A few weeks ago MacRumorsannounced a partnership with accessory maker Twelve South, offering spring break travelers the chance to get five vacation-friendly items discounted by 15 percent. That sale will end tomorrow, March 30, so be sure to head over to TwelveSouth.com and use the promo code MacRumorsSpringBreak on any of the items listed below before the code expires.
Customers browsing Twelve South this week should also note that the company has discounted its BookBook case for iPad and iPad Pro by $20 following the launch of the sixth-generation iPad on Tuesday. The case fits the new 2018 iPad as well as the 9.7-inch iPad Pro first released in 2016, and comes in Brown ($59.99, down from $79.99) and Rutledge ($79.99, down from $99.99).
RAVPower also has a sale ending tomorrow, this one on a pair of wireless chargers at Amazon, with savings of 20 percent hitting both the HyperAir stand and HyperAir pad. We reviewed both stands recently and came away impressed with each device, although the HyperAir stand just beat out the HyperAir pad in our charging time tests.
If you're still on the lookout for a new charging mat for an iPhone 8, 8 Plus, or X, head over to Amazon and use promo code MACRPC69 to bring the stand down to $39.99, from $49.99, and use promo code MACRPC66 to bring the pad down to $30.59, from $39.99.
Anker typically has numerous sales on Apple-related accessories happening at Amazon, and this week the company is offering 30 percent off USB-C charging and power accessories that should make nice companions with Apple's recent line of MacBooks. There's also a collection of portable chargers, power strips, and iPhone cases up for sale.
Below you'll find a list of Anker's latest deals, including the dates they expire and the promo codes needed for each sale. Note that prices exclude shipping and handling fees, but Amazon Prime members will get the usual 2-day free shipping.
Head over to our full Deals Roundup for more sales information, including a free $25 e-gift card from Best Buy with the purchase of the new 9.7-inch iPad, along with the retailer's ongoing discounts on MacBook Air, iPad mini 4, and more.
Apple will soon introduce an updated website for managing Apple IDs, which will allow Apple users to download a copy of all of their data stored by the company, reports Bloomberg.
Customers will be able to download data like their Contacts, photos, music preferences, Calendar information, and more. The site will essentially let users download all information stored across Apple's apps and services.
Apple also plans to allow customers to use the site to correct personal information, disable their Apple ID account, and permanently delete an Apple ID.
At the current time, there is no way for users to download their data or delete their accounts without directly contacting Apple.
Apple is making the change to comply with the European Union's new General Data Protection Regulation, which goes into effect on May 25.
Apple plans to release the new web-based privacy tools in Europe in early May, with an expansion to come to other countries at a later date.
The iOS 11.3 update, released this morning, also has privacy improvements in the form of new privacy splash screens that are displayed within each of Apple's apps when you open them for the first time to explain what data Apple collects and why.
Alongside iOS 11.3, watchOS 4.3, and tvOS 11.3, Apple today released a new 11.3 software update designed for the HomePod.
This marks the first software update that's been released for the HomePod since it became available for purchase in February.
The new HomePod software will be installed automatically on the HomePod after you update to iOS 11.3, but you can also manually update and check your software version by following the instructions in our HomePod software how to.
It's not clear what new features are included in the HomePod software just yet, but we are waiting on both AirPlay 2 and a feature to allow two HomePods to be paired together for stereo sound. Apple's release notes don't divulge any details about what might be included, suggesting these features have not been implemented.
According to the release notes, the update "includes general improvements for stability and quality."
Apple today released watchOS 4.3, the third major update to the watchOS 4 operating system that runs on the Apple Watch. watchOS 4.3 comes more than three months after the release of watchOS 4.2, the last major update that brought Apple Pay Cash.
watchOS 4.3 can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General --> Software Update. To install the new software, the Apple Watch needs to have at least 50 percent battery, it needs to be placed on a charger, and it needs to be in range of the iPhone.
watchOS 4.3 introduces support for Nightstand mode when the Apple Watch is positioned in a portrait orientation, a feature that was previously only available when the watch was placed in landscape orientation on its side.
Today's update also reintroduces a much-desired feature that allows music playing on the iPhone to be controlled using the Music app on the Apple Watch.
In previous versions of watchOS, starting with watchOS 4, the Music app could only be used to control music playing on the watch itself. watchOS 4.3 returns pre-watchOS 4 functionality and once again allows you to select the music playing on your iPhone from the Apple Watch. With watchOS 4.3, you're also able to control playback and volume on the HomePod using the Apple Watch.
Other new features in watchOS 4.3 include a new charging animation when the Apple Watch is placed on the charger and a new app loading animation when opening up an app. You'll also now see your Activity data on the Siri watch face, and the battery complication more accurately reports battery life.
Apple today released tvOS 11.3, the second major update to the tvOS operating system designed for the fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV models. tvOS 11.3 comes more than three months after the release of tvOS 11.2, and a month after the release of a minor tvOS 11.2.6 update.
tvOS 11.3 can be downloaded over the air through the Settings app on the Apple TV by going to System --> Software Update. Apple TV owners who have automatic software updates turned on will be upgraded to tvOS 11.3 automatically.
tvOS 11.3 introduces performance improvements and bug fixes for issues discovered following the release of tvOS 11.2.6.
