MacRumors

Starting in iOS 14 and macOS Big Sur, developers will be able to add the capability to detect human body and hand poses in photos and videos to their apps using Apple's updated Vision framework, as explained in this WWDC 2020 session.

This functionality will allow apps to analyze the poses, movements, and gestures of people, enabling a wide variety of potential features. Apple provides some examples, including a fitness app that could automatically track the exercise a user performs, a safety-training app that could help employees use correct ergonomics, and a media-editing app that could find photos or videos based on pose similarity.

Hand pose detection in particular promises to deliver a new form of interaction with apps. Apple's demonstration showed a person holding their thumb and index finger together and then being able to draw in an iPhone app without touching the display.

Additionally, apps could use the framework to overlay emoji or graphics on a user's hands that mirror the specific gesture, such as a peace sign.

Another example is a camera app that automatically triggers photo capture when it detects the user making a specific hand gesture in the air.

The framework is capable of detecting multiple hands or bodies in one scene, but the algorithms might not work as well with people who are wearing gloves, bent over, facing upside down, or wearing overflowing or robe-like clothing. The algorithm can also experience difficulties if a person is close to edge of the screen or partially obstructed.

Similar functionality is already available through ARKit, but it is limited to augmented reality sessions and only works with the rear-facing camera on compatible iPhone and iPad models. With the updated Vision framework, developers have many more possibilities.

Earlier today, the anonymous Twitter account Mr. White leaked photos of what appears to be a new 20W power adapter for upcoming iPhone 12 models. And now, it appears that this charger has been certified in at least one country.

As spotted by MySmartPrice, a new USB-C power adapter with the same model identifier of A2305 shown in the leaked photo above has surfaced in an electronics certification database in Norway. The certification was issued on February 28, 2020.

Another power adapter with a model identifier of A2247 has also received certification in both Norway and Australia, but no further details are known.

Apple currently includes an 18W USB-C power adapter with iPhone 11 Pro models, while the iPhone 11 still ships with a slower 5W charger. It is unclear which iPhone 12 models the 20W power adapter would be bundled with.

Enterprise security software Fleetsmith is now part of Apple. Fleetsmith is a suite of management and security services that allows users to oversee a fleet of Apple products, automatically managing apps, settings, and security preferences while implementing best practices for IT and security.

Fleetsmith has always been focused on Apple products, and now Apple has purchased the company. Fleetsmith said that, "Our shared values of putting the customer at the center of everything we do without sacrificing privacy and security, means we can truly meet our mission, delivering Fleetsmith to businesses and institutions of all sizes, around the world."

Fleetsmith offers a free trial for up to 10 devices. Afterwards, you can opt for the free version of Fleetsmith or pay $8.25 per device per month for enhanced settings and more control over each device.

A new privacy feature in iOS 14 enables users to give an app access to a limited number of photos, instead of having to hand over the keys to their entire photo library.

The new app permissions feature was spotted in the iOS 14 beta by Benedict Evans, who shared a couple of screenshots of it in action.

When an app requests access to photos on a device, the user can now choose from three options: Select Photos…, Allow Access to All ‌Photos‌, or Don't Allow.

An iOS privacy awareness pane explains it like so:

Your photos and memories are personal. Apple's new privacy controls let you decide what photos and videos you share. When an app asks for permission to access your photo library, you have the choice to select specific items or allow access to all photos and videos.

The change is a nice improvement to the current binary option of either denying an app access to your photos or allowing it to get at your entire library of images. It should come in especially handy for when users want to give an app one-off access to a single photo, for example.

Apple has been keen to promote the new privacy features coming in iOS 14. Other iOS 14 privacy highlights covered at WWDC 2020 include the ability to give an app your approximate location instead of your precise location, App Store privacy lists for all apps, clipboard restrictions, and camera and microphone access attempt notifications.

Apple may ship some of its upcoming "iPhone 12" models with a 20-watt PD USB-C adapter, based on photos shared by leaker Mr White on Twitter.

