Some AV receivers from Denon and Marantz now support AirPlay 2 thanks to new firmware updates.
Apple Redesigns Apple Store App with New Search Features
Apple released Apple Store 5.1 for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch on Thursday with a redesigned interface that supports voice-based product searches.
Netflix gets New Interface with Sidebar
If you think finding what you want to watch on Netflix is a little cumbersome, you aren’t alone. Netflix gets it, too, so they’re redesigning the user interface across devices. Soon you’ll have a sidebar that breaks out TV shows and movies, saves you from scrolling through genres just to get to your own viewing list, and more. They say the new interface is simpler and more intuitive. It’s rolling out now, so you should get it soon on your iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV.
Fantastical 2.5 for the Mac Adds Meetup Support
Flexibits rolled out Fantastical 2.5 for the Mac on Wednesday with Meetup support so you can see the events in your groups.
macOS Mojave 10.14 Developer Beta 3 gets Minor Update
Apple released a minor update for macOS Mojave 10.14 Developer Beta 3. The most obvious change is the build number, going from 18A32g to 18A32h.
Apple Releases iTunes 12.8 with AirPlay 2 Support
Along with macOS High Sierra 10.13.6, Apple released iTunes 12.8 with AirPlay 2 support.
macOS High Sierra 10.13.6 gets AirPlay 2 Support
Apple released macOS High Sierra 10.13.6 on Monday, adding support for AirPlay 2. The update lets you play music through paired HomePods as well as multiple AirPlay 2-capable devices via iTunes.
How to Install macOS Mojave System Updates
In macOS High Sierra and earlier operating system updates show up in the Updates tab in the App Store, but not so in macOS Mojave.
Fortnite Adds Practice Mode So You Don't Have to Die Right Away
Fortnite is amazingly popular battle royale shooter game, but horribly frustrating for new players because it’s far too easy for new players to die before they really get started. Epic Games fixed that with a new version 4.5 update that adds a multi-player practice mode where you get an hour of play time to learn the ropes. You can build structures, practice with weapons, and more. The update also adds double pistols, a thermal scope assault rifle, stink bombs, and more weapons. Fortnite is a free download on Apple’s App Store.
GarageBand 10.3 Makes Artis Lessons Fee, Adds New Loops
Apple released GarageBand 10.3 for the Mac on Thursday with free Artist Lessons. The update for the music creation and editing app also includes new loops and new drummers.
How We Aren't Using Smart Speakers, John's Hopes for New Macs - TMO Daily Observations 2018-06-19
Andrew Orr and John Martellaro join Jeff Gamet to discuss a report that says almost no one with a smart speaker uses it to control smart home devices, plus John explains why he thinks Apple is ready to release new Mac models.
iMazing Adds iOS 12 Beta Backup Support
Good news, iOS developers. iMazing 2.6.1 is out and it includes support for iOS 12 beta. That means you can back up the data and apps on your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch test devices and restore to an earlier state if something goes wrong. It also means iMazing is already good to go when the public betas start rolling out. iMazing is priced at US$39.99 and the update is free.
macOS Mojave Moves Software Updates From Mac App Store to System Preferences
Apple is splitting up system and app updates in macOS Mojave. Mojave’s new Mac App Store will display updates for apps only, while system and security updates will be available in a new pane in System Preferences, a change that mirrors how updates are handled in iOS.
Apple Releases macOS High Sierra 10.13.5 with Messages in iCloud Support
Apple released macOS High Sierra 10.13.5 on Thursday, two days after rolling out iOS 11.4, tvOS 11.4, and HomePod 11.4. The update adds Messages in iCloud support, which was introduced earlier this week for the iPhone and iPad.
iTunes 12.7.5 Released with Minor Improvements
Apple released iTunes 12.7.5 for the Mac on Tuesday following the release of iOS 11.4, HomePod 11.4, and watchOS 4.3.1. The release notes note only “minor app and performance improvements.”
watchOS 4.3.1 Available with watchOS 1 Warnings
Apple released watchOS 4.3.1 for the Apple Watch on Tuesday. The update is mostly bug fixes, and also adds a warning when users launch apps compiled for watchOS 1.
tvOS 11.4 Update Adds AirPlay 2 Support to Apple TV
Rounding out Apple’s AirPlay 2 update trifecta is tvOS 11.4. The update adds support for AirPlay 2, and lets you use target speakers with your AirPlay setup.
Canary Home Camera Gets New Away Alert Controls
The Canary home monitoring camera app for the iPhone just got more useful because it adds the ability to limit motion recording and alerts to just people.
tvOS 11.3 Adds Content Filtering for Apple TV, Apple TV 4K
Apple released tvOS 11.3 for the Apple TV and Apple TV 4K on Thursday. The update adds new ratings-based content filtering options, along with more transparent privacy information.
watchOS 4.3 Available with HomePod Controls, More
Apple released watchOS 4.3 on Thursday with support for controlling HomePod playback and volume from your Apple Watch, as well as adding back the ability to control iPhone music playback from your wrist.