The update introduces enhancements to Match Content support, automatic frame rate switching on the fourth-generation Apple TV (a feature that was added to Apple TV 4K in a past update), and automatic mode switching for AirPlay video sessions.
The TV app, designed to let users find and watch television shows and movies aggregated from entertainment apps, is expanding to Brazil and Mexico. Brazil is also gaining Siri support on Apple TV 4K and the fourth-generation Apple TV.
Early beta versions of tvOS 11.3 included support for AirPlay 2, allowing the Apple TV to be added to the Home app as part of a HomeKit setup and enabling multi-room audio across multiple Apple TVs.
AirPlay 2 functionality was, however, removed in the third beta of tvOS 11.3, eliminating these features. AirPlay 2 was not re-added during the beta testing period, so it's likely Apple is saving the feature for a future update.
Apple today released iOS 11.3, the twelfth official update to the iOS 11 operating system that first came out in September of 2017. iOS 11.3 comes more than a month the launch of iOS 11.2.6, a minor update that fixed a bug causing crashes due to the incorrect rendering of a character in the Indian language Telugu.
The iOS 11.3 update is available on all eligible devices over-the-air in the Settings app. To access the update, go to Settings --> General --> Software Update. Eligible devices include the iPhone 5s and later, the iPad mini 2 and later, the iPad Air and later, and the 6th-generation iPod touch.
iOS 11.3 is a major update that introduces a long list of new features, including several that Apple has been promising for months. The update introduces a new "Battery Health" feature that's designed to provide iOS users with more information about their batteries, and it is a function Apple promised to introduce following backlash over the power management features added to older iPhones.
Battery Health offers details on maximum battery capacity and peak performance capability, and for devices with degraded batteries, it provides information on if and when a device is being throttled with performance management features. It also provides a way for customers who do have a device with a degraded battery to turn off performance management all together.
By default, iOS 11.3 disables performance management on the iPhone, and the feature is only re-enabled once a device experiences an unexpected shutdown. Battery Health is only for the iPhone, but on the iPad, Apple is introducing new iPad charge management for tablets that are plugged in for long periods of time.
iOS 11.3 introduces ARKit 1.5, a new version of ARKit that will allow developers to do even more with augmented reality apps. ARKit 1.5 more accurately maps irregularly shaped surfaces, has image and object recognition, and allows virtual objects to be placed on vertical surfaces like walls.
The iOS 11.3 update includes a new Health Records feature in the U.S. that aggregates all of your medical records in one easy-to-access place (as long as you have a participating provider). Apple has outlined participating medical providers and offered up details on Health Records in a press release shared today.
There are four new Animoji (dragon, bear, skull, and lion) on the iPhone X in iOS 11.3, and updates have been made to some existing standard emoji, as outlined by Emojipedia. The lion emoji, for example, is a little less sad, while the skull emoji has gained a jaw.
There are also several other smaller features worth noting in iOS 11.3. A new "For You" section in Apple News displays hand-picked content and top videos, support for Advanced Mobile Location (AML) offers a more accurate location when placing an emergency call in a supported country, software authentication for HomeKit is included to greatly expand the number of devices that can support HomeKit, to make it easier to find relevant people to follow. and a new Privacy screen and icon will show up whenever Apple asks you for info. The privacy screen is reflected in several new splash screens that pop up when you first open apps.
In the App Store, you can finally sort reviews by most helpful, most favorable, most critical, and most recent, a handy change for better finding the app info you're looking for, and in the Updates tab, more details are available about app update size. Just ahead of the release, Apple added a new music videos section to Apple Music, and improvements have also been made to friend suggestions in Apple Music to make it easier to find people who like what you like.
The release of iOS 11.3 includes support for Business Chat in the U.S., which will let you interface with businesses like Wells Fargo, Delta, Hilton and Lowe's right in the Messages app. Improvements have been made to security in Safari, Handoff and Universal Clipboard have been improved, there are new Accessibility features, and bug fixes for keyboards.
The update also addresses several notable software bugs including an issue that could cause incoming calls not to activate the iPhone's screen, a bug that prevented voicemail playback, an oversight that did not allow parents to approve child purchases using Face ID, a Bluetooth bug that prevented proper syncing of contacts and music playback in a vehicle, and more. Apple's full release notes for the update are below:
iOS 11.3 introduces new features including ARKit 1.5 with support for more immersive augmented reality experiences, iPhone Battery Health (Beta), new Animoji for iPhone X users, and more. This update also includes stability improvements and bug fixes.
