MacRumors

Apple plans to lease a large office complex in Seattle's booming South Lake Union neighborhood, near Amazon, according to multiple commercial real estate sources cited by the Puget Sound Business Journal.

333 dexter apple seattle office

333 Dexter

The report claims the two-tower development at 333 Dexter Avenue would give Apple around 630,000 square feet of office space, enough for 4,200 employees using the industry standard of 150 square feet per employee. It is unclear whether Apple has signed the lease yet or if negotiations are still ongoing.

In late 2018, Apple announced plans to establish a new site in Seattle, and it may have been alluding to this office. Apple also plans to expand its Seattle workforce to more than 1,000 employees by 2021, perhaps explaining why data-crunching website Thinknum is seeing an uptick in Siri job openings at the company.

Apple has been steadily growing its presence in Seattle over the past five years. In 2017, Apple confirmed that its Seattle engineering hub is focused on artificial intelligence and machine learning, technologies that power the likes of Siri and advanced facial recognition on the iPhone X and newer.

Last year, Apple reportedly expanded its office space at Two Union Square, a 56-story tower in Downtown Seattle.

Apple's artificial intelligence efforts are led by former Google executive John Giannandrea.

Nautilus has announced that three of its Octane Fitness ellipticals are now compatible with Apple's GymKit, including the LateralX, XT-One, and XT3700, at commercial establishments like gyms and colleges.

octane fitness apple gymkit
GymKit enables two-way synchronization of fitness data between an Apple Watch and gym equipment. In this case, the Apple Watch sends specific calorie and heart rate measurements to the elliptical, and the elliptical forwards metrics like level, distance, and workout duration to the Apple Watch.

At the end of a workout, data from the equipment appears in the Activity app on the user's Apple Watch and iPhone. No data is stored on the Octane machines.

Octane Fitness equipment is available at a variety of gyms and athletic clubs, including select 24-Hour Fitness, Anytime Fitness, Crunch Fitness, Equinox, Gold's Gym, GoodLife Fitness, Life Time Fitness, Retro Fitness, Snap Fitness, UFC Gym, Wellbridge, and YMCA locations, according to its website.

Octane Fitness says its equipment is also used by companies like Facebook and Google, colleges like Duke and Columbia, some NFL and MLB teams, the CIA and FBI, various fire and police departments, and many others.

It will likely take some time for the GymKit-enabled ellipticals to make their way to all of the locations listed above, as gyms and other commercial establishments gradually renew and replace their equipment over time.

GymKit was introduced in watchOS 4.1 in October 2017.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 10
Tag: GymKit
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Caution)

This summer, MacRumors is partnering with well-known battery accessory company Mophie for an all-new exclusive sale. During the month of June, you can get 15 percent off any one item sitewide on Mophie.com by using the code RUMORS15 on the shopping bag screen.

MR and mophie june 2019Note: 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.

This means that you can save on Mophie accessories like the Powerstation, Juice Pack, Charge Stream Pad+, and anything else on the company's website. Mophie has a wide arrange of devices that work with Apple products like the iPhone XS, iPhone XR, and MacBook Pro, as well as Android devices.

We've listed a few ideas to shop for on the website, but be sure to head to Mophie.com to browse the full array of options. As long as you enter the promo code RUMORS15 in your shopping bag on Mophie.com before July 1, 2019, you'll get 15 percent off of one item.

MacRumors + Mophie Exclusive Sitewide Sale

mophie instagram

For anyone on the hunt for more sales, check out our full Deals Roundup.

Related Roundup: Apple Deals
Tag: Mophie

Apple-owned Beats has delayed the launch of its totally wireless Powerbeats Pro headphones in select European and Asian countries.

powerbeats pro lifestyle
Powerbeats Pro orders will now begin in July in Austria, Brazil, Belgium, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, the Netherlands, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, and Taiwan, according to fine print on the Beats website. The headphones were initially slated to launch in June in these regions.

