DisplayPort 2.0 has a max effective bandwidth of 77.4 Gbps, nearly triple that of DisplayPort 1.4, enabling support for displays with up to 16K resolution, higher refresh rates, HDR support at higher resolutions, improved support for multiple display configurations, and more.
The increased bandwidth is the result of VESA leveraging Thunderbolt 3's physical layer. DisplayPort 2.0 is the first standard to support 8K resolution at a 60Hz refresh rate with full-color 4:4:4 resolution and HDR-10 support.
DisplayPort 2.0 configuration examples via DisplayPort, USB-C, or Thunderbolt 3 ports, which will all support the new specification:
Single display resolutions - One 16K (15360x8460) display @60Hz and 30 bpp 4:4:4 HDR (with DSC) - One 10K (10240x4320) display @60Hz and 24 bpp 4:4:4 (no compression)
Dual display resolutions - Two 8K (7680x4320) displays @120Hz and 30 bpp 4:4:4 HDR (with DSC) - Two 4K (3840x2160) displays @144Hz and 24 bpp 4:4:4 (no compression)
Triple display resolutions - Three 10K (10240x4320) displays @60Hz and 30 bpp 4:4:4 HDR (with DSC) - Three 4K (3840x2160) displays @90Hz and 30 bpp 4:4:4 HDR (no compression)
DisplayPort 2.0 also supports VESA's new Panel Replay capability for improved power efficiency when connecting to high-resolution displays.
VESA has made the DisplayPort 2.0 specification available to manufacturers and expects the first products incorporating the standard to appear on the market by late 2020. DisplayPort 2.0 is backward compatible with previous versions of the standard and incorporates all of the key features of DisplayPort 1.4a.
DisplayPort 2.0 will certainly be beneficial to Apple's high-resolution products like the upcoming Pro Display XDR, and it will likely be supported on future Macs, but it is unclear when the company will adopt the standard.
Apple today announced a Democratic presidential candidate guide for Apple News, offering users what it describes as "a timely, trusted and comprehensive look at the 20 individuals participating in the first Democratic debates."
Curated by a team of Apple News editors, the guide aims to be a one-stop shop for learning about each candidate and their policies, with information drawn from sources including ABC News, Axios, CNN, Fox News, NBC News, Politico, The Hill, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, TIME, USA Today, Vox and others.
"The 2020 Democratic field is complex, and we want to offer Apple News readers a trusted place to learn more about candidates they're familiar with and those they may be hearing about for the first time," said Lauren Kern, editor-in-chief of Apple News. "The candidate guide in Apple News is a robust and reliable resource, connecting readers to valuable at-a-glance information and to great journalism from our partners."
The section will allow users to read about the candidates' biographies and experience, as well as notable moments and quotes, current positions on key issues, and videos, photos and recent coverage from a range of news sources.
In addition, Apple News will feature updates from the debate, with articles and video highlights from NBC News, including fact checking, reactions and key onstage moments and takeaways.
The Democratic debates are set to be hosted by NBC News, MSNBC and Telemundo in Miami, Florida, on June 26 and 27. Apple says the candidate guide will feature in the Top Stories section of the News app on iPhone, iPad and Mac from today, with continuous updates throughout the primary campaign.
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.
Chinese mobile maker Oppo today unveiled its solution to the ubiquitous smartphone display notch – the "word's first" Under-Screen Camera (USC).
The fullscreen display-enabling technology was demonstrated to the public at Shanghai's Mobile World Congress, following a teaser earlier this month.
According to Oppo, the selfie camera is embedded under a section of the display that's made of a highly transparent custom material with a special pixel structure, which enables light to pass through to the lens.
The selfie camera is also said to be larger than other front-facing cameras, featuring a wider aperture lens in front of the sensor.
The company has already admitted that putting a camera under the screen will make it harder to match the quality of an unobstructed smartphone camera.
To compensate, however, Oppo said it has developed software algorithms that address haze, glare, and color cast issues, resulting in pictures that are "on par with mainstream devices."
We won't know how accurate that claim is until the tech hits the market, and it's still not clear exactly when the under-screen camera will debut in a consumer product, but the company says it plans to launch a device featuring its USC "in the near future."
