★★★★☆
The new mophie juice pack for iPhone 15 combines a protective case with a power bank. Simply put your handset in the case to greatly extend your battery life and add 6 feet of drop protection.
I did real-world testing on the version specifically for the iPhone 15. (mophie also sells juice packs for the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, but not iPhone 15 Plus.)
Apple just invited the world to a May 7 product-launch event with the theme “Let Loose.” As an Apple Pencil is prominently included in the invitation’s image, there’s no doubt that two much-rumored new iPad models are on the agenda.
What is surprising is that there’ll be an event to announce the products, not simply a press release.
The upcoming iPhone 16 series will have no traditional buttons at all, according to information leaking out of the company that will supply the capacitive buttons that will supposedly replace them.
If true, the change would make the iOS devices more durable and waterproof.
There will never be a version of the Mac mini with the Apple M3 processor, according to a reliable tipster. Instead, the inexpensive desktop will wait for the next-generation chip.
That’s the bad news. The good news is that the wait supposedly won’t be terribly long.
Apple Watch Ultra 2 joined the official Apple Certified Refurbished store. This lets buyers save $120 on the top-of-the-line smartwatch that hit the market just a few months ago.
Buying refurbs from Apple is a popular way to save on used electronics that can be relied on.
Apple Watch Series X is expected to bring a redesign, new sensors and other changes later this year. A designer created images of a concept device to showcase the leaked/rumored features.
Take a look.
Sunny, a mystery thriller with a darkly comic bent, will premiere on Apple TV+ this summer. The series will star Rashida Jones and a robot.
The two will work together in an attempt to locate the woman’s missing family.
★★★★☆
The Zagg Desk Mat with Wireless Charging keeps your iPhone and other gear juiced up while also acting as a nonslip workspace, mousepad and stylus holder.
I put one in my home office and tested it with my iPhone and other accessories. Here’s how it went.
The long wait for easy access to AirPlay in hotel rooms is over. Sort of. Apple announced Thursday that a hotel chain is supporting the feature that allows iPhone and iPad users to wirelessly stream content to hotel TVs.
It’s a limited rollout, so travelers are left hoping there’ll be wider adoption.
The new Delta retro game emulator is now on the iPhone App Store. Not only can it handle ROMs originally for the classic Game Boy handheld console, but it also emulates NES, SNES, Nintendo 64 and Nintendo DS.
It’s a launch that fans of classic games have long awaited.
A recent report that the Apple M4 Mac processor will launch this fall — only a year after the debut of the M3 — met with some surprise and skepticism. But it shouldn’t have — Apple’s goal to refresh the chip line every year is ambitious but achievable.
Just because Intel can’t bring out new generations of its processors annually doesn’t mean Apple and TSMC can’t.
World of Warcraft looks and performs very well on Mac. It’s a standout option for gamers frustrated that few other big-name games come to macOS.
Blizzard’s perennially popular massively multiplayer online role-playing game offers constantly evolving content so you won’t get bored. And you don’t need a PC to play.
Bimmy, a NES emulator for the iPhone, joined App Store on Tuesday. It was the first retro game emulator approved by Apple and proof that the company really has removed restrictions on this type of software.
However, the developer himself quickly removed the app “out of fear.” That said, more are likely to follow, including Game Boy emulators.
Apple highlights its decision to discontinue leather iPhone cases and Watch bands in a new video released Tuesday. The company instead went with a new material it calls “FineWoven.” Trouble is, months after Apple made the change, FineWoven continues to elicit strong complaints.
iPhone 16 Pro storage will start at 256GB, according to a tipster. That’s twice as much capacity as any previous iOS device.
If true, it’ll help differentiate Apple’s Pro handsets from the standard ones.
A Game Boy emulator appeared in the iPhone App Store over the weekend. This might be proof that Apple really has removed restrictions blocking retro game emulators.
Trouble is, the iGBA app has already been kicked out of the software store. But it was a very dodgy app that allegedly ripped off the work of another developer. So its removal may have nothing to do with recent changes in Apple policy.
After a stellar 2023, iPhone shipments dropped 9.6% year over year in the first quarter of 2024, according to a market-research firm.
Archrival Samsung also saw a decline in smartphone shipments, but not as large as Apple’s. On the other hand, two Chinese phone-makers saw extremely strong growth last quarter.
Apple wants the process of moving from Android to iPhone to go as smoothly as possible, of course. To make the switch simpler, it created a Move to iOS application.
A recent video from Apple Support explains how to use the Android app.
The Elago Magnetic Stand for iPads lifts the tablet up and does so beautifully. It closely mimics the design of the iMac, making the iPad into a small desktop.
Most iPad stands offer a very limited selection of colors — perhaps only silver. Elago’s comes in a range of them, including pink.
The action-comedy romance film Argylle finally reached Apple TV+. The spy thriller turns spy-movie tropes upside down.
The star-studded movie — there’s Henry Cavill, Dua Lipais and many more — is not a hit with critics but it does fairly well with audiences.
A Benjamin Franklin docudrama now on Apple TV+ has the founding father taking on the dangerous task of convincing the king of France to financially support the American Revolution.
Legendary actor Michael Douglas has the title role of Franklin, a limited series that runs through mid May.
The hit series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters is officially getting a season two. In addition, Apple TV+ struck a deal with Legendary Entertainment that will result in multiple spinoff series based on the franchise.
“We couldn’t be more excited for viewers to not only have the chance to experience even more thrills in season two, but to embark on epic, new journeys in the franchise as we expand Legendary’s Monsterverse,” said Morgan Wandell, head of international development for Apple TV+.
Mac users won’t need to wait until 2025 for the Apple M4 processor, according to a reputable Apple tipster. The replacement for the current M3 will emphasize AI — and will start appearing in Macs this autumn.
A previous report said improvements in the upcoming Apple A18 iPhone processor, also launching this fall, will focus on artificial intelligence, too.
Dark Matter, one of the best sci-fi novels of the decade, is about to become an Apple TV+ series. It’s a thriller about a man lost in the multiverse trying to find his original universe, and stars Joel Edgerton and Jennifer Connelly.
The trailer released Thursday asks the question “What if the person who abducted me is me?”
Mercenary spyware is being used to target specific iPhone users in almost 100 countries. Apple reportedly sent warnings to these people on Wednesday.
This is different from general warnings that all computer users need to be careful about malware. The individuals warned Wednesday are being targeted — probably for political reasons.