MacRumors

Over a decade after being released on the App Store, the classic hit iPhone game Tiny Wings is coming to Apple Arcade this Friday.

tiny wings plus
Tiny Wings is a casual game that involves tapping and holding the screen to control a bird whose wings are too tiny to fly. The game tasks players with outrunning the sun as they fly a bird across procedurally generated islands. Players must tap on the screen at the perfect moment so that the bird slides down hills and gains enough momentum to reach the next island before the sun sets, while aiming to complete tricks for score multipliers.

Tiny Wings, created by Andreas Illiger, was first released on the App Store in 2011 and remains one of the most popular paid games in the casual category. On Apple Arcade, the game will be titled Tiny Wings+ and it will be available for the iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV. Like all Apple Arcade titles, the game does not have any in-app purchases or ads.

Other games coming to Apple Arcade include NBA 2K22 Arcade Edition on October 19 and Kingdom Rush Frontiers, which doesn't have a release date yet.

Priced at $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year, Apple Arcade is a subscription-based service that provides access to a catalog of over 200 games across the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV, with additional titles added periodically.

Adobe today announced that Adobe Camera RAW support is coming to Photoshop on the iPad, which will allow Photoshop ‌iPad‌ users to import, open, and edit RAW files. The upcoming feature was highlighted in a demo video that Adobe shared on YouTube, but no details on when it will launch were provided.


According to Adobe, RAW support will work with file types ranging from DNG to Apple ProRAW, which is the RAW file format available on the iPhone 12 Pro and ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro models.

RAW files can be edited like any other image, with users able to adjust aspects like exposure and noise and use Photoshop's non-destructive editing and auto-adjustment tools.

Photoshop for iPad is part of Adobe's Creative Cloud plan. Access is available priced starting at $9.99 per month for the Photography plan.

Tag: Adobe

As the popularity of Apple TV+ grows, Apple appears to be struggling to contend with increasing levels of online piracy, despite concerted efforts to take down its stolen content, MacRumors has found.

Apple TV Piracy Feature 1
Piracy is a lucrative business for torrent sites, with a report from August estimating that the top five piracy websites raise around $18.3 million in ad revenue and sponsorships per year. According to the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), streaming piracy represents up to 80 percent of piracy, costing companies as much as $71 billion annually.

Although Google has increasingly cracked down on websites that host pirated content, site operators often change domains and redirect users to avoid takedowns and keep torrent links accessible. In a research paper published in 2018, Google conceded that there will "be new sites dedicated to making copyrighted works available as long as there is money to be made doing so."

Apple largely avoided the need to combat online piracy until the launch of ‌Apple TV‌+ in November 2019. Since then, ‌Apple TV‌+ shows and movies have proliferated throughout piracy sites across the internet.

While Apple has a clear piracy prevention statement for software, this does not extend to its video entertainment content, which is instead covered by Apple's terms and conditions of service. From MacRumors' findings, some of Apple's most popular shows and movies have at least 2,000 active seeders on each major piracy site, going up to as many as approximately 125,000 seeders per title. Download trends broadly map to the popularity of Apple's various shows and movies, with the likes of "Ted Lasso," "The Morning Show," and "SEE" garnering the most downloads.

Apple is a governing member of the Motion Picture Association of America's ACE, an influential anti-piracy group committed to "supporting the legal marketplace for video content and addressing the challenge of online piracy" that also includes Netflix, Amazon, Comcast, Disney, NBC, MGM, ViacomCBS, Paramount, Fox, NBCUniversal, Sony Pictures, Warner Bros., and others. Apple also works with the Software and Information Industry Association (SIIA).

Streaming production studios and distributors, such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+, have attempted to curtail the illegal sharing of movies and TV shows using specific enforcement partners who flag stolen content on their behalf. Apple has followed suit, inking working deals with multiple firms specializing in digital copyright protection, including Corsearch Inc. and OpSec Security. They operate by issuing DMCA takedown orders for pirated online content.

