Apple Seeds Second Beta of macOS Sierra 10.12.6 to Developers

Tuesday May 30, 2017 10:02 AM PDT by Juli Clover
Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming macOS Sierra 10.12.6 update to developers, two weeks after seeding the first 10.12.6 beta and a little over two weeks after introducing macOS Sierra 10.12.5, a minor bug fix update.

macOS Sierra 10.12.6 can be downloaded through the Apple Developer Center or through the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store.


No significant features or notable bug fixes were found in the first macOS Sierra 10.12.6 beta, and because Apple does not provide beta release notes, we may not know what’s included in the update until it sees a public release.

macOS Sierra 10.12.6 is likely to be one of the final updates to the Sierra operating system as Apple transitions to macOS 10.13, which will be introduced at the Worldwide Developers Conference in June.

Related Roundup: macOS Sierra
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Latest Apple Park Drone Video Catches a Glimpse of Historic Glendenning Barn

Tuesday May 30, 2017 5:14 AM PDT by Mitchel Broussard
This morning Matthew Roberts shared a new drone video of Apple Park on his YouTube channel, representing the latest addition to the drone videographer's ongoing monthly aerial coverage of Apple's new campus. Roberts' Apple Park coverage dates back to March 2016, and fellow drone pilot Duncan Sinfield has been providing aerial footage for Apple's new workspace since 2015.

In the new video, a closer glimpse at the Steve Jobs Theater is provided, with some of the window coverings having been removed since the last update. The auditorium is still one of the areas of the campus that's under heavy construction, as it isn't expected to officially open until sometime later this year.


Roberts also captured one of the first glimpses of the historic Glendenning Barn that Apple has finished reconstructing and placed at Apple Park. Built in 1916, the historic Cupertino barn has deep ties to the city's agricultural past and was located at the planned site for Apple Campus 2.

During preparation for the construction of Apple Park, Apple carefully deconstructed the building plank by plank and made notes on how to rebuild it exactly the same. Now, the company has done just that and remade the Glendenning Barn at Apple Park, residing next to the employee fitness center and in the middle of what will eventually be a larger collection of fruit trees once landscaping on the campus is finished.


Other spots at Apple Park highlighted in Roberts' new video include the parking garage, R&D facility, and the Spaceship building itself. Yesterday, Apple quietly updated Apple Maps to include 3D models of these buildings in the mapping app, as well as access roads around Apple Park.

Apple recently gave Wired a behind-the-scenes look into Apple Park, including tidbits about Steve Jobs' connection to the campus, a look into the "Ring" building's original design, and detailed images of the campus' construction and interiors.

Tag: Apple Park
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Apple Maps Now Shows Apple Park 3D Models, Campus Walkways

Monday May 29, 2017 4:22 AM PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple has quietly updated its Maps app to include additional 3D coverage of the new Apple Park campus location in Cupertino, California.

The enhanced detail includes a "Map" view with 3D building models as well as access roads running in and out of the campus. Traffic directions, pedestrian walkways, and other information can also be found when searching the area.


In addition, the company has added some new points of interest for Apple Park, such as the Steve Jobs Theater, the research and development facility, the staff fitness center, and above-ground parking. The manmade pond that lies within the walls of the main building also features.

Apple has gradually been adding Maps location information and satellite imagery for Apple Park since March. The company has already started moving thousands of staff to the new campus while landscaping and exterior work to the central office building continues, as evidenced in recent drone footage.

Apple Park began as an idea by the late former CEO Steve Jobs, who pitched the plans for the campus to the Cupertino City Council in 2011, with a completion date for 2015. Demolition on the proposed site began in 2013, but construction delays pushed back a late 2016 opening to the spring of 2017.

(Via AppleInsider.)

Tag: Apple Park
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Apple's Last 17-Inch MacBook Pro Set to Become Obsolete

Monday May 29, 2017 3:08 AM PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple will soon make the Mid-2011 MacBook Air and Late 2011 MacBook Pro obsolete, meaning the two models will no longer be accepted for official repair in Apple Stores from June 30.

The computers are about to be added to Apple's vintage and obsolete products document, according to 9to5Mac, indicating that Apple has discontinued hardware support for both MacBooks in all regions except for California and Turkey.


Also set to be included in the obsolescence list is the Mid-2009 17-inch MacBook Pro, which is the last 17-inch computer Apple has made.

The company's large form factor laptops first made an appearance in 2003 with the launch of the 17-inch G4 Powerbook, which cost $3299 and featured a 1GHz processor, 512MB of RAM, and a 60GB hard drive. A 17-inch MacBook Pro formed part of Apple's notebook lineup between April 2006 and June 2012. The last major update to Apple's 17-inch Pro machine came in January 2009, when a unibody variant was unveiled.

