MacRumors

Following the overnight Siri leak and subsequent announcement that Apple will hold a media event on Tuesday, April 20, a new Twitter hashflag has appeared to help provide visibility for the event on the platform.

For the last several recent events, Apple has utilized hashflags, which are little icons next to hashtags on Twitter, as a way to market its events. The company first started the tradition with "#AppleEvent" during the September iPad Air and Apple Watch event and has maintained it since.

For its upcoming event on April 20, the hashflag mimics the colorful event logo used on Apple's invitations and other promotional materials for next week's event.

Bloomberg has reported that Apple plans to showcase a new high-end 12.9-inch iPad Pro with a mini-LED display, performance that is on-par with the M1 Apple silicon, and improved support for accessories such as external monitors. Apple is also rumored to be launching its long-awaited AirTags tracker, which could see its debut at the event.

Prior to its upcoming bench trial with Epic Games, Apple filed hundreds of pages of documents covering findings of fact, which include some interesting and previously unknown tidbits about ‌Epic Games‌.

‌Epic Games‌ planned its rebellion against Apple for at least two years ahead of when it opted to brazenly violate Apple's App Store rules, with Apple's ‌App Store‌ fees at the heart of the dispute. Epic is of the opinion that it should not have to pay Apple a 30 percent cut to distribute apps on iOS devices, but court filings show that Epic itself used to charge much higher fees.

Back in the 1990s, when Epic initially agreed to distribute games from other developers, it collected a 60 percent commission. According to Apple's documents, Epic CEO Tim Sweeney said at the time that the 60 percent fee Epic collected was a "fairly favorable royalty," as most distributors at that time charged 70 percent commissions.

Prior to when digital distribution platforms like the ‌App Store‌ existed, Sweeney commented that it was "so daunting" trying to sell games through brick and mortar locations.

"See, you put a huge amount of effort into developing a program. If you have to release it, then that's basically doubling the effort, because of all the polish and documentation that's needed. And unless you're going to make serious money from that, then it's not worth it."

According to Apple, the ‌App Store‌ "upended the status quo" and introduced a "frictionless marketing, distribution, and transaction system" for both developers and users. Apple claimed that its model revolutionized payment for developers, who kept a 70 percent cut from the ‌App Store‌ instead of having to pay 70 percent to a distributor for typical retail sales.

In its filing, Apple pointed to Epic's own high fees that it charged are evidence that deals negotiated prior to the ‌App Store‌ were much inferior to the 30 percent cut that it takes, while also informing the court about the reduced 15 percent fee that small developers are now eligible for.

Though Epic CEO Tim Sweeney has spent a lot of time maligning Apple on Twitter, he is a fan of Apple's privacy practices. According to Apple's court filing, Sweeney said that he "found Apple's approach to privacy superior to Google's approach to customer privacy and customer data," and that Apple does a "great job."

Apple claims that Epic's lawsuit could have a direct impact on the security and privacy of the iPhone as customer privacy is one of the reasons that Apple wants to oversee apps that are allowed on iOS devices. Apple is planning to soon implement App Tracking Transparency rules that will limit the data that developers can collect from users. If alternate app stores were made possible, there would be no rules on the information that could be sourced from iPhone users.

Apple believes sideloading iOS apps would create "unacceptable vulnerabilities" that would risk exposing customers to viruses and malware. Epic at one point apparently considered disregarding Apple's Enterprise certificate policies to get apps on devices without the ‌App Store‌, but Epic's own engineers had previously expressed concerns about sideloading apps on Android devices.

There was a series of leaks in the binaries for the Fortnite installer after Epic launched it on Android devices via sideloading in August 2018, which led to malware and fraud. And as a programmer noted on another occasion, '[o]verall a bit worried about the security aspect of this all, a lot of malware already doing the rounds impersonating the Fortnite app.'

The court filings feature some clear indications why ‌Epic Games‌ wants lowered ‌App Store‌ fees - it's not making money from the ‌Epic Games‌ Store. Epic lost around $181 million in 2019, and was projected to lose $273 million in 2020. Epic committed $444 million in minimum guarantees to developers, but made only $401 million. Epic said that it will lose around $139 million in 2021, but Sweeney has said that it's an investment into growing the business.

