Apple News goes local in macOS Catalina 10.15.6 update

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macOS Catalina 10.15.6 isn’t the only operating system with Apple News local content.
Apple News curated local content debuted for Mac, iPad, and iPhone today.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Mac users can grab macOS Catalina 10.15.6 starting Wednesday. This update adds local coverage to Apple News in select areas. And this new version kills a few bugs, too.

Apple News gets curated local articles

Apple News already offers national and international news, but the release of macOS 10.15.6 brings a new curated local news experience currently available in San Francisco, the Bay Area, Houston, Los Angeles and New York. That includes a major newspaper in each city and region.

“Local news collections in Apple News include coverage of topics most important to local communities, such as sports, dining and restaurants, weather, news and politics, and more, with curation by local Apple News editors as well as personalization for each user,” Apple said in a statement.

This feature also debuted on Wednesday for iPhone in iOS 13.6, as well as the iPad equivalent.

All the changes in macOS Catalina 10.15.6

In addition to big changes, new versions almost always bring a shower of tweaks and bug fixes. Today’s includes an option for some MacBook users to improve battery life while streaming video. And makes mice and trackpads stop losing a connection.

The official changelog for this new Mac operating system update gives more details:

macOS Catalina 10.15.6 introduces local news in your Today feed in Apple News and improves the security and reliability of your Mac.

Apple News

    • Local news in your Today feed provides extensive coverage of San Francisco, the Bay Area, Los Angeles, Houston, and New York City
    • More stories available from local news providers with a subscription to Apple News+
    • Your daily newsletter from Apple News can now be personalized with stories that reflect your interests

This update also includes bug fixes and other improvements.

    • Adds a new option to optimize video streaming on HDR-compatible Mac notebooks for improved battery life
    • Fixes an issue where the computer name may change after installing a software update
    • Resolves an issue where certain USB mouse and trackpads may lose connection

You can install the macOS Catalina‌ 10.15.6 update through the System Preferences app by going to Software Update.

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