MacRumors

Spotify's annually hosted Wrapped experience went live today, offering subscribers a look back at their listening habits over the year.

Delivered this year via the mobile app and in a Stories-style format, the company's year-in-review offers a microcosm of your listening over the last 11 months, including top songs, artists, genres, and podcasts.

Users then move onto a short quiz where they get to guess their top songs, artists, and genres over the course of the year, before being revealed the results.

The site then provides "Your Top Songs of 2020", collected in one playlist, as well as a playlist titled "Missed Hits", which includes a selection of unplayed tracks released in 2020 that are "based on what you love", according to Spotify.

In addition, listeners in the U.S., UK and Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada can dig deeper into some of their top artists of 2020 in On Record, a mixed media experience that highlights your top 2020 artists.

As well as the Wrapped feature, Spotify this week released its Year in Music lists, which revealed that Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny was the service's most streamed artist globally in 2020, racking up 8.3 billion. Meanwhile, Billie Eilish was the most streamed female artist of the year, followed by Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande in spots two and three.

Apple Music provides users with its own year-in-review feature, called Apple Music Replay, although it's relatively paltry compared to Spotify Wrapped, offering listeners only a web page with a list of their most listened songs and artists, with accompanying playlists in the mobile app.

Earlier this year, Apple patched an iOS vulnerability that potentially could have allowed hackers to remotely access a nearby iPhone and gain control of the entire device.

Devised by Ian Beer, a researcher at Project Zero, Google's vulnerability research team, the exploit used a vulnerability in Apple Wireless Direct Link (AWDL), Apple's proprietary mesh networking protocol that enables features like AirDrop and Sidecar to work.

Beer revealed the stunning exploit on Tuesday in a 30,000-word blog post, which shows in detail how a memory corruption bug in AWDL could give attackers remote access to a user's personal data, including emails, photos, messages, and passwords and crypto keys stored in the keychain.

The vulnerability was discovered by Beer in a 2018 iOS beta that Apple accidentally shipped without stripping function name symbols from the kernelcache, offering a wealth of missing context about how bits of code fit together.

After lengthy investigative work, Beer was able to find code related to AWDL, identify the vulnerability, and target it remotely using a laptop, a Raspberry Pi 4B and a couple of Wi-Fi adapters.

It took six months for Beer to develop the exploit, but by the time he was finished he was able to hack any ‌iPhone‌ that was in radio proximity, run arbitrary code on it, and steal all the user data.

Beer says he has no evidence that the issues he uncovered were exploited in the wild, but "we do know that exploit vendors seem to take notice of these fixes."

The takeaway from this project should not be: no one will spend six months of their life just to hack my phone, I'm fine.

Instead, it should be: one person, working alone in their bedroom, was able to build a capability which would allow them to seriously compromise iPhone users they'd come into close contact with.

Imagine the sense of power an attacker with such a capability must feel. As we all pour more and more of our souls into these devices, an attacker can gain a treasure trove of information on an unsuspecting target.

Apple patched the vulnerability in May with the release of iOS 12.4.7 and iOS 13.3.1, and actually cites Beer in changelogs for several security updates. Apple said that the vast majority of users are already on newer versions of iOS that have been patched.

Alongside picks for the top iPhone, iPad, and Mac apps and games of the year, Apple today shared charts featuring the Top Games of 2020 and the Top Apps of 2020, revealing the most popular free and paid apps and games during the year.

Among Us! was the top free game of 2020, followed by Call of Duty: Mobile, Roblox, and Subway Surfers. Ink Inc. Tattoo Drawing was the number four free app, while Magic Tiles 3: Piano Game earned the fifth spot. Mario Kart Tour also made the list, earning the 15th spot.

Minecraft was the top paid game of the year, followed by Plague Inc., Heads Up!, Monopoly, Bloons TD 6, Geometry Dash, and NBA 2K20. Many of these games are often at the top of the charts at the end of the year, with Minecraft and Plague Inc. long holding top spots.

Zoom was the top free app on iOS devices, followed by TikTok, Disney+, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat. Top paid apps included TouchRetouch for quickly removing clutter from photos, Procreate Pocket, Facetune, HotSchedules, and AutoSleep Sleep Tracker.

Full Charts

• 2020 Top App charts
• 2020 Top Game charts

Apple has sections in the Today center of the App Store where all of these apps can be downloaded for those interested.