Apple claims that Epic is funding the ‌Epic Games‌ Store through other parts of its business, such as Fortnite, which are more profitable.

There are plenty more details about how ‌Epic Games‌ planned its attack on Apple and Google, which can be found in the court filing embedded below. We're also sure to hear additional information when the two companies meet in court on May 3.

Apple CEO Tim Cook and several other Apple executives will testify, as will ‌Epic Games‌ CEO Tim Sweeney and executives from Facebook and Microsoft. Former Apple executive Scott Forstall will also be called as a witness by Epic.

Last week, Apple announced the launch of its Find My network accessory program, allowing compatible third-party accessories to be tracked in the ‌Find My‌ app right alongside Apple devices. The first products that work with the Find My app will include the new Chipolo item tracker, new Belkin earbuds, and two electric bikes from VanMoof.

Given that VanMoof is based in the Netherlands, Dutch website iCulture's editor-in-chief Gonny van der Zwaag was able to get some early hands-on time with the VanMoof S3 bike with Find My support. Van der Zwaag also had the opportunity to interview VanMoof's product design chief Job Stehmann about the company's collaboration with Apple.

Stehmann revealed that when Apple first announced its plans for the Find My network accessory program at WWDC 2020, a VanMoof engineer posted a message on an Apple developer forum, saying it was an interesting feature. Apple was apparently actively looking for partners to work with at the time, and the two companies soon started working together, with weekly meetings held remotely on Mondays.

VanMoof provided Apple with many prototypes of its bikes for evaluation, according to Stehmann. Given that VanMoof has an office in San Francisco, the company was able to deliver the bikes directly to Apple engineers' homes as necessary. Despite some hiccups in the development process, Stehmann said there was never too much pressure from Apple.

Stehmann said the Find My integration is purely a software feature, with no special chip inside the bike, adding that it took about nine months for Apple and VanMoof to tweak the software to be implemented properly.

All new VanMoof S3 and X3 e-bike models purchased after April 7 will be compatible with the Find My app on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac, allowing users to locate the bike on a map if it has gone missing. If you lose the bike and someone else with an ‌iPhone‌, iPad, or Mac comes close to it, the bike can communicate with their device, with the approximate location of the bike relayed securely and privately back to you.

• Everything You Need to Know About Apple's Find My Network Accessory Program

For those interested in purchasing a VanMoof bike, Van der Zwaag has shared some detailed hands-on impressions of the S3 model at iCulture.

Maxon is bringing its GPU-accelerated renderer Redshift to macOS, with support for Apple's line of M1 Macs and Apple's Metal Graphics API for speedy performance on Apple's machines.

Lunar Animation director James Rodgers says his company is seeing "crazy results" rendering with Redshift on a Mac Pro with Metal support. "A typical frame from the very effects heavy game cinematic we created for Mythic Legends, an action-packed strategy mobile game by Outfit7, previously took 26 minutes to render per frame," he said. "Now it's rendering in only 58 seconds!"

Redshift provides a wide range of features that include ray switches, flexible shading networks, motion blur, AOVs, deep output, and more. It is a biased renderer that allows artists to adjust each individual technique for the best performance and quality blend for production purposes.

Redshift is optimized for high-end performance on both Intel and ‌M1‌ Macs. Maxon says that Redshift for Intel-based Macs will be available this week, while Redshift for ‌M1‌ Macs will launch with the release of macOS Big Sur 11.3.

There's a curious bug in the Apple Maps app that's affecting Australians, which appears to be caused by a bad data set. Multiple complaints on Twitter suggest that ‌Apple Maps‌ is listing certain businesses incorrectly, directing Australians to residential areas rather than the actual business location.

‌Apple Maps‌ appears to be pulling in data from where business owners live, rather than where their businesses are located.

There are a long list of complaints on Twitter about the errors that Australians have experienced, with restaurants, hospitals, pharmacies, and more listed in the wrong place.

