Apple today the golden master version of an upcoming tvOS 13 update to developers, one week after seeding the eleventh beta and more than three months after unveiling the tvOS 13 software at the Worldwide Developers Conference. The golden master represents the final version of tvOS 13 that’s going to be released to the public.

Designed for the fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV models, the new tvOS 13 developer beta can be downloaded onto the Apple TV via a profile that’s installed using Xcode.

tvOS 13 introduces an updated Home screen aimed at making it easier to discover new content. Apps are now able to play full-screen video previews on the Home screen, similar to Netflix.

Multi-user support is available for the first time, letting more than one profile exist on the Apple TV so each family member can have their own customized Apple TV interface with separate recommendations, music playlists, and Watch Now lists.

Switching between profiles can be done with the new Control Center, which offers up profiles, the time and date, search, a Now Playing widget, AirPlay controls, and a sleep option.

tvOS 13 gets the Apple TV ready for Apple Arcade, Apple’s new gaming service that’s coming to the Apple TV, iOS, iPadOS, and macOS later this year. Apple Arcade will offer unlimited access to more than 100 new and exclusive games, for one subscription fee.

As part of the Apple Arcade preparations, Apple has implemented support for the Xbox Wireless Bluetooth Controller and the PlayStation DualShock 4 Controller, both of which can be connected to an Apple TV over Bluetooth.

There are new under the sea themed screensavers created in partnership with the BBC Natural History Unit, which also created “Blue Planet.” There’s also a new Picture-in-Picture feature. Picture-in-Picture lets you continue to watch TV shows or movies while using a different app, adjusting settings, or otherwise navigating through the tvOS 13 operating system.

Apple hasn’t shared details on when tvOS 13 will be coming out, but with a GM available, it’s likely going to be released on Tuesday, September 24 alongside iOS 13.1 and iPadOS.

This article, “Apple Seeds tvOS 13 Golden Master to Developers” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max devices have a new hybrid software and hardware system for performance management, according to an Apple support document uncovered by 9to5Mac.

Apple says the automatic, always-on system is “more advanced” than battery and power management systems on older iPhones, working to provide the “best possible performance as battery aging occurs over time.” The new iPhones’ power needs are dynamically monitored, with performance managed in real time.

All lithium-ion batteries have a limited lifespan, and Apple says that battery aging might still eventually lead to “noticeable, possibly temporary, effects” on performance, such as longer app launch times, lower frame rates, reduced wireless-data throughput, backlight dimming, or lower speaker volume.

To review your iPhone battery’s health and see if Apple recommends a battery replacement, navigate to Settings > Battery > Battery Health on iOS 11.3 or later. Apple typically recommends replacing an iPhone battery once its maximum capacity relative to when it was new has dropped below 80 percent.

iPhone battery replacements are free of charge with AppleCare+ or $69 out-of-warranty for the latest iPhones. Visit the Get Support page on Apple’s website to initiate the replacement process.

Apple’s performance management system became the subject of controversy when it was discovered through Geekbench results in late 2017, as Apple failed to inform customers when the system was introduced in iOS 10.2.1, leading to multiple class action lawsuits and government scrutiny around the world.

While some viewed the throttling as Apple’s way of forcing customers to upgrade to newer iPhones, Apple denied any sort of planned obsolescence scheme, noting it “would never… do anything to intentionally shorten the life of any Apple product, or degrade the user experience to drive customer upgrades.”

This article, “All iPhone 11 Models Feature New Dynamic Performance Management System to Reduce Impacts From Aging Batteries” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Netflix CEO Reed Hastings recently discussed what he thinks about the upcoming launch of new rivals Apple TV+ and Disney+, as well as Netflix’s plans to retain subscriber interest after their launches (via Variety). According to Hastings, “it’s a whole new world starting in November,” referring to the November 1 launch of Apple TV+ and November 12 launch of Disney+.

The CEO said that it will be “tough competition” for Netflix, but the company will continue on course with its core strategy of offering bingeable TV shows and movies. This means that Netflix isn’t planning on trialing drastically different content types, like Amazon Prime Video is with live sports, or experimenting with different release models.

