Apple plans to release the new Mac Pro and the Pro Display XDR on Tuesday, December 10, according to "Save the Date" emails that Apple began sending out to some customers this afternoon. Apple in November confirmed that the ‌Mac Pro‌ and Pro Display XDR would come in December, but until now, the company had not provided a specific date. Apple's emails say orders will begin on December 10, so presumably shipments will begin soon after orders open up. The new modular ‌Mac Pro‌ was first introduced in June at the WorldWide developers Conference, with the machine aimed at Apple's pro user base. The ‌Mac Pro‌ was designed with a heavy focus on upgradeability and expansion, and it features a traditional PC shape with an Apple-esque stainless steel frame with a lattice pattern that maximizes airflow. Internal specs include workstation-class Xeon processors with up to 28 cores, up to 1.5TB of high-performance memory, up to two Radeon Pro II Duo GPUs, and eight PCIe expansion slots, along with an Apple Afterburner accelerator card. Pricing on the ‌Mac Pro‌ will start at $6,000, and will go up based on configuration. The base ‌Mac Pro‌ features an 8-core Xeon W chip. Apple plans to sell the ‌Mac Pro‌ alongside the Pro Display XDR, a 6K display with a resolution of 6016 x 3384 and more than 20 million pixels. Pricing on the Pro Display XDR starts at $5,000, with an add-on stand priced at $999. (Thanks, Ryan!)

Apple earlier this year renewed Apple TV+ show "Dickinson" for a new season, and now casting for new roles has begun ahead of filming. According to Variety, Finn Jones and Pico Alexander will be in the second season of the show. Image credit: Rex/Shutterstock via Variety "Dickinson," for those unfamiliar with the series, stars Hailee Steinfeld as famous American poet Emily Dickinson. The show explores the constraints of society, gender, and family from Dickinson's perspective, and the first season received largely positive reviews. Jones will play the role of Samuel Bowles, a newspaper editor who was a close friend to Dickinson, and the two corresponded often. There has been speculation that Bowles was a romantic interest that Dickinson referenced in some of her poetry, though this is unconfirmed. Jones is best known for playing Loras Tyrell in the early seasons of "Game of Thrones," and he also starred in Netflix Marvel series "Iron Fist." Alexander will play Henry "Ship" Shipley, an Amherst College dropout and a boarder with the Dickinsons. Alexander is known for his role in Hulu series "Catch-22," and he has also appeared in films that include "A Most Violent Year" and "War Machine." Along with these new cast members, season 2 will also feature much of the cast from season 1, including Steinfeld as Dickinson and Jane Krakowski as Dickinson's mother. There is no word on when "Dickinson" season 2 will premiere, but it could be released somewhere around a year after the first season, which would put its launch in the fall of 2020. Update: Upcoming

For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with Speck to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win a bundle of iPhone cases that includes a Presidio Stay Clear case, a Presidio Pro case, and a Presidio Grip case, which are available in multiple sizes to fit any of Apple's iPhones. Speck's Presidio Stay Clear case, priced at $40, is a clear plastic case that's ideal if you want to let the design of the ‌iPhone‌ shine through, making it perfect for colorful iPhones like the iPhone 11 and the iPhone XR. All of Speck's cases offer protection from drops and bumps, and the Presidio Stay Clear is no exception. It protects your ‌iPhone‌ from drops up to 13 feet and there's also Microban antimicrobial protection to cut down on germs. Ports remain accessible, and a lip around the case protects the display. The Presidio Pro, also priced at $40, offers 13-foot drop protection and the same Microban antimicrobial protection as the Presidio Stay Clear, but with a soft-touch matte exterior that adds grip and is available in a range of colors, from black and gray to blue and pink. Reinforced corners protect against serious drops, and a display lip makes sure the display doesn't get scratched when the ‌iPhone‌ is placed facedown. The Presidio Pro is slim, but features two layers of protection to add cushioning. Available for $40, the Presidio Grip is Speck's grippiest case. It has a design that's similar to the Presidio Pro, but with raised rubber ridges along each sides that make it easier to hold. The Presidio Grip is available in black, gray, pink, and shades of blue, and