Augmented Reality - ARKit 1.5 allows developers to place digital objects on vertical surfaces like walls and doors in addition to horizontal surfaces - Adds support for detecting and incorporating images like movie posters or artwork into AR experiences - Supports a higher resolution real world camera view when using AR experiences
iPhone Battery Health (Beta) - Displays information on iPhone maximum battery capacity and peak performance capability - Indicates if the performance management feature that dynamically manages maximum performance to prevent unexpected shutdowns is on and includes the option to disable it - Recommends if a battery needs to be replaced
iPad charge management - Maintains battery health when iPad is connected to power for prolonged periods of time, such as when it is used in kiosks, point of sale systems, or stored in charging carts
Animoji - Introduces four new Animoji on iPhone X: lion, bear, dragon and skull
Privacy - When an Apple feature asks to use your personal information, an icon now appears along with a link to detailed information explaining how your data will be used and protected
Business Chat (Beta) - US only - Communicate with companies to easily ask questions, schedule appointments, and make purchases inside the built-in Messages app on iPhone and iPad
Health Records (Beta) - US only - Access health records and view lab results, immunizations, and more in a consolidated timeline in the Health app
Apple Music - Features a new music video experience, including an updated Music Videos section with exclusive video playlists - Find friends that have similar tastes using updated suggestions in Apple Music that reveal genres people enjoy and mutual friends that follow them
News - Top Stories now always appear first in For You - Watch Top Videos curated by News editors
App Store - Adds ability to sort customer reviews on product pages by Most Helpful, Most Favorable, Most Critical, or Most Recent - Improves Updates tab information with app version and file size
Safari - Helps protect privacy by only AutoFilling usernames and passwords after selecting them in a web form field - Includes warnings in the Smart Search Field when interacting with password or credit card forms on non-encrypted web pages - AutoFill for usernames and passwords is now available in web views within apps - Articles shared to Mail from Safari are now formatted using Reader mode by default when Reader is available - Folders in Favorites now show icons for the bookmarks contained within
Keyboards - Adds two new Shuangpin keyboard layouts - Adds support for connected hardware keyboards using the Turkish F keyboard layout - Improves Chinese and Japanese keyboards for better reachability on 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch devices - Enables switching back to the keyboard after dictation with just one tap - Addresses an issue where auto-correct could incorrectly capitalize some words - Fixes an issue on iPad Pro that prevented the iPad Smart Keyboard from working after connecting to a captive Wi-Fi access point - Fixes an issue that could cause the Thai keyboard to incorrectly switch to the numeric layout when in landscape mode
Accessibility - App Store adds accessibility support for bold and large text for display customization - Smart Invert adds support for images on the web and in Mail messages - Improves RTT experience and adds RTT support for T-Mobile - Improves app switching on iPad for VoiceOver and Switch Control users - Addresses an issue where VoiceOver incorrectly described Bluetooth status and badge icons - Fixes an issue where end call button might not be presented in the Phone app when using VoiceOver - Fixes an issue where in-app app rating was not accessible with VoiceOver - Resolves an issue when using Live Listen that could distort audio playback
Other improvements and fixes - Introduces support for the AML standard which provides more accurate location data to emergency responders when SOS is triggered (in supported countries) - Adds support for software authentication as a new way for developers to create and enable HomeKit compatible accessories - Podcasts now plays episodes with a single tap, and you can tap Details to learn more about each episode - Improves search performance for users with long notes in Contacts - Improves performance of Handoff and Universal Clipboard when both devices are on the same Wi-Fi network - Fixes an issue that could prevent incoming calls from waking the display - Addresses an issue that could delay or prevent playback of Visual Voicemail - Resolves an issue that prevented opening a web link in Messages - Fixes an issue that could prevent users from returning to Mail after previewing a message attachment - Fixes an issue that could cause Mail notifications to reappear on the Lock screen after they had been cleared - Resolves an issue that could cause time and notifications to disappear from the Lock Screen - Resolves an issue that prevented parents from using Face ID to approve Ask to Buy requests - Fixes an issue in Weather where current weather conditions may not have been updated - Fixes an issue where contacts may not sync with a car's phone book when connected over Bluetooth - Addresses an issue that could prevent audio apps from playing in cars when the app was in the background
Betas of iOS 11.3 included a Messages on iCloud feature that Apple has been working on for several months, but the iOS 11.3 release notes do not include a mention of Messages on iCloud, suggesting the feature has been delayed for a second time. With Messages on iCloud, all of your iMessages are stored in the cloud, allowing them to sync across devices (even new ones) and saving valuable storage space on your iPhones and iPads.
Early betas also included AirPlay 2 support for iOS 11.3 and tvOS 11.3, but the feature was removed in iOS 11.3 beta 3 and it was not reintroduced in a later beta, suggesting it has been pushed back to a later update.
Popular photo editing app Darkroom reached version 3.5 today, introducing the ability to edit Depth shots taken on supporting iPhone cameras, along with several other notable new features.
After updating to v3.5, Darkroom will automatically load the depth map for Portrait photos encountered in the library and recreate applied blur from scratch, handing control of its strength and location back to the user. Thanks to a new depth range selector, it's now possible to define exactly where the foreground and the background are.
Meanwhile, in what the developers are calling an industry first, Darkroom 3.5 now features Depth-Aware filters. These come premium Portrait Filter pack to be depth-aware. Each filter will automatically adjust foreground and background settings to optimize the focal point of the image on the face, not on the background. User-created filters with depth settings also now carry over those settings to the filter itself.
Additionally in this release, Darkroom's RAW engine has been rebuilt to take full advantage of the Extended-Range color space of Raw files, which should enable photographers to dramatically improve the amount of detail that's recoverable from shadows and highlights. Similarly, the brightness, contrast, highlights and shadows sliders have been rebuilt to operate in the extended space, offering finer-grain tone control.
