Apple in iPadOS 15 has added the ability to access NTFS-formatted media from within the Files app. The additional support for the Windows-related format, first discovered by YouTuber Steven Fjordstrøm, is read-only, so like on macOS you can't modify files stored on NTFS devices, but you can at least copy any data on them for working on elsewhere on your iPad.
The Files app has also gotten a new circular progress indicator to indicate the transfer of data when moving or copying files. Tapping the graphic opens a larger progress bar showing further details on the data transferred/remaining, the estimated time remaining, and the ability to cancel the transfer.
In another notable addition to the Files app, if you're using a mouse or trackpad, it's now possible to click-hold and drag a selection box over multiple files and folders to perform batch actions, such as compress, move, copy, and so on. Lastly, you can also now use Groups as a view option, so that files and folders are arranged on the screen in separate sections according to kind.
What do you think about the new additions to the Files app? Let us know in the comments. iPadOS 15 is currently going through beta testing with developers, with a public beta due out next month and an official release in the fall.
Apple last month announced that the HomePod mini would be made available in several new countries in June. Now, less than a month later, the HomePod mini has officially launched in Austria and Ireland, and is listed as "available in June" in New Zealand, suggesting availability in the next couple of weeks.
The HomePod mini is the follow-up to the original HomePod released in 2018. The full-sized HomePod failed to become a mainstream hit, leading to its discontinuation. The $99 HomePod mini features a significantly smaller design than the original HomePod but offers the same functionality enabled by Siri.
The HomePod mini first launched in October of 2020 in the United States, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Spain, and the UK. Both the HomePod and HomePod mini will gain support for Apple Music's recently launched lossless audio feature via a software update later this year. Additionally, the HomePod mini will be able to be set as the default output speaker for Apple TV 4K starting later this year.
Apple has published a new video to its official regional YouTube channels for European countries that focuses specifically on the new privacy features coming with iOS 15 and iPadOS 15.
The video, simply titled "Privacy," opens with CEO Tim Cook speaking to the camera and explaining Apple's long-standing stance on the topic:
At Apple, we believe privacy is a fundamental human right. We work relentlessly to build it into everything we make, and it's fundamental to how we design and engineer every product and service that we put out into the world.
While others have focused on making customers the product, collecting ever-growing amounts of personal information, we've kept the lens focused on how technology can work for people. And that's meant introducing countless features that give users transparency and choice over how their data is collected, used, and shared. You see that with new tools like Privacy Nutrition Labels and App Tracking Transparency, which gives users more information, more choice, and greater transparency about how their data is used.
We know that privacy is a priority for our users in Europe and around the world. It's why we're always striving to set a higher bar, with new tools that put people in the driver's seat when it comes to managing your own data.
The video then cuts to segments taken from last week's WWDC keynote, where Apple executives and engineers explain new features including Mail Privacy Protection, App Privacy Report, Offline Siri support, and more. Cook then sees out the video with the following comments:
These big privacy features are the latest in a long string of innovations our teams have developed to improve transparency and put users in control of their data. They're features that will help give users peace of mind by strengthening that control and the freedom to use their technology without worrying about who is looking over their shoulder. At Apple, our commitment is to give users choice over how their data is used and to build privacy and security into everything we make.
iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 are currently in developer beta, with a public beta coming next month and the official version set to release in the fall.
For a while now, Apple has been running a promotion that offers a free one-year trial of Apple TV+ with any iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple Watch purchase. That promotion ends on June 30, and Apple has today updated its website to show that from July 1 the included free trial shrinks to three months with eligible device purchases.
Apple has frequently offered promotions or credit for users to stay subscribed to the still relatively new service. Launched in 2019, Apple TV+ continues to grow into a more mainstream streaming service; however, it still has some ways before catching up to Netflix and others. Apple offers original shows such as "Ted Lasso," "The Morning Show," and "See" on the platform.
The new three-month trial will go into effect on July 1, so customers wanting to maximize their free Apple TV+ subscription should purchase their product before the beginning of next month. Devices purchased before then will continue to be eligible for a one-year trial.
The offer of a generous year-long free trial for Apple TV+ has been an important part of Apple's strategy to lure in long-term subscribers by giving unfettered access to the full roster of content on the streaming service. Apple TV+ launched with a small amount of content compared with other rival services, so it has been crucial for Apple to build goodwill and interest about the service's shows without expecting immediate returns. The company now appears to feel that the content offering has grown enough that a shorter trial will suffice going forward.
The new extension comes ahead of a busy fall season for Apple TV+, where several hit shows, such as "Ted Lasso" and "The Morning Show," will see their second seasons debut.
