Apple seeded the release candidates for iOS 16.4 and macOS Ventura 13.3 to developers on Tuesday, signaling that beta testing for these upcoming operating systems is almost over. The same is true for the release candidates for iPadOS 16.4, watchOS 9.4 and tvOS 16.4.
These will usher in new emoji, a better way for devs to work with betas, and other changes.
The Apple TV app for macOS is reportedly about to get a redesign that includes a left sidebar. That will apparently make it nearly identical to the iPad version.
The update might debut in macOS Ventura 13.3, which is currently in beta.
Apple finally seeded to developers iOS 16.4 beta 1 and macOS 13.3 beta 1 on Thursday, followed by releasing public beta versions on Friday. The same goes for the initial betas of iPadOS 16.4, watchOS 9.4 and tvOS 16.4.
The wait for new betas has been much longer than usual. The last round of new prerelease versions was in mid-January.
The new betas bring in a collection of new emoji, an improvement for Apple Pencil, a better way for devs to work with betas, and more changes.
There are bug fix updates for every type of Apple device out Monday, including Mac and iPhone. Safe to say, if it has an Apple operating system, there’s an update. Don’t go looking for new features though. These are bug fix updates, including tweaks to iCloud, Siri and Crash Detection.
Nevertheless, the new versions are recommended for all users.
Claims that Apple is phoning home to analyze every image on your Mac have been proven false. Jeffrey Paul, security researcher and consultant, claimed early last week that his Mac was sending small bits of data to Apple every time he clicked on an image on his computer.
After Paul’s claims caused a bit of a stir, researchers got to the bottom of what was actually happening. Not only did they conclude the network activity was innocent — it was caused by a bug that’s already been patched in the latest macOS update.
Apple said Tuesday the App Store is undergoing “the most comprehensive upgrade to pricing capabilities” since its launch, allowing prices to be set as low as 29 cents and as high as $10,000.
It will start offering developers 700 new price points to apply to the apps they sell, plus new tools to make international selling easier to manage.
A second round of ‘Rapid Security Response’ bug patches for the iOS 16.2 and iPadOS 16.2 betas were seeded to developers and other beta testers on Monday. At this point, Apple is testing the system for distributing these by releasing them for beta versions of the operating systems.
Once testing is over, these will allow Apple to fix security problems without releasing a full OS update.
This post on restoring corrupted video files is presented by Wondershare.
Finding out your videos got corrupted is a drag. It can happen for a variety of reasons, but the result is usually that you can’t enjoy the video. That is, unless you can fix it.
Wondershare Repairit is an easy-to-use app that can quickly fix damaged video files on your Mac or PC. Find out more about it, and see how to use the software to fix corrupted MP4 files, below.
Your Mac can automatically make copies of your files with Time Machine, software built into macOS. A new video walks anyone unfamiliar with the feature through the setup process.
Using Time Machine is highly recommended. Macs don’t fail often, but when they do it can be a disaster for the user if they don’t have backups of their important files.
If your Mac is still running macOS 11, there’s a software update you need. Apple released macOS Big Sur 11.6.7 to fix an email bug that prevents email applications from opening attachments.
The new version is available to download now.
Mac is not the preferred platform for most gamers, but Metal 3 in macOS Ventura shows Apple hasn’t given up. And iPadOS 16 is getting support for a wider range of game controllers.
These are just a couple of gaming features Apple is bringing to Mac and iPad.
This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: With WWDC22 coming next week, it’s time for last-minute predictions about what Apple will hit us with. The next-gen versions of iOS, macOS, iPadOS and watchOS are a given. But what about an AR/VR headset or the realityOS it supposedly will run on? A new MacBook Air with an M2 chip?
It’s time to talk turkey about Monday’s big keynote.
Also on The CultCast:
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One of Apple’s biggest events is right around the corner. This year’s Worldwide Developers Conference keynote promises to deliver our first look at the company’s next-generation software updates for iPhone, iPad, Mac and more. And it’s all happening on June 6.
Just like past WWDC keynotes, this year’s will be streaming online, so you’ll be able to watch it in its entirety as it all unfolds. Here’s how.
Update: The WWDC22 keynote is behind us, but if you want to get caught up you can watch the whole presentation on YouTube. Or check Cult of Mac‘s in-depth coverage.
We’re less than a week away from WWDC22, but it’s not too late to take a look ahead to the unveiling of iOS 16, macOS 13, iPadOS 16 and watchOS 9. As always, these operating system upgrades are expected to be the highlights of Apple’s annual developer conference.
Some details about them already leaked out, though. Here’s a foretaste of WWDC22.
WWDC Bingo is back ahead of next week’s Apple Worldwide Developers Conference. The crew behind the Flighty flight-tracking app put together the contest, which doubles as a survey about what participants expect during Monday’s WWDC22 keynote.
Unlike your granddad’s bingo, where something like five correct numbers in a row constitutes a win, WWDC Bingo serves up 74 possible outcomes to vote on. Contestants strive to achieve the highest percentage of correct answers.
And both the biggest winner and the biggest loser get prizes, sort of.
Apple seeded the first betas of iOS 15.6 and macOS 12.5 to developers on Wednesday, even though their replacements will be announced in less than a month. iOS 16 and macOS 13 will surely be unveiled at the WWDC developers conference in early June, but work on their predecessors goes on.
Developers were also given access to iPadOS 15.6 beta 1, watchOS 8.7 beta 1 and tvOS 15.6 beta 1.
Apple offered several new features for its Podcasts app Monday. They include downloaded episode controls, annual subscription plans, partnerships with third-party hosting platforms and more.
There’s something for both podcast creators as well as listeners in the updates, with some changes available in imminent OS updates and others slated to become available in the fall, Cupertino said.
Apple released software upgrades for all its computers Monday. After finishing weeks of beta testing, macOS Monterey 12.4, iOS 15.5, iPadOS 15.5, watchOS 8.6 and tvOS 15.5 are available for anyone to download.
Many of them include an update to the Podcasts application to keep it from taking up too much storage space. And the webcam in the recently released Apple Studio Display will work better after a firmware update.
Apple gave both developers and the public access to the release candidates of macOS Monterey 12.4 and iOS 15.5 on Thursday. The iPadOS 15.5 Release Candidate also went out, as did the watchOS 8.6 RC and tvOS 15.5 RC. That’s the final step before introducing them to the public.
Aside from long-overdue improvements to the Studio Display webcam in macOS, all these are really just minor tweaks. But that’s not surprising considering Apple is expected to unveil the next major upgrades for the OSs at WWDC22 in early June.
Apple built a fix for the webcam quality issues on its new Studio Display into macOS 12.4, which is in beta testing. This will fulfill Apple’s promise to improve the look of video conferencing done with the camera.
Early tests with the pre-release software show definite improvements.
Core is a free tool for creating games that runs on Unreal Engine, which is only available on PC. But as part of its one-year anniversary, developer Manticore Games said Friday that Core is coming to macOS and iOS in summer 2022.
When Mac, iPhone and iPad get Core, gamers will be able to cross-play between versions with Windows gamers, Manticore said. And developers can start playing with Core for iOS on Friday.
After a three-week hiatus, Apple seeded to developers beta versions of all its operating systems on Tuesday. That includes macOS Monterey 12.4, iOS 15.5 and more. On Wednesday, the public was also given the option to test these.
These pre-release versions for iPhone, Mac, iPad, Apple Watch, etc. first came out on the same day Apple announced the date for its WWDC Developers Conference. Beta testing for the five just-released OS versions is expected to end around the same time as the conference.
It’s now been three weeks since any Apple operating system was in public beta testing. It seems work has stopped on significant updates to iOS 15, macOS Monterey and the other OSs.
And that’s a good thing. Here’s why.
Apple introduced bug fix updates for every one of its operating systems on Thursday. These updates should improve the battery life on iPhone and iPad. And for Mac users, the new version fixes well-publicized bugs recently introduced by macOS 12.3.
However, there are no new features in macOS Monterey 12.3.1, iOS 15.4.1, iPadOS 15.4.1, watchOS 8.5.1 and tvOS 15.4.1 — Apple just fixed small problems. All five updates are available to download immediately.
iTunes has become a slow and bloated mess over the years — which is why it no longer exists on Mac. But for those who are stuck with Windows, suffering iTunes is necessary if you want to enjoy Apple Music. Or is it?
There are other ways to take advantage of your Apple Music subscription on third-party machines. You could use the web app in a browser of your choice, or you could download Cider, a new and far greater iTunes alternative.
Cider, which is also available on Mac if you aren’t happy with the default Music app, offers a clean and simple user interface and almost all of the features we’ve come to expect from Apple’s streaming service — plus extras.