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This week also saw some rumors about the rugged “Apple Watch Pro” planned for launch later this year, as well as some of the prototypes Apple has been testing out for a redesigned larger iMac, so read on for all the details on these stories and more!
Apple this week released the fourth developer beta of iOS 16 with a handful of new features and changes for the iPhone. Apple also released a corresponding second public beta of iOS 16.
The latest beta contains a handful of updates to iMessage editing, Mail app, CarPlay, Lock screen notification settings, and more, so be sure to check out our recap of everything new in iOS 16 beta 4.
Apple also released the fourth developer betas and second public betas of iPadOS 16, macOS Ventura, tvOS 16, and watchOS 9 for testing.
Apple is currently in the middle of a two-year transition from Intel processors to its own custom-designed chips in Macs, and now Apple has completely ditched Intel with its latest MacBook Air.
Teardowns of the new MacBook Air with the M2 chip earlier this month revealed that Apple has replaced the last Intel-supplied component in that Mac — Thunderbolt port controllers — with its own custom solution.
The larger rugged Apple Watch Series 8 model expected to launch later this year is rumored to feature a durable titanium casing, raising questions about the future of the current Apple Watch Edition.
Given that the Apple Watch Edition already has a titanium casing, it is possible that the Edition model will be discontinued, or that the new rugged Apple Watch will become the new Edition model for the Series 8 lineup.
Google last week launched the Pixel 6a, a $449 budget smartphone that’s designed to compete with more affordable smartphones like Apple’s latest iPhone SE, which starts at $429.
We picked up a Pixel 6a to see how it measures up to the third-generation iPhone SE in terms of design, performance, and camera technology.
While the iPhone still uses the Lightning connector for now, Apple has been transitioning many of its devices to USB-C in recent years.
Apple now offers USB-C ports on every new Mac that it sells, along with all iPad models except the entry-level model, the Studio Display and Pro Display XDR, and a handful of other products.
What’s next? Here are five more Apple products rumored to switch to USB-C.
Apple allegedly prototyped at least three larger iMac models with Apple silicon chips last year, including a redesigned 27-inch iMac with a black finish and the same M1 Max chip used in the MacBook Pro.
Rumors suggest that Apple still plans to release a new larger iMac or iMac Pro, but not until 2023 or 2024, so it seems like the prototype models with M1 series of chips from last year are unlikely to be released to the public.
Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we’ve covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.
So if you want to have top stories like the above recap delivered to your email inbox each week, subscribe to our newsletter!
This article, “Top Stories: iOS 16 Beta 4, ‘Apple Watch Pro’ Rumors, and More” first appeared on MacRumors.com
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The Pixel Buds Pro are more affordable than the AirPods Pro and offer a similar feature set with Active Noise Cancellation, a Transparency mode, “Hey Google” voice control, automatic switching between paired Bluetooth devices, and Find My Device app tracking in case they’re misplaced.
Like the AirPods Pro, the Pixel Buds Pro have silicone tips that fit into the ears for a tight seal to cut down on exterior noise. Google advertises a Silent Seal feature that improves noise cancellation, and we were impressed with the noise cancellation capabilities. Later this year, Google plans to add spatial audio functionality, but it’s not available at this time.
Google does include a Transparency mode, but it’s not up to par with the Transparency mode on the AirPods Pro and it’s hard to tell that it’s even on. There is an app that comes with the Pixel Buds Pro so you can tailor the sound to fit your needs, but the app is only available on Android devices and EQ adjustments aren’t set to be available until later in the year.
As for the fit, the Pixel Buds Pro do not have long stems and instead have a shorter body that makes them less obtrusive in the ears. We found the Pixel Buds Pro to fit well in the ear and to be comfortable for long periods of listening, and Google does include built-in sensors that measure the pressure in the ear canal for more comfort.
With their smaller body, the Pixel Buds Pro fit in a little case that adds additional battery life, similar to the AirPods Pro charging case. The Pixel Buds Pro offer up to 31 hours of battery life, while the AirPods Pro are limited to about 24 hours of battery.
