power of macOS, all in an incredibly portable design, the new 13-inch MacBook Pro is available to order today, starting at $1,299, and $1,199 for education.²

“Whether you’re a college student, a developer, or a creative pro, the 13-inch MacBook Pro delivers powerful performance, a stunning Retina display, and all-day battery life in our most portable pro notebook. Today we’re adding the new Magic Keyboard, doubling the standard storage, and boosting performance, making the 13-inch MacBook Pro an even better value for our customers,” said Tom Boger, Apple’s senior director of Mac and iPad Product Marketing. “With these updates, our entire notebook lineup features the Magic Keyboard for the best typing experience ever on a Mac notebook, offers twice the standard storage than before, and delivers even more performance.”The updated 13-inch MacBook Pro now features the new Magic Keyboard, first introduced on the 16-inch MacBook Pro and added to MacBook Air in March. Magic Keyboard features a redesigned scissor mechanism with 1mm of key travel for a comfortable and stable key feel, while the new inverted-“T” arrangement for the arrow keys makes them easier to find, whether users are navigating through spreadsheets or playing games. Magic Keyboard also features a physical Escape key, along with Touch Bar and Touch ID, for a keyboard that delivers the best typing experience ever on a Mac notebook.

Customers love the superfast SSDs on MacBook Pro, with sequential read speeds of up to 3.0GB/s. The 13-inch MacBook Pro now comes with double the storage of the previous generation, with standard storage starting at 256GB all the way up to 1TB, so customers can store even more photos, videos, and files. And for pro users who need even more storage capacity for large photo libraries and video projects, the 13-inch MacBook Pro now offers up to a 4TB SSD.

The 13-inch MacBook Pro lineup now offers up to 10th-generation quad-core Intel Core processors with Turbo Boost speeds of up to 4.1GHz. Customers who are upgrading from a 13-inch MacBook Pro with a dual-core processor will see up to 2.8 times faster performance. The integrated Intel Iris Plus Graphics deliver up to 80 percent faster performance over the previous generation 13-inch MacBook Pro for 4K video editing, faster rendering, and smoother gameplay. The new graphics also enable users to connect to Pro Display XDR at full 6K resolution.

16GB of faster 3733MHz memory is now offered as a standard configuration on select models, and for the first time on a 13-inch Mac notebook, customers can choose a 32GB memory option. With 32GB of memory, users will experience better performance while running multiple virtual machines and up to 50 percent faster performance when editing gigapixel images in Photoshop.

Read more here:

There’s a lot to like about the Mac App Store for consumers and developers, but there’s also a lot to dislike as well. Due to sandboxing rules and limited options for upgrade pricing, some popular applications are still not available for purchase. Over time, Apple has been working to tweak the rules to allow popular apps to enter the App Store, though. In early 2019, we saw Microsoft Office come to the App Store with the option to purchase a subscription using in-app purchase. It’s clear Apple hasn’t given up on the Mac App Store, and today, another popular app is making its first appearance. MacPaw’s CleanMyMac X, one of the best macOS maintenance applications, is finally on the Mac App Store.

Before 2018, CleanMyMac was used on a “perpetual” license model and released major versions that existing customers could purchase at a discount — a model that wasn’t possible on the Mac App Store. In 2018, with the release of CleanMyMac X, MacPaw made it available as a one-year subscription in addition to its existing perpetual license. The new subscription model could also be implemented in the Mac App Store, which made it possible for MacPaw to bring CleanMyMac X to the Mac App Store. The Mac App Store version of CleanMyMac X has most of the features of the version available on direct purchase version with a few exceptions:

• Photo Junk
• Maintenance
• Updater
• Shredder

Multiple other modules have been revised to fit within App Store guidelines.

If you want those features, you’ll want to purchase the app directly or download as a part of a SetApp subscription.

‘Millions of users around the world already love CleanMyMac X for its functionality, ease of use, and exceptional design,’ said Oleksandr Kosovan, CEO, and founder of MacPaw. ‘By entering the Mac App Store, we are excited to make CleanMyMac X available to even more users through their favorite source of trusted and reliable software.’

Key features of CleanMyMac X’s Mac App Store version:

• Smart Scan: All-in-one center for Mac analysis. It includes Cleanup, Protection, and Large & Old Files scanners that, with a single-click, help to remove junk, unnecessary files and malware.
• Malware Removal: Checks the system for vulnerabilities and removes malware, adware, and other macOS-specific threats.
• Uninstaller: Allows for bulk-deleting applications completely along with all traces of them. More information on the module can be found here.
• Space Lens: Visualizes disk space and identifies files taking up a lot of disk storage.
• CleanMyMac Assistant: An intelligent adviser that uses machine learning algorithms to provide personalized tips and suggestions for further optimization steps and reminds about regular cleanups.
• Health Monitor: Real-time data on CPU, battery, network speed, etc.
• Leading-edge design: An award-winning interface with flow-like animations.

I’ve been using CleanMyMac X since the original release to uninstall applications, free up hard drive space, and run maintenance tools. It can be purchased on the Mac App Store for a yearly subscription for $39.95.

Apple began taking pre-orders for the second-generation iPhone SE on Friday, and in the U.S. already ran out out of its stock for release on launch day.

Orders placed placed earlier today will arrive on April 24. But the official Apple Store website indicates that orders for the new $399 iPhone placed now won’t arrive until May.

