MacRumors

Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming macOS Big Sur 11.4 update to developers for testing purposes, with the new beta coming while the macOS 11.3 beta is still in testing.

Developers can download the ‌‌‌macOS Big Sur‌‌‌ 11.4 beta using the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences after installing the proper profile from the Apple Developer Center.

According to Apple's developer release notes, the macOS Big Sur 11.4 update adds Intel Mac support for AMD's 6000-Series Navi GPUs. It is not yet clear if there are also other outward-facing features included.

Apple has seeded the release candidate version of macOS Big Sur 11.3, and the update will likely see a launch next week alongside iOS 14.5, tvOS 14.5, and watchOS 7.4.

U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, who is spearheading an antitrust hearing on competition in App Stores, today called Apple's AirTags release "timely" because it is the type of conduct that she plans to examine, reports Reuters.

"It's timely given that this is the type of conduct that we'll be talking about at the hearing," she said, while also mentioning that criticisms of the App Store and Play Store have not received enough attention.

The "Antitrust Applied: Examining Competition in App Stores" hearing takes place today to examine App Stores and mobile competition. Executives from Apple, Google, Tile, Spotify, and Match Group will be participating. Apple initially did not plan to send anyone to attend, but agreed to provide Chief Compliance Officer Kyle Andeer after senators complained.

Tile General Counsel Kirsten Daru will also be attending, and yesterday, Tile said that it intends to bring up the AirTags launch. Tile CEO CJ Prober said that the company is "skeptical" about Apple's aims with AirTags, given its "history of using platform advantage to unfairly limit competition."

We welcome competition, as long as it is fair competition. Unfortunately, given Apple's well-documented history of using its platform advantage to unfairly limit competition for its products, we're skeptical. And given our prior history with Apple, we think it is entirely appropriate for Congress to take a closer look at Apple's business practices specific to its entry into this category. We welcome the opportunity to discuss these issues further in front of Congress tomorrow.

Tile has known about Apple's work on the AirTag for some time now and has brought it up in prior legal proceedings as it is unhappy to have Apple as competition in the item tracking space. To avoid antitrust complaints, Apple waited to launch AirTags until it had already debuted the Find My Network accessory program, which allows third-party Bluetooth devices like item trackers to integrate into the ‌Find My‌ app alongside AirTags.

The ‌Find My‌ network is open to Tile, but it does require item trackers to work exclusively with ‌Find My‌, and Tile already has an established item tracking app and its own network that uses smartphones for crowdsourced tracking purposes.

Apple in a statement said that it has worked to build a platform that enables third-party developers to thrive.

"We have always embraced competition as the best way to drive great experiences for our customers, and we have worked hard to build a platform in iOS that enables third-party developers to thrive," Apple said in a statement.

Other companies that have long had competitive issues with ‌App Store‌, such as Spotify and Match will participate, and will complain about the restrictive rules employed by Apple and Google and the ‌App Store‌ fees.

With the ‌App Store‌ competition hearing kicking off today, Fight for the Future launched an "Abolish the App Store" initiative that calls on people to sign a petition to demand that Congress "end the ‌App Store‌ monopoly."

Fight the Future believes that iOS should work like other "general purpose" computing systems, giving users the freedom to install software directly onto their devices without Apple's permission.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

In addition to making AppleCare+ available for the Apple TV for the first time, Apple is now allowing AppleCare+ coverage for Macs to be extended indefinitely in the United States, according to an updated support document.

After paying upfront for an AppleCare+ plan for a Mac, the initial coverage period remains three years, but customers now have the option to purchase additional coverage that automatically renews annually until canceled. The new coverage must be purchased within 30 days of the end date of the original coverage, according to Apple.

Previously, there was no way to extend AppleCare+ coverage for a Mac once the initial three-year coverage window elapsed.

AppleCare+ for Mac provides up to two incidents of accidental damage protection every 12 months, each subject to a service fee of $99 for screen damage or external enclosure damage, or $299 for other damage. Customers with an active AppleCare+ plan also have 24/7 priority access to Apple's technical support representatives by online chat or phone.

