Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming macOS 10.15.3 update to developers for testing purposes, nearly a month after seeding the first beta and over a month after releasing the macOS Catalina 10.15.2 update.

The new ‌‌macOS Catalina‌‌ beta can be downloaded using the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences after installing the proper software from the Developer Center.

We don’t yet know what improvements the third update to ‌macOS Catalina‌ will bring, but it will likely focus on performance improvements, security updates, and fixes for bugs that weren’t able to be fixed in the ‌macOS Catalina‌ 10.15.2 update.

‌macOS Catalina‌ 10.15.3 has code in it that suggests a new “Pro Mode” is coming to Apple’s Macs. Pro Mode appears to be an optional setting that overrides fan speed limits and energy saving restrictions to improve performance. The code says that apps “may run faster” but battery life could decrease and fan noise could increase.

It’s not entirely clear if Pro Mode is coming to Macs in the 10.15.3 release, but the code is there so it is a possibility.

We didn’t find any other new changes in the first beta of ‌macOS Catalina‌ 10.15.3, but we’ll update this post if there’s anything new in the second beta.

This article, “Apple Seeds Second Beta of Upcoming macOS Catalina 10.15.3 Update to Developers” first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming watchOS 6.1.2 update to developers, almost a month after releasing the first beta and over a month after releasing the watchOS 6.1.1 update with bug fixes.

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.

There’s no word yet on what features are included in the watchOS 6.1.2 beta, and there were no new features discovered in the first beta, but we’ll update this article should anything new be found in the second beta.

This article, “Apple Seeds Second Beta of watchOS 6.1.2 to Developers” first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming tvOS 13.3.1 update to developers, close to a month after seeding the first beta and several weeks after releasing the tvOS 13.3 update.

Designed for the fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV models, the new tvOS 13.3.1 developer beta can be downloaded onto the ‌‌‌Apple TV‌‌‌ via a profile that’s installed using Xcode.

tvOS updates are typically 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 anything new after installing the software.

While we don’t often know 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 release.

This article, “Apple Seeds Second Beta of tvOS 13.3.1 Update to Developers” first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple today seeded the second betas of upcoming iOS and iPadOS 13.3.1 updates to developers, almost a month after seeding the first betas and several weeks after the release of iOS 13.3 with Communication Limits for Screen Time.

iOS and ‌iPadOS‌ 13.3.1 can be downloaded from the Apple Developer center or over the air once the proper developer profile has been installed.

There’s no word yet on what’s in the iOS 13.3.1 update, but it likely includes bug fixes for issues unable to be addressed in the iOS 13.3 update. Specifically, it could address some issues with Communication Limits, fixing a workaround with the Contacts app that allowed children text someone who contacted them from an unknown number. There’s also a new “Play Again” button when replaying content that you’ve already watched in the TV app.

No other notable new features were found in the first betas of iOS and ‌iPadOS‌ 13.3.1, but we’ll update this article should anything new be found in the second betas.

This article, “Apple Seeds Second Betas of iOS 13.3.1 and iPadOS 13.3.1 to Developers” first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Starting today, Instagram is bringing direct messaging options to the web. As noted by The Verge, a small number of Instagram’s global users can access their direct messages from the Instagram website in addition to the iPhone app.

The rollout today to a limited number of customers is just a test, though depending on how it goes a wider rollout could come in the future.

Direct messaging on the web is almost identical to direct messaging through the ‌iPhone‌, so the interface will be familiar to Instagram users. You can start a DM with someone from a profile page or the DM screen, and there are options to create groups.

Double tapping likes a message, there’s an option to see how many unread messages are available, and photos from the desktop can be shared in DMs. Notifications for DMs can also be received if notifications are enabled for the Instagram site in the browser.

This article, “Instagram Bringing Direct Messages to the Web” first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple today released the rack mount version of the Mac Pro, offering a design that is suited to a rack configuration. Priced starting at $6,499, the rack mount Mac Pro features all of the same configuration options as the standard ‌Mac Pro‌.

Rather than feet or wheels, the rack mount version of the ‌Mac Pro‌ uses stainless steel slide rails that allow it to be slotted into a rack. The machine features the same 3D lattice design for maximizing airflow and top handles for accessing the internals.

The base model of the rack mount ‌Mac Pro‌ is the same as the base model standard ‌Mac Pro‌ featuring a 3.5GHz 8-core Intel Xeon W processor, 32GB RAM, and 256GB of storage.

This article, “Rack Mount Mac Pro Now Available for Purchase Starting at $6,499” first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple is developing a 5G-enabled iPad with mmWave support, according to sources cited by industry publication DigiTimes.

A paywalled preview of the report claims Taiwan’s Advanced Semiconductor Engineering will supply antenna-in-package technology for the 5G iPad, in addition to 5G iPhones. While not specified, it is almost certain that this model would be an iPad Pro given 5G is a high-end feature with higher production costs.