In Apple's current crop of phones, the ‌iPhone‌ 11 Pro models come with an 18-watt USB-C fast charger, while the ‌iPhone‌ 11 comes with a 5-watt adapter, which is the same wattage as the charger that came with the original ‌iPhone‌ back in 2007. The 18-watt adapter is the first fast-charger that Apple included in an ‌iPhone‌ box.

Rumors have suggested Apple will complete its transition to an all-OLED lineup for this year's "‌iPhone‌ 12," with one new 5.4-inch device, two 6.1-inch models, and one 6.7-inch handset.

Rumors suggest the 6.7-inch ‌‌‌iPhone‌‌‌ and one 6.1-inch model will be higher-end OLED devices with triple-lens cameras. Going on last year's phones, these may be the ones coming with a 18-watt adapter.

On the other hand, Apple may choose to bring the faster charging adapter to its entire "‌iPhone‌ 12" lineup, but we probably won't know for sure until it drops in the fall.

Apple yesterday unveiled iOS 14, the newest version of the operating system designed for the iPhone, and we thought we'd go hands on with the new software to give MacRumors readers a sneak peek at all the features.

iOS 14 brings some useful new interface changes, including a revamped Home screen. Widgets have been redesigned, and for the first time, they can be dragged out of the Today center and placed right on the Home screen among your apps.

You can choose which widgets you want to use, which app page you want them on, and how big the widget should be, which makes widgets a whole lot more useful because they can be positioned front and center. Up to 10 widgets can be stacked up, and there's even a Smart Stack widget that will automatically display an appropriate widget based on ‌iPhone‌ usage and time of day.

Along with widgets, app pages can be hidden from the Home screen for a cleaner and more customizable look. All of your apps are still accessible thanks to a new App Library feature, which may be one of the best improvements in the update. Swipe all the way to the from right to left on the ‌iPhone‌ to see all of your apps organized into neat little folders.

You can search to find an app here, tap on a folder to see its entire contents, or check out the Suggestions folder where Apple makes app recommendations based on usage habits.

Siri in iOS 14 is smarter and can access more data sources to provide better answers to complex questions, but even better, ‌Siri‌ no longer takes up the entire ‌iPhone‌ display when activated.

There's an animated ‌Siri‌ icon that pops up at the bottom of the ‌iPhone‌ when you summon ‌Siri‌, and most ‌Siri‌ results also show up in smaller banners at the top of the screen, no longer interrupting what you're doing on your ‌iPhone‌. Ask for the weather, for example, and it shows up in a small, dismissible banner.

Apple also made another major quality of life improvement that users have been wanting for years now, and phone calls, FaceTime calls, VoIP calls, and more now show up as banners and don't take over the whole screen.

The Maps app received a major overhaul with cycling directions for bike riders and commuters. It features bike paths, lanes, and bike friendly roads, plus info on elevation and incline levels for avoiding stairs. For electric vehicles, there's now an option to create a route that includes charging stations.

Also new to Maps is a Guides feature that allows trusted brands and Apple partners to create guides highlighting notable attractions, places to eat, and more in various cities that you visit. You can create your own Guides too - it's the same as Collections from iOS 13, just with a new name.

The Weather app includes some features from Dark Sky, the app that Apple purchased back in March. It adds info on severe weather events, a next-hour precipitation chart, and minute-by-minute precipitation readings when rain is forecast, which is limited to the U.S. for now.

Apple added some great new features to the Messages app, many of which enhance group chats. Up to nine important conversations can be pinned to the top of Messages so you can keep an eye on the chats that matter most, and there's a new inline reply feature that lets you reply to a specific message in a standard chat or a group chat.

Mentions in Messages have been added, so if you want to get someone's attention in a group chat, you can @mention them with their name and it'll pop up a notification even if they have the group chat muted because it's noisy. There are also new options for choosing images for groups, with emojis and Memoji icons.

Speaking of Memoji, Apple added new Memoji customization options. You can select new hair styles, headwear, or masks, and there are more age options. New Memoji stickers are available for hug, fist bump, and blush.