The Pixel Buds Pro are solid earbuds that have a lot to offer, but they may not be appealing to Apple users just because of the convenience of fast switching with AirPods and because you can’t adjust the sound without an Android device. It will also be interesting to see how the Pixel Buds Pro measure up to the next-generation AirPods Pro, which are rumored to be coming out later this year.
Rumors suggest the AirPods Pro 2 will feature an updated H1 chip with self-adaptive noise cancellation capabilities, and they might include Lossless audio support. We’re also expecting sound improvements and improved Find My functionality, with a full rundown of what’s coming available in our AirPods Pro 2 guide.
This article, “Google’s $200 Pixel Buds Pro vs. Apple’s $249 AirPods Pro” first appeared on MacRumors.com
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Features include Windows 11 support with 2D GFX and networking, VMtools installation for Windows on Apple silicon machines, improved Linux support on Apple silicon machines, and more.
While the new functionality was designed with Windows 11 in mind, VMware says the tools can be used with other VMs too. At the current time, Fusion on Apple silicon devices is “still a work in progress” and there are some limitations to be aware of.
VMware says that it is looking for feedback from users in order to iron out kinks and add new capabilities in preparation for more formal support later this year. While in the testing period, VMware Fusion will be free to use. The VMware Fusion Tech Preview can be downloaded from the VMware website.
This article, “VMware Fusion Tech Preview Brings Windows 11 to Apple Silicon Macs” first appeared on MacRumors.com
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Introduced in November, the Beats Fit Pro are fitness-focused earbuds with flexible wingtips that help secure them in the ear. At the current time, Beats Fit Pro come in Black, White, Stone Purple, and Sage Gray, and it is not clear when Apple might introduce the new colors.
Apple might be releasing 3 new colors for the Beats Fit Pro.
These colors are called:
Mica
Ochre
UmberSee the thread below for videos of these
— Aaron (@aaronp613) July 29, 2022
Beats Fit Pro are priced at $200 and offer Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency modes, along with Adaptive EQ, spatial audio support, and an H1 chip for fast pairing, automatic device switching with Apple products, and Find My integration.
This article, “Apple Working on New Beats Fit Pro Colors” first appeared on MacRumors.com
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This guide covers everything that you need to know about the medication tracking feature along with other new iOS 16 Health app features.
“Medications” is a new section available in the Health app, accessible by going to the Browse section and scrolling down to Medications, or typing it into the Health app search bar.
In the Medications app, you can enter in all of the prescription medications, over the counter medications, and vitamins that you take so you can get reminders to take medicine, check for interactions, and more.
Adding a medication is as simple as tapping on the Add Medication button in the Health app. From there, you can type in the name of a medicine or vitamin, or use your iPhone‘s camera to scan the label of your pill bottle. Adding via scan is simple, but it doesn’t always pick up all the information, so you may need to manually select dose and form (pill, spray, etc).
From there, you can choose the frequency of when you take the medication. You can choose a specific day or interval of days, specific days of the week, or opt for as needed, and then you can set the time that you want to take the medication.
Medications can be customized with a shape and a color to match the pill that you take in real life for quick and easy recognition.
You can add all of your medications and vitamins into the Health app, with everything viewable in a list.
Once you’ve added your medication to the Health app and set a time and day to take it, the iPhone will send you a notification when it’s time to take it. You can get notifications for all of the medications in the Health app that have been assigned a schedule.
Medication notifications are classed as time sensitive notifications and will be delivered at your specified time unless you override the setting.
Notifications are automatic for all medications that have a set time and and/or set day for when you take them.
When a reminder notification pops up, you can tap it to be taken to a popup where you can mark a medication as “Taken” or Skipped.” You can also use the “Mark All as Taken” option if you have multiple medications scheduled for the same time. Medications can also be marked as logged from the medication list in the Health app.
The Health app can track the medications that you take over time, so you can check in on whether you’re taking your medication regularly. You can see data organized by day, week, month, six months, and year.
