News round-up: Swift Playgrounds for Mac, Apple Card in China, more

Since Steve and I can’t cover everything, we’ll frequently offer a wrap-up news items you should check out.

Apple has released Swift Playgrounds for the Mac. A “Catalyst” port of the iPad app, it’s a free download at the Mac App Store. Swift Playgrounds is designed to make it fun to learn and experiment with code. You solve interactive puzzles in the guided “Learn to Code” lessons to master the basics of coding, or experiment with a wide range of challenges that let you explore coding experiences.

A report by Bloomberg says Mastercard has been given the green light by the People’s Bank of China to begin operating its bank card clearing business in China,. This means that Apple should be able to expand its self-branded Apple Card in the country.

A Forbes article says the publication has discovered a search warrant that shows how Apple intercepts and checks messages when illegal material – namely, child abuse – is found within.

Six of Apple’s Irish entities will now be required to make certain financial information publicly available, thanks to the company shifting to “limited” status, according to AppleInsider.

David Ginsburg of “In Touch With iOS” made his first trip to CES this year, and is on the latest episode of MacVoices to talk about his experiences, how his expectations lined up with reality, and whether he will be headed back next year. He also comments on the impact iOS 13 and iPhones 11 are making, and the pros and cons of combining Mac and iOS license purchases for both developers and end users.

Apple has seeded the first betas of macOS Catalina 10.15.4, iOS 13.4, and iPadOS 13.4 to its public beta testing group. The public betas are available on Apple’s Beta Software Program website. Just remember that beta software, so proceed with care. Apple does public betas in order to increase the size of the pool of testers. The tech giant recommends keeping back-ups of your files before installing a public beta.

Apple Card cardholders can now export their Apple Card transactions into the OFX file format and import their data into third-party financial management apps.

As noted by 9to5Mac, Apple has added a new toggle to the top of the Subscriptions page on iPhone and iPad. By toggling the switch, users can choose not to receive email notifications every time a recurring In-App Purchase is charged.

Siri update you on different races around the U.S. during election season, as well as deliver live results as votes are counted, reports TechCrunch.