MacRumors

Under normal and lightweight web browsing, Google Chrome uses 10x more RAM than Safari on macOS Big Sur, according to a test conducted by Flotato creator Morten Just (via iMore).

In a blog post, Just outlines that he put both browsers to the test in two scenarios on the latest version of macOS. The first test was conducted on a virtual machine, and the second on a 2019 16-inch MacBook Pro with 32GB of RAM. In the first round of testing, Just simulated a typical browsing pattern of opening Twitter, scrolling around, and then opening a new tab with Gmail and composing an email.

Under that test, Just found that Chrome reached 1GB of RAM usage, while Safari used only 80MB of RAM. The two-tab test was only the start, however.

With 54 tabs open, Just found that Google Chrome used 24x more RAM per tab compared to Safari. Both browsers, according to Just, were free of any extensions, and this specific test was conducted on his actual MacBook Pro, not a virtual machine. Per his findings, Chrome used 290MB of RAM per open tab, while Safari only used 12MB of RAM per open tab.

While the results are stark, Just does say that Google Chrome is likely "going out of its way to manage its memory usage across tabs," in efforts to keep the current tab "fast and responsive." In his tests, Just finds that his own application, Flotato, a lightweight alternative to Chrome that creates apps based on webpages, used significantly less RAM than both Safari and Chrome.

Chrome is known to being a memory hog on Mac and Windows computers, an issue Google has recently attempted to solve.

With macOS Big Sur, Safari received significant updates that saw it further outpace Chrome. Apple says that Safari on macOS Big Sur is "50% faster on average at loading frequently visited websites than Chrome," and that Safari provides up to one and a half hours longer of streaming video, and up to one hour longer normal web browsing on a single charge, compared to Chrome and Firefox.

Update: There are comments suggesting that these measurements may not be accurate. We'll provide further updates as more information comes out.

The second known piece of malware that has been compiled to run natively on M1 Macs has been discovered by security firm Red Canary.

Given the name "Silver Sparrow," the malicious package is said to leverage the macOS Installer JavaScript API to execute suspicious commands. After observing the malware for over a week, however, neither Red Canary nor its research partners observed a final payload, so the exact threat that the malware poses remains a mystery.

Nevertheless, Red Canary said the malware could be "a reasonably serious threat":

Though we haven't observed Silver Sparrow delivering additional malicious payloads yet, its forward-looking M1 chip compatibility, global reach, relatively high infection rate, and operational maturity suggest Silver Sparrow is a reasonably serious threat, uniquely positioned to deliver a potentially impactful payload at a moment's notice.

According to data provided by Malwarebytes, "Silver Sparrow" had infected 29,139 macOS systems across 153 countries as of February 17, including "high volumes of detection in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, France, and Germany." Red Canary did not specify how many of these systems were M1 Macs, if any.

Given that the "Silver Sparrow" binaries "don't seem to do all that much" yet, Red Canary referred to them as "bystander binaries." When executed on Intel-based Macs, the malicious package simply shows a blank window with a "Hello, World!" message, while the Apple silicon binary leads to a red window that says "You did it!"

Red Canary shared methods for detecting a wide array of macOS threats, but the steps are not specific to detecting "Silver Sparrow":

- Look for a process that appears to be PlistBuddy executing in conjunction with a command line containing the following: LaunchAgents and RunAtLoad and true. This analytic helps us find multiple macOS malware families establishing LaunchAgent persistence.
- Look for a process that appears to be sqlite3 executing in conjunction with a
command line that contains: LSQuarantine. This analytic helps us find multiple macOS malware families manipulating or searching metadata for downloaded files.
- Look for a process that appears to be curl executing in conjunction with a command line that contains: s3.amazonaws.com. This analytic helps us find multiple macOS malware families using S3 buckets for distribution.

The first piece of malware capable of running natively on M1 Macs was discovered just days ago. Technical details about this second piece of malware can be found in Red Canary's blog post, and Ars Technica has a good explainer as well.

