Friday 13 November 2020

All the New Privacy Protections in iOS 14 and macOS Big Sur

Apple’s big annual software updates, iOS 14 and macOS Big Sur, include plenty of new privacy and security features to lock up your data and protect your devices. These are all the ways that your iPhone and Mac are now being kept safer than ever.

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Elon Musk Might Have the Disease He Said Would Be Gone By April

Elon Musk has been tested for the novel coronavirus and received conflicting results, according to the tech mogul’s Twitter account. The 49-year-old founder of SpaceX wrote that he was given a rapid covid-19 antigen test four times, with two tests coming back positive and two coming back negative on the same day.…

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New 'Vanish Mode' in Messenger and Instagram Enables Disappearing Chats

Facebook's Messenger and Instagram apps are getting a new "vanish mode" feature that gives users a new way to chat using disappearing messages.


Disappearing messages can already be used in Messenger's "secret conversation" feature, but they require several steps and users have to set a timer to make the messages disappear.

However, the new "vanish mode" is enabled by simply swiping up in a chat, after which messages disappear after they're seen, and if the recipient takes a screenshot of the conversation, the sender will be notified.

Accessing the new mode in Instagram requires that users accept Facebook's offer to integrate Messenger features into Instagram's in-app chat.

Facebook recently rolled out a new disappearing messages feature to all WhatsApp users on iOS and Android, allowing messages, photos, and videos to be marked to disappear after seven days.

Vanish mode is available to Messenger users in the U.S. now and Facebook says the feature will expand to additional countries, and to Instagram, "soon."

(Via Engadget.)
This article, "New 'Vanish Mode' in Messenger and Instagram Enables Disappearing Chats" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Kuo: Mini-LED iPad and AirPods 3 Coming First Half of 2021

Apple intends to launch an iPad with a mini-LED display and AirPods 3 with a design signature similar to AirPods Pro in the first half of next year, according to TFI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.


In a research note to investors, seen by MacRumors, Kuo's latest predictions relate to the fortunes of Chineses manufacturer Jialianyi, which is expected to become a key partner in the supply chain for Apple's products in 2021, thanks to its flexible soft board technology.

LCP (liquid crystal polymer) soft boards are said to offer a flexible way to connect components together while facilitating high-speed, low-latency data transfer. Jialianyi is expected to regain orders for acoustic and optical components in soft boards destined for a mini-LED ‌iPad‌, which will be mass produced in the first half of 2021, according to the note.

Kuo said roughly eight months ago that Apple has six mini-LED products in its pipeline planned to launch though the end of 2021. The products include a 12.9-inch ‌iPad Pro‌, a 27-inch iMac Pro, a 14.1-inch MacBook Pro, a 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌, a 10.2.-inch ‌‌iPad‌‌, and a 7.9-inch ‌‌‌iPad‌‌‌ mini.

However, Kuo has long predicted that a 12.9-inch ‌‌iPad Pro‌‌ with a fourth quarter 2021 launch timeframe would likely be Apple's first mini-LED product, so this latest development appears to suggest that the analyst's expectations have changed.

As we've outlined in our guide on mini-LED technology, the displays use on the order of 1,000 to 10,000 individual LEDs that offer a number of improvements over traditional LED-backlit displays, coming close to performance of OLED displays without some of the drawbacks of that technology.

With regards to ‌AirPods‌, the note reiterates Kuo's belief that Apple is working on third-generation AirPods that will go into mass production during the first half of 2021.

The new ‌‌AirPods‌‌ will adopt the System-in-Package used for the ‌AirPods Pro‌, replacing the rigid-flex PCB+SMT design of the second-generation ‌‌AirPods‌‌, and allowing for a form factor similar to the ‌AirPods Pro‌, featuring a shorter stem and replaceable ear tips.

The ‌AirPods‌ 3 are expected to be more affordable and will lack higher-end features like Active Noise Cancellation. Battery life could be improved, though, and Apple is working on a new wireless chip.

Kuo says Jialianyi will obtain component orders for the ‌AirPods‌ 3, which is expected to significantly contribute to the supplier's revenue and profit from the second quarter of 2020.

Kuo's note also mentions that Apple intends to expand its use of soft board technology in next year's "iPhone 13," which is expected to save space and reduce manufacturing costs, with Jialianyi again projected to benefit from the wider adoption.
Related Roundups: iPad Pro, AirPods, iPad Air

This article, "Kuo: Mini-LED iPad and AirPods 3 Coming First Half of 2021" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Menu Bar Controller App for Sonos Speakers Updated for macOS 11

German developer Alexander Heinrich today updated his popular Menu Bar Controller app for Sonos speakers connected to Mac, with a new design that mimics Apple's Control Center aesthetic in macOS 11 Big Sur.


The updated app retains all the features of the previous versions within the new layout, which shows the current playing song, its album cover, and larger buttons to interact with the queue.

A new slider has been added to integrate muting and changing the volume in one control button, while at the bottom of the main panel, users are able to quickly select the current Sonos group or room in their system.

In addition, the views for playing music on grouped speakers have been redesigned. For example, the Group view now clearly shows which song will play on the created group and which speakers are selected.

Lastly, a new set of configurable keyboard shortcuts allow users to quickly mute or pause the current playback.

Menu Bar Controller for Sonos costs $1.99 and can be downloaded from the Mac App Store. [Direct Link]
Tag: Sonos

This article, "Menu Bar Controller App for Sonos Speakers Updated for macOS 11" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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