MacRumors

Apple hosts a Swift Student Challenge ahead of WWDC each year, tasking students with creating an innovative Swift Playgrounds project. Apple has been highlighting Swift Student Challenge winners in 2020, and today shared some of the projects students created on the Apple Developer site.

Brazilian student Henrique Conto, for example, created a three-minute Touch Bar game where players help a young developer escape from a cave.

French student Louise Pieri designed Meep, a two-level game where one level is normal and the second level is upside-down, and 18-year-old Devin Green created an AI bot named Stanny.

More about the projects of some of the Swift Student Challenge winners can be found on Apple's developer site, on Apple Newsroom, and in the App Store.

Apple chose 350 winners in 2020, and each winner received an exclusive WWDC20 jacket and pin set. In past years, winning the challenge has been more valuable as it included a $1,599 ticket to Apple's physical WWDC event. WWDC 2020 was, however, a digital-only event that was free for everyone.

Apple is continuing with store closures in areas that are experiencing significant spikes in coronavirus infections, and tomorrow, 14 retail locations in Florida will be shut down.

The Galleria, The Falls, Aventura, Lincoln Road, Dadeland, Brickell City Centre, Wellington Green, Boca Raton, The Gardens Mall, Millenia, Florida Mall, Altamonte, International Plaza, and Brandon will close tomorrow, and customers with devices being repaired at those locations should initiate pickups today.

Apple today closed seven retail stores located in the Houston, Texas area, where coronavirus cases are surging. Highland Village, First Colony Mall, Houston Galleria, Memorial City, Willowbrook Mall, Baybrook, and the Woodlands in Texas are now closed with no planned reopening date.

Last week, Apple shuttered stores in Florida, Arizona, North Carolina, and South Carolina, even as it worked to reopen stores in other locations across the United States. With the additional store closures in Florida, just two stores in the state will remain open -- St. Johns Town Center in Jacksonville and University Town Center in Sarasota.

U.S. Apple Stores began reopening in May, and ahead of when store closures restarted last week, more than 150 of the 271 stores in the United States had reopened. When stores started opening again, Apple's retail store chief Deirdre O'Brien made it clear that Apple would not hesitate to close stores again if additional outbreaks demanded it.

"These are not decisions we rush into - and a store opening in no way means that we won't take the preventative step of closing it again should local conditions warrant," O'Brien said.

Apple's decisions on store closures and store openings are based on data evaluation, such as local cases, near and long-term trends, and guidance from national and local health officials. Apple is continuing with store reopenings in areas where Covid-19 infections are dropping. In the Greater Toronto Area, for example, Apple retail stores are opening up on Monday, June 29, which will mean all stores in Canada will be up and running.

In stores that have reopened, Apple is implementing safety measures that include mandatory masks, social distancing, frequent cleaning, temperature checks, and more. In some locations, stores are open only for repairs and curb-side pickup, while others are open but with a limited number of people allowed in at one time.

OWC today introduced the Envoy Express, which it describes as the first Thunderbolt 3 certified bus-powered storage enclosure for Macs and PCs.

Designed to support any 2280 M.2 NVMe SSD, the key benefit of the Envoy Express is that users can install their own drive in it, including OWC's Aura SSDs with up to 4TB of storage or larger-capacity options in the future.

The Envoy Express supports sustained data transfer rates of up to 1553 MB/s and has an integrated 10.2-inch Thunderbolt 3 cable.

The Envoy Express can be pre-ordered on OWC's website now for $68.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with OWC. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Daring Fireball's John Gruber typically hosts a live episode of his The Talk Show podcast during the week of WWDC, featuring high-level Apple executives to dig further into some of the details on Apple's major announcements, and while the all-online format of this year's conference changed things up a bit, Gruber was still able to get Craig Federighi and Greg Joswiak to participate in a video podcast.

The 90-minute discussion touched on a number of topics, including a brief statement from Joswiak on Apple's relationship with developers in light of recent concerns sparked by the "Hey" email app controversy, a thorough dive into Apple's perspectives on macOS Big Sur and the Apple Silicon transition, and briefer tidbits on iPadOS and Apple Pencil, iOS 14, and privacy.

Some of the more interesting bits of the discussion include thoughts on all of the different ways Apple has now for developers to build Mac apps, including Catalyst, UIKit, AppKit, and SwiftUI, as well as Apple's emphasis on virtualization with Boot Camp going away for Apple Silicon-based Macs.

While avoiding direct mention of Windows, Federighi acknowledges that you won't be able to boot directly into x86 operating systems on these Macs. As it stands, Windows can't be directly supported on the Arm-based chips of ‌Apple Silicon‌ via virtualization, but Federighi made clear that Apple is well aware of the situation, without tipping his hand on what developments may appear on that front in the coming months.

