Call of Duty: Black Ops III Multiplayer Starter Pack ($14.99): includes a multiplayer-only version of the game that has limited content.
Call of Duty: Black Ops III Zombies Chronicles Edition ($59.99): includes the full base game and the Zombies Chronicles content expansion with eight classic, fully-remastered Zombies maps.
Call of Duty: Black Ops III Zombies Deluxe Edition ($99.99): includes the full base game, Season Pass, and the Zombies Chronicles content expansion.
Black Ops III is already an older title in the popular first-person shooter franchise, first released in November 2015 for Xbox, PlayStation, and Windows. Three new Call of Duty games have launched since then, including Infinite Warfare in 2016, WWII in 2017, and Black Ops IIII last year.
System requirements include macOS High Sierra 10.13.6 or later, a 2.3GHz quad-core Core i5 processor or better, 8GB or RAM or more, at least 150GB of storage space, and a graphics card with at least 2GB of VRAM. Steam says Nvidia and Intel GPUs are not officially supported hardware for Black Ops III.
At the time of writing, we're not seeing the Multiplayer Starter Pack available for Mac, so the complete rollout may take a bit of time today.
Bare Bones Software today announced the return of BBEdit to the Mac App Store after a nearly five year hiatus.
The popular text, code, and markup editor is a free download on the Mac App Store with full features available for $3.99 per month or $39.99 per year via in-app purchase. BBEdit remains available on a perpetual license basis for $49.99 via Bare Bones Software's online store and at participating resellers.
BBEdit was updated in February to become a sandboxed app, a requirement to be distributed through the Mac App Store. Sandboxing limits apps to their intended use and is a protection implemented to prevent malicious software from working. BBEdit will require explicit permission to access files and folders on the Mac.
Bare Bones says BBEdit's features and capabilities are identical for all customers, whether downloaded directly from the Bare Bones Software web site or from the Mac App Store, and whether using a subscription or a perpetual license.
BBEdit offers a 30-day evaluation period, during which its full feature set is available. After the evaluation period has expired, you can continue to use BBEdit in "free mode" with permanent access to editing capabilities, but not web authoring tools or other exclusive features for paying customers.
BBEdit 12 features more than 300 new features and refinements since the last Mac App Store release of the software, including 64-bit support, macOS Mojave and Dark Mode support, Git integration, and much more.
The Mac App Store version requires macOS Mojave 10.14.2 or later, while the direct version requires macOS Sierra 10.12.6 or later.
BBEdit is just one of several well-known apps returning to the Mac App Store following its redesign and changes to sandboxing rules on macOS Mojave. Others include the Microsoft Office suite, Panic's file transfer app Transmit, and Adobe Lightroom CC, as revealed by Apple during its WWDC 2018 keynote.
Apple Pay is launching or gaining expanded functionality at transit systems in additional cities throughout 2019, starting with Singapore today followed by Chicago, Portland, and New York City later this year.
Apple Pay is now accepted on all forms of public transit that accept Mastercard credit and debit cards in Singapore, including buses and trains, enabling convenient tap-to-pay functionality with an iPhone or Apple Watch. Singapore's transit agency expects to add support for Visa cards in the second half of 2019.
New York City will pilot Apple Pay on a couple of lines this spring and then roll out the functionality to additional lines throughout the rest of the year, according to TechCrunch's Matthew Panzarino. The MTA appears to already be in the process of installing contactless card readers at turnstiles, with a test phase "coming soon."
Chicago's and Portland's transit systems already accept Apple Pay, but CTA and TriMet riders will be able to add their preloaded Ventra and Hop fare cards to the Wallet app later this year and take advantage of pre-tax commuter benefits, according to the Chicago Tribune and the Willamette Week.
The payment process is similar to using Apple Pay in stores. Depending on the iPhone, that means double-pressing the home button or side button, authenticating with Touch ID or Face ID, and holding the iPhone near the card reader. Apple Watch payments are also activated by double-pressing the side button.
The blog Ata Distance suggests that Ventra and Hop cards will support Express Transit, meaning that riders won't need to authenticate with Face ID, Touch ID, or a passcode, and won't need to wake or unlock their device, to pay. Express Transit is currently limited to transit systems in China and Japan.