Apple today shared its App Store Best of 2020 winners, highlighting its picks for the top iOS, iPadOS, and macOS apps and games released over the course of the year.

Apple's iPhone App of the Year award went to Wakeout!, which is a family friendly exercise and movement app that encourages people to complete easy exercises while at home. Apple's iPad App of the Year was Zoom, which soared in popularity due to the number of people working and learning from home this year.

Apple's ‌iPhone‌ Game of the Year was open world RPG Genshin Impact, which allows players to explore a huge game world filled with colorful monsters and earthshaking titans. The ‌iPad‌ Game of the Year was Legends of Runeterra, a collectible card game set in the League of Legends universe.

Apple also selected winners for Mac App of the Year, Mac Game of the Year, Apple TV App of the Year, and more.

• Mac Game of the Year - Detective role-playing game Disco Elysium
• Mac App of the Year - Calendar app Fantastical
• ‌Apple TV‌ App of the Year - Streaming service Disney+
• ‌Apple TV‌ Game of the Year - Adventure platformer Dandara Trials of Fear
• Apple Watch App of the Year - Soundscape and meditation app Endel
• Apple Arcade Game of the Year - Stealth game Sneaky Sasquatch

Apple also highlighted several apps that were part of the 2020 trend of "helpfulness," helping users to get the "daily self-care they needed." App picks in this category include classroom app Everything Whiteboard, kid-friendly chat app Caribu, Pokémon Go, charity app ShareTheMeal, and meditation app Shine.

Apple's Phil Schiller said that Apple in 2020 saw "remarkable efforts" from so many developers in 2020.

"This year, more than ever before, some of our most creative and connected moments happened in apps. This was thanks to the amazing work of developers who introduced fresh, helpful app experiences throughout the year," said Phil Schiller, Apple Fellow. "Around the world, we saw remarkable efforts from so many developers, and these Best of 2020 winners are 15 outstanding examples of that innovation. From helping us stay fit and mindful, to keeping our children's education on track, to helping fight hunger, their impact was meaningful to so many of us."

Each winner will receive a physical ‌App Store‌ Best of 2020 award, which is the first time an actual physical award has been provided to developers. Awards feature the ‌App Store‌ logo set into 100 percent recycled aluminum with the name of the winner engraved on the other side.

All of the apps can be downloaded from the iOS and macOS App Stores, which feature banners highlighting all of the top app picks.

Apple today began selling the MagSafe Duo Charger that was announced alongside the new iPhone 12 models back in October. Priced at $129, the ‌MagSafe‌ Duo offers a ‌MagSafe‌ charging puck for the ‌iPhone‌ 12, 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max, and 12 mini, along with an Apple Watch charger.

Though the accessory was announced in October and was listed as coming soon, it was not clear when it would launch. Orders placed today will deliver as soon as Thursday, December 3 when shipped, and it is not available for pickup in retail stores yet.

The ‌MagSafe‌ Duo features a foldable design for easier portability, and it ships with a USB-C to Lightning cable. The Apple Watch charging puck can be used flat, but there's also an option to pop it up to charge the Apple Watch upright. The ‌MagSafe‌ charging portion does not have the same pop up option.

Before purchasing, it's worth noting that the ‌MagSafe‌ Duo is not able to charge an ‌iPhone‌ 12 model at the full 15 watts supported by the standalone ‌MagSafe‌ charger. Instead, it is able to charge at a maximum of 14W when paired with the appropriate charger.

Despite the high price point, the ‌MagSafe‌ Duo does not ship with a power adapter. When paired with the 20W USB-C power adapter from Apple, it can charge an ‌iPhone‌ up to 11W, and when paired with a 27W or higher USB-C power adapter, it can charge at the aforementioned 14W.

Though designed for the ‌iPhone‌ 12 models, Apple says the ‌MagSafe‌ Duo is compatible with older iPhones, the AirPods with Wireless Charging Case, the AirPods Pro, and other devices that support Qi-based wireless charging.

(Thanks, Alex!)

Apple today released a new Display Firmware 4.2.30 update for the Pro Display XDR, with the software introducing a new Pro Display XDR Calibrator allowing for in-field recalibration.

Alongside the new calibration tool, Apple has provided a support document that walks users through calibrating the Pro Display XDR. There's a walkthrough for measuring the display, fine tuning the calibration through Displays preferences, and using the in-field recalibration.

