Guides
How to Install macOS Big Sur Public Beta

The macOS Big Sur Public Beta is now available. Here's how to get it.

How to Install iOS 14 Beta

iOS 14 Public Beta is out now. Learn how to get it on your iPhone or iPad

Should you buy a Mac now or wait for Arm Macs?

Wait for Arm? Or just buy a Mac now? Let's discuss.

iOS 14: How to Pin and Unpin Conversations in Messages

Apple has made it easier to keep track of conversation threads in Messages by allowing users to pin threads in the app.

• iOS 14: How to Send Inline Replies in Messages
• iOS 14: How to Mute Conversations in Messages
• iOS 14: How to Search for Emoji
• iOS 14: How to Hide Home Screen App Pages
• iOS 14: How to Use the App Library
• iOS 14: How to Download New Apps to the App Library
See more guides
Upcoming
iOS 14
Fall 2020

Previewed at WWDC in June.

macOS 11 Big Sur
Fall 2020

Apple's next-generation macOS operating system.

iMac
Late 2020

iPad Pro-like design? New screen sizes?

iPhone 12
September 2020

Four new phones in three sizes expected with 5G and new AR capabilities.

• AirTags
• AirPods Studio
• Apple Glasses
• Foldable iPhone
See full product calendar

New App Lets You Play Piano on the MacBook Pro's Touch Bar

by

Most MacBook Pro apps that have implemented support for the new Touch Bar have focused on putting settings, editing tools, and other utilitarian features right at a user's fingertips, but a new app from developer Graham Parks aims to have a little more fun with it.

The "Touch Bar Piano" app is designed to turn the Touch Bar on the MacBook Pro into a little tiny touch-based piano that can be used to make music.


Available on Parks' website, Touch Bar Piano is fully polyphonic and offers 128 instruments to play with. It only works with the MacBook Pro with Touch Bar, but Touch Bar emulator Touché can be used to try it out if you don't have one of Apple's latest MacBook Pros.

Touch Bar Piano doesn't exactly follow Apple's developer guidelines, which say the Touch Bar should be used as an extension of the keyboard and the trackpad rather than a display, but it's a fun way to show off what the new MacBook Pro can do.

Top Rated Comments

(View all)
Avatar
EndlessBuffoonery
48 months ago
Jesus, you people take everything way too seriously. Nobody is expecting a musician to write the next great piano sonata on the touch bar. It's just a goofy thing you can do. Can we not make every minor, silly app an excuse to claim the touch bar is a stupid gimmick and actually judge it on the improvements it's meant to offer now and/or with future app updates?
Score: 66 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Avatar
Hirakata
48 months ago
Looks handy. I'm sure all the pro musicians are dying to get this machine... :rolleyes:
Score: 39 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Avatar
garirry
48 months ago
A very expensive piano keyboard indeed - also a very uncomfortable one to use I imagine.
Score: 38 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Avatar
jstorm01
48 months ago
Just imagine when a full screen touchscreen can do one day !
Score: 35 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Avatar
32828870
48 months ago
That is, if the MacBook Pro doesn't overheat and shutdown ('http://bgr.com/2016/12/05/macbook-pro-2016-battery-problems/') or the GPU suddenly stops working ('https://www.macrumors.com/2016/12/02/new-macbook-pro-graphics-issues/'). Courageous Innovation™
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Avatar
avanpelt
48 months ago

Looks handy. I'm sure all the pro musicians are dying to get this machine... :rolleyes:

Agreed. This looks even more goofy than that DJ looked at the keynote (and I wasn't sure that anyone would be able to top the DJ...until now).
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments

Top Stories

iPhone Maker Foxconn Says China's 'Days as the World's Factory Are Done'

Wednesday August 12, 2020 7:55 am PDT by
China will no longer be the world's manufacturing epicenter going forward, according to Apple's largest supply chain partner Foxconn, which has been gradually expanding its operations in other countries amid the U.S.-China trade war. "No matter if it's India, Southeast Asia or the Americas, there will be a manufacturing ecosystem in each," said Foxconn chairman Young Liu, according to Bloombe...
Read Full Article • 115 comments

Leaker Jon Prosser: Apple Watch and iPad Launching in September, iPhone 12 Event to Take Place in October

