Apple released iOS 16.6.1, macOS 13.5.2, iPadOS 16.6.1 and watchOS 9.6.2 on Thursday to address a potentially serious security vulnerability. All the updates fix security flaws, including one that may already have been exploited by hackers to deliver the infamous Pegasus spyware.
So don’t delay — update your devices with these patches soon.
The upcoming series Where’s Wanda? is a dark comedy that follows parents searching for their missing daughter who discover that behind closed doors, none of their neighbors are who they pretend to be.
It will be the first Apple TV+ series in German.
The RayCue 128K looks like a tiny version of the iconic Macintosh from 1984, but it’s useful in 2023. Very useful — it packs 14 ports and Bluetooth speaker. And the display acts as a digital picture frame.
If that’s not enough, the matching “keyboard” adds seven more ports.
Don’t accuse Apple of just waking up to benefits of conversational AI. It reportedly started developers working on voice-driven artificial intelligence systems four years ago.
And the company is now pouring money into the project.
The U.K. government dropped a plan that would have allowed it to access the contents of any online message looking for illegal content. It had sought a way around the encryption that protects messaging services like iMessage and WhatsApp.
Apple threatened to disable iMessage and FaceTime in the UK rather than submit to the proposal on the grounds that it would completely compromise the privacy of all users. Other companies said the same about their apps.
Apple has been caught in the middle of the high tech trade war between the United States and China. Many government employees have been ordered to not use an iPhone for work. Official government disapproval could result in lowered sales in the country, which currently contributes heavily to Apple revenue.
iPhone has not been singled out, though. The workers are not allowed to use any smartphone made outside of China.
Now that iOS and the App Store have been labeled “gatekeepers” by the European Commission, the EU’s Digital Markets Act requires Apple to allow users to install applications directly onto iPhones. And sideloading is just one of the sweeping changes resulting from the DMA. Users apparently will be able to replace Siri with one of its rivals, for example. Other services, like iMessage, might require modification later.
One thing’s clear: The iPhone won’t be the same after the Digital Markets Act goes into effect in spring 2024.
There certainly will not be a dearth of apps for the Vision Pro when it launches — Apple said Tuesday that every compatible iOS and iPadOS application will be automatically listed in an upcoming App Store for the AR headset.
That means there’ll be “hundreds of thousands” of apps for Vision Pro at its debut early next year, according to Apple.
Apple is reportedly working on a MacBook with a price low enough to compete with Chromebooks in the education market.
If true, then the company may well be intending to follow the same strategy for macOS notebooks that it does for the iPhone SE and Apple Watch SE.
Kingston just took the wraps off the XS1000 External SSD. It’s about the size of pack of gum but holds up to 2 terabytes of data. And it can transfer files at high speed, too.
Or there’s the already announced XS2000, which is twice as fast. Just not for everyone.
Blofeld, the criminal mastermind and head of Spectre, is once again scheming to defeat James Bond in Cypher 007. The action game launches for a range of Apple devices in late September on Apple Arcade.
And there are three more games headed for Apple’s gaming subscription service in September.
Add mophie (and its parent company Zagg) to the list of accessory-makers jumping on the Qi2 bandwagon. It unveiled a collection of wireless chargers that use the new standard that’s heavily based on Apple’s MagSafe, including magnetic attachment.
Both Belkin and Anker also announced Qi2-compatible products designed to work equally well for iPhone and Android.
The Major League Soccer playoffs kick off in October, and fans can watch all the action with an MLS Season Pass that’s now available at less than a third of the cost it was earlier.
Cheer on your favorite team, or see if Lionel Messi can take Inter Miami CF all the way, without breaking the bank.
Shake to the rhythm of the beat in the revival of Sega’s Samba de Amigo: Party-to-Go. The game debuted in arcades and on consoles more than 20 years ago, and is now available for an Apple TV, Mac and more.
It’s this week’s addition to the Apple Arcade gaming service.
Apple gave a more complete explanation of why it cancelled a plan to scan iCloud Photos libraries for child sexual abuse material. It’s the same reason it gave back in 2022, but with more detail.
It all comes down to user privacy, and the potential for the system to be abused by hackers and repressive governments.
Two of the MacBook Pros that launched back in 2017 just got a bit harder to get repaired. That’s because they’ve been added to Apple’s official list of vintage devices. This includes the 15-inch model introduced in 2017 and one of the two 13-inch MacBook Pros.
But it’ll be years before they’re listed as obsolete.
Qi2 is the future of wireless chargers and Belkin is already on board. On Thursday, it took the wraps off a pair of accessories that use the emerging standard.
Qi2 was created to bring the advantages of iPhone’s MagSafe to Android. Wireless chargers from Belkin and other companies that support the standard will work equally well for Apple and Samsung, etc. handsets, as long as they support Qi2.
★★★★☆
The Zagg Pro Keyboard 12 is a slim, lightweight desktop keyboard that uses Bluetooth so no data cable is required. And it also charges wirelessly so it never needs a cable of any kind.
The accessory can be paired with multiple devices, and switch easily between them.
I tested the membrane keyboard in my home office for several weeks. Here’s what it’s like in real-world use.
The upcoming documentary The Pigeon Tunnel is the final interview with John le Carré, who wrote many best-selling novels about spies and was an MI6 agent himself.
A just-released trailer for the biopic shows the British spy-turned-author discussing his very usual life. The film will premiere on Apple TV+ this fall.
Apple reportedly will produce the iPhone 15 in an array of mostly muted colors. New images of mockup units show the upcoming handset in five generally pastel shades.
The iPhone 15 Pro series supposedly will be available with a different, smaller range of colors.
Apple and the companies assembling the iPhone 15 reportedly worked through all the significant production problems they faced making the next iOS handsets. They supposedly faced issues with the cameras, LCDs, batteries and titanium frame in upcoming models
After clearing those hurdles, the four models in the iPhone 15 series are now set for the launch that’s almost certainly happening in September.
Martin Scorsese’s historical drama Killers of the Flower Moon will debut in theaters in late October. The real-life tale of a serial killer will appear on the Apple TV+ streaming service sometime after that.
The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Lily Gladstone and Robert De Niro, and Apple is clearly hoping it will earn an Oscar or two.
AirPods that use USB-C to charge in place of Lightning are reportedly right around the corner. They supposedly will be unveiled at Apple’s “Wonderlust” event on September 12.
The modified version of Apple’s wireless earbuds are part of a general move away from Lightning.
You’ll always know how much current is flowing to your devices with the just-launched Plugable USB Type-C Extension Cable with Power Meter. A small display shows how many watts are being transferred by the affordable cable.
Plugable also introduced on Tuesday a tiny 30W USB-C GaN charger plus a 32W wall charger that includes USB-C, USB-A and AC power ports.
Apple sent out invites Tuesday to its annual September product launch event, which will happen September 12. The tagline is “Wonderlust,” so Apple is apparently hoping we’ll all be feeling both wonder and lust when it unveils the iPhone 15 series.
We’re also expecting to see the next generation of Apple Watch models.
