The discovery of a simple Terminal command that brings back the classic startup chime on newer Macs has gone viral in recent days. Apple disabled the startup sound on new Macs in 2016, and while a couple of tricks have worked in the past to get the chime back, updates to macOS appear to have stopped them working.
However, the latest trick – first shared in the MacRumors Forums by BigMcGuire – appears to have a high success rate, although depending on your Mac model, your mileage may vary.
If you yearn for that classic Mac sound, follow these steps to re-instate it.
Launch the Terminal app, which can be found in the Applications/Utilities folder. This will open a Terminal window and a command prompt for you to begin typing.
Input the following command and then press Return: sudo nvram StartupMute=%00
Enter your admin user password when prompted.
Close Terminal, then restart your Mac.
Make sure the volume is up, and with a little bit of luck, you'll hear that soothing F-sharp chord sound the next time your Mac boots up.
If you want to get rid of the chime after re-activating it, simply repeat the steps above but replace the Terminal command in step 2 with the following: sudo nvram StartupMute=%01.
The iconic chiming startup sound was originally made to indicate that diagnostic tests had found no hardware or software issues. A similar sound accompanied almost every Mac boot sequence since 1991 and the most recent F-sharp chord incarnation was first used in the iMac G3.
Originally, a C major chord was recorded by Apple engineer Jim Reekes using a Korg keyboard, but what most users will hear these days is a pitch-shifted version of the sound made by the Macintosh Quadra family of professional computers, first released in 1991.
The Mac startup sound was immortalized in the 2008 Disney-Pixar movie WALL*E. When the titular robot character has reached 100 percent power after positioning his solar array, the booting chime goes off.
Disney+ is coming to Europe in just under a month, and Disney is offering prospective customers a discount subscription offer if they sign up early to the streaming video service.
Residents in the United Kingdom can get a year of Disney+ for £49.99 instead of the standard £59.99 annual subscription rate if they sign up between now and March 23. Elsewhere, in other European markets users can purchase an annual sub for €59.99 instead of €69.99 euros before the official launch date.
On March 24, over 500 feature films and over 7,500 shows will be available on the service including new original content like the critically acclaimed "The Mandalorian" and "The World According To Jeff Goldblum," along with timeless classics like "Lady and the Tramp" and the entire Pixar library.
Monthly pricing remains at £5.99 for the U.K. and €6.99 for other European markets. Disney+ will be available on Amazon Fire devices, LG and Samsung smart TVs, Roku's streaming devices, Apple TV, iOS, Android, Xbox One, and PS4 at launch.
Speaker company Ultimate Ears today announced the launch of the HYPERBOOM, its largest portable speaker creation to date, featuring 3X the loudness and 6.5X the bass of the MEGABOOM 3.
According to Ultimate Ears, the 13-pound speaker boasts booming bass, wide dynamic range, richly detailed playback, and a battery that lasts for 24 hours before needing to be recharged. An Adaptive EQ feature is designed to allow the HYPERBOOM to adjust to the space that its in for the best sound profile indoors and outdoors.
There are four input sources on the HYPERBOOM, including two Bluetooth, one 3.5mm auxiliary, and one optical audio so music can be played from phones, laptops, gaming consoles, and more, with an option to switch audio sources with the press of a button.
The HYPERBOOM has an IPX4 water resistance rating, which means it can withstand splashes of water, and there's a USB charge-out port that can be used to charge an iPhone. A built-in One-Touch Music Control feature allows users to play, pause, and skip tracks right from the speaker, or launch playlists from popular music services like Apple Music, Spotify for Android, and Amazon Music.
Ultimate Ears says that the speaker has been developed with a "technical fabric" engineered for sound and durability and a diamond-shaped design that features soft curved edges that fit in well in any room.
The HYPERBOOM speaker will launch in early March on the Ultimate Ears website and it will be priced at $399.99.
Apple has now reopened 29 of its 42 retail locations in China, according to Apple's store websites in the country that were reviewed by Bloomberg. Many of Apple's stores in China have been shut down for the last few weeks due to the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak.