As in other countries, the headphones will only be available in black at launch. Ivory, moss, and navy colors will be released later this year.

‌Powerbeats Pro‌ first launched in the United States and Canada in early May, followed by the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Australia, and China. Shipments are already considerably backlogged, with orders placed today on Apple.com estimated for delivery between June 28 and July 8 in the United States.

‌Powerbeats Pro‌ are Apple's first totally wireless Beats earphones, equipped with the same H1 chip as the second-generation AirPods for hands-free "Hey Siri" and faster connection speeds between the iPhone, Apple Watch, and other devices.


Like the Powerbeats3, the ‌Powerbeats Pro‌ feature adjustable, secure-fit ear hooks and earbud tips with four size options. They're essentially sportier AirPods, complete with a durable design and sweat resistance. They'll last up to nine hours per charge, with more battery life via an included charging case.

‌Powerbeats Pro‌ are priced at $249.95 in the United States and at €249.95 in most European countries, including Italy and Spain.

The postponed launch in Japan was first reported by Japanese blog Mac Otakara.

Dropbox on Tuesday announced a new client for Mac and Windows that seeks to make the cloud storage service a "meta-platform" for collaborative tools in the productivity workspace.

desktop new dropbox app
Called "the new Dropbox," the client aims to let teams create and collaborate without ever leaving the app, by enabling them to create and edit Google and Microsoft-based documents, spreadsheets and slides, start Slack conversations and initiate Zoom conference meetings.

The broad idea is to let users engage in light project management outside of the dedicated tools it supports, with the ability to create to-do lists, add comments, delegate tasks, and keep track of progress through a team activity feed.

Other highlights include the ability to create and store shortcuts to any website alongside your content in Dropbox, the ability to manage Jira and Trello projects, and a unified search bar to find traditional files, cloud content, shortcuts, and files you’ve chosen not to download through the company's selective sync feature.

Interested users can opt into an "early access" program to test out the new app before its official launch. Happily though, the company also promised that the standard Dropbox way of doing things – keeping a synced folder on your Mac and using a simple menu bar applet to manage it – won't be going away when the new app officially rolls out.

Tag: Dropbox

An Apple press release today looked at how teachers across Europe are using iPads to help them work with students learning a new language alongside their regular educational subjects.

Wilhelm Ferdinand Schussler day school Dusseldorf Germany 061119
Apple chose to highlight teachers at Wilhelm Ferdinand Schussler Day School in Dusseldorf, Germany, who say iPads are allowing them to prepare written and video lessons for immigrant students from war-torn areas of the Middle East to help them learn at their own pace and consequently improve their grades.

For teacher Nick Kyriakidis, 47, and his colleague Sinaan El Haq Hadjeri, 31, who alternate teaching the class on different days, one of the most powerful tools they have to bridge potential language divides is iPad.

"Kids withdraw when they're afraid of [making] mistakes," says Kyriakidis. "If we try to reduce this fear, it's much easier for them to work with us because they don’t have anything to lose."

"With iPad … it's different than when they write something [on paper] and I come in with my red pen and say 'that’s wrong,'" says Hadjeri. "[With iPad] they learn for themselves."

Since the Wilhelm Ferdinand Schussler Day School began the 1:1 ‌iPad‌ program, every student has had access to their own ‌iPad‌, and 100 percent of participants have graduated – an increase of more than 20 percent.

Likewise, at Stenkulaskolan School in Malmo, Sweden, where 98 percent of students speak Swedish as a second language, teachers have seen an 80 percent jump in math grades since they started sending home similar instructional videos, recorded by a teacher in Swedish.

It's a similar story at St. Cyres School in Penarth, Wales, where the 2018 senior class of "English as an Additional Language" students working with ‌iPad‌ increased their grades by an average of 3.8 points during the year — outperforming their peers who speak English or Welsh as their native language for the third year in a row.