This isn't the first time Oppo has tried to innovate in the mobile camera space. The company in February introduced a 10x optical zoom camera system for smartphones, and just last month unveiled its latest flagship OnePlus 7 Pro phone, which features a bezel-free display and pop-up selfie camera.
Apple's 2019 iPhones are widely expected to include a triple rear camera system featuring wide, telephoto, and ultra-wide lenses. The display notch, which houses Apple's TrueDepth camera and Face ID tech, will almost certainly remain.
Apple Pay is officially going live in 13 additional countries today, including Greece, Portugal, Romania, and Slovakia, bringing Apple's mobile payment system to millions more users across Europe.
In Slovakia, for example, users can already load cards onto their Apple Wallet from Boon, Edenred, J&T Banka, Monese, N26, Revolut, Slovenska sporitelna, Tatra banka, and mBank.
It's a similar story in many more countries, based on screenshots posted by Apple users on social media this morning.
Apple Pay now also appears to support a number of popular bank cards across Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, Greece, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Malta, Portugal, Romania, and Slovenia.
Apple Pay has been gradually expanding across Europe and the Middle East, launching in Poland, Norway, Kazakhstan, Belgium, Germany, Czech Republic, Saudi Arabia, Austria, and Iceland over the last year.
The mobile payment system allows iPhone 6, 6s, 6, 7, 8, 6 Plus, 6s Plus, 7 Plus, 8 Plus, SE, X, XS, XS Max, and XR users to make payments for goods and services in retail stores using an NFC chip built into their iPhones.
Apple CEO Tim Cook said in March that Apple Pay would be available in more than 40 countries and regions by the end of 2019, although Apple's website has yet to be updated with the full list. Apple Pay first launched in the United States in October 2014. You can view the full list of Apple Pay countries and regions on Apple’s website.
Update:Sparkassen and Volksbanken banks in Germany will also support Apple Pay later this year. (Thanks, Kai!)
Apple purchased Drive.ai, an autonomous driving startup based out of Mountain View, the company confirmed to Axios today.
Apple has hired dozens of Drive.ai engineers, and Drive.ai has ceased all operations over the course of the last few weeks.
Rumors in early June suggested Apple was in the process of acquiring Drive.ai to boost its in-house development of a self-driving vehicle system.
The deal at the time was described as an acqui-hire, suggesting Apple was interested in the company for its employees rather than its technology.
Drive.ai was first founded in 2015 by a group of Stanford University students, and launched a self-driving shuttle service in select cities in Texas. The company ran into difficulties, however, and sought out a buyer, which turned out to be Apple.
There's no word on the purchase price, but Axios says Apple has taken on new hires in the areas of engineering and product design.
Rumors have suggested that as part of its self-driving car efforts, Apple is working on a self-driving campus shuttle service to drive employees between the company's various Bay Area offices.
Apple's Drive.ai acquisition confirms that work on the Apple Car project is still underway. Apple in February laid off 190 employees in its self-driving car division as part of a restructuring effort.
The 49WL95C display is similar to the 49-inch U4919DW Dell monitor that we took a look at earlier this year, and which turned out to be popular with MacRumors readers. Like the Dell monitor, the LG 49WL95C features thin bezels, a massive screen size and a deep curve.
There's an ambient light sensor at the top of the display, along with 10W speakers at the bottom of the monitor that are surprisingly loud. Adjustments can be made using the controls on the back of the right side, which is also where you'll find two USB-A ports and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
At the back, there's a single USB-C port that offers up to 80W of power for charging a MacBook, 2 HDMI ports, a DisplayPort, two additional USB-A ports, and a port for plugging in a power cable. The display has a built-in power supply, which means there's no bulky power brick to deal with, a definite plus.
The display's stand offers up full tilt, height, and swivel support, and we were impressed with the stand's build quality. It's a heavy duty stand, which is necessary since the monitor weighs in at 28 pounds. This is a huge monitor and will require a deep desk or a mounting solution to use.
It's important to note that the 49WL95C is a 5K display (5120 x 1440), but it's not a true 5K resolution. Instead, it's a 32:9 dual QHD setup with a resolution of 2560 x 1440.
