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This week’s top stories: New 13-inch MacBook Pro, iOS 13.5 changes, Apple Store reopenings, more

Chance Miller | May 10 2020 - 7:34 am PT

In this week’s top stories: Apple releases a new 13-inch MacBook Pro, iOS 13.5 beta testing continues, additional details on Apple and Google’s Exposure Notification API, and more. Read on for all of this week’s biggest news.

Apple this week announced a new 13-inch MacBook Pro, completing its rollout of the new Magic Keyboard. The 13-inch MacBook Pro can now be specced to feature tenth-generation quad-core Intel CPUs, and offers 16 GB RAM as standard on certain models for the first time. Apple says the new processors are up to 2.8x faster than what was previously offered in the 13-inch MacBook Pro.

The new MacBook Pro starts at $1299, but you’ll have to spring for the $1799 model if you want the most powerful Intel processors.

We finally learned more about Apple’s plans for WWDC 2020 this week. While we already knew the event would be virutal, Apple announced this week that the festivities will kick off on June 22, and that developers will be able to follow along in the Apple Developer app or website.

Elsewhere, Sonos unveiled a trio of new products this week: a new Arc premium home theater soundbar with Dolby Atmos and AirPlay 2, a new Sonos Five to replace the Play:5, and a new Sub. You can read our full roundup of the announcements here.

On Wednesday, Apple released iOS 13.5 beta 4 to developers and a new beta of public beta users as well. This update revises the Exposure Notification API interface in the Settings app, making it explicit that the feature is opt-in and requires an app from a public health authority.

Apple also announced this week that iOS 13.5 and watchOS 6.2.5 will include a new feature for the Emergency SOS functionality, essentially combining it with the Medical ID feature. What this means is that starting later this month, customers can opt in to a new Emergency SOS feature that automatically shares Medical ID information with emergency services.

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

iOS | tvOS |

iPhone |

Apple Watch |

Mac |

Apps |

COVID-19 |

Apple TV, HomeKit, and HomePod |

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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 #22 |

Zac and Rahul talk quarantine goals, Tempo for Apple Watch, the all-new Activity Stats app for iPhone, and the upcoming 9to5Mac Watch Time virtual 5K in June.

Sponsored by:

Monowear Design: Check out the latest collections of premium bands and accessories for the Apple Watch from Monowear.
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.

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 276 |

Benjamin explains a recent Facebook bug, iOS 13.5 beta 4 brings changes to Exposure Notification, Apple unveils WWDC 2020 dates, 13-inch MacBook Pro switches to Magic Keyboard, Zac recaps recent HomeKit updates, Apple TV+ reaches half a year, and much more.

Sponsored by:

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.
Sponsored by Bitrise: iOS Continuous Integration and Delivery for building better applications, faster. Sign up for free and learn more here.
Sponsored by ExpressVPN: Take back your Internet privacy today and get 3 months free with a 1-year package at ExpressVPN.com/HappyHour.
Sponsored by Sun Basket: Save $35 off your order when you go to sunbasket.com/happyhour and use promo code happyhour.

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 082 |

John automates the deployment of his website, which just celebrated its third birthday (or is it “anniversary”?), Rambo is about to launch a new app, and the two go on a deep dive into the iOS 13.5 beta and Apple + Google’s “Exposure notification” system for tracking the spread of COVID-19.

Sponsored by Bitrise: iOS Continuous Integration and Delivery for building better applications, faster. Sign up for free and learn more here.

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 Shane Moore from Bitglass to talk about the security risks of the move to cloud applications. Even if you are securing the authentication process, there is still more to consider for IT managers when it comes to creating a security environment in cloud services.

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.