Twitter users John Cleary and Russell Ivanovic suggest that Apple has imported an Australian business database that lists the places that businesses are registered to, which is typically the business owner's home address.

The long list of Twitter complaints suggest that this problem has existed in Australia for quite some time, and at least one person confirmed that he had a business listed as located at his home address.

Some of the Twitter users have reported the errors, but Apple has yet to address the problem for Australians who are being misdirected.

Apple has had issues with the ‌Apple Maps‌ app in the past, but has worked hard to introduce improvements through acquisitions and its own mapping efforts with map vehicles. ‌Apple Maps‌ has gained multiple new features over the years like the street-level Look Around feature, but there are clearly still issues that need to be fixed.

With more and more car manufacturers starting to introduce support for wireless CarPlay, the convenience of having easy access to some of your iPhone's functionality in a dashboard-friendly interface without needing to deal with cables is becoming accessible to an increasing number of car buyers.

GM is one of those manufacturers that has started to embrace wireless ‌CarPlay‌, and I recently spent some time in a 2021 Buick Envision to check out how it fares and how it compares to the infotainment experience I tested a couple of years ago in a 2019 Buick Regal TourX.

Overall, the latest version of the Buick Infotainment System is quite similar to the previous generation, carrying over the same simple and clean design with round icons on the home screen and a dashboard view with widgets for audio, phone, and navigation functions all on one screen.

A strip along the bottom of the display while on any of the home screens or in the system's apps offers quick access to main functions like music, phone, navigation, and vehicle comfort controls, as well as the time and outdoor temperature. My Envision was also equipped with an ionizing air filter, and the status bar offers a glanceable air quality reading.

Something new on the infotainment system compared to the 2019 system I previously tested is a thin status bar at the top of the screen offering audio information like station, song name, and artist, along with a signal strength indicator for the vehicle's cellular connection.

The infotainment system's screen has a bit of a matte finish to help reduce glare and fingerprints, while a fairly significant dashboard overhang also helps minimize glare from potential direct sun exposure. The screen is also tilted toward the driver and back a bit under the overhang, another design choice that helps reduce the potential for glare.

In addition to the generously sized touchscreen, the Envision includes three hard controls to the left of the display within convenient reach of the driver: a power button that doubles as a volume knob, a home button for quickly jumping out of an app, and a select button that doubles as a scroll knob which can be used to navigate the system's interface, even in ‌CarPlay‌.

Speaking of ‌CarPlay‌, setup is incredibly simple as it on most vehicles, involving just a few steps to pair the phone via Bluetooth and then grant appropriate permissions for ‌CarPlay‌.

As I noted in my previous look at the 2019 model, I found the colors in ‌CarPlay‌ in particular on the 2021 Envision to look a little washed out. It's not bad, but definitely noticeable compared to other systems I've used.

The system is responsive in both native and ‌CarPlay‌ modes, and the 10-inch display offers plenty of room for the ‌CarPlay‌ interface without any elements feeling cramped.

While in ‌CarPlay‌ mode, the top status bar from the native infotainment system remains visible, which is a nice improvement over earlier versions where ‌CarPlay‌ took over the entire screen. Having song and artist information from SiriusXM, for example, conveniently visible even while in ‌CarPlay‌ is handy, although I wish the status bar had a bit more polished look and was a bit bigger to include more information or some icons to easily jump to other infotainment functions.

As with many other vehicles, audio information can also optionally be viewed in the center digital portion of the instrument cluster, although that means you won't be able to see other available screen options in that space.

As I've noted before, one of the key features to pair with wireless ‌CarPlay‌ is wireless phone charging, as that combination makes it super easy to stay connected even on longer trips where you don't want to run your battery down. Unfortunately, my test Envision in the Essence trim did not come equipped with a wireless charger. The feature is standard on the top-end Avenir trim, but isn't available even as an option or part of a package on the entry-level Preferred and mid-level Essence trims.