Interested readers should check out Apple's full press release, which continues a series spotlighting teachers and students using innovative technology in the classroom.

Related Roundup: iPad
Buyer's Guide: iPad (Buy Now)
Related Forum: iPad

firefoxlogoThe Mozilla Foundation is working on a premium version of its Firefox browser, according to a new report. German media site T3N ran an interview with Chris Beard, CEO of Firefox, who appeared to confirm that a paid tier of the browser could be ready to launch by October this year.

According to Beard, the premium version of Firefox is likely to include a VPN, secure cloud storage, and other subscription services such as paywalled content access.

"We will probably launch some new services first and then we will think carefully about which model makes the most sense while ensuring the best user safety," said Beard. "Firefox and many security features and services, like ETP [Enhanced Tracking Protection], will still be free, that's for sure."

Mozilla has been experimenting offering ProtonVPN to some Firefox users for a $10 per month subscription, but Beard says the company is now considering offering some amount of free VPN bandwidth to non-paying users, and a premium metered VPN service as a monthly subscription.

Mozilla currently earns its money through read-it-later and content discovery service Pocket, which it owns, but the majority of its revenue comes from the search engines used in its free browser.

After Beard's interview was published, The Next Web received a statement from Dave Camp, senior vice president of Firefox, who confirmed that paid products are actively in development:

We were founded on the belief that the internet should be open and accessible to all. A high-performing, free and private-by-default Firefox browser will continue to be central to our core service offerings. We also recognize that there are consumers who want access to premium offerings, and we can serve those users too without compromising the development and reach of the existing products and services that Firefox users know and love.

There's no word as yet on pricing for the upcoming paid version of Firefox, the standard version of which relaunched last year powered by a new Quantum engine and including several privacy-focused features.

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In perhaps a hint at its planned new product launches, Mozilla on Tuesday unveiled a family of new Firefox logos, designed to give a unified identity to its broadening suite of products and services that become accessible to users who open a Firefox account. For example, Lockwise is a secure password manager, and Monitor that notifies users if their email has been part of a known data breach.

Apple is in talks to buy Intel's German modem unit, which could help Apple develop its own modem chips more quickly, reports The Information.

Intel is considering selling its modem business in pieces, and this is not the first time we've heard word that Apple's interested in a purchase. Back in April, The Wall Street Journal said that Apple had held discussions with Intel about acquiring parts of the Intel modem chip business, and apparently, those talks are ongoing.

Intel 5G Modem

Any deal between Apple and Intel would likely include Intel patents and products, said one person briefed on the discussions. Such an arrangement would resemble the deal Apple reached with Dialog Semiconductor, a U.K.-based company that designs chips that handle power management chores in devices. Last year, Apple and Dialog struck a $600 million deal that brought 300 Dialog employees to Apple, along with some patents.

The two companies have been in discussions since last year, but The Information warns that the talks could still fall through without a deal.

The Information estimates that a deal for Intel's German modem business could bring "hundreds" of modem engineers to Apple. Intel's chip production facilities are headquartered in Germany after a 2011 purchase of chip maker Infineon.

Intel announced in April that it was exiting the 5G smartphone modem business, sharing the news just hours after Apple and Qualcomm announced a resolution to their ongoing legal battle and established a new supply deal.

Apple had been planning to use Intel's 5G chips for its 2020 iPhones, but rumors indicated Intel wasn't able to meet design deadlines, causing the relationship between the two companies to sour. Apple is now planning to use Qualcomm's 5G modem chips in its 2020 5G iPhones, and is also working on its own modem chip development for later devices.

In the future, Apple is aiming to reduce its dependence on suppliers like Qualcomm by creating its own modem chips, but the company still has a few years to go before the technology is ready. According to The Information, Apple has been telling new modem chip hires in San Diego that it doesn't expect to release devices with its own modem chips until 2025.