Chicago-based law firm Fegan Scott has levied a lawsuit against both Apple and Samsung, claiming that independent testing suggests the radiofrequency radiation levels in recent smartphones "far exceeded the federal limits" when used "as marketed by the manufacturers." The basis for this lawsuit dates back to August, when The Chicago Tribune launched an investigation into the radiofrequency radiation levels output by popular smartphones. RF Radiation Testing Results from a Chicago Times Investigation in August The paper hired an accredited lab to test several smartphones according to federal guidelines, and found that some of Apple's iPhones are allegedly emitting radiofrequency radiation that exceeds safety limits. Apple disputed the results and in a statement, said that the testing was inaccurate "due to the test setup not being in accordance with procedures necessary to properly assess the ‌iPhone‌ models.""All ‌‌iPhone‌‌ models, including ‌‌iPhone‌‌ 7, are fully certified by the FCC and in every other country where ‌‌iPhone‌‌ is sold," the statement said. "After careful review and subsequent validation of all ‌‌iPhone‌‌ models tested in the (Tribune) report, we confirmed we are in compliance and meet all applicable ... exposure guidelines and limits."At the time, the FCC said that it would launch its own investigation into the results, and a day after The Chicago Tribune published its findings, the Fegan Scott law firm pledged to launch its own investigation into the claims. Fegan Scott enlisted an FCC-accredited laboratory to do its own testing of six smartphone

Apple today seeded the fourth beta of an upcoming macOS Catalina 10.15.2 update to developers, two weeks after releasing the third beta and over a month after the launch of ‌macOS Catalina‌ 10.15.1. The new ‌macOS Catalina‌ beta can be downloaded through the Software Update mechanism in the System Preferences app after installing the appropriate profile from the Developer Center. We don't yet know what improvements the second update to ‌macOS Catalina‌ will bring, but it most likely focuses on performance improvements, security updates, and fixes for bugs that weren't able to be addressed in the ‌macOS Catalina‌ 10.15.1 update. We didn't find any major new changes worth noting in the first three betas, but we'll update this article should anything notable be found in the fourth beta. ‌macOS Catalina‌ is a major update that does away with iTunes in favor of new Music, Podcasts, and TV apps. It also nixes support for 32-bit apps, adds a new Find My app, brings a new Photos interface, and includes multiple privacy enhancements and other app refinements. For more on everything that's new in ‌macOS Catalina‌, make sure to check out our dedicated ‌macOS Catalina‌ roundup.

Apple on December 14 is holding an open house event at Apple Park for Cupertino residents who live near the campus, and has been sending out invites via email to those who are eligible to attend. The open house takes place from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., and requires attendees to RSVP by December 11. Apple says that it is supporting Toys for Tots, and asks those interested in participating to bring along a toy. Image via Eddie Kuo Potential attendees need to fill out a registration form and attendance is confirmed on a first come, first serve basis until capacity is reached. Each household that receives an invitation can register up to four people in total, and households will be assigned a specific arrival time. Apple says that light snacks and beverages will be served, and the company recommends comfortable outdoor shoes. Attendees will be able to take photos of exterior spaces at ‌Apple Park‌, but not interior spaces or inside buildings. Apple has previously invited nearby Cupertino residents to visit its ‌Apple Park‌ campus when the ‌Apple Park‌ Visitor Center opened up in November

Apple today sent out an email detailing its latest Apple Pay promo, which is offering discounts from multiple apps ahead of the holidays. The benefits listed below are available through December 18 when checking out either in app or on the web and using ‌Apple Pay‌. 1-800-Flowers - $15 off exclusive holiday gift collection. 1stdibs - $150 off purchases of $500 or more with the code PAYFASTER. BJ's - $10 off your next purchase when spending $150 or more at BJ's online. Club Monaco - $25 off your next purchase of $100 or more with the code PAYFASTER. Crocs - 25% off purchases at Crocs.com through December 13. Hayneedle - Extra 10% off holiday decor, furniture, gifts, and more. HBX - Free shipping when you spend $50 or more. NY&C - Get an extra 10% off in the New York & Company app with promo code PAYFASTER. Outdoor Voices - $25 off your next purchase when spending $125 or more. Snapfish - 50% off all orders in the app with code PAYFASTER. StockX - $20 off next Buy Now purchase when spending $200 or more with promo code PAYFASTER. Warby Parker - Free set of four illustrated 2020 party frames.Apple also reminds Apple Card holders that they can get two percent cash back when using ‌Apple Pay‌ for purchases or three percent cash back when purchasing gifts from

