Elago has released a new cover for the AirPods charging case with a retro design inspired by Nintendo's iconic Game Boy. Available in Light Gray or Black, the cover is made of flexible, impact-resistant silicone material with an anti-slip coating, giving the AirPods charging case some added protection. It is also equipped with a carabiner, allowing it to be attached to a keychain or a backpack or so forth when on the go. The cover is compatible with both the first- and second-generation AirPods charging case, but not the AirPods Pro case. Elago says the cover does not interfere with wireless charging functionality. The cover is available for $10.99 to $12.99 on Amazon and Elago.com. Note: 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.

As noted in the MacRumors forums, the new Look Around feature in Apple Maps recently went live in three more cities in the United States, including Boston, Philadelphia, and the Washington, D.C. area. Introduced in iOS 13, Look Around is an interactive way to visually explore a city with 3D street-level imagery, similar to Google Street View. The feature is also available in the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, New York City, Las Vegas, Houston, and the Hawaiian island of Oahu, with many more places to come. In an area where Look Around is available, a binoculars icon will appear in the top-right corner of Apple Maps. Tapping that icon opens a street-level view in a card overlay at the top of the screen. Look Around also appears in the search results for a supported city, below the Flyover and Directions buttons. When you're in Look Around mode, tapping on the display lets you move through the area, while tapping in a far off spot in the distance zooms in quickly in a smoother and more immersive way than Google Street View. To help orient you in Look Around mode, points of interest such as bars, restaurants, parks and the like are identified by floating icons at street level. Note, however, that you can only zoom into areas that can be accessed by vehicles since the Look Around data is captured by cars fitted with 360-degree cameras. Related: How to Use Look Around in Apple Maps

Taiwanese publication DigiTimes provides its paying subscribers with a daily preview of stories that it plans to publish, and in today's edition, it continues to suggest that Apple is planning a new version of AirPods Pro. The story preview reads as follows:USI likely to enter supply chain of AirPods Pro, sources say Taiwan-based Universal Scientific Industrial (USI), a unit of ASE Technology, is likely to obtain system-in-package (SiP) orders for the upcoming AirPods Pro, according to industry sources.Presumably, these "upcoming" AirPods Pro are the same model as the "AirPods Pro Lite" that the publication referred to earlier this month. The earlier report claimed that "AirPods Pro Lite" will be an "entry-level version" of the AirPods Pro, but no features or specifications have been shared. The report added that production is unlikely to begin until at least the end of the second quarter of 2020 due to the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak in China. All in all, details are slim right now. "AirPods Pro Lite" is somewhat of an oxymoron, as "Pro Lite" just sounds like regular AirPods, but it has been speculated that perhaps Apple will release a less expensive version of the AirPods Pro with the same design and sound quality but without noise cancellation. Of course, it is worth noting that DigiTimes has a rather infamous reputation. While the industry publication has connections within Apple's supply chain, it has a mixed track record in relation to the company's exact plans and timing. For this reason, it is possible that the "AirPods Pro Lite" will simply be a

Microsoft today announced that it plans to bring a version of its Defender ATP security platform to iOS and Android. Defender ATP provides "preventive protection, post-breach detection, and automated investigation and response" for Windows and macOS, but it is unclear what the platform will offer on iOS given it is a sandboxed operating system. Existing "antivirus" apps for the iPhone typically only offer features such as identity theft and phishing prevention, website and phone call blocking, and VPN access. Microsoft plans to share more details about Defender ATP for iOS and Android next week at the RSA Conference in San

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today reported that Apple is working to allow third-party music services like Spotify and Pandora to be streamed directly on the HomePod with Siri in a future software update, as is possible with Apple Music. Spotify currently can only be streamed on the HomePod via AirPlay. The report adds that Apple is also considering allowing third-party music services to be set as default in iOS 14, which would let users ask Siri to stream music from the likes of Spotify without specifying "with Spotify" at the end of the command. Siri currently defaults to Apple Music for these requests. In early 2019, Spotify announced that it had filed an antitrust complaint against Apple with the European Commission over unfair ‌App Store‌ practices. At the time, Spotify took issue with Siri's lack of Spotify support on both iOS devices — which has since changed to a limited extent — and the HomePod. An excerpt from its "Time to Play Fair" website — the wording has since been tweaked:Apple ignores users' preferred choice of music service and instead steers them to use Apple Music exclusively. So can you ask Siri to play your favorite playlist from Spotify? No, not even if you actively want Spotify to be your default streaming service. Or can you listen to Spotify through your Apple HomePod? Sorry, no luck with that either. And by the way, Spotify is available on pretty much every other speaker device out there.Apple has faced increasing scrutiny as of late over the way it runs its ‌App Store‌, beyond Spotify's complaint. Allowing third-party apps to be set as