Apple this week debuted iOS 13 with a ton of updates, including a new dark mode option, major performance improvements, faster Face ID, simpler photo editing tools and a new Photos interface, a Sign In With Apple Privacy feature, a swipe-based keyboard, and tons more.

In addition to these features that made it into Apple's keynote event, there are dozens if not hundreds of smaller hidden features that are included in iOS 13. Below, is our comprehensive list new and notable "hidden" features in iOS 13.

Wi-Fi Options in Control Center

You can change WiFi networks right from Control Center, but it's a bit annoying to get to. Long press in the middle of the WiFi/Bluetooth widget to bring up the extended options, and then Force Touch the WiFi icon to see a list of networks available.

iOS 13 Wi-fi Options

Bluetooth Options in Control Center

As with Wifi, you can access your list of available Bluetooth devices from the Control Center. Long press in the middle of the WiFi/Bluetooth widget to bring up the extended options and then Force Touch on the Bluetooth icon to see a list of Bluetooth devices you've connected to before.

iOS 13 Bluetooth options

Location Settings

Apple mentioned during the keynote that location access is getting scaled back in iOS 13, and in the Settings app, there's a new option that requires an app to ask each time it wants to access your location.

iOS 13 Location Settings

Block Senders in Mail

In iOS 13, your list of blocked phone numbers and contacts extends to the Mail app, which lets you block people from sending you mail. The Settings app has a feature for blocking contacts in Mail and ignoring blocked senders.

iOS 13 Ignore Blocked

Thread Muting in Mail

If you swipe on a message in the Mail app and then choose "More," there's a new option to mute a thread so you won't get notifications when a new email in that thread is received.

iOS 13 Mut Threads

Reading Goals in Books

In the Books app, there's a new Reading Goals feature that keeps track of how long you've read each day. The app encourages you to read every day, see your stats soar, and finish more books.

iOS 13 Reading Goals

Silence Unknown Callers

In the Phone section of the Settings app, there's a new toggle that will let you block all unknown callers, cutting down on spam calls that you're receiving.

iOS 13 Silence Unknown Callers

Low Data Mode

In the Settings app under Cellular, there's an option to enable Low Data Mode, which says it helps apps on your iPhone reduce their network data use. There's also a Low Data Mode option that can be enabled for specific WiFi networks.

iOS 13 Low Data Mode

Improved Messages Search

In the Messages app, when you swipe down to search, you'll see a new interface with suggested contacts and links you've been sent. Searches bring up the most recent results, with an option to see more by tapping "See All."

iOS 13 Messages Search

Notes Folder Management

In the Notes app in iOS 13, there are new tools for managing your folders. Tap the "..." button to get to options like Add People, Move This Folder, Rename, and View Attachments.

iOS 13 Notes Management

PS4/Xbox Controller Support

Apple announced PS4/Xbox One S controller support for Apple TV, but these controllers will also be supported on iPhone and iPad.

iOS 13 Game Controller Support

New Animoji

There are three new Animoji in iOS 13: a cow, an octopus, and a mouse. As mentioned on stage, there are also tons of new accessories for your Memojis, and there are new Memoji stickers you'll see available in the emoji portion of the iOS keyboard.

iOS 13 Animoji

Separate Emoji and Globe Keys

The emoji key on the iOS keyboard is no longer the same key as the globe key that lets you switch between languages. The emoji key lives next to the number key and the globe is now below. In iOS 12, a long press swapped between functions of the all-in-one key.

iOS 13 Keyboard Buttons

Automatic Safari Tab Closing

In the Safari section of the Settings app, there's a new option to automatically close all of the tabs that you have open in Safari. You can set it to a day, a week, a month, or leave it on manual, which is how it currently works.

iOS 13 Safari Tab Closing

Attachments in Calendar

You can now add attachments like documents to events you have scheduled in the calendar app.

iOS 13 Attachments in Calendar

App Updates

To update apps in iOS 13, you need to open up the App Store, tap on your profile and choose apps from the Pending Updates section. There was an updates tab in iOS 12, but it's been removed in favor of an Apple Arcade tab in iOS 13.