“While we’ve been competing with many people in the last decade, it’s a whole new world starting in November…between Apple launching and Disney launching, and of course Amazon’s ramping up,” said Hastings, who also cited NBCUniversal’s coming Peacock service. “It’ll be tough competition. Direct-to-consumer [customers] will have a lot of choice.”

There are now numerous standalone streaming services that vie for customer attention, including Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, HBO Now, the upcoming HBO Max, CBS All Access, the upcoming NBC Peacock, Shudder, and many more.

Apple TV+ will launch November 1 with a handful of exclusive TV shows, including “The Morning Show,” “Dickinson,” “See,” and “For All Mankind.” Apple is making the service free for a full year for anyone who purchases an iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, iPod Touch, or Mac. Apple TV+ will cost $4.99/month otherwise.

Disney+ will launch November 12 with a huge back catalog of Disney films and tv shows, divided among the company’s major brands: Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic. To entice early adopters, Disney even offered a sign-up deal that got you three years of the streaming service for the price of two. This brought the price of the service to just under $4/month, compared to its $6.99/month regular price tag.

Amid the emergence of so many new streaming services, Hastings pointed out that production costs for streaming-based TV shows would rise, thanks to companies like Apple and Disney now also purchasing valuable production space in highly sought after areas. According to Hastings, “Someday ‘The Crown’ will look like a bargain,” referring to its popular historical drama series that might not be the most expensive show ever made, but is among the most expensive to be produced by Netflix.

This article, “Netflix CEO Says Apple TV+ and Disney+ Will Create ‘A Whole New World’ of ‘Tough Competition’” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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References to three new Smart Battery Cases made by Apple have been found inside the code for iOS 13.1, appearing to confirm that the iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max will all be getting Smart Battery Cases in the future (via 9to5Mac).

iPhone XS Smart Battery Case

The model codes for the cases are A2180, A2183, and A2184, which are believed to represent Smart Battery Cases for the iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max, respectively. Similar discoveries for a new Smart Battery Case line for the iPhone XS and XS Max were made last year, weeks ahead of an official launch.

One of the main upgrades on the iPhone 11 line, particularly for the “Pro” models, is the battery life of each smartphone. The iPhone 11 Pro is said to have 4 more hours of battery life than the iPhone XS, and the iPhone 11 Pro Max has 5 hours more battery life than the iPhone XS Max.

This has translated into reviews for the 2019 iPhones praising all-day-long battery life. Smart Battery Cases would guarantee even longer battery life for the iPhone 11 family, for anyone who truly doesn’t want to have to worry about charging their iPhone.

This article, “Evidence of New Smart Battery Cases for iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max Found in iOS 13 Code” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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One of the new features set to officially launch in iOS 13.1 next week is “Audio Sharing,” which lets you share the audio that you hear from your iPhone with another user.

While this feature was initially announced as being supported only for AirPods and Powerbeats Pro with Apple’s H1 chip, it will also be coming to all Beats headphones that use a W1 chip, including Beats Studio3 Wireless, BeatsX, Powerbeats3 Wireless, and Solo3 Wireless (via Engadget).

Engadget says the update for Beats headphones will arrive on September 23, although iOS 13.1 won’t be released until the following day.

This article, “iOS 13 Audio Sharing Feature is Coming to All Beats Headphones With H1 and W1 Chips” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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iPhone 11 and Apple Watch Series 5 launch day is now underway in the United States and Canada, with deliveries beginning to arrive to customers. Apple Stores are also opening early at 8 a.m. local time in each country to accommodate in-store pickups and walk-in purchases on a first-come, first-served basis.

Apple’s CEO Tim Cook and retail chief Deirdre O’Brien attended the grand reopening of the company’s newly revamped Fifth Avenue store in Manhattan today, posing for photos with customers and joining in the launch day excitement.