There's a convenient cubby at the front of the center console that's just about the perfect size for my iPhone 12 Pro Max, and that's where the wireless charger would be located on the Avenir trim. It's a shame that you have to move all the way up to the top trim in order to get the wireless charging, so hopefully that's something GM reconsiders in future model years.

When it comes to wired connectivity, the Envision includes a variety of options, including one USB-C port and one USB-A port up front at the base of the center stack for maximum compatibility. There are also USB-C and USB-A ports on the rear of the console for rear passengers, although these are charge-only ports that don't offer data connectivity to the infotainment system.

Overall, I like the infotainment and ‌CarPlay‌ experience in the 2021 Buick Envision. Wireless ‌CarPlay‌ connectivity is super convenient and I'm glad to see it becoming more and more common. The large 10-inch screen makes everything easy to see and interact with, although I do wish it was a bit easier to see information from both ‌CarPlay‌ and the Buick system simultaneously, whether it be through a split-screen widescreen format or more screen real estate devoted to the native infotainment system while in ‌CarPlay‌ such as a fatter top status bar or a persistent dock strip along the bottom.

The Buick Infotainment System itself is easy to use with a relatively clean look that's heavy on black backgrounds and a few bits of bright color scattered around to help make the system very glanceable.

As I mentioned, it's a shame that wireless phone charging is limited to the top-end Avenir trim on the Envision, as that's a feature I think many users would consider taking advantage of regardless of trim, presuming it was reasonably priced. The rapid shift to wireless ‌CarPlay‌ and Android Auto will only increase customer interest in wireless charging due to the convenience of combining those two features.

Apple today seeded the eighth beta of an upcoming macOS Big Sur 11.3 update to developers for testing purposes, with the new beta coming one week after the launch of the seventh beta and more than two months after the release of macOS Big Sur 11.2, a bug fix update.

Developers can download the ‌‌macOS Big Sur‌‌ 11.3 beta using the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences after installing the proper profile from the Apple Developer Center.

macOS Big Sur 11.3 introduces more customization options for Safari, adding a way to rearrange the different sections on the Start Page like Favorites, Reading List, Siri Suggestions, Privacy Report, and more. Developers also have access to a new integration to develop features for the Start Page.

The update includes optimizations for using iOS apps on M1 Macs. When running iPhone and iPad apps on ‌M1‌ Macs, there's a Touch Alternatives preference pane that allows users to set keyboard commands for touch input alternatives, plus iPadOS apps launch with a larger window if the Mac's display allows it. Touch Alternatives can be enabled for iPhone or ‌iPad‌ apps by clicking on the app's name in the menu bar and then selecting the Preferences option. Touch Alternatives let you customize taps, swipes, and drags.

Apple has added a "Controller Emulation" feature that can be enabled for iPhone and ‌iPad‌ apps to map game controller buttons to keyboard keys and mouse buttons. Controller Emulation will allow ‌iPhone‌ and ‌‌iPad‌‌ games that have controller support built in to be accurately controlled with a keyboard and/or mouse when those games are played on an ‌‌M1‌‌ Mac.

In the Reminders app, reminder lists can be sorted by Due Date, Creation Date, Priority, or Title, and there is an option to print lists by going to File > Print. Reminders can also be moved manually across lists with drag and drop, something that wasn't possible before.

Apple is adding a new "Made For You" library shortcut in Apple Music for finding personal mixes and Replay playlists, and the Listen Now section has been updated with support for highlighting live events.

The ‌Apple Music‌ app includes a new autoplay option that allows the streaming service to continue to play music after a playlist or music queue ends. ‌Apple Music‌ sources music similar to what's in a person's ‌Apple Music‌ library, similar to the autoplay feature added in iOS 14.

With this feature enabled, ‌Apple Music‌ audio will not end even after a playlist or album is over. To check that it's on, play a playlist or album and then click on the three dot/line menu button in the upper right hand corner. From there, make sure the infinity symbol is toggled on.