On our YouTube channel, we have an ongoing video series that's designed to highlight new, interesting, and useful iOS apps that we think are worth downloading and checking out. There are so many apps in the iOS App Store that it can be difficult to find new apps to download, plus it's easy to overlook great apps that are a bit older. Our app lists include both new and old apps that we recommend and have tested out. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. What the Golf? (Free, but requires Apple Arcade) - ‌Apple Arcade‌, which offers tons of games for $4.99 per month, is a great deal, and we've come across quite a few games that make the subscription price worth it. One such game is What the Golf, a fun action game that takes golf to new places. What the Golf is described as the game for people who hate golf, so don't let the name fool you - this is a fun little game where the goal is to get an object (not always a golf ball) to a hole. There are fun puns, silly levels, ragdoll mechanics, and genuinely difficult content to contend with. It's the perfect game to pick up for a few minutes when waiting in line. 1.1.1.1 (Free) - Created by Cloudflare, 1.1.1.1 is a free app that uses WARP, which is technically a type of VPN, but it's simpler than other VPN apps. 1.1.1.1 doesn't hide your IP like a traditional VPN, but it does encrypt all of your traffic and employ Cloudflare's DNS service to make your internet usage more private and secure. Once you toggle it on, 1.1.1.1 works in the background to replace the connection between your phone and your

Apple today seeded the fourth betas of upcoming iOS and iPadOS 13.3 updates to developers and public beta testers, two weeks after seeding third betas and over a month after the release of iOS 13.2 and ‌iPadOS‌ 13.2 with new emoji, Siri privacy controls, Deep Fusion for iPhone 11, and more. iOS and ‌‌‌iPadOS‌‌‌ 13.3 can be downloaded through the Apple Developer Center or over the air after the proper developer profile has been installed. iOS 13.3 introduces Communication Limits for Screen Time, a feature that Apple promised would be coming in an iOS 13 update. Communication Limits allow parents to control who their children are able to contact both during downtime and during Screen Time. Communication Limits include FaceTime, Phone, and Messages, along with iCloud contacts. Calls to emergency numbers are always allowed and will turn off communication limits for 24 hours when placed. The update features support for NFC, USB, and Lightning FIDO2-compliant security keys in Safari. That means physical security keys like the Lightning-equipped YubiKey can be used for more secure two-factor authentication in place of a software-based two-factor authentication option. In the Keyboards section of the Settings app (under General), there's a new toggle that prevents Animoji and Memoji stickers from being displayed as an option on the Emoji Keyboard, and when editing a video, there's an option to save the edited version as a new clip rather than saving over the original. Apple has also tweaked the Apple Watch app icon, changing the color of the Digital Crown from black

Apple today seeded the fourth beta of an upcoming watchOS 6.1.1 update to developers for testing purposes, two weeks after seeding the third beta and more than a month after releasing the watchOS 6.1 update. Once the proper configuration profile has been installed from the Apple Developer Center, the new watchOS beta can be downloaded through the dedicated ‌‌Apple Watch‌‌ app on the iPhone by going to General > Software Update. To install the update, the ‌‌‌Apple Watch‌‌‌ needs to have at least 50 percent battery, it must be placed on the charger, and it has to be in range of the ‌iPhone‌. watchOS 6.1.1 appears to be a minor update focusing on performance improvements and bug fixes that weren't able to be addressed in watchOS 6.1. No new features were found in the first three betas of watchOS 6.1.1, but we'll update this article should new features be found in the fourth beta.