Apple is widely expected to release four new iPhone 12 models later this year, and ahead of time, analysts at British bank Barclays have outlined their expectations for the devices based on discussions with multiple Apple suppliers.

In a research note obtained by MacRumors, the Barclays analysts said that iPhone 12 models will not come with EarPods in the box, in line with a prediction shared by Ming-Chi Kuo last month. Oddly enough, the analysts also heard that iPhone 12 models might not ship with a power adapter of any kind, leaving only a USB-C to Lightning cable in the box.

While there would certainly be environmental benefits to Apple not including a power adapter with the hundreds of millions of iPhones it sells each year, such a move would obviously be inconvenient for customers without a spare USB-C charger. Apple's basic 5W power adapter can be purchased separately for $19, while the 18W power adapter included with iPhone 11 Pro models can be purchased for $29.

Earlier this week, the anonymous Twitter user Mr. White shared photos of a 20W power adapter that he suggested will be included with iPhone 12 models, which clearly contradicts with what Barclays analysts are hearing.

Barclays estimates that mass production of iPhone 12 models is four to six weeks behind schedule compared to a usual year. The analysts believe that Apple will still announce the new lineup in September, but at least some models might not be available to order until October or November, as was the case with the iPhone X and iPhone XR in recent years.

The analysts expect the two higher-end iPhone 12 Pro models to feature a triple-lens camera system with a LiDAR Scanner, first introduced on the iPad Pro. This would pave the way for new augmented reality experiences.

Barclays also said that it has heard about a potential iPad Pro refresh later this year, but it has no further details right now.

Last, the analysts expect third-generation AirPods to launch in early 2021.

Barclays analysts have a mixed track record in relation to Apple rumors. Their accurate predictions have included True Tone coming to the iPhone 8 and iPhone X, the removal of the headphone jack adapter with iPhone XS and iPhone XR models, and the removal of 3D Touch on all iPhone 11 models, while they were incorrect about the iPhone XS possibly having a smaller notch and the base iPhone 11 having 4x4 MIMO.

Apple's WWDC developer sessions continue to trickle out more details about new features in its latest operating systems for mobile and desktop, including new gamepad support in iOS 14.

During its keynote on Monday, Apple said support for Xbox's Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 and Adaptive Controller were coming in tvOS 14, and a WWDC session on Wednesday has confirmed that this support extends to iOS 14 and iPadOS 14.

The session covers support for the Dual Shock's touchpad and lightbar, the Xbox Elite's paddles, zone-based rumble haptics, and motion sensors. In addition, game developers will be able to take advantage of OS-level controller button remapping, as well as readymade button glyphs for use in game interfaces.

Let's rumble! Discover how you can bring third-party game controllers and custom haptics into your games on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV. We'll show you how to add support for the latest controllers — including Xbox's Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 and Adaptive Controller — and map your game's controls accordingly. Learn how you can use the Game Controller framework in tandem with Core Haptics to enable rumble feedback. And find out how you can take your gaming experience to the next level with custom button mapping, nonstandard inputs, and control over specialty features like motion sensors, lights, and battery level.

Another exciting highlight for game developers is keyboard and mouse support for gaming on iPadOS. Apple is letting developers finally add keyboard, mouse, and trackpad control options. While touch is obviously preferred for most iOS games, it opens the door for games like Civilization VI to add support for this in future updates.

And with future Macs powered by Apple Silicon able to run iPhone and iPad apps natively, we could see mobile games fully prepped for desktop peripheral use in macOS Big Sur.

At this week's WWDC, Apple confirmed its plan to switch from Intel to custom processors for its Macs over a two-year transition period. Apple said that the switch is all about platform consolidation and performance advantages, but at least one former Intel insider claims that quality control issues with Skylake chips was the reason Apple finally decided to to ditch Intel.

"The quality assurance of Skylake was more than a problem," said former Intel engineer François Piednoël, speaking to PC Gamer. "It was abnormally bad. We were getting way too much citing for little things inside Skylake. Basically our buddies at Apple became the number one filer of problems in the architecture. And that went really, really bad.

"When your customer starts finding almost as much bugs as you found yourself, you're not leading into the right place."

"For me this is the inflection point," said Piednoël. "This is where the Apple guys who were always contemplating to switch, they went and looked at it and said: 'Well, we've probably got to do it.' Basically the bad quality assurance of Skylake is responsible for them to actually go away from the platform."