Elsewhere, the developers have undertaken app-wide performance refinements in an effort to make photo editing in Darkroom as fast as photo browsing. There's also now a dedicated button at the top of the library view for accessing popular third-party camera app Halide, ready for when the announced Darkroom X Halide integration goes live.
Darkroom is a free download from the App Store and includes in-app purchases for some tools. [Direct Link].
French developer Pierre Blazquez today shared what he claims are the final iOS 11.3 release notes, supposedly obtained from Apple's servers. His tweet contains images of the release notes in English for the United States.
Apple blog Mac4Ever shared the release notes in French, which we've translated and embedded below in English.
While there aren't too many surprises, it's worth noting that Messages on iCloud is not listed, despite being enabled in the latest iOS 11.3 and macOS 10.13.4 betas. Apple did say the feature is included in the betas "for testing and evaluation purposes," so it was never entirely clear if it would be ready for the final release.
Beyond that, the release notes seemingly confirm Apple's new Battery Health feature on iPhones will still be considered a beta feature in the iOS 11.3 public release, Advanced Mobile Location support where available, App Store review sorting, and improved charging management for always-plugged-in iPads.
As expected, there are also new accessibility features, a wide range of stability improvements and bug fixes, and other enhancements:
Augmented Reality
ARKit 1.5 allows developers to place virtual objects on vertical surfaces like walls and doors in addition to horizontal surfaces
Adds support for detecting and incorporating images like movie posters or artwork into AR experiences
Supports a higher resolution real-world camera view when using AR experiences
iPhone Battery Health (Beta)
Displays information on iPhone maximum battery capacity and peak performance capability
Indicates if the performance management feature that dynamically manages maximum performance to prevent unexpected shutdowns is on and includes the option to disable it
Recommends if a battery needs to be replaced
For more information on batteries and performance, visit this website: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208387
iPad charge management
Maintains battery status when the iPad is plugged in for extended periods of time, such as when used in a kiosk or point-of-sale system, or stored in a charging cart.
Animoji
Four new Animoji available on the iPhone X: lion, bear, dragon and skull.
Privacy
When an Apple feature asks to use your personal information, an icon now appears with a link to access detailed information about how your data will be used and protected.
Business Chat (Beta) — US Only
Communicate with companies to easily ask questions, schedule appointments, and make purchases inside the built-in Messages app on iPhone and iPad
Health Records (Beta) — US Only
Access health records and view lab results, immunizations, and more in a consolidated timeline in the Health app
Apple Music
Provides a new experience in video clips, including a Revised Video Clips section featuring exclusive video playlists.
Find friends with similar tastes through Apple Music's improved suggestions, which list the genres that the users and mutual friends follow.
News
The main titles now always appear first in "For You."
Watch the best videos selected by News editors.
App Store
Four options now allow you to sort the customer reviews on the product pages: the most useful, the most favorable, the most critical or the most recent.
The Updates tab now shows the version of the app and the size of the file.
Safari
Promotes the protection of privacy by notifying usernames and passwords until they have been selected in a web form field.
Presents warnings in the smart search field when the user interacts with password entry forms or credit card data on unencrypted web pages.
Automatic filling of usernames and passwords is now available in apps' web views.
By default, articles shared via Mail from Safari are now formatted using Reader mode, if the drive is available.
In Favorites, folders now have icons for the bookmarks they contain.
Keyboards
Adds two Shuangpin keyboard layouts.
Supports connected physical keyboards using Turkish F layout.
Improves Chinese and Japanese keyboards for better accessibility on devices with a 4.7-inch or 5.5-inch screen.
Allows you to return to the keyboard with a simple touch after the dictation.
Fixes a problem that could cause the capitalization of the first letter of some words by the automatic correction feature.
Fixes an issue on the iPad Pro that prevented the iPad Smart Keyboard from working after connecting to a captive Wi-Fi hotspot.
Fixes a problem that could cause undesirable activation of the digital layout on the Thai keyboard in landscape mode.
Accessibility
The App Store now supports accessibility options "Bold Text" and "Large Font" for customizing the display.
Smart Reversal now supports images on the web and in Mail messages.
Enhances the RTT experience and supports RTT service for T-Mobile.
Improves app selection on the iPad for VoiceOver users and selection control.
Corrects a problem with the incorrect description of the Bluetooth status icon and the Bluetooth icon by VoiceOver.
Fixes a problem that may prevent the end of call button from appearing in the Phone app when using VoiceOver.
Fixes an issue preventing access to an app's built-in ranking with VoiceOver.
Fixes a problem that may cause distorted audio playback when using real-time listening.
Other Enhancements and Fixes
Supports AML technology, which provides more accurate location data to emergency services during an emergency call (in countries where this technology is available).
Supports software authentication, which provides developers with a new way to create and activate HomeKit-compatible accessories.
Podcasts now plays episodes with a single tap, and you can tap Details to learn more about each one.
Improves search performance for users with long notes in Contacts.
Improves the performance of Handoff and the universal clipboard when both devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
Fixes a problem that may prevent incoming calls from activating the screen.
Fixes a problem that may prevent or prevent voicemail playback.
Fixes an issue that prevents opening a web link in Messages.
Fixes a problem that may prevent users from returning to Mail after previewing an attachment to a message.
