Apple’s new Ferret-UI multimodal large language model could help artificial intelligence systems better understand mobile screens like the one on your iPhone, according to a research paper released Tuesday.
Among those potentially benefitting from this? Perhaps the much-maligned Siri voice assistant will do more for you on mobile devices. And maybe visually impaired users and developers who need to do user interface testing will benefit, too.
Vision Pro and spatial computing can help businesses find new ways to customize workspaces, collaborate on 3D designs, deliver specialized employee training and guide remote fieldwork, Apple said Tuesday, citing visionOS apps.
“There’s tremendous opportunity for businesses to reimagine what’s possible using Apple Vision Pro at work,” said Susan Prescott, Apple’s vice president of worldwide developer relations and enterprise marketing, in a statement.
Today’s Mac Pro and smart TV setup is a rare find for two reasons. First, Mac Pro costs so much that we rarely see it in the wild. Second, while big smart TVs used as computer displays continue to gain popularity, we don’t often hear users saying they’re one of the best they’ve ever had. But that’s the case with this LG C2 smart TV setup, used by a photographer and musician.
In it, a powerful cheese-grater Mac Pro drives a gargantuan 42-inch smart TV as an external display.
Campfire Audio’s new Fathom earbuds cost an eye-watering $1,049. What’s perhaps even more surprising is that they’re wired earbuds.
Well, there must be some special technology in those, right? Right. And even though they have a cable, of course you can use them with your Mac or another device with an audio jack.
If you own an iPhone 12 or newer, you need a MagSafe charging stand. They’re incredibly convenient, and they work great with iOS 17’s handy new StandBy feature, which instantly turns your iPhone into a smart display.
SwitchEasy offers two great wireless magnetic charging stands in the Cult of Mac Store — a powerful 4-in-1 and a compact 2-in-1 — and both feature a night light. And they’ve got something else in common. They’re both on sale in our SwitchEasy Sale.
Elago makes a staggering array of accessories for Apple products, from Apple Watch bands and device chargers to iPad stands and whimsical cases that look like classic gear from yesteryear.
The Cult of Mac Store offers 173 Elago products for sale. Check them out, and see some highlights below.
It’s somewhat rare that we come across a Mac Pro setup on social media for the obvious reason that Apple’s top desktop computer costs a fortune. And the ones we see are often older than 2019’s cheese grater design. But today’s Mac Pro and smart TV setup is a welcome exception to that rule.
It sports a powerful cheese-grater Mac Pro driving a gargantuan smart TV as an external display.
And what’s more, a classic iMac G4 that still works and Wall-E and Eve toys from the Pixar movie look on from a shelf!
Amazon bargain site Woot goes big on Logi Friday in its Logitech Peripherals and Accessories Sale. Keyboards, mice, iPad keyboard cases, webcams, gaming devices, headsets — you name it, it’s there. Some items are priced at half off.
As of Friday morning, 55 discounted new and refurbished items await you. The sale ends April 20 at 10 p.m. PT (but when items sell out, they’re gone).
Sure, it’s nice to get the latest MacBook model when you can, but not everyone needs a mega-powerful M3 chip. And that’s especially true when you can save hundreds on laptops with a merely super-powerful M2 chip. Best Buy is offering M2 MacBook Air models for up to $400 off as well as other deals.
But if you want to spend even less — or if you really want an M3 MacBook — we’ve included a selection of deals below. There are sweet deals on refurbished M1 and M2 MacBook Air models as well as $200 off a selection of M3 MacBook Pro models.
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★★★★☆
Looking for a better office chair? You don’t have to spend several hundred dollars or more. I’ve found the Silybon Ergonomic Office Chair does a good job for about $110 after a discount.
With a history of back trouble, I was a little nervous about the purchase. But it’s a good, comfortable chair paired with a standing desk, so my back is fine.
Teams in Cupertino are working on Apple personal home robotic devices, including a mobile robot and a table-top device with a moving display, according to a new report.
These early efforts toward Apple robots could constitute future revenue sources now that the Project Titan car sits on the scrap heap.
The citizens of a small town called Deerfield continue to see their lives upended by a fortune-telling machine known as Morpho, according to the season 2 trailer Apple TV+ dropped Wednesday for philosophical comedy series The Big Door Prize.
Starring Emmy Award winner Chris O’Dowd, the well-liked comedy’s 10-episode second season debuts Wednesday, April 24, with three episodes.
Amazon bargain site Woot! keeps the Apple savings coming. On Wednesday it surfaced an Apple Watches and More! sale with a handful of great deals on different models of the wearable, plus an accessories bundle. And the sale page doesn’t even include all the discounted Apple Watches on the site. We added a few below.
