Several companies, including Samsung and Western Digital, have cut prices on SSDs and memory cards for World Backup Day. Save up to $80 on the rugged Samsung T7 Shield, while the SSD that’s WD’s closest rival is also on sale.
A 1TB SanDisk microSD card is surprisingly affordable. And the JetDriveLite specially made for MacBooks card readers is available at a discount, too.
Some of the deals are only available on March 31, so don’t procrastinate.
Apple just added Human: Fall Flat+ to the hundreds of games already in Apple Arcade. And Clue: The Classic Mystery Game+ and Osmos+ joined the service earlier in March.
These “App Store Greats” are available to Arcade subscribers without the usual up-front fee or in-app purchases.
Apple just began offering refurbished units of the Apple Watch Series 8 and SE 2. Both wearables launched in autumn 2022, and shoppers can save as much as $80 by choosing a refurb unit.
These are primarily devices that consumers bought then returned so supplies are limited.
Apple seeded the initial betas of iOS 16.5 and macOS Ventura 13.4 to the general public on Thursday. Developers were given access on Tuesday. Beta testing began almost immediately after the public release of the previous versions.
iPadOS 16.5 beta 1, watchOS 9.5 beta 1 and tvOS 16.5 beta 1 are also available to the public and to devs.
After the success of Tiny World, Apple TV+ is going to the opposite extreme with Big Beasts. The documentary series puts whales, bears, gorillas and many more in center stage.
Tom Hiddleston is narrator, and the multi-part docuseries premiers on Earth Day. A new trailer gives a sneak peek.
The Voice Isolation feature that’s been making FaceTime and Zoom video chats better for over a year is finally available for regular iPhone voice calls. With it, the people you’re on a phone call with can’t hear noises going on around you.
Here’s how to activate one of the best new features of iOS 16.4.
★★★★★
The mophie powerstation pro AC includes a three-prong power socket, making this external battery right for anyone who has a range of devices they need to charge on the go, not just phones and tablets. The 27,000mAh power bank also includes a mix of three of USB ports.
I put this hefty battery to the test. Here are its strengths and drawbacks.
Apple delayed the start of production for its VR/AR headset by a month or two, according to a reliable source of insider information.
This raises questions about where we the mixed-reality device will get its big debut at WWDC23, as is widely expected.
The colorful image Apple used Wednesday to invite developers to WWDC23 set off speculation that it’s a hint that the company’s long-awaited VR/AR headset will be unveiled at the June event.
It’s not impossible — Apple dropped a major hint into the invitation to the iPhone 14 launch event.
The official invitation to Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference 2023 went out Wednesday, confirming we’ll get our first look at what’s on the company’s near-term agenda on June 5. Apple promises WWDC23 will bring an opportunity “to learn the latest about Apple platforms, technologies, and tools.”
In other words, expect new versions of iOS, macOS and more — including a possible first look at the company’s long-rumored AR/VR headset (along with the software that will power the device).
WWDC23 will kick off with a keynote on June 5 and run the rest of that week. Even in this post-pandemic world, the event will be mostly online. However, a fortunate few developers and students will be able to watch the video keynote from Apple Park.
A new Apple Pay Later service allows consumers to pay off purchases of under $1,000 in installments. No interest or fees are charged. And it’s not only for Apple products — the service can be used for any expensive item.
It begins rolling out on Tuesday with broad availability “in the coming months,” according to Apple.
The long-awaited Apple Music Classical application is now live in the App Store. It gives subscribers access to the world’s largest classical music catalog, and is designed to help users find specific recordings of great works almost instantly.
Apple Music Classical is a dedicated app that is great for classical experts as well as anyone who is new to classical, with the largest classical music selection in the world, the very best search and browse capabilities, the most premium sound experience with Spatial Audio, and thousands of exclusive recordings,” said Oliver Schusser, Apple VP of Apple Music and Beats. “We believe this is the very best classical music streaming experience available anywhere, and for us, this is just the beginning.” If you’re looking for classical music songs, you can explore them through Apple Music Classical listening guides.