Fixes a problem that could cause the deleted screen to reappear on the locked screen.
Fixes a problem that can cause the time and notifications to disappear on the locked screen.
Fixes an issue that prevents parents from using Face ID for approving purchase authorization requests.
Fixes a problem that could prevent updating of the current weather conditions in Weather.
Fixes a problem that could prevent the synchronization of contacts with a vehicle directory when connected via Bluetooth.
Fixes a problem that may prevent an audio app from playing content in a vehicle while it was in the background.
iOS 11.3 remains in beta testing, but a public release appears to be imminent, as the software update was seeded for the new iPad yesterday.
Apple recently confirmed that there will be an iOS 11.4 software update, perhaps including Messages on iCloud and AirPlay 2.
In Apple's latest promo for Apple Pay, sports fans can save 20 percent on gear when paying with Apple Pay in the Fanatics app or on Fanatics.com.
To see the discount, make a purchase worth $25 or more on Fanatics, then enter the coupon code APPLEPAY20 during checkout to redeem the 20 percent off savings. The promo runs from today, March 29, through April 4 at 11:59 p.m. ET.
Fanatics' website has a complete collection of brands and merchandise offered under the promotion, as well as a detailed list of exclusions at the bottom of this page.
Apple's new promotion also highlights sporting goods stores like Champs Sports, Dick's Sporting Goods, and Foot Locker, as well as sporting event apps like MLB Ballpark, StubHub, and Gametime.
Apple has launched a consistent series of promos for Apple Pay over the past few months, most recently including food deliveries from Grubhub, Seamless, and Eat24. Each new promotion also reminds users that they can pay friends back for a variety of things using Apple Pay Cash.
Since ARKit debuted within iOS 11 on September 19 last year, iPhone and iPad owners worldwide have downloaded and installed more than 13 million ARKit-only apps. The data comes from Sensor Tower, which broke down the most popular categories of augmented reality apps fueled by ARKit, the top 10 free and paid apps, highest grossing apps, and more.
Games remain the dominant category for ARKit-only apps -- or those apps built "expressly using" Apple's framework -- having grown from representing 35 percent of downloads one month after iOS 11's launch, to 47 percent today. The second place category, Utilities, decreased from 19 percent last October to 15 percent in March. Rounding out the top six were Entertainment, Lifestyle, Photo & Video, and Education.
Charts via Sensor Tower
Sensor Tower pointed out that for the games-specific charts, the top spots of all three sections (free, paid, grossing) were "still occupied by many of the same titles that found success several months ago," suggesting not much variation in ARKit-only gaming on the App Store. On the other hand, when the researchers looked at non-game apps they saw multiple newcomers rising on the charts, like LEGO AR Studio -- "a testament to the popularity of kid-focused AR content on the App Store thus far."
From what we’ve seen in our latest analysis, ARKit-only apps only continue to grow in terms of installs and the number of experiences available to users. This isn’t including the numerous ARKit-compatible apps that have added some degree of AR functionality in the past six months and have pushed the number of AR apps on the App Store well beyond 2,000 to date.
There’s clearly substantial room for growth in terms of user base and revenue, but also ambition when it comes to this burgeoning category, and the apps above have built a solid foundation for what’s to come, especially as the capabilities of ARKit evolve and expand with future versions of iOS.
Popular free game "AR Dragon" retained the top spot as the most-downloaded free ARKit-only app and game during the framework's first six months of availability. Other augmented reality apps that remain popular on the App Store include IKEA Place (#2 free apps), AR MeasureKit (#5 free apps/#5 top grossing), and CamToPlan Pro (#1 paid apps). For both paid and grossing categories, ARKit app downloads are leaning "predominantly" to the Utilities category.
Apple CEO Tim Cook has described augmented reality as "profound" in the past, claiming that Apple is in a "unique position" to lead when it comes to the technology. He thinks that AR will become "as key as having a website" for brands, and sees ARKit as the start of something much bigger: "This is very much like in 2008 when we fired the gun in the App Store. That's what it feels like to me and I think it will just get bigger from here."
Apple this morning added a new Music Videos section to its Apple Music streaming service for $9.99 monthly subscribers.
The new section is accessed by way of the Browse panel in iTunes on macOS and iOS 11, and is currently showcasing several music videos that have been available on the service for some time, along with Apple Music exclusives from the likes of Kylie Minogue and Beck. A curated "Today's Video Hits" playlist and artist spotlight on Taylor Swift are also featured.
Word of new music video content for Apple Music subscribers came via Apple when it outlined many of the upcoming changes in iOS 11.3 in a preview announcement at the beginning of the year.
The company said Apple Music would "soon be the home for music videos," allowing subscribers to stream all the music videos they want without ads, as well as view and create music video playlists. Users can also expect regularly updated editorial and music video recommendations from Apple, based on the user's music tastes.
We're still waiting for the official release of iOS 11.3 to drop. Several beta versions of iOS 11.3 have been made available to developers and public testers since Apple's preview announcement, but the new Apple Music video category has been introduced separately and is already appearing for a lot of iPhone and iPad users running iOS 11.2.6 and for Mac users with iTunes 12.7 or later installed.