Popular Design with a 4.7-inch Display

Apple has released watchOS 6.2.1 to the public today, bringing bug fixes and performance improvements specifically related to FaceTime. Today’s update for Apple Watch users comes following yesterday’s release of iOS 13.4.1 and iPadOS 13.4.1.

watchOS 6.2.1 includes a fix for a FaceTime Audio bug that affected Apple Watch users. Apple explains:

Fixes an issue where devices running watchOS 6.2 could not participate in FaceTime audio calls with devices running iOS 9.3.6 and earlier or OS X El Capitan 10.11.6 and earlier. 

Apple released watchOS 6.2 to the public last month, bringing ECG and irregular heart rhythm features to new countries as well as in-app purchase support. Check out our full coverage of that update here.

To update your Apple Watch to watchOS 6.2.1, you can open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone and tap General then Software Update. You can also update directly from your Apple Watch by opening the Settings app and tapping General then Software Update.

Apple has released a notable supplemental update to macOS Catalina 10.15.4 today. The update brings a FaceTime bug fix, MacBook Air 2020 improvements, and more.

Apple released macOS Catalina 10.15.4 to the public last week, brining support for iCloud Drive Folder Sharing, Apple Music, time-synced lyrics, and more. Since then, there have been some complaints from users about the stability of the update; and that’s what today’s supplement release aims to address.

Apple says today’s macOS Catalina 10.15.4 supplemental update includes a fix for a FaceTime bug, as well as an issue where you “may repeatedly receive a password prompt for an Office 365 account.” There are also fixes fro the 2020 MacBook Air and USB-C performance across all Mac models.

Here are the full release notes for today’s supplemental update to macOS 10.15.4, which Apple says “improves the stability and security of your Mac.”

• Fixes an issue where Mac computers running macOS Catalina 10.15.4 could not participate in FaceTime calls with devices running iOS 9.3.6 and earlier or OS X El Capitan 10.11.6 and earlier
• Resolves an issue where you may repeatedly receive a password prompt for an Office 365 account
• Fixes an issue where MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2020) may hang in Setup Assistant or when disconnecting and reconnecting a 4K or 5K external display
• Resolves an issue where a USB-C port in your Mac may become unresponsive

You can update your Mac now via the System Preferences app

Apple is releasing iOS 13.4.1 and iPadOS 13.4.1 to the public today. These updates follow the public release of iOS 13.4 last month and focus on bug fixes, performance improvements, and security enhancements.

Apple started beta testing iOS 13.4.5 last week, leaving many to wonder where iOS 13.4.1 was. The update is rolling out now to iPhone and iPad users. Here are the release notes:

• Fixes an issue where devices running iOS 13.4 could not participate in FaceTime calls with devices running iOS 9.3.6 and earlier or OS X El Capitan 10.11.6 and earlier
• Addresses a bug with the Settings app where choosing Bluetooth from the quick actions menu on the Home screen would fail

And for iPad users:

• Fixes an issue where devices running iPadOS 13.4 could not participate in FaceTime calls with devices running iOS 9.3.6 and earlier or OS X El Capitan 10.11.6 and earlier
• Addresses an issue on iPad Pro 12.9-inch (4th generation) and iPad Pro 11-inch (2nd generation) where the flashlight may not turn on after tapping the Flashlight button in Control Center or on the Lock screen
• Addresses a bug with the Settings app where choosing Bluetooth from the quick actions menu on the Home screen would fail

While Apple’s release notes don’t mention it, iOS 13.4.1 also could include a fix for a VPN vulnerability. As we’ve reported, a bug in iOS 13.3.1 and later prevents VPNs from encrypting traffic, but we’ve not yet confirmed if there is a fix in today’s update.

Notice any other major changes in today’s release of iOS 13.4.1? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter, @9to5Mac. There are no updates to Mac, Apple Watch, or Apple TV today as of right now.

Apple is rolling out a round of updates today to the iWork collection of apps for Mac. These updates bring iCloud Drive folder sharing support and much more to Keynote, Pages, and Numbers for macOS.

Update: Apple is also now rolling out updates to Keynote, Pages, and Numbersfor iOS and iPadOS with these features as well as support for the upcoming Magic Keyboard.

All three applications now allow you to add a document to a shared iCloud Drive folder, thanks to the recent release of macOS Catalina 10.15.4. iCloud Drive folder sharing is a Dropbox-like feature that allows you to share a folder once, and have everyone be able to see the contents of that folder as they change.

Keynote is also adding support for new themes, PDF export with comments, and more. Here are the full release notes:

• Add a Keynote presentation to a shared iCloud Drive folder to automatically start collaborating. Requires macOS 10.15.4.
• Edit shared presentations while offline and your changes will upload when you’re back online.
• Select from a variety of gorgeous new themes to help you get started.
• Easily access your recently used themes in a redesigned theme chooser.
• Print or export a PDF of your presentation with comments included.
• Add a drop cap to make text stand out with a large, decorative first letter.
• Enhance your presentations with a variety of new, editable shapes.
• New “Keyboard” text build in and build out animation

In addition to iCloud Drive folder sharing, Numbers has also been updated with offline support for shared spreadsheets, support for more rows and columns “than ever before,” and more. The full release notes explain:

• Create spreadsheets with more rows and columns than ever before.
• Apply a color to the background of a sheet.
• Add a Numbers spreadsheet to a shared iCloud Drive folder to automatically start collaborating. Requires macOS 10.15.4.
• Edit shared spreadsheets while offline and your changes will upload when you’re back online.
• Easily access your recently used templates in a redesigned template chooser.
• Print or export a PDF of your spreadsheet with comments included.
• Add a drop cap to text in a shape.
• Enhance your spreadsheets with a variety of new, editable shapes.