Singapore and New York City would join a handful of cities with transit systems that already support Apple Pay, including Chicago and Portland as mentioned, Beijing, Shanghai, London, Tokyo, Moscow, and Vancouver, Canada.
Apple's new promo for Apple Pay is targeting Grubhub users who place an order within the app or on the website over the next few days. Specifically, if you use Apple Pay to check out on Grubhub and enter the promo code APPLEHOOPS, you'll get free delivery on your order.
Your order must total $10 or more before tax, tip, and fees, and the promo code covers deliveries of up to $5 in value. This offer expires April 8, 2019 at 11:59 p.m. PT.
This week's Apple Pay promo is sport themed, and also encourages shoppers to use Apple Pay in apps like Under Armour, SeatGeek, and GOAT for sports apparel and tickets.
Recent Apple Pay promos have included partnerships with Instacart, Panera Bread, Adidas, Fandango, and more.
Similar price reductions have also appeared in other regions and territories on Thursday, with the price of a HomePod in the United Kingdom falling from £319 to £279, for instance.
Apple's expensive HomePod speaker accounted for just six percent of the U.S. smart speaker installed base through the fourth quarter of 2018, according to a February report.
Research firm Consumer Intelligence Research Partners estimates that the U.S. installed base of smart speakers reached 66 million units last quarter of 2018, suggesting HomePod sales in the country totaled around 3.96 million units since the speaker became available to order in January 2018. Apple does not disclose exact HomePod sales figures.
By comparison, the Amazon Echo and Google Home reportedly accounted for 70 percent and 24 percent of the installed base respectively, with both products proving to be popular holiday gifts.
In April 2018, well-connected analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said Apple was "mulling" a "low-cost version" of the HomePod, potentially due to shipments of the current version being "far below market expectations." A report out of China said the lower-cost HomePod could be priced between $150 and $200 in the United States.
Apple has reportedly cut iPhone prices in India by around a quarter, following a similar move by the company in China.
Sources who spoke to Reuters on Thursday said the price of an iPhone XR with 64GB storage has been reduced by at least 17,900 rupees ($259), taking into account a price cut and a credit card cashback campaign.
"Apple is going to change their game," one of the people said, adding the company could also adjust prices for other devices depending on their demand.
On Apple’s India website, the price of the 64 GB iPhone XR was unchanged at 76,900 rupees, but is on sale for less than 59,000 rupees at stores, the people said.
Prices for the other two storage variants of the iPhone XR have also dropped, according to Reuters' sources, who called the pricing a "short-term promotional offer."
With smartphone sales flattening in saturated markets like the U.S., Apple is said to have turned to India for new growth, but with "little success so far," claimed a report in December.
Just one in four Indians own a smartphone, providing Apple with an opportunity to sell iPhones to millions of new customers in the country.
However, with more than 75 percent of the smartphones sold in the country said to cost less than $250, India remains a very price-sensitive market, and a tough nut to crack for Apple.
According to research firm Canalys, the number of iPhones shipped in India fell 40 percent in 2018 compared with 2017, and Apple's market share in the country dropped to about one percent from about two percent.
Earlier this week, Apple also lowered the prices of several products in China, including the latest iPhones, iPads, and AirPods. The price cuts appeared to be due in part to a reduction in China's value-added tax (VAT), but any price cuts in China should be good news for Apple as it seeks to bolster sales there, too.
Last quarter, Apple issued a revenue warning due to "fewer iPhone upgrades" than it anticipated and "significantly greater" than expected economic weakness in the Greater China region. Apple had already discounted iPhone prices at third-party resellers in China to improve results.
An alleged chassis piece belonging to the 2019 iPhone appeared on Chinese social media this morning with markings on the rear of the device that resemble a housing for three camera lenses.
The above image and mockup (below), shared via Weibo and later tweeted by Ben Geskin, tally with rumors that the next-generation iPhone will feature a rear triple-lens camera system in a triangular configuration.
Last week, an image of a similar chassis piece appeared on Slashleaks, although rumors about triple lenses in an iPhone began way back in May 2018. Well-known Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in October that he expected the next iPhones to feature triple-lens cameras.
In January, serial mobile leaker Steve Hemmerstoffer (@OnLeaks) released renderings of the supposed iPhone 2019 model, with a similar unusual-looking patch on the rear for three lenses, a flash, and a mic in the triangular arrangement.