Qualcomm this week introduced the Snapdragon X60, its third-generation 5G modem for mobile devices. The company says the first 5G smartphones featuring the X60 are expected to launch early next year. Built on a 5nm process, the X60 packs higher power efficiency into a smaller footprint compared to its 7nm-based predecessor, the Snapdragon X55. In the context of an iPhone, this could allow for longer battery life and more room inside the device for a larger battery or additional components. Smartphones with the X60 will also be able to aggregate data from both mmWave and sub-6GHz bands simultaneously to achieve an optimal combination of high-speed and low-latency network coverage. Multiple reports have indicated that Apple plans to use the Snapdragon X55 in its first 5G iPhone models, widely expected to be released later this year. The new X60 modem would be suitable for 2021 iPhones, but beyond that, it has been reported that Apple is developing its own modem for use in iPhones by 2022 or 2023.

Arlo today announced that its Arlo Pro 3 smart home security camera system is now compatible with Apple's HomeKit platform. A free firmware update is rolling out to Arlo Pro 3 systems with SmartHub model VMB4540 at this time, with support for other SmartHub models to follow. To update the firmware manually, open the Arlo app and tap Settings > My Devices > Arlo Pro 3 > Device Info > Firmware > Update. HomeKit support allows the Arlo Pro 3 to show up in the Home app on the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch, and enables the camera to be controlled with Siri voice commands using an iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV, or HomePod. Arlo Pro 3 features:2K UHD image resolution 160-degree viewing angle Integrated siren and spotlight Color night vision Two-way full duplex for audio Magnetic mount for more flexible mounting solutions Weatherproof magnetic charging cable A free three-month trial to Arlo Smart included with purchaseVarious configurations of the Arlo Pro 3 system are available on Amazon. Note: 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.

Following beta testing, Microsoft today released its new Office app for iPhone, bringing together Word, Excel, and PowerPoint in a single app. The main benefit of the unified Office app is that it requires only a single download with a much smaller file size, but it does have a few unique features, including camera integration for easily converting photos of documents and tables into Word and Excel files. The app also has a new Actions pane that supports a number of common tasks like signing PDFs and scanning QR codes. Microsoft explains some of the benefits of the new Office app in a blog post:The Office app delivers several key benefits including: - Combining Word, Excel, and PowerPoint in a way that simplifies the experience with fewer apps to download or switch between. It requires far less phone storage than installing individual apps while maintaining virtually all the capabilities of the existing mobile apps people already know and use. - Integrating our Lens technology to unlock the power of the camera with capabilities like converting images into editable Word and Excel documents, scanning PDFs, and capturing whiteboards with automatic digital enhancements to make the content easier to read. - Adding new functionality for common tasks people often encounter when working on a phone—things like making quick notes, signing PDFs, scanning QR codes, and transferring files between devices.The new Microsoft Office app is available on the App Store for the iPhone and on the Google Play Store for Android. Microsoft says the app will be optimized to support

Adobe is celebrating the 30th anniversary of Photoshop today with several updates to the app across the Mac and iPad. A key new feature on the Mac is support for Dark Mode on macOS Mojave and later. Photoshop already has a dark user interface on the Mac, but now system dialogs like the File menu will also be dark based on the systemwide appearance selected in System Preferences > General. The desktop app has also received Content-Aware Fill improvements. Now, you can make multiple selections and apply multiple fills without leaving the workspace. You can use the new "apply" button to iterate your fills before committing, and click "OK" only when you are finished, according to Adobe. Adobe says it has also improved the output quality and performance of Lens Blur on the desktop, and made performance improvements, claiming that clicking interactions like panning and zooming are smoother and more responsive. On the iPad, the headline new feature is the Object Selection tool, which can automatically find the object within a selected area for you based on Adobe Sensei machine learning. Adobe explains:The Object Selection tool is designed to give you speed, but also more control over the selection process on more complex images. For example, it is the right tool if you have images with multiple objects, or when selecting a part of an object, or if you want this part but not that part, or need to isolate more than one object in an image. With the Object Selection tool, you draw a rectangular region or even a crude lasso around the area you want to select, and