According to information accessed by MacRumors, Corsearch has issued more than 320,000 DMCA orders to Google, citing copyright infringement for ‌Apple TV‌+ content. These orders only stop Google from indexing flagged piracy sites and do little to curtail the actual hosting of pirated content. Delist requests on Apple's behalf reached an all-time high on August 16 this year, with more than 8,500 requests to Google in a single day.

MacRumors tracked numerous domains and URLs used to pirate ‌Apple TV‌+ content and found that none were taken down by Apple or its partners over the course of a week. On the contrary, during this period, the website's catalog of stolen ‌Apple TV‌+ content grew, sometimes within just hours of new episodes being released on ‌Apple TV‌+ itself.

Apple and its partners must issue DMCA orders to the websites themselves to get them taken down, a process that can be cumbersome. To make matters more complex, some sites do not host ‌Apple TV‌+ content directly but act as an aggregator for content hosted elsewhere.

The websites we tracked were hosted by Cloudflare, a popular web infrastructure company that provides digital security and CDN, or content delivery network. As outlined in its abuse policy, Cloudflare cannot take sites down as it does not directly host them. Instead, it can redirect cases of reported digital copyright infringement to the piracy site's hosting provider or owner.

Actioned DMCA orders show that Apple and its partners tend to focus on more obscure websites that host ‌Apple TV‌+ content infrequently rather than more persistent, larger piracy sites hosting ‌Apple TV‌+ content in larger swathes.

Although 91.2 percent of Apple's delist requests were successfully actioned, the growth and availability of ‌Apple TV‌+ content on torrent sites does not seem to have been significantly impeded by its efforts, with the company firmly falling into the same issues experienced by its rivals in the entertainment industry. Apple, Corsearch, and OpSec declined to respond to requests for comment.

Hyper today announced the release of two new HyperDrive hubs that allow M1 models of the MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro to connect to two 4K displays over HDMI in a plug-and-play manner with no drivers required.

hyperdrive dual 4k display hdmi hubs
There is a 3-in-1 version of the hub with two HDMI ports and a USB-C Power Delivery port for up to 100W of pass-through charging, and a 10-in-1 version of the hub that offers those same ports with the addition of another USB-C port, two USB-A ports, a Gigabit Ethernet port, microSD and SD card slots, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

Hyper says both hubs deliver dual 4K HDMI video output over a single USB-C connection to M1 MacBook models by using a combination of both DisplayPort Alt Mode and SiliconMotion InstantView plug-and-play video technology. After connecting the hub to the Mac, users must open the HyperDisplay app that appears on the desktop.

Keep in mind that on both of the hubs, one HDMI port supports 60Hz and the other is limited to 30Hz, which may be a dealbreaker for some users.

The 3-in-1 hub is priced at $129.99 in the United States and is available on Hyper's website, while the 10-in-1 hub runs for $199.99.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Hyper. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Tag: Hyper

Infiniti today announced that most of its 2020 and newer vehicles are now eligible for a complimentary upgrade to wireless CarPlay in the United States.

infiniti wireless carplay
The free software update is available for 2020 and 2021 models of the Q50, Q60, QX50, and QX80 from now until March 31, 2022, according to Infiniti. Owners of these vehicles can schedule an appointment at an Infiniti dealership to have the update completed.

Infiniti is also offering wireless CarPlay in 2022 models of the Q50, Q60, QX55, QX60, and QX80.

Infiniti, the luxury brand of Japanese automaker Nissan, was a late adopter of CarPlay. MacRumors editor-in-chief Eric Slivka reviewed wired CarPlay in the 2020 QX50 last year and the vehicle is now eligible for the complimentary wireless CarPlay upgrade.

Wireless CarPlay works over Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, allowing for an iPhone to be connected to the infotainment system without a Lightning cable. Infiniti joins a long list of automakers that have started adopting wireless CarPlay, including Hyundai, Honda, Acura, Ford, GM, Chrysler, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Volkswagen, and others.