The Wall Street Journal has since reported that Apple plans to introduce a triple-lens camera system in at least one of the iPhones coming in 2019. Shortly after that report, Bloomberg seemingly confirmed the rumor, but neither publication mentioned how the lenses would be configured.
A triple-lens rear camera on the next iPhone would allow for a larger field of view, a wider zoom range, improved low light performance, and it would capture more pixels, but the appearance of the lenses and the size of the housing on the leaked images has divided Apple watchers.
Intel is having trouble meeting deadlines for the XMM 8160 5G modem that Apple is counting on to add 5G connectivity to its 2020 iPhone lineup, reports Fast Company.
Citing a source with knowledge of Intel and Apple's relationship, Fast Company says that Intel has been missing developmental deadlines on the 5G chip, leading Apple to lose confidence in Intel.
For a September 2020 launch, sample chips need to be provided to Apple this summer, and a finished modem design needs to be available by the beginning of 2020. Intel has said its chips will be in mobile devices by 2020, and has plans to ship the 8160 5G chip in the second half of 2019, but it's not clear if it will make those target dates.
Apple began using Intel chips alongside Qualcomm chips with the launch of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, and in 2018, Intel was Apple's exclusive LTE chip supplier for the iPhone XR, XS, and XS Max following Apple's legal woes with Qualcomm.
Rumors have suggested that Apple is planning to introduce 5G connectivity in the iPhone in 2020 and is relying on Intel's chips to do so.
Intel and Apple's relationship is said to be tense, and on the Intel side, there have already been three project managers overseeing the development of the modem. Apple has been holding talks with Samsung and Mediatek about supplying modem chips in the near term, but neither company may have chips ready for 2020.
Fast Company's source says that it would make the most business sense for Apple to go back to Qualcomm, but given the ever-increasing legal tensions between the two companies, that seems unlikely.
Apple is preparing to develop its own modem chips in house so that it doesn't need to rely on either Intel or Qualcomm, but those chips are not going to be ready in time for a 2020 5G iPhone launch.
The updated user interface has been designed for the larger screen of a TV with a side bar rather than a top menu bar, which is meant to be a better use of screen space.
The side bar is customizable so you can pin your favorite media sources, put them in the order that you want, and send the rest of the content to the "More" menu that's out of the way.
Plex is aiming to make it easier to get to where you want to go, with more discoverable actions and sources and more intuitive navigation. Customizable navigation is also a key part of the new Plex experience for Apple TV. More features are listed below:
- Customizable & always accessible sidebar navigation. - Ability to pin your favorite libraries from all your servers to the sidebar. - Reorder your libraries in the sidebar. - Quick access to all the rest of your media through the "More" menu item. - Redesigned tab views that remember your previous view within each library (can be controlled via setting). - A customizable home screen including pinning content rows from any library to home.
The updated Plex interface is available for beta testers, and you can sign up to be a beta tester on the Plex website by filling out a registration form. Beta access can take up to one week as requests need to be processed by Plex.
Apple this afternoon updated its Apple Leadership page to add Adrian Perica, who has been named the company's vice president of Corporate Development.
In his role as VP of Corporate Development, Perica will be responsible for Apple's mergers, acquisitions, and strategic investing efforts.
Perica, who has been with Apple since 2009, will be reporting directly to Apple CEO Tim Cook. Prior to joining Apple, Perica worked at Goldman Sachs and Deloitte Consulting.
Prior to being named Apple's VP of Corporate Development, Perica was the head of mergers and acquisitions, responsible for the team that handles Apple's acquisitions.
Vizio's SmartCast-compatible TVs are gaining AirPlay 2 and HomeKit integration later this year, and ahead of the official release, Vizio has launched a new beta that will allow Vizio customers to test the functionality with compatible Vizio television sets.
Vizio earlier this week updated its SmartCast app to add AirPlay 2 beta support, and today, the company began emailing customers who signed up for the beta test to let them know that AirPlay 2 and HomeKit are available in a beta capacity.
Signups for Vizio's beta test began back in January, but Vizio TV owners can still sign up to participate through Vizio's Apple webpage.
AirPlay 2 integration will allow iOS and Mac users to stream video content, music, photos, and more to SmartCast-enabled Vizio TVs, and with HomeKit integration, the Home app on iOS or Siri voice commands can be used to control the TV.
