Apple developing new SportsKit framework for Apple TV

Apple developing new SportsKit framework for Apple TV

It’s no secret that Apple is becoming more interested in the sports market, since the company has been investing in and hiring athletes for its TV business. We’ve found evidence to support these theories, including a new “SportsKit” basis for iOS and tvOS apps.

Since the first developer beta of iOS 15.2 was released in late October, 9to5Mac has identified references to “SportsKit” in the system’s internal files. There isn’t much information available about this framework yet, as it is most likely still under development, however it is integrated with the Apple TV app, Siri, and even home screen widgets.

The “SportsKit” home screen widget may get real-time information on sporting events. Apple is likely to expand this interaction to other elements of iOS and tvOS because Siri can presently provide sports scores.

One thing to keep in mind about this API is that SportsKit is currently being developed as a private framework, which means it won’t be available to every developer – which makes sense given that sports-related content typically necessitates special deals, and Apple may have to work directly with providers.

Prepare for Sports on Apple TV+

Apple is rumored to be working on its own sports platform as part of its Apple TV+ streaming service. According to a 2019 rumor, Apple was in talks with the PAC-12 about bringing live sports to Apple TV+ subscribers. In 2020, the former president of Amazon Prime Video’s sports area will join the Apple TV team.

Other rumors earlier this year indicated that Apple was in discussions with the NFL to buy the rights to Sunday Ticket, which would be a fantastic addition to Apple TV+. A former ESPN executive was recently appointed to manage the creation of documentary films and unscripted programming for Apple’s streaming service.

The discovery of the first signs of a new sports-related architecture in iOS suggests that Apple will finally have something new to talk about in the coming months.

Apple created a pair of transparent AirPods.

Apple created a pair of transparent AirPods.

Macbroo Logo
Macbroo Logo

Many people purchased Apple devices during the Black Friday weekend because they look nice on the outside, but most of them probably didn’t pay much regard to the design below the attractive casings. An Apple collector, on the other hand, has given us a cause to admire what’s inside our beloved products.

Giulio Zompetti, a collector, has uploaded photos of a pair of Apple gadgets on Twitter that he believes are transparent prototypes of AirPods. It’s unknown why these prototypes were created, although they were most likely never intended for sale and were instead utilized to aid in engineering. Nonetheless, it’s a look that many Apple aficionados would gladly pay for.

Zompetti also tweeted a photo of a transparent 29W power converter, which may be even more stunning than the AirPods. It’s less practical, of course, because it’d be plugged into a wall the majority of the time, but that doesn’t make us want it any less.

Apple had a brief love affair with transparent devices, including the iMac, CRT Studio Display, Pro speakers, and eMate 300, in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Those clear plastic days are certainly over, but it’s difficult not to fall in love with the concept of a range of translucent replicas of Apple’s current goods after seeing these prototypes.

Apple has prioritized interior design since its inception, with the Apple 1 coming without a casing. X-ray images are popular iPhone backgrounds, while translucent side doors were popular Power Mac G5 after-market upgrades. Apple hasn’t introduced anything transparent in a long time, but these goods demonstrate that Apple’s interior design is still a thing of beauty.

With a $30 discount on the Backbone One controller, you can turn your iPhone into an Xbox gaming gear.

With a $30 discount on the Backbone One controller, you can turn your iPhone into an Xbox gaming gear.

The iPhone is one of the world’s most popular gaming gadgets, but if you want to take it to the next level, you’ll need a controller. Amazon has the Backbone One Mobile Gaming Controller for $70 with a free month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate included, a $30 discount off the MSRP.

You may play any controller-supported game when you insert your iPhone into the Backbone One Controller (iPhone 6s or later). It has a dedicated button for launching the Xbox Cloud Gaming online app, but you’ll need to remove your iPhone from its cover to put it correctly in the controller.

According to Backbone, you’ll need to request an adaptor for “a better experience” on iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max models, but it should function fine on all other versions. The controller includes a 3.5mm headphone jack as well as a Lightning connection for charging while playing. We haven’t tested the Backbone One controller, but it has 4.5 stars and over 3,000 ratings on Amazon.

Here’s your first peek at Swift Playgrounds 4 before it’s released.

Here’s your first peek at Swift Playgrounds 4 before it’s released.

At WWDC 2021 in June, Apple introduced a new edition of its Swift Playgrounds programming package with major changes. Although no release date has been specified, Apple is currently inviting developers to try Swift Playgrounds 4 ahead of the official release of the software.

According to 9to5Mac sources, Apple has just begun soliciting developers to join the Swift Playgrounds 4 beta program via TestFlight. To gain access to the beta program, developers must sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA), which states that they will not discuss Swift Playgrounds 4 publicly.

Swift Playgrounds is a piece of Apple software meant to help developers and students learn the Swift programming language. Apple describes the app as follows:

Swift Playgrounds is a great way to learn to code right on a Mac or iPad. With Swift Playgrounds 4, coming later this year, users will be able to create the visual design of an app with SwiftUI. App projects can be opened and edited in Swift Playgrounds or in Xcode, and when they’re ready, users can build a real app and submit it directly to the App Store right from their iPad.

This year, Apple will finally allow developers to build and submit Swift Playgrounds projects straight to the App Store, which is great news for iPad users. One of our sources with access to Swift Playgrounds 4 shared some screenshots with 9to5Mac, showcasing how developers may submit their projects to App Store Connect without having to build the app in Xcode on a Mac.

While preparing an app for submission to App Store Connect, users may quickly build an icon by picking a color and a symbol. A custom icon from an image file can also be selected, and the application will scale it to the proper resolution.

Users may also see and monitor changes as they type in real time using Swift Playgrounds 4. When the developer shares the project with someone else via iCloud Drive, live editing is enabled, allowing several people to work on the same project at the same time. Users may also explore SwiftUI controls, search across all files in a project, get speedy inline code recommendations, and easily transition between Swift Playgrounds and Xcode (or vice versa).

It’s worth mentioning that, according to our source, some of the app’s features require iPadOS 15.2 – which is still available as a developer beta. Swift Playgrounds 4 might be released later this year or early in 2022, alongside iOS 15.2 and iPadOS 15.2.

Swift Playgrounds’ most recent version is free to download from the App Store. The software is compatible with both iPadOS and macOS.