There have been rumors suggesting Apple has an interest in Arm-based Macs for years now, but it was only on Monday that Apple confirmed the plan, satying it expects its first Mac with custom silicon to launch by the end of 2020.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes that a redesigned iMac due in the fourth quarter of 2020 will be one of Apple's first two Mac models with a custom Arm-based processor, with the other being a future 13-inch MacBook Pro.

Following Apple's announcement about its switch to custom silicon, Intel said it will continue supporting the Mac through its transition, but insisted that its processors are still the best option for developers.

Apple Silicon Macs will introduce a new system for accessing macOS recovery and security options at startup, Apple explained at a WWDC session on Wednesday.

Existing Macs include a number of macOS Recovery options at boot-up that are accessed using key combinations. For example, Command-R boots Macs in Recovery mode, and Command-Option-P-R resets the NVRAM. On ‌Apple Silicon‌ Macs, these key combinations are being replaced by an on-screen Startup Manager interface.

In the new system architecture, users can hold down the power button on their Mac to access the new startup screen, which features recovery options for reinstalling macOS, as well as options to boot as normal, shut down, and restart.

Apple is also replacing Target Disk Mode, which is used to transfer data between two Macs, with what's called Mac Sharing Mode. Mac Sharing Mode turns the system into an SMB file sharing server, providing another Mac with file-level access to user data. User authentication is required to access the service.

In addition, Startup Disk is a new feature that enables user to select different security modes for startup volumes. Full security, enabled by default, provides the same best-in-class security as enjoyed by Apple's iOS devices and let users boot from an external disk without reducing the security of the system.

Meanwhile, Reduced security mode provides more flexibility by allowing users to disable System Integrity Protection and run any version of macOS, including those that are no longer signed by Apple.

Lastly, ‌Apple Silicon‌ Macs run separate security policies for each OS installation, whereas Intel-based Macs operate on a less flexible system-wide security policy. For more details on this and the other new startup features, check out the full WWDC session on the Apple developer website.

Apple on Monday unveiled macOS Big Sur, the newest version of macOS that's going to be released in the fall. Named after Big Sur, California, renown for its scenery, the new update features a fresh, clean design along with some useful new features.

We went hands-on with macOS Big Sur in our latest YouTube video, giving MacRumors readers a first look at what the new software looks like.

macOS hasn't had a major interface overhaul for some time now, and macOS Big Sur is a welcome change, refining and improving on the existing design for a new look that's both fresh and familiar.

The menu bar is now more translucent and better blends with the wallpaper, and it's more customizable. There's a dedicated Control Center that provides access to WiFi, Bluetooth, AirDrop, Do Not Disturb, display brightness, volume level, and more, and you can customize it to your liking.

The Control Center is a major quality of life improvement in macOS, putting most of the settings and controls that you need just a click away while also streamlining the menu bar. Also new to the menu bar is a revamped battery icon that brings back the reading of how much time remaining you have on a battery charge, something that was removed way back in macOS Sierra.

Apple also added a whole new battery usage section to System Preferences so you can see how your battery has drained over the last 24 hours or the last 10 days.

Next to the Control Center, there's an upgraded Notification Center with new widgets that can be accessed by clicking on the right side of the menu bar. The new widgets look similar to the widgets in iOS 14, and are now available in multiple sizes and with a fresh design. Widgets are now grouped by app, which makes incoming notifications much easier to parse.

Throughout the operating system, Apple has added more rounded and refined corners, full-height translucent sidebars for apps, and redesigned icons. Icons for Apple apps are all now rounded square-shapes, for a neater Dock, and buttons and controls for apps appear when needed and disappear when not needed to put more focus on content.

Nothing in macOS Big Sur looks wildly different and there's nothing to relearn, but it does offer up a clean design that's a refreshing change of pace. Notably, a lot of the sounds in macOS have been refreshed, and Apple even brought back the startup chime that many Mac users have missed.

Safari received a major overhaul with a new customizable start page. You can choose your own wallpaper and choose what's displayed on the page, picking from options like frequently visited sites, Siri Suggestions, Reading List, iCloud Tabs, and more.

Apple is adding better support for extensions, which can be downloaded from a dedicated section of the Mac App Store. Extensions can be installed for every site, a single site, or a single site for a limited amount of time, giving you more control than ever over what extensions can do and see.

Privacy was a major focus in macOS Big Sur, as usual. Along with the deeper controls over extensions, Apple has added a Privacy Report and Privacy button that provide details on the trackers that different websites are serving up so you can see the data a website is attempting to learn about you.

Safari has a built-in translation feature that can automatically translate entire websites written in seven different languages, which is a handy option that will let people abandon add-on translators. Safari is also faster than ever, with Apple adding performance and efficiency improvements.