Japanese automaker Mitsubishi this week introduced the redesigned 2022 Outlander, its first vehicle available with wireless CarPlay.

Wireless CarPlay works over Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, allowing for an iPhone to be connected to the infotainment system without a Lightning cable. In addition to being convenient, this wireless connectivity will soon become more important, as reputable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has previously claimed that Apple will introduce at least one high-end iPhone without a Lightning connector this year, resulting in the device being completely portless.

The fourth-generation Outlander is equipped with a 9-inch touchscreen that provides access to both wireless CarPlay and Android Auto. Wireless smartphone charging is also available alongside standard USB-A and USB-C charging ports.

Depending on the trim level, the 2022 Outlander can be fitted with up to 20-inch wheels, a 10.8-inch heads-up display on the windshield, a 10-speaker Bose audio system, a panoramic sunroof, and other options. The vehicle is powered by a 2.5L four-cylinder engine and is equipped with three-row seating as standard equipment.

Mitsubishi says the 2022 Outlander will be available at North American dealerships starting April 2021, with U.S. pricing starting at $25,795.

Wireless CarPlay is finally beginning to see wider adoption, with several automakers now rolling out the feature in select regions, including Hyundai, Honda, Ford, GM, Chrysler, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz. Car audio brands like Alpine and Pioneer also offer aftermarket wireless CarPlay receivers for do-it-yourself installation.

Back in November when Apple's MagSafe-compatible Leather Wallet first launched, MacRumors videographer Dan took a look at the accessory and ended up disliking it because of the weak magnetic connection.

Dan kept using the Leather Wallet despite its flaws, and after three months with the accessory, his opinion has changed and he wanted to share some new thoughts on it.

Rather than keeping the Leather Wallet attached to the iPhone at all times, Dan now uses it on a standalone basis, keeping it tucked in a pocket and attaching it to the ‌iPhone‌ only when necessary, which has worked out better for him.

Make sure to check out the video up above to watch Dan's full revised take on the Leather Wallet, and if you've been using the accessory, let us know in the comments below how you like it now that it's been available for a few months.

Apple is continuing to tweak things during the iOS 14.5 beta testing period, and it looks like there will be some nice changes coming in the update when it's released to the public in a month or so.

This week also saw the release of a watchOS bug fix update for Series 5 and Series SE owners, addressing a serious issue where their watches may not charge after entering Power Reserve mode, while some iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini hardware repairs will no longer require whole-unit replacements. Read on below for details on these stories, iPhone 13 rumors, iPhone tips and tricks, and more!

Everything New in iOS 14.5 Beta 2

Apple this week seeded the second betas of iOS 14.5 and iPadOS 14.5 to developers and public beta testers. The second betas add some new features, including new emoji, an option for Apple Music subscribers to share song lyrics on platforms like iMessage and Instagram, a new action for taking a screenshot in the Shortcuts app, and more. We've rounded up everything new in this beta, including hidden code changes.

iOS 14.5 and iPadOS 14.5 are packed with many other features, such as the ability to unlock an iPhone with an Apple Watch while wearing a mask, support for 5G in Dual-SIM mode on iPhone 12 models, new Waze-like features in Apple Maps, and AirPlay 2 streaming for Apple Fitness+ workouts, which became functional in the second beta.

iOS 14.5 and iPadOS 14.5 should be released to all users in late March or early April, but anyone can sign up to be a public beta tester for free to gain early access to all of these new features.

watchOS 7.3.1 Released With Fix for Apple Watch Series 5 and Apple Watch SE Charging Issue

In a new support document this week, Apple said a "very small number of customers" with Apple Watch Series 5 or Apple Watch SE models running watchOS 7.2 or 7.3 have experienced an issue with their watch not charging after it enters Power Reserve.