Official AirPlay 2 and HomeKit support will be coming to Vizio televisions in the summer. Vizio TVs from 2016 and later will support AirPlay 2 and HomeKit.
The two sets of earbuds have a lot in common, but there are some notable differences that are worth pointing out. Read on for a complete comparison of the second-generation AirPods and the Powerbeats Pro.
The AirPods are made for casual use and feature a one size fits all design with a rounded bulb-like earpiece and a microphone-equipped stem that extends out of the ears. There is no hook or additional mechanism to keep them in the user's ears.
Powerbeats Pro are designed for fitness and have a design similar to prior Powerbeats models with earhooks that fit over the ears to secure them in place along with four ear tips in various sizes for a customizable fit.
Powerbeats Pro are meant to stay in the ears during vigorous activity and Apple apparently tested more than 20 configurations before arriving at a design that fits most people.
Both the Powerbeats Pro and the AirPods come with charging cases, but while the AirPods charging case is small, compact, and around the size of a dental floss container, the Powerbeats Pro charging case is much larger, clamshell-like, and not as pocketable.
Sound Differences and Noise Isolation
Powerbeats Pro use rubber ear tips in four sizes similar to traditional earbuds, which means they are designed to create a tight fit in the ear to isolate ambient noises. There is no feature for allowing ambient noise in, which is something to be aware of if you plan to use these in situations where you need to hear what is going on around you.
AirPods have no similar ambient noise filtering because they are not designed to fit tightly in the ear canal.
Apple says sound was a focus when designing the Powerbeats Pro, with the new earbuds offering powerful, balanced audio with pure sound reproduction, enhanced clarity, and improved dynamic range.
Apple makes no similar claims about the AirPods and instead describes them as having "rich, high-quality sound."
Physical Buttons
You can tap on the AirPods to do things like activate Siri or skip a track, but there are no actual physical buttons.
The Powerbeats Pro are larger with more available surface area, and they feature physical buttons for adjusting the volume, changing the song track, and accepting or declining a call.
There is no off button on the AirPods and there is no off button on the Powerbeats Pro. The Powerbeats Pro come on when taken out of the charging case and turn off when put back in, and will also go into a sleep mode after a period of inactivity to preserve battery life. The AirPods work the same way.
Water Resistance
According to Apple, the Powerbeats Pro are sweat and water resistant with an IPX4 water resistance rating, which means they are certified to hold up to water splashing against the enclosure from any direction, but have the potential to fail when immersed or exposed to jets of water.
With an IPX4 rating, the Powerbeats Pro should be able to survive sweat exposure, but should not be exposed to rain, swimming pools, or other excessive moisture. The AirPods have no specific water resistance rating and should not be exposed to water or sweat, though anecdotal reports suggest they are able to hold up to some moisture.
We did a series of water resistance tests on the Powerbeats Pro and they held up well to both splashes of water and 20 minutes of submersion.
AirPods only come in white, but Powerbeats Pro come in Black, Ivory (an off white shade), Navy, and Moss (an olive green). AirPods also feature a white charging case while all Powerbeats Pro models ship with a black charging case.
Price Difference
Apple's AirPods are priced at $129, while Powerbeats Pro cost $250 – $121 more than the base model of the AirPods.
Processor, Sensors, and Siri Support
The Powerbeats Pro use the same H1 chip from the AirPods for faster connections to your devices, faster switching between devices, lower latency, and support for hands-free "Hey Siri" activation.
As with the AirPods, using "Hey Siri" requires the Powerbeats Pro to be paired with a compatible device like an iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch.
Powerbeats Pro have all of the same sensors and features that are in the AirPods, including ear detection that plays/pauses music when they are removed or inserted.
As with the AirPods, you can use just one Powerbeats Pro earbud or use both at the same time.
Phone Calls
AirPods have a speech-detecting accelerometer and beamforming microphones that filter out external noise when you are making a phone call or a Siri request, and the Powerbeats Pro have the same feature.
The Powerbeats Pro actually have two beamforming microphones on each side to make up for the lack of a stem like the AirPods have. Phone calls on both the AirPods and the Powerbeats Pro are designed to sound crisp and clear. In our testing, the Powerbeats Pro worked well for calls. People had no issues hearing what we were saying, nor were there any issues with disconnects.