In-field recalibrations allow the Pro Display XDR to be tuned to a third-party spectroradiometer through the feature added in the firmware update. These calibrations require the new firmware, macOS Catalina 10.15.6, and a supported spectroradiometer.

Apple also provides several tips for measuring and calibrating a Pro Display XDR, such as controlling the ambient lighting, calibrating in cool ambient temperatures, and optimal setup for spectroradiometers.

At the end of each year, Apple shares its picks for the best App Store apps, podcasts, Apple Music songs, books, and more, and today the company is highlighting the top books, audiobooks, and podcasts of 2020.

Code Switch by NPR was named the Apple Podcasts: Show of the Year, which is a new category for 2020.

Apple also highlighted the top 10 biggest shows of 2020, which include Stuff You Should Know by iHeart Radio, This American Life, The Daily by New York Times, and Crime Junkie by audiochuck.

Apple's favorite podcast picks include California Love by LAist and KPCC, Canary by The Washington Post, Dying for Sex by Wondery, and FANTI by Maximum Fun. Apple also highlighted the biggest new shows of 2020, a list that includes Unlocking Us, Nice White Parents, CounterClock, Red Ball, and others.

The most popular books of the year included "Midnight Sun" by Stephenie Meyer, "American Dirt" by Jeanine Cummins, and "A Promised Land" by Barack Obama.

Apple's picks for best books of the year include "The Vanishing Half" by Brit Bennett, "28 Summers" by Elin Hilderbrand, "The City We Became" by N.K. Jemisin, and "Long Bright River" by Liz Moore.

Apple named audiobooks that include "Open Book" by Jessica Simpson, "Memorial Drive" by Natasha Tretheway, and "Upstream" by Dan Heath as the best audiobooks of 2020, among others.

Apple's full lists can be found in the Books and Podcasts apps on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

Microsoft today updated its Microsoft Teams software to add improvements to Teams Calling, making it easier for organizations and their employees to keep in contact with one another.

The Calls app has been overhauled to bring all of the important phone call info to one space. It includes a dial pad, call history, voicemail, contacts, and settings for a better call workflow.

Call recordings can be shared in OneDrive and SharePoint, and there's a new spam identification tool that earmarks potential spam calls so they can be ignored. Teams will also "digitally attest" outgoing calls to prevent them from being rejected by external recipients.

Of interest to Apple users, Microsoft has added CarPlay support to allow Teams users to place and receive calls in the car. ‌CarPlay‌ will allow Siri and the built-in vehicle controls to place and answer calls. ‌CarPlay‌ integration is coming soon.

Teams in 2021 will support transferring calls between mobile and desktop, a useful feature for those who need to shift locations to finish a call. Other new features include call merging to simplify multiple conversations, a low data mode for data preservation purposes, and an enhanced reverse number lookup feature that displays the name of the caller.

Microsoft has more information on the changes coming to Microsoft Teams on its website.

Samsung is reportedly developing an item tracker called the "Galaxy Smart Tag" that appears to be positioned as a rival to Apple's long-awaited AirTags product (via SamMobile).

In August, alongside the unveiling of the Samsung Galaxy Note 20, the South Korean company explained how its SmartThings Find feature can locate compatible Galaxy products with greater accuracy. It is now being alleged that Samsung is using this software for a tag-like item tracker.

SamMobile spotted a new device with the name "Galaxy Smart Tag" and the model number EI-T5300 in Indonesian Telecom Certification filings. Based on the name, it is assumed that the product will integrate with Samsung's SmartThings Find feature and offer location tracking.

The parallel to Apple's rumored AirTags is striking. There has been an overwhelming amount of evidence, including extensive patent filings, design leaks, premature placement in Apple support materials, and iOS code, that Apple is preparing to launch an ultra-wideband item tracker. For some time, it has been believed that Apple is on the brink of announcing AirTags, but after repeatedly failing to appear leaks are now suggesting a March 2021 launch.

Samsung previously launched an LTE-enabled item tracker with GPS under its SmartThings brand in 2018, but it since appears to have been discontinued.

SamMobile suggests that Samsung could be looking to base its item tracking tag on ultra-wideband technology. AirTags are rumored to be based on the U1 ultra-wideband chip, which Apple is reportedly seeking to make the bedrock of its ecosystem.

