Assassin’s Creed Shadows finally launched on Thursday, and Mac gamers can play the action-packed, role-playing game from Ubisoft at the same time as players on PCs and consoles. Mac owners won’t face the usual wait of months or years. There’s even a version for iPads with M-series processors in development.
The adventure is set in medieval Japan, and players can choose either a samurai or a shinobi (aka ninja) for very different gaming experiences.
9iPhone 16e owners can easily add an inexpensive MagSafe sticker to make up for Apple leaving this magnetic connection system out of its new handset. Adding MagSafe improves wireless charging and opens the doors to magnetic stands, power banks and clip-on wallets.
Android users frustrated that they can’t take advantage of great accessories designed for iPhone can use one of these stickers, too.
Here’s our buying guide to the best MagSafe stickers we found.
An Apple reorganization reportedly brings new management to the team struggling to develop an AI-enhanced version of Siri. Apple apparently tapped Mike Rockwell, an exec with one successful Apple product launch already under his belt, to shepherd the promised Siri upgrade.
Clearly, the goal is to accelerate a project that’s been significantly delayed — and has become a major embarrassment for Apple.
Don’t buy a separate stand and hub for your iPad until you check out the Zagg 6-port Media Hub that launched Wednesday. Add an HDMI port, a USB-A port and more to your tablet without taking up any more space on your desktop than a stand alone would.
Plus, it got a big brother: the Zagg Pro Dock is a stand for MacBooks with 10 ports, including dual HDMI and Ethernet.
These are part of a collection of new hubs from Zagg with a range of port options.
The European Commission issued “guidance” Tuesday on changes it says Apple must make to comply with the interoperability requirements of the EU’s Digital Markets Act. The new mandates would open up the iPhone to work more closely with third-party smartwatches, headphones and TVs.
Apple says the new rules will undercut user privacy and slow innovation, and vows to make its case to the EU. It remains to be seen whether the changes will take effect only in Europe or globally.
With Microsoft winding down Windows 10, many companies could take the opportunity to switch to macOS, according to an industry analyst.
The prediction comes as U.S. Mac sales are already spiking, up a whopping 25.9% in the fourth quarter. This made Apple the third-largest computer maker in the U.S. market.
Capcom brought Resident Evil 3 to Mac, iPad and iPhone on Tuesday. The latest AAA game to arrive on Apple’s platforms, the 2020 survival horror title lets players use a variety of weapons to fight zombies.
Comparing Mac Studio vs Mac Pro shows the benefits from Apple’s ever-improving processors. Mac Studio just got a major chip upgrade, and can now be configured with an M3 Ultra. The last new Mac Pro version came in 2023, and it’s therefore stuck with an M2 Ultra.
Read on to see how much of a difference that makes. (Spoiler alert: It a big difference.)
The head of the team developing the promised AI-enhanced Siri had to admit the recent decision to significantly delay the release gave Apple’s reputation a major black eye, according to a report published Friday.
Robby Walker, Apple’s senior director of Siri and information intelligence, reportedly called the delay “ugly” during a recent all-hands meeting with his team. He gave an update on how close Apple is to having the technology ready, but couldn’t promise when it will ship. At present, the “smarter” Siri reportedly still fails to work correctly a significant percentage of the time.
★★★★☆
Don’t underestimate the basic iPad. As I learned while testing the iPad 11 for this review, the newly updated tablet with an Apple A16 processor is an almost shockingly good computer when one considers it costs only $349.
I put Apple’s latest low-cost tablet to the test and came away reminded that one doesn’t need an iPad Pro to be productive. Or have fun.
Add ViewSonic to the list of companies making a 27-inch, 5K monitor to compete head-to-head with the Apple Studio Display.
As with so many of the rivals, the ColorPro VP2788-5K is considerably more affordable than Apple’s offering. And it doesn’t look half bad.
The new Plugable USBC-E5000 5Gbps USB-C Ethernet Adapter lets you add a wired internet connection to your MacBook. Simply plug it into a USB-C port on your computer for data transfers at up to 5Gbps, or 5000Mbps.
The affordable adapter, which launched Tuesday, also works with iPad and even recent iPhone models.
Apple intends to massively transform the user interfaces for the iPhone, Mac and iPad later this year, according to a reliable source who says iOS 19, macOS 16 and iPadOS 19 could bring the most significant changes in years.
How will those changes affect the familiar look and feel of Apple’s devices? A software developer speculates that a pair of recently released Apple apps offer a sneak peek at the design overhaul reportedly coming in iOS 19 and macOS 16.