LG designed the display with the expectation that buyers will be using it with multiple windows open at a time or two full screen apps rather than a single app taking up the entire 49 inches of display real estate.
You're not going to want to use this kind of display for gaming (due to the limited 60Hz refresh rate and no support for AMD's FreeSync or Nvidia's G-Sync), but it's good for those who currently use two 27-inch monitors and want something a little more seamless.
We tested the 49WL95C with a 2018 15-inch MacBook Pro, and we're not sure it's the best purchase for MacBook users. On a MacBook Pro (and a 2018 MacBook Air we also tested with) the maximum resolution we were able to get was 3480 x 1080p, which doesn't look great on such a massive display. Text, images, and other user interface elements just aren't crisp with the 1080p vertical resolution.
We tried a USB-C cable, a DisplayPort to USB-C cable, a Thunderbolt 3 dock, and an eGPU and weren't able to get the full 5120 x 1440 resolution. With an iMac Pro, though, we were able to run the display at full resolution over USB-C. It's probably also going to work well with the 2013 Mac Pro (or one of the new 2019 Mac Pro models, of course), but for Mac notebooks, we don't recommend it.
There have been other reports from Mac users who have also been unable to get the display to work at full resolution with their machines, while others have had no trouble at all, so it's not entirely clear what's going on.
There could be a graphics driver or other issue specific to similar Mac models preventing them from supporting the 5120 x 1440 resolution. If you have a Windows PC though, it works great. We had no problems with the Surface Book 2.
Let us know what you think of the 49WL95C display, and if you have one, whether you've been able to get it to run at the full resolution on a MacBook Pro or a MacBook Air.
Apple released a public beta of iPadOS for compatible iPad models, enabling users who aren't signed up for the Apple Developer Program to test the software update ahead of its official release in the fall.
iPadOS is a rebranded version of iOS 13 specially made for iPads, with extra features designed to take advantage of larger tablet displays. It includes an updated Home screen, improved multitasking functionality, new Apple Pencil functionality, support for external drives, folder sharing in Files, text editing improvements, and all of the other new changes in iOS 13.
With that said, bear in mind that iPadOS is pre-release software, so installing the public beta on a secondary device is highly recommended. The stability of beta software cannot be guaranteed, as it often contains bugs and issues that have yet to be ironed out, so installing it on your day-to-day device isn't advised.
Is iPadOS Compatible With My iPad?
Apple's list of compatible devices confirms that iPadOS is compatible with all of these iPad models:
Installing the Public Beta shouldn't take longer than half an hour, but first you should create a backup of your device's contents and settings by following the step-by-step instructions below.
How to Create a Backup of Your iPad in iTunes
Connect your iPad to a Mac or PC using a Lightning to USB cable or a USB-C to USB cable, depending on the model.
Open iTunes.
Click the device icon in the top-left menu and select your iPad.
Under Backups, click This computer.
Tick the Encrypt local backup checkbox if you want to securely back up your login credentials and any Health and HomeKit data.
Click Back Up Now.
Click iTunes -> Preferences… in the macOS menu bar.
Click the Devices tab.
Right-click (or Ctrl-click) the new backup, and select Archive from the contextual dropdown menu.
How to Enroll in the Apple Beta Software Program
Now that you've backed up your device, you're ready to download the iPadOS Public Beta. To do so, you must enroll your iPad in the free Apple Beta Software Program.
Tap the Sign up button, or sign in if you're already a member.
Enter your Apple ID credentials and tap the Sign in button.
Agree to the Apple Beta Software Program terms and conditions if necessary.
A Guide for Public Betas screen will appear. Select the iPadOS tab, scroll down to the Get Started section and tap enroll your iOS device.
On the Enroll Your Devices screen, with the iPadOS tab selected, scroll down and tap the Download profile button.
Tap Allow at the profile prompt.
Launch the Settings app on your iOS device and then tap Profile Downloaded below your Apple ID banner.
Tap Install and follow the prompts to install the iOS Beta Software Profile.
Restart your device after installing the profile by tapping the restart popup.
How to Install the iPadOS Public Beta
Once you're enrolled in the Apple Beta Software Program, you can install the iPadOS Public Beta on your iOS device just as you would a regular software update.
Launch the Settings app on your iPad.