Messages for Mac is now a Catalyst app, which means that it adopts many of the features available in the iOS version of Messages. It supports all of the new iOS 14 Messages features like pinned conversations, mentions, and inline replies.

It also now works with some older functions like Message Effects, and there's a new Memoji creator so you can create Memoji and share Memoji stickers through the Mac Messages app. An all new search interface also makes it easier to find links, photos, and text from older conversations.

Like Messages, Maps has been updated to bring its functionality more in line with Maps for iOS. Cycling directions and routes with EV vehicles are available, as are Guides, a new feature for finding awesome spots to visit around you.

Maps now supports Look Around, it works with indoor maps for the first time, and Maps for Mac can be used to view shared ETAs so you can keep track of when friends and family will arrive at a location from the desktop.

The Photos app has new editing capabilities like a new Retouch tool, Home app improvements allow for face recognition for cameras, AirPods feature faster and more efficient automatic device switching, ‌Siri‌ can answer a wider range of questions, and there are some improvements coming to the ‌Mac App Store‌ that will make it easier to view and understand privacy policies.

There are tons of other smaller changes in macOS Big Sur, and we'll cover those in future videos and in our macOS Big Sur roundup, which will be updated with a full feature list later this week.

Big Sur is available for developers at the current time, but Apple also plans to make a beta available for public beta testers in July. macOS Big Sur will see a fall release alongside iOS 14, iPadOS 14, tvOS 14, and watchOS 7.

Apple allows Touch ID and Face ID to be used in lieu of a password to access sensitive apps like those for banking or password management, and in the future, ‌Face ID‌ and ‌Touch ID‌ will also be able to be used for authentication purposes when logging into a website.

Apple outlines the feature in a WWDC20 engineering session called "Meet ‌Face ID‌ and ‌Touch ID‌ for the web," which covers how web developers can use ‌Face ID‌ and ‌Touch ID‌ on their websites with the Web Authentication API.

An initial login on a website that supports the feature will require a username, passcode, and two-factor authentication code to be entered, but after that, ‌Face ID‌ or ‌Touch ID‌ can handle the login process. Signing in this way will require users to click on the sign in button, after which Safari will ask for confirmation. With the confirmation, a ‌Face ID‌ (or ‌Touch ID‌) scan is done, and the user is able to log in.

Apple says ‌Face ID‌ and ‌Touch ID‌ authentication is beneficial because it's frictionless, simple, and secure. The online session described it as "phishing resistant."

But more importantly, it is Phishing-resistant. Safari will only allow public credentials created by this API to be used within the Web site they were created, and the credential can never be exported out from the authenticater they were created in as well. This means that once a public credential has been provisioned, there is no way for a user to accidentally divulge it to another party. Cool right?! This is the overview of the Web Authentication standard.

Additional detail about the feature, including instructions on how web developers can enable it, can be found in the full video along with the accompanying resources.

Apple is introducing a new in-app purchase server notification system that lets developers know when a customer requests and receives a refund for an in-app purchase, allowing the developer to take an appropriate action, such as revoking the purchased item.

Developers are not involved in Apple's refund process, which is handled by the company. Prior to now, when a user requested and received a refund for an in-app purchase, developers were not notified about the refund, leading to situations where customers could get a refund for a purchase and keep the in-app purchase.

It also caused issues with customer support as there was no clear communication between Apple and the developer in respect to in-app purchases.

In iOS 14, when a customer receives a refund for an in-app purchase, developers will receive a server notification and updated receipts with canceled transactions. From there, the developer can alert the customer about the refund and take the appropriate steps to remove the content.

Apple says that these changes will give developers more control over customer interactions, making gameplay more fair for all players and protecting the app's economy. Apple believes the notification system will also make it clear to players who have used refunds in this way that there are repercussions for refunds and that items won't be able to be kept.

Apple's refund notification system is live for developers as of today, and more details can be found in Apple's "What's new with in-app purchases" session that's available on the Apple Developer website.

Apple is closing seven retail stores located in the Houston, Texas area, as coronavirus outbreaks in the state continue to climb.

Last week, Apple shuttered stores in Florida, Arizona, North Carolina, and South Carolina, with no details on when those stores might reopen.

In Texas, the following stores are closing on June 25, as noted by 9to5Mac: Highland Village, First Colony Mall, Houston Galleria, Memorial City, Willowbrook Mall, Baybrook, and the Woodlands.

Apple started reopening stores in the United States in May, and ahead of when the store closures restarted, more than 150 of the 271 stores in the United States had reopened. Coronavirus cases are climbing in some areas of the United States, however, leading Apple to reclose stores in affected areas.

