Joe Rossignol

Apple today previewed macOS Big Sur with redesigned interfaces such as the Dock and Notification Center, the addition of a Control Center, several improvements to core apps like Safari and Messages, and much more. macOS Big Sur is available in beta for registered Apple developers starting today, with a public beta to follow next month. The free software update will be released to all users...

Apple today confirmed its widely rumored plan to switch to custom processors for its Macs, promising "incredible" performance and features. Building on its industry-leading A-series chips for iPhones and iPads, Apple wants Macs with its custom silicon to have the highest performance with lower power usage. Apple says the vast majority of Mac apps can be quickly updated to be "universal" with ...

Apple appears to be moving on from macOS 10 at long last. In the System Preferences menu in the first developer beta of macOS Big Sur, the software update is listed as version 11.0. Assuming nothing changes between now and the public release of macOS Big Sur in the fall, this would mark the end of an era for Apple's desktop platform. For nearly two decades, every major release of macOS...

Apple today announced a small but long-awaited change being made in iOS 14 and iPadOS 14: incoming phone and FaceTime calls will no longer take up the entire screen, providing for a much less disruptive experience. iOS 14 is available in beta for registered Apple developers today, with a public beta to follow next month. The software update will be released to all users with an iPhone 6s or ...

No more having to hum the "happy birthday" song to yourself twice, as the Apple Watch features a new hand washing feature in watchOS 7. Using its motion sensors and microphone, the Apple Watch automatically detects hand washing and starts a 20‑second timer, which is how long the CDC and many other health organizations recommend washing your hands. If your Apple Watch detects that you've...

Apple today announced that the second-generation AirPods, AirPods Pro, Powerbeats, Powerbeats Pro, and Beats Solo Pro are gaining automatic switching between Apple devices like the iPhone, iPad, and Mac. For example, if you finish a phone call on your iPhone and pick up your iPad to watch a movie, the AirPods or Beats will automatically switch over. AirPods Pro are also getting a new...

Apple today announced several new features being added to iMessage in iOS 14, including mentions, pinned conversations, inline replies in conversations, group photos, and new Memoji styles and stickers. An overview of the new features:Mentions: Type a name to direct a message to someone. When you are mentioned, your name is highlighted. You can customize an active group so you only receive...

Following several leaks and rumors, Apple today confirmed that iOS 14 and watchOS 7 feature support for NFC-based digital car keys, allowing users to unlock and start their vehicle with a compatible iPhone or Apple Watch. Similar to credit cards and boarding passes, digital car keys are stored in the Wallet app. To unlock your vehicle, you will simply need to bring your iPhone near the...

Apple today announced that iOS 14 features an all-new Translate app for translating conversations, with support for 11 different languages at launch and an offline mode for private voice and text translation. Supported languages include Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish. When you place your iPhone in landscape...

Apple today previewed iOS 14, which features an all-new home screen design with widgets and a new App Library view, plus much more. Widgets Widgets can be pinned in different sizes on any home screen page, providing useful information at a glance. Users can also create a Smart Stack of widgets, which uses machine learning to surface the right widget based on time, location, and activity....

Apple has begun selling certified refurbished 2020 MacBook Air models through its online store in the United States for the first time, with prices discounted by approximately 15 percent compared to brand new models. Apple says refurbished MacBook Air models are thoroughly inspected, tested, cleaned, and repackaged with a USB-C power adapter and USB-C cable in the box. In our view, a...

Just ahead of WWDC, Apple has approved a new version of Basecamp's email app "Hey" for release on the App Store, as noted by The Verge. In response to Apple's marketing chief Phil Schiller saying that "you download the app and it doesn't work," Basecamp says that version 1.0.3 of the app introduces a free account option, allowing users to sign up directly in the app to receive a temporary...

Apple's rumored 12.9-inch iPad Pro with a Mini-LED display has entered trial production, according to Korean website The Elec. The report claims that LG will supply the Mini-LED panels for the device, while Foxconn will be tasked with final assembly. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has previously said that Mini-LED technology will allow for thinner and lighter product designs, while offering many ...

Apple plans to launch third-generation AirPods with a form factor design "similar to AirPods Pro" in the first half of 2021, according to the latest research note from TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, obtained by MacRumors. Introduced in November 2019, the AirPods Pro feature an in-ear design with three sizes of soft, flexible silicone tips included in the box, along with...

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau today announced that Canada plans to launch a nationwide COVID-19 contract tracing app based on Apple's and Google's Exposure Notification API, as noted by iPhone in Canada. Trudeau said the app is slated for release in early July, with testing set to begin in Ontario soon. COVID Shield, a reference for public health authorities to build their own apps ...

Apple is widely expected to release its first 5G iPhones later this year, and multiple sources have indicated that these models will be equipped with Qualcomm's Snapdragon X55 modem, including analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and the Nikkei Asian Review. To the contrary, a paywalled snippet from DigiTimes today claims that Apple's chipmaking partner TSMC will begin manufacturing A14 chips and Snapdragon ...

Apple continues to work on an AirPower-like wireless charging mat that would be able to charge multiple devices at once, according to leaker Jon Prosser, who shared photos of an alleged prototype codenamed "C68" today. The mat shown in the photo looks identical to the AirPower mat that Apple previewed in 2017, planned to release in 2018, but canceled in 2019. Prosser previously said that...

In what appears to be a reversal of course, the BBC today reported that the United Kingdom's National Health Service will adopt Apple's and Google's Exposure Notification API for its COVID-19 contact tracing app after all. Other countries that have committed to using the API include Italy, Latvia, Switzerland, Germany, Poland, and Saudi Arabia, among others. Apple released the API as part ...

Apple Watch continued to lead the smartwatch industry with an estimated 5.2 million shipments worldwide in the first quarter of 2020, well ahead of Huawei, Samsung, Fitbit, and others, according to research firm Canalys. Canalys said the Apple Watch did see slow performance in North America and Europe during the quarter, however, which it attributes to Apple customers "switching their...

Apple has secured the international rights to Israel-Iran espionage thriller "Tehran," according to Deadline. The eight-part series is said to revolve around Tamar Rabinyan, a Mossad computer hacker-agent undertaking her very first mission in Iran's capital. "Tasked with disabling an Iranian nuclear reactor, her mission has implications not just for the Middle East, but for the rest of the...