Most locations that have been reopened continue to operate on shortened hours, with some open for less than eight hours a day. Additional stores are expected to reopen as soon as this week, but there is no word on when all Apple Stores in China will be operational.
Apple last week said that its March quarter revenue will fall short of expectations because of constrained iPhone supplies worldwide and lower customer demand for Apple products in China caused by store closures.
The shuttered stores and limited hours have significantly reduced customer traffic, and though Apple's supplier factories in areas outside of the Hubei province have reopened, ramp up to full production on devices has been slower than expected.
According to a second report from Bloomberg, Apple's iPhone sales started dropping in January as the coronavirus spread. Numbers supplied by a UBS research note that includes official Chinese data suggests iPhone sales fell 28 percent compared to the prior month, which is a larger than normal decline for that time of the year.
February sales numbers are expected to be "far worse" due to supply and demand issues related to the outbreak.
Apple has said it is continuing to monitor the coronavirus situation and will provide additional information during its next quarterly earnings call in April.
People lead busy lives, and keeping track of everything that needs to be done in a day can be tough, which is why there are an endless number of to-do and productivity apps on the App Store.
Apple offers a built-in Reminders app and a built-in Notes app, both of which can be useful, but most people who need a robust task tracking solution will want to look to a third-party app. In our latest YouTube video, we rounded up some of our favorite to-do options with a range of capabilities.
Notion is an all-in-one productivity app that's perfect if you need an app that combines note taking and wiki creation with to-do list making. It has a simple color coordinated design, but it can actually be used to create neatly organized notes and lists with a hierarchy as complex or as simple as you need it to be.
Notion is cross platform so it works on Mac and iOS, plus it has robust search tools, supports real-time collaboration, offers easy editing and list rearranging, and works offline.
The app is free to use, but unlocking the full range of capabilities, including unlimited "Blocks" of data and more than 5MB in file uploads costs $4 per month.
Despite the cringeworthy name, TeuxDeux is a solid to-do app if you need something that's simple, straightforward, and free from confusing bells and whistles. It is the most barebones of the to-do apps that we've tried out, and it's an ideal choice if you want a design that's close to writing down tasks on a piece of paper.
Though simple, TeuxDeux offers several features that are must haves for a to-do app, such as recurring tasks, tasks that roll over to the next day if unfinished, Markdown support, easy drag and drop gesture support, and the ability to use it on both the iPhone and the desktop.
TeuxDeux is a subscription-based app and it costs $2.99 per month or $24 for a year.
Things 3 is one of the most robust to-do apps on our list, and it's also one of the more popular to-do list options. There's a good reason for that - Cultured Code has included every feature you could ever possibly want in a task management app.
The design of the app is ultimately easy to use, but it can be overwhelming at first and it does take some time to get used to the full feature set. Luckily, there's a built-in tutorial to get you acquainted with Things 3.
You can create Projects to organize different tasks, Areas to split things between work and family responsibilities, or just add a simple to-do. An inbox with sections like Today, Upcoming, Anytime, and Someday helps you keep track of what tasks need completing and when. Things 3 is the app to choose if you want to organize all aspects of your life.
Things 3 is one of the few to-do apps that's not subscription based, and it costs $9.99 to purchase. Things 3 is also available for Mac and iPad, though each app must be purchased individually.
Todoist, like Things 3, is a well-known to-do and list making app. Different tasks can be organized into sections as needed, spitting up everything from work tasks to grocery lists. There's an inbox that shows you everything that needs to be done at a glance, plus sections for things that need to be done immediately and over the next week.
Todoist makes it easy to jot down a quick to-do using natural language in the app so you can get it out of your head, and it supports recurring dates and the option to assign tasks to others for collaborative projects. Personalized productivity trends are included, so you can make sure you're staying on task.
Todoist is free to download, but the premium feature that unlocks all functionality (such as reminders) costs $3.99 per month or $35.99 per year.
Any.do is another popular task management app that's been around for years. It has a simple interface that belies its complexity, with deep organizational options for managing daily to-dos, calendar tasks, projects, lists, and more.