Tap General -> Software Update.
Tap Download and Install.
Tap Install Now.
If you come across any issues installing the iPadOS Public Beta, it may help to clear any previous profiles lingering on your device. You can find these in the Settings app under General -> Profile.
Intel is planning to auction off its portfolio of patents related to cellular wireless connectivity, according to a new report from IAM.
Intel's upcoming auction follows the company's April decision to exit the 5G smartphone modem business. Intel stopped work on 5G modem technology after Apple and Qualcomm reached a settlement and a supply agreement that will see Qualcomm providing 5G modem chips for future iPhones.
Multiple rumors have suggested Apple and Intel have held talks about Apple's potential purchase of Intel's German modem unit. The two were in talks as early as this month, with Intel planning to sell its modem business off in pieces.
Intel is aiming to sell off 8,500 assets from its patent portfolio, including 6,000 patents related to 3G, 4G, and 5G cellular standards and an additional 1,700 patents on wireless implementation technologies.
The auction that Intel has planned is separate from its efforts to sell its smartphone modem business, though IAM speculates that an interested buyer could potentially pick up both. It's also possible that a group of companies could band together to purchase the patents that are up for grabs.
It could be that Intel's decision to sell its portfolio is part of a strategy to drum up interest in the modem business as a whole. There is no indication yet that Intel has ruled out selling the patent assets to a non-practising entity, which might encourage a group of operating companies to band together to take the assets off the assertion market.
Should Apple purchase either Intel's patent business, Intel's patents, or both, it would give the Cupertino company a leg up in its own mobile chip development. Apple is working on creating its own line of modem chips to reduce reliance on suppliers like Qualcomm, but it will be several years yet before Apple's own chips are ready to be used in iPhones and other devices.
Apple today updated its line of iWork apps for iOS and macOS, bringing new features to Pages, Keynote, and Numbers on both iOS devices and Macs.
All of the apps have a new feature designed to let you style text by filling it with gradients or images, or by applying new outline styles. Images, shapes, and equations can be placed inline in text boxes so they move with text, and using face detection features, subjects in photos are intelligently positioned in placeholders and objects.
In Pages, Apple added new templates for novels, and the option to reapply text to a master page so text and placeholders return to their default style and position. Release notes for Pages are below:
iOS Version:
- Style your text by filling it with gradients or images, or by applying new outline styles. - Customize lists by choosing from new bullet types, changing the size and color of bullets, creating custom bullets, adjusting indentation levels, and more. - Choose Learn Spelling to add a word to the spelling dictionary. - Create links from text to other pages in a page layout document. - Copy and paste pages or sections between documents. - Use new chart editing capabilities to change the style of individual series, adjust spacing between columns, add trendlines, and more. - Adjust the appearance of cell borders in tables. - Place images, shapes, and equations inline in text boxes so they move with text. - Choose whether Apple Pencil is used to start drawing or to select and scroll -- or toggle between these options via double-tap using a supported Apple Pencil. - Using face detection, subjects in photos are intelligently positioned in placeholders and objects. - Reapply a master page so text and media placeholders return to their default style and position. - Create books using new templates for novels (available in English only).
macOS Version:
- Style your text by filling it with gradients or images, or by applying new outline styles. - Create links from text to other pages in a page layout document. - Copy and paste pages or sections between documents. - Place images, shapes, and equations inline in text boxes so they move with text. - Using face detection, subjects in photos are intelligently positioned in placeholders and objects. - Reapply a master page so text and media placeholders return to their default style and position. - Create books using new templates for novels (available in English only).
Keynote for iOS and macOS has a new feature for editing master slides while collaborating on a presentation, while Keynote for iOS specifically has options like customizing lists with new bullet types, selecting what the Apple Pencil can do, and more. Release notes for Keynote are below:
iOS Version:
- Edit master slides while collaborating on a presentation. - Place images, shapes, and equations inline in text boxes so they move with text. - Style your text by filling it with gradients or images, or by applying new outline styles. - Use new chart editing capabilities to change the style of individual series, adjust spacing between columns, add trendlines, and more. - Using face detection, subjects in photos are intelligently positioned in placeholders and objects. - Adjust the appearance of cell borders in tables. - Choose whether Apple Pencil is used to start drawing or to select and scroll -- or toggle between these options via double-tap using a supported Apple Pencil. - Customize lists by choosing from new bullet types, changing the size and color of bullets, creating custom bullets, adjusting indentation levels, and more. - Choose Learn Spelling to add a word to the spelling dictionary.
macOS Version:
- Edit master slides while collaborating on a presentation. - Style your text by filling it with gradients or images, or by applying new outline styles. - Place images, shapes, and equations inline in text boxes so they move with text. - Using face detection, subjects in photos are intelligently positioned in placeholders and objects.
