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Apple releases iOS 13.7 with Exposure Notifications Express framework
It includes an update for Apple's COVID-19 contact tracing efforts.
iOS update arrives to fix 'green tint' iPhone 11 issue
Apple's latest update addresses a 'green tint' that some iPhone 11 owners were seeing.
Apple Maps' Street View-like feature expands to cities in Japan
So far, Apple Maps’ Street View-like Look Around feature has only been available in select cities in the US. However, it has now expanded internationally for the first time, coming to four cities in Japan: Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and Kyoto.
Apple's 256GB iPad Air is on sale for $549
You can currently get the 256GB model iPad Air for $100 off at Amazon.
Apple rolls out iOS 13.5 with COVID-19 features
iPhone and iPad users can download iOS 13.5 starting today. The new software adds a simplified Face ID interface flow when you're wearing a mask, as well as several coronavirus-related tweaks.
iOS 13.5 can automatically share your Medical ID in an emergency call
The next release of iOS 13 will include a feature that will allow you to automatically share your Medical ID with 911 call center operators.
Microsoft Office for iPad tests multi-window support
Microsoft will soon make it easier to juggle multiple Word documents and PowerPoint presentations for iOS users. The tech giant has given Office Insiders the ability to open multiple Word and PowerPoint windows side-by-side on an iPad.
Apple iPhone SE review (2020): Great phone, even better price
Every September, just like clockwork, Apple reveals a handful of new high-end phones. It’s not just because the iPhone SE is cheap, though it certainly is: The base model costs only $399. For people clinging to ancient phones because new ones are too large, too expensive or too gimmicky, the iPhone SE is the right phone at the right time at the right price.
Apple is reportedly aware of flaky Personal Hotspots in iOS 13
Apple hasn't entirely escaped the flurry of iOS 13 glitches, it seems. MacRumors has reportedly obtained support documents acknowledging ongoing connection problems with the Personal Hotspot feature in iOS 13 and its iPadOS 13 counterpart. Affected users either disconnect frequently or can't connect at all -- a significant problem if you're counting on your device's hotspot as a backup connection. It's not certain just when the issue first manifested, although iPhone and iPad users have reported issues as far back as iOS 13.1.2.
WhatsApp's dark mode rolls out on Android and iOS today
Love it or hate it, dark mode is an increasingly requested feature in these days of extended screen time and tired eyes. We reported last month that it was on the cards for WhatsApp, and today it's finally rolling out on both Android and iOS devices.
Apple is officially done rebuilding its maps in the US
To say Apple Maps stumbled out of the gate is putting it mildly; it quickly became an internet punchline when it launched in 2012, and left the company with the unenviable job of fixing it. Since then, Apple has been rebuilding the most fundamental part of the experience -- the base maps themselves -- and today the company says it's finally done. Well, in the United States, anyway.
OnePlus phones will optimize charging based on your sleep habits
OnePlus is working on a new OxygenOS feature called Optimized Charging that will attempt to extend the life of your phone's battery by taking your sleep schedule into account. When you put your OnePlus phone to charge before going to bed, it will refill its power cell to 80 percent of its maximum capacity and then temporarily stop. A hundred minutes before you usually wake up, your first alarm or event of the day, the phone will then charge to full. The idea here is that by preventing the battery from staying at full capacity for too long, OnePlus can slow how quickly it degrades over time.
iOS 13.3 arrives with improved parental controls
That inadvertent confirmation of iOS 13.3's imminent release was on the mark. Apple has released the new software (plus iPadOS 13.3), whose centerpiece is an improvement to Screen Time parental controls. You can set limits on who your kids can call, text or FaceTime, including managing contacts and setting time-specific limits. If you don't want your kids starting video chats with friends after 9PM, for instance, you can. This won't help if your kids use third-party apps, but it's a start.