It offers scheduled reminders, note taking capabilities, collaborative features, calendar integration, adding to-dos from email messages, simple drag and drop gestures, and more. Using the app requires an account, but it does support Sign in with Apple to make it easy, and with an account, the app can be used across all of your devices.
Any.do is free to use, but unlocking all features requires a premium plan priced at $9.99 per month for a one month subscription, $27 for a six month subscription, or $60 for a 12 month subscription.
A premium subscription unlocks color tags, location-based reminders, advanced recurring reminders, bigger file uploads, sharing capabilities, and more.
Conclusion
There are dozens if not hundreds of to-do apps on the App Store, and it's impossible to test them all out. If you're looking for a new to-do app, it's worth checking out the options on our list, as these are apps that we've tried and found useful.
If we missed your favorite to-do app, make sure to let us know what it is in the comments.
Apple has inked a deal for 200,000 square feet of office space near Madison Square Garden in New York, according to The New York Post. Apple will be moving in to the 11th through 14th floors of 11 Penn Plaza, based on the terms of the deal.
Image via The New York Post
The building, located in midtown Manhattan, is along Seventh Avenue between West West 31st and 32nd streets, and close to Madison Square Garden and the Penn Station railway hub. The space was formerly occupied by Macy's, with the Macy's headquarters relocating to Long Island City.
Apple has only signed a five year deal with the option to extend the lease, which The New York Post takes as a sign Apple is perhaps still looking for a more permanent location.
Apple already has 52,000 square feet of office space at 100 to 104 Fifth Avenue housing marketing employees and commercial software applications developers, and the building is said to be "bursting at the seams."
Apple today shared two new "Technical Overview" white papers that take an extensive look into the technology and feature set of the Pro Display XDR and the Mac Pro.
Available as PDFs, the Mac Pro overview and the Pro Display XDR overview (via 9to5Mac) walk through key features and components, with ultra detailed rundowns on every component. The Mac Pro overview highlights the lattice case, Intel Xeon W chip, GPUs, PCIe expansion slots, MPX module, I/O, T2 chip, SSD, and more.
Apple explains the reason for design choices made for the Mac Pro, does a deep dive into performance, and lists technical specifications. Much of this information has previously been shared in product pages and marketing info provided by Apple, but this is the single most comprehensive source for Mac Pro info.
The Pro Display XDR white paper is similar, detailing display panel components, LED backlighting system, timing controller, display accuracy, reference modes, enclosure design mounting, and technical specifications.
This information has also been previously shared by Apple for the most part, but again, the white paper is a useful place to see it all in one place.
These are useful resources for those who are interested in learning more about the Mac Pro and the Pro Display XDR ahead of purchase, and can be found through these PDF links: Pro Display XDR and Mac Pro.
Netflix today announced a new feature that will see the streaming service offering a series of top 10 lists that highlight the most popular content on the platform.
There will be an overall top 10 list, a list for the top 10 most popular TV shows, and a list for the top 10 most popular movies. The latter two lists will be visible when visiting the TV show and movie tabs, respectively.
The top 10 lists will be specific to each country where Netflix is available, and the lists will be updated every day. Netflix says that the positioning of the list will vary "depending on how relevant the shows and films are to you."
Shows and films that are added to Netflix's top 10 lists will have a "Top 10" badge wherever they're located in the Netflix interface, so popular content will be visible whether people are browsing by genre, searching for specific shows, or selecting content from a personal list.
Netflix has been testing top 10 lists in Mexico and the UK over the course of the last six months, and is now ready to roll them out worldwide.
In celebration of International Women's Day, set to take place on March 8, Apple is hosting a series of "She Creates" workshops that will be held at Apple retail stores from March 1 to March 31.
According to Apple, there will be hands-on sessions that "explore new perspectives" using iPad, iPhone, and Mac, along with opportunities to share ideas with others and learn from inspiring female creators.
There will be sessions on creating AR experiences, learning product skills, and more, along with unique sessions at various Apple locations around the world.