Apple says customers with an Apple Watch that is exhibiting this issue can contact Apple support to set up a mail-in repair free of charge. Apple has also released watchOS 7.3.1, which prevents this issue from happening to Apple Watch Series 5 or Apple Watch SE units that have yet to be impacted.

The second betas of watchOS 7.4 and tvOS 14.5 have also been seeded to developers and public beta testers.

iPhone 13 Rumored to Include Always-On Display With 120Hz ProMotion, Astrophotography Capabilities, Stronger MagSafe, and More

While we're still many months away from the so-called iPhone 13 lineup, rumors are beginning to surface about potential features for the devices.

The latest word comes from leaker Max Weinbach, who teamed up with YouTube channel EverythingApplePro to share some alleged iPhone 13 features, including an always-on display with a long-awaited 120Hz refresh rate, improved camera capabilities for astrophotography, stronger MagSafe magnets, and an improved frosted glass finish that is "grippier" and "more comfortable" to hold compared to iPhone 12 models.

Weinbach has a hit-and-miss track record with Apple rumors. He was among the several sources who incorrectly claimed that iPhone 12 models would feature a 120Hz display, and his rumor about 4K video recording at up to 240 fps also failed to materialize last year, but he did accurately reveal that iPhone 12 models would be available in a new dark blue color.

Apple Says Some iPhone 12 Hardware Issues Will No Longer Require Replacing the Entire Device

In an internal memo this week, obtained by MacRumors, Apple informed service providers that it will be introducing a new same-unit repair method for iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 models exhibiting certain issues that would typically require a whole-unit replacement.

Apple said technicians will be able to offer same-unit repairs starting Tuesday, February 23 for iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 models that are unable to be powered on or are experiencing issues with the logic board, Face ID system, or the enclosure of the device, such as cracked rear glass. The new repair method will be available in all countries and regions where the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 are sold.

Genius Bars and Apple Authorized Service Providers will have a new "iPhone Rear System" part available to them that consists of the rear enclosure of an iPhone with all components except the display and rear camera, including the battery, logic board, Taptic Engine, Face ID system, and so forth.

If a customer has an iPhone 12 mini with cracked rear glass, for example, technicians will be able to replace the entire rear portion of the device, with the new enclosure affixed to the original display and rear camera. For this reason, the customer's display and rear camera must be free of damage or functional failures in order for their device to qualify.

Useful iPhone Tips You Might Not Know

In one of our latest YouTube videos, we've rounded up some useful iPhone tips and tricks, and they are worth checking out for both new and longtime users.

For instance, did you know that you can create a quick shortcut for turning on Low Power Mode when the battery dips to a specific percentage? Or did you know that the Apple Watch can be used as a viewfinder when recording a video with your iPhone? Check out our full list of tips and tricks.

Mark Zuckerberg Reportedly Told Facebook Staff to 'Inflict Pain' on Apple Over Privacy Dispute

Starting with iOS 14.5, iPadOS 14.5, and tvOS 14.5, Apple will be enforcing a new privacy measure that requires apps to request and receive permission from users in order to track their activity across other apps and websites for targeted advertising purposes.

Facebook has been a vocal critic of the move, claiming that Apple's tracking change will hurt small businesses financially. In fact, The Wall Street Journal this week reported that Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg told internal aides and team members that his company needs to "inflict pain" on Apple in response to the tracking changes.

Some other advertising companies have decided to move on and accept Apple's change, forming a new "Post-IDFA Alliance" to help advertisers understand how to use user data in an "Apple-friendly manner."

MacRumors Newsletter

Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.

So if you want to have top stories like the above recap delivered to your email inbox each week, subscribe to our newsletter!

Apple does not have plans to hold an event on Tuesday, March 16, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman confirmed on Twitter this evening.

Earlier this week, a report from Taiwanese site Economic Daily News suggested there would be a March 16 event, with the initial rumor picked up and circulated by a few other sites. Economic Daily News cited unverified and unsubstantiated content from Twitter accounts LeaksApplePro and FrontTron, neither of which has a track record of providing accurate details on Apple's plans.