Numbers for Mac and iOS offers improved performance while editing and sorting tables and the option to add rows to filtered tables. For iOS, there are Apple Pencil options and customizable lists. Release notes for Numbers are below:
iOS Version:
- Greatly improved accuracy using the enhanced 128-bit calculation engine. - Style your text by filling it with gradients or images, or by applying new outline styles. - Create links from text to other sheets in a spreadsheet. - Add rows to filtered tables. - Use new chart editing capabilities to change the style of individual series, adjust spacing between columns, add trendlines, and more. - Adjust the appearance of cell borders in tables. - Place images, shapes, and equations inline in text boxes so they move with text. - Using face detection, subjects in photos are intelligently positioned in placeholders and objects. - Choose whether Apple Pencil is used to start drawing or to select and scroll -- or toggle between these options via double-tap using a supported Apple Pencil. - Customize lists by choosing from new bullet types, changing the size and color of bullets, creating custom bullets, adjusting indentation levels, and more. - Choose Learn Spelling to add a word to the spelling dictionary.
macOS Version:
- Greatly improved accuracy using the enhanced 128-bit calculation engine. - Style your text by filling it with gradients or images, or by applying new outline styles. - Create links from text to other sheets in a spreadsheet. - Place images, shapes, and equations inline in text boxes so they move with text. - Using face detection, subjects in photos are intelligently positioned in placeholders and objects. - Improved performance while editing and sorting tables. - Add rows to filtered tables.
All of the new updates are available from the iOS App Store and macOS App Store as of this morning.
Apple has explored the idea of adding a camera to the Apple Watch, although not in the way one might expect.
MacRumors mockup of Apple Watch with camera band
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office today granted Apple a patent that describes an Apple Watch band with a camera or optical sensor affixed to the end of it. This would enable the Apple Watch to capture photos and video, with the Apple Watch's display serving as the viewfinder.
The band would be made with flexible materials, like many current bands, allowing the user to bend or twist it to aim the camera. Apple's patent includes various illustrations of how the band and camera could be positioned, including one where the camera hovers just above the Apple Watch's display.
A camera on the Apple Watch could enable basic photo capturing and FaceTime calls on the wrist. The patent also describes the possibility of multiple optical sensors, suggesting that a future Apple Watch band could have both front and rear cameras, allowing users to switch between views like on the iPhone.
Apple filed the patent application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on September 16, 2016, a week after it unveiled Apple Watch Series 2 models. While both Series 3 and Series 4 models have launched without camera bands since then, Apple could certainly move forward with the idea in future models.
Apple files numerous patent applications every week, however, and many of the inventions do not see the light of day. Patents are also very detailed, encompassing many possible ideas, even ones that Apple might not have any plans to advance. So, the exact implementation if any remains to be seen.
Over the years, rumors have come and gone about the Apple Watch gaining a front-facing camera in the bezel above its display, but this has never come to fruition, perhaps because of the limited internal space available inside the device. A camera watch band is just one potential solution to that problem.
For the last few years, Amazon has been hosting an epic Prime Day sale that offers up deals and discounts on a huge range of products.
This year, Prime Day is actually going to take place over two days, kicking off at midnight on July 15 and lasting through July 16. Last year's Prime Day ultimately lasted 36 hours, but 48 hours will be the longest Prime Day event to date.
Amazon has some Prime Day event previews on its website, and Prime Day itself will include discounts on everything from tech products to home products, clothing, toys, and more. Amazon is also highlighting products launching on Amazon on Prime Day, such as the Mophie Juice Pack Air.