At Apple Union Square in San Francisco, for example, there will be a live performance by indie electronica artist Ah-Mer-Ah-Su on March 17, while Apple Fifth Avenue will feature a March 11 music session with drummer Madame Gandhi, Apple Antara will host a photo session with award winning photographer Yvonne Venegas, and Apple Covent Garden will host a drawing session with The Other Box, celebrating people of color and underrepresented backgrounds in creative industries.
9to5Mac compiled a list that features all of the retail locations that will host notable special events.
Other local events can be found by visiting Apple's Today at Apple website, which lists events and store sessions by location. Last year, Apple held other celebrations for International Women's Day, such as a special Apple Watch Activity Challenge, so we could also see similar events this year.
Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News 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.
It's hard to believe, but today marks the 20th birthday of MacRumors, which was founded on February 24, 2000, with articles starting just a few days later.
While longtime readers may be familiar with the site's origins, there are plenty of others who are unaware that it began as a hobby while our founder Arnold Kim was a medical student, and it remained a side project for over eight years until he decided to give up medicine to focus on MacRumors as a full-time career. That backstory and additional perspective were shared in a July 2008 New York Times article.
MacRumors.com registered on February 24, 2000
I officially joined MacRumors on January, 1, 2009, but I had served as a volunteer forum staff member and occasional writer for several years prior and had been a regular reader almost since the site's debut. Over that time, I saw MacRumors grow from a niche aggregator of news about a beloved company looking to raise itself from the dead to the behemoth it is today, riding the wave of one hit product after another with the iPod, iPhone, iPad, and more.
MacRumors as it appeared in May 2000
Through the years, we've added additional writers, editors, and other staff members, with the team now numbering roughly a dozen dedicated folks who live and breathe Apple news and rumors.
We've covered plenty of major Apple news stories over the years, and here are just a few of the biggest ones:
And don't forget about the MacRumors Buyer's Guide, which has been providing at-a-glance buying recommendations based on Apple's product release schedules for 17 years now.
It's been a long ride, and we certainly couldn't have done it without our loyal readers and forum members. For two decades now, MacRumors has been known for its active and passionate community that has itself reached nearly a million registered members and over 27 million forum posts. If you're not a member, we invite you to register for our forums and add your voice to our community.
To all of you who have helped make MacRumors what it is today, thank you, and here's to another 20 years.
Apple's first Mac with a processor designed in house is set to be released during the first half of 2021, Apple analyst Ming Chi Kuo said in a note to investors this morning that was obtained by MacRumors.
There are no other details provided about the new Mac that's in the works, but the detail confirms multiple past rumors that have suggested Apple is working on custom Arm-based processors designed in-house that would allow it to transition away from Intel. Over the years, Apple's product releases have been stymied by Intel chip delays, and with its own chips, Apple will not be tied to Intel chip release cycles.
Earlier information indicated Apple could begin using Arm-based chips as soon as 2020, but Kuo's note indicates a new Mac with an Apple-designed chip won't be released this year.
Apple is said to be moving to Arm-based chips in an effort to make Macs, iPhones, and iPads work together and run the same apps. Apple's iPhones and iPads already use Arm-based chip technology, and there are custom Apple-created T2 chips in the iMac Pro and recent MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, Mac mini, and Mac Pro models.
Kuo's detail about an upcoming Mac with an Apple-designed chip is a tidbit mentioned briefly in a note that suggests 5-nanometer chip architecture will be the "core technology" in Apple's new products in the next 12 to 18 months.
We expect that Apple's new products in 12-18 months will adopt processors made by 5nm process, including the new 2H20 5G iPhone, new 2H20 iPad equipped with mini LED, and new 1H21 Mac equipped with the own-design processor. We think that iPhone 5G support, iPad's adoption of innovative mid-size panel technology, and Mac's first adoption of the own-design processor are all Apple's critical product and technology strategies. Given that the processor is the core component of new products, we believe that Apple had increased 5nm-related investments after the epidemic outbreak. Further, Apple occupying more resources of related suppliers will hinder competitors' developments.