In macOS, the System Preferences app located in the Applications folder is where you can adjust various settings to customize your Mac. Most system preference panes are native to macOS and cannot be removed – although they can be hidden. In this article, we'll show you how it's done.
Occasionally, third-party apps installed on your Mac will insert their own preference panes in the bottom row of the System Preferences panel. Sometimes these panes will pointlessly stick around even after you've uninstalled the associated app. Thankfully though, they can be removed separately. To jump to our instructions on how to do that, click here.
At a press event at the New York International Auto Show this afternoon, Mazda announced plans to bring CarPlay to its vehicle lineup for the first time.
The new 2018 Mazda6 will be the first Mazda vehicle to offer support for both CarPlay and Android Auto in the United States, with Mazda planning to introduce the feature this summer.
The CarPlay announcement is at 5:59 in the video
CarPlay will be available as an upgrade option on all 2018 Mazda6 models with Touring trim level and above, and customers who have already purchased a Mazda6 when CarPlay compatibility rolls out will be able to get the feature added to their vehicles.
Mazda's press event did not mention CarPlay support for other vehicles, including the newly announced CX-3, which has left some Mazda owners upset that Mazda did not make it clear whether or not CarPlay would be available in older Mazda vehicles, a feature Mazda has promised in the past.
A press release on the Canadian Mazda site offers up additional CarPlay information, but it is not yet clear whether it also pertains to the U.S., and we've asked Mazda for clarification. Mazda's Canadian site says CarPlay will be added to the 2019 CX-9 and then made available as a retrofit for Mazda Connect systems this fall.
During the press conference, Mazda also announced the addition of Apple CarPlayTM and AndroidTM Auto support to its vehicle line-up. In Canada, these mobile device connectivity technologies will first be offered in the 2019 CX‑9 launching this summer, and then rolled out across the entire model line-up thereafter. In addition, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto will be available as a Genuine Mazda Accessory retrofit for MAZDA CONNECT systems starting this fall.
Mazda has been promising to add CarPlay support to its vehicles for quite some time and has been listed as a CarPlay partner since CarPlay's 2014 debut. Mazda said as recently as January that it's still committed to CarPlay despite the fact that the feature has yet to become available in Mazda cars.
In March of 2017, Mazda said that CarPlay, when introduced, would be "retroactively upgradeable onto all Mazda Connect systems with a potentially minimal hardware addition needed." Mazda Connect was first introduced in Mazda vehicles in 2014, which means quite a few Mazda vehicles will be eligible for the upgrade should Mazda make good on its promise.
CarPlay was slow to roll out, but since 2016, auto manufacturers have been adopting it at a rapid pace. CarPlay is now available in over 300 car models from a wide range of manufacturers.
Support for the Apple Pencil was one of the major differentiating factors between the fifth-generation iPad and the 10.5-inch iPad Pro, with Apple Pencil connectivity limited to Apple's more expensive flagship tablets.
Now that Apple Pencil support has been built into the sixth-generation iPad, which costs just $329, the Apple Pencil is far more accessible and there's less separating Apple's cheapest tablet from its priciest models. In the video and post below, we go over all of the differences between the new iPad and the existing iPad Pro.
The iPad Pro and the sixth-generation iPad may seem similar at first glance due to the shared Apple Pencil support, but the iPad Pro continues to offer a faster processor, better cameras, and a better display to justify its high price tag.
Apple's iPad Pro, for example, uses ProMotion technology with a 120Hz refresh rate, which makes all motion on the screen smoother, crisper, and more responsive.
It's dramatically different than other iPad displays with smoother text, better gameplay, and enhanced videos. True Tone technology, which adjusts the white balance of the display to match the ambient lighting is also an iPad Pro-only feature, as is wide color, for brighter, more vivid colors.
The sixth-generation iPad, meanwhile, uses the same non-laminated display that was first used in the iPad Air, albeit with improvements to make it brighter and a new touch sensor to allow for Apple Pencil support. It's Retina, but otherwise unremarkable.
The iPad Pro is also using an A10X Fusion chip, new in 2017, while the iPad is equipped with the A10 Fusion from the 2016 iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. Major improvements have been made in processor and GPU speed in recent iterations, so the iPad Pro is going to be a good bit faster than the iPad, though you're not going to notice in everyday tasks.
If camera quality is of importance, the iPad Pro has the latest 12-megapixel f/1.8 camera that is leagues better than the 8-megapixel f2.4 camera in the iPad. The iPad Pro's camera supports a laundry list of features not available in the iPad, like True Tone Flash, stabilization for live photos, wide color capture, 4K video recording, and more.
The iPad Pro's front-facing camera is also 7-megapixels, a big upgrade over the 1.2-megapixel front-facing camera in the iPad. To make it easy to compare the two tablets at a glance, we've made a handy chart that also includes the fifth-generation iPad:
So which one should you buy? If you want an impressively fast but affordable tablet that works with Apple Pencil and is going to play the most recent games and apps for several years to come, go with the iPad.
If you want the fastest, thinnest device you can get with the absolute best display available on the market, go with the iPad Pro, but don't buy right now if you can hold out for a refresh. We're expecting to see updated iPad Pro models either in June or September with slimmer bezels, no Home button, and support for the Face ID facial recognition system first introduced in the iPhone X.