Apple made an improvement to emoji too, adding a much needed search feature. When you bring up the emoji interface there's now a search bar at the top so you can find a specific emoji by keyword.

A brand new Translate app expands on ‌Siri‌'s translate features in iOS 13, allowing you to type or speak text to have it translated to and from 11 languages that include Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish.

Languages can be downloaded for on-device translation, and ‌Siri‌ can speak your translations for you. Pop the ‌iPhone‌ into landscape mode and it enters what Apple calls "Conversation Mode." In this mode, the app listens for either of the two languages it's set to, translating between each one so you can have a conversation with someone in another language.

Apple's long rumored Car Key feature was unveiled alongside iOS 14, but it'll ultimately work with devices running iOS 14 and iOS 13. Car Key lets your ‌iPhone‌ or Apple Watch be used in lieu of a physical key to lock, unlock, and start a car using NFC. It has some neat new features like sharing keys over Messages, and in the future, it's going to work without the need to even take your ‌iPhone‌ out of your pocket. Car Key needs to be implemented by car manufacturers and it's coming first to the BMW 5 Series next month.

There are a lot more features in iOS 14, including tons of smaller changes, which we'll be covering in future videos. For more on what's new, you can also check out our iOS 14 roundup, which is in the process of being updated and will include a super detailed look at all of the changes introduced in iOS 14.

Later this week, we'll have separate first look videos available for macOS Big Sur, iPadOS 14, and watchOS 7, so keep an eye out for those.

Apple yesterday announced plans to build future Macs with its own custom silicon chips, and to ease the transition away from Intel processors, Apple revived the "Rosetta" feature that allowed PowerPC apps to run on Intel processors during the PowerPC to Intel transition.

Now revived, Rosetta will allow users to run apps that contain x86_64 instructions on Apple silicon, which means Intel-based apps will continue to work on Macs using custom Apple chips.

Rosetta is meant to provide developers with time to create native versions of apps, and there are a few limitations that are worth noting. As outlined in developer documentation shared this week, while Rosetta will be able to translate most Intel-based apps, it will not work with Virtual Machine apps that virtualize x86_64 computer platforms.

That means Apple's future Macs with Apple-designed chips will not natively support running current versions of software like VMWare or Parallels to run x86 Windows within the virtualization software. Other native solutions may appear, but will require efforts from 3rd party developers.

Right now, Macs have a Boot Camp feature that allows Windows to be run on them, but Apple has announced no similar feature for Macs equipped with Apple silicon. Kernel extensions also aren't able to be translated by Rosetta.

Rosetta can translate most Intel-based apps, including apps that contain just-in-time (JIT) compilers. However, Rosetta doesn't translate the following executables:

- Kernel extensions
- Virtual Machine apps that virtualize x86_64 computer platforms

Rosetta translates all x86_64 instructions, but it doesn't support the execution of some newer instruction sets and processor features, such as AVX, AVX2, and AVX512 vector instructions. If you include these newer instructions in your code, execute them only after verifying that they are available. For example, to determine if AVX512 vector instructions are available, use the sysctlbyname function to check the hw.optional.avx512f attribute.

Along with Rosetta, Apple has launched a new Universal App Quick Start Program for developers, which provides "tools, resources, and support" for testing and optimizing universal apps for macOS Big Sur.

Developers can apply to participate in the program, which provides a Developer Transition Kit that looks similar to a Mac mini but is equipped with an A12Z Bionic chip from the iPad Pro as well as 16GB RAM and a 512GB SSD, among other features.

The DTK will allow developers to begin creating apps that work with both Intel chips and Apple silicon, while Rosetta will provide support during the transitionary period. Apple said it will introduce the first Mac with a custom chip in 2020, and that it would take two years to transition the entire Mac lineup to its own chips.

More information on Rosetta, how it works, and the exclusions can be found on Apple's developer website.

Apple today shared a video with more details about the availability of iPhone and iPad apps on future Macs with custom Apple processors.