Update: Apple has now announced that Apple Podcast Subscriptions for shows and channels is rolling out worldwide, showcasing a large number of new shows, groups of podcasts, and channels.
When listeners purchase a subscription to a show, they automatically follow the show and the page is updated with a Subscriber Edition label so it is clear that they have access to the premium experience. As listeners subscribe to more channels, the Listen Now tab expands with new rows to provide easy access to all subscription content. Listeners who subscribe to two or more channels will also see a My Channels row in the Listen Now tab.
As expected, Apple Podcasts has officially rolled out Apple Podcast Subscriptions, offering content creators and podcasters an opportunity to receive support through monthly subscriptions from their fans and listeners.
Apple announced the new service during its April event and ultimately had planned to launch it soon after. The company, however, then decided to delay its launch to ensure that the "best experience" is being given. Now, listeners can decide to subscribe to a monthly subscription for their favorite show, and by doing so, receive an ad-free listening experience with bonus content.
All subscriptions made through the platform are subject to Apple's 30% commission rule, meaning creators only get 70% of the subscriptions that users pay. Additionally, if users subscribe to a podcast but wish to use a thrid party podcast client, the benefits of the purchase are not accessible. Apple Podcast Subscriptions also include the ability for podcast creators and users to create Channels, which are a collection of different shows on a single page.
When Apple last week launched Spatial Audio and Lossless Audio for Apple Music, it said that the new features would be "coming soon" to Android. Now, the company has released a new Apple Music beta for the rival mobile platform that brings support for both features.
As per the changelog for the release, spotted by 9to5Google:
In this update, Apple Music adds spatial listening on compatible devices, with thousands of tracks in Dolby Atmos available at launch.
Other updates include Lossless Audio, a new way to experience un-compromised sound, with bit-for-bit accuracy.
In the app's Settings menu, there is a new "Audio Quality" sub-menu to enable Lossless Audio, and users can choose between the different tiers where applicable.
The beta release for Apple Music 3.6 for Android also includes automatic crossfade and enhancements to the library in-line search function.
Note that lossless audio files preserve every detail of the original file, and enabling the feature will consume significantly more data. For example, 10GB of space should store around 3,000 songs at high quality, but 1,000 songs with lossless, and just 200 songs with hi-res lossless.
Getting access to this version requires users signing up for the beta channel in the Play Store, but the fact that they are included suggests the wider Apple Music user base on Android won't have to wait much longer to get these features, too.
Apple has not specified which Android devices might be compatible with Spatial Audio, but a wide range of Apple devices can access the feature including the iPhone 7 and later, all iPad Pro models, the 6th-generation iPad or later, the iPad Air 3 and later, the fifth-generation iPad mini and later, the 2018 or later MacBook Pro/MacBook Air, and the 2020 or later iMac.
In iOS 15 and iPadOS 15, you can enable anyone, even if they don't have an Apple device, to join a FaceTime call with you by creating a link to a FaceTime conversation that can be shared anywhere.
Using this new link facility, friends and family members who do not have an Apple account can log into a FaceTime call with you using a web browser opened on any non-Apple device, whether that's a Windows PC or an Android phone.
This effectively makes FaceTime a platform-agnostic video service, although you do need to be an iOS or Mac user to start the FaceTime call and send the link. Here's how it works in iOS 15 and iPadOS 15.
Give your FaceTime Link an identifiable name by tapping Add Name at the top of the Actions menu that appears.
Select a method of sharing your link from the Actions menu, e.g. over Messages or Mail.
Once you've sent the link and the recipient opens it, they'll be directed to a web page where they can enter their name to join the conversation. Once they've joined the call, they'll have the usual FaceTime options to mute their microphone, disable video, switch the camera view, and leave the call.
For more information on all the new FaceTime features in iOS 15, be sure to check out our upcoming dedicated guide.
Popular iOS and Mac-based journaling app Day One has been acquired by Automattic, a company best known for running WordPress.com. News of the acquisition was announced today on the Day One blog.
The Day One app will continue to be run separately, and Day One founder Paul Mayne will continue to lead the Day One team. Day One will be updated in the future with integrations with WordPress.com and Tumblr, but will otherwise remain largely the same.
When a small software company is acquired by a larger company, the original team is often swallowed up by the larger company. That's not the case here. I'll be remaining at the helm of Day One, leading the same passionate team that has been responsible for the development and design behind the app today. This means that the Day One you rely on to save your thoughts, photos, videos, audio recordings, and more isn't going away. Instead, it'll only get better, with future integrations with Tumblr and WordPress.com. Rest assured there are no current plans to change the privacy of Day One; safely protecting memories and creating a 100% personal space is the foundation upon which this company was built.