The March 16 date was nothing more than a guess based on past Apple events, but it still picked up traction. In a tweet responding to MacRumors editor Joe Rossignol's commentary on a possible March event, Gurman confirmed that the March 16 date is not correct.

In a separate tweet, he said "launch isn't on the 16th," which leaves open the possibility for a March event on a different date.

Apple has several products in the works that have been rumored for the first half of 2021, including a refreshed iMac, new iPad Pro models, an updated iPad mini, a new low-cost AirPod, revamped AirPods Pro, and the AirPods 3, plus we're still waiting on the debut of the AirTags.

Some of these products could indeed be introduced at a spring event, but there is no known date for that event as of yet. Apple does hold March events in most years, but it's not guaranteed. Past spring events have been held on March 9 (2015), March 21 (2016), March 27 (2018), and March 25 (2019), with no event taking place in March 2017 or March 2020.

Apple in iPadOS 14 introduced an Apple Pencil feature called "Scribble," which lets users write in any text field on the iPad, with the handwritten text then converted automatically into typed text.

At launch, Scribble was limited to the English and Chinese languages, but with iPadOS 14.5 beta that's available to developers and public beta testers, Apple is expanding Scribble support to German, French, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese.

With the beta installed on an ‌iPad‌, users in these countries can now write in their native languages, and iPadOS is able to accurately translate the text. Enabling a language is done through the "Keyboard" section of the Settings app.

Any supported language that is enabled as a Keyboard option will be listed under "Scribble" in the ‌Apple Pencil‌ settings on an ‌iPad‌, and that language will be available for use when writing, with special characters supported.

Scribble can be used across iPadOS 14 for writing out iMessages, conducting Safari searches, looking for directions in Maps, creating Notes, scheduling Calendar events, and more. It comes with other features such as Smart Selection for copy/pasting handwritten notes, and there's built-in data detection that converts numbers and email addresses to make them tappable.

Apple's Feature Availability page continues to list just English and Chinese as available Scribble options, but that should change when iPadOS 14.5 sees an official release in early spring.

There are many other changes and feature additions that Apple is introducing in iPadOS 14.5, including support for the most recent gaming controllers, an Apple loading logo that's properly displayed horizontally when the ‌iPad‌ is in landscape mode, new emoji characters, and more, with everything new listed in our iOS 14.5 guide.

Shares of Energous, a company developing long-range RF-based charging technology under the name "WattUp," nearly doubled today, apparently driven by a Bloomberg report this morning indicating that Apple has been working on a MagSafe battery pack for its iPhone 12 lineup. The story was kicked off earlier this week when MacRumors contributor Steve Moser discovered a non-specific reference to an ‌iPhone‌ "battery pack" in the latest beta of iOS 14.5.

According to a report this morning from CNA Finance, investors are betting on new rumors that Energous and Apple are working together on wireless charging, based on a "previously overlooked SEC filing." The report has been picked up by several financial news outlets, including The Street and Seeking Alpha.

Setting aside the fact that Apple's inductive MagSafe wireless charging relies on different technology than the RF system being developed by Energous, there's another issue with today's rumor, and that's that the apparent filings in question which mention "Apple compliance testing" for WattUp technology were filed back in 2013 and 2014 and were widely covered in the media in 2016. The last time an Energous filing with the SEC mentioned Apple was in December 2014.

There was a flurry of interest in Energous back in 2016 and 2017 amid rumors of an Apple partnership, but that speculation quickly died down and things have been essentially silent for several years now. Energous has continued to develop its long-range charging technology, working with Dialog Semiconductor on transmitter and receiver hardware but so far deploying it only in a few niche applications such as equine health monitoring.

For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with WaterField Designs to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win an Apple accessory bundle that includes a Pro Executive Laptop Backpack and an AirPods Max Shield Case.

