MacRumors

In a report covering apps that are tracking kids and sending data to companies like Facebook and Google, The Wall Street Journal's Joanna Stern says that Apple is planning to limit third-party tracking in apps that are in the Kids section of the App Store.

The site says that a "person familiar with the matter" shared the info on the upcoming feature, though Apple declined to comment.

In fact, Apple will limit third-party tracking in apps in the Kids category of the App Store, according to a person familiar with the matter. Apple declined to comment on this, but a spokeswoman provided a statement:

"For privacy and security reasons, Apple does not see what data users choose to share with developers and we can't see what developers do on their servers."

In the piece, Stern mentions an iOS app for kids called Curious World that she found was tracking her son, collecting data that included age, name, and books he tapped on, with that data then sent to Facebook.

She went on to test over 80 apps, many promoted by Apple, and all of them except for one included third-party trackers for marketing, ads, or analytics purposes.

Apps tested (which weren't kids apps specifically) included an average of four third-party trackers, and some had many more. The app her son was using had a total of seven trackers in it.

There are no controls in iOS for limiting the tracking features that are used by apps for everything from ad targeting to analytics, though users can download VPN apps that block these services. Stern suggests that Apple and Google should cut down on the amount of data that third-party trackers are able to collect and require app developers to provide clearer disclosures.

Apple today announced in an updated support document that the Back to My Mac service is being eliminated from all versions of macOS on July 1, 2019.

Apple previously warned that Back to My Mac support would be eliminated in macOS Mojave, but the updated wording seems to suggest the feature will be removed from all versions of macOS rather than just macOS Mojave.

As of July 1, 2019, Back to My Mac service is not available in any other version of macOS. You can use these alternatives for file access, screen sharing, and remote desktop access.

macOS Mojave has not had the Back to My Mac feature since the first developer beta launched, and Apple confirmed plans to end support for the feature in August 2018.

Back to My Mac is designed to let Mac owners connect to one Mac from another Mac for file transfers and screen sharing purposes. It lets users create a network of Mac computers with two or more Macs, but it can be complicated to set up and use, which is perhaps why Apple has decided to discontinue it.

In the support document, Apple suggests customers can access their files across all of their devices - including new machines - from iCloud Drive. Other Macs can be operated through screen sharing functionality, and Macs can be managed remotely with Apple Remote Desktop, software available from the Mac App Store for $80.

Some Back to My Mac users are sure to be unhappy with Apple's decision to sunset the feature entirely and the suggestion that users transition to Apple Remote Desktop for remote management purposes given its high price tag, but there are third-party options like TeamViewer and LogMeIn.

Over a dozen parental control app developers have come together with a shared message for Apple: it's "time to put kids first."

Together, they have launched a new website called Screen Time API that urges Apple to release a public API granting developers access to the same functionalities that iOS 12's Screen Time feature uses. The developers have even proposed their own API, complete with samples of code and a diagram of how it would work.

"Protecting children online and teaching them good technology use habits are some of the biggest challenges facing modern parents," the developers plea. "That's why developers need a cross platform, open screen time API."

The website, shared by The New York Times and The Verge, is a joint effort by OurPact, Kidslox, Qustodio, Screen Time Labs, Safe Lagoon, MMGuardian, Boomerang, Family Orbit, Netsanity, unGlue, Mobicip, Activate Fitness, Parents Dans Les Parages, Lilu, FamilyTime, Bosco, and Tittle.

The developers were encouraged to act by Tony Fadell, a former Apple executive known as the "Father of the iPod." Fadell backed the developers in a series of tweets, and according to The New York Times, he also said he would help "push" their message "out to the world," adding "just make sure it's done BEFORE WWDC."

The campaign comes a month after The New York Times reported that Apple had removed or restricted many of the most popular screen time and parental control apps on the App Store since launching its own Screen Time feature in iOS 12 last year, raising concerns over potentially anticompetitive behavior.

"Contrary to what The New York Times reported over the weekend, this isn't a matter of competition," wrote Apple. "It's a matter of security."

MDM technology is intended for enterprise users to manage their company-owned devices, and Apple says the use of MDM by consumer-focused apps carries privacy and security concerns that resulted in Apple addressing the situation in its ‌App Store‌ review guidelines in mid-2017.

Apple added that when it found out about these ‌App Store‌ guideline violations, it communicated with the necessary developers, giving them 30 days to submit an updated app to avoid being removed from the ‌App Store‌.

Many developers quickly refuted parts of Apple's press release, with OurPact claiming that its parental control app for children was removed from the ‌App Store‌ on October 6, 2018 without any prior communication from Apple, just three weeks after iOS 12 was publicly released with Screen Time.

