Programmers with years of automotive experience can apply now to help create the Apple Car. Apple’s website lists a number of job openings that, reading between the lines, appear to be for the team that’s building Apple’s self-driving vehicle.
AirPods Max teardown finds mystery chips, screwy screws and impressive engineering
iFixit took a deep dive into AirPods Max, fully disassembling Apple’s over-the-ear headphones. What they found in the teardown was a startling number of different types of screws. But also a craftsmanship that helps justify the hefty price tag.
You can see evidence of AirTags on your own iPhone
There’s no reason to be skeptical about Apple’s plans for AirTags. Any iPhone, iPad or Mac user can see evidence that Apple is about to add support for item trackers to the Find Me application.
Max Stand adds wireless charging to AirPods Max
A small German design studio dreamed up an improvement to AirPods Max. The Max Stand from Floating Pixels holds Apple’s new over-the-ears headphones upright, making them easy to pick up and use. And it adds wireless charging, rather than requiring users to plug in a cable.
$199 ‘AirPods Lite’ could be like AirPods Pro but without active noise cancellation
If the new $549 AirPods Max or the $249 AirPods Pro are a bit pricey for you, don’t worry: According to a new report, Apple plans to launch new “AirPods Lite” wireless earbuds in 2021, priced significantly lower.
The new model would look similar to the current AirPods Pro, but would not include the active noise cancellation feature found in Apple’s top-of-the-line wireless earbuds.
After mocking Apple, Samsung stops including chargers with phones
Samsung is copying Apple again. The Galaxy S21 series reportedly will not come with a wall charger or a pair of headphones when the new top-tier handset debuts in January.
This despite Samsung mocking Apple in October for leaving these accessories out of the iPhone 12 box.
Tantalizing iOS 15 concept brings Split View and more to iPhones
iOS 14 is still only a couple of months old for most users, but inside Apple designers and engineers will already be planning what next year’s upgrade will offer.
While we likely won’t get to see what they’re working on until WWDC 2021, Kevin Kal, a talented 20-year-old designer and engineering student in France, has created one of the first concepts we’ve seen for iOS 15.
Check it out.
iPad Pro could make switch to OLED screens in second half of 2021
Apple will debut its first iPad Pro with an OLED display during the second half of 2021, according to a new report.
The screens are expected to be manufactured by Samsung, which is said to be renovating one of its production lines specifically for OLED iPad displays. LG will also be involved in production.
Cut in iPhone App Store fees will hardly nudge Apple’s bottom line
Apple will cut App Store fees in half for small-business developers of iPhone applications. But while the change sounds dramatic, it will actually lead to a relatively tiny reduction in Apple’s revenue, according to a market-research firm.
Gorgeous Mujjo Sleeve keeps your MacBook covered and comfortable on the move [Review]
The delightful Mujjo Sleeve for MacBook is a great way to protect your precious notebook when you’re on the move. It’s beautifully made from quality materials, and it won’t weigh you down like a bulky bag.
The Sleeve ensures your notebook remains free from marks and scratches, no matter how much you carry it around. It also offers space for some accessories, important documents and more.
I’ve been using one to protect my 13-inch MacBook Pro for several months now. Here’s what I think of it.
M1 processor is so good it surprises even Apple
The capabilities of Apple’s new M1 processor surprised even the people who designed it. The new chip was created to get Macs away from Intel, and Apple executives are gushing about it. Craig Federighi, SVP of software engineering, said the M1 is outperforming the company’s own expectations.
Why Apple pushed back AirPods Studio debut; new AirPods and AirPods Pro on the way
Apple is currently working on updates for its entry-level AirPods and AirPods Pro, which could debut in 2021, Bloomberg reported Monday.
The story also sheds light on the reason for Apple delaying release of its over-the-ear AirPods Studio headphones.
LiDAR Scanner puts iPhone 12 Pro at the forefront of augmented reality
The LiDAR Scanner in the iPhone 12 Pro makes Apple’s new flagship device an augmented reality powerhouse. It enables the handset to make an accurate 3D map of its location into which virtual objects can then be placed.
However, the scanner apparently has been added to the iPhone 12 Pro models in a “build it and they will come” strategy. Apple didn’t show many specific applications demonstrating the benefits of the tech during Tuesday’s launch event for the device.