AppleCare+ coverage for Mac remains capped at three years outside of the United States.

(Thanks, Elijah!)

Apple today continued on with its "Behind the Mac" advertising campaign, sharing two new videos in the series. The first new Behind the Mac spot features musical artist FINNEAS, who is Billie Eilish's brother.

The video walks through his creative process using the Mac to develop music, and he calls the Mac "the last instrument" that he learned.

Apple's second Behind the Mac video focuses on students who are reading their college acceptance letters on their Macs and getting excited. "Celebrating college acceptance season and all those students starting their next chapter behind the Mac," reads the video's description.

Apple kicked off the "Behind the Mac" video series in August of 2018, and has been sharing various videos demonstrating the ways people use their Macs since then.

While higher-end configurations of Apple's new iMac will ship with the new Magic Keyboard with Touch ID in the box at no additional charge, the Touch ID keyboard is a $50 upgrade option for the new base model.

Apple is also offering an extended version of the Magic Keyboard with both Touch ID and a numeric keypad, which will be available as an $80 upgrade option for the base model iMac and a $30 upgrade option for higher-end configurations. Apple is not offering an extended version of the Magic Keyboard without Touch ID at this time.

MacRumors confirmed with Apple that the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID is fully compatible with all M1 Macs, including the new iMac, 13-inch MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and Mac mini. If used with Intel-based Macs or other Bluetooth devices, the keyboard will still function, but Touch ID will not work. However, the new Magic Keyboard options will only be available with the new iMac and not sold separately, at least initially.

Customers will be able to choose which type of Magic Keyboard they would like when customizing the new iMac on Apple's online store.

Apple is bringing Apple Music editorial content into Apple News as a way to offer readers even more content about the artists, songs, and more that they love.

Apple has started a new Apple Music channel within Apple News, as first spotted by MacStories, that currently has a limited selection of articles, but seems to be frequently posting. Based on the current posts, Apple plans to publish different interviews with artists about their upcoming or newly released albums and songs and provide insight into the music industry.

As of now, the integration between ‌Apple News‌ and ‌Apple Music‌ is rather limited, in the sense that finding content requires a user to search, and find the ‌Apple Music‌ channel within ‌Apple News‌ manually. In the future, Apple may more tightly integrate the two services to make it easier for subscribers, and non-subscribers to access ‌Apple Music‌ editorial content.

Apple yesterday unveiled a new 12.9-inch iPad Pro with a Liquid Retina XDR display that uses mini-LED backlighting to achieve up to 1,000 nits of full-screen brightness and up to 1,600 nits of peak brightness. With over 10,000 mini‑LEDs grouped into more than 2,500 local dimming zones, the display also has an impressive 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio.

Apple has so far branded its mini-LED displays as "XDR" displays, short for "Extreme Dynamic Range," and rumors suggest the iPad Pro won't be the only Apple device to feature the technology this year.

Taiwanese research firm TrendForce today reported that Apple plans to launch new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with mini-LED displays in the second half of 2021, in line with previous reports. The notebooks are expected to be powered by an Apple silicon chip and feature a new design with the return of an SD card slot and HDMI port.

There is a lot of anticipation for the new high-end MacBook Pro models, as Apple will likely equip the notebooks with an improved iteration of its M1 chip, perhaps with M1X branding or something along those lines. Reputable sources like Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and analyst Ming-Chi Kuo have also claimed that the Touch Bar will be replaced with physical function keys, and that a MagSafe magnetic power cable will return.

As of this week, Apple has updated four Mac models with Apple silicon, including the iMac, 13-inch MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and Mac mini. Apple previously said that its transition away from Intel processors would be completed by around WWDC 2022.

Apple yesterday announced a completely redesigned 24-inch iMac with the M1 Apple silicon chip. The new iMac, the first major redesign of the Mac desktop computer since 2012, has several changes compared to the previous generation.

In the aftermath of the event, a few new features and tidbits may have slipped under the radar, so we’ve compiled this list of some of the less-talked-about features and changes of the new 24-inch ‌iMac‌.