We have occasionally run into issues with poor sound quality on the AirPods, with people having a difficult time hearing us, but this is not a problem we have had with the Powerbeats Pro.
Battery Life
Each Powerbeats Pro earbud offers nine hours of listening time, which is a full four hours longer than the AirPods promise. AirPods offer five hours of battery life, but the battery life of both the AirPods and the Powerbeats Pro is extended to over 24 hours with their respective charging cases.
Live Listen
The Powerbeats Pro and the AirPods both support the Live Listen feature for using the earbuds as a directional microphone.
Charging
The AirPods and the AirPods Wireless Charging Case can be charged using either Lightning or Qi-based wireless charging. The Powerbeats Pro case does not feature support for Qi-based wireless charging and must be charged with a Lightning cable.
The Powerbeats Pro have a Fast Fuel feature that adds 1.5 hours of music playback after five minutes of charging and 4.5 hours of playback after 15 minutes of charging.
Apple's AirPods have a similar fast charging feature but it's not quite as good due to the smaller battery, offering three hours of listening time with a 15 minute charge.
Comparison Chart
Here's an at-a-glance comparison chart that gives a quick overview of the differences between the second-generation AirPods and the Powerbeats Pro.
Bottom Line
Apple's second-generation AirPods and Powerbeats Pro earbuds are clearly aimed at different target markets. While the second-generation AirPods are designed for casual listening on a day to day basis, the more costly Powerbeats Pro are designed for vigorous physical activity including sports, workouts, and more.
The AirPods are smaller and more convenient to carry and offer more convenient wireless charging methods, while the Powerbeats Pro offer longer battery life, superior sweat resistance, more color options, sound isolation, and potentially a different sound profile.
Choosing between the second-generation AirPods and Powerbeats Pro will depend on how the AirPods fit in your ears – some people can't get a good fit with the one size fits all design – and your budget. The Powerbeats Pro's earhooks and ear tips in multiple sizes will potentially offer a better fit and will certainly be the better option for people who need earbuds for physical activity.
The new $99.95 battery and charger from Anker is available from the online Apple Store and will be in Apple retail locations at the end of the week.
The PowerCore Fusion is designed to serve as both a power adapter and a battery pack for the iPhone, iPad, and MacBooks. There's a 30W USB-C charger for charging an iPad Pro or a MacBook with a standard USB-C cable, or fast charging an iPhone with a USB-C to Lightning cable.
There's also a 12W USB-A port that can be used to charge iPhones, iPads, and other accessories with traditional USB-A cables.
A plug at the back of the PowerCore Fusion lets it plug into the wall like any traditional power adapter, but there's also an included 5,000mAh battery so it can be used to provide additional power for your iPhone when you're on the go.
According to Apple, the PowerCore Fusion's 5000mAh battery adds approximately 23 extra hours of battery life to the iPhone. When used in battery mode, the plug on the PowerCore Fusion collapses down so its similar in size to a standard USB-C power brick.
You can get the PowerCore Fusion in either black or white, and both versions have Anker's standard battery level ring on the front. If you press it, you'll see LED dots corresponding to the available charge level.
Anker sells other PowerCore Fusion devices on Amazon, but the version Apple is offering is the company's only model that has a USB-C port.
The National Hockey League this week updated its iPhone app with support for CarPlay, providing convenient access to live radio broadcasts of games from a vehicle's dashboard just in time for the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The app has a very simple interface that displays a list of the day's scheduled games and start times. When a game begins, options will become visible to tune in live to the home or away radio broadcasts, with no subscription or account required. The score and time remaining are also shown for games in progress.
This mirrors the experience of the NHL app on iPhone, which has a headphone icon in the top-right corner for accessing radio broadcasts.
That's it, really. At least for now, the CarPlay app does not feature standings, stats, news, or video, which is in the best interest of driver safety. Just like the MLB At Bat app for CarPlay, this is all about the listening experience. The 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs begin next Thursday, April 10.
Thanks to MacRumors reader and New Jersey Devils fan Matt Donders for providing us with the screenshots above.
Apple today released a new update for Safari Technology Preview, the experimental browser Apple first introduced three years ago in March 2016. Apple designed the Safari Technology Preview to test features that may be introduced into future release versions of Safari.