First Alert today announced that its Onelink Safe & Sound, an all-in-one smoke detector, carbon monoxide detector, and speaker system, now supports AirPlay 2 for multi-room audio playback. AirPlay‌ 2 enables multi-room audio playback with other ‌AirPlay‌ 2 devices, such as the HomePod, Apple TV, and select speakers from Sonos, Bose, Bowers & Wilkins, and others. ‌Users can select where the music is playing in Control Center on an iOS device or ask Siri to play music in a specific room or the whole home. Introduced at CES 2018, the Onelink Safe & Sound distinguishes itself from a traditional smoke detector with a built-in speaker and noice-canceling microphones, plus support for Amazon Alexa. With existing HomeKit support, homeowners can add the Onelink Safe & Sound to the Home app and receive push notifications if smoke or carbon monoxide are detected. HomeKit also allows the detector and music playback to be controlled with Siri using an iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV, or HomePod. Regularly priced at $249.99, the Onelink Safe & Sound is currently on sale for $178.25 on Amazon in the United States. Note: 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.

Shanghai-based manufacturing company Universal Scientific Industrial will begin supplying the system-in-package for Apple's upcoming Ultra Wideband item tracking tags in the second to third quarter of 2020, with shipments to reach tens of millions of units by the end of the year, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. In a research note with TF International Securities, obtained by MacRumors, Kuo said Universal Scientific Industrial will be the primary supplier of the system-in-package for the tags, fulfilling around 60 percent of orders. Similar to the one inside AirPods, the system-in-package would be a densely packed circuit board, and it would likely include the Apple-designed U1 chip for Ultra Wideband support. Apple's tag image asset in iOS 13 code "We believe that the ultra-wideband (UWB) tag will enhance the user experience of iOS's 'find' and augment reality (AR) applications by offering measurement functions in the short distance," wrote Kuo. Last month, Kuo said the Ultra Wideband tag would be one of Apple's major new hardware products in the first half of 2020, but he has yet to provide a more specific release date for the accessory. Multiple reports this week have indicated that a new lower-cost iPhone model and refreshed iPad Pro models with 3D sensing could debut as early as next month, possibly at an as-yet unannounced Apple event on Tuesday, March 31. It is certainly possible that the Ultra Wideband tags could also be unveiled at the March event, if one transpires, but the second to third quarter timeframe for system-in-package shipments leaves

As expected, Apple reopened its five retail stores in the Beijing area today as the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak in China continues. In a video shared by CNBC senior correspondent Eunice Yoon, Apple employees can be seen checking the body temperatures of customers as they enter the store for signs of fever. Yoon says Apple is also limiting the number of customers allowed in the store at once, resulting in smaller crowds than normally seen. The stores in Beijing have reduced hours of 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. local time. Apple's other stores in China remain closed until further notice. There remains a lot of uncertainty regarding the coronavirus outbreak, which has resulted in extended shipping estimates for some Apple products and could impact the company's overall revenue this quarter. Apple operates over 40 stores in China, which represents less than 10 percent of its retail locations worldwide. Business attempts to normalize in #China despite #coronavirus. @Apple reopens its 5 Beijing stores today. Limited hours (11a-6p v. usual 10a-10p). One entrance only with temperature checks. $AAPL restricts # customers in stores. Busy but not thecrowds would see on #ValentinesDay. pic.twitter.com/FoKUrKKkc9— Eunice Yoon (@onlyyoontv) February 14, 2020 Apple recently provided its retail stores, authorized service providers, and carrier partners with an enhanced cleaning guide that recommends that demo Apple products be cleaned at least twice per day. The document, shared with MacRumors, contains best practices for using microfiber cloths as well as hand washing tips for