This giveaway is unique because both of these products were created through WaterField Designs' Community Design process, where the company gets feedback from customers throughout the design and prototyping process so that the resulting product addresses the most important customer needs.

The Pro Executive Backpack, priced at $389, merges the functionality of a backpack with the style of a professional leather briefcase. It is made from black ballistic nylon with a full-grain leather accent that's available in chocolate, gray, black, or crimson.

There are two main compartments. The front chamber is designed to hold all of the items needed for a day at the office, while the back chamber zips down and can hold a MacBook, iPad, or documents. The backpack can be paired with an optional Executive Folio that serves a as a sleeve for a MacBook. The Pro Backpack is compatible with all of Apple's MacBook models, including the 16-inch MacBook Pro.

When set down, the backpack is designed to stay upright to make the items inside easier to access, and there are padded shoulder straps and a back slot for using with a suitcase. Along with the main compartments, where are two large side pockets, a deep front pocket, and two front panel zip pockets accessible when the backpack is swung down from a shoulder.

Available starting at $89, the AirPods Max Shield Case is the case that Apple should have offered with the AirPods Max instead of the Smart Case, which has turned out to be unpopular with ‌AirPods Max‌ owners. Unlike the default Smart Case, the ‌AirPods Max‌ Shield Case from WaterField Designs offers complete protection for the ‌AirPods Max‌.

The ‌AirPods Max‌ Shield Case is ideal if you need to tuck your ‌AirPods Max‌ away in a backpack or bag for travel. It has three layers of protection along with a soft, plush interior that protects the ‌AirPods Max‌ from scratches. Waterproof zippers are included to protect against accidental water damage, and the zippers can be just partially closed to allow for charging in the case.

There's an interior pocket to hold a power adapter or other accessories, a stretchy mesh back pocket, and an easy-access panel at the front. A nylon loop at the top can be added to a carabiner or used as a handle. A built-in Magnetic Butterfly feature is designed to put the ‌AirPods Max‌ in low-power mode when they're placed in the case in order to save battery life, plus it serves as a separator between the ear cups.

There are several leather variants priced at $99, along with four vegan options in water-resistant Forza fabric that are available for $89. Both versions are identical with the exception of the outer material. There's a chocolate/waxed leather model and three with leather and ballistic nylon in blue black and crimson. Vegan models come in black, green, red, and blue.

We have a Pro Executive Backpack and ‌AirPods Max‌ Shield Case to give away to one MacRumors reader. To enter to win our giveaway, use the Gleam.io widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winners and send the prizes. You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, following us on Instagram, or visiting the MacRumors Facebook page.

Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years or older and Canadian residents (excluding Quebec) who have reached the age of majority in their province or territory are eligible to enter. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.

The contest will run from today (February 19) at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time on February 26. The winner will be chosen randomly on February 26 and will be contacted by email. The winner will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before a new winner is chosen.

Apple is in discussions with multiple suppliers of LiDAR sensors appropriate for a self-driving vehicle, according to Bloomberg. The report claims Apple is looking for sensors that would still be considered "cutting edge" four to five years from now.

As widely rumored, the report claims Apple has been working on a driverless vehicle project for several years. Apple is said to have independently developed most of the necessary software and artificial intelligence algorithms needed for the vehicle, but the so-called "Apple Car" is still believed to be years away from a potential release.

From the report:

The Cupertino, California-based technology giant is in active talks with a number of potential suppliers for these laser-based sensors that allow a car's computer to "see" its surroundings, said the people, who asked not to be identified due to the private nature of the discussions. The company has been working on a driverless vehicle project for several years and has developed on its own most of the necessary software, underlying processors and artificial intelligence algorithms needed for such a sophisticated system.

In regulatory filings earlier this month, Korean automakers Hyundai and Kia said they are not in discussions with Apple over development of a self-driving vehicle. Hyundai had previously stated that it was in talks with Apple.