First Mac with Built-In Spatial Audio

The 24-inch ‌iMac‌ is the first Mac to feature built-in Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos. This is enabled by six brand new high-fidelity speakers that work in junction with force-canceling woofers. Apple says in tandem, the new speakers and woofers create "the best speakers in any Mac." Spatial Audio is available on compatible iPhone and iPad devices with Dolby Atmos content, and now it's coming to the Mac for the first time.

First iMac with WiFi 6

The ‌M1‌ Apple silicon MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and Mac mini released in November were the first Macs to support the new and faster WiFi 6 protocol. With ‌M1‌ now on the ‌iMac‌, the 24-inch ‌iMac‌ becomes the first Mac desktop computer to support WiFi 6.

Headphone Jack on The Side

The new 24-inch ‌iMac‌ features a radically thinner design compared to the previous generation. While visually pleasing, this new design did present a challenge for where to place the 3.5mm headphone jack. Typically, the headphone jack would be placed on the back of the ‌iMac‌, but with the new 24-inch model, the jack is placed on the left side.

Ethernet Port on Power Adapter

Another problem the new thin design of the ‌iMac‌ presented was where to place the Ethernet port. Apple's solution to the dilemma is to place the Ethernet port directly into the power adapter. Apple says this new "cool new innovation" means users can keep their desks less cluttered, while still enjoying the benefits of Ethernet.

No SD Card Slot

Previous generation ‌iMac‌ models featured an SD card slot reader on the rear. The new design of the 24-inch ‌iMac‌ made this a challenge. In theory, Apple could have easily placed the SD card reader on the side, like the headphone jack, but instead, it instead decided to remove it entirely.

Of course, these are just a few of the many new features coming with the 24-inch ‌iMac‌. You can learn more about the new ‌iMac‌ and everything else Apple announced at its "Spring Loaded" event using our roundup.

The redesigned iMac with the M1 chip is available in three different base configurations that users can upgrade with Build-to-Order options for their specific needs. The new 24-inch ‌iMac‌ starts at $1,299, but it can reach $2,628 through Build-to-Order options.

There are three standard configuration 24-inch ‌iMac‌ models available from Apple:

• $1,299 - Apple ‌M1‌ chip with 8-Core CPU and 7-Core GPU, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, two Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports, and Magic Keyboard.
• $1,499 - Apple ‌M1‌ chip with 8-Core CPU and 8-Core GPU, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, two Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports and two USB 3 ports, gigabit Ethernet, and Magic Keyboard with Touch ID.
• $1,699 - Apple ‌M1‌ chip with 8-Core CPU and 8-Core GPU, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD, two Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports and two USB 3 ports, gigabit Ethernet, and Magic Keyboard with ‌Touch ID‌.

Build to Order Options

Entry-level 24-inch iMac with 256GB of storage:

• 16GB RAM - +$200
• 512GB SSD - +$200
• 1TB SSD - +$400
• Gigabit Ethernet - +$30

Mid-level 24-inch iMac with 256GB of storage:

• 16GB RAM - +$200
• 512GB SSD - +$200
• 1TB SSD - +$400
• 2TB SSD - +$800

High-end 24-inch iMac with 512GB of storage:

• 16GB RAM - +$200
• 1TB SSD - +$200
• 2TB SSD - +$600

Color-Matched Accessory Options

All ‌M1‌ ‌iMac‌ configurations come with a color-matched Magic Mouse as standard, but users can opt to upgrade to the Magic Trackpad, or purchase both the Magic Mouse and the Magic Trackpad together.

• Magic Trackpad - +$50
• Magic Mouse + Magic Trackpad - +$129

Apple also notes that it is possible to upgrade from the standard Magic Keyboard with the entry-level ‌iMac‌ to the Magic Keyboard with ‌Touch ID‌ for an additional $50. All base configurations will also offer the option of upgrading to the Magic Keyboard with ‌Touch ID‌ and Numeric Keypad from the Magic Keyboard with ‌Touch ID‌ for an additional $30.

The ‌M1‌ ‌iMac‌ will be available to pre-order on Friday, April 30, and will begin arriving to customers in the second half of May.