Last but not least, Pages for Mac has also added new templates, new themes, and much more. There’s also support for adding a drop cap to make a paragraph stand out a bit more:

• Select from a variety of gorgeous new templates to help you get started.
• Add a Pages document to a shared iCloud Drive folder to automatically start collaborating. Requires macOS 10.15.4.
• Add a drop cap to make a paragraph stand out with a large, decorative first letter.
• Apply a color, gradient, or image to the background of any document.
• Easily access your recently used templates in a redesigned template chooser.
• Print or export a PDF of your document with comments included.
• Edit shared documents while offline and your changes will upload when you’re back online.
• Enhance your documents with a variety of new, editable shapes.

Apple has also teased that it has similar updates planned for the iWork suite of applications on iOS and iPadOS. As of right now, those updates have not been released, but we expect them to come sooner rather than later. Apple says it will update its iWork suite of productivity apps to take “full advantage of” iPadOS trackpad support “and open up a whole new way to work with documents on iPad.”

Years after Apple's tablet first debuted, the iPad is finally like other computers in one important way: You can easily use it with a mouse or a trackpad. The 13.4 update that rolled out yesterday for iOS and iPadOS added that and a number of other new features, like support for third-party navigation apps in the CarPlay dashboard and revamped iCloud file sharing that will be a lot more useful.

Still, one of the biggest changes is in the browser. Safari for iOS, iPadOS and macOS now blocks all third-party cookies by default and is the first mainstream browser to do it. Google has announced it will do the same with Chrome, but not until 2022. The team calls this a "significant improvement for privacy since it removes any sense of exceptions or that "a little bit of cross-site tracking is allowed." I feel more secure already, and I use Android.

Along with iOS 13.4, watchOS 6.2, and macOS Catalina 10.15.4, Apple has today released tvOS 13.4 to the public. The company doesn’t mention any new notable changes, so it’s likely that this is a minor bug fix and stability improvements update.

tvOS 13.3, which was released last year, brought a new option that lets users bring back the “Up Next” queue to the Apple TV Home screen. However, we don’t know what has changed on tvOS 13.4, which probably indicates that it has no major new features.

tvOS 13.4 is available as an over-the-air update for Apple TV 4th generation and Apple TV 4K. To download, head to Settings > System > Software Update. Users who have automatic updates on should have their Apple TV updated soon.

For users of the third-generation Apple TV, Apple has also released the Apple TV Software 7.5 with general improvements, since this model has access to the Apple TV App and Apple TV+.

Meet the 2020 MacBook Air, a faster and more reliable successor. Starting at $999 (or $899 for schools), the updated Air packs the features we want, and finally gives apple a sub-$1,000 laptop.

The news comes via a press release, where Apple announced that the 2020 MacBook Air is available for online orders starting today (March 18), and will be in stores next week (though most Apple Stores are closed indefinitely). 

• The best laptops you can buy now
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• Breaking: New iPad Pro offers Magic Keyboard with touchpad

While we're happy to hear about performance boosts, the most important MacBook Air upgrade for many folks is the Magic Keyboard. Replacing the butterfly-switch keyboard that was controversial due to reliability concerns and shallow key depth, this new keyboard is similar to Apple's external Magic Keyboard. The keyboard uses  traditional scissor switches, and offers a feel that we called "a revelation compared to Apple’s highly criticized Butterfly keyboards," in our 16-inch MacBook Pro review.

2020 MacBook Air specs and performance

The 2020 MacBook Air's been upgraded to a 1.1GHz dual-core 10th-generation Intel Core i3 processor — a leap of 2 generations from the 8th Gen Core i5-8210Y CPU in the entry-level 2019 MacBook Air. It starts with a Core i3 chip, and you'll spend $100 more for the Core i5 processor or $250 extra to upgrade to the Core i7 CPU. Apple says it "delivers up to two times faster performance when compared to the previous generation."

We hope it's not a Y-series processor, as the 2019 MacBook Air was a bit underpowered compared to laptops with U-series Intel processors.

In terms of memory, the 2020 MacBook Air defaults to 8GB of RAM, and can be upgraded to 16GB for $200. 

The aforementioned 256GB of default SSD storage is great to see, but upgrades still cost a pretty penny. The 512GB SSD upgrade is $200 and the 1TB SSD is $400. If you've got deep pockets, consider the $800 2TB SSD for your 2020 MacBook Pro.

Just like last year's Air, the 2020 MacBook Air has 2 ThunderBolt 3 ports. This year's edition supports "up to a 6K external display," which Apple says is a first for MacBook Air.

Also, expect the same security as last year's MacBook Air, as this model has Apple's own T2 Chip, which enables "on-the-fly data encryption" and protects the information stored and used by the Touch ID security sensor used for unlocking the Air and paying via Apple Pay. 

2020 MacBook Air display

You're still getting a great screen, as the 2020 MacBook Air's 13.3-inch LED-backlit Retina display measures 2560 x 1600 pixels. It's got True Tone technology for ambient light recognition as well.

