Apple sweetened the deal offered to developers for the early return of the Mac mini that they used to test macOS Big Sur running on Apple Silicon. Friday, the company responded to complaints that it wasn’t offering enough for the Developer Transition Kits by more than doubling the amount of money previously offering for the units.
Concept designers are supposed to think outside of the box. Hank Beyer and Alex Sizemore created some Mac designs that are so far outside of the box you sometimes can’t tell there ever was a box. Their computers are encased in stone, ice, beeswax and other exotic materials.
Apple filed a patent application that could give a first glimpse of the AR glasses the company is developing. An image included with the filing shows a small, lightweight augmented-reality device about the size of a standard pair of eyeglasses.
The primary focus of the patent is the ways the glasses might detect what its wearer is doing. These will allow the wearer to interact with the head-worn device in a variety of ways.
Lumen is a new vision in gaming. Literally. It invites players to solve a variety of puzzles by manipulating lights, lenses and mirrors.
The puzzler debuted Friday for a variety of platforms exclusively through Apple Arcade.
Accessories that take on more than one task are the best. Like Moft’s clip-on iPhone wallet that’s also a stand. It can hold three cards, but is very slender. And it uses magnets to cling tightly to the handset.
I tested the Moft Snap-on Stand & Wallet for weeks, so I can share what it’s really like in daily use.
Apple has a solution for the hassle of unlocking an iPhone while wearing a face mask. iOS 14.5 beta 1, which was seeded to beta testers in the general public on Thursday, enables users to unlock their iPhone when their Apple Watch is nearby.
Plus, there are other new features. And this wasn’t the only fresh beta introduced. The first pre-release versions of iPadOS 14.5 and watchOS 7.4 are also available for the public and developers to begin testing.
iPhone fans were first able to search for emoji last year, and Apple is finally bringing this feature to iPads. It’s built into the iPadOS 14.5 beta 1 released to public beta testing on Thursday.
Also, those with the Apple Magic Keyboard for iPad get a horizontally-oriented boot screen.
Apple makes it easier to give your sweetie shiny baubles, pictures and flowers for Valentine’s Day. (What, no candy?) All that’s necessary is to use Apple Pay at 1-800-Flowers, BaubleBar or Shutterfly for various discounts.
No one will ever drive an Apple car, according to leaked information. Apple is reportedly planning a vehicle that’s completely autonomous. It’ll be programmed, not driven.
That would make it less like what Tesla offers and more like what Alphabet’s Waymo is developing.
Apple told developers on Wednesday that they are expected to soon return the Mac mini that they used to test macOS Big Sur running on Apple Silicon. This is less time than the one-year lease of the Developer Transition Kit was supposed to last.
The devs paid $500 to lease the specially modified desktops in 2020. They aren‘t getting that money back, but Apple will compensate them for returning the unit. Still, some developers are peeved.
Aukey makes a USB-C charger that’s about as small at the standard 5 watt iPhone charger but provides far more power. The Minima 18W PD Charger can quickly juice up an Apple phone or tablet, as well as other devices. With it, that old 5W charger can go in a drawer where it belongs.
It’s a low-cost option, plus I tested the product with an iPhone and an iPad so you can be sure you’re getting your money’s worth.
Apple reports that virtually all its iCloud services are down Wednesday. That includes very frequently used ones like Drive, Contacts, Keychain and Mail. And many more.
UPDATE: Apple restored all its services, though it took most of Wednesday.
Otto Climan decided his 90s-era Game Boy Color should have a new life. Rather than hacking it into a more powerful handheld gaming platform, he went in a completely different direction. He converted the device into an Apple TV remote.
iPad users wowed by Kensington’s StudioDock at CES 2021 should be happy to hear it took a big step toward release on Wednesday. It’s now possible to preorder this stand that boasts an extensive collection of built-in ports and wireless charging mats. The product is good enough to take home a CES 2021 Innovations Award.
On the other side of the coin, Kensington is just now revealing the price. And it’s not cheap.
A mere day after the release of a fresh macOS version, Apple went ahead and seeded to developers macOS 11.3 beta 1. The company isn’t one to sit on its hands.
The new beta includes small improvments to Safari and Reminders. And enhancements to a range of other features too. Plus bug fixes, of course.
Apple reportedly hired Manfred Harrer for its top-secret self-driving vehicle project. It’s a telling move because Harrer previously was head of chassis development at Porsche. This is a clear sign that the Mac-maker is planning an Apple car, not simply an autonomous vehicle system to be licensed to automakers.
A job posting leaves no room for doubt that Apple plans more health-related devices. The company seeks to hire a project manager to develop “Apple-branded Health Hardware products.”
The company doesn’t have anything like this now. It’s instead mostly concentrated on building wellness features into Apple Watch, iPhone and AirPods. And selling third-party health devices.
Apple TV+ just experienced its best weekend ever. And a big part of the reason was Palmer, a new drama starring Justin Timberlake that premiered on the streaming service Friday.
Apple Card holders might soon be able to share access with their family. Users of the credit card will reportedly be able to give their spouse or children access to a pre-established amount of money.
Apple released macOS Big Sur 11.2 to the public Monday, bringing more reliable Bluetooth connections. That should warm the hearts of those using recently released Macs built around Apple’s first-generation M-series processor.
The Mac update brings other bug fixes as well, but the release notes make no mention of new features.
Facebook is going to take a shot at persuading users to skip the “do not track” button that Apple will soon require iPhone application to display. The pop-up is designed to protect user privacy, but the Facebook app will offer its own pop-up screen explaining the benefits of targeted advertising before users are given the option to opt out of being tracked.
Apple committed to turning the epic rise and fall of WeWork into a limited series on Friday. And WeCrashed is set to star Oscar-winners Anne Hathaway and Jared Leto.
Apple’s new privacy “nutrition labels” in the App Store might not be as useful as hoped. Spot checks by a Washington Post writer turned up applications with incorrect information.
The basic problem? Apple asked developers to describe their own privacy practices. And some of them were less than honest.
Populus Run isn’t a typical running game. Players control a group of people, not a single runner. And, oh yeah, you have to evade gigantic fast food and engage in rap battles. Because games.
The title zoomed onto the Apple Arcade subscription service on Friday.
iPad shipments shot up 40% during the last quarter of 2020, according to a market research firm. And the whole tablet market increased dramatically.
This growth helped Apple hold onto its place as the world’s second largest computer maker.