Related Roundup: CarPlay

Verizon this week kicked off a new accessory sale, including discounts on a wide range of Apple accessories like the MagSafe Charger, MagSafe Duo Charger, new Siri Remote, iPhone cases, and more.

oct 12 dealsNote: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Notably, for the MagSafe deals shoppers should be aware that the prices listed below may not be reflected on Verizon until you add each to your cart. If you don't see the sale prices reflected on the product pages, Verizon will automatically discount each accessory once in your cart.

In terms of the best discounts, the MagSafe Duo Charger and the MagSafe Battery Pack are hitting the lowest prices we've seen yet on each accessory. The regular MagSafe Charger is at a solid second-best price, and Verizon also has a rare discount on the 2021 Siri Remote.

Be sure to visit our full Deals Roundup to shop for even more Apple-related products and accessories.

Related Roundup: Apple Deals
Tag: Verizon

Ecobee today announced that its HomeKit-enabled SmartThermostat with voice control is gaining "Hey Siri" support with a free software update that is beginning to roll out now and will be available over the next few weeks for all users.

ecobee smartthermostat hey siri
"Hey Siri" support allows users with a HomePod or HomePod mini to control the SmartThermostat with voice commands for tasks such as setting the temperature and sending Intercom messages. The thermostat relays the requests through a HomePod or HomePod mini connected to the same Wi-Fi network to ensure privacy and security. Users can also continue to control the thermostat in the Home app on an iPhone, iPad, or Mac.

Apple announced at WWDC 2021 that HomeKit accessory makers would be able to integrate ‌Siri‌ voice control for the first time, allowing the accessories to support ‌Siri‌ features such as Personal Requests, Intercom messages, timers, and alarms. As mentioned, Hey ‌Siri‌-enabled accessories are required to relay requests through a ‌HomePod‌ or ‌HomePod mini‌.

In addition to a HomePod or HomePod mini, users need a device with iOS 15 or iPadOS 15 or later to use Siri voice control on the SmartThermostat.

Ecobee's SmartThermostat with voice control is regularly priced at $249.99 in the United States and is available to purchase on Ecobee.com and through select partners, including Amazon, Lowe's, Home Depot, Best Buy, or an Ecobee certified installer.

Today we're tracking a new Amazon low price on the 2021 32GB Apple TV 4K, available for $159.99, down from $179.00. This $19 discount is a match of the same all-time low price we saw last week, and it's the first time we've seen the deal on Amazon.

apple tv 4k design blueNote: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Importantly, you'll only see this sale price once you add the Apple TV 4K to your cart and an automatic coupon worth $9.01 is applied to the order. The Apple TV 4K is available for the usual free Prime shipping options, and it's in stock and ready to ship today.

You can also get the 64GB Apple TV 4K for $189.98, down from $199.00. We've seen this Apple TV 4K discounted by an additional $10, so this sale is a second-best price. Both of these Apple TVs are sold by Amazon, and they're in stock and ready to ship today.

Although the sales on these Apple TV models aren't particularly steep, they are the best offers around and worth checking out if you're still on the market for the newest Apple TV 4K. You can keep an eye out on Apple TV deals in our Best Apple TV 4K Deals guide.

Related Roundups: Apple TV, Apple Deals
Buyer's Guide: Apple TV (Don't Buy)

Apple is working on a redesigned Apple TV box that will feature a flatter, thinner footprint, and a "plexiglass" top, according to a questionable report from iDropNews.

apple tv 4k design
The report, citing "sources," claims that an ‌Apple TV‌ with a thinner and flatter design is in the works, eliminating the "horribly outdated and bulky" design of the current generation ‌Apple TV‌. According to the sketchy report, the ‌Apple TV‌ will feature a "plexiglass" top, a design feature that's expected to debut in an upcoming Mac mini. The redesign mentioned in the report is reminiscent of the design of the first-generation ‌Apple TV‌.

first gen apple tv
Neither iDropNews nor the author of this report has an established track record, so all of the information should be taken with a large pinch of salt. The report also states that the new ‌Apple TV‌ will have "sharp edges like the iPhone 13, iPad Pro, and iMac." The claim is somewhat moot, considering that the current ‌Apple TV‌ design is already flat-edged with hard edges.