Apple will also provide a Medications “Highlight” in your Health summary that will let you know how often you’ve taken a medication over the past 28 days.
In watchOS 9, there is a dedicated Medications app that you can tap into for quicker logging. You can log each medication individually in the app or use the “Log All as Taken” to get to them all at once. If you skipped a dose, you can choose the “Skipped” option.
The Apple Watch app is just for marking medications as taken and all other medication management needs to be done in the Health app.
The Health app regularly checks to make sure that the medications that you are taking do not have interactions with one another, keeping you from taking a combination of medications that could be dangerous.
If you tap into any medication from your Health app list, you can then choose the “Side Effects” button to see the listed side effects for that medicine, if it’s available.
Not all medications have side effects listed, and the information is provided by Elsevier, a Netherlands-based company that specializes in medical content, including the Annual ScienceDirect book series on drug side effects.
In the Medications section of the Health app, there’s an option to “Export Medications List PDF,” which as the name suggests, creates a simple PDF of the medications that you take. You can share this list with a doctor.
For those who wear the Apple Watch to bed for sleep tracking purposes, watchOS 9 and iOS 16 bring new functionality. Sleep recorded by the Apple Watch is broken down into Awake, REM, Core (light), and Deep sleep categories, so you can get an idea of how well you slept during the night.
The Apple Watch will track when you get in bed, how long it takes you to fall asleep, how often you wake up, and how much time you spend in REM, Core, and Deep sleep.
Apple defines the different sleep categories as follows:
The sleep data collected by the Apple Watch can be viewed in the “Sleep” section of the Health app. Sleep data can now be viewed by day rather than just by week so you can drill down into your sleep quality on a day by day basis.
Other than the new sleep categories, the Sleep functionality is the same. You still use the same Bedtime and Wake Up features, which tie in to the Wind Down and Sleep Focus options.
You can invite family members to share their data with you in iOS 16, making it easy to keep track of the health information of elderly family members or children. Once an invitation is received, the person can opt to select which data to share with you.
In iOS 15 and earlier, you needed an Apple Watch to take advantage of the Fitness app, but that’s changed in iOS 16.
You can use the Fitness app with the iPhone’s motion sensors to track your activity level. The iPhone can estimate steps, distance walked, and track third-party workouts to provide details on how many calories you’ve burned in a day.
Without an Apple Watch, you’re limited to a daily Move goal, without the Exercise and Stand goals available.
Have questions about the new Health and Fitness features in iOS 16, know of a feature we left out, or want to offer feedback on this guide? Send us an email here.
This article, “iOS 16 Health and Fitness Updates: Medication Tracking, Sleep Stages, iPhone Activity Tracking and More” first appeared on MacRumors.com
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Until now, Apple has offered developers two ad opportunities on the App Store: in the Search tab and within the Search results page. Both ad placements have been a tremendous success for developers, helping them find users who may be interested in their apps, according to Apple. The expansion of ad opportunities in the App Store is part of the company’s efforts to maintain the App Store as the best place for developers to grow their businesses.
Apple Search Ads provides opportunities for developers of all sizes to grow their business. Like our other advertising offerings, these new ad placements are built upon the same foundation—they will only contain content from apps’ approved App Store product pages, and will adhere to the same rigorous privacy standards.
As part of those efforts, the first new ad opportunity will be within the Today tab – the front page of the App Store. With Today App Store ads, developers will be able to promote their apps right alongside the daily editorial content by the App Store team. Ads are clearly marked as ads and are distinguishable from the normal editorial App Store stories. The Today tab is the first tab that’s pre-loaded when the App Store app is opened and was introduced as part of the App Store redesign in 2017.
The second new ad placement for developers in the App Store will be directly within app product pages. Ads will appear under the “You Might Also Like” section towards the bottom of the page and will also be clearly marked as ads.
At the cornerstone of Apple’s App Store ads is the company’s focus on user privacy. The new ads will follow the same strict guidelines and policies applied across all of Apple’s platforms and services. When users first open Apple’s apps, such as the App Store, Apple News, and Apple Stocks, they’re given the freedom to choose whether they want to enable personalized ads.