When Prime Day kicks off, Amazon's website will be filled with lightning deals that kick off at different times over the course of the day, with the available products rotating over time. Lightning deals last for as long as stock lasts, and some of the better deals can go quick.
Last year, we did a live blog covering all of the best Apple-related deals available during Amazon's Prime Day, and we plan to do similar coverage this year so make sure to tune in to MacRumors on July 15 and 16 for help sorting through all of the sales.
Prime Day sales are designed for Amazon Prime members, and a Prime membership is required to get the deals. Prime Day discounts will be available to Amazon customers in the United States, UK, Italy, India, Germany, France, China, Canada, Australia, Belgium, UAE, Austria, Spain, Singapore, and the Netherlands.
Initial betas of macOS Catalina can only open the previously selected iTunes library on your Mac prior to updating, according to Apple. Before you install the macOS Catalina beta, choose the iTunes library that you want to use by fully closing iTunes and reopening it while holding down the Option key.
Apple split iTunes into three apps on macOS Catalina: Music, TV, and Podcasts. The iTunes library that you choose will be the one that opens in the beta versions of Music, TV, and Podcasts on macOS Catalina. Your other music files, media, and additional iTunes libraries will remain wherever you have saved them.
Apple's support document suggests that multiple iTunes libraries will be supported in the general release of macOS Catalina this fall.
iTunes has long allowed users to have multiple libraries. Borrowing Apple's examples, you could have a library of holiday music that would not appear in iTunes the rest of the year, or you could keep your music in a library on your computer and your movies in a library on an external storage device.
Twelve South today announced its latest HiRise accessory, called the "HiRise Wireless," and it's available to purchase now on Twelve South's website. The new accessory is a multi-purpose wireless charging stand with two distinct positions: you can charge your iPhone upright in a traditional stand position, or pop out the Qi-certified Power Disc for a miniature device that's perfectly sized to charge AirPods, or to bring with you when you travel.
The Power Disc is also USB-C compatible, so that when you bring it on a trip you can leave the included power cord at home and use the USB-C cable that comes with the latest MacBook and iPad Pro models to charge your iPhone or AirPods on the mat. Twelve South built the accessory with size in mind, ensuring that it has a small footprint in both charging positions: the main base of the accessory measures 3.5 inches across all sides, while the Power Disc is an oval that measures 3.5 inches by 2.5 inches.
Design
I've had a chance to use the new HiRise Wireless stand over the course of the past week, and it's quickly replaced the previous Choetech wireless charging stand I had next to my iMac. The design of the accessory matches the quality of Twelve South's previous HiRise products, with a soft-touch leather padding that looks nice alongside the device's chrome detailing.
The HiRise Wireless is reliably sturdy, and there's a small bump on the base to keep your iPhone upright when it's charging. The stand has a nice heft to it, which helps ensure that it won't budge when you interact with it; a rubberized coating under the stand aids this as well. There's also very little setup, since all you have to do is remove the Power Disc, pass the USB-A to USB-C cable through the oval opening, plug it into the Power Disc, and replace the Qi mat into its slot.
To remove the Power Disc, you simply apply a small amount of pressure to the back of the raised portion of the stand, and the Power Disc pops off with ease. It also remains in place with a firm grip when it's vertical, and I haven't seen the Power Disc fall off or move when I didn't want it to in my testing. After interacting with the accessory for a few days, the black leather and chrome areas do attract smudges and dust easily, but it's also just as simple to wipe clean once in a while.
The accessory's quality design extends to the Power Disc itself, which has a soft leather coating that won't scratch the back of your iPhone if you don't use a case, and a rubberized lining on its back to help make it a bit more stable. There's a small LED on the back to let you know if your device is charging, finished charging, or if there's a foreign object on the mat. Besides a HiRise logo on the back, a Twelve South logo on the front, and the USB-C port, the Power Disc is otherwise a plain and unobtrusive smaller-than-palm-size Qi mat.
Performance
In normal daily use, I've found the HiRise Wireless to perform at the same level of other 10W wireless charging mats. This means the stand provides a solid trickle charge to your iPhone and is perfect for overnight charging. I use Apple's Smart Battery Case on my iPhone X, and for the past few nights the HiRise Wireless has managed to fuel up my iPhone X from around 50 percent to 100 percent, and fully charge the Smart Battery Case.
