The just-launched Diablo IV is not available for macOS, which angered many Mac gamers. Turns out, one of those people is actor Whoopi Goldberg.
The frustration stems from the fact that previous titles in the long-running game series from Blizzard have supported Mac.
Private Browsing mode in Apple Safari will soon get even more secure. It’ll be locked against someone else accessing it, and incorporate new tools to prevent websites from tracking users.
The additional privacy features are coming in iOS 17, macOS Sonoma and iPadOS 17, all of which were unveiled at WWDC23 this week.
Making regular, reoccurring payments will soon be a feature of Apple Cash. This will make the payment system useful for rent or allowances or other financial transactions that happen each week or month.
Plus, the system will be able to automatically bring in more money when needed.
If some random person decides you need to see a picture of his anatomy, iOS 17 will save you. The new Sensitive Content Warning scans texted images and automatically blurs any that contain nudity.
It’s a feature already in iPhone to protect children, and it’s now being extended to adults.
Apple is souping up the systems for entering text into iPhone with iOS 17. Autocorrect is getting enhanced with AI for fewer typos, as part of multiple improvements to what Apple calls “intelligent input.” And Dictation is getting a boost that promises more-accurate voice recognition, too.
I tested the changes in the first iOS 17 beta. Here’s how well they work … so far.
It’s barely summer and Apple is already thinking about heading back to school in the fall. But at least it’s offering students a $150 gift card with a qualifying Mac purchase, and a $100 gift card with a qualifying iPad purchase.
That’s on top of educational pricing for these computers. And a deal on AppleCare+.
Plugable just launched a hub for MacBook or iPad users who need to connect to multiple USB-A accessories. It includes four ports for legacy accessories, and connects to the computer via USB-C.
The inexpensive hub is designed for use in an office or on the go.
With macOS Sonoma, iOS 17, iPadOS 17, watchOS 10 and tvOS 17 unveiled at WWDC23 on Monday, Apple made the initial betas available to developers. These are major updates for the various operating systems that run all Apple computers.
Beta testing will stretch through summer, with the full release of these OSs not coming until autumn.
The Keynote from WWDC23 was unusually jam-packed with huge announcements. Naturally, the first official details of new iOS, macOS, iPadOS and watchOS versions came to light, as is traditional. But Apple also used its annual developer conference to take the wraps off quite a bit of hardware.
And CEO Tim Cook used Apple’s classic “One more thing” line to unveil Vision Pro, the augmented-reality headset that was the absolute star of Monday’s Keynote.
An upcoming software update will add multiple new listening modes to AirPods Pro 2. These are designed to make it easier for the user to listen to music while also hearing what’s going on around them.
Apple also announced at WWDC23 that all AirPods will get better at switching connections between devices, plus a change intended to make conference calls easier.
iPadOS 17 will give iPad users the Lock Screen enhancements that debuted for iPhone last year. Another major addition for tablet users is interactive Home Screen widgets, a long-requested feature. And these are just a few of the changes coming in the iPadOS version announced at WWDC23.
“With interactive widgets on the Lock Screen, updates to PDFs and Notes, as well as enhancements to Messages and FaceTime, iPadOS gives users even more ways to get things done easier and faster than ever,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s SVP of Software Engineering, in a statement.
The 15.3-inch MacBook Air 2023 starts at $1,299 and is available in several stunning colors, including starlight, silver, midnight, and the ever-popular space gray MacBook Air. For a closer look at how space gray compares to silver, check out this detailed review.
The newest macOS notebook boasts a long battery life, comes with an Apple M2 processor, and the price is only $1,299.
“With its incredible performance and striking design, the new MacBook Air is the world’s best 15-inch laptop. And it’s only possible with Apple silicon,” said John Ternus, Apple’s SVP of hardware engineering, in a statement.
Apple stock price is up 2% on Monday, rising to a new record high. Each share is going for about $184.60, sailing past the previous high of around $182 set back in early 2022.
Experts credit a recent rise in AAPL on anticipation for the VR/AR headset that Apple will almost certainly unveil on Monday.
★★★★☆
The JSAUX Omnicase 2 Pro is an 11-in-1 USB-C travel hub that offers USB and video ports plus SD card readers. And it sets itself apart from rival hubs with a built-in case for storing a cable, various adapters and SD cards. It’s ready to connect a Mac or iPad to USB accessories, monitors, Ethernet, memory cards and more. And it includes adapters if you run into connection problems.
I tested the multiport hub out to see how well it works. Here’s what I found.
The “Hey Siri” trigger phrase for Apple’s virtual assistant could go away soon, replaced with a shorter version. And the change might be announced at WWDC23 next week.
Being able to activate Siri by simply saying “Siri” near an iPhone, HomePod, etc., could make activating Apple’s virtual assistant easier.
There’s good news for Mac gamers: a pair of top-quality games are headed for Apple desktops and laptops. No Man’s Sky is out now while Stray is coming soon.
However, both won’t be available for Intel-based Macs.
The Apple Music Classical application that debuted for iPhone in March is now available for Android, too. The service gives access to the world’s largest classical music catalog, and is designed to help users find specific recordings of great works almost instantly.
It requires a subscription to Apple Music.
Sending video from iPhones to TVs over AirPlay will get easier in iOS 17, according to a tipster. The goal is supposedly to simplify sending video to other people’s TVs. The improvement will almost certainly be extended to iPad, too.
This is one of numerous small changes expected when iOS 17 is unveiled at WWDC23 in early June.
★★★★☆
The BenQ PD3420Q is a ultrawide monitor designed to appeal to creative professionals with its atypical shape and color consistency with MacBooks.
The 34-inch screen has a 2K resolution and a 21:9 aspect ratio. And there are some nice additions, like a HotKey Puck and built-in KVM.
I tested the PD3420Q in my home office, exploring the advantages and drawbacks of the very wide screen.
★★★★★
Season two of Prehistoric Planet will fill the heart of any dinosaur-obsessed child with joy. And adults should watch, too — especially anyone who still thinks dinos are slow-moving, stupid creatures that are just waiting around to go extinct.
These new episodes, which Apple TV+ doled out this week, combine cutting-edge CGI with the latest in paleontology. The result is a series that’s stunningly beautiful, exciting to watch and as scientifically accurate as possible.
Qi2 is a new wireless charging standard expected to go into widespread use later in 2023. And, according to an unconfirmed report, the upcoming iPhone 15 will be one of the handsets that supports it, including 15W charging.
That’s not surprising, considering Qi2 is heavily based on the MagSafe system built into current iPhones.
A new power bank from Belkin includes a built-in wireless charger that can juice up the latest Apple Watch models in the minimum amount of time. The battery also can simultaneously replenish an iPhone through its USB-C port.
The BoostCharge Pro Fast Wireless Charger for Apple Watch + Power Bank 10K launched Thursday.
A newly published patent filing shows Apple is exploring the possibility of building support for the Find My device locating system into a future version of the Apple Pencil. At the very least, the stylus might be able to play an alert sound to make it more findable.
Other products from the company already have this feature.
OpenAI’s ChatGPT for iOS makes the much-hyped chatbot easy to use on an iPhone. It’s powered by the same artificial intelligence as the web version, so it’s useful in many ways for people on the go. Plus, the app has its own voice-recognition system. And the basic version is free.
The ChatGPT AI already stirred up enormous controversy. But here are some suggestions for how to use the new iPhone application in positive ways.
The 2023 Mac mini with the powerful Apple M2 processor is already an amazing deal, and shoppers can now save even more by buying a refurbished unit.
These are primarily desktops that consumers bought then returned so supplies are limited. There are no units with the M2 Pro processor available at this time, for example.