In addition to our standalone articles covering the latest news and rumors at MacRumors, this Quick Takes column provides a bite-sized recap of other headlines about Apple and its competitors on weekdays.
Wednesday, March 28
What Wasn't Announced at Apple's Event
Yesterday, we shared a video recap of everything Apple announced at its education-themed event, including a new entry-level 9.7-inch iPad, a new Schoolwork app for classrooms, and other education-related software updates.
Apple's invite made it very clear that the event would be focused on education announcements, but there were still quite a few hardware and software possibilities that had a slim chance of being—but ultimately weren't—mentioned:
Lower-priced MacBook Air: KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said a more affordable MacBook Air will launch in the second quarter of 2018. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the notebook probably wouldn't be ready for Tuesday's event, which proved to be the case.
When to expect it: Apple has refreshed the MacBook, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro in April or May before, and announced the updates via press releases, so that's one possibility. Otherwise, the new MacBook Air will likely debut at WWDC 2018 on June 4, near the end of the second quarter.
AirPower: A trio of reports claimed Apple's multi-device charging mat will be available to order by the end of March. However, despite Apple's online store going down ahead of Tuesday's event, the AirPower wasn't anywhere to be found when the site came back online.
When to expect it: There are still two weekdays remaining in March, so there's a possibility the AirPower could be added to Apple's online store within 48 hours. Otherwise, the reports may have been off the mark. Apple has only confirmed that the AirPower will be available at some point in 2018.
A second-generation iPhone SE: Apple unveiled the current iPhone SE in March 2016, and given multiple rumors about a so-called iPhone SE 2, the new version could have debuted at the Chicago event. However, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo had already cast doubt on the idea.
When to expect it: A sketchy Chinese report recently claimed that Apple will unveil a new iPhone SE at WWDC 2018 in June. While certainly a possibility, Apple hasn't introduced a smartphone at the event since the iPhone 4 in 2010. Beyond WWDC, a new iPhone SE could conceivably be announced in September alongside a new iPhone X and iPhone X Plus.
iPhone X in gold rendered by Michael Flux
Gold or (PRODUCT)RED edition iPhones: Rosenblatt Securities analyst Jun Zhang and Twitter account OnLeaks said Apple may release a (PRODUCT)RED edition of the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and/or iPhone X. Ben Geskin and Japanese website Mac Otakara expect a gold iPhone X.
When to expect it: On March 21, 2017, Apple unveiled a special (PRODUCT)RED edition of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. If it plans on doing similar this year, then perhaps we'll see a wave of press releases highlighting availability of the new colors and the AirPower very soon.
iOS 11.3: Apple could have used its event to mention when the software update will be publicly released, but it elected not to do so.
When to expect it: Apple said iOS 11.3 will be available in the spring, which began last week. There has already been six beta versions, and iOS 11.3 was released for the new iPad just hours ago, so it's very likely the update will be available in a matter of days.
Teacher Reactions to Apple's Event
Apple's last education-focused event prior to Tuesday was in January 2012 in New York, where it announced iBooks 2 with interactive textbooks, iBooks Author, and a new version of iTunes U for iPad.
Just over six years later, many teachers and IT directors for school systems were eager to see what Apple had in store for them. And now that the event has concluded, many of those individuals have shared their initial thoughts, which aren't entirely positive. We've rounded up some articles below:
Today is press day at the New York International Auto Show, which opens to the public on Friday. Many automakers have unveiled vehicles compatible with CarPlay, including the 2019 Toyota Corolla Hatchback and 2019 Lexus UX:
The Apple Watch Series 3 with LTE is still available in a limited number of countries, even months after its launch, as Apple works to establish connectivity deals with various carriers.
Apple users in Thailand have previously been able to purchase WiFi + GPS Apple Watch Series 3 models, but the LTE version has been unavailable in the country.
With the addition of Thailand, Apple Watch Series 3 models with LTE connectivity will be available in more than a dozen countries and territories, including the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, Australia, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
Apple Watch Series 3 LTE models were initially available in China at launch but have been discontinued indefinitely as Apple attempts to work out regulatory issues. Apple expects LTE Series 3 models to return to the country at some point in 2018.
While the Apple Watch with LTE is limited in availability, the Apple Watch Series 3 with WiFi and GPS is available in many more countries around the world.
"It's not true that the iPhone is not made in the United States," Apple CEO Tim Cook said this morning in an interview with Recode's Kara Swisher and MSNBC's Chris Hayes in a response to criticism about its ties to China and other countries.
"We have always made the parts here," Cook said. "People just look at where the final product is assembled." In a global world, he explained, manufacturing and assembly needs to be done in a variety of places.
Image via Recode
As Cook has said multiple times in the past, key iPhone components are manufactured in the United States. Display glass for the iPhone and iPad, made by U.S. manufacturer Corning, comes from Kentucky. The Face ID module for the iPhone X comes from Texas. Various chips for Apple devices are also built in the United States, according to Cook, as is equipment for manufacturing the iPhone.
Components manufactured in the U.S. are shipped abroad, with devices assembled by suppliers like Foxconn and Pegatron in China.