I was hoping that Apple could possibly shed the bezels a bit, to give us 14 inches of screen in a 13-inch chassis, like it turned the 15-inch MacBook Pro into a 16-inch model. 

2020 MacBook Air battery life

Apple is promising strong battery life with claims of as much as "11 hours wireless web" browsing and up to "12 hours Apple TV app movie playback." 

We look forward to putting these claims to the test when we get the 2020 MacBook Air in our testing labs. 

Apple  today announced the Mac Mini will ship with more standard storage space. Starting at $799, the base model Mac Mini now ships with a 256GB SSD, up from 128GB previously. The CPU, GPU and system memory remains the same from the previous model.

This refresh is a slight but welcomed bump to Apple’s least expensive Mac. With the updated specs, the Mac Mini offers a bit more bang for the buck, but the specs still lag sorely behind similarly priced pre-packaged Windows PCs.

The $799 Mac Mini runs an Intel Core i3 CPU with a clock-speed of 3.6Ghz. It also sports an Intel HD Graphics 630 GPU and 8 GB of RAM. The $1,099 package ups the specs to a 3.0GHz Intel Core i5 CPU and a 512GB SSD hard drive.

Both of the new models ship on March 20. Apple Store pickup is currently unavailable as Apple closed all its stores outside of mainland China in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

With iPadOS 13.4, Apple brings trackpad support to iPad, giving customers an all-new way to interact with their iPad. Rather than copying the experience from macOS, trackpad support has been completely reimagined for iPad. As users move their finger across the trackpad, the pointer elegantly transforms to highlight user interface elements. Multi-Touch gestures on the trackpad make it fast and easy to navigate the entire system without users ever lifting their hand.

Apple today also introduced the new Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro. With a floating design with smooth angle adjustment, a backlit keyboard and trackpad, the Magic Keyboard delivers the best typing experience ever on iPad. The Magic Keyboard will be available for purchase in May.

“The new iPad Pro introduces advanced technologies never before available in mobile computing,” said Phil Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “Combining the most advanced mobile display with powerful performance, pro cameras, pro audio, the breakthrough LiDAR Scanner and new Magic Keyboard with Trackpad, this is another huge leap forward for iPad. There’s no other device in the world like the new iPad Pro and we think our customers are going to love it.”

“We’re making iPad even more capable and versatile by bringing trackpad support to iPadOS,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering. “We carefully considered the best way to integrate trackpad use into a touch-first environment while retaining everything our customers know and love about iPad. We’re thrilled to bring this new way of interacting with iPad to the millions of people using iPadOS today.”

Built for the most demanding tasks, like editing 4K video or designing 3D models, iPad Pro gets another performance boost with the new A12Z Bionic chip. The eight-core GPU in the A12Z Bionic, along with an enhanced thermal architecture and tuned performance controllers, gives iPad Pro the highest performance ever in an iPad. Combined with the eight-core CPU and the powerful Neural Engine, which enables next-generation apps, there’s no other chip that can offer the incredible performance found in the thin and light design of iPad Pro. With great battery life lasting up to 10 hours,¹ faster Wi-Fi connectivity² and gigabit-class LTE that’s 60 percent faster³ with support for more LTE bands than any other tablet, customers can stay productive and creative all day.

he edge-to-edge Liquid Retina display — in both 11-inch and 12.9-inch sizes — is the world’s most advanced mobile display. Featuring P3 wide color support, it lets customers see photos, videos, apps and games in vivid, true-to-life detail. ProMotion technology automatically adjusts the display refresh rate up to 120 Hz for ultra-smooth scrolling and responsiveness. And no matter where customers take iPad Pro or how they interact with it, True Tone, high brightness and an anti-reflective coating deliver the best viewing experience possible on any mobile device.

The Pro camera system on iPad Pro features a 12MP Wide camera for capturing stunning photos and 4K video, and now includes a 10MP Ultra Wide camera that zooms out two times to capture a much wider field of view. Adding a second camera doubles the photo and video possibilities, enabling different perspectives and multi-camera use — a game changer for creative pros.

Apple will release iOS 13.4 and iPadOS 13.4 on March 24, for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users. In addition to features like redesigned Mail toolbar and iCloud folder sharing, iPadOS 13.4 brings support for trackpad to the iPad platform for the first time.

This will obviously be a big selling point for the 2020 iPad Pro announced today, but the new Magic Keyboard with trackpad accessory is also backwards compatible with the 2018 iPad Pro. You can also connect an external Magic Trackpad or Magic Mouse over Bluetooth, allowing iPad Air, iPad mini and even $329 iPad users to take advantage of the new cursor support in the OS.

The two sizes of Magic Keyboard will work with the 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro respectively. The new keyboard/trackpad combo accessories are priced at $299 and $349.

Naturally, the 2020 iPad Pro will ship with the latest software as standard, although the Magic Keyboard cover doesn’t ship until sometime in May. 2018 iPad owners buying the new Magic Keyboard will have to wait until at least March 24 to update their operating system. That’s also when all other iPad owners can update and pair a Bluetooth trackpad or mouse.

With the new firmware, trackpad support for iPad becomes a system-level feature. The cursor appears as a floating circle that can highlight elements in the user interface, press buttons and assist with text selection. It’s sort of a hybrid between a typical mouse pointer seen on a desktop operating system and the focus engine system used in Apple TV, depending on what element is being hovered over.