If the speculation around Samsung's filing is correct, item tracking appears to be set to become another front of direct competition between Samsung and Apple. After Apple's push into consumer lending with Apple Card, earlier this year Samsung followed with Samsung Pay Card. Yesterday, it was reported that Samsung may be withholding patented periscope camera technology from Apple in order to maintain a competitive advantage with its Galaxy smartphones.

B&H Photo has extended its Black Friday and Cyber Monday promotions into a week-long event, with discounts on the 16-inch MacBook Pro, 2020 iPad Pro, and more. B&H Photo's sales have been automatically applied so you won't need any special coupon codes to browse the event.

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

Some of the best discounts in the sale include numerous deals across the 2020 iPad Pro range, starting at $749.00 for the 128GB Wi-Fi 11-inch iPad Pro. You'll find markdowns on both the 11-inch and 12.9-inch models, as well as a few lowest-ever prices for Wi-Fi and cellular devices.

You can find the highlights of the Cyber Week event from B&H Photo below, but be sure to head to the retailer's website to see the full sale. This includes deals on older model MacBooks, Apple Watch Series 6 and SE, and more.

16-inch MacBook Pro

• 2.6 GHz 6-Core, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD - $2,199.00, down from $2,399.00 ($200 off)
• 2.3 GHz 8-Core, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD - $2,499.00, down from $2,799.00 ($300 off) [matched at Amazon]

11-inch iPad Pro (2020)

• 128GB Wi-Fi - $749.00, down from $799.00 ($50 off)
• 256GB Wi-Fi - $829.00, down from $899.00 ($70 off)
• 512GB Wi-Fi - $999.00, down from $1,099.00 ($100 off, lowest ever)
• 1TB Wi-Fi - $1,199.00, down from $1,299.00 ($100 off)
• 128GB Cellular - $899.00, down from $949.00 ($50 off)
• 1TB Cellular - $1,299.00, down from $1,449.00 ($150 off, lowest ever) [matched at Amazon]

12.9-inch iPad Pro (2020)

• 256GB Wi-Fi - $999.00, down from $1,099.00 ($100 off)
• 512GB Wi-Fi - $1,199.00, down from $1,299.00 ($100 off)
• 1TB Wi-Fi - $1,399.00, down from $1,499.00 ($100 off)
• 256GB Cellular - $1,149.00, down from $1,249.00 ($100 off, lowest ever) [matched at Amazon]
• 1TB Cellular - $1,499.00, down from $1,649.00 ($150 off, lowest ever)

If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.

The first iMac with a Retina 5K display is one of several iMac models that have been added to Apple's vintage products list this week.

In the past, vintage Apple products were no longer eligible for repairs at the Genius Bar or at Apple Authorized Service Providers, but Apple began offering extended repairs of select vintage products in 2018. Many of the iMac models listed below will likely remain eligible for service for the foreseeable future, subject to parts availability.

The full list of iMac models added to Apple's vintage products list:

• iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2013)
• iMac (27-inch, Late 2013)
• iMac (21.5-inch, Mid 2014)
• iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2014)
• iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Mid 2015)

Apple has also added a notice that owners of new iPhone or Mac notebook products purchased after December 31, 2020 in France may obtain service and parts from Apple or Apple authorized service providers for seven years from the date the product model was last supplied by Apple for distribution into the country.

The vintage and obsolete products list has been renamed to "Obtaining service for your Apple product after an expired warranty."

Apple today added a shipping fulfillment page to its website in the United States, Canada, Australia, United Kingdom, and many other countries. The page provides a list of "order by" deadlines for products like the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV, HomePod, and AirPods to arrive by December 24.

"Order by" dates have already passed for some products, like the HomePod mini, but in-store pickup may be an option as inventory fluctuates.

Apple has also announced it is offering same-day delivery of eligible in-stock items ordered from an Apple Store for a discounted $5 fee through December 8 in most metropolitan areas across the United States. The fee is normally $9.

Customers will see a same-day, two-hour delivery window available during checkout on Apple.com or in the Apple Store app for in-stock iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV, and HomePod models, as well as AirPods, AirPods Pro, Beats, and more. For emphasis, this applies only to products that are in stock at a nearby Apple Store.

Apple's extended holiday return policy remains in effect. For eligible products received between November 10, 2020 and December 25, 2020, customers have until January 8, 2021 to initiate a return. These dates vary slightly in some countries.

