Mac - page 22

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: It sounds like Apple has some really big plans for 2022. We’re psyched about some things, skeptical about others, but definitely shining up our Apple Cards.

Also on The CultCast:

• Snap Spectacles, as modeled by Alex E. Heath.
• Anxiously awaiting the end of the “notch.”
• AppleCare+ getting a fear-based boost?
• More of our Gear of the Year picks.

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video livestream, embedded below.

Apple reportedly plans ambitious upgrades for a number of its hottest products in 2022, including major revamps for iPad Pro and MacBook Air — as well as an Apple silicon boost for the Mac Pro. Mac mini is also expected to see a refresh.

What’s more, the next-generation Apple Watch will come in a “ruggedized version aimed at extreme sports athletes.”

Small businesses can now purchase new MacBooks for as little as $30 a month through Apple’s new Mac Notebook Upgrade Program.

The scheme, facilitated by Apple financing partner CIT, allows businesses partners to return or swap their machines after just three months if a new model is released. It’s a little like the iPhone Upgrade Program, but more flexible.

Apple just gave customers another big reason to avoid its trade-in service by slashing prices on almost all iPhone models. Instead, sell your old handset to Cult of Mac to make more from it, and get real cash you can spend anywhere.

Find out how much your old iPhone is worth today in just a few simple steps, and secure your quote for 14 days.

Apple is offering customers up to $200 back in Apple Store gift cards when they buy eligible products this Black Friday. Its four-day shopping event runs from November 26, and you can enjoy in in-store, online, and over the phone.

Find out what you’ll get back on certain products right here.

The new OWC miniStack STX hub stacks seamlessly with a Mac mini, adding storage capacity and a trio of Thunderbolt 4 ports. But it can be used to expand connectivity and add storage space to any Mac or iPad.

Apple’s newest betas for iOS, iPadOS and macOS make a simple Shortcuts change that greatly improves the user experience across different devices.

Shortcuts now know which storage folders to use automatically — depending on your device — negating the need to manually update them individually for different hardware.

WhatsApp is reportedly working on a new app that will work on both iPad and Mac. It’s thought to take advantage of Apple’s Catalyst platform, which makes it easier for developers to build universal applications.

The popular messaging service is already available on macOS, but this would be the first native WhatsApp client for iPad. WhatsApp has already started rolling out improved multi-device support that is less reliant on a smartphone.

Samsung has confirmed that it is dropping support for its official DeX app for Mac (and Windows 7) in January.

The move means Galaxy smartphone owners will no longer be able to connect their device to a macOS machine to turn it into an Android-powered desktop. However, the awesome DeX feature itself isn’t going anywhere.

The Apple Holiday Gift Guide 2021 is out with suggestions for phones, computers, audio accessories and exercise gear for a variety of people on your shopping list.

As a bonus, Apple is offering downloadable templates to make personalized holiday cards.

TestFlight, Apple’s own platform for distributing beta software, is now officially available on Mac for the first time. It gives developers the opportunity to invite up to 10,000 people to test early versions of their apps ahead of their release.

Apple first confirmed TestFlight would be coming to Mac back in June at WWDC. It was previously only available on iPhone and iPad.

It pays to know your way around a Mac. Whether you want to keep your home or office machines humming, or become a fully qualified tech professional with a lucrative new career, the Apple Certified Support Professional macOS 11 Course can teach you everything you need to know.

And during our Pre-Black Friday Sale, you can get this ACSP course for only $25.49 (regularly $295) if you use the code SAVE15NOV.

A growing number of reports from macOS Monterey users suggest Apple’s newest operating system has issues with USB-C hubs and some other USB peripherals — some of which do not work at all.

Some users say that while there USB-C hub is detected and most ports work as intended, USB 3.0 ports supposedly aren’t seen by macOS.

Apple made a record $20.6 billion in profits last quarter but is getting punished because $83.4 billion in revenue didn’t meet Wall Street analysts’ expectations. Turns out even the Cupertino juggernaut is not immune to supply chain problems — $6 billion worth of them.