Apart from the computers, the iPhone 3GS and the first generation 802.11n AirPort Express will also be added to the list, as part of Apple's routine practice of making legacy devices obsolete. The company ended support for the polycarbonate MacBook and mid-2009 MacBook Pro models earlier this month.

Tag: vintage and obsolete
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MacRumors Giveaway: Win a Copy of 'Total War: WARHAMMER' From Feral Interactive

Friday May 26, 2017 11:05 AM PDT by Juli Clover
For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with Feral Interactive to give MacRumors readers a chance to win a copy of real-time strategy game Total War: WARHAMMER, which became available for the Mac in April.


Total War: WARHAMMER is a turn-based strategy game that allows players to build an empire and then plan and execute real-time tactical battles against enemies. Unlike other Warhammer games, Total War: WARHAMMER takes place in a high fantasy setting, pitting greenskins (orcs and goblins), vampires, dwarves, and humans against one another.


There are four playable factions that players can control, each with unique gameplay elements, play styles, abilities, and units to send into battle. The goal is to build up a city, recruit units, make alliances with other nations, and fight to protect and expand your hold over the Old World.


Aerial units like wyverns and dragons, specially trained Legendary Lords, and other powerful elements like magic must be thoughtfully wielded to turn the tide in battle. Because there are multiple factions and game paths to take, Total War: WARHAMMER is endlessly replayable.

Mac vs. Mac online multiplayer is available and supports up to eight players. There's also a co-op mode that allows players to play through the campaign with or against a friend.


Feral Interactive, for those unfamiliar with the company, is a video game publisher that works with various companies to bring popular PC games to the Mac. Feral has brought a wide range of titles to the Mac, like the LEGO series, Rome: Total War, Tomb Raider, XCOM, and several Warhammer titles.

Total War: WARHAMMER is available from Steam, the Feral Interactive website, or the Mac App Store for $49.99-$59.99, but we have 10 Steam copies to give away to MacRumors readers.

To enter to win, use the Rafflecopter widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winner and send the prize. You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, or visiting the MacRumors Facebook page.

Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years of age or older are eligible to enter. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
The contest will run from today (May 26) at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time on June 2. The winners will be chosen randomly on June 2 and will be contacted by email. The winners will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before new winners are chosen.

Tags: giveaway, Feral
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Feral Updates 'Sid Meier's Railroads!' for macOS Compatibility

Friday May 26, 2017 1:23 AM PDT by Tim Hardwick
Feral has announced that Sid Meier's Railroads!, the classic "tycoon" strategy game released on PC in 2006, has been updated on Mac to include full compatibility with Apple's latest macOS platform.

If you missed Sid Meier's Railroads! last time around, the game is a re-imagining of the best-selling Railroad Tycoon, which was released in 1990 for Amiga, Atari ST, and MS DOS. The game has been in dire need of a compatibility and stability update for several years, so today's announcement should come as good news for die-hard fans.


Like the original, players are tasked with constructing a rail empire across one of four locations: the Western United States, the Northeastern United States, Great Britain, or continental Europe.
Lay track, route trains and watch the world come to life in this compelling mix of train set and business simulator. Become the ultimate railroad robber baron with the drive to shape a nation, build an empire and amass a fortune.

Spanning the history of the railroads from the steam engines of the 1830s to the bullet trains of today, Sid Meier's Railroads!, out now on Mac, is a bold re-imagining of the legendary Railroad Tycoon (1990) that launched the "tycoon" genre.
Players get to control 40 historically accurate trains across seven historical scenarios and over 150 years of American and European history. Features at the disposal of budding tycoons include corporate warfare, demand and supply, stock trading, patent bidding, and industry building. A LAN multiplayer mode also lets players sabotage their rivals and monopolize the industry.

Minimum requirements for the game are as follows: MacOS 10.12.4 or later, Intel 1.8GHz processor, 4GB RAM, 2GB disk space, and 256MB graphics memory. The following graphics cards are not supported: ATI HD2xxx series, ATI X1xxx series, Intel GMA series, Intel HD3000, Nvidia 9xxx series, Nvidia 7xxx series, Nvidia 1xx series, and Nvidia 8xxx series. The game is not currently supported on volumes formatted as case-sensitive.

Sid Meier's Railroads! is currently on offer at the special price of $2.49 on the Steam store until May 29. The game is also available on the Mac App Store ($17.99) and direct from Feral's online store ($9.99). Existing owners of the game should see an update in the Mac App Store.