Apple has announced that soon you’ll be able to plug thumb drives, external disk drives, and SD cards directly into your iPad. The functionality, which was announced onstage at WWDC 2019, will be particularly useful for photographs, allowing you to import photos into an app like Lightroom directly from your camera’s SD card without having to use a Siri Shortcut.

The functionality is coming with Apple’s new operating system for the iPad called iPadOS, which also includes an improved Files app that will make files easier to manage once they’re on the tablet. If you want to transfer it onward from the device, then iCloud has been updated with support for folder sharing. 

The iPad’s file management has been a key sticking point as Apple has transitioned its tablet toward becoming a laptop replacement. When we reviewed last year’s iPad Pro, for example, the only support it had for external storage was to import photos directly to the camera roll. Native support for external storage will go a long way in making the iPad feel like a genuine laptop replacement rather than just a capable tablet

Apple is making a huge change to its new iPadOS, introducing mouse support for both USB and Bluetooth devices. iOS developer Steve Troughton-Smith discovered the new mouse support in iPadOS today, and it reportedly works with USB mice, devices like Apple’s Magic Trackpad, and wireless Bluetooth mice.

Apple adding mouse support to iPadOS is significant, even though it’s an accessibility feature for now. Apple has implemented this support as an AssistiveTouch feature, and the cursor looks like a typical touch target you’d find in iOS. It’s designed to simulate a finger touch, so you can use a mouse to do this instead. Many iPad owners have been asking for some type of cursor support for years, and this could be the start of Apple supporting this more broadly across its new iPadOS.

The next version of macOS will be called Catalina. Apple officially unveiled the new update onstage at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) today. The biggest new feature for macOS 10.15 is the addition of iPad app support. The project was previously codenamed “Marzipan,” but it’s now called Catalyst. It’s a new way for developers to port their iPad apps over to the Mac. Developers will be able to use Xcode to target their iPad apps at macOS Catalina.

Twitter is planning to bring its iOS Twitter app to the Mac, and Atlassian is also bringing its Jira iPad app to macOS Catalina. It’s not clear how many developers will support this app porting initially, but Apple is certainly encouraging developers to bring their iPad apps to the Mac. Apple only showed 3 apps on stage today, though.

Apple is also introducing new Apple Music, Podcasts, and Apple TV apps in macOS Catalina, replacing the aging iTunes app. These apps work mostly as you’d expect. Podcasts gains local indexing support, and Apple Music looks a lot like iTunes without all the extra features. The Apple TV app has no sidebar, and it supports 4K HDR playback with HDR 10, Dolby Vision, and Dolby Atmos. 

If you were hoping to use your iPad on a Mac, then Apple is introducing a new Sidecar feature that lets you use your iPad as a secondary display. Popular third-party options like Luna or Duet Display have long supported this on macOS, but Apple is introducing this natively now. 

An iPad can now be used as an extended display for Mac, and you’ll even be able to use the Apple Pencil and iPad as a drawing tablet on supported Mac apps. Apps like Final Cut Pro X, Adobe Illustrator, and iWork will all fully support Sidecar, and it all runs wirelessly so it’s easy to use on the go if you want to combine a MacBook and an iPad as a secondary display.

Catalina also introduces a new way to control a Mac entirely with your voice. It’s designed as an accessibility feature, but you can use it to control macOS by just sitting back and speaking.

Alongside these bigger features, Apple is also combining its Find My Friends and Find My iPhone apps into a single “Find My” app on iOS and macOS. An activation lock is also coming to Macs, so if your laptop gets stolen it’s useless. Even Photos is getting updated with a new browsing view, and Notes has a new gallery view. Reminders is also being improved with some design tweaks and updates.

This new 10.15 update comes a year after Apple unveiled macOS 10.14 Mojavewith a new dark mode, Apple News, and a redesigned App Store. macOS Catalina certainly has a lot more refinement, especially on the app side. If developers use Apple’s new Catalyst support to bring iPad apps to macOS Catalina, then this will be one of the most important macOS updates ever released.

Today at WWDC, Apple introduced a new single sign-on (or SSO) tool called “Sign In with Apple,” designed to authenticate users to apps while sharing a minimum of personal data with third parties. It’s a direct competitor to simpler services offered by Facebook and Google, which were called out by name on stage, and part of Apple’s broader effort to brand itself as a privacy-conscious alternative to those companies. The new system will be available across apps as well as on the web.

As described onstage by Apple software chief Craig Federighi, users would encounter the service as a simple sign-in button, presented as an alternative to setting up a persistent username and password for a given service. But where Google and Facebook use those buttons to link you to your broader advertising profile, Apple’s service is designed to give the minimum necessary data.

The system won’t even share your email, instead directing each app to a different redirect email address operated by Apple. With a different redirect for each app, it would be far more difficult for third parties to correlate information by comparing emails. And when a user wants to cut ties with an app, breaking the redirect will sever the connection entirely.

It’s unclear how or if Apple plans to make money from the system. But simply presenting a new sign-on tool could present serious problems for Google and Facebook, which have often used SSO systems to bundle their own code and API calls into outside apps, gaining a wealth of ad-tracking data in the process. For anyone switching over, that data will largely rest with Apple, which will oversee the tool — but executives are betting you trust Apple with the data more than ad-funded companies like Google and Facebook.