How to draw with shape recognition in iPadOS 14
Most people’s drawing skills peaked in first grade. Which means the diagrams we include in handwritten notes often look like they were drawn by a moderately skilled raccoon. Fortunately, iPadOS 14 offers shape recognition, turning our scrawls into the neat geometric shapes we envisioned.
Using this feature in Apple Notes or Email is easy. But there’s a trick to it. Here’s how to use shape recognition with an iPad and any stylus.
How to use Smart Selection in iPadOS 14
Smart Selection in iPadOS 14 can be amazingly useful for anyone who takes notes with their iPad. This new feature lets you handwrite some words, then turn them into text at any point later on.
Here’s how it works.
New emoji for 2021 will set your heart afire
The new emoji set to appear in 2021 will help you express relief or confusion. Or show that your heart’s afire, or that it’s mending.
Those might seem fairly ordinary, but there is something extremely odd about the the list of upcoming emoji: It’s very short. The group responsible for coming up with new emoji picked just seven new designs to debut next year. The reason is simple: COVID-19.
Apple One is the Prime-style bundle that will lock us into Apple services
Apple One, which bundles several of the company’s vaunted services together, is a genius move. At best, it saves you money. At worst, it looks like it does.
I think it’s going to be a massive hit for Apple, and will provide a much-needed boost for struggling services like Apple News+ and Apple Arcade. However, it might cause some big headaches in Cupertino, too.
As Tim Cook nears a decade at the helm, Apple focuses on who’ll take over
Much of Apple’s senior team, including 59-year-old CEO Tim Cook, are of a similar age. That means they’re probably not going to be in their roles for too many more years.
As Cook approaches a decade at the helm of Apple, a Friday report from Bloomberg claims that he and his team are “increasingly focused” on succession planning. That means cultivating its “next class of top managers” who could take the helm of the world’s most valuable company.
2020 iPad might borrow the best features of the iPad Pro
The 2020 iPad will resemble a smaller iPad Pro, if leaked schematics of this upcoming computer are accurate. It supposedly will offer narrow screen bezels, Face ID, a USB-C port and other features previously reserved for Apple’s high-end tablets.
Mac mini with iPod port is the hybrid nobody needed
Apple reportedly explored adding an iPod port to the Mac mini. Images of a prototype unit surfaced online over the weekend, showing a product Apple decided not to release.
You can still re-download Fortnite on iPhone, iPad after Apple’s ban [Pro tip]
Fortnite is currently banned from the App Store following a big fallout between Apple and Epic Games. But for some players, that doesn’t mean it’s gone from iPhone and iPad for good.
So long as you’ve downloaded Fortnite at least once before, it’s still possible to re-download it today. We’ll show you how to do it.
You’ll flip for this iPhone 12 Flip concept
When Apple gets into the foldable phone market, as arch-rival Samsung has already done, its first model might well look much like the iPhone 12 Flip. But for now, this is only a concept design.
Watch a video of it now:
Pin conversations to the top of the Messages app in iOS 14 [Pro tip]
iOS 14 gives us the ability to “pin” important contacts and group chats inside the Messages app for the first time. Pinned conversations stay at the top of the list so they’re always easy to find.
Here’s how to use this handy new feature.
Tom Hanks says Apple TV+ ‘saved the day’ by snapping up Greyhound
Tom Hanks said Tuesday that Apple TV+ “saved the day” by releasing his new World War II movie during the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, the actor couldn’t say enough good things about Apple when he hit The Today Show to promo Greyhound, which debuts on Apple TV+ this Friday.
All the happy talk came a day after Hanks made headlines for calling Greyhound’s upcoming streaming debut an “absolute heartbreak.”
Here’s how iOS 14 could be paving the way for ‘glassOS’
It’s still not clear exactly when Apple’s AR glasses are going to be available, but 25-year-old product designer Jordan Singer says that Apple has left enough breadcrumbs in its code to offer a compelling glimpse of what a possible glassOS might look like.
“I don’t usually like to speculate on what Apple is going to do next, but this time I found too many coincidental examples of new UI in iOS 14 that seems to be able to translate nicely to a pair of glasses,” Singer told Cult of Mac. “I’d like for this concept to give insight into how Apple is foreshadowing the future.”