Apple introduced iOS 15.7.4 and iPadOS 15.7.4 for older devices on Monday, closing significant security holes in a range of frequently used applications. Anyone still running iOS 15.x should install the new version.
Cupertino also released iOS 16.4 and the iPad equivalent on Monday. The updates for its older operating systems are further proof that Apple doesn’t abandon them.
The wait is over for macOS Ventura 13.3 and iPadOS 16.4, which Apple released Monday. While not major upgrades, they do bring new emoji, a better way for devs to work with betas, and other changes (including security updates).
Apple also released iOS 16.4, as well as watchOS 9.4 and tvOS 16.4, today.
Apple CEO Tim Cook was one of the few executives from U.S. companies to attend the China Development Forum in Beijing over the weekend as tensions between the two countries continue.
In a speech, Cook spoke about the “symbiotic kind of relationship” that Apple and China have.
Sneaky Sasquatch is a delightful game on Apple Arcade. It lets players live the life of a Sasquatch doing regular, everyday things this mysterious forest dweller does: sneak around campgrounds stealing picnic baskets, play golf, ski, learn to drive. That sort of thing.
If you haven’t discovered it yet, here are six reason why it’s worth playing.
Fans weren’t bothered by an extra-long wait for Ted Lasso‘s third season. The season premiere brought a tidal wave of viewers, pushing Apple TV+ back to near the top of the ratings charts.
And Shrinking, another Apple TV+ comedy, is finishing its freshman season with strong viewership.
The mystery AirPods referenced in iOS 16.4 are a new version of AirPods Pro 2 with a USB-C case, according to a reliable Apple tipster. And the product could be out in the next few months.
If true, these will be a significant step in transitioning the iPhone ecosystem away from Lightning and to USB-C.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency put an AirTag into an item that was suspected to be on its way to illegal drug dealers. The hope was that Apple’s item tracker would enable DEA agents to discover the location of the criminals.
This may be the first time this has happened, and it also may be the last. We don’t know how useful the AirTag was in the investigation, but Apple deliberately makes the device very hard to use for surveillance of any type.
The Federal Trade Commission wants to make cancelling subscriptions as simple as starting them. The US government agency proposed a “click to cancel” rule that would make it easy for consumers to escape recurring subscriptions and memberships.
Apple users can easily leave subscriptions they signed up for thorough the App Store. That’s not necessarily true for ones started elsewhere.
Apple reportedly hopes to make a big splash at your local movie theater in the very near future. The company supposedly will spend $1 billion to make films for the big screen.
These also will appear on the Apple TV+ streaming service, of course.
The Amazon Luna cloud-gaming service will soon include the Batman: Arkham Knight, Lego DC Super-Villains and three other premium games. They will be added in April.
And this applies to more than the United States, because Amazon also announced on Wednesday that residents of Canada, the UK and Germany now have access to Luna, which means they can play console-quality games on Mac, iPad and iPhone. There are even free games for Prime members.
Friday Night Baseball heads back to the Apple TV+ ballpark on April 7. This is the second season for the series that features weekly doubleheaders of marquee MLB games.
When the sports show launched in 2022, it was free. But that was last year — the 2023 season is only for subscribers to Apple’s streaming service.
The Voice Isolation feature iPhone users have become accustomed to in video chats will soon expand to regular phone calls. It will make participants in these voice calls easier to understand.
This will be one of the major new features in iOS 16.4, which is expected in late March.
Apple’s experiment with the iPhone 14 Plus is paying off… somewhat. The first 6.7-inch non-Pro model is selling much better than the 5.4-inch iPhone 13 mini it replaced, according to a market analysis firm.
That said, the Plus reportedly has the weakest demand of any of the handsets Apple released in fall 2022.