Macs with custom Apple processors will share the same Arm architecture as iPhones and iPads, meaning that they will be able to run many iOS and iPadOS apps without any modifications or recompilation. Like traditional Mac apps, these iPhone and iPad apps will be distributed through the Mac App Store, with in-app purchase options carrying over.

A notice in Apple's developer portal says that all new and existing compatible iPhone and iPad apps will be made available in the Mac App Store on Macs with Apple silicon, unless developers uncheck the "iOS App on Mac" box in App Store Connect. There is no obligation for developers to extend their iPhone and iPad apps to the Mac.

Following years of rumors, Apple confirmed its plans to switch to custom processors for Macs during its WWDC keynote this week, promising industry-leading performance per watt. Apple said it plans to ship the first Mac with its own silicon by the end of the year and complete the transition in about two years.

Apple said that it will continue to support and release new versions of macOS for Intel-based Macs for years to come, and it also confirmed that it still has some new Intel-based Macs in development in the interim.

During normal WWDC events, Apple often hosts a WWDC Bash for developers with a musical guest. In 2019, for example, Weezer performed at Discovery Meadow in San Jose, with Apple providing food and drinks.

The 2020 WWDC event is digital only with no in person gathering, so rather than offering a Bash, Apple has put together a WWDC20 playlist that developers can listen to.

Available on Apple Music, the playlist features artists like Glass Animals, Alicia Keys, Aurora, The Killers, and more.

Apple is also adding a new "Music to Code to" series that features multi-hour playlists with different musical styles and genres. The announcement article has highlights from developers who like to listen to music while coding, such as MacStories' Federico Vittici, who developed a MusicBot shortcut to speed up Music app interactions.

Others, like writer and Shortcuts developer Federico Viticci, have built entire projects around a love of music. In 2019, the Italian native designed and built a shortcut, MusicBot, that helps people listen to more of their library and speed up common Music app interactions.

"When developing MusicBot, I needed to test it with data that was easy to find in my music library," he told us. Viticci's choice: His "all-time favorite band," Oasis, whose myriad albums provided plenty of testing material.

The new playlist options are rolling out on Apple Music as of today.

Introduced last year, the U1 chip in iPhone 11 models enables Ultra Wideband support for improved spatial awareness, but Apple has so far only used the technology to power a directional AirDrop feature in iOS 13.

In the upcoming months, that should change, as Apple has announced that it is opening up its U1 chip to developers with a new "Nearby Interaction" framework for iOS 14. This framework can stream distance and relative direction between U1-equipped devices, paving the way for some interesting new spatial-related user experiences.

Apple provides some examples:

• A multiuser AR experience places virtual water balloons in the hands of its participants
• A taxi or rideshare app employs a peer user's direction in real time to identify the relative locations of a driver and a customer
• A game app enables a user to control a paddle with their device and respond to a moving ball on the peer user's screen

"Nearby Interaction" will function on an opt-in basis, with users having to grant permission for their iPhone to find and be found by nearby devices each time they open an app that incorporates the framework. Random identifiers are generated for each session.

In its video overview of the framework, Apple noted that both iPhones should be in portrait orientation to ensure accurate measurement of distance and direction. If one iPhone is in portrait orientation and the other is in landscape, this could limit the measurement capabilities, as can walls, people, pets, objects, and other obstacles between the devices.

Apple has added "Nearby Interaction" support to its Simulator tool within Xcode 12 so that developers can experiment with the framework.

Apple today released a new firmware update for the AirPods Pro, upgrading the existing 2D15 firmware to 2D27.

No details are available on what's included in the refreshed firmware at this time, but there have been ongoing complaints from AirPods Pro users about issues with Active Noise Cancellation and crackling or popping sounds.

Apple is also adding a new spatial audio feature to the AirPods Pro in iOS 14, so there's a chance the firmware update is related to that new option. Spatial audio essentially provides surround sound using advanced motion tracking and device location techniques.