All of the new iPhone 11 and Apple Watch Series 5 models should be on display at most Apple Stores starting today for customers to try out. And as first noted by Mark Gurman, Apple has installed lit-up “11” and “Pro” window displays at select stores for the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro.

“Pro” sign at an Apple Store via ericip220

Visiting an Apple Store today for launch day? Share your photos with us on Twitter by tagging @MacRumors.

This article, “Apple CEO Tim Cook Visits Fifth Avenue Store as iPhone 11 Launch Day Continues Around the World” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple added an ECG app to the Apple Watch Series 4 last year, providing users in select territories the ability to measure the electrical activity of their heart. This ECG feature is now live for users in India as of the launch of watchOS 6 (via Business Today).

Regulatory clearance is required for the ECG feature, so it’s only launched so far in the United States, Hong Kong, Canada, Singapore, and most countries in Europe, including the United Kingdom.

The feature is said to already be live for users in India today if they own the Apple Watch Series 4 and upgrade to watchOS 6. It will also be available for Indian users who purchase the Apple Watch Series 5, available in the country from September 27.

ECGs are captured by holding a finger on the Digital Crown of the Apple Watch, which will detect a sinus rhythm (normal), an abnormal result, or, sometimes, test results will be inconclusive.

The idea is that you can take this information to your doctor, if the results are abnormal, and use it as a basis to discover if you have any larger issues at hand. In total, it takes about 30 seconds for the Apple Watch‘s ECG functionality to complete.

This article, “Apple Watch Series 4 and Series 5 ECG Feature Launches in India” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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One of the more useful actions that 3D Touch makes possible is pressing an iPhone’s onscreen keyboard to turn it into a virtual trackpad. If you 3D Touch, the keyboard turns blank and morphs into a trackpad that allows you to quickly move the cursor on the screen through the text you’ve written.

This popular gesture is useful because it allows you to make quick edits without having to reach up and tap the display. However, in its latest crop of devices, Apple has replaced 3D Touch with Haptic Touch, and the way the virtual trackpad activates has changed slightly.

On iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max, you have to press and hold on the spacebar to bring up the trackpad. In other words, pressing just anywhere on the keyboard no longer works.

It’s a small adjustment, but it’s worth highlighting in case you tried to activate the virtual trackpad on your new iPhone in the traditional way and wondered why it wasn’t working. Note that the gesture functions similarly on all Apple devices that lack 3D Touch, including the iPhone XR and all models of iPad.

This article, “How to Use the Virtual Trackpad on iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Twitter today rolled out its new “Hide Replies” feature in the U.S. and Japan, providing Twitter users with more control over the replies that are visible following a tweet.

The idea behind the feature is to give people more control over the conversations they start on the social media platform, so they can hide replies that are offensive and the hidden reply won’t show up to others as a response to the original tweet.

The company has been experimenting the Hide Replies feature since June, and says it saw “a lot of positive trends” during its initial test in Canada.

According to Twitter, people with access to the feature mostly hide replies that they think are irrelevant, abusive or unintelligible. It also found that people were more likely to reconsider their interactions when their tweet was hidden.

To mitigate concerns that hiding someone’s reply could be misunderstood and potentially lead to confusion or frustration, Twitter says it will ask the user if they want to also block that account.

As TechCrunch pointed out back in April, Hide Replies has the potential to be controversial because the original person who tweets will be able to control which replies are visible in a conversation thread. However, Twitter is more interested its potential for good, as noted in its blog post:

These are positive and heartening results: the feature helped people have better conversations, and was a useful tool against replies that deterred from the person’s original intent.

We’re interested to see if these trends continue, and if new ones emerge, as we expand our test to Japan and the US. People in these markets use Twitter in many unique ways, and we’re excited to see how they might use this new tool.

The news follows several other features that have recently been trialed or rolled out on the social media platform, all with the aim of handing over more control to users and creating a “healthier service” by cutting down on abuse and harassment.

This article, “Twitter Rolls Out New ‘Hide Replies’ Feature to Users in U.S. and Japan” first appeared on MacRumors.com

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