Day One's privacy policies will remain in place, as will all of the app features for recording thoughts, photos, videos, and more. Day One offers cross-platform compatibility, end-to-end encryption, and Markdown support, and it's long been a key app on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
Day One is free to use, but there is a premium membership that adds unlimited photos and videos, plus audio recordings. Day One Premium is priced at $3.99 per month and the app can be downloaded from the App Store. [Direct Link]
Some M1 iMacs appear to have a manufacturing defect that causes the display to be mounted on the stand in a way that's not perfectly aligned, leading to a crooked display.
YouTuber iPhonedo over the weekend published a review of the M1 iMac, and he found that his machine appeared to be tilted on one side, a mounting disparity that was visibly noticeable and proved with a ruler.
Another person on the Apple Support Communities also complained of a non-level display with a 1mm disparity between the right and the left sides of the display, and there was a third complaint on Reddit, with the person in that situation discovering the issue after watching iPhonedo's video.
Checked mine after watching this and it's also crooked. Not to the degree of his, but not completely level either. I'm outside of my return window and I can't take the time hit of not having a machine to work on for a month, but super disappointing that Apple of all companies is shipping units with such a glaring oversight.
Even our own orange M1 iMac that we ordered for testing appears to have a slightly crooked display. MacRumors videographer Dan had noticed the iMac was crooked and assumed it was a problem with his desk, but it appears that may not be the case.
There are seven screws holding the iMac's display to the mount, and the manufacturing issue does not appear to be user fixable.
Apple may opt to allow returns of crooked iMacs after the two week return window, but it appears to be a problem that's limited in scale at this time so we don't yet know how support staff will respond. Apple customers who purchase a new M1 iMac should check for a crooked display right when receiving a new machine so that it can be returned or swapped out within its two week return window to avoid having to try to get support from Apple.
So far there are only a handful of known iMacs with this manufacturing issue, but let us know in the comments below if you've had issues with the mounting on your M1 iMac.
Nomad, known for its range of accessories designed for Apple devices, today announced the Card for AirTag, which is designed to make it easier for an AirTag to fit inside a wallet for tracking purposes.
With Card for AirTag, an AirTag fits inside the middle of a card-shaped holder that's then meant to fit inside of a wallet. According to Nomad, the design offers a smooth, uniform shape that allows the AirTag to be kept in the wallet without having a circular bump.
The Card for AirTag is made from a polycarbonate material with a soft-touch TPU surface, and the AirTag is designed to snap into the middle.
It's worth noting that the AirTag is quite thick on its own and not really designed for use within wallets, so this Card for AirTag is still going to take up a lot of space. Thin wallets may not accommodate the thickness of the AirTag and the accompanying Card accessory.
The Card for AirTag is priced at $20, but there's a $5 discount when bundled with one of Nomad's wallets. Nomad is also today releasing new Bi-Fold and Card wallets priced starting at $69.95. The Card for AirTag and the new wallets can be purchased from the Nomad website.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Nomad. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Apple today released silicone iPhone cases for the iPhone 12, 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max, and 12 mini in a series of new colors that include sunflower, cloud blue, and electric orange.
Sunflower is a bright yellow shade, cloud blue is a soft, light blue, and electric orange is a bright orange that's darker than the kumquat color and more orange than pink citrus.
Apple today released new iOS and iPadOS 12.5.4 updates, with the new software aimed at older devices that are unable to run the iOS 14 update that's available on modern devices.
The iOS and iPadOS 12.5.4 updates 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, iOS 12.5.4 introduces important security updates and is recommended for all users. Apple often releases security updates for older devices that are no longer able to get the current version of iOS in order to keep users protected from malware and other security vulnerabilities.
Apple's security support document says that the update addresses three vulnerabilities that could lead to arbitrary code execution. Two of them that affected WebKit may have been actively exploited. One of these vulnerabilities was fixed in iOS 14.6, and the other two are likely to be addressed in iOS 14.7.
Apple today seeded the third betas of new iOS and iPadOS 14.7 updates to developers for testing purposes, two weeks after seeding the second iOS and iPadOS 14.7 updates.
iOS and iPadOS 14.7 can be downloaded through the Apple Developer Center or over the air after the proper profile has been installed on an iPhone or iPad.
The new iOS and iPadOS 14.7 updates may be focused on under-the-hood bug performance improvements and bug fixes for issues that weren't able to be addressed in iOS 14.6, but a few minor features have been found.