When the first store openings started happening in May, Apple's retail chief Deirdre O'Brien said that Apple would only reopen stores when it is confident that it can safely serve customers.

Apple's decisions to close or reopen stores are based on data evaluation, such as local cases, near and long-term trends, and guidance from national and local health officials. At the time stores were reopened, O'Brien warned that Apple would not hesitate to close stores again if coronavirus cases spiked.

"These are not decisions we rush into - and a store opening in no way means that we won't take the preventative step of closing it again should local conditions warrant," O'Brien said.

Even as Apple prepares to close stores in Houston, Apple reopened several stores this week in Chicago, Colorado, Maryland, Minnesota, Virginia, and more.

In stores that have reopened, Apple is implementing safety measures that include mandatory masks, social distancing, frequent cleaning, temperature checks, and more. In some locations, stores are open only for repairs and curb-side pickup, while others are open but with a limited number of people allowed in at one time.

Apple this week announced that it will be switching to its own custom-designed processors for Macs starting later this year. As part of this transition, the company is allowing developers to apply for a modified Mac mini with an A12Z chip and 16GB of RAM to develop and test their apps on a Mac with Arm-based architecture.

While not too surprising, developers should be aware that this "Developer Transition Kit" is not eligible for repair at a Genius Bar or Apple Authorized Service Provider, according to an internal memo obtained by MacRumors. Instead, developers should contact Apple support, and the company will ship a replacement Mac mini if necessary.

Apple has many other strict rules in place for the A12Z-based Mac mini. For instance, developers are forbidden from disassembling the machine, running any benchmark tests on it, sharing it with others, or discussing it on social media.

Developers who are interested can apply for Apple's Universal App Quick Start Program at a cost of $500, and the Mac mini must be returned at the end.

Apple's digital only Worldwide Developers Conference is taking place this week. Monday was the keynote event, but Apple is hosting engineering sessions and sharing videos on the new software updates all week long.

There's quite a bit going on with the dozens of different sessions that developers can watch in the Apple Developer app or the Apple Developer website, so Apple has been providing bite-sized daily recaps with the important highlights.

The day two video, shared this morning, highlights WidgetKit, which will let developers create widgets that can be used in the Today view and on the Home Screen of the iPhone, and App Clips, small bits of an app you can experience for quick interactions without the need to download a full app.

It also covers creating expansive and dynamic interfaces for iPad apps, the new Accessibility features introduced in 2020, and a neat new feature that lets developers take advantage of hand and body pose detection for interacting with the ‌iPhone‌ without touching the display.

The video includes a sneak peek at upcoming sessions, which include CarPlay templates, speeding up test results, and a new Game Center experience.

Apple also shared a day 1 video in the same quick recap theme, going over key iOS 14, iPadOS 14, macOS Big Sur, and watchOS 7 features, as well as highlighting Apple's big chip announcement.

We'll be updating this article throughout the week as Apple shares additional recap videos pointing out notable new features and changes worth knowing about.

Update: Apple's day three video highlights new Game Center features, haptics for game controllers, App Clips, details on Apple Silicon Macs architecture, Car Key, and more.

Update 2: Apple's day four video looks at several topics including keyboard and mouse support for ‌iPad‌ games, ways to optimize Mac Catalyst apps, and more.

Game Center, a feature for tracking game progress and connecting gamers together for multiplayer gameplay experiences, has long been a part of iOS.

The feature was added to iOS 4 in 2010 and was a key part of gaming for a few years, but Apple nixed the Game Center app in 2016 with the release of iOS 10. Game Center has stuck around since then, but as more of a behind the scenes feature.

Apple's latest software releases revive Game Center, and there's a redesigned Game Center dashboard available on iOS, tvOS, and macOS that games can take advantage of.

Users are able to view their achievements, leaderboards, and Game Center profiles directly within various games through a new in-game dashboard in ‌Apple Arcade‌ games and through the updated Game Center section in the Settings app.

Game Center now offers up recurring leaderboards for current game rankings along with leaderboards for daily, weekly, and monthly competitions, plus a feature that lets users see their friends' game progress. Apple will also use Game Center in ‌Apple Arcade‌ to let users see what games are popular with their friends.

Apple is encouraging developers to set up leaderboards, add achievements, and opt in to the Game Center challenges feature for their apps.

‌Apple Arcade‌ is getting other feature updates, such as lists of achievements you can earn in games right on the game page, filters for finding new content, sneak peeks at upcoming games, and a continue playing feature that lets you launch the games you've recently played across your devices from the ‌Apple Arcade‌ tab.