iOS 13 App Updates

Safari Screenshots

When you take a screenshot in Safari, there's a new option to save it as a full page, which exports the entire webpage as a PDF that you can save or share. You can also use Markup to edit it before sending.

iOS 13 Safari Screenshot PDF

Updated Mute Switch Interface

When you toggle on the mute switch on the iPhone in iOS 13, there's a new interface that lets you know whether Silent Mode is on or off. It's located at the top of the display, replacing the former notification that popped up in the middle of the display.

iOS 13 Mute Graphic

Optimized Battery Charging

A new iOS 13 feature introduces Optimized Battery Charging. According to Apple, the iPhone learns from your daily charging routine and waits to finish charging past 80 percent until you need to use it, which is meant to cut down on battery aging.

iOS 13 Optimize Battery

Home App Improvements

The control options for your HomeKit devices in the Home app have been revamped and streamlined. Available controls vary by device, but in general, the change makes options you check or use frequently (such as various light colors) easier to access. Controls are also now shown in a card-style view so you can swipe them away to get back to the main Home app screen.

iOS 13 Home App

AirPlay 2 Devices in HomeKit Automations

You can now use AirPlay 2-enabled devices in HomeKit automations. So you can do things like set music to play when you arrive home.

iOS 13 AirPlay 2 HomeKit

Photos Zoom

In the Photos app, there's a new +/- symbol at the top that, when tapped, lets you zoom in and out of your Photos tab. You can also zoom in and out using pinch gestures.

iOS 13 Zoom

Business Chat Suggestions

When calling a business that offers business chat, your iPhone will offer to start a business chat instead so you can interact with a business from a text message instead of through a phone call.

Time Synced Lyrics in Apple Music

When accessing the lyrics for an Apple Music song, they're now presented synced to the music, so the lyrics will scroll along as the song progresses. Lyrics can be accessed by tapping the new lyrics icon at the bottom of any song interface.

iOS 13 Music Lyrics

Up Next in Apple Music

There's a new toggle when playing any Apple Music song that lets you see exactly what's up next so there's no mystery as to what's going to play after the current song.

iOS 13 Next Up Apple Music

Apple News+ in Stock App

The Stock app will now offer relevant business publications from Apple News+.

Voice Memos

A new pinch to zoom gesture in the Voice Memos app lets you zoom in on the waveform to make editing easier.

Do Not Disturb

Do Not Disturb While Driving will not activate in iOS 13 when you're using public transit.

Peek Gestures

Peek gestures, that let you see previews of emails, links, messages, and more, are now available on any iPhone or iPad that runs iOS 13 or iPadOS. These were previously limited to devices with 3D Touch.

Quick Actions

You can now press and hold on an app icon to quickly perform actions specific to the app on any device, iPhone or iPad. This too was previously limited to devices with 3D Touch.

iOS 13 Quick Actions

Dolby Atmos Playback

2018 iPhones and iPads support Dolby Atmos video playback in iOS 13.

Personal Hotspot Sharing

If you have Family Sharing enabled, your family members can automatically join your personal hotspot in iOS 13.

Automatic Personal Hotspot

You can automatically connect to your iPhone's personal hotspot when no internet connection is available, and there's an option to remain connected even when your device is asleep so you can continue to receive messages and push notifications.

Popular WiFi Networks

In iOS 13, your iPhone detects which WiFi networks are being used and lets you know if one is available.

Delete Apps From Update Screen

In the App Store, you can now delete apps from the list of apps to be updated by swiping to the left on them.

iOS 13 Delete Apps

Timer

The Timer feature in the Clock app has been updated with a new interface in iOS 13. When a timer is counting down, there's a new circle that slowly depletes, along with the standard timed countdown.

iOS 13 Timere

New Volume HUD

There's a new look for the volume interface in iOS, which is designed to be less obtrusive. It's a bar on the left side or top side of the display, which shrinks down as you continue to press the volume up or down buttons. What's neat is that you can also touch the bar with a finger to adjust sound with a swipe in addition to using the physical volume buttons.

