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This week’s top stories: Apple acquires Dark Sky, new iOS 14 features, iPhone 9 is imminent, more

Chance Miller | Apr 5 2020 - 5:39 am PT

In this week’s top stories: iPhone 9 rumors continue, iOS 14 features, Apple acquires Dark Sky, and a hands-on look at a powerful CarPlay accessory. Read on for all of this week’s biggest news.

One of the most surprising announcements this week was that Apple has acquired the hyperlocal weather app Dark Sky. Dark Sky announced the acquisition in a blog post and explained that the app for iPhone and iPad is still available and there will be no changes at this time. The Android app, however, will stop working in July and the Dark API will shut down in December of 2021.

Apple this week began beta testing of iOS 13.4.5. The update focuses primarily on bug fixes and performance improvements, but there are a few things worth noting. The update includes a new feature for the Music app that makes it easy to share a song to Instagram and Facebook Stories. The update also corroborates details of the upcoming iPhone 9 and CarKey.

Speaking of iPhone 9, 9to5Mac learned this week that Apple’s release of the device is imminent. The iPhone 9 will be available in black, white, and PRODUCT(RED) in configurations of 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB.

Elsewhere, iOS 14 code has revealed an updated Activity rings system for the Apple Watch’s expected kids mode feature. This would change the move ring so it now longer focused on calories, instead emphasizing how long a child is moving throughout the day.

iOS 14 code also suggests that Apple is working on new features for the iCloud Keychain password manager. These features would enable support for two-factor authentication codes as well as increased awareness of when someone reuses a password across multiple websites.

Finally, iOS 14 code also indicates apparent support for Home screen widgets. Read our full coverage here to learn more.

9to5Mac’s Zac Hall took a close look at an adapter that turns standard CarPlay into Wireless CarPlay, concluding that “somehow it actually works.” Check out his full hands-on review here.

These and the rest of this week’s top stories below.

iOS | tvOS |

iPhone |

Apple Watch |

iPad |

Mac |

Apps |

COVID-19 |

HomeKit |

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This week’s top videos |

9to5Mac Daily |

Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from 9to5Mac. 9to5Mac Daily is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

9to5Mac Watch Time episode #18 |

Shawn Dorsey is an Apple Watch Warrior in every sense of the word. After the former analog watch collector was gifted the original Apple Watch years ago, he’s found new ways to use the iPhone and Apple Watch to systematically improve his full body workouts. The best part is how open Shawn is with sharing his workouts throughout the week. He’s a continuous source of motivation for me, and hopefully now you as well.

Bonus Watch Time episode: Adapting daily routines during the health pandemic

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9to5Mac Watch Time is a podcast series hosted by Zac Hall. In this series, we talk to real people about how the Apple Watch is affecting their lives. 9to5Mac Watch Time is available on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, and your favorite podcast player through RSS.

Happy Hour Podcast #271 |

Benjamin and Zac unpack the week of news including more features coming to iOS 14 and watchOS 7, Siri for Spotify on Apple Watch, Apple’s COVID-19 app, the Amazon Prime Video App Store situation, new AirTag leaks, Apple buying Dark Sky, breaking 2020 iPhone SE news, and much more.

Sponsored by:

SaneBox: The easiest way to get your email under control and hit inbox zero. Get a free two-week free trial and a $25 credit at sanebox.com/9to5mac.
Pillow: Pillow is an all-in-one sleep tracking solution to help you get a better night’s sleep. Download it from the App Store today.
LinkedIn Jobs: Go to LinkedIn.com/HAPPYHOUR and get $50 OFF toward your first job post!

9to5Mac Happy Hour is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play Music, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

Stacktrace Podcast 077 |

Deciding when to rewrite a piece of code, what makes Combine such a great way to do reactive programming in Swift, and the final part of our indie app development special series. Also, tips for coding beginners, Indie Support Weeks, and much more.

Sponsored by:

Setapp: Try Setapp with over 170+ Mac apps completely free for the first week

Stacktrace by 9to5Mac is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

Apple @ Work Podcast |

In this episode of the Apple @ Work podcast, Bradley is joined by Joel Rennich to discuss the FIDO Alliance and the future of password management for the enterprise and consumers.

Apple @ Work Podcast is brought to you by Jamf, the standard for Apple in the enterprise. Learn more at Jamf.com/9to5mac.

Stacktrace by 9to5Mac is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players. .

Apple @ Work and Making the Grade |

Apple @ Work is a weekly series from Bradley Chambers covering Apple in education. Bradley has been managing Apple devices in an education environment since 2009. Through his experience deploying and managing hundreds of Macs and hundreds of iPads, Bradley will highlight ways in which Apple’s products work at scale, stories from the trenches of IT management, and ways Apple could improve its products for students.