MacRumors

Multiple MacRumors readers in the UK and Ireland have noticed that the built-in Weather app now supports next-hour precipitation readings, a feature that appears to have rolled out recently.

Next-hour precipitation details have been available in the United States and Canada since the launch of iOS 14, but had not expanded to other countries prior to this week. The new precipitation charts appear to be showing up for those running both iOS 14.4 and iOS 14.5.

Apple added next-hour precipitation to the Weather app after its acquisition of Dark Sky in March 2020. Precipitation charts offer minute-by-minute weather predictions based on precise location.

Update: Dutch website iCulture reports that the precipitation feature is appearing in The Hague, suggesting rollout is happening in the Netherlands and France, too.

Apple today published new App Store guideline updates for developers, tweaking many existing guidelines and adding a new rule pertaining to the App Tracking Transparency requirement in iOS 14.5.

The new 5.1.2(i) rule related to App Tracking Transparency requires developers to ask for explicit permission before tracking user activity, something that Apple has been planning to implement since iOS 14's release. Apple last week said that its App Tracking rules would be enforced starting with the next iOS update, which will be iOS 14.5.

5.1.2(i): Added: "You must receive explicit permission from users via the App Tracking Transparency APIs to track their activity. Learn more about tracking."

Coinciding with the new rule around App Tracking Transparency, Apple today highlighted the SKAdNetwork 2.2 and Private Click Measurement APIs that are available to developers as alternatives to more invasive user tracking methods.

SKAdNetwork 2.2 allows developers to display and measure ad effectiveness while preserving user privacy, while Private Click Measurement, an iOS 14.5 feature, lets ad networks measure the effectiveness of advertisement clicks within iOS apps that navigate to a website, but in a privacy-focused way.

App Tracking Transparency will be enforced when iOS 14.5 is released, and Apple has said that it expects the new update to launch in the early spring.

Apple's ‌App Store‌ Guidelines update also clarifies several existing rules and includes minor wording changes and tweaks, with a full list of changes available on Apple's developer site.

Apple today released the iOS 14.5 and iPadOS 14.5 beta updates for developers, and included in the new software is a feature that's designed to make it easier to unlock an iPhone while wearing a mask by leveraging the Apple Watch.

An opt-in setting lets you turn on a feature that allows an ‌iPhone‌ to be unlocked with both Face ID and an authenticated Apple Watch combined. You can find this setting by opening up the Settings app, going to the ‌Face ID‌ & Passcode section, entering your passcode, and then toggling on "Unlock with Apple Watch."

Both iOS 14.5 and watchOS 7.4 are required to enable this feature, and once turned on, you can begin unlocking your ‌iPhone‌ with an unlocked and authenticated Apple Watch while wearing a mask. The first time you go to unlock your ‌iPhone‌ with Apple Watch after enabling the feature you'll need to enter a passcode, but after that, Apple Watch unlocking is smooth, seamless, and quick.

When you're wearing a mask and go to use ‌Face ID‌, you'll feel a haptic vibration on your wrist and it will let you know that your ‌iPhone‌ was unlocked with your watch via a notification that pops up on your wrist.

‌Face ID‌ will work like normal on the ‌iPhone‌, so you'll only feel a difference through the Apple Watch, though sometimes there's a slight delay that says "unlocking ‌iPhone‌ with Apple Watch." This seems to depend on the distance between your ‌iPhone‌ and your watch, and if your authenticated watch is too far away, you'll be told to move it closer.

Every time you unlock, you'll feel the vibration and see the pop up, and it's generally an interface that looks like the interface that comes up when you unlock your Mac with your Apple Watch. Unlocking a Mac through an authenticated Apple Watch has long been a feature.

You cannot make an Apple Pay or App Store purchases with the Apple Watch, nor can you use it for authenticating in apps that use ‌Face ID‌. In these situations, you still need to remove your mask and use the standard ‌Face ID‌ authentication or enter a passcode.

For those concerned about security or possible authentication bypasses with this method, the feature is entirely opt-in and is not enabled by default. You do need an unlocked Apple Watch for this to work, so there's no way to use it with an Apple Watch that has not been unlocked via the ‌iPhone‌ or by your Apple Watch passcode.