Tag: Feral
30 comments

New Images Provide Detailed Glimpse Into Apple Orchard Road in Singapore

Thursday May 25, 2017 7:19 AM PDT by Mitchel Broussard
After removing the barricades from its brand new retail location in Singapore, Apple this week has allowed a few reporters to tour the inside of Apple Orchard Road ahead of its grand opening this Saturday, May 27 (via Mashable). The location marks Apple's first store in Southeast Asia.


The outside of the store features an all-glass design that spans 120 feet, allowing anyone passing by to glimpse into the two-story location. The bottom level of the store houses the traditional retail aspect of Apple locations, letting customers browse and purchase products like iPhone, Apple Watch, and MacBook.


A curved staircase inspired by Apple Park leads up to the second story where customers will find a large grove of trees that was specially brought in from Malaysia, and that Apple hopes gives off a "modern-day town square" vibe. Next to the trees sit a collection of cubes and a large screen -- an area specifically designed for "Today at Apple" events.


In one moment during the media's tour through Apple Orchard Road, an illustrator was seen drawing on iPad with Apple Pencil, and the store was displaying her progress on the screen. Like all Today at Apple events, the company wants customers to be able to walk into Apple at any time of the day and find inspiration.

"You can see an illustrator just sitting over there and we're air-playing her illustration on the video wall — that's the real goal at Apple. You can come come in and be inspired or buy an iPhone, but we wanna show people what they can create with our products."

"You can see an illustrator just sitting over there and we're air-playing her illustration on the video wall — that's the real goal at Apple. You can come come in and be inspired or buy an iPhone, but we wanna show people what they can create with our products."
Apple Orchard Road represents one of nine major next-generation Apple Store redesigns, which also includes its spots at Union Square in New York, Dubai, Ginza, and more. The major changes began last summer when Apple dropped "Store" from its retail branding, signifying its shift to a communal gathering place over a purely merchandise purchasing experience.

After a year and a half, Apple Orchard Road will finally open to the public on May 27 at 10:00 a.m. local time. Check out more photos of the store taken by Mashable and CNET, including the location's boardroom that has murals of Apple Park hanging on the walls and Designed by Apple in California sitting on a few tables.

Tags: Singapore, Apple retail
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Elgato's $300 Thunderbolt 3 Dock With Dual 4K Display Support Launches June 6

Wednesday May 24, 2017 9:03 AM PDT by Juli Clover
Elgato today announced that its upcoming Thunderbolt 3 Dock, which was first introduced in January at CES, will be available starting on Tuesday, June 6 for $299.95.


Elgato's Thunderbolt 3 Dock, designed to work with the new 13 and 15-inch MacBook Pro models Apple introduced back in October, features three USB 3.0 ports, a Gigabit Ethernet port, two Thunderbolt USB-C ports, one DisplayPort with DisplayPort 1.2 support, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a 3.5mm microphone input jack.


The dock is able to provide up to 85 watts of power and can charge a MacBook Pro while also offering multiple ports for connecting displays and accessories. It can drive one 5K display at 60Hz through the Thunderbolt 3 port or two 4K displays simultaneously at 60Hz using the DisplayPort and a Thunderbolt 3 port.

- DisplayPort output: up to 4096 x 2160 pixels at 60 Hz

- Thunderbolt 3 output: up to 5120 x 2880 pixels at 60 Hz

- Dual displays: up to 4096 x 2160 pixels at 60 Hz each

- 4K60 over HDMI 2.0 supported using active adapters (not included) via USB-C and DisplayPort
USB-C accessories are powered with up to 15 watts and the dock's USB-A ports can charge an iPhone or iPad at full speed. Elgato's dock is priced similarly to other Thunderbolt 3 docks on the market, with a 1.6ft Thunderbolt 3 cable included in the $299.95 price tag.

It can be purchased in the U.S., Europe, and Australia starting on June 6 from the Elgato website.

Tags: Elgato, Thunderbolt 3
27 comments

Apple Releases Revised Version of iTunes 12.6.1

Tuesday May 23, 2017 3:52 PM PDT by Juli Clover
Apple today released an updated and revised version of iTunes 12.6.1, which was originally released alongside the macOS Sierra 10.12.5 update on Monday, May 15.

The new version of iTunes is 12.6.1.27, while the previous version was 12.6.1.25. It's not clear why Apple has released a new minor update to iTunes 12.6.1, but it presumably includes some unspecified bug fix.

According to the release notes, the update "includes minor app and performance improvements." These are the same generic release notes that were included in the first iTunes 12.6.1 release.