Apple today seeded the fourth beta of an upcoming tvOS 13.3 update to developers and public beta testers, two weeks after seeding the third beta and over a month after releasing the tvOS 13.2 update. Designed for the fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV models, the new tvOS 13.3 developer beta can be downloaded onto the ‌‌Apple TV‌‌ via a profile that's installed using Xcode. tvOS updates have historically been minor in scale, focusing on under-the-hood bug fixes and improvements rather than major outward-facing changes. Apple provides little to no information on what's included in tvOS beta updates, so we may not discover any major changes after installing the software. The update does, however, include a useful new setting that's designed to let you change the main banner interface in the TV+ app from What to Watch to Up Next, which shows content from shows that you're already watching instead of show suggestions. The option can be accessed by going to the Settings app, choosing Apps, and selecting the TV app. From there, select Home Screen and choose "Up Next" in the "Top Shelf" section. While we don't often know full details about 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

Apple today updated its Clips app designed for the iPhone and the iPad, introducing Animoji and Memoji support for the first time. With the Animoji and Memoji addition, video recordings can be made with the Animoji and Memoji characters. Users can share personal video messages, slideshows, school projects and more, with Animoji and Memoji able to follow the movement of a user's face for "fun selfie videos" using the front-facing camera. Prior to now, Animoji and Memoji were limited to FaceTime and Messages. Memoji created and customized in the Messages app will be integrated automatically into clips, and Animoji and Memoji video clips can be layered with existing Clips features like filters, animated text, and music. For those unfamiliar with the Clips app, it's a video editing app that lets users combine video clips, images, and photos with voice-based titles, stickers, music, filters, and graphics to create unique videos that can be shared on social media. Today's update also introduces new stickers featuring Mickey and Minnie Mouse, along with a new winter-themed poster. Using Animoji and Memoji in Clips requires a device with a TrueDepth camera. Clips was last updated in April 2019 before today's major Animoji and Memoji addition. The app can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Earlier this week, security researcher Brian Krebs found that the new iPhone 11 Pro models access user location data even when all apps and system services on the iPhone are set to not request the data. Krebs told Apple that he had found a possible privacy bug as this presumably should not happen, but Apple told him that there were no concerns and the ‌iPhone‌ was operating as designed. "It is expected behavior that the Location Services icon appears in the status bar when Location Services is enabled. The icon appears for system services that do not have a switch in Settings," Apple said. Krebs came to the conclusion that Apple has certain system services that check for location regardless of whether the setting has been disabled individually for apps and system services, which, as it turns out, is accurate. Apple today provided more context in a statement to TechCrunch, explaining that the new ‌iPhone‌ models that have a U1 ultra wideband chip are using location data to make sure they're not in restricted areas. As Apple explains, there are some areas where ultra wideband technology is not allowed because of international regulations, so the ‌iPhone‌ must make sure it is not in these locations. Ultra wideband technology is an industry standard technology and is subject to international regulatory requirements that require it to be turned off in certain locations. iOS uses Location Services to help determine if ‌iPhone‌ is in these prohibited locations in order to disable ultra wideband and comply with regulations. The management of ultra wideband compliance and

Apple is kicking off its first ever Apple Music Awards show with a live stream that's set to start at 6:30 p.m. Pacific Time or 9:30 p.m. Eastern Time. The live stream can be watched through the ‌Apple Music‌ service on the iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, or Mac. Apple's event is being held at the Steve Jobs Theater on the Apple Park campus, and will see Billie Eilish performing live. Earlier this week, Eilish invited fans to sign up to attend the show on Apple's campus. Eilish's performance will celebrate Apple's music awards, with Apple having announced winners on Monday. Eilish was named Apple's Global Artist of the Year, as well as Songwriter of the Year with her brother Finneas. Apple named Lizzo the Breakthrough Artist of the Year, and the Song of the Year was "Old Town Road" by Lil Nas X. Each winner is receiving an Apple-designed award featuring a custom silicon wafer suspended between a polished sheet of glass and an aluminum body. Aside from Eilish's performance, there's no word on what to expect from the ‌Apple Music‌ Awards, so those interested should catch the show