All in all, unlocking an ‌iPhone‌ with a paired Apple Watch is as seamless as unlocking with standard ‌Face ID‌, and it's just about as quick, so this will be a welcome change for people frustrated with using an ‌iPhone‌ while wearing a mask. Future iPhones may include in-display Touch ID alongside ‌Face ID‌, but for now, this is a useful solution for ‌iPhone‌ owners who also have an Apple Watch.

Code discovered in iOS 14.5 by MacRumors contributor Steve Moser suggests that Apple is planning to introduce a new feature that will allow for multiple people to use the same Apple Card account.

Right now, ‌Apple Card‌ usage is tied to an individual and there is no option to share an account with another person, which is an oversight as some people prefer to share credit cards with spouses rather than having separate accounts.

Assets in iOS 14.5 suggest that Apple Cards will support more than one user, likely through Apple's Family Sharing feature. These assets were also highlighted by 9to5Mac. Some of the code snippets:

• Share responsibility for all account activity, including payment of current and future balances.
• You are now sharing ‌Apple Card‌ with [Person]
• As Joint Owner, you can only invite members of your Family Sharing group.
• ‌Apple Card‌ can now be shared with up to a maximum of [number] people.
• You can only invite people over the age of 13, and on the latest version of iOS to share your ‌Apple Card‌.
• [Person] can now use your ‌Apple Card‌ for purchases.
• [Person] can earn Daily Cash whenever they spend using your ‌Apple Card‌.
• [Person] can make any purchase with no limit up to your available credit.
• [Person] can make any purchase up to a maximum transaction limit of [number].
• You're invited to share a joint ‌Apple Card‌ with [Person].
• Share Your ‌Apple Card‌ with eligible friends and family in your family group. Build credit together, track spending, and receive Daily Cash.

The main ‌Apple Card‌ account holder will be able to invite family members to use the ‌Apple Card‌ account, with family spending available for viewing in the Wallet app. Account holders will be able to set spending limits so all family members, including children, can use the card.

This feature does not appear to be live for ‌Apple Card‌ holders in the first iOS 14.5 beta as of yet, but it's likely something that we'll see introduced in a later beta or with the iOS 14.5 release coming this spring.

With the watchOS 7.4 and iOS 14.5 betas, Apple is adding AirPlay 2 support to the Apple Fitness+ app, which is a feature that Apple Fitness+ users have been hoping for.

As noted by TechCrunch, Apple Fitness+ workouts will be able to be streamed to ‌AirPlay‌ 2-compatible television sets from an iPhone or iPad, allowing workouts to be viewed on a larger screen by those who do not have an Apple TV.

Audio and video will be able to be sent to an ‌AirPlay‌ 2-enabled TV or set-top box, but Apple Watch metrics will not be able to be displayed on the screen.

Activity rings, workout time remaining, calories burned, and burn bars will not show up on the television set over ‌AirPlay‌ 2 and will instead need to be viewed on the connected ‌iPhone‌ or ‌iPad‌, but this should be a welcome change for those who want to be able to watch Apple Fitness+ workouts on a larger screen.

The optimal way to use Apple Fitness+ is with an ‌Apple TV‌ as the service is built into the Fitness app on the ‌Apple TV‌, but there are many people out there with an AirPlay-compatible TV and no ‌Apple TV‌ set-top box to use with it.

The iOS 14.5 beta update that was released today introduces support for the latest gaming controllers from Sony and Microsoft, allowing the PS5 DualSense controller and the Xbox Series X controller to be used with iPhones and iPads.

An earlier iOS 14 beta suggested that support for the updated controllers was in the works, but it will go live in iOS 14.5. It's also likely that the accompanying tvOS update, tvOS 14.5, is gaining support for the controllers.

Apple Arcade games and other iOS games that support controllers will be compatible with the PS5 DualSense and Xbox Series X controller options. iOS 14.5 is limited to developers at the current time, but Apple will likely have a public beta coming soon, with the update set to be released in the early spring.

