Anyone eagerly awaiting the Apple TV+ adaptation of Nathan Pyle’s Strange Planet graphic novels should be thrilled by the trailer released Tuesday. The upcoming animated series captures the gentle mockery of human foibles from the books.
The series will premiere on Apple’s streaming service in two weeks.
★★★★☆
The Pitaka MagEz Slider 2 combines a desktop stand for your iPhone with a MagSafe power bank, so your handset can get juiced up wherever you go. Just slide the external battery out and take it with you. As a bonus, the swiveling stand also includes an AirPods charger.
It originally launched in 2022, and there’s second-generation version out with an improved design. I put the updated charging stand on my desk to test it out in everyday use. Here’s what I found.
A fortunate few will soon get their hands on the Apple Vision Pro. Developers can now apply to get a prerelease loaner unit with which to test the applications they’re creating for the upcoming AR headset.
But don’t expect to see people walking the street with a Vision Pro anytime soon. Apple’s rules for the loaner units are extremely restrictive.
iPhone and Mac users can now install iOS 16.6 and macOS Ventura 13.5. These are mostly bug-fix updates with only a few tweaks, but are still worth installing.
Apple also launched iPadOS 16.6, watchOS 9.6 and tvOS 16.6.
The iPhone 14’s ability to tell when it’s been a car crash saved the life of a California man after he drove off a cliff and fell 400 feet. The Crash Detection feature automatically called for emergency assistance.
One of the rescuers says the man probably would have died without the quick aid made possible by the iPhone.
The streaming music service Spotify just increased its prices across the board. The costs of most subscription options are now the same as the prices of its arch rival, Apple Music price increase 2024.
These increases are occurring in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and many other countries around the globe.
The shrinking screen bezel supposedly coming to the iPhone 15 Pro models are apparently only the start. Apple asked makers of OLED panels for iPhone to develop ones that have no bezels at all, according to a report coming out of Asia.
If true, it will enable Apple to put larger displays into future iPhones models without increasing the overall size of the device.
A version of the inexpensive Mac mini desktop upgraded with a faster Apple M3 processor will not be on the market for over a year, according to a reliable source.
However, there are other Macs with the M3 chip expected before the end of 2023.
Apple ended its famous “Think different” ad campaign more than 20 years ago, so perhaps it’s time for a reboot. Business.com challenged a generative AI to create new ads for the classic campaign featuring more current entertainment icons. The images produced for the AI-powered “Think Different” update look surprisingly good.
See for yourself.
★★★★☆
The SwitchEasy MagPower 4-in-1 Magnetic Wireless Charging Stand can wirelessly power up a MagSafe iPhone while also juicing up an Apple Watch, AirPods and more. And it even has a nightlight as a bonus.
I’ve had the stand either on my desk or beside my bed for a couple weeks now. Here’s what it’s like in real-world use.
Note: This stand is currently on sale in the Cult of Mac Store’s SwitchEasy flash sale.
La Maison is a one-hour drama set within a contemporary French fashion house. It focuses on the lives of powerful families involved in the world of fashion, aspirational French elegance and luxury.
The upcoming Apple TV+ series stars a who’s who of French actors, including Lambert Wilson and Amira Casar.
TSMC reportedly can’t get enough skilled workers to build its processor factory in Arizona. The company’s CEO warns that this means the start of chip manufacture in the United States won’t begin as soon as had been earlier projected.
That’s not good news for Apple, which has committed to sourcing processors from the plant.
Popular farming simulator Stardew Valley+ is now playable via Apple Arcade. The game promises many hours of entertainment, with farming, ranching, fighting monsters and even getting married.
It’s one of a number of classic titles to hit Apple’s gaming subscription service in recent weeks.
The Vaonis Hestia gives users a closer look at the moon, sun and stars, but it’s far from a traditional telescope. It’s designed to let beginners use their iPhone to view the heavens, easily find the celestial objects they want to see, and then photograph them.
It’s also quite portable. It’s ready to go with you to escape light pollution.
Zagg just launched a line of Bluetooth desktop keyboards that range in size from 12 inches all the way up to 17 inches, with larger models adding a numberpad and function keys. And they really don’t need wires, as they also charge wirelessly
In addition, the new keyboard lineup includes one designed specifically to plug into the Lightning port of an iPad. And there’s a USB-C variant, too.
A standout feature of the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max is reportedly causing assembly problems. The high-end models Apple will launch in autumn 2023 are expected to have the thinnest screen bezels of any handset, but that’s apparently making the panels harder than usual to produce.
If true, this could lower the supply of the iOS devices when they launch.
The on again/off again iPhone SE 4 is reportedly off again. For at least a couple of years, anyway. Apple reportedly no longer intends to make a new budget iOS handset in 2024.
That’s probably not surprising considering the popularity of the company’s more expensive models.
The U.K. government has proposed an update to the Investigatory Powers Act that Apple and other tech companies strongly oppose because it they argue it would substantially weaken the security of their messaging applications.
The updated act would allow the government to require security features in the apps be disabled immediately and without informing users.
Apple reportedly warned that it’ll disable iMessage and FaceTime in the UK before it’ll comply with the law.
Netflix just killed its Basic plan, forcing people to pay more for an ad-free experience. And the cost of all Peacock plans went up, with or without commercials.
Apple TV+, with no ads at all, looks like a better deal than ever.
Apple reportedly developed its own generative AI chatbot that’s very similar to OpenAI’s ChatGPT. While this might never be released, the underlying tech is already going into the company’s applications and services.
If true, the chatbot’s technology could be a significant upgrade to the Siri digital assistant that’s built into so many Apple products — and that currently draws so much criticism.
Rather than a dull, dry recitation of the antitheft features built into MacBooks, Apple created a video featuring another madcap adventure from the Underdogs.
The video is fun an and exciting, but is also a demonstration of the multiple ways Macs prevent criminals from profiting from stolen Macs.
The SanDisk 4TB Extreme Portable SSD cost a jaw-dropping $699 when it launched. You can now pick it up for a third of that original cost: $229. Amazon also offers similar deals on smaller-capacity versions for a limited time.
These external drives promise data-transfer speeds up to 1,050 MBps over a USB-C connection, and work with Mac and iPad.
UPDATE: Published reports indicate this SSD has a high failure rate, which might explain why it’s on sale. Buyer beware.
The release candidates for iOS 16.6 and macOS Ventura 13.5 were seeded to developers on Tuesday. These are the final betas of minor bug updates without significant new features, but nevertheless they will be worth installing when the final versions are released, almost certainly within a week.
The same is true for iPadOS 16.6 RC, watchOS 9.6 RC and tvOS 16.6 RC.
iPhone pulled in its highest-ever Q2 share of the global smartphone market, according to an analysis firm. Apple’s total shipments were down, just not down as much as shipments of Androids from rival handset-makers.
The good news for Apple is that consumers around the world are more interested in premium smartphones than ever before.
Apple will put batteries that could last up to 10% longer in the upcoming iPhone 15 series, according to an unconfirmed report. These will be stacked batteries rather than wound ones.
iOS handsets already offer lengthy times between recharges, but surely no one will complain about extending that.