A first-generation iPhone with a “Lucky You” sticker recently sold at auction for $40,320 because it was still in the original packaging. It was purchased by Marques Brownlee — known to many as MKBHD — who then made a YouTube video of unboxing the handset.
Watch as Brownlee reduces the value of the device to nearly nothing just for the shock value of it.
Apple supposedly made great improvements in the software for its upcoming VR/AR headset recently. Someone who got a chance to test prototypes several times reportedly was “blown away” by the latest iteration, after finding earlier versions disappointing.
If true, this would help explain why Apple finally apparently stopped delaying the release of the product, which will combine virtual reality and augmented reality features.
The Belkin Connect 4-Port USB-C Hub expands the number of accessories that can be plugged into a Mac or iPad without flattening your wallet. And its connections are fast: 10Gbps. That’s 2X the speed of other USB-C hubs.
As a bonus, the product is made with 72% post-consumer recycled plastics. It’s part of a commitment the company has made to using PCR plastic.
★★★★☆
The ESR HaloLock Geo Wallet Stand combines three popular iPhone add-ons into one. In addition to being a wallet and a stand, it also includes a handle. If that wasn’t enough, the accessory can be located almost anywhere with Apple’s Find My network, just like an AirTag.
I attached the wallet/stand to my iPhone 14 Plus with its powerful magnets and started testing. Here’s what I discovered.
Production on the much-anticipated Apple M3 processor will begin in the second half of 2023, according to a reliable source of Apple leaks. The chip is expected to bring a significant performance boost.
The launch will apparently not be in time for the 15-inch MacBook Air rumored to reach store shelves in the next few months.
A government minister is “confident” that Apple will double or even triple the amount of money it has invested in India in the coming years. It’s expanding iPhone assembly in the subcontinent, and production of other devices there is expected to begin soon.
The comments come a day after Apple CEO Tim Cook met with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Apple CEO Tim Cook met with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday. It’s part of a busy agenda for the executive, including opening two Apple stores — the first in the subcontinent. But that’s just a small part of his activities as the executive traveled around to highlight how Apple products are being used in India.
Cook posted tweets from all the many events and meetings.
There’ll be a lot more to Apple’s VR/AR headset than new hardware: an unconfirmed report leaks details on Apple’s plans for software. There’ll be games and fitness apps, a VR version of FaceTime and more.
That’s not surprising. What is eye-opening is the assertion that the headset will be able to run third-party iPad applications right out of the box.
Mobile Pixels just started taking preorders for updated versions of Trio and Trio Max, clip-on accessories that add not one but two external displays to a MacBook or other notebook.
Don’t think these products will trap you in the office — the add-on screens are intended for use on the go.
The new versions offer larger screens in thinner, lighter designs. And there’s a new attachment system, too.
★★★★☆
The Satechi Thunderbolt Slim Hub doesn’t take up much room on your desk, but it packs in a trio of very high-speed USB-C/Thunderbolt ports, plus a USB-A port.
The Thunderbolt 4 accessory is good enough to earn a CES 2023 Innovation Award. I put to the test in my home office.
The Samsung T7 Shield is a credit-card-size external SSD designed to survive drops, rain and dust. The 1TB version is currently down to $79.99 on Amazon — half the cost it was when the solid-state drive launched a year ago.
And there are deals on the 2TB and 4TB versions, too.
Apple Card Savings allows you to earn a high rate of interest on money you might have been storing in Apple Cash. As the name indicates, it’s a savings account especially for Apple Card users.
Daily Cash earned from using the credit card flows automatically into the account where it (currently) earns 4.15% annually — that’s far more than the national average. And you can bring in cash from your other banks that offer lower interest rates.
I’ll walk you through the process of setting up an Apple Card Savings account.
Apple Card Savings launched Monday, allowing money earned from Apple Card’s cash-back program to go into a high-yield savings account. And it is high-yield — at 4.15%, the annual rate is about 10 times higher than the national average.
There are no fees for the new financial service, and users can bring in their own cash from other banks that offer lower interest rates.
Get ready to battle Sauron and his minions in Lord of the Rings: Heroes of Middle-earth. It’s turn-based strategy combat for iPhone and iPad set in the world created by J.R.R. Tolkien (obviously).
The game was created by EA, and is scheduled to launch in early May. Pre-registration is available now.
Despite the many leaks and rumors about the 15.5-inch MacBook Air, there’s been no definite word on its processor. However, details of an unreleased MacBook with a large display have surfaced, and these indicate the chip will likely be an Apple M2 rather than an as-yet-unreleased M3.
The machine is supposedly running macOS 14, which won’t be announced for months.
You can toss out that old Monopoly board — Monopoly Go! brings the classic game to iPhone and iPad while adding new ways to play.
The free-to-play game is in the App Store now.
Apple committed itself to a new target to use 100% recycled cobalt in all Apple-designed batteries by 2025. And by that same year, the company will use only recycled rare earth elements in its magnets. In addition, it intends to make circuit boards with 100% recycled tin soldering and gold plating.
These commitments build on the company’s goal to eventually make all its products with only recycled and renewable materials.
Apple Card Savings, the next financial service from the Mac-maker, might be right around the corner. The company announced the service last autumn without a launch date. But now an Apple tipster claims it’s coming in only a few days.
When it debuts, the service will provide Apple Card users with savings accounts.
Apple’s wear-anywhere augmented-reality glasses that so many people are looking forward are still at least three years away, according to a reliable source.
Don’t confuse these with the bulkier VR/AR headset that leaks say will launch in June. AR glasses are expected to be much smaller… once the necessary technology is available.
As the old saying goes, there ain’t no such thing as a free lunch — there’s usually a trick. And the same goes for phone charging sustains in airports. These can be used to hack your device, according to a recent warning from the FBI about “juice jacking.”
Here are six ways to safely charge up your iPhone when you’re on the go.
tvOS 16.4.1 is out to deal with some bugs in Apple TV devices. This comes several days after new bug-fix updates for iPhone, Mac and iPad.
A fresh tvOS update means there’s new HomePod software, too.
The powerful image-editing application Pixelmator Photo is now Photomator. Beyond the name change, the app for iPad and iPhone has been redesigned, and also now lets users easily select and edit specific areas of a photo.
In addition, a public beta of Photomator for Mac is now available.
An Apple TV+ series that turns a murder mystery into a genre-mixing comedy will soon return. Season two of the The Afterparty premieres in July.
There’s a new mystery to solve with a fresh cast of suspects, though Tiffany Haddish and some of the other stars of season one will be back.
With Earth Day coming up, Apple says it’s doubling its total commitment to “nature-based carbon removal projects” with an additional $200 million investment. In less technical terms, it’s backing projects to plant trees.
And it’s not just trees for trees’ sake. Part of Apple’s Restore Fund goes to agricultural projects that generate income from sustainably managed tree farms.
★★★★☆
The just-released Plugable AMS-5IN1E is a USB-C hub that attaches to the side of a MacBook and adds ports that Apple won’t, including USB-A and Ethernet. And it does so without blocking one of the USB-C/Thunderbolt ports and MagSafe charging.
I tested the five ports in this affordable hub to see how well they perform in the real world.