Despite only being released in November, sales of the M1-powered MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and Mac mini now represent the majority of Mac sales, outperforming Mac computers powered by Intel processors, according to Apple CEO Tim Cook.

Cook made the remarks during Apple's "Spring Loaded" event yesterday, where it introduced a completely redesigned 24-inch iMac powered by the M1 Apple silicon chip. Cook says that the ‌M1‌ and Apple silicon "isn't just an upgrade, but a breakthrough," while touting Mac's industry-leading customer satisfaction.

Apple announced at WWDC 2020 that it would embark on a two-year-long transition to its own silicon for its entire Mac lineup, breaking away from Intel. With the launch of the first Apple silicon-powered iMac yesterday, Apple now sells four Mac computers powered by Apple silicon. Alongside them, Apple continues to sell a 16 and 13-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌, 21.5-and 27-inch ‌iMac‌, and the high-end Mac Pro, all with Intel processors.

According to Cook, the four M1-powered Macs now outperform the five remaining Intel-powered computers in its lineup in terms of sales. During the keynote, Cook's comment went largely unnoticed but is likely to be a key point the CEO makes during Apple's upcoming earnings call, which is being held on April 28.

Apple on Tuesday seeded the release candidate of an upcoming watchOS 7.4 update to developers for testing purposes, and in the process revealed that the Apple Watch ECG feature is coming to additional countries very soon.

Along with iOS 14.5 and iPadOS 14.5, the official public version of watchOS 7.4 is set to be released next week, and Apple Watch users who install it in Australia and Vietnam can expect the built-in ECG function to come online as a result, as per the release notes.

ECG is considered a medical diagnostic, and so it requires approval from regulators in each country where Apple wants to make it made available, a requirement that has slowed the rollout of features.

According to regulatory documents, the Australian government approved ECG functionality on the Apple Watch in early March, giving Apple the all-clear to launch the feature for Apple Watch users in the country.

The ECG app, which is now available in 63 countries for Apple Watch Series 4, 5, and 6, allows users to directly measure electrical heart activity by simply placing their finger on the Digital Crown for 30 seconds.

Alongside iOS 14.5, watchOS 7.4 additionally introduces a new "Unlock with Apple Watch" feature that lets an ‌iPhone‌ with Face ID use an unlocked and authenticated Apple Watch as a secondary authentication measure when you're wearing a mask, alleviating the need to enter a passcode to unlock the ‌iPhone‌.

For those who use Apple Fitness+, the watchOS 7.4 update combined with iOS 14.5 and iPadOS 14.5 enables AirPlay 2 for Apple Fitness+, so workouts can be streamed to an ‌‌AirPlay‌‌ 2-enabled TV or set-top box.

Apple's AirTag item trackers can be custom-engraved using text, numbers, and even emoji, but users looking to express some college humor will likely need to look elsewhere, because Apple's online AirTag personalization tool is easily offended.

An ‌AirTag‌ is just big enough to fit up to four characters or up to three emoji. That might seem just enough to get dubiously creative with your diction, but as The Verge points out, Apple puts pretty strict limitations on what you can emblematize on an ‌AirTag‌.

For instance, a Pile of Poo emoji can't come after a Horse Face emoji, but other animal-poo combinations are fair game. Similar limitations apply to potentially offensive words spelt out with text, although some customers will surely find their own ways around the system.

This isn't the first time Apple has clipped the wings of would-be comedians and toilet humorists – many of the same emoji restrictions are present on AirPods and iPad engravings, for example. However, the ability to engrave several, more affordable AirTags is likely to introduce more people to Apple's guarded funny side.

AirTags‌‌‌ start at $29 each or $99 for a four-pack. Online orders open this Friday, April 23, with ‌‌‌AirTags‌‌‌ shipping April 30. Engraving is free.

As Apple held its "Spring Loaded" event where it unveiled brand new iPad Pros, a redesigned iMac, and the long-awaited release of AirTags, one of its main MacBook suppliers was undergoing a ransomware attack worth $50 million.