It’s part of a broader push toward services from Apple, which came to a head at the Show Time event in March. That event saw new subscription services offered for TV, games and news, as well as the Apple Card in finance, a notable shift from the company’s traditional focus on hardware. In many of those cases, Apple has attempted to position itself as a “privacy provider,” a trustworthy alternative to its scandal-plagued competitors.

As the iPad comes up on ten years since its introduction, the hardware has reached bold new heights but the software has been the limiting factor. Onstage at WWDC in San Jose, Apple announced that iPad’s software will now exist inside its own vertical OS.

iPadOS.

The new OS doesn’t look dramatically different from iOS 12, this actually might be the most low-key update that they’ve had in a while, but the name change undoubtedly makes it easier for Apple to introduce functionality to iPads that won’t exist in any capacity on the iPhone.

It’s all about focus and the fact that the company’s tablets are getting even more powerful than their macOS counterparts. It didn’t make a ton of sense for the iPad to be held back by the iPhone.

What’s new in iPadOS that you’ll get kind of excited about?

• Chances are the best update is that desktop sites are now the default in Safari, hallelujah!!
• You’ll be able to bring widgets to the home screen that are just a swipe away. You’ll also be able to fit more app icons on each screen.
• Changes in iPadOS include an update to the Files app which will allow you share folders in iCloud drive, there’s a new column view and you’ll be able to grab files from USB-C flash drives.
• You’ll be able to bring up multiple windows of the same app, which wasn’t previously possible and there are a lot of small interface changes that make it easier to multi-task with your larger screen real estate.
• Apple Pencil latency is dropping from 20ms to 9ms, Apple is bringing a PencilKit developer API so that third-party app developers can integrate some new controls.

Again, these changes aren’t too wild, but the unshackling from the iPhone is really going to spell good things for tablet computing moving forward.

It’s honestly a little odd they chose this year to make this name change given how subtle many of the changes are, but for developers the changes are going to undoubtedly grow more important as the bifurcation of iOS and iPadOS allows them to bring more robust gestures and inter-app functionality to what they’re building.

Apple is bringing a number of new tools to the Apple Watch as part of watchOS 6, many of which will help the watch run more independently of the iPhone. The Watch will have its own App Store, a calculator with tip tools, an audiobooks app, and Apple's Voice Memos app, for more subtly recording audio (check local laws). It's also adding a pair of new health tools. Cycle Tracker adds tools for tracking periods and fertility -- tools that are also being added to the iOS Health app. A new Noise app uses the built-in microphone to measure environmental sound and warn you when the decibels are too high and could hurt your hearing. Apple says it does this by sampling audio and does not record anything.

As expected, Apple is replacing its once groundbreaking, often bemoaned audio and video app, iTunes. 

After 18 years, the app will be phased out and replaced with three separate apps that are familiar to iOS users: Apple Music, Apple TV and Apple Podcasts. The iTunes Store app will still exist on iOS, and Apple says the store will also continue to exist on Macs as an entry in the Finder's sidebar. 

iPod touch fans, your day has finally come. Apple just announced an updated version of the iPod touch that bumps up the processor to an A10 Fusion chip (for reference, that’s the same one that’s found in the iPhone 7) along with a new 256GB storage option. 

It’s the first update to Apple’s iPod product since the sixth-generation iPod touch was released in July 2015. Aside from those two changes, it appears that Apple is leaving the rest of the iPod touch alone: it has the same bezeled 4-inch display, home button, and cameras. 

While today’s refresh announcement only brings the iPod touch in line with the iPhone 7 — the least-powerful iPhone that Apple currently sells — the A10 chip does provide enough firepower for a few new features, including Group FaceTime calls and Apple’s ARKit augmented reality apps, both of which were previously unavailable on the iPod touch. The company says that, compared to the older model, the updated version will offer up to two times faster CPU performance and up to three times faster graphics. 

Apple is highlighting its upcoming Apple Arcade gaming subscription service as a key part of the device, which is likely a reason for the spec boost: to make sure that the new iPod touch can still run all those games. It makes sense, given Apple’s recent focus on subscriptions as a new revenue source going forward. 

Is it a true next-generation iPod touch that some may have hoped for with the hardware and design of the latest iPhones? No. But the spec bump means it’ll run the next few versions of iOS without too many issues, and the recycled design will keep the price low, making it a good entry-level option. 

The updated iPod touch starts at $199 for the 32GB model, $299 for 128GB of storage, and $399 for the new 256GB option.

Apple has canceled the AirPower product completely, citing difficulty meeting its own standards.

Matthew Panzarino@panzer

“After much effort, we’ve concluded AirPower will not achieve our high standards and we have cancelled the project. We apologize to those customers who were looking forward to this launch. We continue to believe that the future is wireless and are committed to push the wireless experience forward,” said Dan Riccio, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering in an emailed statement today.

After a delay of over a year since it was first announced in September of 2017, the AirPower charging mat has become something of a focal point for Apple’s recent habit of announcing envelope tickling products and not actually shipping them on time. The AirPods, famously, had a bit of a delay before becoming widely available, and were shipped in limited quantities before finally hitting their stride and becoming a genuine cultural moment.

AirPower, however, has had far more time to marinate in the soup of public opinion since it was announced. Along with recent MacBook keyboard troubles, this has functioned as a sort of flash point over discussion that something isn’t right with Apple’s hardware processes.

Everything I’ve personally heard (Apple is saying nothing officially) about the AirPower delay has been related to tough engineering problems related to the laws of physics. Specifically, I’ve heard that they ran too hot because the 3D charging coils in close proximity to one another required very, very cautious power management.