Wednesday August 12, 2020 4:31 pm PDT by
Apple last month confirmed that this year's iPhone 12 models will launch outside of their normal September timeframe and will be "available a few weeks later," which has led to speculation about when an event might be held. Leaker Jon Prosser, who sometimes shares accurate knowledge of Apple's plans, today said that Apple will hold its iPhone 12 event during the week of October 12, with...
Read Full Article • 193 comments

Apple Takes Legal Action Against Small Company With Pear Logo

Saturday August 8, 2020 11:09 am PDT by
Apple is taking legal action against the developers of the app "Prepear" due to its logo, according to iPhone in Canada. Prepear is an app that helps users discover recipes, plan meals, make lists, and arrange grocery deliveries. The app is a spinoff of "Super Healthy Kids," and the founders claim that they are facing litigation from Apple. Apple reportedly takes issue with Prepear's logo, ...
Read Full Article • 547 comments

Apple to Launch Bundled Subscription Services Called 'Apple One'

Thursday August 13, 2020 3:41 am PDT by
Apple will launch a new range of subscription service bundles called "Apple One" as soon as October, according to a new report by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The series of bundles would allow customers to subscribe to several Apple digital services together. This is expected to result in a lower monthly price than when the services are subscribed to individually. Bloomberg reports that the...
Read Full Article • 179 comments

Apple Releases iOS and iPadOS 13.6.1 With Fix for Storage Issue and Green Tinted Displays

Wednesday August 12, 2020 1:31 pm PDT by
Apple today released iOS and iPadOS 13.6.1, minor updates that come a month after the release of the iOS 13.6 update with Car Keys and Audio Apple News+ stories. The iOS and ‌iPadOS‌ 13.6.1 updates are available on all eligible devices over-the-air in the Settings app. To access the updates, go to Settings > General > Software Update. iOS 13.6.1 addresses an issue that could cause...
Read Full Article • 72 comments

Apple May Release 4G-Only iPhone 12 in Early 2021

Tuesday August 11, 2020 5:28 am PDT by
In a research note shared by Business Insider, Wedbush Securities analysts said that Apple may release a cheaper iPhone 12 in early 2021 with no 5G connectivity. Wedbush initially believed Apple would launch a mix of 4G and 5G iPhone 12 models this fall. Following re-examination of Asian supply chains, analysts Daniel Ives, Strecker Backe, and Ahmad Khalil revised the predictions,...
Read Full Article • 97 comments

Apple Removes Fortnite From App Store [Update: Epic Files Lawsuit Against Apple]

Thursday August 13, 2020 11:58 am PDT by
Just hours after Epic Games introduced a new direct payment option for Fortnite that skirts Apple's in-app purchase rules, Apple has pulled the Fortnite app from the App Store. Fortnite is no longer available for download on the iPhone or the iPad, and Apple provided a statement to MacRumors on Fortnite's removal:Today, Epic Games took the unfortunate step of violating the App Store...
Read Full Article • 809 comments

iPad Pro Keyboard Comparison: Logitech's $160 Folio Touch vs. Apple's $300 Magic Keyboard

Tuesday August 11, 2020 2:11 pm PDT by
Logitech recently debuted the Folio Touch, a keyboard and trackpad case designed for the 11-inch iPad Pro that serves as an alternative to the Magic Keyboard. In our latest YouTube video, we compare the $160 Folio Touch to Apple's $300 Magic Keyboard to see which is better. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Logitech is selling the Folio Touch for $160, while Apple's...
Read Full Article • 74 comments

Apple Releases macOS Catalina 10.15.6 Supplemental Update With Virtualization Bug Fix

Wednesday August 12, 2020 1:20 pm PDT by
Apple today released a supplemental update for macOS Catalina 10.15.6, with the update coming a month after the original launch of macOS Catalina 10.15.6. The ‌‌macOS Catalina‌‌ 10.15.6 Supplemental Update can be downloaded from the Mac App Store using the Update feature in the System Preferences app. According to Apple's release notes, the update fixes a problem that could cause...
Read Full Article • 107 comments

Kuo: Global iPhone Shipments Could Decline Up to 30% If Apple Forced to Remove WeChat From App Store [Updated x2]

Sunday August 9, 2020 10:17 pm PDT by
In a worst-case scenario, Apple's annual global iPhone shipments could decline by 25–30% if it is forced to remove WeChat from its App Stores around the world, according to a new research note from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo viewed by MacRumors. The removal could occur due to a recent executive order aiming to ban U.S. transactions with WeChat and its parent company Tencent. Kuo lays out...
Read Full Article • 117 comments