As reported by Bloomberg, the ransomware group called REvil, publicly declared early on Tuesday that it had accessed the internal computers of Apple supplier Quanta Computer Inc, based in Taiwan. Through the attack, REvil managed to obtain 15 images/schematics of unreleased MacBooks which include "specific component serial numbers, sizes and capacities detailing the many working parts inside" of a MacBook, per documents and blog posts seen by Bloomberg.

While Quanta Computer, the supplier at the center of attacks, works with HP, Facebook, and other tech companies, the ransomware group is specifically targeting Apple. In its blog, the group is demanding that Apple pay an undisclosed ransom for the images/schematics they obtained via the supplier by May 1.

REvil is now attempting to shake-down Apple in its effort to profit off the stolen data. They've asked Apple to pay their ransom by May 1, as was first reported by Bleeping Computer. Until then, the hackers will continue to post new files every day, REvil said on its blog.

An Apple spokesperson declined to comment. However, Quanta Computer acknowledged the attack and said that it had no "material impact" on its business operations.

Quanta Computer’s information security team has worked with external IT experts in response to cyber attacks on a small number of Quanta servers,” the company said in a statement. “We've reported to and kept seamless communications with the relevant law enforcement and data protection authorities concerning recent abnormal activities observed. There's no material impact on the company’s business operation.

As a response to the ordeal, the supplier is bolstering its cybersecurity infrastructure. Ultimately, REvil, in a chat with Quanta during negotiations for the attack, said it had stolen and encrypted "all local network data" and that it will not give it up until the $50 million ransom is paid.

Apple famously takes the secrecy of unreleased products extremely seriously, and it's still not known how much confidential data the ransom group has obtained, and whether Apple will pay the ransom.

During all the announcements and store updates on Tuesday, Apple quietly reduced the price of optional nano-texture glass on its 27-inch iMac models by $200.

Apple's existing 27-inch ‌iMac‌ range comes with an optional nano-texture glass, which is etched at the nanometer level to cut down on reflectivity and glare for a matte look.

The nano-texture glass was originally available on the 27-inch ‌iMac‌ as a $500 upgrade option, but Apple is now offering it at $300, as spotted by Twitter user Antares. The nano-texture option on Apple's Pro Display XDR remains a cool $1,000.

Apple on Tuesday announced a new, redesigned 24-inch ‌iMac‌, featuring an M1 chip, a 4.5K display, and a range of color options, as well as an improved cooling system, front-facing camera, speaker system, microphones, power connector, and peripherals.

The new 24-inch ‌‌iMac‌‌ comes in green, pink, purple, blue, and silver, with the yellow and orange color options being exclusive to the 8-core model. Orders for the new 24-inch ‌iMac‌ begin on April 30, with devices arriving in the second half of May.

We're still waiting for rumors of a new high-end ‌iMac‌ to come to fruition. When Apple's supplies of ‌iMac‌ Pro run out, it will no longer be available whatsoever, but Apple still recommends the 27-inch ‌iMac‌, released in August, as an alternative for pro customers.

Apple's AirTag item trackers let you track things like your keys, wallet, purse, backpack, or luggage, and if an AirTag is separated from its owner and out of Bluetooth range, the Find My network can help track it down, thanks to its U1 Wideband chip.

According to Apple, an ‌AirTag‌ that isn't with the person who registered it for an extended period of time will also play a sound when moved, to alert anyone nearby so that it can be found, even without an iOS device.

Apple's documentation doesn't elaborate on what constitutes "an extended period of time," so Daring Fireball's John Gruber asked his sources at Apple for a more exact definition. They informed him that the timeout period is currently three days, but hinted that this could change in future:

I talked to folks from Apple today about some of this. The timeout period for when an AirTag will play a sound if separated from its owner is currently three days — but that's not baked into the AirTags themselves. It's a server-side setting in the Find My network, so Apple can adjust it if real-world use suggests that three days is too long or too short.

If someone finds an ‌AirTag‌ after hearing it make a sound, they can use any device that has NFC, such as an iPhone or Android phone, to see if its owner marked it as lost and help return it.

AirTags‌‌ start at $29 each or $99 for a four-pack. Online orders open this Friday, April 23, with ‌‌AirTags‌‌ shipping April 30.