Apple and Qualcomm are working to launch a new 5G iPhone as fast as possible, Qualcomm President Cristiano Amon said at Qualcomm's Snapdragon Tech Summit this week, reports PCMag. The main goal of Qualcomm's renewed relationship with Apple is to get the iPhone launched on time, with rumors suggesting Apple's 5G iPhones are going to come in the fall of 2020. "Priority number one of this relationship with Apple is how to launch their phone as fast as we can. That's the priority," said Amon. Given the need to get the phone out at the proper time, Amon said that while the first ‌5G iPhone‌ will use Qualcomm modems, it might not include all of Qualcomm's RF front end. An RF front-end includes the circuitry between components like the antenna and receiver and it is important for boosting signal from various networks. As PCMag points out, Qualcomm has called its newest Snapdragon modem chip a "modem-RF system," suggesting that eking out the best signal requires Qualcomm-created RF front-end components. Apple instead will likely use its own technology and components alongside Qualcomm's modems in its 2020 ‌iPhone‌ lineup, which is something that the company has also done in prior years, but Apple will need to use Qualcomm millimeter wave antenna modules as it manufactures the only components that work with Verizon and AT&T's 5G networks at this time. Right now, rumors suggest all of Apple's iPhones coming in 2020 will use 5G, though one rumor yesterday indicated that not all iPhones may support both mmWave and sub-6GHz 5G, the two kinds of 5G technology that are in

BMW in early 2018 decided to begin offering BMW customers CarPlay access for a subscription fee rather than a one-time fee, requiring BMW owners to pay $80 per year to use ‌CarPlay‌ after the first year of owning a BMW vehicle. No other car manufacturer that offers ‌CarPlay‌ charges a monthly fee, so this change was understandably unpopular with BMW customers. Prior to the subscription fee, BMW charged a one-time $300 upgrade fee. Given the negative sentiment over the subscription charges, BMW is now changing its plans. According to a BMW spokesperson that spoke with British site AutoCar, BMW will now offer ‌CarPlay‌ for free for the lifetime of the car on all models that have the latest ConnectedDrive infotainment system installed. Models that do not use the latest system, such as the i3 and the i8, will now require a one-time fee instead of the subscription access. Going forward, in vehicles with the new system, ‌CarPlay‌ will be available at no cost. U.S. site Autoblog has confirmed that BMW is also making this change in the United States. "BMW is always looking to satisfy our customers' needs and this policy change is intended to provide BMW owners with a better ownership experience," a BMW spokesperson told Autoblog after being asked why the change was made. It's not yet clear when BMW customers who already pay for a subscription will be able to stop paying for ‌CarPlay‌ access, nor is there word on whether BMW will be reimbursing customers who already paid for a longterm ‌CarPlay‌

Apple this week signed on several new cast members for "Foundation," an upcoming Apple TV+ series that's based on Isaac Asimov's "Foundation" novels. Lee Pace and Jared Harris have already been cast in the key roles of Brother Day (the Emperor of the Galaxy) and Hari Seldon, respectively, but now Apple is filling out the rest of the roles. According to Variety, Lou Llobell, Leah Harvey, Laura Birn, Terrance Mann, and Cassian Bilton have joined the "Foundation" series as series regulars. Asimov's "Foundation" series follows a psychohistory expert and mathematician Hari Seldon who is able to predict the future. Seldon creates a group called the Foundation to preserve humanity's collective knowledge ahead of the impending fall of the Galactic Empire. There are multiple novels in the "Foundation" series that span many years and cover the rise and fall of multiple empires. Llobell will play Gaal, a mathematical genius from a repressed planet, while Harvey will play Salvor, a protective warden of a remote outer planet. Birn will play the roll of Demerzel, an aid to Brother Day, Mann will play Brother Dusk, the eldest member of the ruling family, and Bilton will play Brother Dawn, the youngest member of the ruling family and Brother Day's successor. Once casting finishes for "Foundation" it will move on to filming, which suggests we can expect the show to premiere sometime in 2020. There's no word yet on a potential release date. ‌Apple TV‌+ is available now for $4.99 per month with TV shows like "The Morning Show," "For All Mankind," "Dickinson," "Servant," and