Three other developers added that Apple was slow to respond and did not provide any resolution for the sudden guideline violations.

Apple has yet to indicate whether it will release a public API for Screen Time. While it is certainly possible that Apple could announce that it will offer such an API at its WWDC 2019 keynote next week, on short notice, no rumors have indicated that the API is coming in the initial release of iOS 13.

While it was initially reported that iTunes would live on in macOS 10.15, it now looks like the app will be retired, over 18 years after it was introduced by the late Steve Jobs at Macworld on January 9, 2001.

Apple will be replacing iTunes with standalone Music, TV, and Podcasts apps in the next major version of macOS, expected to be unveiled at WWDC 2019 next week, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman:

End of iTunes

iTunes has been the way Apple users listen to music, watch movies and TV shows, hear podcasts, and manage their devices for almost two decades. This year, Apple is finally ready to move into a new era. The company is launching a trio of new apps for the Mac – Music, TV, and Podcasts – to replace iTunes. That matches Apple's media app strategy on iPhones and iPads. Without iTunes, customers can manage their Apple gadgets through the Music app.

This information lines up with a recent report from 9to5Mac's Guilherme Rambo, who claimed that iTunes will be renamed to "Music" on the Mac. In other words, iTunes is going away and will be replaced by the new Music app, which is expected to become the new utility for syncing and managing Apple devices.

Steve Jobs quote from Apple's press release about iTunes in 2001:

Apple has done what Apple does best — make complex applications easy, and make them even more powerful in the process. iTunes is miles ahead of every other jukebox application, and we hope its dramatically simpler user interface will bring even more people into the digital music revolution.

Here's what iTunes looked like in 2001:

iTunes has attracted its fair share of criticism over the years for being bloated software, so its split into dedicated Music, TV, and Podcasts apps will be much welcomed. Earlier this week, leaked screenshots provided us with our first glimpse at what the Music and TV apps should look like on macOS 10.15.

Apple is widely expected to announce iOS 13, macOS 10.15, watchOS 6, and tvOS 13 at its WWDC 2019 opening keynote on Monday at 10 a.m. Pacific Time. MacRumors will have live coverage of the event on our website and through MacRumorsLive on Twitter, so be sure to follow along for the latest updates.

Apple's Powerbeats Pro totally wireless earphones officially went on sale today in the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, as predicted. However, the fitness-focused, Beats-branded earphones are only available in black, and stock appears to be limited.

As of writing, Apple's online UK store is switching between allowing customers to add the earphones to their bag, and graying out the Add to Bag button to prevent them from doing so. Delivery dates are also flipping between June 6-10 and "coming soon."

If you're having trouble ordering ‌Powerbeats Pro‌ via Apple's online store, try the Apple Store iOS app, as it appears to be allowing more orders to go to checkout. Customers can also try their luck ordering through the Beats website, which is quoting similar delivery dates.

‌Powerbeats Pro‌ cost £219.95 in the UK and 249.95 euros in France and Germany. They're Apple's first totally wireless Beats earphones, featuring 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. They last up to nine hours per charge, with more battery life available on the go via an included charging case.

‌Powerbeats Pro‌ are similar to traditional earbuds, with silicone tips that nestle in the ear and an earhook to hold them firmly in place. The silicone tips come in four sizes, but the earhooks, which wrap around the ear, are one size, and make sure the ‌Powerbeats Pro‌ stay firmly in place during physical activity.

The earphones are initially available in black only, with ivory, moss, and navy colors set to become available this summer, although Apple cautions that color availability is subject to change.

‌Powerbeats Pro‌ have been on sale in Canada and the U.S. since early May. In June they will be available in Australia, Singapore, China, Japan, Hong Kong, Korea, Austria, Italy, Spain, Ireland, The Netherlands, Belgium, Russia, Switzerland, Sweden, Mexico, and Brazil.

For more info on ‌Powerbeats Pro‌, check out our Powerbeats Pro guide.

Apple earlier this week introduced new iPod touch models, updating the 4-inch device for the first time since 2015. Not a lot has changed, but there's a new processor and updated storage tiers.

We thought we'd go hands-on with the new iPod touch to see if it still has a place in Apple's lineup in 2019 and who might want to purchase one.

Coming to a 4-inch iPod touch from a larger ‌iPhone‌ is quite an adjustment because most of us are no longer used to using a device with such a small display. It's tiny and it's made from a lightweight aluminum, which is nice if you need something you can just tuck in a pocket.

We have the iPod touch in blue, but it's also available in five additional colors: pink, (PRODUCT)RED, silver, gold, and space gray. As with the previous-generation iPod touch, there are thick bezels at the top and bottom of the device.