Another rumor in the report is about Apple working on a "Nintendo Switch style gaming console." The information is a regurgitation of previous rumors, claiming that Apple is working on a gaming console to advance its gaming portfolio. Today's rumor states that it will be Apple's take on a "premium hybrid gaming console" and will have performance that "will outperform anything that Microsoft or Sony offers in 2021."

Reliable leaker L0vetodream in 2020 said that Apple is working on a gaming controller, but that's yet to be seen in a consumer product. Apple launched Apple Arcade, its gaming subscription service, in 2019 and has since promoted the ‌iPhone‌, iPad, Mac, and ‌Apple TV‌ as powerful devices to play games on. Earlier this year, Apple updated the ‌Apple TV‌ with an A12 Bionic chip, offering even more performance for ‌Apple Arcade‌ games.

Related Roundup: Apple TV
Buyer's Guide: Apple TV (Don't Buy)

Tile, a company that makes Bluetooth-based item trackers that compete with Apple's AirTags, today introduced a refreshed lineup of devices and new features that make it easier for users to locate lost items.

tile new slim mate pro
The Tile Pro, Tile's most robust tracker with a 400 foot Bluetooth range, has been updated with a new key fob look. Tile says that the Pro is designed to attach to keys right out of the box, and that with the included keychain, it can also be used with bags and purses.

Tile's Mate, Sticker, and Slim trackers have all been refreshed and now have a 250 foot Bluetooth range, a louder ring, and upgraded IP67 water-resistance. The Mate has also received a design update and it now features a three-year battery life.

For locating lost devices, Tile is updating its "Lost and Found" network with support for QR codes that will be included on the back of every item tracker. If a lost item with a Tile tracker is found, the person who found it can scan the QR code to get contact details for the owner. All of Tile's refreshed trackers include the QR code with the exception of the Sticker.

tile lost and found
Apple has a similar system that allows a lost AirTag to be identified by someone who finds it, but Apple's solution uses NFC functionality. A lost ‌AirTag‌ can be scanned by an NFC-enabled smartphone to bring up details.

To address unwanted tracking, Tile is introducing a "Scan and Secure" feature is designed to let anyone with the Tile app scan for and detect nearby Tile devices and determine if an unknown device is near them. Scan and Secure is coming to Android and iOS users in early 2022.

To better compete with AirTags, Tile next year plans to debut the Tile Ultra, a new tracker that's able to leverage Bluetooth and Ultra Wideband technology for more precise tracking. Tile Ultra uses "Point and Locate" finding, which lets users locate their items using an augmented reality interface, similar to how AirTags work.

tile ultrawide band
When paired with iPhones with a U1 chip, AirTags will enter into a Precision Finding mode when close to a lost device. Tile Ultra will work in the same general way with visual finding, and it will be compatible with both iPhones and Android smartphones.

Tile's new Tile Pro, Mate, Slim, and Sticker are priced starting at $24.99 and can be purchased from the Tile website or from sites like Amazon.

Tag: Tile

LoveFrom, the design firm co-founded in 2019 by Apple's former design chief Jony Ive and fellow designer Marc Newson, this week unveiled its official website, LoveFrom.com.

LoveFrom hero
The site reveals for the first time LoveFrom's visual identity, which was designed by Ive and other members of the "creative collective," including English art director Peter Saville, and Chris Wilson and Antonio Cavedoni, both former members of Apple's design team.