Apple is planning to implement 5G technology in all of the iPhones coming in 2020, and Apple's suppliers are gearing up for the transition. One supplier, Murata Manufacturing, recently developed an "ultrasmall" version of a key electronic component, which will allow Apple to free up a bit of valuable space in its 5G iPhones. According to Japanese news site Nikkei, Murata Manufacturing is set to start mass producing tiny multilayer ceramic capacitors that take up one-fifth of the space of the existing capacitors, but also offer 10 times the electrical storage capacity. Each individual capacitor measures in at 0.25mm by 0.125mm, which is tiny. The capacitors are designed to regulate power usage within circuits used in the iPhone, and to create its ultrasmall capacitors, Murata was able to refine the ceramic powder that provides the base material for the sheets used in the capacitor, which allows more sheets to be stacked up for higher capacity without more space consumed on a circuit board. 5G technology is a bigger power drain than 4G technology, necessitating larger batteries and more efficient components. Murata's new capacitors will give smartphone designers like Apple freedom to use that space for other important components within the ‌iPhone‌, such as higher-capacity batteries. There's no confirmation that Apple is going to use Murata's technology, but it seems likely as Murata is a supplier for Apple. Murata also works with other smartphone companies such as Huawei. Apple is planning to introduce at least three new iPhones in the fall of 2020, all of

Plex today announced that its ad-supported video on demand feature is available worldwide in more than 200 countries and accessible to anyone who creates a free Plex account. Content includes thousands of free movies and TV shows from Plex partners like MGM, Warner Bros, Lionsgate, and Legendary. There is no subscription or special hardware required, though the content will include ads. Available shows and movies span a range of genres, from comedies and dramas to documentaries and Bollywood musicals. Over time, Plex plans to continue to add additional free content. Plex's free media can be played on almost all platforms, including Apple TV, iPhone, and iPad, along with Roku, smart TVs, Android devices, and consoles. All that's needed is the Plex app. After downloading Plex, users will find the new content right on the Home screen, though existing Plex users who prefer to prioritize their own content can remove the free content. Personal media collections will not be subjected to ads, as ads will be limited to the new free on-demand video content. Plex says that it may potentially take some time for the rollout of the new feature to reach all users. More information is available on the Plex website.

Along with sharing its picks for the best apps and games of 2019, Apple today also updated the App Store with Top Charts that highlight the top free apps and games, paid and free, on the iPhone and the iPad. When it comes to free games, Nintendo's latest title, Mario Kart Tour, topped the charts. Launched on September 25, Mario Kart Tour was a highly anticipated game and features one of Nintendo's most popular franchises. Below are the top five free ‌iPhone‌ games: Mario Kart Tour Color Bump 3D aquapark.io Call of Duty Mobile BitLife Life Simulator As for paid ‌iPhone‌ games, many titles that have been popular for years continued to hold on to their number one spots. Minecraft was the number one app on the paid game chart, followed by Heads Up, Plague Inc., Bloons TD 6, and Geometry Dash. Many familiar apps also topped the free apps chart, including YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and Facebook Messenger, while the top paid app was FaceTune. Apple's top five paid ‌iPhone‌ apps are listed below: FaceTune HotSchedules Dark Sky Weather The Wonder Weeks AutoSleep Apple Watch Sleep Tracking Apple also did separate top charts for the ‌iPad‌, highlighting the most popular games and apps downloaded on its tablets. The top free game was Roblox, and the top paid ‌iPad‌ game was Minecraft. Top five charts are below. Top 5 Free ‌iPad‌ Games Roblox aquapark.io Paper.io 2 Color Bump 3D Magic Tiles 3: Piano Game Top 5 Paid ‌iPad‌ Games Minecraft Geometry Dash Bloons TD 6 Plague Inc. Amazing Frog As for free