The new Mac with Apple-designed chip, the 2020 5G iPhone, and a high-end iPad with a mini LED display rumored for the second half of 2020 are said to use 5-nanometer chips. Chips built on a 5-nanometer node will be faster and more efficient than the A13 chips used in the most recent iPhones that are built on a 7-nanometer+ process.
Apple is said to have become "more aggressive" when it comes to research, development, and production for 5-nanometer chip technology, ramping up investments to reduce uncertainty caused by the ongoing coronavirus outbreak in China.
The U.S. Supreme Court today declined to hear Apple's appeal of a $440 million judgment in one of the patent infringement cases brought by VirnetX a decade ago, reports Reuters.
VirnetX was originally awarded $302 million back in October 2016 in the dispute over VPN-related patents, but Apple appealed the ruling multiple times, and with interest and other costs tacked on, the judgment was later increased to $440 million.
Apple argued on appeal that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office had canceled "key parts" of several of the patents involved in the case, but the courts rescinded that cancelation. Apple continued to appeal the case all the way to the Supreme Court, but the court has opted not to intervene, leaving Apple on the hook for the $440 million judgment.
The case is one of two Apple has been embroiled in with VirnetX over the years. In the other case, VirnetX was initially awarded $502 million but the infringement ruling was partially overturned late last year and the case was sent back a lower court to determine a new amount for damages. Apple attempted to contest the validity of the remaining two patents at issue, but just two weeks ago, the court denied a rehearing on that aspect of the case.
In a report touching on several topics today, Japanese site Mac Otakara claims that Apple's Tile-like "AirTags" item trackers will be "completely waterproof" and use similar magnetic wireless charging to that seen on the Apple Watch.
Evidence of AirTags has been found in builds of iOS 13 since last summer, and it appears the small item trackers will show up in the Find My app and enable users to locate misplaced items. With ultra wideband support found in the iPhone 11 lineup and augmented reality, it looks like AirTags could offer high precision and direct the user straight to an item, even pinpointing it within a room.
We're not sure when to expect AirTags to launch, but it looks like it may not be imminent yet, as noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said just last week that production isn't expected to ramp up until the second or third quarter, and today's report from Mac Otakara claims an announcement in the fall of this year, which would likely be alongside new iPhones in September.
Amazon continues to knock down the price of the 2019 AirPods with Charging Case, now available for $129.98, down from $159.00 ($29 off). This sale is $1 away from matching the all-time-low price on the AirPods at Amazon, and is the current best price on the wireless headphones among the major Apple resellers online.
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Amazon is also still discounting the AirPods with Wireless Charging Case, priced at $169.00, down from $199.00 ($30 off). A few other retailers are nearly matching that price this week as well, including Best Buy and Adorama.
Although the AirPods Pro are in stock on Amazon this week, they have not been discounted to their previous sale price of $235. But you can save on the standalone Wireless Charging Case for AirPods, which Amazon has for $69.00, down from $79.00. Adorama is also matching that sale.
Be sure to visit our full Deals Roundup to shop for even more Apple-related products and accessories. We also frequently track the best sales in our AirPods deals guide, so keep an eye on it if you're on the hunt for discounted AirPods.
Amazon has introduced the first discount on Apple's iPhone 11 Smart Battery Case, which is now priced at $99.00, down from $129.00. This $30 discount is currently the best price available for the accessory, which is still $129.00 at retailers like Best Buy.
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Only the Black color option has been marked down to $99.00 on Amazon, while White is priced around $120 at this time ($10 off). Likewise, the Smart Battery Case for the iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max have not been discounted to $99, but you can find a few for $10 off.
The Smart Battery Case for the iPhone 11 is able to deliver up to 50 percent longer battery life to the iPhone, and is compatible with Qi wireless chargers. When connected, you can see how much battery life the case and your iPhone have left thanks to iOS integration with the Smart Battery Case.
You can also save on the Smart Battery Case for the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR, which have been discounted to $78.00 on Amazon, down from $129.00.
Head to our full Deals Roundup to shop for even more discounts on Apple products and related accessories.
