Beautifully animated video by Apple on App Tracking Transparency, which launched today alongside iOS 14.5.
See also: Joanna Stern’s interview for The Wall Street Journal with Apple’s Craig Federighi.
“Your Information Is for Sale. You Have Become the Product.”→
iOS and iPadOS 14.5: The MacStories Overview
Apple today released version 14.5 of iOS and iPadOS, a substantial update to the operating system for iPhone and iPad that debuted in September and introduced features such as Home Screen widgets, multi-column app layouts on iPad, compact UI, a redesigned Music app, and more.
Version 14.5 is the biggest – or, at the very least, most interesting – update to iOS and iPadOS we’ve seen in the 14.0 release cycle to date. That’s not to say previous iterations of iOS and iPadOS 14 were low on new features and refinements – it’s quite the opposite, in fact. Perhaps the pandemic and Apple’s work-from-home setup played a role in the company spreading new iOS functionalities across multiple releases throughout 2020 and the first half of 2021, but, regardless of the underlying reason, iOS and iPadOS 14 have evolved considerably since their public launch six months ago.
With iOS 14.2, Apple shipped the traditional “emoji update”, but was also able to include a redesigned AirPlay interface, face detection in AR, and a brand new Shazam integration in Control Center; with iOS 14.3, the company rolled out its new ProRAW photography API alongside support for the Fitness+ service, App Clip codes, and the ability to launch apps directly from Home Screen shortcuts; version 14.4, released earlier this year, saw the arrival of proximity-based music handoff for iPhone and HomePod mini alongside new options for Bluetooth settings and other performance improvements.
It’s difficult to tell whether some of these features were originally planned for a September release and got delayed because of the pandemic1, or how many of these are Apple’s response to user feedback following the release of iOS and iPadOS 14, but one thing’s for sure: Apple hasn’t stood still over the past few months, and today’s iOS and iPadOS 14.5 are continuing the trend of major iOS and iPadOS updates released ahead of WWDC.
Let’s dive in.
iOS and iPadOS 14.5 In Depth
Federico
John
AppStories Episode 215 - iOS and iPadOS 14.5 In Depth
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This week, Federico and John take an in-depth look at everything coming later this week with iOS and iPadOS 14.5, which will be the subject of a comprehensive review by Federico on MacStories.
Apple Increases Planned US Investment by 20 Percent over Five Years, and Will Build a North Carolina Campus
Apple announced today that it has increased its planned investment in the US over the next five years. The company had previously set a goal in 2018 of investing $350 billion but is now planning on spending $430 billion and adding 20,000 new jobs in the US, a 20% increase over the previous goal.
At the center of Apple’s revised plans is a new campus that it will build in the Research Triangle area of Raleigh-Durham, which will create at least 3,000 jobs. The company is also setting aside $100 million to support local schools and other community initiatives.
In addition to the North Carolina campus, Apple has committed to creating 20,000 new US-based jobs over the next five years. According to the company’s press release, those jobs will be located in California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Texas, Washington, and Iowa. Apple’s plan to spend $430 billion in the US also includes increased spending with more than 9,000 manufacturers and suppliers in all 50 states. Finally, the company plans to continue its investment in clean energy initiates across the US, including a new solar storage facility in Monterey County, California.
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MacStories Unwind: Apple’s Spring iPad Pro and iMac Event, Bartender 4, and Microsoft Xbox Cloud Gaming
Sponsored by: Boom 3D – Experience Immersive Audio on Your Mac
This week on MacStories Unwind:
MacStories
- Bartender 4.0 Offers Powerful New Control Over Your Mac’s Menu Bar Apps
- New iPad Pros Announced with the M1 Chipset, Thunderbolt, 5G, New Cameras, and a Liquid Retina XDR Display on the 12.9” Model
- ‘The iPad Pro Is a Killer Machine but its Software Is Killing Me’
- Apple Shows Off New M1 iMacs in Beautiful, Vibrant Colors
- How to Enjoy the New iMac Hello Screen Saver on Any M1 Mac
- Apple Music Editorial Content Is Coming to Apple News
- Apple Reveals AirTags for Tracking Personal Items Using Its Find My Network
- AirTag Review Roundup
- ‘How Apple Designed AirTags to Be Privacy-First and Stalker-Proof’
- Apple Announces Apple Podcasts Subscriptions
- Apple Updates the Apple TV 4K with a New Siri Remote, Enhanced Video Support, and Color Calibration Tools
- Apple Announces Apple Card Family
- Apple Introduces New Spring iPhone 12 Finishes and Accessory Colors
- Microsoft’s Xbox Cloud Gaming Beta Launches on the Mac, PC, iPhones, and iPads
- Microsoft to Begin Beta Testing Xbox Cloud Gaming on the iPhone and iPad
- Apple’s April 2021 Event: All the Little Things
- Apple’s April 20, 2021 Keynote: By the Numbers
- Replay Apple’s April 20, 2021 Keynote and Other Videos
- Apple Marks Earth Day 2021 with a Focus on Environmental Justice, Curated Content, and an Apple Watch Challenge
Club MacStories
- MacStories Weekly
- Federico recommends Mailbrew
- John’s collection of favorite event moments
- Interview with Stephen Hackett about new iMacs
- MacStories Unplugged – Viva L’Umarell: John discovers a hyper-niche Italian subcultures and a discussion of American suburbia leads to a very Federico story.
AppStories
Unwind
- John’s Joint Pick:
Apple’s New Siri Remote Lacks Motion Control Sensors Required by Some Apple TV Games→
Jon Porter of The Verge rounds up recent discoveries about the new Apple TV 4K’s Siri Remote. First reported by Digital Trends, the new Siri Remote lacks an accelerometer and gyroscope. As Porter explains:
The change means that the new Siri Remote won’t work with certain Apple TV games that rely on motion controls. According to code in tvOS 14.5 seen by MacRumors, trying to play an incompatible game will lead to the following error message: “To play this game on your Apple TV, you need to connect the Apple TV Remote (1st generation) or a compatible PlayStation, Xbox or MFi controller.”
On one level, the omission of the sensors in the new Siri Remote is surprising because it comes hard on the heels of an expansion of Apple Arcade’s offerings on all platforms, including the Apple TV. Still, the original Siri Remote was never a good game controller. The button layout and diminutive size made it a poor substitute for a traditional game controller. The new Siri Remote is a little bigger than the former version, but I don’t expect it would work any better as a controller.
With support for Microsoft and Sony controllers available since tvOS 13 and the addition of support for current-generation console controllers in tvOS 14.5, Apple has clearly made the decision that a purpose-built controller provides a better gaming experience. I just wish Apple would consider making its own controller with a fast, low latency connection like AirPods, which benefits from Apple’s proprietary technology layer that sits on top of Bluetooth.
MacStories Weekly: Issue 269
This week, in addition to the usual links, app debuts, and recap of MacStories' articles and podcasts:
AppStories, Episode 214 – Music Part 3: Alternative and Companion Streaming Services→
This week on AppStories, we conclude our music miniseries with an episode dedicated to alternative and companion streaming services after checking in on Federico’s early experiments with an extensible text editor.
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