Obviously, it would do Apple very little good to release a charging mat that caused devices to overheat, perhaps even to the point of damage. So, it has canceled the project.

Today we see updates for all your Apple devices — Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and even Apple Watch. 

 Almost all of Apple’s big announcements today were software-based — the titanium Apple Card and the new TV shows were the exceptions — but very few of those announcements will be available today, or even soon. In the U.S. and Canada, you’ll be able to  sign up for the new Apple News+ subscription today, but that’s about it.   

Let’s see what else is new.

iOS 12.2

There are a bunch of new additions to iOS 12.2, including adding Logitech Crayon support to the 2018 iPad Pro, which is petty wild. But in terms of today’s news and TV announcements, here are the highlights:

• AirPlay 2 and HomeKit support for third-party TVs.
• Support for Hey Siri with AirPods 2.
• New Apple News+ app.
• Apple Pay for transit in some U.S. cities.
• Apple Card support, and new Apple Pay Cash interface.
• Air Quality display in the Maps app.
• Way better-sounding audio messages.
• Four new Animoji.

macOS 10.14.4

• Safari Autofill using Touch ID
• Automatic dark mode activation in Safari (for websites that have dark themes available).

tvOS

• Ask Siri to play specific media from an iPhone or iPad.

watchOS 5.2

• New Hermès watch faces

Adobe really wants you to know that the upcoming Photoshop CC for the iPad, which was announced today and is set to be released sometime in 2019, is “real Photoshop.”

The phrase “real Photoshop” came up several times during my week-long preview of an early version of the software giant’s long-awaited app. The underlying code is the same as desktop Photoshop, and although the interface has been rethought for the iPad, the same core tools line the edges of the screen.

But the biggest change of all is a total rethinking of the classic .psd file for the cloud, which will turn using Photoshop into something much more like Google Docs. Photoshop for the iPad is a big deal, but Cloud PSD is the change that will let Adobe bring Photoshop everywhere.

Bringing a program like Photoshop to the iPad is a monumental task. The project started 18 months ago when two Adobe engineers asked to carve out time to bring the Photoshop codebase to the iPad. “There was just a lot of doubt until what we call the “proof of life” moment,” says Scott Belsky, Adobe’s chief product officer. Senior director Pam Clark agrees: “We fully admit we were surprised when the engineers showed up, and it was quite powerful and smooth.” That “proof of life” product inspired the design team to start focusing on the app’s user experience, with each new build focusing on a different Photoshop workflow.

Read the full story here: 

How Apple’s Safari browser will try to thwart data tracking

NEW YORK (AP) — New privacy features in Apple’s Safari browser seek to make it tougher for companies such as Facebook to track you.

Companies have long used cookies to remember your past visits. This can be helpful for saving sign-in details and preferences. But now they’re also being used to profile you in order to fine-tune advertising to your tastes and interests.

Cookie use goes beyond visiting a particular website. As other sites embed Facebook “like” and “share” buttons, for instance, Facebook’s servers are being pinged and can access your stored cookies. That means Facebook now knows you frequent celebrity gossip sites or read news with a certain political bent. Ads can be tailored to that.

Here’s how Safari is getting tougher in dealing with that.

NO MORE GRACE PERIOD

Safari used to wait 24 hours from your last visit to a service before blocking that service’s cookies on third-party sites. That effectively exempted Facebook, Google and other services that people visited daily. Now, Safari will either block the cookie automatically or prompt you for permission.

Apple says Safari will still be able to remember sign-in details and other preferences, though some websites have had to adjust their coding.

THWARTING FINGERPRINTING

Browsers typically reveal seemingly innocuous information about your device, such as the operating system used and fonts installed. Websites use this to make minor adjustments in formatting so that pages display properly.

Browsers have historically made a lot of information available, largely because it seemed harmless. Now it’s clear that all this data, taken together, can be used to uniquely identify you. Safari will now hide many of those specifics so that you will look no different from the rest.

It’s like a system that digitally blurs someone’s image, said Lance Cottrell, creator of the privacy service Anonymizer. “You can tell it’s a person and not a dog, but you can’t recognize a person’s face,” he said.

For instance, Safari will reveal only the fonts that ship with the machine, not any custom fonts installed.

MASKING WEB ADDRESSES

When visiting a website, the browser usually sends the web address for the page you were just on. This address can be quite detailed and reveal the specific product you were exploring at an e-commerce site, for instance.

Now, Safari will just pass on the main domain name for that site. So it would be just “Amazon.com” rather than the specific product page at Amazon.

CLOSING A LOOPHOLE

Some ad companies have sought to bypass restrictions on third-party cookies — that is, identifiers left by advertisers — by using a trick that routed them through a series of websites. That could make a third-party cookie look like it belonged to a site you’re visiting. Safari will now try to catch that.

The changes come Tuesday as part of the iOS 12 update for iPhones and iPads and a week later in the Mojave update for Mac computers.

Many of the safeguards will be limited to cookies that Apple deems to be trackers. That’s being done to reduce the likelihood of inadvertently blocking legitimate third-party cookies.

Apple has an entire section dedicated to helping you take great photos with your iPhones. Each video tutorial is under a minute.

Click here to go to the Apple Video Site.  

(Reuters) - Apple Inc (AAPL.O) on Friday said component failure in a limited number of MacBook Pros has caused built-in battery to expand, adding, it will offer worldwide free replacement for such batteries. 