The bottom bezel houses a Home button, but unlike the ‌iPhone‌, there's no Touch ID built in. There's also no Face ID, because the iPod touch has no biometric authentication system at all. You need to use a passcode for unlocking the device.

Camera tech hasn't been updated, so the new iPod touch is still using an 8-megapixel rear camera and a 1.2 megapixel front-facing camera, both of which are pretty far behind current camera technology in more modern Apple devices. For those who prefer wired headphones, there is a headphone jack.

The sole major update to the 7th-generation iPod touch is its new processor, which is an A10 Fusion chip that Apple first used in the 2016 ‌iPhone‌ 7 and ‌iPhone‌ 7 Plus. The A10 Fusion chip is a good bit faster than the A8 chip that was in the 6th-generation iPod touch, but it's worth noting that it's underclocked in this new model compared to other A10 devices.

The A10 chip in the iPod touch is running at 1.6GHz compared to 2.3GHz in the 6th-generation iPad and ‌iPhone‌ 7, both of which use the A10 chip. Apple is undoubtedly underclocking the processor to save battery life. Since this is a 4-inch device, it has a small battery.

The iPod touch earned a single-core Geekbench score of 2722 in our testing, and a multi-core score of 4695. That's a good bit slower than the 6th-generation ‌iPad‌, which earned a single-core score of 3520 and a multi-core score of 6079.

It's faster than the 6th-generation iPod, though, which has a single-core Geekbench score of 1330 and a multi-core score of 2250. Apple also underclocked the A8 chip in the 6th-generation iPod touch, so having a chip that runs a bit slower in an iPod touch isn't new.

You can get the iPod touch with 32GB of storage for $199, while 128GB of storage will cost $299 and 256GB of storage (a new storage tier) will cost $399.

As for the question of who the iPod touch is for, it's not entirely clear. This is probably a good starter device for a younger child that needs access to games, FaceTime, iMessage, and other features, but there are also potential business applications, as this is an affordable device for something like mobile checkout. It could also be useful for schools looking for inexpensive Apple devices.

For the average person that has other Apple devices like an ‌iPhone‌ or ‌iPad‌, you're probably not going to want to pick up an iPod touch unless you have a specific use case for it, such as listening to music with wired headphones while at the gym or something. Most people aren't going to have a use for an iPod touch over an ‌iPhone‌, which is likely why it received only a modest processor update.

What do you think of the new iPod touch? Let us know in the comments.

Apple shipped an estimated 12.8 million wearable devices globally in the first calendar quarter of 2019, according to new data shared today by IDC. The wearables category includes Apple Watch, AirPods, and select Beats headphones.

Apple earned 25.8 percent market share during the quarter, making it the top wearables company, and growth was way up. In Q1 2018, Apple shipped an estimated 8.6 million devices, marking 49.5 percent growth year-over-year.

Chinese companies Xiaomi and Huawei were Apple's closest competitors with 6.6 and 5 million devices shipped, respectively, while Samsung and Fitbit took the fourth and fifth places with 4.3 and 2.9 million devices shipped, respectively.

In total, there were 49.6 million wearable devices shipped during the first quarter of 2019, up 55.2 percent from the first quarter of 2018.

Splitting the data up by wrist-worn devices only, IDC believes Apple shipped an estimated 4.6 million devices, up from 4 million in the year-ago quarter. Apple was not the top company when it comes to wrist-worn wearables, with that spot going to Xiaomi.

Xiaomi shipped an estimated 5.3 million wrist-worn wearable devices for 10.7 percent market share, slightly higher than Apple's 9.3 percent market share.

Huawei, Fitbit, and Samsung all trailed after Xiaomi and Apple, shipping 3.9, 2.9, and 2 million devices respectively during the first quarter of 2019. According to IDC, Apple's ASP for the Apple Watch jumped from $426 in Q1 2018 to $455 in Q1 2019.

Apple maintained the leading position as the company offers three product lines; Apple Watch, AirPods, and select Beats headphones. The Apple Watch in particular has proven to be highly successful at capturing unit share, but more importantly dollar share as the average selling price (ASP) of these watches has increased from $426 in 1Q18 to $455 in the latest quarter. Apple also seems to be employing a similar strategy in its wireless headphone lineup as the latest AirPods are now available with wireless charging and an increased ASP.

Apple has refreshed its Apple Watch every year since the device was introduced in 2015. In 2018, the Apple Watch Series 4 brought new ECG health features and an updated design with slimmer bezels. In 2019, rumors suggest we could see new casing materials and perhaps new display technology.