Safari Technology Preview release 79 includes bug fixes and performance improvements for Web Authentication, Accessibility, Service Workers, Browser Changes, CSS, Web API, and Web Inspector.
The new Safari Technology Preview update is available for both macOS High Sierra and macOS Mojave, the newest version of the Mac operating system that was released to the public in September 2018.
Apple’s aim with Safari Technology Preview is to gather feedback from developers and users on its browser development process. Safari Technology Preview can run side-by-side with the existing Safari browser and while designed for developers, it does not require a developer account to download.
Apple has offered to spend $9.7 million on new bike and pedestrian-oriented transportation projects in the city of Cupertino, where it has two campuses, reports The Mercury News.
Apple made the offer to city officials last year after hearing of a proposed change to the city's business license tax that would require Apple and other businesses in Cupertino to pay taxes based on the number of people employed.
The city last July agreed to postpone the changes, which would have cost Apple approximately $9 million per year for its 24,000 workers.
Changes to the business tax have been postponed until 2020 to give the city time to work with Apple on providing private funding to cut down on commuter traffic in Cupertino. Apple has been attending regular meetings with Cupertino city staff to come to an agreement.
Five projects are planned: - $4.63 million to fund bikeways along McClellan Road near Lincoln Elementary, Kennedy Middle and Mona Vista High schools. The money would also fund design and construction of two sidewalk improvements and a new signal light at the intersection of McClellan and DeAnza. - $1.2 million for traffic and pedestrian safety improvements near local schools - $1.98 million for planning, design and construction of new bike lanes and pedestrian improvements along Bubb Road - $1.8 million for design and development of the Junipero Serra Trail - $165,000 toward proposed bikeways on Mary Avenue
Cupertino Vice Mayor Liang Chao said that he's disappointed by the funding level proposed by Apple. "When we were considering the tax, the city would have gotten $10 million in ongoing income," he said. He's also concerned that the money is going towards bike and pedestrian projects rather than efforts to relieve vehicle traffic.
On a March 27 letter to the city council, Apple's VP of real estate and facilities Kristina Raspe said that Apple is looking forward to moving forward on construction. "After much work with the City, we have identified several Phase 1 projects that we are happy to financially support and move forward on as quickly as possible," she wrote.
Apple is said to have approached the council with suggestions for bike and pedestrian improvements as the company had a specific interest in funding alternative transportation projects.
The city council will be voting on whether to accept the funding from Apple at a later date. Apple may also be asked to fund a shuttle project that would connect local transportation hubs and major destinations citywide.
Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues 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.
Millions of Facebook records were found on publicly accessible Amazon's cloud servers by researchers at UpGuard, a cybersecurity firm, reports Bloomberg. The data was uploaded by third-party companies that work with Facebook.
Mexico City-based media company Cultura Colectiva, for example, was storing 540 million records on Facebook users on Amazon's servers, offering up information that included identification numbers, comments, reactions, and account names.
A now-defunct app called At the Pool shared sensitive data like names and email addresses for 22,000 Facebook users.
Facebook did not leak this data, but it did provide the data to the third-party companies that went on to improperly store it with no oversight from Facebook. For years, Facebook provided extensive customer information to advertisers and partners, and while the company has since cracked down on the amount of data it shares, the previously obtained information is still widely available.
"The public doesn't realize yet that these high-level systems administrators and developers, the people that are custodians of this data, they are being either risky or lazy or cutting corners," said Chris Vickery, director of cyber risk research at UpGuard. "Not enough care is being put into the security side of big data."
Facebook's prior data sharing habits allowed any app on the site to obtain information from the people using the app and their friends in many cases, which led to the scandal that saw Cambridge Analytica illicitly using personal data acquired from Facebook to create targeted political advertisements in the 2016 election.
Facebook has since modified its privacy policies and has cut down on the access that apps have. Facebook has also suspended hundreds of apps and began audits to make sure data isn't being mishandled.
In response to the public Facebook data found by UpGuard, a Facebook spokesperson told Bloomberg that its policies prohibit the storing of Facebook information in a public database, though there is apparently little oversight from Facebook. Facebook did work with Amazon to take down the databases that were sharing data publicly after UpGuard's discovery.