Apple in iOS 14.7 will expand the Air Quality Index feature to additional countries that include the Netherlands, France, Italy, Spain, and Canada.
When paired with the accompanying HomePod 14.7 software, iOS 14.7 will allow the Home app to set multiple timers on a HomePod or a HomePod mini.
Apple today seeded the third beta of an upcoming macOS Big Sur 11.5 update to developers for testing purposes, with the new beta coming two weeks after the release of the second macOS Big Sur 11.5 beta.
Developers can download the macOS Big Sur 11.5 beta using the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences after installing the proper profile from the Apple Developer Center.
macOS Big Sur 11.5 may be a more minor update focusing on under-the-hood performance improvements and bug fixes for issues that weren't able to be addressed in the macOS Big Sur 11.4 update. No new features were found in the first two betas.
Apple today seeded the third beta of an upcoming watchOS 7.6 update to developers for testing purposes, with the new beta coming two weeks after the release of the second beta.
To install the watchOS 7.6 beta, developers need to download the proper configuration profile from the Apple Developer Center. Once the profile is in place, the watchOS 7.5 beta can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General > Software Update.
To update to the new software, the Apple Watch needs to have 50 percent battery life, it must be placed on the charger, and it must be in range of the iPhone.
We don't know what's included in the watchOS 7.6 update, and no new features were discovered in the first two betas.
Apple today seeded the third beta of an upcoming tvOS 14.7 update to developers for testing purposes, with the new beta coming two weeks after Apple seeded the second tvOS 14.7 beta.
Designed for the fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV models, the tvOS 14.7 developer beta can be downloaded onto the Apple TV via a profile that's installed using Xcode.
Other than new releases, tvOS updates are often minor in scale, focusing on under-the-hood bug fixes and improvements rather than major outward-facing changes. There's no word yet on what's included in tvOS 14.7 update, but we'll update this article should anything new be found.
Though we don't often know what's new in tvOS during the beta testing process, we let MacRumors readers know when new updates are available so those who are developers can download it upon release.
We've seen a lot of teasers about the Beats Studio Buds over the past month since they first showed up in Apple's beta software updates, and today they're finally official. The Beats Studio Buds are available to order today in red, white, and black ahead of a June 24 ship date, and they're priced at $149.99.
The Studio Buds are the first Beats-branded earbuds to truly compete with AirPods thanks to their wire-free design that fits comfortably in the ear without the over-ear hook seen on Powerbeats Pro.
In many respects, the Studio Buds are competitive with AirPods Pro at a lower price point, with a diminutive design that's slightly lighter than the AirPods Pro while still offering features like Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and Transparency modes.
I've been using a pair of Studio Buds in "Beats Red" for the past week and a half, and I've come away impressed with their performance, especially given their price point. I'm a heavy AirPods Pro user on a day-to-day basis, and the Studio Buds stack up well against them in most respects.
If you've used AirPods Pro before, Studio Buds will be immediately familiar, with the same one-touch pairing and simple button presses to cycle between standard mode, ANC mode where the noise around you is actively canceled out to provide a more isolated listening environment, and Transparency mode where the sounds around are actively piped through the earphones and mixed in with your audio so you can hear what's going on around you even with the earphones sitting firmly in your ears.
While AirPods Pro use a force sensor in the stem of each earbud for controls, Studio Buds each feature a button on the exterior of the earbud. You'll see the typical set of functions, with a single press allowing you to play/pause audio or answer/hang up a phone call, a double press skipping ahead to the next track, and a triple press skipping back to the beginning of the current track or to the previous track.
That same button also handles the noise control modes via a long press, which cycles through the three modes. By default, both earbuds have the same set of controls, but you can use the Settings app on your device to configure the press and hold function separately for each ear, such as noise control on one side and activating Siri on the other side. Siri activation via button press isn't a necessity, however, as hands-free "Hey Siri" activation is supported.
Beats Studio Buds offer up to eight hours of listening time, with two additional charges from the included battery case bringing total battery life to 24 hours. That's with ANC and Transparency mode turned off, however. With either of those modes turned on, battery life will be closer to five hours per charge for a total of 15 hours with the case.
In my time with the Studio Buds, I've found the sound quality to be solid compared to other earbuds, and ANC is helpful for blocking out that noise around you. The ANC and Transparency aren't quite as good on the Studio Buds as they are on AirPods Pro, but it's not a huge difference in my opinion.
As with other AirPods and recent Beats headphones and earphones, the Studio Buds are automatically recognized as supporting Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos in Apple Music, so you won't need to manually configure them in Settings as you do with third-party earphones. Spatial Audio tracks sound good on the Studio Buds, with good separation for the immersive experience you expect on well-mixed tracks.