In the Apple News app, there's a redesigned ‌Apple News‌+ tab with a dedicated "For You" section and a new Browse tab that makes it easier to browse through available content. The new For You section is designed to help ‌Apple News‌+ users find favorite magazines and newspapers much faster, plus it adds new tools for managing downloaded issues.

macOS Big Sur 11.3 adds support for the latest PlayStation 5 DualSense and Xbox Series X/S controllers for use with macOS games, and there's an updated "Support" interface when accessing "About This Mac." The new design includes details on your warranty and it allows for starting a repair right from the Mac interface.

The tab works similarly to the AppleCare coverage menu in the iOS Settings app, which lets users request repairs, buy an ‌AppleCare‌ plan, and check their coverage.

For HomePod users, macOS Big Sur 11.3 brings support for ‌HomePod‌ Stereo pairs, allowing a set of paired HomePods to be set as the default sound output option, with the two HomePods showing up as a single selectable speaker rather than separate as in prior versions of macOS.

Code in macOS Big Sur 11.3 suggests that the Optimized Battery Charging feature will now make sure the Mac's battery is fully charged before a scheduled calendar event. The Mac will charge to 100 percent three hours before a calendar event's start time.

Optimized Battery Charging is designed to preserve the lifespan of the Mac's battery by limiting the amount of time that a Mac sits at 100 percent battery.

In Safari, there's support for WebM video playback, allowing users to play WebM videos using Apple's browser. WebM is a niche video format designed to be a royalty-free alternative to the H.264 codec used in the MP4 format. WebM allows video files to remain small without sacrificing quality and can be played with little processing power, making it ideal for webpages and browsers.

There are also appear to be new assets that suggest a feature for mapping game controller buttons to keyboard layouts, and there's a Game Center toggle to enable or disable connections with friends, which lets games set you up with your friends or prevents apps from accessing that info.

More on macOS Big Sur can be found in our macOS Big Sur roundup.

Apple today seeded the eighth betas of upcoming iOS 14.5 and iPadOS 14.5 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the new beta updates coming one week after Apple released the seventh iOS and iPadOS 14.5 betas.

iOS and iPadOS 14.5 can be downloaded through the Apple Developer Center or over the air after the proper profile has been installed on an iPhone or iPad.

iOS 14.5 is the biggest update to iOS 14 to date, introducing several significant new features. First and foremost, Apple is making it easier to unlock an iPhone when you're wearing a face mask with a new "Unlock with Apple Watch" feature.

This opt-in option lets you use an unlocked and authenticated Apple Watch as a secondary authentication method to unlock an iPhone alongside Face ID. With this feature, you no longer have to enter a passcode or remove your mask to unlock your iPhone. Both an iPhone running iOS 14.5 and an Apple Watch are required to use this, and the Apple Watch cannot authenticate Apple Pay purchases, App Store purchases, or unlock third-party apps that use ‌Face ID‌.

The update also brings worldwide support for 5G in Dual-SIM mode on iPhone 12 models, so if you use multiple lines, both can now connect at 5G speeds. Prior to now, Dual-SIM mode was limited to LTE networks.

With watchOS 7.4, iOS and iPadOS 14.5 include AirPlay 2 support for Apple Fitness+, so Apple Fitness+ subscribers can start a workout on an iPhone or iPAd and then AirPlay it to a compatible smart TV or set-top box. ‌AirPlay‌ 2 supports audio and video, but it does not display on-screen workout metrics.

PlayStation 5 DualSense and Xbox Series X controllers are supported on the iPhone and the ‌iPad‌ with iOS 14.5, and code suggests that Apple is going to add joint account support for the Apple Card in the near future.

iOS 14.5 includes a Waze-like crowdsourcing feature for reporting accidents, hazards, and speed checks along a route in Maps when getting directions.

There's a new "Report" button available in the Apple Maps app that lets you tap to report an accident, hazard, or speed trap at your location in the ‌Apple Maps‌ app, which is a feature that mapping app Waze offers. This is available directly on the iPhone and in CarPlay.

There are several new emoji characters in the iOS 14.5 beta, with Apple introducing heart on fire, mending heart, exhaling face, face with spiral eyes, face in clouds, along with different gender options for people with beards. There are also new couple emojis that have new skin tone mixes.

