Apple is planting its own flag in the streaming wars with Apple TV+, its in-house streaming service that focuses almost entirely on original programming rather than an extensive library of existing TV shows or movies.

Though the service has been available less than a year and and doesn’t yet have a lot of shows or films available, there’s a lot in the works. This is a list of all the Apple TV+ content we know of so far, along with details about prominent stars, directors, producers, and release dates.

Updated 08/11/20: Apple has announced that its espionage thriller Tehran will premiere on September 25. The eight-episode series will have three episodes available on that date, with the other five episodes dropping weekly.

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In macOS 11 Big Sur for MacBooks, Apple replaced the Energy Saver system preference with a new one called Battery. Let’s take a look at Battery and the options you can set.

Usage History

The first section of Battery is Usage History. This shows two charts: a Battery Level chart and a Screen On Usage. You can see data from the past 24 hours or the past 10 days.

Apple Battery

The Battery section has options you might be familiar with from the Energy Saver system preference in previous versions of macOS. Here you can:

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Long time readers of this furry pontificator might have noticed something strange in last week’s column. Last week the Macalope approvingly linked to a piece on the Forbes contributor network. Needless to say, this caused a certain amount of consternation.

So, let us return to the subject of the Forbes contributor network and bag of live eels dinner delivery service (motto: “If your eels aren’t delivered live, we’ve pivoted to being a bag of dead eels dinner delivery service”).

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Today's baby monitors are more capable—and more complex—than ever. Here's how to find the right one, so you and your baby can get some sleep.

AI detection watches for newborn sleep risks such as rollovers, back sleeping, and a covered head.

Apple on Monday announced that the public beta of watchOS 7 is now available. The public beta is a pre-release version of the next Apple Watch operating system, which will be officially released this fall. The public beta gives users who are willing to try out beta software a chance to use the upcoming features of watchOS and the Apple Watch.

If you think you’re interested in installing the watchOS 7 beta, you should know that there are still bugs and other quirks being worked out. You can provide valuable feedback to Apple while using the beta, but you may also run into problems that could hinder your ability to use your Apple Watch.

You can get the details of the new features in our watchOS 7 FAQ. Here’s a quick feature summary.

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It’s not just the iPhone and the Mac that are getting sweet new features in the fall. Apple also unveiled the newest watchOS features that are coming to the Apple Watch, and there are some major changes in store. Here’s everything we know so far.

The latest: watchOS 7 Public Beta now available

Apple has opened up the Public Beta Software Program for watchOS 7. If you are interested in installing the beta, you have to sign up at the Apple Beta Software Program website, using the iPhone associated with your Apple Watch. We have a seaprate article that details the beta and how to get it.

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Samsung has removed the AKG headphones from the Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra box—and now that Apple rumor doesn't seem so crazy.

August tends to be right in the middle of the summer doldrums, the time when everybody goes on vacation and thus news—including tech announcements—are few and far between. Then again, 2020 isn’t your average year, so perhaps it’s not a shock that this week saw a departure from the norm with Apple announcing a surprisingly substantial update to the iMac.

My colleague Jason Snell has already expounded upon what the revamp to Apple’s popular desktop means for the future of that product, but I think it’s worth it to take a moment and see what we can extrapolate from this update and learn about the future of Apple’s other devices. Apple is no stranger to introducing updates in one device that eventually migrate to the rest of its lineup, even from the Mac to the iPhone and iPad and vice versa, and this iMac update is certainly no exception.

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With macOS 11 Big Sur, Apple redesigned Notification Center. It is now a single column of notifications and widgets to provide quick information with just a click. Let’s take a look at the new Notification Center, and how you can customize it to your liking.

In macOS Big Sur, Notification Center is accessed by clicking on the date in the menu bar, located in the upper right of the screen. There is no longer a Notification Center icon.

Notifications

Notifications appear at the top of Notification Center. If you click on a notification, it will take you to the corresponding app. For example, if you click on a Messages notification, the Messages app opens.

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Its arsenal of virtual 3D modes is impressive, but without Wi-Fi, the HT-G700 is missing a bevy of key features given its price tag.

Whenever Samsung launches a new phone, Apple fans tend to notice. It’s not just that Samsung is one of the biggest Android phone makers or even that its designs tend to be among the closest to Apple’s, it’s that Samsung’s flagship Galaxy phones are really, really good. They have the latest processors, displays, and cameras, and the innovative trends that we see in the latest Galaxy S or Note phone generally make their way to the iPhone.

So it is only natural to compare them. The Galaxy Note 20 that was revealed earlier this week costs the same as the iPhone 11 Pro (a dollar more, to be exact), so you’d think it would trounce it, right? Not so much. Samsung has cut corners and sacrificed features to keep the Note 20 “affordable” compared to the $1,299 Galaxy Note S20 Ultra, so even an 11-month-old iPhone can hold its own. But which one should an unbiased consumer buy?