The accessory works with most iPhone cases, similar to every other Qi mat, so you don't have to worry about taking off your silicone or leather cases to use the HiRise Wireless. With a Smart Battery Case extending my iPhone X's lifecycle I don't necessarily need a wireless stand on my desk when I work, but I prefer to have one since it provides super convenient at-a-glance notification readouts. Because of this, HiRise Wireless was perfect as a desktop companion to my iMac and iPad setup.
The accessory transitions seamlessly into a horizontal charging mat with the Power Disc removal, but there can be some awkward moments where you have to move your iPhone around a bit to find the Qi hotspot. Of course, your iPhone won't be as snug as it is on the full vertical stand, and a good portion of it will be hanging off the Power Disc. I wasn't worried about damaging my iPhone X, but it should be noted that anyone who prefers full-length horizontal mats will likely be disappointed with the tiny Power Disc.
On the other hand, if you plan to use the Power Disc for AirPods charging there are very little downsides. The oval Qi mat is a perfect match with Apple's 2019 AirPods update, which include the Wireless Charging Case. I leave my AirPods charging on a Qi mat in my kitchen so that they're easy to grab as I head out the door, and for the past week I've used the HiRise Wireless in only its Power Disc mode more than anything.
The small device blends perfectly into my kitchen's dark countertops, and it's so inconspicuous that it's easier to miss when compared to full-sized mats, like the Belkin accessory I was previously using to charge my AirPods. With the small design of the wireless earphones, there's also no problem with finding the Qi hotspot on the Power Disc, and I found the charging as reliable as it was for my iPhone X and Smart Battery Case.
Bottom Line
There's a lot of functionality to Twelve South's new HiRise Wireless stand that makes it easy to recommend, but you'll be paying a premium price of $79.99 for the new product. While this is around the same price as Twelve South's other Qi mat (the PowerPic), it exceeds the cost of low-to-average priced mats, which can be as cheap as $10, and still dependable thanks to companies like Anker.
But, if you're looking for a wireless charging mat with utility, you can get your money's worth out of the HiRise Wireless. The accessory offers solid iPhone and AirPods charging speeds in both horizontal and vertical positions, and the quality of its craftsmanship and small footprint make it an ideal desktop charging mat.
How to Buy
You can purchase the HiRise Wireless on TwelveSouth.com for $79.99 starting today.
Note: Twelve South provided MacRumors with one HiRise Wireless stand for the purposes of this review, and no other compensation was received. MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Twelve South. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
OWC, a well-known maker of storage solutions for Macs and PCs, today debuted what it says is "the fastest USB-C SSD ever."
The new OWC Envoy Pro EX with USB-C is a bus-powered NVMe M.2 SSD with transfer speeds up to 980MB/s, one bay with up to 2TB of storage, and Thunderbolt 3 compatibility on both Macs and PCs. The external drive has a silver anodized aluminum housing with IP67-rated water and dust resistance.
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.
Apple accessory maker Mophie today debuted a three-in-one portable battery pack, wall charger, and wireless charging pad.
The new Powerstation Hub is equipped with a 6,100mAh battery, one 5W USB-A port, one 15W USB-A port, one 18W USB-C Power Delivery port, and a Qi-enabled 5W wireless charging surface. The USB-C port can be used to recharge both the portable battery itself and connected devices like an iPhone or iPad.
The hub features foldable wall prongs, LEDs that indicate battery level and charging status, and a rubberized, non-slip finish. A 1.5-meter AC power cable and a 0.5-meter USB-A to USB-C cable are included in the box.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Mophie. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Encrypted messaging platform Telegram has pushed out an update that introduces a number of new location-based features, including the ability to Add People Nearby.
Users of the chat app can open Contacts -> Add People Nearby to quickly exchange contact info with Telegram users who are standing next to them and also have the same section of the app open.
The new People Nearby section also has a new Groups Nearby option, which shows location-based group chats open for anyone around to join. Users can also Create a Local Group to unite people nearby in a new chat group.
In a previous update, Telegram also added a way for users to control who can see their phone number. This update builds on the new privacy setting by enabling users to add people to their contacts, even if they don't know their number.