In typical Ive fashion, the site is highly minimalist in nature, containing no images, links, or contact details – just a brief text described in an accompanying press release as "a concise and finely crafted definition of the LoveFrom collective and its work."

LoveFrom

LoveFrom is a creative collective. We are designers, architects, musicians, filmmakers, writers, engineers, and artists. You may know us from our past work. We are obsessed with traditions of creating and making. Fanatically devoted to excellence. Insatiably curious. We collaborate with leaders and founders. We work on projects for joy. We develop our own ideas. Love & fury.

The wordmark and text are set in a new typeface called LoveFrom Serif, which is inspired by John Baskerville's letterforms and based on studies of his original punches and matrices. "Each character has been lovingly redrawn, refined and meticulously crafted over the past two years," according to the launch press release.

Upon arriving at the site, a text cursor blinks and the LoveFrom name appears to be typed out. The wordmark includes a lively comma, which Saville describes as "initiating a dialogue and shared conversation."

The site launch is the most public move yet by the collective, which has kept a low profile and only been mentioned in creative partnership announcements by clients such as Airbnb and Ferrari.

Ive left Apple to begin LoveFrom in June 2019. At the time, the tech giant said it would remain one of Ive's primary clients, but which Apple products he has helped to design since then, if any, is unknown. Apple said Ive was involved in the design of the colorful 24-inch iMac released in April, but it's not clear if that work occurred after Ive left the company.

It remains unclear how many employees work for LoveFrom, but Ive recruited at least four of his former Apple colleagues to work with him at the firm, including Wan Si, Chris Wilson, Patch Kessler, and Jeff Tiller.

Apple today released iOS 15.0.2, the second update to the iOS 15 operating system that was released in September. iOS 15.0.2 comes a week and a half after the launch of iOS 15.0.1, a bug fix update.

iOS 15 General Feature Purple
The iOS 15.0.2 update can be downloaded for free and the software is available on all eligible devices over-the-air in the Settings app. To access the new software, go to Settings > General > Software Update.

According to Apple's release notes, the update fixes an issue that could cause images saved to your Photo Library from Messages to disappear after the associated message or thread is deleted.

iOS 15.0.2 also fixes an issue that could cause the iPhone Leather Wallet with MagSafe not to connect to Find My, and a bug that could cause AirTags not to appear in the ‌Find My‌ Items tab. There's a fix for a CarPlay bug that could cause ‌CarPlay‌ to fail to open audio apps, and an issue that could cause device restore or updates to fail on ‌iPhone‌ 13 models. when using Finder or iTunes. Apple's full release notes are below:

This update includes bug fixes for your iPhone:
- Photos saved to your library from Messages could be deleted after removing the associated thread or message
- iPhone Leather Wallet with MagSafe may not connect to Find My
- AirTag might not appear in the Find My Items tab
- CarPlay may fail to open audio apps or disconnect during playback
- Device restore or update may fail when using Finder or iTunes for iPhone 13 models
For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website:
https://support.apple.com/kb/HT201222

Apple has also released iPadOS 15.0.2 for iPad models, with fixes for the Messages bug, the AirTag bug, and a bug that could cause device restore or update to fail on an iPad mini 6 when using Finder or iTunes.

Apple's security support page for the updates says that iOS and iPadOS 15.0.2 address a vulnerability that could allow an application to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges, a bug that Apple says could have been actively exploited.

For that reason, all users should make sure to update to the latest software as soon as possible.

Related Forum: iOS 15

Apple today released watchOS 8.0.1, a minor update to the watchOS 8 operating system that was first released in September. watchOS 8.0.1 comes three weeks after the launch of watchOS 8.

watchOS 8 on Apple Watch feature
‌‌watchOS ‌8 can be downloaded for free 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.

According to Apple's release notes for the update, watchOS 8 fixes a couple of Apple Watch Series 3 bugs that affected software update progress and accessibility settings.