Each Studio Bud features three microphones to assist with picking up your voice and managing the ANC and Transparency functions. My voice came through clear and crisp on some test phone calls using the buds, which leverage a total of five microphones during phone calls to help isolate your voice from background noise.
I really like the form factor of the Studio Buds, and they fit well in my ears. The inclusion of three sizes of ear tips should allow most people to find a good fit, and the default medium tips worked best for me. I never felt like they were going to fall out of my ears, and their 5.1-gram weight meant that they didn't feel heavy or put much pressure on my ears. I was able to wear them for two or three hours straight on multiple occasions without feeling any discomfort.
The "b" button on the exterior of each earbud is easy to find by feel as it's essentially the entirety of the accessible exterior surface of the bud, and I was glad to find that it didn't hurt my ears at all when pressing it. It only requires a light press to activate, so I don't feel like I'm shoving the bud into my ear canal when I'm pressing it.
One area where Studio Buds fall short in comparison to AirPods and AirPods Pro is the lack of wireless charging for the case. I definitely find it convenient to charge my AirPods Pro wirelessly on a Belkin multi-device charger next to my bed, so it's a little bit of extra friction to have to charge the Studio Buds over USB-C.
The choice between USB-C and Lightning for wired charging is always a controversial one, and while I have several convenient USB-C charging spots set up around my house for my iPad Pro that I can easily use for the Studio Buds, users operating primarily with Lightning-based devices might be a bit more annoyed by also having to deal with USB-C for their earphones.
The use of USB-C for charging on the Studio Buds is no doubt the result of Beats' desire to appeal to both Apple and Android users. That cross-platform appeal shows up in a few other areas including setup where the Studio Buds are the first Beats product to support one-touch pairing on both platforms.
Beats Studio Buds are also the first Beats product to support both Find My in the Apple ecosystem and Find My Device on Android, allowing you to find the last known location of your earphones or get them to make a sound to help you find them if you're within Bluetooth range.
I have just a few other minor gripes with the Studio Buds, but they're certainly not dealbreakers. I'm not a huge fan of the matte finish on the charging case. It's probably just that I'm used to the glossy plastic on AirPods and AirPods Pro, but the matte design of the Studio Buds case just looks and feels a little cheap to me.
While the Studio Buds support one-touch pairing, they don't include an H1 or W1 chip, so they're also missing out a few other features like seamless cross-device pairing you get with AirPods Pro and some other Apple and Beats earphones. They also don't support the head-tracking Spatial Audio that works with video content.
I also still haven't really gotten used to how the buds fit into the case to charge. With AirPods and AirPods Pro, the stems make it natural to just drop the earbuds into the case to charge, but the Studio Buds fit into their case in kind of an upside-down orientation. Again, it's not a big deal and I'm sure I'll pick it up eventually, but I'm a little surprised that I'm still frequently putting them into the case incorrectly and having to twist them around a bit to fit. I think I just need to get untrained a bit from all of my AirPods experience over the last few years.
Overall, the Beats Studio Buds are a great option that both gets you most of the way into the AirPods ecosystem while also offering solid support for Android users, all at a reasonable price point. The stemless design is something current AirPods models don't offer, and while they do protrude a bit from the ear, they still offer a comfortable fit.
With ANC and Transparency modes, they work well in noisy environments, and even with ANC turned off they provide a good seal in the ears.
Rumors suggest the second-generation AirPods Pro will be arriving next year with a stemless design, so perhaps we can expect something quite similar to the Beats Studio Buds but with some additional features like wireless charging for the case.
There will be a staggered rollout in other countries, starting with China, where orders will begin on July 2 ahead of a July 6 ship date. The rollout will continue this summer with launch dates to be announced for the UK, France, Germany, Russia, Hong Kong, Japan, and South Korea. They will also be launching in Brazil in the equivalent winter season.
Just days after the launch of Spatial Audio on Apple Music, Apple has promoted the feature with a new "Beyond Stereo" ad set to "Mystery Lady" by Masego and Don Toliver.
Spatial Audio, based on Dolby Atmos, is an immersive surround sound audio format that enables musicians to mix music so it sounds like the instruments are all around you in space. Thousands of Apple Music songs are available in Spatial Audio as of last week, such as Lady Gaga's "Rain on Me" and Kanye West's "Black Skinhead."
Spatial Audio is available to all Apple Music subscribers at no additional cost. The streaming music service costs $9.99 per month for individuals, $4.99 per month for students, and $14.99 per month for families of up to six people.