Apple's next iPhone series may support a new Wi-Fi standard known as IEEE 802.11ay, according to Japanese blog Mac Otakara.
802.11ay is the follow-up of IEEE 802.11ad, quadrupling the bandwidth and adding up to 4 streams of multiple transmission/reception. The new Wi-Fi spec, which uses the 60GHz spectrum, is still in the draft phase but is expected to be finalized by the end of 2020.
The translated report is quite difficult to decipher, but the blog calls the wireless standard "ultra-short range," which suggests it could be used to communicate between iPhones (i.e. AirDrop) and perhaps other Apple devices in close proximity.
Interestingly, a 2018 report claimed that Apple has been working on an AR/VR headset that would be untethered from either a computer or a smartphone and instead connect to a "dedicated box" using the 802.11ay wireless standard. The box was said to be powered by a custom 5-nanometer Apple processor similar to the custom chips that Apple will use in future Macs.
Connecting the two rumors is pure speculation at this point, but it's interesting to conceive of different scenarios where Apple uses the new Wi-Fi standard to enable next-generation wireless AR/VR experiences.
That said, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has claimed the company's AR roadmap will initially focus on the iPad and iPhone before any sort of headset comes to fruition.
In November, Gurman said Apple is working on "a range of augmented and virtual-reality devices" based around a new 3D sensor system, which will arrive first on a new iPad Pro slated for release in the first half of 2020, and followed by Apple's new iPhones later in the year.
Moving beyond existing devices, Apple is said to be targeting 2021 or 2022 for the release of a combination VR and AR headset focused on "gaming, watching video and virtual meetings."
Photosshared on Twitter show the final stages of construction work on what will become Apple's second retail store in Bangkok, Thailand.
The location is in front of the Central World mall. The area, which now features a white stone courtyard, was closed to the public long before Bangkok's first Apple store, Apple Iconsiam, officially opened in November 2018.
Over the past year, a temporary wall has kept the very large cylindrical construction site shrouded in mystery, but that has recently been removed and now only a temporary black covering conceals the building's glass walls, housed under a giant flat circular roof.
Outwardly, the store design is reminiscent of Steve Jobs Theater at Apple Park in California. Leaked architectural plans also appear to reveal the store's interior layout.
The plans show a ground floor with the familiar sequoia wood product tables arranged in a ring around the shop floor and shelves for displaying products along the walls.
At the center of the store is a winding staircase to the second floor, which includes a large video screen indicating the Forum area and tables with seats for Today at Apple sessions and possibly Genius appointments. There is also a basement, which was formerly the parking lot of Central World.
Lights have been seen emanating from behind the black covering, suggesting that lighting has been installed and interior decoration is almost complete.
Given the how long it has been in development and the progress made so far, it looks like the store could open very soon. Once completed, it could well become the largest Apple Store in Southeast Asia, overtaking even Apple Orchard Road in Singapore.
Taiwan-based Innolux has won orders to supply Apple with mini-LED panels for a new iPad Pro due to launch later this year, according to a new report today.
Taiwan's Economic Daily News reports that the panel maker has already sent samples to Apple and has now won orders with the tech giant to supply them in bulk for the tablet, said to be launching in the second half of the year.
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has claimed that Apple plans to release four to six products with mini-LED displays over the next two to three years, including a high-end 12.9-inch iPad Pro set for launch in the third quarter of 2020.
Kuo has said the mini-LED displays will "significantly improve productivity and the entertainment experience," and will allow for thinner and lighter product designs, while offering many of the same benefits of OLED displays used on the latest iPhones, including higher contrast ratio, higher brightness, and deeper blacks.
LG Display and General Interface Solution (GIS) will be the other significant benefactors of these mini-LED products, according to Kuo. Previous reports claim Apple has contracted for related components with Epistar, Taiwan Surface Mounting Technology (TSMT), Zhen Ding Technology, and Flexium Interconnect.
Apple is widely rumored to refresh the iPad Pro in spring 2020. If it does, another new 12.9-inch model in fall 2020 would certainly be an early addition to the range.
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