Back in October of 2018, Apple introduced a totally new, totally redesigned iPad Pro. It deleted a lot of the bezels, making the 12.9-inch model smaller and letting the 10.5-inch model expand to 11-inches.

They lost the headphone jack, which sucked, but also swapped out Lightning for USB-C, which was terrific. And they topped it all off with the monstrous A12X processor, which pretty much made any machine with an Intel Core M just break down and cry.

But, that was then, this is now. Apple went all of 2019 without an iPad Pro update. So, what does that mean for 2020?

Cameras

Way back on November 1st, 2018, supply chain exfiltrator extraordinaire, Kuo Ming-Chi (via MacRumors said he was more than 50% likely to get time-of-flight as well, specifically ”3D modeling captured by ToF and then edited by an Apple Pencil on an iPad will create an all-new productivity experience for design applications in a totally different manner from computers.”

In January of 2019, Mark Gurman of Blo…

For both the eGPU and the eGPU Pro!

What you need to know

Blackmagic has released a firmware update for its eGPU units.
1.2 brings support for Apple’s Pro Display XDR.
It means you can now use a Pro Display XDR with both the eGPU and eGPU Pro via Thunderbolt 3.

Blackmagic has released a firmware update for its eGPU units, which will bring support for Apple’s new Pro Display XDR.

As noted by MacGeneration, in its ’Latest Downloads’ section, users can now pick up version 1.2 of Blackmagic’s firmware for the eGPU and eGPU Pro. The description states:

This update adds support for Apple Pro Display XDR to the Blackmagic eGPU and Blackmagic eGPU Pro. Once the update has been installed, you’ll be able to use Apple Pro Display XDR as a computer display when connected to a Mac with Thunderbolt 3 and either a Blackmagic eGPU or eGPU Pro.

Previously, it had been reported that unofficially, the Blackmagic eGPUs, as sold on Apple’s website, were both already compatible with the Pro Di…

What you need to know

A report says Chinese-made OLED displays will be used in 2020 iPhones.
BOE is the company lined up.
It will be the first time the company has made OLED displays for Apple.

It’s a big deal for BOE.

Some of Apple’s 2020 iPhones will use Chinese OLED displays for the first time, according to a new report. BOE will supply the parts after successfully negotiating with Apple throughout the last two years.

The RPRNA report (via 9to5Mac) has BOE joining Samsung as an OLED partner, with LG also coming online in 2021.

BOE will supply OLED displays for the iPhones in 2020, more than LG and less than Samsung.

BOE recently become the global leader of the TV LCD panel and now the company has shifted its focus to OLED panels.

According to the Korean media reports, BOE’s OLED screen will give a strong competition to Samsung in the next 2 years. BOE may start shipping the OLED panels to Apple in 2020. According to the South Korean analysts, BOE will ship 45 m…

What you need to know

LaunchCuts is available for pre-order for $7.99.
It goes on sale on January 8.
The app makes it easier than ever to arrange and organize your shortcuts.

LaunchCuts is a shortcut to Shortcuts organization of shortcuts.

WorkFlow was great, and Shortcuts built on that thanks to the additional access afforded by being part of Apple. But neither app really managed to fix one longstanding problem – organization. There’s just no proper way to organize shortcuts, and if you’re a big user of the app that’s an even bigger problem. Enter, LaunchCuts.

The app aims to make it easier to organize your shortcuts in ways never before possible. Folders, powerful sorting options, and even filtering have the potential to change how you use your shortcuts. And with support for keyboard shortcuts and more, this has the potential to be a big deal.

Folders: Organize your shortcuts into folders.
Smart Folders: Display shortcuts based on multiple criteria, including …

It even has an underwater passageway!

What you need to know

Speculation suggests Apple may be close to opening a new store in Singapore.
The new store is reportedly going to be housed inside a floating orb.
The orb is located on the waters of Marina Bay Sands, right next to one of the world’s most exclusive resorts.

Reports suggest that Apple may be on the cusp of opening a new Apple Store in Singapore, housed inside a mysterious floating orb on the waters of Marina Bay.