The new version of iTunes 12.6.1 can be downloaded for free using the Software Update function in the Mac App Store.

Tag: iTunes
81 comments

Supreme Court Ruling Should Spell the End of Apple's Patent Troll Battles in East Texas [Updated]

Monday May 22, 2017 9:35 AM PDT by Joe Rossignol
The Supreme Court of the United States today decided that U.S. companies may only face patent infringement lawsuits in the jurisdiction in which they are incorporated, which in Apple's case would be California.


The decision is significant for Apple, as the iPhone maker faces several patent infringement lawsuits in a single district court in Eastern Texas that is considered friendly to patent holding entities, or so-called "patent trolls."

That very court in Tyler, Texas has, for example, ordered Apple to pay $532.9 million to patent licensing firm Smartflash LLC in 2015, and $22.1 million to Acacia Research last September for infringing upon patents it acquired from Nokia.

By limiting where patent infringement lawsuits can be filed, the Supreme Court's decision means that Apple will likely be able to battle patent infringement lawsuits in Northern California, and finally put East Texas behind it.

The Supreme Court's decision today relates to a Delaware-based lawsuit between Heartland Food Products Group and The Kraft Heinz Company, but it extends to all domestic companies across the United States.

Update: The appears to be considerable confusion throughout media coverage of this ruling. The ruling narrowly limited a company's "residence" to the place of incorporation, but patent lawsuits may still be filed anywhere "the defendant has committed acts of infringement and has a regular and established place of business." As a result, it appears patent lawsuits can still be filed against Apple in many jurisdictions, including the Eastern District of Texas.

Tags: patent trials, Supreme Court
123 comments

Interior of 'Apple Orchard Road' in Singapore Unveiled Ahead of Grand Opening

Monday May 22, 2017 7:01 AM PDT by Mitchel Broussard
Apple last night removed the blockades previously obscuring the inside of its new retail location in Singapore, which will officially be called Apple Orchard Road when it opens this Saturday, May 27 (via The Straits Times).


After the "Apple Loves Singapore" artwork was removed from the location, people passing by have gotten the chance to take a glimpse inside the two levels of the store. The bottom level is said to be the place where customers will browse and purchase iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches, Apple TVs, Macs, and various accessories, while the top floor will be home to "Today at Apple" classes.


Work on opening the first official Apple retail location in Singapore has been ongoing for well over a year, with Apple confirming the store's existence in November 2015, the same month it began hiring for the new location. Once it opens on May 27, the store will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time.


Apple Orchard Road's grand opening coincides with the beginning of the company's new Today at Apple initiative, which kicked off this past weekend. Apple recently celebrated the launch of the educational classes by sharing a collection of photos that show its visitors learning to code, taking pictures, creating illustrations, and producing music all on iOS and macOS devices.

Tags: Singapore, Apple retail
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Redesigned Version of Microsoft OneNote Now Available on Mac and iOS

Sunday May 21, 2017 5:15 AM PDT by Tim Hardwick
This week, Microsoft took the unusual step of pushing out a redesigned version of OneNote for Mac and iOS ahead of its release on Windows and Android. The update to the note-taking platform introduces a new interface that aims to enhance usability for users of assistive technologies, simplify navigation controls, and create consistency across devices, according to the company.

Microsoft said it has listened to user feedback to learn how it could improve the navigational layout of the note-taking apps, especially for larger digital notebooks with more sections. As a result, the new interface places all navigation panes in one collapsible area on the left-hand side of the app, instead of having menus for notebooks and sections/pages on either side of the window.

This allows users to easily switch between their notes and dramatically improves usability with assistive technologies. With the new consolidated and simplified design, screen readers can easily navigate through the app to help those with disabilities. In addition, content is front and center—helping students to focus and avoid distractions.
To switch to any other page or section, users can click its name in the navigation panes, or Control-click the name of any page or section and then choose from more options. To open a different notebook, users can click the Show Notebooks button and select it in the list, while options for creating new notebooks/sections/pages now appear at the bottom of the associated navigation panes. On Mac, each pane can also be resized by moving the mouse pointer over the vertical edge and click-dragging it.


The new design philosophy also brings greater interface consistency across Mac, iPhone, and iPad, enabling users to transition between devices quickly and easily, which Microsoft hopes will benefit those with visual impairments and also help in learning environments where device variety is increasingly common.

OneNote for Mac is freely available on the Mac App Store [Direct Link]; likewise OneNote for iOS is a free download on the App Store [Direct Link] The overhauled interface has also been applied to Microsoft's web app. Windows and Android versions are expected to roll out in the coming weeks.



Tag: OneNote
36 comments