There's no clear cut way to upgrade the firmware of the AirPods Pro, with the new firmware installed over-the-air while the AirPods are connected to an iOS device. Putting the ‌‌AirPods‌‌ in the case, connecting the ‌‌AirPods‌‌ to a power source, and then pairing the ‌‌AirPods‌‌ to an iPhone or an iPad should force the update after a short period of time.

You can check your AirPods Pro firmware by following these steps:

• Make sure the ‌‌AirPods‌‌ are connected to your iOS device.
• Open the Settings app.
• Tap General.
• Tap About.
• Tap ‌‌AirPods‌‌.
• Look at the number next to "Firmware Version."

It's been over a month since Apple released the 2D15 firmware, and there were mixed reports about whether that update helped with some of the issues that people have been experiencing.

‌AirPods Pro‌ firmware updates often include performance improvements, bug fixes, and feature tweaks, but we may not find out what's new for some time as Apple does not provide any kind of release notes for ‌‌AirPods‌ updates.

macOS Big Sur does away with the "Energy Saver" section of System Preferences, replacing it with a new "Battery" section that expands the battery reporting capabilities of the Mac.

A new Usage History feature provides details on the Mac's battery life over the course of the last 24 hours or the last 10 days, broken down into Battery Level and Screen On Usage so you can see how your battery is performing.

There does not appear to be a detailed rundown on which apps used the battery the most as there is on iOS, but it does provide a better look at how the battery is being consumed over time.

Along with the Usage History section, there are Battery and Power Adapter sections that replace the functionality that was previously available through Energy Saver. You can choose when to turn the display off, enable or disable power nap, and more, with the settings split for battery usage and usage when connected to power. The schedule feature is also present.

In the menu bar, clicking the battery icon now provides an estimate of remaining battery life, a feature that was removed from macOS Sierra back in 2016. At the time, Apple said that the battery life indicator in macOS Sierra was inaccurate and led to confusion about battery performance.

The menu bar battery icon also displays apps that are using significant energy, as in macOS Catalina, and it provides an option for opening up Battery Preferences. There does not appear to be an option to display current battery life percentage right in the menu bar, however.

macOS Big Sur is limited to developers at the current time, but Apple plans to make a public beta available this July ahead of when the software sees a full release in the fall.

Apple in iOS 14 added an Optimized Battery Charging feature for the AirPods, which is designed to preserve the battery of the AirPods to maximize longevity.

The new AirPods charging feature lets the AirPods learn a person's daily charging routine, and will wait to finish charging past 80 percent until they're needed.

So, for example, if the AirPods are charged at night while you sleep, the optimization feature might charge them up to 80 percent right away, but wait until an hour or so before you wake up to charge the remaining 20 percent.

Apple uses a similar battery health optimization system for iPhones and Macs to extend the total battery life of the devices. Avoiding topping up a lithium ion battery continually while it sits on the charger reduces the amount of time that a device spends at maximum capacity, and over a long period of time, this better preserves the health of your battery.

Optimized Battery Charging was added to the iPhone in iOS 13 and a similar Battery Health Management feature was added to macOS in macOS Catalina 10.15.5.

iOS 14 is better about letting you know when your iPhone accessories are charged or need charging, and there is a new feature that sends a notification when a connected Apple Watch has finished charging.

The new charged notification is a useful feature for the Apple Watch's Sleep app, which lets users wear the Apple Watch at night for sleep tracking purposes.

The Apple Watch can't be charged while it's worn at night, of course, so after waking up, it will need to be placed on the charger if the battery is getting low. The notification feature will let users pull their Apple Watches off the charger as soon as charging is finished to go about their day.

Apple doesn't list the Apple Watch charging notification feature on its website, but it does highlight one other battery life notification for AirPods. When the AirPods battery begins to run low, iOS users will receive a notification letting them know that it's about time to charge.

There are dozens of other smaller features and tweaks in iOS 14, and we've got a list of everything interesting that we've found so far in our tidbits article.

(Thanks, Chris!)