“Look like a Silicon Valley tech mogul,” Woot wrote. “And if smart watches aren’t your thing, we’ve also got a wide array of ‘More!'”
A systems engineer who works for a software developer showed off today’s M1 Pro MacBook Pro setup, which features unusual audio. Razer Nommo Chroma gaming speakers rarely come up in setups despite their high coolness factor. They look a bit like highway patrol speed guns. And the noise-canceling wireless earbuds are a favorite — Soundcore Space A40.
Recent clues in iOS beta software plus a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) filing by Apple suggest new Beats Solo 4 headphones may ship as soon as early May, according to reports.
Given that Beats Solo 3 launched in 2016, well, it’s about time. Eight years usually represents several generations in tech products, not just one.
Amazon bargain site Woot! is known for its bargain-basement sales on tech items, but Tuesday’s Best of Tech sale digs up some oddities, including an offbeat selection of Apple products. An international travel-adapter kit, for example. The much-maligned FineWoven iPhone cases (also silicone). And an AirTag keychain with a carabiner clip.
Not to mention gear from Belkin, Victrola and others — everything from chargers to solar panels.
The Best of Tech sale runs through April 9. See below for some of the most interesting items on sale.
Clever kids and adorable animals rush headlong into new adventures in the season 2 trailer Apple TV+ dropped Tuesday for Jane. The work of famed ethologist and conservationist Dr. Jane Goodall inspired the TV series.
The mission-driven family show’s second season debuts April 19 on Apple TV+.
Apple will make Spatial Personas, a more lifelike enhancement of the Persona feature for the Vision Pro mixed-reality headset, available in the visionOS 1.1 update coming Tuesday.
In beta test versions of the software, Spatial Personas allow Vision Pro users to create and interact with customizable, free-floating 3D digital avatars in virtual spaces. They enhance collaboration via SharePlay while going beyond the limits of a little box on a FaceTime call.
It’s almost time for spring cleaning — and that can and should include tidying up your Mac’s files. If you want to do the job right, try professional software like Mac Washing Machine X9 from Intego’s robust software suite.
The new Apple TV+ trailer for LA-noir detective series Sugar asks an important question: Who is John Sugar? Well, apparently, the gumshoe played by Colin Farrell is a tough dude who “does one thing and one thing only: Find the missing.”
A legendary film producer played by veteran actor James Cromwell utters the line in the trailer, which Apple TV+ dropped Sunday. Having cast members like Cromwell adds some serious gravitas to a moody and engrossing-looking series (as if Farrell wasn’t enough).
You can see the new Sugar trailer, and the previous one, below. They should whet your appetite for some good ol’ fashioned-yet-contemporary LA crime noir. It comes up from time to time to great acclaim (see LA Confidential among others).
The new Elgato Facecam Mk.2, successor to the company’s popular Facecam webcam for creators and streamers, just came out. Improved picture quality, a new privacy shutter and other enhancements appear to make it a worthy upgrade. And that’s especially true because it carries a lower price than Facecam did at its launch.
We see many, many dual-display computer setups in our coverage, with the vast majority being two screens of the same size, whether they’re oriented differently or not. But that’s not always the case. Today’s M1 Pro MacBook Pro and Windows laptop rig sports different-size dual displays that even have different resolutions. But it works for the user, a systems engineer who works for a software developer.
A smartphone giant just came out with its first car. No, Apple hasn’t about-faced on its plans to scrap its decade-long Project Titan car program. Instead, Chinese tech behemoth Xiaomi unveiled a sporty electric vehicle Thursday it hopes will rival those made by Porsche and Tesla. It’s the Xiaomi SU7 EV series.
A great example of a comfortable, stylish, durable and convenient band is the SwitchEasy Skin Silicone Magnetic Apple Watch Band. The magnetic closure keeps it secure on your wrist, while getting it on or off is a snap. And the soft silicone feels great.
It’s a hot seller, and we’ve now got all four colors back in stock.
Steve Martin is a comedy legend going way, way back, as the trailer for a new documentary called STEVE! (martin) a documentary in 2 pieces shows, below. The Apple TV+ documentary, debuting Friday, is chock-full of admiring celebs talking about the famous comedian, plus clips from his wild and crazy standup years in the 1970s.
UPDATE: The two-part documentary — and the two parts are quite distinct, like two different documentaries — premieres Friday, March 29, on Apple TV+. One part chronicles Martin’s meteoric rise to fame decades ago and the other part nestles into his happy and fulfilled life now. Reviews so far seem quite positive, though the two parts don’t provide a complete, linear account of all the legend’s accomplishments.