Apple removed the blood from the syringe emoji, updated the Headphone emoji to look like the AirPods Max rather than a generic set of headphones, and added a helmet to the rock climbing emoji.

In the Find My app, there's a new "Items" tab that's been added, which will work with non-Apple products like Beats headphones and Belkin's wireless earbuds that have been designed to integrate with the ‌Find My‌ app. Anything item tracking function that uses Apple's ‌Find My‌ API will be shown here right alongside your Apple devices, and the Items tab will also work with AirTags when those are finally released.

The iOS 14.5 beta addresses the green tint issue that some iPhone owners have been experiencing, with Apple confirming that the beta has "optimizations" to help with the issue.

"iOS and iPadOS 14.5 beta 2 includes an optimization to reduce the appearance of a dim glow that might appear at reduced brightness levels with black backgrounds," reads Apple's iOS 14.5 beta notes. For some users, there are improvements thanks to the optimizations, but for others, the issue still appears to exist, so Apple may have some further work to do.

iOS 14.5 also includes a new process for recalibrating the battery health reporting in the iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and Pro Max. Apple says that the update recalibrates the maximum battery capacity and peak performance capacity on the ‌iPhone 11‌ models to address inaccurate estimates of battery health reporting that some users have encountered.

iOS and iPadOS 14.5 add a new feature for choosing a preferred streaming music service to use with Siri. So if you prefer Spotify over Apple Music, for example, you can now choose Spotify as the app you want to use with ‌Siri‌ and all ‌Siri‌ song requests will go through Spotify without the need to add "on Spotify" to the end of ‌Siri‌ requests. This is a new ‌Siri‌ intelligence feature that works with music apps, podcast apps, and audiobook apps.

There are two new ‌Siri‌ voices in iOS 14.5, and ‌Siri‌ is no longer female by default in the United States, with users instead able to select their preferred Siri voice at setup.

iOS 14.5 is the update where Apple will begin requiring developers to comply with its App Tracking Transparency rules. Going forward, developers will need to ask for and receive your permission to access your random advertising identifier and track your activity across apps and websites.

Apple has made design tweaks to the Apple News and Podcasts apps, plus there are new print and sort options in Reminders. There are new settings for emergency alerts, a horizontal loading screen on the ‌iPad‌, and tons of other smaller feature tweaks that are outlined in our full iOS 14.5 features guide, which we've been keeping updated throughout the testing process. iOS 14.5 could perhaps see a release on Tuesday, April 20, which is when Apple plans to hold its first event of 2021, though we may just get a release date for the update at the event.

Apple today announced that it will be hosting a virtual event on Tuesday, April 20 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time, and one of the new products expected to be unveiled at the event is a new iPad Pro with a Mini-LED display.

In a brief snippet shared with paid subscribers, Taiwanese supply chain news website DigiTimes today reported that Apple supplier Ennostar has substantially improved its yield rates for Mini-LED chips and is expected to scale up its output for the new iPad Pro starting later this month. This lines up with a timeframe shared by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who claimed that the new iPad Pro would enter mass production in mid-to-late April.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and Debby Wu recently reported that Apple plans to introduce new iPad Pro models in the latter half of April, which lines up with the now-confirmed April 20 event. The report said Mini-LED backlighting will be exclusive to the new 12.9-inch model, while both the 11-inch and 12.9-inch models are expected to get a faster A14X chip on par with the M1 chip in Macs and Thunderbolt support. Early rumors also suggested that cellular models will gain support for faster 5G networking like iPhone 12 models.

Gurman and Wu said that due to poor manufacturing yields, the new 12.9-inch iPad Pro could ship later and be available in constrained quantities to begin with, unless suppliers like Ennostar have managed to quickly improve production.

In a follow-up report today, Gurman said that Apple is also working on its long-awaited AirTags item trackers and a redesigned iMac, but it is less certain if those products will be announced at the April 20 event. A new Apple TV with a faster chip, redesigned remote, and a stronger gaming focus is also rumored to be in the pipeline.