An antitrust lawsuit leveled at Apple by Blix Inc. has been dismissed by a federal judge, in what appears to be a major setback for developers accusing Apple of malpractice with its App Store (via Bloomberg).

BlueMail was removed from the Mac App Store in June 2019 after Apple found the app to be in violation of several ‌App Store‌ Review Guidelines, including "proposing to override basic data security protections which can expose users' computers to malware that can harm their Macs and threaten their privacy." Just days later, BlueMail was restored to the Mac App Store.

Blix Inc., developer of the email app BlueMail, then filed a lawsuit accusing Apple of manipulating search results in its iOS and macOS App Stores to suppress third-party competition and push consumers towards Apple's own apps. Blix also alleged that Apple copied patented messaging technology for its "Sign In With Apple" feature before removing BlueMail from the ‌App Store‌.

Judge Leonard P. Stark of the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware dismissed the claims, concluding Blix had failed to offer direct or indirect evidence of Apple's monopoly power or anticompetitive conduct in violation of the Sherman Act.

"Allegations that Apple has the power to restrict competition aren't equivalent to allegations that the company actually did restrict competitors' output", Judge Stark wrote. "Even if Blix had plausibly alleged that Apple held a monopoly over apps, its failure to allege anticompetitive conduct provides an independent reason to dismiss its claims."

Judge Stark said Blix's anticompetitive-conduct claims failed because the company itself demonstrated that the ‌App Store‌ isn't essential to BlueMail's success. Blix told the court that BlueMail had achieved success on a range of platforms, and was sold on the market for five years before becoming available on the ‌App Store‌.

Moreover, Judge Stark dismissed the claims of patent infringement on the basis that they do not fall under an exception to patent eligibility that allows for abstract ideas to be patented if they describe a "unique and inventive concept."

The case may set a precedent for similar antitrust lawsuits against Apple by developers, such as the ongoing case brought forward by Epic Games against Apple.

When Apple revealed the MagSafe Charger for iPhone 12 in October, it also announced a ‌MagSafe‌ Duo Charger that would be coming in the future, but it didn't specify a release date. However, a Swiss Apple authorized reseller claims the ‌MagSafe‌ Duo Charger will officially launch as soon as this month.

Digitec Galaxus is a popular store in Switzerland and is allowing customers to pre-order the $129 MagSafe Duo Charger, which pairs a ‌‌MagSafe‌‌ ‌iPhone‌ charger with an Apple Watch charging puck.

The website's disclaimer currently says that orders made today will be delivered between December 16 and 23, and that these dates also go for in-store pickup. However, 9to5Mac first reported that the site said December 21, so it appears to have changed since then.

Apple hasn't provided an update on when the product will be available, so it's hard to know just how "official" the December dates are, but it's not impossible that the authorized seller is correct and that we'll see the ‌MagSafe‌ Duo Charger in stores before the year is out (Apple has already supplied review units to the press).

Despite the $129 price tag, the ‌MagSafe‌ Duo Charger doesn't come with a power adapter. This alone has caused some consternation among Apple users, but it was compounded recently after it was revealed that the ‌‌MagSafe‌‌ portion of the charger doesn't even charge at the full 15 watts supported by the standalone ‌‌MagSafe‌‌ charger.

WhatsApp has released a major update to its iPhone app that brings unlimited custom wallpapers to individuals chats for the first time.

The new ability to set custom wallpapers for different chats is an effort to make it easier for users to distinguish and identify them in the blink of an eye. WhatsApp says there's no limit on the number of custom wallpapers users can assign to different chats.

"Your WhatsApp chats hold a special place in your life, which is why we're introducing custom chat wallpapers. Make your chats personal and distinguishable by using a custom wallpaper for your most important chats and favorite people, and you never need worry about sending the wrong message in the wrong chat ever again."

WhatsApp is also rolling out the current default "doodle" wallpaper in more colors, and significantly increasing the selection of wallpapers with more images of nature and architecture from around the world.

Notably, users can now also set a separate wallpaper which activates when their phone switches from light to dark mode.

In addition to the new wallpaper options, WhatsApp says it is making it easier to quickly search and find stickers with text or emoji and browse through common categories. The update includes new sticker packs, too, including The World Health Organization's "Together at Home" animated stickers.

WhatsApp Messenger is a free download for ‌iPhone‌ from the App Store [Direct Link].