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Apple Arcade is here, and you can play some of the subscription service’s many games with select models of Xbox One and PlayStation 4 controllers as well as Mfi (Made for iOS) controllers like the SteelSeries Nimbus+.

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Apple’s new Apple Arcade subscription-based gaming service is basically Apple’s way of helping customers sort through the chaff in the App Store, as the highly curated service features premium games that are untainted by in-app purchases and ads. If all goes well, it could elevate the perception of mobile gaming in general.

Got questions? We've got plenty of answers. 

Updated 08/07/20: AddedGame of Thrones: Tale of Crows to the list of available games. 

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The iMac is a direct descendant of the very first Mac, and it’s often the computer that longtime users think about when they think about the Macintosh. The iMac’s all-in-one design is popular and iconic.

The iMac is great for both novices and demanding users. It can handle general-purpose and heavy-duty tasks equally well. It’s ideal for someone who needs to buy a complete computer setup (keyboard, mouse or trackpad, and display) and wants to maximize workspace efficiency.

If you’re in the market for an iMac, this guide will help you make the right choice. Apple has three versions of the iMac: the standard iMac, the iMac with Retina display, and the iMac Pro.

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On September 15, Microsoft will make its “Project xCloud” service to stream Xbox games available to the public. Provided that public owns an Android device.

Anyone with a Game Pass Ultimate subscription will get to stream over 100 games from the cloud, using their Xbox login credentials and cloud saves. But there won’t be an app for your iPhone or iPad, because Apple doesn’t want people playing games unless they get a cut.

Apple’s flimsy excuse

Why won’t Apple allow Xbox game streaming (or Google’s Stadia, or GeForce Now)? The company gave Business Insider its official reason:

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Google has settled a class-action lawsuit over the Google+ data breach, and you might be able to claim some of the $7.5 million in payments.

Apple announced iMac updates earlier this week. Should you buy an iMac when Apple silicon is on the horizon? There’s also a major change in Apple leadership that we’ll talk about on this episode of the Macworld Podcast.

This is episode 708 with Jason Cross and Roman Loyola. (Editor's note: The inital upload of this episode had an editing error. It was fixed and reposted.)

Listen to episode 708

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Apple added Activation Lock several years ago to its iPhones as a theft deterrent, partly at the request of users and partly because law enforcement insisted it would reduce the incentive for grab-and-run theft. The idea was that even if an iPhone were stolen and wiped, the device would refuse to allow a new installation without the Apple ID and password for the account that originally registered it being available to unlock it.

Activation Lock is turned on by enabling Find My in Settings > account name > iCloud. Disabling Find My requires the same Apple ID login that turned it on. It’s now also available on an iPad, iPod touch, Apple Watch, and any Mac with the T2 security chip that enables Touch ID and other features. On a Mac, use the iCloud preference pane in macoS 10.14 Mojave and earlier and the Apple ID preference pane starting in 10.15 Catalina.

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With macOS 11 Big Sur, Apple takes the opportunity to refresh the Mac’s user interface. The changes aren’t dramatic—don’t worry, you’ll be able to use your Mac like usual. The changes give the Mac a more modern look, and also have led to  speculation that Apple is getting ready for the next phase of user input, like maybe a Mac touchscreen.

If you are wondering what Big Sur looks like before installing it, we have a peek right here. You can prepare yourself before you dive in.

More space

Once you start up your Mac and log in, the Finder looks pretty much the same. The changes are subtle. For example, the menu bar icons are spread out, with each icon having a little more space. It makes it easier to spot the icon you want.

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Might float chip-designer, sell it all or sell chunks. Whatever happens, server CPU sales are the upside

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Verifying wandering voters in the world’s largest and most complex elections is the aim

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Which would leave it about four percent of neighboring India’s exports

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Expect Citrix Endpoint Management gear to come under attack soon

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Chip designer ruled not a monopolistic strangler after all

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Please, thanks, good show, cheers, ta

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250 'true Mozillians' laid off, Taiwan office completely shuttered

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Phone maker to plough cash into 5G, cracking US market, and diversification

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It’s the best way to lead your cloud migration. Watch our next RegCast to learn more

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Also: Scottish rocketeers to launch from Iceland, and SpaceX lobs more Starlinks

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'Obviously a critical brand' says CEO Benioff as he calls off online occasion

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Another chapter in the sorry Emergency Services Network saga

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'Inhouse crt rigs to solve... book before ur exam' as firm claims 'some' of the content wasn't theirs

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Spudger-flingers rate it 4 out of 10, note an 'artificially short lifespan'

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Also: TypeScript 4.0 goes RC, Azure Functions support for PowerShell goes GA and DoH gets easier for Insiders

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While remote-working adults adhere to 'business in the front, party in the back'

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Judges went out of their way not to set a nationwide precedent, though

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Eat out to BSOD?*

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Dawn probe's last data shows surprising results from asteroid belt

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