On the software side, Apple has been beta testing iOS 14.5 for over two months now, and a final release around the April 20 event is likely. The software update has a long list of new features, including the much-awaited ability for Apple Watch users to unlock their iPhone with Face ID while wearing a mask.

Apple's first 2021 event, "Spring Loaded," is set to take place on Tuesday, April 20. Apple has designed a special multi-colored logo for the occasion, and if you visit the Events website on an iPhone or iPad, you can see an augmented reality version.

Just tap on the colorful Apple logo on the page to open Apple's AR viewer, where you can scan the room and see the shifting logo in action. You can also view it in "Object" mode to see how it moves, with the Apple portion and the leaf swirling away from one another.

Apple often creates interesting graphics for its events and has used the morphing augmented reality logo in the past.

Apple's "Spring Loaded" event will be digital only and will be livestreamed in the Apple TV app and on the events page, but those who cannot attend can tune in to MacRumors on the site or through our MacRumorsLive Twitter account.

The event is expected to see the launch of new iPad Pro models, a new iPad mini, and perhaps the AirTags that have long been in the works. Apple could also surprise us with new Macs, though those may be slated for launch later in the year.

Following an overnight leak by Siri, Apple today officially announced that it will be holding a special "Spring Loaded" event on Tuesday, April 20 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time at the Steve Jobs Theater on the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California.

As with all of Apple's 2020 events, the April 2021 event will be a digital-only gathering with no members of the media invited to attend in person due to the ongoing public health crisis.

Apple's April event will see Apple showing off the first new products of 2021, and there's quite a lot on the horizon. Updated iPad Pro models, a new low-cost iPad, a new iPad mini, refreshed iMacs, and the long-awaited AirTags are all products that Apple could potentially introduce.

Given that we're waiting on so many ‌iPad‌ refreshes, iPads could be the focus of the April event. Apple is rumored to be working on a new high-end 12.9-inch iPad Pro that will feature a mini-LED display and a 5G chip, and there's an 11-inch model coming too. These iPads are expected to feature Thunderbolt connectivity, camera improvements, and a new A14X chip that's as fast as the M1 chip in the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and Mac mini.

A sketchy rumor said Apple will debut an "‌iPad mini‌ Pro" with an 8.7-inch full-screen display and no Touch ID Home button. There have also been rumors of an ‌iPad mini‌ with a mini-LED display, but it's not clear just what ‌iPad mini‌ upgrades we'll get, as recent dummy model photos have suggested there could be few obvious differences from the current model. We could also see a new low-cost iPad with a 10.2-inch display and a thinner build that's similar to the now-discontinued iPad Air 3.

As for the AirPods 3, Apple is working on a new version that looks similar to the AirPods Pro with silicone ear tips and shorter stems, but without the high-end Active Noise Cancellation functionality. There were rumors that AirPods 3 would be coming at the spring event, but we're no longer expecting them until the fall.

Apple is designing a revamped iMac with a new design that features thinner bezels that are similar to the bezels on the Pro Display XDR, plus it will have an Apple silicon chip and an Apple-designed GPU, making it a highly-anticipated machine. We don't know when new iMacs are coming, but an April event is a possibility.

We're still waiting on AirTags, which are Apple's Tile-like Bluetooth tracking tags that will be able to be attached to any item, allowing that item to be tracked right in the Find My app alongside Apple devices. Apple just last week expanded its ‌Find My‌ network to include third-party devices such as an upcoming item tracker from Chipolo, so next week's event could finally see the AirTags unveiled as Apple's similar product offering.

There's also a sixth-generation Apple TV in the works with an upgraded processor and a new ‌Apple TV‌ remote with ‌Find My‌ integration, but it's not clear if the ‌Apple TV‌ will be coming at the April event.

Apple plans to stream the‌ event live on its website and in the ‌Apple TV‌ app when it kicks off at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time on April 20. For those unable to watch, MacRumors will be providing full event coverage both on MacRumors.com and through the MacRumorsLive Twitter account.