Cook said "political pressure" doesn't push Apple to add U.S. jobs, as it's something the company is already doing. As Cook often says, Apple could "only have been created in the United States," and Apple wants to give back. "Businesses should be more than just building revenues and profits," Cook said. "They should be building people."
"We know that Apple could only have been created in the United States. We know that. This company would not have flourished in any other country in the world. We love this country. We are patriots. This is our country and we want to create as many jobs as we can in the U.S. We don't need any political pressure for that."
Apple in January outlined a five-year plan to contribute $350 billion to the U.S. economy through job creation, existing investments and manufacturing, and new investments. Apple has established an Advanced Manufacturing Fund, for example, to invest in U.S. manufacturing. Apple has thus far invested $200 million in Corning and $390 million in Finisar.
On the topic of job creation and automation, Cook said that it's important to "get comfortable" with "the notion that education is lifelong." Jobs, he says, will be "cannibalized over time and replaced by others." Continuously learning is important, which is why Apple puts such a focus on teaching students of all ages to code. "The jobs of tomorrow are heavily software based," he said.
"There's an element of what each of us do, which will be automated over time. That's not bad. But we need to think about training for the jobs for tomorrow, which will be software-based."
He said he does not believe the narrative around "doom and gloom" is correct, but he does believe government and businesses need to work together on job retraining and creation for industries that are being automated. "We should not all sit around waiting for government to tell us what to do," he said.
Tim Cook's full interview will air on MSNBC on Friday, April 6 at 5:00 p.m. in a segment titled "Revolution: Apple Changing the World."
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.
When Apple launched the iMac Pro last December, virtual reality applications and content creation were headlining features for the high-end computer. Prior to that, the company focused on Metal 2 and VR-based content as major additions to macOS High Sierra during WWDC 2017, also announcing multiple game studios putting their support behind Mac-based VR experiences, like Valve and Epic using the HTC Vive headset.
Today, another VR studio backing Apple's efforts in this space has become the focus of a new report by Ars Technica. The studio, called "Survios," was approached by Apple to port its new software "Electronauts" to macOS, part of many VR apps aimed at showcasing the iMac Pro's top-of-the-line capabilities.
In the new interview, Survios studio head Mike McTyre and software engineer Jason Meisel discussed the "nearly painless" porting process, what working with Apple was like, and the important distinction between Apple's focus on AR vs VR.
According to Meisel, Apple focused on ease of portability and ensured that early VR Mac developers wouldn't hit roadblocks during the porting process. Right now on Mac, VR experiences are supported using an optimized version of Valve's SteamVR platform and Survios developed Electronauts in the Unity game engine, which "can build directly to a multitude of platforms" spanning macOS and Windows.
"Essentially, what they've done really well is that they've been working with Unity and with Valve to make that whole process of porting a game that already exists using Unity and just get it running on the iMac," Meisel added.
Speaking on the topic of the small install base of an iMac Pro-only VR title, McTyre said that the studio noticed "a lot of passion" from Apple, and it's clear that the Cupertino company is planning "a lot more growth" in VR moving forward.
We're seeing a lot of resources on their end, a lot of effort, a lot of passion. They want to focus on this and work on this. So that might be true now, but that's just the starting point. It starts here, and let's see what they add on to that next... I truly believe that they're going to put a lot more growth into that going forward beyond this. This is just a starting point.
To expand the support of VR on Mac computers, McTyre said that in a few years he hopes to see Macs launch with integrated GPUs that sport minimum spec requirements for VR. Right now, even the iMac Pro development kit includes an external GPU enclosure, and support for eGPUs will launch wide in macOS High Sierra 10.13.4. McTyre hopes this is just a stopgap solution for graphics-heavy apps like VR: "I do think we are not that far off from the built-in GPUs just being good enough to just, out of the box, play VR."
Photo of the Survios offices in Culver City, California by Samuel Axon via Ars Technica
McTyre also touched upon the difference between virtual reality and augmented reality, the latter of which has been more of a focus for Apple in recent years thanks to ARKit in iOS. Apple has been tied to potential future products that could use either AR or VR, but Survios is specifically focused on VR and McTyre said AR is just "not as far along yet as VR."
The concept that AR is a version of VR but better, in my mind, is not true. It's a different experience. Televisions did not make movies obsolete. Movies did not make books obsolete. Mobile gaming did not making console gaming obsolete, and console gaming did not make PC gaming obsolete. It's all nonsense. We've been through this a million times over the last century. It's a new medium, and AR and VR are different. Is there overlap, just like TV and movies have overlap? But they're not the same thing.
For more details on Apple's relationship with VR developers, be sure to visit Ars Technica and read the full interview with Survios.
Biggest design overhaul since iOS 7 with Liquid Glass, plus new Apple Intelligence features and improvements to Messages, Phone, Safari, Shortcuts, and more. Developer beta available now ahead of public beta in July.
Biggest design overhaul since iOS 7 with Liquid Glass, plus new Apple Intelligence features and improvements to Messages, Phone, Safari, Shortcuts, and more. Developer beta available now ahead of public beta in July.
French developer Pierre Blazquez today 
In macOS, the System Preferences app located in the Applications folder is where you can adjust various settings to customize your Mac. Most system preference panes are native to macOS and cannot be removed – although they can be hidden. In this article, we'll show you how it's done.