Apple may offer tighter iOS parental controls this week
Apple's flurry of iOS updates might include one more substantial tweak before the holiday break. Vietnamese carrier Viettel has posted a page that hints at a release for iOS 13.3 (plus a minor watchOS 6.1.1 update) this coming week, most likely on or before December 11th. The new software could represent a big deal for parents thanks to the ability to limit access to contacts in Screen Time -- you can specify who your kids can talk to and when. This only applies to voice calls, FaceTime and Messages, but it could be helpful if you'd rather not let your child hold all-night video chats with their friends.
Apple highlights some of the best (and most popular) apps of 2019
As expected, Apple's event today wasn't about heralding any new hardware -- it was about shining some light on some of the year's standout apps. (If Android is more your thing, expect Google's own list of first-class apps to drop shortly, too.) Apple's selections this year run the gamut from artsy -- Spectre Camera helps people take long-exposure photos with their iPhones -- to practical fare like Affinity's desktop publishing app for the Mac. With that said, a few of the choices here are particularly interesting.
Apple has a plan to ensure iOS 13's buggy launch doesn't happen again
Apple is reportedly changing the way it tests new versions of iOS and iPadOS. According to Bloomberg, the company will now work on test versions, or "daily builds," with incomplete and bug-riddled features turned off by default. Internal testers will be able to turn them back on, however, through a new section of the settings app called Flags. In theory, this will help the company to identify when a newly-added feature or line of code isn't working properly, and issue a fix before it's accessible to external developers and customers. We've reached out to Apple to confirm the new development strategy and will update this piece if they respond.
Apple's latest iOS 13 update fixes Mail, background download glitches
Less than two weeks after the last iOS 13 update, Apple is back with another minor tweak, this time raising the version number to iOS 13.2.3. iOS 13.2 was the most recent major update, when it added support for Deep Fusion photography and the AirPods Pro last month. This one gives iPads and iPhones fixes meant to address issues with the built-in Mail, Files and Notes apps, as well as a problem that could stop apps from downloading information in the background -- Apple didn't mention any fixes for security issues. iOS 13.2.3 includes bug fixes and improvements for your iPhone. This update: Fixes an issue where system search and search within Mail, Files, and Notes might not work Addresses an issue where photos, links, and other attachments might not display in the Messages details view Fixes an issue that could prevent apps from downloading content in the background Resolves issues that may prevent Mail from fetching new messages, and fail to include and quote original message content in Exchange accounts None appear to be as pressing as the last update that solved some major multitasking headaches, but you may want to install it sooner rather than later to avoid missing any messages.
Apple releases another iOS 13 update to fix background app issues
You didn't have to wait too long for Apple to fix iOS 13.2's over-eagerness to kill background apps. The company has released an iOS 13.2.2 update (along with a corresponding iPadOS update) that, as Bloomberg's Mark Gurman noted, stops apps from closing quite so quickly. In other words, it should behave much like it did before 13.2 arrived. Suffice it to say this will be very helpful if you're a multitasker who'd rather not lose game progress or a social status post by switching away for a brief moment.
AirPods Pro review: Apple’s latest earbuds can hang with the best
As true wireless earbuds continue to evolve, companies are making them smaller and adding powerful features like active noise cancellation (ANC). They're more reliable and offer better battery life than when they first burst on to the scene, and they're becoming increasingly popular. Apple clearly knows all of this. The company's AirPods have been the most popular true wireless earbuds for a while now, despite their polarizing design. And even though the company just debuted version 2.0 back in the spring, it held something back for the holidays. The AirPods Pro were hardly a surprise. We'd heard rumors about a refined design and ANC for months. Perhaps the only real surprise is that they weren't announced at the big iPhone event in September, but instead, they quietly revealed in a press release on a Monday afternoon. The Pro model introduces a host of new features, but that comes at a cost. And the question is: Are the AirPods Pro ($249) worth the extra $50?
YouTube Music now plays nicely with Siri
Siri can now play YouTube Music, meaning you'll no longer have to choose between Apple Music or Spotify to listen through the Apple assistant. The change was made possible by iOS 13, and it works with Apple CarPlay, so you'll get hands-free control of YouTube Music as you drive.