Spotify has today announced its first hardware device, the "Car Thing," which is an in-car dash-mounted music and podcast player (via TechCrunch).

Spotify is looking to provide a product for customers who want a "more seamless" and personalized in-car listening experience, especially in the large number of cars that do not support modern in-car infotainment systems.

The Car Thing is aimed at Spotify Premium subscribers with these needs and features a touchscreen, a knob for navigation, voice control features, and four user-configurable buttons for fast access to areas such as favorite music, podcasts, or playlists.

The user interface takes cues from the Spotify mobile app so that it is familiar to users, and there is the choice of touch controls, "Hey Spotify" voice commands, or physical navigation via the knob. The Car Thing works over Bluetooth, or via an AUX or USB cable, and there are a variety of mounts that come with the device to ensure that it fits to the dashboard correctly.

The device comes with three different types of dash and vent mounts to choose from, a car charger, and a USB-C cable.

Initially, the Car Thing will be made available for free for a limited period, with selected users only needing to pay for the cost of shipping. This is apparently because Spotify still sees the Car Thing as somewhat experimental.

When it reaches its full public release, the Car Thing will be available for $79.99, but it is as yet unclear when the retail release will take place.

Car Thing is now being offered on an invite-only basis via its website to U.S. Spotify Premium subscribers with a smartphone, where interested users can sign up to the waiting list.

Diogo Rau, who has served as Apple's head of engineering for retail and the online Apple store, will leave the company following 10 years of service to join Lilly as its senior VP and chief information and digital officer.

Rau announced his departure from Apple on Linkedin, saying that it has been a privilege to work with his colleagues at Apple and that the company has "set the standard for the retail industry."

Rau joined Apple in April of 2011, and during his tenure, he witnessed and helped the company expand its retail locations and presence around the world. Throughout the years, Apple Stores have taken on a life of their own, serving as a community hub rather than simply a place to purchase products.

Rau also spearheaded Apple's efforts in the digital space, helping to grow its e-commerce platforms, the Apple Store app, and the roll-out of product launches at retail locations. Rau will begin his new role at Lilly on May 17.

Roku today introduced a new Express 4K+ streaming player and rechargeable Voice Remote Pro with some useful features for Apple users.

Priced at $39.99 in the United States, the new Roku Express 4K+ provides 4K streaming at an affordable price. The streaming player supports AirPlay 2 for wirelessly streaming audio and video from an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, while HomeKit support allows users to control the streaming player with Siri or the Home app on their Apple devices.

Meanwhile, Roku's new Voice Remote Pro features an Apple TV+ button for easy access to the Apple TV app, as noted by The Verge. Priced at $29.99, the remote also features a rechargeable battery via micro-USB, hands-free or push-to-talk "Hey Roku" voice control, a lost remote finder feature, and a headphone jack.

Roku has also added the Apple TV+ button to its new standard remotes, alongside Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+ buttons.

With its new Roku OS 10 software release that is now rolling out, Roku is also expanding AirPlay 2 and HomeKit to select HD Roku streaming players and TVs. These features were limited to Roku's 4K devices until now.

Adobe has today released a major update for Premiere Rush, adding full support for the M1 chip, alongside a range of small updates to Premiere Rush and Premiere Pro.

Premiere Rush is Adobe's video editing app designed for easy creativity on the go. The update to Premiere Rush brings enhanced speed and optimization on desktops using the ‌M1‌ chip, such as the MacBook Air, the 13-inch MacBook Pro, and Mac mini, so users can work faster and get more done.

Premiere Rush is also gaining a new timeline Context Menu. Users can now tap a video clip on the timeline to bring up the context menu on iOS to split, duplicate, or delete a clip. In addition, users can tap a video clip with audio to separate the audio clip from the video.

There are also changes to reset functionality, allowing users to reset all adjustments for Color, Audio, and Transforms.

On the other hand, Premiere Pro is gaining Dynamic Lumetri Previews. Lumetri presets now display a frame from your current sequence and thumbnails for Lumetri presets in the Effects panel dynamically update, providing a preview of the preset.