In a presentation to advertisers obtained by MacRumors in May, it was revealed that in the first quarter of 2022, 78% of iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 search volume on the App Store was from devices with Personalized Ads turned off across all countries and regions where Apple’s Search Ads are available.
Whether or not users have Personalized Ads enabled, Apple does not show personalized ads to users under the age of 18, to users with an Apple ID associated with a minor under 13, or to managed accounts. Furthermore, unlike some social media giants who allow advertisers to target extremely specific user demographics, Apple limits developers from targeting ads to segments and demographics with less than 5,000 other similar users, helping prevent hyper-targeting.
Apple also never uses factors such as religion, political affiliation, or health to target its customers, claiming it’s able to deliver highly effective ads without the need to track individual users. Additionally, Apple’s ads are never tied to an individual Apple ID, and a “user profile” is never created to target a specific user across all of the company’s services.
Ron Schneidermann, CEO of AllTrails, a popular app for hikers and campers, said that Apple’s App Store ads have helped “attract new, more engaged customers across markets” and that they’ve become a crucial aspect of its growth strategy.
Apple Search Ads helped us attract new, more engaged customers across markets. We rely on Apple Search Ads for cost-effective customer acquisition – it’s a critical component of our growth strategy. As they become available, we plan to invest in new placements to reach even more customers on the App Store and continue to drive our business growth.
Apple will be testing the new ad placements with limited developers soon.
This article, “Apple Introducing New App Store Ads to Help Users Discover More Apps” first appeared on MacRumors.com
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Apple’s AirPods 2 returned to $99.99 this week on Amazon, down from $129.00. Prime Day had a sale that was around $10 cheaper, but with that event over and the holiday deal season still months away, this is a solid off-season deal on the AirPods 2.
The Apple TV 4K is another product that hasn’t quite returned to its all-time low Prime Day price (and at this point, we don’t expect it to in the near future). The good news is that you can still get the 32GB model at a solid price of $129.99 on Amazon this week, down from $179.00.
In the middle of the week we shared a deal on the Magic Trackpad 2, and since then that sale price has increased slightly. Instead of $89.99, you can get the Magic Trackpad 2 on Adorama for $99.99, down from $129.00, which is still a good deal and the best around online for a new version of the accessory.
Following deals on the AirPods 2, we also saw a discount on the AirPods Pro this week. They’re available for $179.99 on Amazon, down from $249.00.
Head to our full Deals Roundup to get caught up with all of the latest deals and discounts that we’ve been tracking over the past week.
This article, “Best Apple Deals of the Week: Shop Sales on AirPods, Apple TV 4K, and Magic Trackpad” first appeared on MacRumors.com
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The watchOS 9 update can be downloaded after upgrading your iPhone to the public beta version of iOS 16. After installing iOS 16, the proper watchOS 9 profile from Apple’s beta software website must also be installed.
The software can be accessed by going to General > Software Update in the Apple Watch app on iPhone. To update, 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.
watchOS 9 expands the sleep tracking feature to add sleep stages, allowing the watch to track when users are in REM Core, or Deep sleep, plus it supports a Medications app for managing and getting reminders for medications, vitamins, and supplements.
There are four new watch faces, including Lunar, Playtime, Metropolitan, and Astronomy, and the ECG app supports AFib History for tracking how long a person has been in atrial fibrillation.
Custom workouts have been added to the Workout app, and there are fitness improvements for runners, triathletes, and swimmers. Other new features include a CallKit API that allows VOIP calls to be answered on Apple Watch, Apple Watch Mirroring for controlling the Apple Watch with an iPhone, Quick Actions for doing more with a double pinch gesture, and updates to the Reminders and Calendar apps.
More on everything that’s new in the watchOS 9 update can be found in our dedicated watchOS 9 roundup.
This article, “Apple Seeds Second watchOS 9 Public Beta” first appeared on MacRumors.com
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