Abolishing the police—or at the very least, significantly defunding them, to the point they are only a minimal presence in our communities—might sound like a radical and far-fetched solution to systemic police violence. Who would you call if someone stole your car or broke into your house? What if you were a victim of…
In an alternate universe, this might have been WWDC week in San Jose, but with the conference being converted to an online event kicking off June 22, we've still got a few more weeks to go.
This week's news in general was dominated by unrest following the death of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minneapolis, with prominent leaders and companies including Apple's Tim Cook sharing thoughts on the events and what they might mean for the future.
Otherwise, we saw a mix of news and rumors this, ranging from the release of the first beta of iOS 13.5.5 and similar updates for Apple's other platforms, rumors about future iPhone, iPad, and iPad Pro models, and a price increase for upgrading the RAM in the just-released entry-level 13-inch MacBook Pro.
Read on below and check out our video above for details on these stories and more from the past week.
Apple CEO Tim Cook on George Floyd's Death: We Must Aim Far Higher Than a 'Normal' Future
Cook said Apple remains committed to pushing progress forward on inclusion and diversity, bringing critical resources and technology to underserved school systems, and fighting environmental injustices like climate change, which disproportionally affects Black communities and other communities of color. Apple is also donating to organizations that challenge racial injustice and mass incarceration, including the Equal Justice Initiative.
A number of Apple Stores are temporarily closed in the United States as protests continue in many regions.
Apple Seeds First Beta of iOS and iPadOS 13.5.5 to Developers and Public Beta Testers
We haven't seen much in the way of visible changes in iOS 13.5.5 yet, but there have been some buried changes revealing Apple's work on Apple News+ audio content and a services bundle that's been rumored to include multiple Apple services like Apple TV+ and Apple Music for one monthly fee.
Apple Doubles the Price of RAM Upgrade on Entry-Level 13-Inch MacBook Pro
In a statement, Apple said the change is a "price correction" which puts the $200 RAM upgrade on par with similar upgrades for other Macs like the iMac and MacBook Air.
Next iPad Air Could Feature a USB-C Port Instead of a Lightning Port
There are tons of hidden features and shortcuts for Macs, ranging from shortcuts to keyboard commands to other little hacks. In one of our latest YouTube videos, we highlighted several of these tips and tricks, and some of them might just be new to you.
iPad Pro With A14X Chip, 5G, and Mini-LED Display Expected in First Half of 2021
While earlier rumors pointed towards a late 2020 refresh of the iPad Pro, it is looking increasingly likely that the device will not be updated until next year.
A spring 2021 refresh to the iPad Pro would make sense given that Apple just refreshed the device in March, although that was a relatively minor update. New features include an A12Z Bionic chip that is very similar to the A12X chip, an Ultra Wide camera that enables 0.5x zoom, a LiDAR Scanner for enhanced augmented reality, and better sounding microphones.
MacRumors Newsletter
Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.
Apple has included an ECG function in new Apple Watch models since 2018, providing users in select territories with the ability to measure the electrical activity of their heart. Apple now appears to be ready to extend the ECG feature to Brazil and Japan, based on recent government filings.
According to MacOtakara, Japan's Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA) recently updated its list of registered foreign manufacturers to include Apple as a "certified entity." Apple's inclusion in the list makes no mention of the ECG function, but it's more than likely that Apple's certification relates to the feature found in Apple Watch Series 4 and 5 models.
Apple was registered on March 25, 2020, which 9to5Mac notes was the same day the Brazilian government announced approval of Apple's ECG app. Apple will likely now issue an update to Apple Watch users in the two countries to enable the electrocardiogram feature and irregular heart notifications on their devices.
Apple routinely has to gain approval from government health agencies before marketing the Apple Watch's ECG feature in different countries. Apple won U.S. FDA clearance to promote the function when the Apple Watch Series 4 launched in 2018.
Saudi Arabia was the last country to gain ECG functionality and irregular heart rhythm notifications with the release of watchOS 6.2.5 in May.
