Apple Fitness+ Arriving with iOS 14.3 and watchOS 7.2?

Apple has said that its Fitness+ service will arrive by the end of this yearMacRumors reported that the iOS 14.3 and watchOS 7.2 betas (the latest of which was released Wednesday,) indicate the service could arrive alongside those updates.

The current watchOS 7.2 beta that was released this morning has a splash screen with what’s new, and Apple Fitness+ is listed as one of the features. The first iOS 14.3 beta also had an unfinished mention of Apple Fitness+ in the Analytics portion of the Privacy settings, but it has since been removed. Given that we’re expecting iOS 14.3 and watchOS 7.2 to come out right around the beginning of December, it matches up with Apple’s late 2020 launch timeline for Fitness+.

 

A Review of iPhone 12 Pro Max Photography

The developers behind camera app Halide examined the iPhone 12 Pro Max photography, as well as that of the iPhone 12 mini.

We had an advanced look at the Pro Max specs, but to recap, it has: A 47% larger sensor A faster ƒ/1.6 lens; A brand-new ‘sensor shift’ stabilization system for low-light; ISO sensitivity is 87% higher; A new telephoto lens, reaching a new length of 65mm (full-frame equivalent)

I’ve been under the impression that the iPhone 12 Pro also had the bigger sensor, but it sounds like it’s limited to the Pro Max. Now I’m sad.

Pandora’s Holiday Music Enhanced with Modes and Stats

Pandora announced on Wednesday its holiday shows with seasonal Modes and a Soundboard Study.

Pandora has enhanced two of its most popular holiday stations, Holiday Hits and Christmas Radio. Both stations now feature Modes, a popular feature that allows you to customize your station listening experience based on a musical theme. Whether you want to tune into favorites from Christmas past or present, instrumentals or ensembles, covers or duets, Pandora has a Mode for every warm holiday feel.

Credorax Adds Support for Apple Pay

Bank Credorax announced on Wednesday that it added support for Apple Pay to its payment method list.

Credorax reported that both methods may now be added to merchants’ accounts as payment options for their shoppers alongside the more than 150 global payment methods the platform offers.

First Developer Beta for macOS 11.1 Out Now

Apple has released the first developer beta of macOS Big Sur 11.1, AppleInsider reported. Those enrolled in the test program can download it via the Apple Developer Center. There is an over-the-air update for devices already running beta software.

The beta is the first since Apple released macOS Big Sur to the public on November 12, in the form of macOS 11.0.1. More than ten beta builds were released in the time between Big Sur’s announcement and its eventual release, and roughly two months after Apple issued public versions of other operating systems including iOS 14It is so far too early to determine what Apple has changed in the first beta, but it is likely to include some trial fixes for a range of launch issues.

LAPD Bans Commercial Facial Recognition Technology

The Los Angeles police department has banned the use of commercial facial recognition like Clearview AI by its officers.

The LAPD, the third-largest police department in the United States, issued a moratorium on the use of third-party facial recognition software on Nov. 13, after it was told that documents seen by BuzzFeed News showed more than 25 LAPD employees had performed nearly 475 searches using Clearview AI as of earlier this year. Department officials have made conflicting statements in the past about their use of facial recognition technology, including claims that they deploy it sparingly.

1Password 7.7 Supports Apple Watch Unlock, macOS Big Sur

1Password version 7.7 introduces support for macOS Big Sur and features like Apple Watch Unlock.

One of our most highly requested features, Apple Watch can now unlock 1Password on any Mac with a Secure Enclave. If you’re using macOS 10.15 or later and using the latest devices, you’ll now see an option in 1Password preferences to turn on Unlock with Apple Watch alongside the Touch ID option.

How Walk-in Closets Helped Get Ted Lasso on Apple TV+

COVID-19 restrictions have impacted huge swathes of the entertainment industry, and Apple TV+ is no different. In a fascinating interview with The Wrap, Ted Lasso supervising sound editor Brent Findley how he recorded Automated Dialogue Replacement (ADR) remotely.

Findley shipped professional recording equipment to members of the cast, and then from his home in Los Angeles, was taken on tours inside the residences of the mostly London-based cast, sleuthing for the best place to record.  “In doing ADR with actors normally, it’s only a voice relationship,” he said. “I’m in a studio and they’re in a studio. So this was actually a nice consolation prize amid the pandemic. Everybody got to wave and say hello to each other. And we all got comfortable with it pretty quickly because we were all stuck at home. It became, as it did for a lot of people, an outlet to socialize.” Over the spring and summer, Findley recorded the dialogue of 42 different actors. Across the spectrum, one thing proved to be universally true about the experience: There is one room in the home most rewarding as a mock studio. “A walk-in closet is the best homemade vocal booth that exists,” he said pointedly.