This can be done simply by tapping the new Add to Contacts button at the top of every chat thread.
Elsewhere, this update also includes an option to transfer ownership rights over groups and channels to another user, a new toggle to allow message previews for specific chats, support for Siri Shortcuts, and revamped app theme settings.
Apple has released the first public beta of macOS Catalina, the next major version of its Mac operating system due to launch in the fall. The availability of the public beta means Mac users don't need to be part of the Apple Developer Program to be able to download and test the software. This article shows you how it's done.
macOS Catalina is a major update that introduces a range of new features including cross-platform app support for third-party apps, no more iTunes, iPad as a second screen functionality, Screen Time, and more.
But before you get too excited, a word of warning: We don't recommend installing the macOS Catalina Public Beta on your main Mac. The stability of beta software cannot be guaranteed, as it often contains bugs and issues that have yet to be ironed out, so you're better off using a test machine to avoid any potential data loss.
Will macOS Catalina Run on My Mac?
Every Mac that can run macOS Mojave will run macOS Catalina, with the exception of the mid-2010 and mid-2012 Mac Pro models, which will not be getting the update. The full list of compatible Mac models is as follows:
Bear in mind that if you decide you want to revert back to your previous setup after testing the Catalina beta, you will need to erase the beta partition and perform a new macOS Mojave installation.
Apple has released the first public beta of iOS 13 for compatible iPhone and iPod touch models, enabling users who aren't signed up for the Apple Developer Program to test the software update ahead of its official release in the fall.
That said, iOS 13 is pre-release software, so installing the Public Beta on a secondary device is highly recommended. The stability of beta software cannot be guaranteed, as it often contains bugs and issues that have yet to be ironed out, so installing it on your day-to-day device isn't advised.
Is iOS 13 Compatible With My iPhone or iPod touch?
Apple's list of compatible devices confirms that iOS 13 is compatible with all of these iPhones:
iPhone XS
iPhone XS Max
iPhone XR
iPhone X
iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus
iPhone 7 and 7 Plus
iPhone SE
iPhone 6s and 6s Plus
iPod touch (7th-generation)
Installing the Public Beta shouldn't take longer than half an hour, but first you should create a backup of your device's contents and settings. The following step-by-step instructions are given for iPhone, but apply to iPod touch just the same.
How to Create a Backup of Your Device in iTunes
Connect your iOS device to a Mac or PC using a Lightning to USB cable.
Open iTunes.
Click the device's icon in the top-left menu.
Under Backups, click This computer.
Tick the Encrypt iPhone backup checkbox if you want to back up your login credentials and any Health and HomeKit data.
Click Back Up Now.
Click iTunes -> Preferences… in the macOS menu bar.
Click the Devices tab.
Right-click (or Ctrl-click) the new backup, and select Archive from the contextual dropdown menu.
How to Enroll in the Apple Beta Software Program
Now that you've backed up your device, you're ready to download the iOS 13 Public Beta. To do so, you must enroll your iPhone or iPod touch in the free Apple Beta Software Program.
Tap the Sign up button, or sign in if you're already a member.
Enter your Apple ID credentials and tap the Sign in button.
Agree to the Apple Beta Software Program terms and conditions if necessary.
A Guide for Public Betas screen will appear. Select the iOS tab, scroll down to the Get Started section and tap enroll your iOS device.
On the Enroll Your Devices screen, with the iOS tab selected, scroll down and tap the Download profile button.
Tap "iPhone" when prompted to choose a device.
Tap Allow.
Launch the Settings app on your iOS device and then tap Profile Downloaded below your Apple ID banner.
Tap Install and follow the prompts to install the iOS Beta Software Profile.
Restart your device after installing the profile by tapping the restart popup.
How to Install the iOS 13 Public Beta
Once you're enrolled in the Apple Beta Software Program, you can install the iOS 13 Public Beta on your iOS device just as you would a regular software update.
Launch the Settings app on your iPhone or iPod touch.
If you come across any issues installing the iOS 13 Public Beta, it may help to clear any previous profiles lingering on your device. You can find these in the Settings app under General -> Profile.
Encrypted messaging platform 
Apple has released the first public beta of 