According to a report from The Straits Times:

Is the mysterious orb-like structure sitting in the waters off Marina Bay Sands (MBS) the third Apple store in Singapore?

Speculation is rife that the structure, which appears to be ”floating” when viewed from a distance, could be the site of the tech giant’s new retail outpost, as reported by The Straits Times earlier this year.

In March of this year, The Straits Times reported that Apple was planning to open two new stores in Singapore, one in Jewel Cha…

What you need to know

”Star Trek: Enterprise” was filming in 2002.
An Apple developer visited the set during filming.
They spotted a ton of Macintosh G5 Cubes running the Enterprise’s displays.

G4 Cubes boldly went where no Mac had gone before.

It’s amazing where you find Macs. But I didn’t expect them to be used on the set of ”Star Trek: Enterprise.” That’s something one lucky Apple developer spotted when visiting the set in 2002.

Unfortunately, the developer went by the name ”idrivex” so it isn’t clear exactly who they were, but in 2002 they wrote on the TrekToday site that they visited the show’s set and, amazingly, spotted a few G4 Cubes powering the Enterprise’s displays.

…so I decided to go exploring. That’s where I found the Sys-Admin guy [Michael Okuda] that runs all the displays on the ship. Well we got talking (about Macs of course) and he was a really great guy. We exchanged cards and everything and I took some photos of what drives all the displays on the ship…

”This was only made by high-quality control and craftsmanship…”

What you need to know

Tim Cook has revealed that Apple’s famous Midnight Green is only possible thanks to Seiko Advance
He hailed the skill and craftsmanship of the Japanese ink producer in an interview with Nikkei Asian Review.
The company was able to develop a method of producing green ink without using pollutants like halogens.

In an interview with Nikkei Asian Review, Tim Cook has hailed Japanese ink producer Seiko Advance as the reason Apple was able to release a Midnight Green version of its iPhone 11 Pro.

The report notes:

In an interview, Cook told Nikkei that Seiko Advance is the ”reason” Apple was able to release its top-of-the-line iPhone 11 Pro in a new color called Midnight Green.

Earlier in December, Cook was pictured stood next to a giant vat of Midnight Green. According to the report, Cook spoke to the outlet that same day, stating ”this was only made by high-quality control and craftsmanshi…

I repeat this is a rumor…

What you need to know

A rumor suggests that Apple may be planning to launch a (PRODUCT)RED Apple Watch.
French site WatchGeneration has suggested a (PRODUCT)RED Series 5 Apple Watch briefly appeared in an Apple database.
Apple has previously released several (PRODUCT)RED editions of its products, including a Sport Band and Loop for Apple Watch.

A rumor (I repeat, rumor) from French site WatchGeneration via Consomac has suggested that Apple may be planning to release a (PRODUCT)RED Apple Watch Series 5.

WatchGeneration is a sister site of MacGeneration, an outlet which has previously been on the money when it comes to Apple leaks. Back in October, MacGeneration spotted a rendering of the then-rumored 16-Inch MacBook Pro within macOS Catalina that turned out to be bang on the money.

According to WatchGeneration’s report (and some rusty Google translation), they claim:

…but we have everything to believe that such a model is in the pipes of the ma…

What you need to know

Mind My iPhone can help locate lost or stolen handsets.
One Londoner was able to locate a lost iPhone.
But it wasn’t quite that simple.

This could have gone so, so wrong.

Apple’s Find My iPhone service has been credited with reuniting people with lost iPhones over the years. And it’s been at it again, this time helping a Londoner find the iPhone that they lost while traveling. Redditor Jujusmu posted to say that they lost their phone either in the back of a taxi or while running for a train. Either way, it was gone.

After initially trying the Find My app to locate the iPhone, things didn’t look good. It was turned off. That might have been enough for most people to give up. But not here.

Over the next few hours I kept calling my phone, to no avail. I’d given up and had started looking up new phone deals online when all of a sudden I got a dial tone. Nobody picked up but I SPRINTED to my laptop to run Find My iPhone. Bingo! It tracked them to an address…