Enter the chaotic world of Lincoln Loud and his sisters in "Loud House: Outta Control," this week's addition to Apple Arcade across the iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV. Based on the Nickelodeon series "The Loud House," the family-friendly strategy game tasks players with completing various tasks before time runs out. The game's description on the App Store:Welcome to the Loud House! Are you ready to get OUTTA CONTROL?! Enter the chaotic world of Lincoln Loud and his sisters from the hit Nickelodeon series. COMPLETE TASKS Guide your favorite Loud characters to complete their objectives. Get Lincoln to his comic books and Lana to her mud pies before the clock runs out! Manage multiple paths for characters while enjoying exciting character interactions. Earn bonus points by completing objectives as quickly as you can! CONTAIN THE CHAOS When characters collide...hilarity ensues. From flying pies to loaded diapers, do your best to avoid the chaos big enough to ignite any sibling rivalry! Avoid collisions or risk losing the level...and watch out for those pesky fight clouds! EXPLORE THE LOUD HOUSE Experience the Loud House in all seasons. Manage the chaos from the front yard to the kitchen! From the attic to the best seat on the couch! Each level features a unique scene and fun new challenges. COLLECT ITEMS Earn medals and unlock Collectibles! Play to win special items from the Loud House universe: Lisa’s Gloweos, Lucy’s crystal ball and more. Discover new levels and watch your collection grow!"Loud House: Outta Control" can be downloaded from the App

Pandora this week introduced a standalone Apple Watch app that allows you to stream music and podcasts from your wrist with no iPhone required. Starting with ‌watchOS 6‌, developers are able to distribute apps built specifically for the ‌Apple Watch‌, without a companion app on iOS. These apps can be downloaded from the new App Store app on watchOS 6. Acquired by SiriusXM in 2018, Pandora is a streaming music service in the United States that features free, ad-supported radio. The service also offers two paid tiers, including Pandora Plus with personalized, ad-free radio for $4.99 per month and Pandora Premium with on-demand music and podcasts for $12.99 per month. (Thanks, Stefan Constantine!)

Apple has begun selling certified refurbished 16-inch MacBook Pro models through its online store in the United States for the first time since the notebook was released in November 2019. All of the refurbished configurations are discounted by 15 percent compared to the equivalent brand new models. Apple says refurbished 16-inch MacBook Pro models are thoroughly inspected, tested, cleaned, and repackaged with a 96W USB-C power adapter and USB-C cable in the box. In our view, a refurbished MacBook Pro is virtually indistinguishable from a brand new model, so this represents a good opportunity for savings. Keep in mind that third-party resellers frequently offer better deals than Apple's refurbished prices, so be sure to monitor our deals roundup. A refurbished MacBook Pro comes with Apple's standard one-year warranty effective on the date the notebook is delivered. The warranty can be extended to three years from the refurbished purchase date with AppleCare+ for Mac, which costs $379 for the 16-inch MacBook Pro in the United

Apple has updated its website to indicate that all five of its retail stores in the Beijing area will be reopening February 14 with limited hours of 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. local time until further notice, as noted by Reuters. Apple has yet to announce reopening dates for its other stores in mainland China, which remain listed as closed through at least February 19 on its website due to the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak. Apple began working toward re-opening its corporate offices and contact centers in the country earlier this week. The coronavirus outbreak has also impacted Apple's suppliers, including its largest manufacturing partner Foxconn, which is reportedly in the process of resuming operations at its factories across China. There remains a lot of uncertainty regarding the coronavirus outbreak, which has resulted in extended shipping estimates for some Apple products and could impact the company's overall sales. Apple operates over 40 stores in China, which represents less than 10 percent of its retail locations worldwide. Apple recently provided its retail stores, authorized service providers, and carrier partners with an enhanced cleaning guide that recommends that demo Apple products be cleaned at least twice per day. The document, shared with MacRumors, contains best practices for using microfiber cloths as well as hand washing tips for

Apple plans to release its first iPhone and iPad Pro models with 5G connectivity in the second half of 2020, according to a pair of reports today from Taiwanese industry publication DigiTimes. The first report claims that the devices will be equipped with 5nm-based A14 chips — likely A14X for the iPad Pro — and support a combination of mmWave and sub-6GHz. Qualcomm is expected to supply its Snapdragon X55 modem for the iPhones, but the report does not specify which modem the iPads will use. mmWave or millimeter wave is a set of 5G frequencies that promise ultra-fast speeds at short distances, making it best suited for dense urban areas. By comparison, sub-6GHz 5G is generally slower than mmWave, but the signals travel further, better serving suburban and rural areas. DigiTimes believes that both the iPhone and iPad Pro models will likely be announced in September. Apple typically makes iPad announcements in October, but it has used its iPhone event in September to make a few iPad announcements before, including the original iPad Pro in 2015 and the 10.2-inch iPad in 2019. From the first report:Based on its 5G product roadmaps, Apple is expected to launch new iOS devices, including iPhones and iPads, incorporating both sub-6GHz and mmWave specs probably in September, which will significantly drive up demand for 5nm A14, the sources said. A14 can be applied to diverse iOS mobile devices for different 5G frequency bands as long as corresponding modem chips and AiP modules are adopted, the sources indicated, adding that Qualcomm will provide 5G Snapdragon X55