Apple today seeded the first beta of iOS 14.5 to developers for testing, and a key new feature is global support for 5G in Dual-SIM mode on iPhone 12 models, as noted by Rene Ritchie. This functionality was previously only available in mainland China.

iPhone 12 models are equipped with both a physical SIM slot and a digital eSIM, allowing for a feature known as dual SIM, dual standby. This means you can have two lines of service on one iPhone, which is useful for purchasing data-only plans while traveling abroad or having personal and business lines on a single iPhone. Until now, Dual-SIM mode was limited to LTE, but iOS 14.5 introduces support for faster 5G on both lines.

Apple has previously said that iOS 14.5 will be released in the early spring, so the software update will likely become available in late March at the earliest. A public beta will likely be released within the next day or so.

An internal Verizon presentation obtained by MacRumors had indicated that Apple planned to enable 5G in Dual-SIM mode by the end of 2020, so the functionality is arriving a few months later than expected.

With the iOS 14.5 update, Apple is finally adding a solution that makes it easier to unlock an iPhone when you're wearing a mask. Right now, with a face mask on, Face ID does not work, requiring those wearing masks to enter a passcode to unlock their devices, a process that is time consuming and inconvenient.

In iOS 14.5, there's a new option to unlock an ‌iPhone‌ with ‌Face ID‌ and an Apple Watch paired together, with the Apple Watch's authentication providing an extra layer of security.

If you're wearing an unlocked Apple Watch and use ‌Face ID‌ as you normally would, the ‌iPhone‌ will unlock after a partial face scan. When the unlock happens, you'll feel a haptic buzz and will receive a notification on the Apple Watch informing you that the unlocking procedure was successful, similar to how it works when unlocking a Mac with an Apple Watch.

As noted by Engadget, this feature must be manually enabled to use it, and there's also an option to lock the ‌iPhone‌ from the Apple Watch. Things like App Store purchases and Apple Pay payments will not be able to be authenticated through the ‌Face ID‌ + Apple Watch pairing, so you'll still need full ‌Face ID‌ authentication or a passcode for some actions.

iOS 14.5 also introduces support for the latest Xbox and Playstation controllers, it adds AirPlay 2 support for Apple Fitness+, it brings dual-SIM 5G support, and there's a new feature for asking Siri to call emergency services.

Apple today released macOS Big Sur 11.2, the second major update to the macOS Big Sur operating system that launched in November. macOS Big Sur 11.2 comes more than a month after the release of macOS Big Sur 11.1.

The new ‌‌macOS Big Sur‌ 11.2‌ update can be downloaded for free on all eligible Macs using the Software Update section of System Preferences.

According to Apple's release notes, macOS Big Sur 11.2 addresses several bugs, such as an issue that could cause external external displays to show a black screen when connected to an ‌M1‌ ‌Mac mini‌ using an HDMI to DVI converter and a problem that caused iCloud Drive to disable when turning off the ‌iCloud Drive‌ Desktop & Documents Folders option.

Apple's full release notes for the update are available below:

macOS Big Sur 11.2 improves Bluetooth reliability and fixes the following issues:
- External displays may show a black screen when connected to a Mac mini (M1, 2020) using an HDMI to DVI converter
- Edits to Apple ProRAW photos in the Photos app may not save
- iCloud Drive could turn off after disabling the iCloud Drive Desktop & Documents Folders option
- System Preferences may not unlock when entering your administrator password
- Globe key may not display the Emoji & Symbols pane when pressed

Though not mentioned in the release notes, one of the macOS Big Sur 11.2 betas removed a feature that allowed Apple apps bypass third-party firewalls, security tools, and VPN apps. ‌macOS Big Sur‌ 11 included a ContentFilterExclusionList that let Apple's apps like the App Store, Maps, iCloud, and more to avoid firewall and VPN apps that users had installed.

These apps were not able to filter or inspect traffic for some built-in Apple apps, and the functionality has been removed. Apple apps will now be compatible with VPN apps and will no longer be able to bypass firewalls and other security tools.

‌macOS Big Sur‌ is a major update that brings a full redesign to the Mac, along with new features designed for ‌‌M1‌‌ Macs. Complete details on all of the new functionality in ‌macOS Big Sur‌ can be found in our roundup.