Apple said the flaw, reported in some 13-inch Macbook Pros without touch bars, is not a safety issue. 

The affected units were manufactured between October 2016 and October 2017, Apple said on its support page, without giving the actual number of MacBooks affected. 

The iPhone maker previously came under scrutiny after it confirmed in December that software to deal with aging batteries in iPhone 6, iPhone 6s and iPhone SE models could slow down performance. The company later apologized and lowered the price of battery replacements for affected models to $29 from $79. 

Want a new Apple device but don't want to shell out for a full-priced version? Consider a refurbished model instead.

Read the complete article here. How to shop at the Apple Certified Refurbished store online and save money 

It only takes a minute or two to set up.

If you aren’t using two-factor authentication to protect your Apple ID and iCloud account, you really should do it today. Hackers who claim to have millions of stolen iCloud credentials are demanding Apple pay a ransom or they’ll release them—and ZDNet obtained a sample set of credentials and determined they’re real.

But guess what? Using two-factor authentication should protect you completely. It’s easy to set up, so take a minute and do it now.

You used to be able to set up two-factor on the account settigs page at appleid.apple.com, but now this has to be done on a Mac or iOS device. (Apple ID users who don’t have a compatible device can still use an older two-step verification system—see below for more.)

iOS

Follow these steps on an iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch running iOS 9 or later. The iOS device must be protected with a passcode (Settings > Touch ID and Passcode).

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1. Launch the Settings app, and go to iCloud. Obviously you need to be signed in with the account you want to protect with two-factor authentication
2. Tap your Apple ID. It doesn’t really look like a button, but it is. Then tap Password & Security in the next menu.
3. Tap Turn on two-factor authentication. You’ll see an explanation screen, and tap Continue.
4. You may be asked to verify your identity by answering the security questions you set up when you created your Apple ID.
5. Next, enter a phone number where you can receive a text message or a phone call with a two-factor code. You can also specify if you want a text or a call. Then you’ll get that text message or call, and enter the six-digit verification code on the next screen.
6. That’s it! Two-factor is on, and this is your official Trusted Device. The next time you sign on to iCloud.com, or set up your iCloud account on a new device, you’ll have to first enter your username and password, and then be prompted to enter a code. That code will come in a pop-up on your trusted device, texted/phoned to the number you provided, or, you can come back to this screen and tap Get Verification Code.

Mac

Setting this up on a Mac is nearly the same steps as on an iOS device. The Mac must be running OS X 10.11, El Capitan.

IDG

1. Open System Preferences and select iCloud. Click the Account Details button, and sign in if prompted.
2. In the Security tab, click the button labeled Turn on two-factor authentication. Read the message and click Continue.
3. Verify your identity by answering your security questions.
4. Enter a phone number you can use to receive verification codes, and choose if you want to get text messages or calls.
5. Enter the code that’s sent you to right away to finish up.

IDG

What if my device is too old?

If your Mac isn’t running El Capitan, or your iOS device isn’t running iOS 9, you can still use two-step verification, which is slightly different than two-factor authentication, mostly because it relies on a text message being sent to a phone number, while the newer “authentication” is baked more seamlessly into the OSes. Plus, the older verification method requires you to hold onto a Recovery Key in case you ever lose your password.

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You can read more about the differences from Apple as well as from our own Glenn Fleishman.

Apple still provides a way to enable two-step verification, by following this link, signing in, and following the instructions.

Susie is an Apple-obsessed writer and editor, thrill seeker, and burrito enthusiast.

Another new wrinkle for Apple TV, is the ability for Siri to tune into live video streaming apps, and control third-party apps. Live tune-in with Siri is available now, while single sign-on and the TV app will arrive through a software update in December.

Update: Now that the feature has been officially revealed, Netflix confirmed last night's rumor that it won't be included. According to a spokesperson that it is "evaluating the opportunity, so this could change in the future, but for now it looks like you won't find Stranger Things, Luke Cage or the new season of Black Mirror in Apple's refashioned TV guide.

Key Features Within the TV App Include:

• Watch Now: Watch Now is where viewers will see their collection of available shows and movies from iTunes® and apps. From Watch Now, viewers can then go to Up Next or Recommended to choose what to watch.

• Up Next: Users can enjoy the shows and movies they are currently watching, including recent iTunes rentals and purchases — all presented in the order they are most likely to watch first. For example, when viewers finish an episode, the next one will automatically appear at the start of the Up Next queue, as will any new episodes as they become available. At any time, users can simply ask Siri to continue watching a show and immediately pick up where they left off.

• Recommended: Viewers can explore a great selection of curated and trending shows and movies, including collections handpicked by Apple's curators, and dedicated categories and genres such as kids, sci-fi and comedy.

• Library: Viewers can access their entire collection of iTunes movies and TV shows that they have rented or purchased on iTunes.

• Store: If users are looking for something new, they can check out the Store to discover great new content across video services that they have not yet downloaded or are not yet subscribed to, along with the latest releases on iTunes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOtTfwHFvYE

Want to have the Macswest calendar appear in your iCal calendar? Do the following.

Open iCal on your Mac, Click on Calendar then Subscribe. A window will open, copy and paste the following URL then click Subscribe. That’s all there is to it.

    http://www.google.com/calendar/ical/macswestscw%40gmail.com/public/basic.ics