A deal on a four-pack of AirTags brings the Apple tracker back down to its lowest price ever. Each AirTag costs less than $20 after a 20% discount from Amazon or Best Buy. If you’d prefer a single tracker, that’s up to 17% off the usual price.
AirTags are a great way to keep you from leaving important items behind, or to help you find them if you misplace them.
AirPods Pro might be able to act more like a hearing aid with the release of iOS 18, according to an Apple tipster.
The additional audio function would benefit those with slight hearing loss who aren’t ready for more serious hearing assistance.
Your HomePod is a lot more than a simple speaker — it’s a whole computer. And like any computer it has an operating system that needs occasional updates. Here’s how to make sure your Apple smart speaker has the software version released on Tuesday.
Version 17.4 makes it easier to play media by learning your preferred service.
If you depend on automatic updates, it’s possible your smart speaker hasn’t yet installed the update. Here’s how to do so manually.
Are AirTags waterproof? Keeping liquids out of our electronics isn’t always easy. Especially when it’s something we take with us everywhere, like our AirTags. Those with Apple’s handle little item tracker, or anyone thinking about getting one, might ask the questions:
I’ve kept a tracking tag on my indoor/outdoor cat for years, so I fully understand wanting to be sure a bit of rain won’t cause problems. And I have tags on my keys and many other items, and I also don’t want a trip through the wash to ruin them.
Fortunately, I have lots of good news.
Anyone criticizing Apple Vision Pro as a Meta Quest at seven times the price misses the profound difference between the two headsets. Apple made an augmented reality device, while Meta focused on virtual reality.
And the basic distinction between the two is that AR is the future of computing while VR will always be much more limited.
Both Apple and Meta seem to realize this, which is why their devices support AR and VR. The difference comes down to which one the rivals focus on, and that’s where Apple has the advantage.
Add Constellation to the lengthy list of Apple TV+ shows that are standout hits. The new sci-fi mystery horror series sits near the top of the popularity charts of two different ratings services, and has ever since its February premiere.
Masters of the Air remains popular, too. As do the historical dramas Napoleon and Killers of the Flower Moon. That puts all four of these series/films ahead of almost all the content on any streaming service.
Epic Games can release Fortnite in the EU and open an App Store rival after Apple restored the company’s developer account. This came as the European Commission was starting an inquiry into why the account had been cancelled.
Apple called Epic Games “untrustworthy” when it pulled the account.
New generative AI features are expected to be a highlight of iOS 18, and a skilled artist created a concept video that presents an early look at how they might work.
The video also shows other suggested upgrades, like bringing Split View — Apple’s multitasking feature that lets two apps appear side by side on iPad (and Mac) — to the iPhone.
Apple reportedly ordered 8.5 million OLED screens for the iPad Pro models it’s expected to launch soon. More of these panels are for the 13-inch version of the tablet than they are for the 11-inch one.
Leaks indicate the next generation iPad Pro will reach store shelves later this month. Possibly even next week.
Apple is building a way out of the iOS “walled garden.” It promised on Thursday to make it easier to switch the data from an iPhone to an Android or other handset.
That said, the migration tool is part of Apple complying with the European Union’s Digital Market Act so the solution might not be available outside of the EU.
The wait is over for macOS Sonoma 14.4, with the new version going out a bit sooner than expected. It brings in new emoji plus auto-generated transcripts in the Apple Podcasts app.
watchOS 10.4 also went to all users on Thursday, as did tvOS 17.4 and visionOS 1.1.
The highlight of the 2024 MacBook Air is the Apple M3 processor, and the first round of reviews show a 25% increase over the earlier M2-based models.
Otherwise, Apple didn’t tinker with the design of previous versions of its 13- and 15-inch consumer-oriented notebook.
Apple continues to work on a MacBook with a 20-inch folding screen, according to a reliable source of insider information. It could set a new pattern for notebooks for the coming decade.
The product has been on the drawing board for quite some time, but isn’t scheduled for release until 2027.
Epic Games will not be able to bring Fortnite back to the European Union. Apple canceled the company’s developer account (again) and called Epic “verifiably untrustworthy.”
Shutting down the developer account also means that the game-maker won’t be able to open its promised rival to the App Store.
It just became a lot easier to read along with a podcast, or pull an interesting quote out of one. The Apple Podcasts app now automatically generates transcripts for series and episodes.
Here’s how to find and read these transcripts in the iPhone Podcasts app.
Colin Farrell takes the lead in Sugar, an upcoming Apple TV+ series about a private detective searching for the missing granddaughter of a Hollywood magnate.
The trailer shows the series coming in April will be dark and violent.
Osamu Tezuka’s Midnight manga gets adapted to live action in the latest “Shot on iPhone” project. It’s an action film about a mysterious late-night taxi driver.
Apple also released a “making of” video to show how the movie was produced with an iPhone 15 Pro.
Apple just removed a significant barrier for opening a rival iPhone app store in the European Union. Submitting a million-euro letter of credit is no longer required. There are still plenty of other requirements, though.
Rival app marketplaces are coming to the European Union — and nowhere else — because of landmark legislation that forced Apple to broaden the options for installing iPhone apps.
The Apple M3 processor in the 2024 MacBook Air brings a 25% increase to the upgraded notebook’s performance, according to early benchmark results. And the increase over the M1-based version is even more spectacular.
The M3 is Apple’s latest processor family, and it’s made using a cutting-edge 3nm production process.
The just-launched Belkin iPhone Mount with MagSafe for Apple TV 4K makes it easy to hold FaceTime calls with Apple’s set-top box. It magnetically holds an iPhone so its cameras point toward the user.
Video-chat capability is built into Apple’s set-top box — the mount just makes it simpler.
The European Commission fined Apple more than 1.8 billion euros Monday for “abusing its dominant position on the market for the distribution of music streaming apps.”
The ruling follows complaints by music streaming service Spotify. In a lengthy response to the fine, Apple said Spotify pays absolutely nothing for the array of services Cupertino provides. Apple also said it will appeal the EC’s decision.
Napoleon, a historical epic from director Ridley Scott, began streaming on Apple TV+ on March 1, after having its global premier in theaters in November.
The movie stars Joaquin Phoenix as Napoleon Bonaparte, the French emperor who conquered much of Europe. It details the tyrant’s ruthless rise to power and his obsessive love for his wife, Empress Josephine.
Apple changed course and is not disabling iPhone web apps in the European Union. The method for turning websites into applications will not disappear with the release is iOS 17.4 after all.
The flip-flop is just a small aspect of big changes coming to iOS because of EU legislation.
Plans to transition Apple Watch Ultra to a micro LED display have been dropped, according to a trusted source of insider Apple information.
Beyond that, Apple seems to have lost interest in micro LED screens entirely.
Apple is widely expected to hold a product launch event in March 2024 with a range of new iPad Pro, iPad Air and MacBook Air models on the agenda.
You don’t have to wait to find out what’s on Apple’s agenda. Many details about the upcoming notebooks and tablets already leaked out.
UPDATE: It appears there won’t be an actual event. Apple has begun unveiling the expected product via press release, starting with the M3-powered MacBook Air on Monday. The iPad announcements are likely to come soon.