While the first 5G iPhones are expected in fall 2020, the report does not indicate when the 5G iPad would be released. Major new features often come to the iPhone before the iPad, but a notable exception was the third-generation iPad receiving LTE support in March 2012, prior to the iPhone 5 in September 2012.

mmWave or millimeter wave is a set of 5G frequencies that promise ultra-fast speeds at short distances, making it best suited for dense urban areas. By comparison, sub-6GHz 5G is generally slower than mmWave, but the signals travel further, better serving suburban and rural areas.

The complete report should be published by tomorrow, and we will update this post if there are any additional details to share.

This article, “Apple Rumored to Be Developing 5G iPad Pro With mmWave Support” first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Nomad today unveiled the Base Station Stand, a single device wireless charger designed to charge Qi-based products like the iPhone and the AirPods.

The Base Station Stand, priced at $100, can only charge one device at a time, but it is equipped with two charging coils to offer both horizontal or vertical ‌iPhone‌ charging as well as ‌AirPods‌ and AirPods Pro charging.

Most stand-based Qi wireless chargers are equipped with one coil and are meant to charge the ‌iPhone‌ only in an upright orientation, so a stand that can charge in either orientation and also has the capacity to charge ‌AirPods‌ is useful.

The Base Station Stand offers up to 10W of charging, though Apple’s iPhones max out at 7.5W. It ships with a USB-A to USB-C cable, it features a machined aluminum frame and a leather charging pad, and it comes with an 18W wall adapter with US, UK, and EU plugs.

The Base Station Stand can be purchased from the Nomad website starting today.

This article, “Nomad Unveils New ‘Base Station Stand’ Wireless Charger for iPhone and AirPods” first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple on Monday released Xcode 11.3.1 with bug fixes and improvements, including reducing the size of dependency files produced by the Swift compiler, which can improve incremental build times and disk usage for targets with many source files. Full release notes are posted on Apple’s developer website.

As with Xcode 11.3, version 11.3.1 supports developing apps for iOS 13.3, iPadOS 13.3, macOS 10.15.2, watchOS 6.1, and tvOS 13.3.

It has been nearly one month since Apple seeded new betas for its software platforms, which is an unusually long time. The first betas of iOS 13.3.1, iPadOS 13.3.1, macOS 10.15.3, watchOS 6.1.2, and tvOS 13.3.1 were seeded on December 17, but no further builds have been made available since then.

Apple always stops seeding betas over the holidays, but the cycle usually resumes in early January, including January 7 in 2019, January 3 in 2018, and January 9 in 2017, so there is a bit of a delay this year.

On an Xcode-related note, Apple has reminded developers that, starting April 2020, apps submitted to the App Store must use an Xcode storyboard to provide the app’s launch screen and must have an interface that supports any display size. Apple also strongly encourages supporting multitasking on iPad.

Apple:

Apps should look great on all models of iPhone and iPad, regardless of display size or aspect ratio. With features like Xcode storyboards and Auto Layout, your app’s interface elements and layouts automatically fit the display. As announced at WWDC19, starting April 2020, apps submitted to the App Store must use an Xcode storyboard to provide the app’s launch screen and must have an interface that supports any display size.

Support for Multitasking on iPad is strongly encouraged. Adding support for multiple windows, and adopting Multitasking capabilities, including Slide Over, Split View, and Picture in Picture, will ensure your app delivers a modern and complete experience on iPadOS.

Apple says it has addressed an Xcode bug in the storyboard canvas that could cause the development tool to crash.

This article, “Xcode 11.3.1 Released Nearly One Month After Apple Last Seeded Betas of iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS” first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Amazon has introduced a new discount on the 16-inch MacBook Pro, discounting both base configurations of the notebook to notable low prices. Specifically, these new discounts are the lowest prices that we’ve ever tracked for the 16-inch MacBook Pro among the major Apple resellers online.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

You can get the 512GB 16-inch MacBook Pro for $2,149.00 ($250 off) or the 1TB 16-inch MacBook Pro for $2,499.00 ($300 off). Due to the discounts, some models are seeing delayed shipping estimates on Amazon. As of writing, the 512GB model won’t ship until February 5, but there appears to be more stock for the 1TB model in Silver.

16-Inch MacBook Pro Sale

• 2.6 GHz 6-Core, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD – $2,149.00, down from $2,399.00 ($250 off, lowest ever)
• 2.3 GHz 8-Core, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD – $2,499.00, down from $2,799.00 ($300 off, lowest ever)

Be sure to visit our full Deals Roundup to shop for even more Apple-related products and accessories.

This article, “Deals: Amazon Discounts 512GB 16-Inch MacBook Pro to New Low Price of $2,149 ($250 Off)” first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums