Originally published at: http://appletalk.com.au/2017/05/wednesday-morning-news310517/
Apple has announced Carpool Karaoke will be available to all Apple Music subscribers starting August 8. While that will likely mean a next-day release for us in a different timezone than the US, we’ll still be able to see different celebrities from music and pop culture paired up and singing tunes in a weekly series. There’s no indication of how many episodes will air in the series, but we might as well enjoy it while we can. You know, before the nuclear winter.
Shipping dates for 15-inch MacBook Pros have slipped to next week. Speculation says there’s the possibility that we’ll be getting updated models next week that will feature Intel’s new Kaby Lake processors, but I doubt a speed bump will be announced on-stage at WWDC. It’s much more likely that the store will be updated post-WWDC keynote, with the new MacBook Pros available once it comes back up.
Apple are making a podcast studio available for use during the week of WWDC. Podcasters can request a one-hour slot starting from 7am, with the studio said to be “fully outfitted” for podcasting and accommodating up to four people. Free tech support for the gear comes free, and podcasters will be provided a copy of their audio for post-production and distribution. Pretty cool of you, Apple.
Every year Apple does something a creative with the session names in the WWDC app, and this year’s app is no exception. The recently-updated WWDC app now has the same cryptic names for sessions as previous years, with TechCrunch saying that Apple “went full dad joke”. The updated WWDC app also has interactive maps of the venue, curated playlists of related videos, and you can even use it without signing into your developer account.
Evidently Apple’s lawsuit with Qualcomm has little bearing on the internal workings of both companies, with Qualcomm Engineering VP Esin Terzioglu joining Apple this week, working on the wireless SoC team following an 8-year stint at Qualcomm.
The latest renders of the upcoming iPhone keep the vertically-aligned dual camera lenses but forego any kind of rear-mounted Touch ID sensor. This design definitely feels like the most likely, with Apple probably implementing some kind of Touch ID embedded into the display, but with the expected unveiling still quite a few months away, we’ll have to wait and see.
It’s been a while since we’ve been excited about a new iPhone app, but Halide might just scratch that itch. Camera apps are a pretty popular category in the App Store, but Halide stands out by claiming to be a premium camera for the iPhone. A live histogram, ISO, and shutter speed controls keep you in control of the exposure, and there’s plenty of other great features.
There are plenty of frivolous iMessage apps, but what about ones that do something more than just offer sticker packs? From purchasing movie tickets to sending money, or even Microsoft’s Who’s In RSVP app for arranging meet-ups with friends, there are more than a few iMessage apps that offer real utility, and MacStories has the roundup.
There are a few new betas out, with the only new feature for the second developer beta of iOS 10.3.3 being new wallpapers for the iPad. There are also new betas for macOS Sierra 10.12.6, watchOS 3.2.3, and tvOS 10.2.2.
The latest vids for Apple’s switch to iPhone campaign focus on the security, contacts, and performance advantages of iPhones compared to their competitors. Check them out on Apple’s YouTube channel.