Haptic Feedback for Face ID

Haptic Feedback for Face ID will cause your phone to vibrate slightly when it unlocks in iOS 13. It can be enabled by going to Settings > Accessibility > Face ID & Attention.

NFC Tags

In iOS 13, iPhones are able to read a wider range of NFC tags. Japan's national identity cards will support the iPhone through a government developed app, and Germany will also allow Apple users to load their national ID cars, residence permits, and biometric passports onto their iPhones using NFC.

Canceling Apps With Subscriptions

When deleting an app that you have a subscription to, in iOS 13, you'll get a warning that the subscription is still active so you can make sure to cancel before deleting it. The warning includes options to manage your subscription.

iOS 13 Cancel Subscriptions

Image via Federico Vittici

Quick Actions Menu Size

The menu that pops up when using a Quick Action is also smaller in size with less obtrusive icons that have also been relocated to the right side of the menu interface.

Quick Action

Voice Messages

When using the option in Messages to record a voice-based message, there's a new icon for the option. It's now a waveform rather than a microphone icon.

Voice Messages
Note that almost all of these features are also available in the iPad and are part of Apple's new iPadOS operating system.

For more on what's new in iOS 13, make sure to check out our full iOS 13 roundup. We'll be adding to the hidden tips and tricks list over the course of the coming months, keeping a catalog of the new features and changes added to iOS 13 during the beta testing process. Know of an iOS 13 feature we don't have in our guide or our roundup? Send us an email here.

Related Forum: iOS 13

The Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) today announced that Apple has joined the group as a Platinum member, and Senior Engineering Manager Tom Doron has joined the CNCF Governing Board.

The CNCF sustains and integrates open source monitoring and deployment systems like Kubernetes and Prometheus. Cloud Native Computing Foundation CTO Chris Aniszczyk said the foundation is "thrilled" to have Apple's support.

applecncf

"Having a company with the experience and scale of Apple as an end user member is a huge testament to the vitality of cloud native computing for the future of infrastructure and application development," said Chris Aniszczyk, CTO of the Cloud Native Computing Foundation. "We're thrilled to have the support of Apple, and look forward to the future contributions to the broader cloud native project community."

87 other companies are already members of the CNCF, including Spotify, Atlassian, eBay, Intuit, Reddit, Shopify, Squarespace, Walmart, and more.

The CNCF hosts monthly meetings with these companies to advise the Governing Board and Technical Oversight Committee on "key challenges, emerging use cases, and areas of opportunity and new growth for cloud native technologies."

Apple today introduced a new iCloud for Windows app designed for PCs, according to a blog post shared by Microsoft. The new app is designed to allow Apple users to access their ‌iCloud‌ content on their Windows 10 PCs.

The ‌iCloud‌ app for Windows includes iCloud Drive, iCloud Photos, Mail, Contacts, Calendar, Reminders, Safari Bookmarks, and more.

icloudwindows

What you can do with iCloud for Windows

- Safely store your photos and videos in iCloud. With iCloud Photos, any new photos and videos that you take on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch automatically download to your PC. And you can upload new photos and videos from your PC so that you can access them from your other devices too.
- Use Shared Albums to share photos and videos with just the people you choose. Then invite friends to add their own photos, videos, and comments.
- Get your documents on every device you use with iCloud Drive. Simply drag your documents into the iCloud Drive folder on your PC and access them at any time, on any device.
- Keep your iCloud Mail, Contacts, Calendars, and Reminders up to date automatically between your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, and PC.
- Keep your Internet Explorer, Firefox, or Google Chrome bookmarks on Windows the same as your Safari bookmarks.
- Update your iCloud preferences, see how much iCloud storage you're using, delete items to free up storage, and update your storage plan whenever you want.

