★★★★☆
MacBooks with an Apple M1 processor can handle only one external monitor, but the OWC USB-C Dual HDMI 4K Display Adapter with DisplayLink doubles the number. And Mac mini users can connect to three monitors with it.
I put the USB-C HDMI adapter through a round of testing to be sure it lived up to the claims.
iPhone demand remains strong, according to a respected analyst. This despite the supply chain issues that are slowing production of other Apple products.
The analyst is bullish on Apple, and says its stock price should be much higher than it currently is.
Peter Griffin jumps in a go-kart and races Hank Hill. Or Stan Smith takes on Dale Gribble. These matchups are all part of Warped Kart Racers.
The wacky racing game launched Friday on Apple Arcade. It’s playable on iPhone, Mac and more. And up to eight players can race at once.
A couple of enormous sauropods go head to head. A herd of ceratopsia takes on a predator in a driving snowstorm. A pair of tyrannosaurs share a tender moment. All of these are highlights of the second trailer for Prehistoric Planet, coming soon to Apple TV+.
This five-night docuseries will explore the age of the dinosaurs from the Arctic to the oceans.
Although Apple’s VR/AR headset is still supposed to be a secret project, the company’s board of directors reportedly got a look at the device recently. This could be a sign the product is moving close to a release.
The long-rumored headset — which supposedly will offer both virtual reality and augmented reality capabilities — might be unveiled as soon as Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference in June.
Everyone knows that Android outsells iPhone, but that’s not the whole picture. Apple takes in a lot more revenue than any rival smartphone-maker. It’s more than double Samsung’s, and no other company gets even that close.
And in the quarter before that, iPhone pulled in more revenue than all its rivals combined.
With iPadOS 16 right around the corner, there’s a lot of hope that a rumor of floating app windows for iPad will come true. This would make Apple’s tablet more Mac-like, without turning it into a Mac.
Enhanced support for external displays is also on many people’s wish lists, including my own. Apps on multiple screens would be another important part of making iPad more productive for high-end users.
Workers attempting to form unions at multiple Apple retail stores allege the iPhone-maker is breaking federal labor laws in its attempts to block these efforts.
If the allegations bear out, it’s more than a bit hypocritical – Apple requires its component suppliers to allow their employees to join unions.
Apple seeded the first betas of iOS 15.6 and macOS 12.5 to developers on Wednesday, even though their replacements will be announced in less than a month. iOS 16 and macOS 13 will surely be unveiled at the WWDC developers conference in early June, but work on their predecessors goes on.
Developers were also given access to iPadOS 15.6 beta 1, watchOS 8.7 beta 1 and tvOS 15.6 beta 1.
What would you do if you walked into a room to discover a creepy auction of your personal data going on? That’s the premise of a new Apple video.
The goal is to highlight the many privacy tools iPhone offers to prevent online tracking.
With the Anker 563 USB-C Docking Station, a MacBook with an Apple M1 processor can handle three external monitors – two more than Apple designed the notebook to support.
And the hub can do more than that. It also packs three USB-A ports and an Ethernet connection.
Apple began offering updated professional training and certifications for IT support and management. They are now in an online, self-paced format so are accessible to almost anyone.
The courses are free, but the exams required to earn the certifications are $149.
Zagg launched a version of the Pro Keys with Trackpad that’s compatible with Apple’s largest iPad. It combines a rigid, protective case with a removable keyboard with a built-in trackpad.
There were already versions of the keyboard case for smaller iPad models, and now there’s one for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro.
The OWC Envoy Pro mini is a thumbdrive designed to work with almost any computer. It has both USB-C and USB-A connectors, and comes with up to 1TB of storage.
The tiny drive supports USB 3.2 Gen 2 and benchmark tests show it can transfer data at over 900 MBps.
Apple reportedly slowed the pace at which it will require its corporate employees to return to the office. They were scheduled to be back at their desks three days a week starting later this month, but rising numbers of COVID-19 cases supposedly pushed that back.
Apple employees are still required to be in the offices two days a week.
Pay attention to renewal notices for App Store subscriptions because these are the only notification you’ll receive that the cost is going up. Developers are now allowed to increase iPhone app subscription prices without users having to opt in.
There are limits on how much the fees can go up, though.
It’s understandable if you’re feeling slightly underwhelmed by the upcoming iPhone 14. Leaks, combined with artist renders, give us an early glimpse of the iOS handset coming this autumn. And if they’re accurate, this year’s iPhone lineup will look nearly identical to its predecessors going back years.
That’s because Apple uses a three-year cycle in iPhone designs these days. That’s not laziness – there’s a solid reason for the choice.
Apple’s Door Detection uses advancements in hardware, software, and machine learning to help people who are blind or low vision use their iPhone and iPad to navigate the last few feet to their destination.
This is one of several innovative software features unveiled Tuesday with new ways for users with disabilities. These include Live Captions, Apple Watch Mirroring and more.
Apple released software upgrades for all its computers Monday. After finishing weeks of beta testing, macOS Monterey 12.4, iOS 15.5, iPadOS 15.5, watchOS 8.6 and tvOS 15.5 are available for anyone to download.
Many of them include an update to the Podcasts application to keep it from taking up too much storage space. And the webcam in the recently released Apple Studio Display will work better after a firmware update.
The Apple TV+ teaser trailer for the upcoming animated film Luck explains how luck really works: it’s controlled by magical creatures. The star-studded film by Skydance Animation will be about the unluckiest person in the world visiting the Land of Luck.
Watch the trailer to see more – and learn more about luck.
A new Apple TV streamer will launch in the second half of 2022, according to a trusted analyst. And there’s a hint in the prediction that the device will cost less than its predecessors.
A cheaper version of Apple’s set-top box could help it grab a higher share of the set-top box market. And it could certainly use the boost.
Apple gave both developers and the public access to the release candidates of macOS Monterey 12.4 and iOS 15.5 on Thursday. The iPadOS 15.5 Release Candidate also went out, as did the watchOS 8.6 RC and tvOS 15.5 RC. That’s the final step before introducing them to the public.
Aside from long-overdue improvements to the Studio Display webcam in macOS, all these are really just minor tweaks. But that’s not surprising considering Apple is expected to unveil the next major upgrades for the OSs at WWDC22 in early June.
Apple is no longer the world’s most valuable company. That honor now goes to the Saudi Aramco oil giant. The Mac-maker had (mostly) held onto the title since 2020, but has now lost it.
So far in 2022, the value of AAPL shares is down 20%, while the share value of the Saudi oil company has surged 25%.
In 2021, Google made a funny video making fun of iPhone for not having a headphone jack. Fast forward a few months, and Google launched the Pixel 6A without a headphone jack. That sure looks like hypocrisy.
And there’s little excuse for it, as Samsung got busted years ago for doing the same thing – mocking iPhone for not including a headphone jack then dropping the feature from its handsets.
Adobe’s Photoshop on the iPad just got some very useful features carried over from the desktop version, including Content-Aware Fill and Remove Background. Plus, Select Subject got a human-centric update. These make it easier to remove objects from images, or put new backgrounds behind subjects.
In addition, Adobe gave its Fresco painting application for iPad the Liquify and Magic Wand functions on Tuesday.