Apple today seeded the first betas of new iOS and iPadOS 14.5 updates to developers for testing purposes, a week after releasing the iOS 14.4 update with bug fixes and feature updates.

iOS and iPadOS 14.5 can be downloaded through the Apple Developer Center or over the air after the proper profile has been installed on an iPhone or iPad.

iOS 14.5 is the update where Apple will begin enforcing its App Tracking Transparency privacy feature, which will require app developers to ask for and receive a user's permission to access their random advertising identifier (known as the IDFA) to track user activity across apps and websites.

Going forward, when an app wants to access the IDFA, users will see a prompt with options to "Allow Tracking" or "Ask App Not to Track." These features have already been implemented in iOS 14 and they are available to developers, but with iOS 14.5, they will be required rather than voluntary.

Selecting "Ask App Not to Track" will prevent the app's developer from accessing the user's IDFA, and developers will also have to respect the user's tracking preference and refrain from using other methods to track users. Disobeying this rule could cause an app to face removal from the App Store. Tracking preferences can be managed by going to Settings > Privacy > Tracking.

There's no word yet on what else might be included in the iOS 14.5 update, but it likely focuses on performance improvements and bug fixes for issues that weren't able to be addressed in the iOS 14.4 release. When we've downloaded the update and found what's new, we'll add an update to this article.

Apple has said iOS 14.5 and iPadOS 14.5 will be released to the public in the early spring.

Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming watchOS 7.4 update to developers for testing purposes, with the beta coming just a few days after the launch of watchOS 7.3 with "Time to Walk" support and expanded ECG availability.

To install the ‌watchOS 7.4 beta, developers need to download the proper configuration profile from the Apple Developer Center. Once the profile is in place, the watchOS 7.4 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 yet know what's included in watchOS 7.4, but it could include bug fixes for issues that weren't able to be addressed in the watchOS 7.3 update. If we find anything new, we'll update this article.

Nearly three months after Apple publicly released macOS Big Sur, a growing number of users have expressed frustration that the Box Drive app is still experiencing issues on the latest version of the operating system. Many users rely on Box as a cloud storage provider, similar to iCloud, Dropbox, Microsoft OneDrive, and Google Drive.

On both Intel-based and M1-based Macs, users have reported receiving the following error message after attempting to open the Box Drive app: "Box Drive's system extension failed to load. Please make sure it has been enabled in System Preferences > Security & Privacy and then restart your computer."

While enabling the app's system extension and rebooting as advised should resolve the issue for most Intel-based Mac users, this is not always the case, and the solution does not work at all on Apple's new M1-based Macs. As a result, M1 Mac users have been forced to use the web or mobile versions of Box while waiting on a compatibility update.

A few months ago, Box said that it planned to release a beta version of the app with M1 support in early 2021 for enterprise customers. However, the company has not provided a more specific timeframe since then, leading some users to grow impatient and consider migrating their individual or corporate accounts to rival services.

"We're going to start looking for alternative products that do the same and work on M1 machines," wrote one user in the Box support forums.

In a statement shared with MacRumors today, Box reiterated that it is "actively updating" the Box Drive app to be fully compatible with macOS Big Sur and M1 Macs, but the company did not provide an update on timing.

"We're actively updating our Box Drive desktop application to be compatible with the new M1 Macs and Big Sur," said Box. "We'll share more information on this release, including timing, as soon as possible. In the interim, all users can continue to securely access Box through the web and on the Box mobile apps."

macOS Big Sur beta testing began in June 2020, and the operating system was released in November, the same month that M1 Macs launched.

In its ongoing feud with Apple regarding App Tracking Transparency, Facebook has announced that it will encourage users to allow tracking with "additional context" on a dedicated screen, according to an updated blog post.

iOS 14's App Tracking Transparency feature will require developers to receive a user's consent to track their activity across apps and websites and access their device's random advertising identifier. Users will be presented with a prompt with options to "Allow Tracking" or "Ask App not to Track" when opening apps, such as Facebook, that wish to track their activity.

If a user selects "Ask App not to Track," Apple will block the app's developer from accessing the user's advertising identifier. The developer is also required to respect the user's tracking preference in general, meaning that they cannot use other methods to track the user, or their app may face removal from the App Store.

After a series of heavy-handed public attacks on Apple in recent months, which have in part alleged that App Tracking Transparency will harm small businesses, Facebook now seems to have shifted its approach and will now be actively encouraging users to "Allow Tracking."