According to Microsoft, the ‌iCloud Drive‌ feature on Windows is powered by the same Windows technology behind the OneDrive Files On-Demand Feature, which lets users be more productive offline on mobile devices and quickly share files on iOS.

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Apple has a support document for getting started with ‌iCloud‌ for Windows, which basically requires having an existing ‌iCloud‌ setup on an Apple device.

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Windows users can download ‌iCloud‌ for Windows from the Microsoft Store starting today.

Belkin today announced a new addition to its lineup of HomeKit-compatible Wemo-branded smart devices, the Wemo 3-Way Light Switch, which is now available.

Announced at CES, the new 3-Way Light Switch is priced at $49.99 and adds HomeKit functionality to your household lights.

belkinwemolightswitch
The new Light Switch joins the Wemo Mini Smart Plug and the Wemo Dimmer, Belkin's other devices that offer full ‌HomeKit‌ compatibility without the need for the Wemo Smart Bridge.

Other Wemo products, such as the Insight Smart Plug, Motion Sensor, and existing Light Switch connect to ‌HomeKit‌ setups through the Wemo Smart Bridge. The newest Wemo products are much more convenient, offering a ‌HomeKit‌ connection without the use of the bridge.

You're able to control the Light Switch using the Home app, the Wemo app, or Siri functionality, and it also works with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.

The 3-Way Light Switch is available today from Belkin or from Amazon, and it will be available from Apple starting on June 18.

iMovie for iOS was today updated to version 2.2.7, adding a long list of new features to the video editing app for the iPhone and the iPad.

The update brings a new green screen effect that lets you remove the background of clips shot in front of a green or blue screen, a neat new feature for quickly swapping in a new background.

imovieupdate
Still images with transparent backgrounds, such as logos or graphics, can be inserted on top of your video, and photos can be used as overlays to create picture-in-picture and split-screen effects.

Apple has added 80 new soundtracks across genres that include pop, chill, sentimental, and more, all of which automatically adjust to match the length of your video.

Apple has removed the ability to share to iMovie Theater, and all movies and trailers are now saved to iCloud Photos to watch them on other devices.

There are also a few other minor tweaks and bug fixes, with Apple's full release notes below:

- Transform your video with the new green screen effect that lets you instantly remove the background of clips shot in front of a green or blue screen
- Adjust the green screen effect with a 4-point mask and strength slider
- Choose from 80 new soundtracks in genres including pop, chill, and sentimental that automatically adjust to match the length of your movie
- Drop in still images with transparent backgrounds to use as logos or custom graphics on top of your video
- Add photos as overlays to create picture-in-picture and split-screen effects
- Choose to hide the border that surrounds picture-in-picture and split-screen effects
- Instantly return to the edit screen of your project when switching back to iMovie from other applications
- ClassKit support lets students deliver video assignments to teachers using the Schoolwork app
- For users with videos in iMovie Theater, the Theater window is now accessible from the ••• menu at the bottom of the Projects screen
- Sharing to iMovie Theater is no longer supported; save your movies and trailers to iCloud Photos to watch them on other devices including Apple TV
- Resolves an issue that could lead to a black viewer when previewing your video fullscreen on an external display

The iMovie for iOS app is a free download from the App Store. [Direct Link]

Tag: iMovie

Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming macOS Mojave 10.14.6 update to developers, three weeks after seeding the first macOS Mojave 10.14.6 beta and a month after the release of macOS Mojave 10.14.5, which brought AirPlay 2 support for third-party TVs.

The new macOS Mojave 10.14.6 beta can be downloaded through the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences after the proper profile has been installed from Apple's Developer Center.

macbookairmojave
There were no new features or significant changes discovered in the first beta of macOS Mojave 10.14.6, which indicates it likely focuses on bug fixes and performance improvements for issues that weren't able to be addressed in the macOS Mojave 10.14.5 update.