- Software update progress may not be displayed accurately for some Apple Watch Series 3 users
- Accessibility settings may not have been available for some Apple Watch Series 3 users

watchOS 8.0.1 is being released alongside iOS 15.0.2, a bug fix update for ‌iPhone‌ users.

Related Roundup: watchOS 11
Related Forum: Apple Watch

In iOS 15, Apple added separation alerts to the Find My app, which let you know when you leave an AirTag or other Apple device behind. Thanks to an October 2021 firmware update, AirPods Pro now also support separation alerts. This article explains more about how they work and how you can set them up.

airpods pro black background
Called "Notify When Left Behind," the ‌‌Find My‌‌ separation alerts in iOS 15 let you know every time you are separated from your item at an unknown location, which can be helpful for items you take with you while traveling or visiting public locations. Like ‌AirPods Pro‌, for example.

The feature automatically sets your home as a Trusted Location (somewhere where you leave your ‌AirPods Pro‌ frequently and don't want to be notified every time), so you need to add your home address to your contact card in the Contacts app before enabling it.

To use separation alerts with ‌AirPods Pro‌, first you'll need to make sure your ‌‌AirPods Pro‌‌ have been updated with the latest firmware. Here's how.

How to Update Your AirPods Pro Firmware

You can do this by inserting them in the ‌AirPods Pro‌ charging case and connecting the case to a power source using the included Lightning to USB cable. Then move the iPhone or iPad that the AirPods have been paired with, near to the charging case, and make sure the iOS device has an internet connection.

After a short while, any available software updates should be automatically downloaded and installed. If you're having trouble updating your ‌AirPods‌, make sure the charging case is fully charged. You can also try resetting the ‌AirPods‌. You need AirPods firmware 4A400 or later, and can check your firmware version by following these steps:

  • Connect your ‌‌AirPods‌‌ or ‌‌‌AirPods Pro‌‌‌ to your iOS device.
  • Open the Settings app.
  • Tap General.
  • Tap About.
  • Tap ‌‌‌‌‌AirPods‌‌‌‌‌.
  • Look at the number next to "Firmware Version."

How to Enable Separation Alerts for AirPods Pro

The following steps run through the process of setting up separation alerts in ‌iOS 15 for ‌AirPods Pro‌ with updated firmware.

  1. Launch the Find My app on your ‌iPhone‌ or ‌iPad‌.
  2. Select the Devices, and tap the ‌AirPods Pro‌ in the list that you want to set up the alerts for.
  3. Tap Notify When Left Behind.
    find my

  4. Toggle on the switch for Notify When Left Behind.
  5. Under "Notify Me, Except At," tap New Location to set a Trusted Location where you don't want to receive alerts.
  6. In the "Add Location" map screen, search or enter an address in the input field. You can define the radius of the ringed geofence for your trusted location by dragging the blue dot or using the Small, Medium, or Large options at the bottom. Tap Done when you're finished.
  7. If there are no more location exceptions you want to add, tap Done.
    find my

Now the next time you leave your ‌AirPods Pro‌ behind in a public place, you'll receive an alert informing you shortly after, giving you a chance to retrieve them before you travel any further.

Of course, these alerts depend on you not leaving your ‌iPhone‌ behind (there's currently no equivalent separation alert available on Apple Watch for this scenario), so that's the device you won't want to forget, wherever it is you go.

Related Roundup: AirPods Pro
Buyer's Guide: AirPods Pro (Caution)
Related Forums: AirPods, iOS 15

Apple Watch Series 7 customers are starting to see their orders ship ahead of launch day on Friday, 15 October.

Apple watch series7 lineup 01 09142021
Some customers who obtained a launch day delivery of the Apple Watch Series 7 started to see their order switch to "Preparing to Ship" over the weekend and now orders are starting to ship. New Apple devices are typically marked as shipped as the release date approaches, even if the item itself has been in transit for some time.