Apple's Beats brand in April 2019 unveiled the Powerbeats Pro, a redesigned wire-free version of its popular fitness-oriented Powerbeats earbuds. Like the AirPods, Powerbeats Pro come with a dedicated charging case that offers 24 hour battery life and an H1 chip for fast connectivity to your devices and Hey Siri support.
Our Powerbeats Pro guide has all of the details you need to know about Apple's newest earbuds, which are a highly appealing alternative to the AirPods.
Design and Fit
The Powerbeats Pro feature a design that's similar to prior Powerbeats models, but Apple says they've been entirely overhauled for an ideal wireless fit.
Apple aimed for the best possible fit for most people, testing more than 20 configurations before arriving at the final design. Apple says the Powerbeats Pro use a new "ergonomically angled acoustic housing" that fits comfortably in the concha bowl of the ear.
Apple designed the Powerbeats Pro to be 23 percent smaller and 17 percent lighter than the previous-generation Powerbeats 3 earbuds.
Like prior Powerbeats models, the Powerbeats Pro feature earhooks that fit over the ears to keep them in place. Apple says the earhook is adjustable, and the Powerbeats themselves can be customized with four sizes of ear tips.
The Powerbeats Pro are designed to create a tight fit in the ear to isolate sound, and there's no ambient noise mode, which is something to keep in mind.
Powerbeats Pro come with a clamshell-style charging case that's available in black. Like the AirPods charging case, it uses a magnetic closure to keep your Powerbeats Pro safe when not in use.
Sound
According to Apple, sound was its "highest priority" when developing the Powerbeats Pro. The earbuds were reengineered "from the inside out" to add an upgraded linear piston driver that leverages pressurized airflow to create a "powerful acoustic response" in a small package.
Apple says Powerbeats Pro users will get "incredibly low sound distortion" and "great dynamic range" across the entire frequency curve.
Water Resistance
Apple says the Powerbeats Pro are sweat and water resistant, making them ideal for working out and other fitness activities. Apple told The Verge that the Powerbeats Pro have been engineered to handle "all of your sweat without fail."
Powerbeats Pro have an IPX4 water resistance rating, which means they're certified to hold up to water splashing against the enclosure from any direction, but have the potential to fail when immersed or exposed to jets of water. With an IPX4 rating, the Powerbeats Pro should be able to survive sweat exposure, though heavy rain and immersion should be avoided.
We did a series of water resistance tests and the Powerbeats Pro held up well to splashes of water and 20 minutes of submersion.
Each Powerbeats Pro earbud features nine hours of listening time, which can be extended to more than 24 hours with the included charging case. At nine hours of listening time, the Powerbeats Pro offer a longer battery life than the AirPods 2. Powerbeats Pro provide six hours of talk time, compared to the three hours available via the AirPods.
A Fast Fuel feature lets you get 1.5 hours of music playback after five minutes of charging, and 4.5 hours of playback after 15 minutes of charging.
The Powerbeats Pro come on when taken out of the charging case and power off when they're placed inside. A motion accelerometer is included to detect when the earbuds are idle, putting them into sleep mode to conserve battery life.
The charging case itself does not support wireless charging so you will need to charge it up with a Lightning cable through the included Lightning port.
Physical Buttons
There are physical volume and track controls on each of the Powerbeats Pro earbuds, so you can control volume and skip tracks on the earbuds themselves.
There's also a button for answering and declining incoming phone calls.
Live Listen
The Powerbeats Pro, like the AirPods, support Live Listen feature for using the earbuds as a directional microphone.
Sensors and H1 Chip
The same H1 chip that's in the second-generation AirPods is in the Powerbeats Pro, allowing for fast connections to your devices and faster switching. The H1 chip also enables "Hey Siri" functionality, allowing for hands-free access to Apple's personal assistant.
There are optical sensors in the Powerbeats Pro that allow the earbuds to detect when they're in your ears, playing and pausing music appropriately.
Phone Calls
There's a speech-detecting accelerometer in the Powerbeats Pro, along with two beam-forming microphones on each side that are designed to filter out external sound so incoming phone calls sound crisp and clear. In our testing, the Powerbeats Pro sounded great on calls and people had no issues hearing what we were saying, nor were there disconnects or other issues that we ran into.
Connectivity
Along with an H1 chip for "Hey Siri" support and quick connections to your devices, the Powerbeats Pro use Class 1 Bluetooth technology for extended range and "exceptional cross-body performance."