As we shared in December, we disagree with Apple's approach, but will be showing their prompt to ensure stability for the businesses and people who use our services. Apple's new prompt suggests there is a tradeoff between personalized advertising and privacy; when in fact, we can and do provide both. The Apple prompt also provides no context about the benefits of personalized ads.

Facebook will show users a screen in its app, before Apple's App Tracking Transparency prompt is displayed, offering information about how the company uses personalized ads, which it says "supports small businesses and keep apps free." The company has warned that users who decline to be tracked "will still see ads, but they will be less relevant."

Agreeing to these prompts doesn't result in Facebook collecting new types of data. It just means that we can continue to give people better experiences. We feel that people deserve the additional context, and Apple has said that providing education is allowed.

Facebook is now believed to be preparing a lawsuit against Apple for the App Tracking Transparency feature, among other allegations, which the company says is anticompetitive.

Apple today added a new Racial Equity and Justice Initiative page to its website that highlights the company's long-term efforts to "help ensure more positive outcomes for communities of color, particularly for the Black community." The page emphasizes Apple's commitment to education, criminal justice reform, and economic equality.

"As global leaders in technology and business, we have an urgent responsibility to dismantle systemic racism and grow opportunities for people confronting it every day," wrote Apple.

Last year, Apple committed $100 million towards a new Racial Equity and Justice Initiative to "help dismantle systemic barriers to opportunity and combat injustices faced by communities of color." As part of this commitment, Apple is supporting the launch of an innovation and learning hub in Atlanta for students enrolled in Historically Black Colleges and Universities, venture capital funding for Black and Brown entrepreneurs, and more.

"We have unfinished business in the effort to end systemic racism," said Apple CEO Tim Cook. "Apple will be a force for change."

In a tweet today, Cook said Apple has opened applications to its "Impact Accelerator" program for Black- and Brown-owned businesses seeking to address environmental challenges. More details can be found in this PDF.

"Inequality can't be ignored," said Lisa Jackson, Apple's Vice President of Environment, Policy, and Social Initiatives. "We're committed to helping create the positive outcomes communities of color deserve."

Today marks the start of Black History Month, and Apple has marked the occasion by releasing a limited-edition Black Unity Apple Watch Series 6 with a custom Sport Band based on the colors of the Pan-African flag. Apple is also featuring content that highlights and amplifies Black creators, artists, developers, and businesses across the App Store, Apple Music, the Apple TV app, Apple Books, Apple Podcasts, and more throughout February.

Apple also commissioned more than 30 Black photographers to capture and share photos of their hometowns shot with the iPhone 12 Pro, and the company highlighted some of these photos in a press release earlier today.

Apple is accepting feedback about its Racial Equity and Justice Initiative on its website.

Apple continues to dominate Fortune's list of the "World's Most Admired Companies" for 2021, taking the top spot for the 14th consecutive year.

Technology and entertainment held the top four rankings, with Amazon claiming second place, followed by Microsoft in third, and Disney in fourth.

After a year in which humanity leaned more heavily than ever on tech giants—to connect, entertain, and even feed us in a time of isolation — it's fitting that Apple, Amazon, and Microsoft hold the top three spots in Fortune's ranking of corporate reputation. Apple, the premier personal-tech provider, tops the roster for the 14th year in a row, based on our poll of some 3,800 corporate executives, directors, and analysts.

Elsewhere, Netflix returned to the top ten, placing ninth, and Walmart and Target earned their highest rankings since 2011 and 2008. Nvidia and PayPal also earned a place in the top 50 for the first time.

The 50 companies selected for the 2021 Fortune rankings were narrowed down from an initial list of the 1,000 largest companies in the U.S. ranked by revenue and 500 non-U.S. companies from Fortune's Global 500 database with revenues of $10 billion or more.

Management consulting firm Korn Ferry then asked executives, directors, and analysts to rate companies in their own industry based on nine criteria, from investment value and quality of management and products to social responsibility and ability to attract talent, and select the ten companies they admired most.

While the result is not indicative of financial performance, the list does provide an interesting insight into how some of the world's best-known companies are perceived relative to each other.