Darkroom today announced that it has switched to a subscription-based business model for new users, with pricing set at $3.99 per month or $19.99 per year. A one-time $49.99 purchase option is also available. A subscription provides access to all of Darkroom's filters and tools, plus any new features added later. In a blog post explaining the move, Darkroom says existing users will continue to have access to all of the app's premium features for free. For new users, Darkroom is hopeful that the subscription model will increase its revenues so that it can hire more people and invest more heavily in its infrastructure. The popular photo editing app for the iPhone and iPad has also been updated to version 4.4 with new features, including a watermarking tool, a selection of custom app icons, and a photo export summary:- Icon Picker: It doesn't hurt to have a bit of fun now and then :) Those who have been following us for a while know that every year or so we tend to give our brand a big overhaul to reflect major changes to the app. Now you can pick from old favorites or fun new interpretations of our icon. - Export Watermark: Full-featured watermarking tool that allows you to set a text or image watermark, and control its size, location, opacity, and even typeface. More explicit form of protection, particularly in a world dominated by social media where images are often reshared without credit. - Export Summary: Now you can see a short summary of your most important options when exporting a photo, such as export file type and quality, is watermark or

Taiwan-based suppliers are gearing up for production of a new lower-cost iPhone, a device that has been tentatively referred to as the iPhone SE 2 or iPhone 9, according to paywalled information shared by DigiTimes. While the lower-cost iPhone may be on track, DigiTimes also reports that Apple has stopped sending engineers to China to assist with the Engineering Validation Test or EVT stage of iPhone 12 development. Last month, Apple said it was restricting travel to China to "business critical" purposes only due to the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak, which has also forced many Apple suppliers to suspend operations. As a result, DigiTimes believes iPhone 12 models are unlikely to enter production in June, citing unnamed industry sources. Given the coronavirus outbreak is a fluid situation, though, timeframes may change. If the production delay ends up materializing, it is still very possible that Apple will announce its iPhone 12 lineup in September as usual, even if supply of the devices is tighter than usual. Rumors suggest that the iPhone 12 lineup will include four new models, including one 5.4-inch model, two 6.1-inch models, and one 6.7-inch model, and each will likely be equipped with a faster Apple-designed A14 chip. DigiTimes expects A14 chip orders to be 50-60 percent higher than A13 chip orders. All of this information was shared in DigiTimes' Daily Digest for paying subscribers, with the full reports likely to be released by tomorrow. Update: The full DigiTimes report has been released and, as we suspected, it claims that the iPhone 12

Last week, we reported that many custom iMac, iMac Pro, and MacBook Pro configurations are facing longer-than-usual delivery estimates on Apple's online store in the United States. The reason for the delays is unconfirmed, but it could be related to the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak in China that has forced many of Apple's suppliers to temporarily close their factories and suspend production. While some factories are beginning to resume operations, initial production appears to be limited. In any case, the delay has extended to the new Mac Pro. In many European countries, for example, the base model without any customizations is currently estimated for delivery on March 10. While the new Mac Pro is assembled in the United States for orders placed in the Americas, European orders are assembled in China. The new Mac Pro also has a February 24-26 delivery estimate in the United States, despite being assembled in Texas, possibly because some components are still sourced from temporarily-closed suppliers in China. The coronavirus outbreak is a fluid situation, so it remains unclear what its impact might be on upcoming Apple products. Last month, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo outlined his expectations for several new Apple products in the first half of 2020, including refreshed MacBook Pro/Air models, refreshed iPad Pro models with a triple-lens rear camera system, Tile-like item tracking tags, high-end wireless headphones, a small wireless charging mat, and a new lower-cost 4.7-inch