As with the AirPods, you can use both Powerbeats Pro earbuds at once or choose to use just one.
Powerbeats Pro connect to your iPhone or Mac just like AirPods. Simply open the case to prompt a pairing mode, and Powerbeats Pro will pair automatically with any supported devices signed into your iCloud account. This feature requires an iCloud account and macOS 10.14.4, iOS 12.2, and watchOS 5.2 or later.
Compatibility
Full functionality, such as quick device connections and Hey Siri support will require an iOS device, but Apple says the Powerbeats Pro will also work fine with Android devices.
Colors
The AirPods are only available in white, but Apple made the Powerbeats Pro available in Black, Ivory, Moss, and Navy.
Apple in June 2020 released the Powerbeats Pro in four new colors: Spring Yellow, Cloud Pink, Lava Red, and Glacier Blue. The new Powerbeats Pro are identical to the prior version that came only in Black, Ivory, Moss, and Navy, with the exception of the brighter colors.
Reviews and First Impressions
First impressions and reviews of the Powerbeats Pro have been largely positive, and the new earbuds are getting high praise for their comfort, stability, battery life, and other features.
We tested out the Powerbeats Pro were impressed with the design. The earhooks are light weight and comfortable, and are going to keep the Powerbeats Pro firmly in the ear even during vigorous activity. Multiple tips ensure a good fit, and the sound quality is great for earbuds this size. Even glasses wearers should find the Powerbeats Pro to be comfortable.
All of the AirPods features are here, so these function just like AirPods 2, and while the battery life is excellent, there's a downside - the Powerbeats Pro case is large, bulky, and not as pocketable as the AirPods case, nor does it have wireless charging. On the whole, we think the Powerbeats Pro are worth it for anyone looking for the perfect earbuds for an active lifestyle or those who prefer a more traditional earbud fit.
Reviews from other sites have also been overwhelmingly positive, which is no surprise given how well the AirPods have been received and the fact that these match the feature set of the AirPods.
Pocket-lint highlighted the slimmed down size and weight compared to the previous-generation Powerbeats, and said they're much more comfortable to wear because of the softer angles and contours. The earhook grips the ear but doesn't tug or dig.
As for audio, Pocket-lint found it to be "genuinely great" for an earphone in the $250 price range. "At the low end, very low bass notes like the kick of a bass drum - or low bass guitar notes - were tight and controlled. Similarly, both treble and baritone vocals were clear and dynamic, while songs with plenty of reverb were given space to expand, without ever feeling like one aspect was giving way to the other."
Digital Trends wasn't a fan of the larger charging case, but loved the fit of the Powerbeats Pro. Songs were "clear and potent" with bass that "doesn't cloud the upper registers."
iMore said the Powerbeats Pro are "way more comfortable than AirPods," even after wearing them for five hours straight. Compared to AirPods, the Powerbeats Pro are "massive in size" and while the earhooks are comfortable, they can get caught in longer hair. Sound was clear and "not bass heavy at all," with an overall EQ balance that's impressive.
The fit is strong, zero movement. The standard tips fit me well and provide way better sound isolation than AirPods. Testing them on a long flight today and a bike later. Works fine with sunglasses as well, fwiw. pic.twitter.com/51YfLqxXYm
— Matthew Panzarino (@panzer) May 6, 2019
Very impressed with the Powerbeats Pro so far. Fit is terrific, the sound is an upgrade over the AirPods. People who felt AirPods would fall won’t feel that way. But $80 more. On earbud volume control is helpful. Only dislikes: the physical button vs tapping for controls/no Qi. https://t.co/RrxikIGKhA
— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) May 7, 2019
Powerbeats Pro can be purchased from the Apple online store, Apple retail stores, or third-party retailers like Amazon.
Powerbeats Pro 2?
Apple in April 2020 seemed to have quietly refreshed the Powerbeats Pro with a new model, as regulatory documents for a new model with no design changes were shared with the FCC and various regulatory bodies in different countries.
There were rumors suggesting that Apple would launch a second-generation set of Powerbeats Pro based on this documentation, but it instead appears that Apple made a minor internal tweak to the existing design rather than releasing a new model. The new Powerbeats Pro colors released in June 2020 carry the updated model numbers, which explains the Powerbeats Pro 2 rumors.
Guide Feedback
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