Apple has subpoenaed Valve in its ongoing lawsuit with Epic Games, demanding it provides huge amounts of commercial data about Steam sales and operations dating back several years, court filings have revealed (via PC Gamer).

The subpoena was initiated by Apple in November 2020 under the argument that information about Valve's digital distribution service, Steam, would be crucial to building its case against Epic Games.

Apple requested that Valve provided documents to show its total yearly sales of apps and in-app products, annual advertising revenues, annual sales of external products, and annual revenues and earnings from Steam. There are also more granular requests for the name of every app on Steam, the date range when every app has been available, and the price of all apps and in-app purchases.

This apparently involved the demand for information on over 30,000 games initially, but Apple has since narrowed its focus to around 600 games. Nevertheless, Apple is still insisting on receiving documents about every version of a given product and a large amount of financial information about Valve's business.

Apple believes that Steam "is the dominant digital game distributor on the PC platform and is a direct competitor to the Epic Game Store," so information about the digital marketplace's sales and operations can show the extent of the market that the ‌Epic Games‌ Store is competing in. Apple argues that Valve should provide this information since it is not available elsewhere, and "does not raise risk of any competitive harm."

While Apple and Valve apparently met several times to confer, Valve has refused to produce much of the information that Apple is requesting in the subpoena. Valve says that it has cooperated to a reasonable extent, providing documents on revenue share, competition with Epic, Steam distribution contracts, and more, but asserts that the request for six years' worth of PC game and item sales for hundreds of third-party games and confidential information about these games and Valve's revenues is unreasonable.

The company also bristled at Apple's request for Valve's involvement in the case since Steam is not a competitor in the mobile space, saying "Valve is not Epic, and Fortnite is not available on Steam." Valve goes as far as to allege that Apple is using the request as a shortcut to a vast amount of commercially-sensitive third-party data.

Somehow, in a dispute over mobile apps, a maker of PC games that does not compete in the mobile market or sell "apps" is being portrayed as a key figure. It's not. The extensive and highly confidential information Apple demands about a subset of the PC games available on Steam does not show the size or parameters of the relevant market and would be massively burdensome to pull together. Apple's demands for further production should be rejected.

Valve added that it does not even keep all of the information that Apple is seeking since it does not need it in the ordinary course of business, and is now calling for the court to dismiss Apple's subpoena. Meanwhile, Apple's lawsuit with Epic Games is ongoing.

Plex this week began testing TV app integration on the iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV, as spotted by MacRumors readers Casey Bailey and Will Sigmon. The feature is available in the latest beta version of the Plex app through TestFlight.

This integration will enable users to keep track of Plex's on-demand content in Apple's TV app across the iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV. Plex's on-demand content will be recommended in the TV app and also sync with a user's Up Next queue. Plex joins dozens of other providers offering TV app integration in the United States, such as HBO Max, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Peacock, HGTV, NBC, A&E, The CW, MTV, Showtime, Starz, and others.

Plex is a popular media player that in recent years has introduced a growing library of free, ad-supported TV shows, movies, and other content from providers such as Warner Bros., Crackle, Lionsgate, MGM, and Legendary Entertainment. It is only this on-demand content that will be integrated in the TV app, and not a user's personal library of locally stored content, according to a Reddit user identifying as a Plex employee.

"This feature will only work with our free on demand movies and TV shows," the employee said. "We'd love to integrate personal media as well but that's not technically possible for a couple reasons. To make this work we provide Apple with a list of content we have available for streaming. As detailed in our privacy policy, we don't know what content our users have in their personal media libraries."

TV app integration will require version 7.14 of the Plex app or later, currently in beta testing. There is no timeframe for a public release yet.

Update: This article has been updated with clarification from a Plex employee that TV app integration will be limited to Plex's free, ad-supported video content from partners like Warner Bros., Crackle, and Lionsgate.