If new features are found in the second beta of macOS Mojave 10.14.6, we'll update this post with details.

macOS Mojave 10.14.6 is likely to be one of the last updates to the macOS Mojave operating system as Apple will soon transition to work on macOS Catalina, announced at WWDC last week.

Related Forum: macOS Mojave

Apple today seeded the third beta of an upcoming tvOS 12.4 update to developers for testing purposes, two weeks after releasing the second tvOS 12.4 beta and a month after releasing the tvOS 12.3 update with the new TV app.

Designed for the fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV models, the new tvOS 12.4 developer beta can be downloaded onto the ‌Apple TV‌ through a profile that's installed using Apple's Xcode software.

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There were no new features discovered in the first two betas of tvOS 12.4, suggesting the update focuses on under-the-hood bug fixes and performance improvements rather than outward-facing features, which is typical for new tvOS software.

Apple offers up little information on what's included in tvOS updates, so we may not know what's new in tvOS 12.4 even after release. Despite the limited information, we share news of new tvOS updates so developers are able to download the software upon release.

Should we discover new features in the third tvOS 12.4 beta, we'll update this post with details.

Related Roundup: Apple TV
Buyer's Guide: Apple TV (Don't Buy)

Apple today seeded the third beta of an upcoming watchOS 5.3 update to developers, two weeks after releasing the second watchOS 5.3 beta and two weeks after the launch of watchOS 5.2.1, an update that expanded ECG availability and introduced new pride watch faces.

Once the proper configuration profile has been installed from the Apple Developer Center, the new watchOS beta can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General > Software update.

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To install the update, the Apple Watch needs to have at least 50 percent battery, it must be placed on the charger, and it has to be in range of the ‌iPhone‌.

There were no new features discovered in the first two watchOS 5.3 betas, suggesting that it focuses on bug fixes and under-the-hood performance improvements.

There could also be hidden changes that will be available after the update is released, such as support for the upcoming Apple Card, set to debut this summer. If new features are discovered in the third watchOS 5.3 beta, we'll update this post with details.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 10
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Caution)

Apple today seeded the fourth beta of an upcoming iOS 12.4 update to developers, two weeks after seeding the third iOS 12.4 beta, and a month after releasing iOS 12.3, a major update that introduced a revamped TV app.

Registered developers can download the new iOS 12.4 beta from Apple's Developer Center or over-the-air once the proper configuration profile has been installed from the Developer Center.

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There were no new features discovered in the first three iOS 12.4 betas, so it's not entirely clear what's coming in the update. As a more significant 12.x update, it's possible that the update is focusing on a feature that's not yet available -- the Apple Card.

Apple is planning to release the ‌Apple Card‌ in the summer, so iOS 12.4 could be the update that prepares the iOS operating system for that launch, adding hidden features that will be unlocked when the update becomes available to the public.

If we find new features in the fourth beta of iOS 12.4, we'll update this post.

iOS 12.4 may be one of the last updates to the iOS 12 operating system as Apple transitions to iOS 13, set to launch this September.

Related Forum: iOS 12

In a surprise move, Apple today announced that it has abandoned its plans to build a second data center in Denmark.

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"As we near completion of our new Viborg data center in central Jutland, Denmark, we've decided to focus on growing that site instead of building an additional data center in Aabanraa," an Apple spokesperson told Reuters today.

In July 2017, Apple announced that it planned to spend nearly $1 billion on a data center just outside of Aabenraa, a small town in Denmark near the German border. As with Apple's other data centers, the Aabenraa facility was expected to be powered by 100 percent renewable energy, including wind and biomass.

Aabenraa officials described the news as "completely unexpected," noting that Apple informed them of its decision with a "short phone call" today. The municipality said it will assist Apple with selling the 285-hectare property.

The first phase of construction of Apple's other data center in Denmark, near Viborg, is expected to be completed later this year.