The Apple Watch Series 7 features larger displays and casing sizes, the S7 chip, improved durability, new options colors for the aluminum models, and faster charging. Pre-orders opened on Friday, October 8, and the first Apple Watch Series 7 orders are set to arrive one week later on Friday, October 15.

There were some indications that the launch of the Apple Watch Series 7 may be delayed prior to its announcement and some customers are now facing delays of up to several months for new orders. Select Apple Store locations will likely have limited in-store availability of the new device starting this Friday.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 10
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Neutral)

Amazon today has the 256GB M1 MacBook Air for $849.99, down from an original price of $999.00. This price is available in Silver and Gold, but only Gold is available to ship out today.

macbook air dealsNote: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Amazon's sale today is a match of the previous low price on this model of the M1 MacBook Air, and the first time we've tracked this discount in the fall. Only Amazon has the notebook at this price as of writing.

Likewise, the 512GB version of the M1 MacBook Air is seeing a notable discount to $1,099.99, down from $1,249.00. This is a record low price for the notebook, and it's available in Gold and Space Gray.

You can find even more discounts on other MacBooks by visiting our Best Deals guide for MacBook Pro and MacBook Air. In this guide we track the steepest discounts for the newest MacBook models every week, so be sure to bookmark it and check back often if you're shopping for a new Apple notebook.

Related Roundups: Apple Deals, MacBook Air
Related Forum: MacBook Air

Google is winding down its Material Design custom UI for iOS apps to switch to pure UIKit, according to Google's design chief for Apple platforms Jeff Verkoeyen.

Google apps isolated
Google's suite of apps for iOS and iPadOS, including Gmail, Google Maps, Google Photos, Google Drive, and YouTube, have used custom user interfaces that mirror the experience on Android for almost a decade. The purpose of these Material Design guidelines was to unify software design as much as possible across desktop, mobile, and the web for a consistent experience.

In a recent Twitter thread, Jeff Verkoeyen explained that going forward, Google will switch to using the design of UIKit, Apple's framework for building interfaces in iPhone and iPad apps. Verkoeyen said that previously UIKit was not viable due to "gaps" in its design language, but a side effect of this was "drifting further and further from Apple platform fundamentals because those fundaments were also evolving year over year." The issue has also been complained about by some users who have felt that using Google's iOS apps offers a jarring and inconsistent experience with the rest of the OS.

With iOS 14 onwards, Google believes that UIKit's design has sufficiently improved to use it widely in its iOS and iPadOS apps. Since the start of 2021, Google's design team for Apple platforms "began a deep evaluation of what it means to build a hallmark Google experience on Apple platforms by critically evaluating the space of "utility" vs key brand moments, and the components needed to achieve either."

Users can expect to see far fewer custom components in Google apps, with elements such as switches, bars, controls, lists, and menus changing to Apple's system designs. The result should be Google iOS and iPadOS apps that look and feel much more native.

There will still be some of "the highlights of Google's design language," but married to "the best of UIKit." The "new direction" will "really make products feel great on Apple platforms," Verkoeyen commented. Google is also currently hiring designers for its Apple development team amid the change.

Tags: Google, UIKit

Amazon today is matching last week's all-time low price on the AirPods Max, available at $449.00 in all colors. All models are in stock and ready to ship out today as well.

AirPods Max Deal Feature BlueNote: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

We first saw this price at Adorama over the summer, and until today they were the only retailer to offer the $100 off discount. We've yet to track the sale at another Apple reseller, but we'll be sure to update this article if more retailers begin matching the discount.

Additionally, we're still seeing a few solid deals on other AirPods models on Amazon, including the AirPods Pro for $179.99 ($69 off) and the regular AirPods for $109.99 ($49 off). The latter model are in stock today, but the AirPods Pro are seeing a delayed shipment date into late October.

We track sales for every model of the AirPods in our Best AirPods Deals guide, so be sure to bookmark that page while you shop around for the wireless headphones.

Related Forum: AirPods