Apple introduced on Tuesday four patches for a range of devices to deal with bugs. iOS 18.3.2, macOS 15.3.2, iPadOS 18.3.2 and visionOS 2.3.2 are all ready to download.
In addition to a bug fix related to streaming content, the patches also include a fix for a potentially serious security issue.
You can use the Apple logo as an emoji … if you know how. Expressing your love for all things Apple looks a lot better if know how to type the .
It’s easy to do on a Mac, and I can show you how to add to texts on iPhone and iPad, too.
Early reviews of the 2025 Mac Studio tout the speed boost that comes with the Apple M3 Ultra processor, and the M4 Max version is certainly no slouch. And, as reviewers point out, the new chips build on previous versions that offered an impressive set of features packed into a relatively small casing. For those interested in the latest developments in AI-powered performance, check out the latest Apple AI news.
If you’re interested in Apple’s latest laptops, the MacBook Air M3 is now available for purchase.
Considering the new desktop? This is just what you need to know:
Early reviews of the upcoming M3 iPad Air note the ho-hum nature of Apple’s update: The midrange tablet gets a speed boost thanks to a new chip and nothing else. Still, the device gets lots of compliments from reviewers.
The consensus remains that the iPad Air continues to be a worthy option for those who want more than the budget iPad but aren’t willing to pay for all the additional features of an iPad Pro.
The launch of a device that will be the centerpiece of Apple’s next foray into smart home technology reportedly got put on hold. The delay in the launch of the wall-mounted iPad-like computer is a result of Apple’s problems finishing work on an AI-enhanced version of the Siri voice assistant, according to a reliable source.
Early benchmarks for the Mac Studio with the M3 Ultra processor reveal that Apple’s new top-of-the-line chip brings a 30% performance increase over its predecessor.
The speed boost is even more dramatic over the original version of the Mac Studio from 2022.
The iPhone 17 Pro Max expected this autumn will be 5% thicker than the current version, according to a noted tipster.
But that’s not bad news. The extra bulk supposedly is to allow Apple to build a larger battery into its top-of-the-line iOS handset.
The Apple M4 chip going into the new MacBook Air version brings a considerable performance boost. Early benchmark scores show the 2025 version of the macOS notebook runs over 50% faster than the 2024 version.
Steady annual improvements in Apple’s M series chips continue to demonstrate the advantages of the switch away from Intel. If you’re considering an upgrade, checking out the MacBook Air price can help you decide if the latest model is worth the investment. If you’re looking for a breakdown of the latest Mac M4 and whether it’s worth upgrading, this guide has everything you need to know. If you’re comparing the latest models, check out this detailed M4 MacBook Pro comparison to see how it stacks up.
Apple unveiled the M3 Ultra chip as an option in the new MacStudio desktop Wednesday. As the company’s most powerful silicon chip to date, it brings unprecedented performance to pro users with demanding workflows. The other option in the new desktop machine is the M4 Max chip, which is actually less powerful than the M3 Ultra.
“M3 Ultra is the pinnacle of our scalable system-on-a-chip architecture, aimed specifically at users who run the most heavily threaded and bandwidth-intensive applications,” said Johny Srouji, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Technologies.
Apple didn’t launch the 2025 Mac Studio with an M4 Ultra processor — the top-of-the-line version of Apple’s current chip family. And it now seems that chip will never exist at all.
Apparently, Cupertino never intended to produce it.
The long wait for an upgraded Mac Studio finally ended. A version with an M4 Max processor and (surprise!) an M3 Ultra chip launched Wednesday.
“The new Mac Studio is the most powerful Mac we’ve ever made,” said John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering. “A complete game-changer for pros around the world — powering both home and pro studios — Mac Studio sits in a class of its own, offering a staggering amount of performance in a compact, quiet design that fits beautifully on your desk. With this new Mac Studio, we’re delivering even more extreme performance with M4 Max and M3 Ultra, support for half a terabyte of unified memory, up to 16TB of superfast storage, and Thunderbolt 5 connectivity. Mac Studio truly is the ultimate pro desktop.”
The budget iPad, one of Apple’s most popular tablets, now comes with a faster A16 processor, and the base model packs twice the storage capacity. However, for the most part, the iPad 11 — which Apple quietly released Tuesday — stays the same as its predecessor. While Apple made incremental changes to the iPad lineup, there is growing anticipation around MacBook Air rumors, suggesting a significant update is on the horizon.
And, in a surprise move, the tablet did not join the club of devices that support Apple Intelligence.