Here’s the bad news — and the good — from Apple’s September 2021 earnings report and a Q&A session with analysts afterward.

The MacBook Pro’s Touch Bar was a technological marvel in its day. It brought the magic of multi-touch to macOS and, with its stand-alone T1 chipset, it put ARM-based Apple Silicon inside the MacBook when the M1 chip was still just a twinkle in Cupertino’s eye.

There’s no doubt it was a clever piece of engineering, but it proved unpopular with pro users. Many missed the tactile feedback of the traditional Escape key and function keys.

Apple rejigged things last year, shrinking the Touch Bar to make room for a physical escape key, but it was too little too late. Many will be glad to see the Touch Bar go, but I’m gonna miss that little sliver of multi-touch magic at the top of my keyboard.

The just-launched MacBook Pro models are the first with a screen notch. And this apparently came as a surprise to many of Apple’s own software developers as some of the company’s professional apps don’t support the screen cutouts. Which means they can’t fill the new Mac displays and must leave blank areas.

This won’t make it easier for Apple to convince third-party developers to fully support the latest macOS notebooks.

Apple has finally put us out of our misery and confirmed Universal Control for macOS Monterey will be delayed until “later this fall.”

The new feature, which lets you seamlessly control a Mac and iPad with a single keyboard and mouse, has been missing from most macOS Monterey betas. It has popped up in more recent builds, but it still cannot be activated.

Apple threw in the towel on its efforts to change the way Mac users interact with the Safari web browser. Most of the design modifications unveiled at this summer’s Worldwide Developers Conference to emphasize tabs are now completely optional as a result of protests from beta testers.

The latest revisions appear in the release candidates for macOS Monterey, which went to developers Monday.

Apple today confirmed after its big “Unleashed” event that macOS Monterey will make its public debut on October 25. It will be free to download and install on all compatible machines.

The next major upgrade to macOS brings a revamped Safari interface, Focus mode, and some big enhancements to the Notes app. It also paves the way for Universal Control, which lets you seamlessly control both a Mac and iPad.

New Apple “M1 Max” and “M1 Pro” chips have appeared for the first time ahead of today’s big “Unleashed” event, which is expected to bring big Mac upgrades. It’s not yet clear if these will be their final names, however.

Recent rumors suggested at least one of Apple’s next-generation chips, expected to debut inside a new MacBook Pro and possibly other machines that Apple will announce later today, will go by the name “M1X.”

Apple’s next event is right around the corner, and it’s one you won’t want to miss if you’re a fan of the Mac. The “Unleashed” keynote is expected to bring a number of new Apple machines — all powered by an even faster “M1X” chip.

Just like recent Apple keynotes, this one will be streamed online, so you’ll be able to watch it in its entirety as it all unfolds. We’ll show you how.

Parallels Desktop 17.1 is now available for Mac, bringing improved Windows 11 support for those looking to run Microsoft’s latest operating system on their Mac, whether it’s powered by an Intel or Apple Silicon chip.

The update introduces Virtual Trusted Platform Modules (vTPM) for all future and past Windows 11 virtual machines — complying with Windows 11’s system requirements that call for a vTPM chip.

Amazon’s discount on the M1 Mac mini is now bigger than ever, with up to $149.01 off the usual price. Bag yours today to enjoy one of Apple’s fastest desktops at its lowest price yet.

Mac shipments saw healthy growth during Q3 2021. Two market-research firms agree that the rise increased Apple’s share of the global PC market.

But COVID-19 has made it difficult for computer-makers to get the componts they need, reducing the ability to produce and sell products.

Butthurt Intel just squeezed out another of its desperate taking-a-stab-at-Apple ads, and it might just be the worst one yet. It paints Apple fans as complete morons.

“Is this real life right now?” one user asks when shown a colorfully lit room filled with Windows machines.

The “real people” brought in for Intel’s “Social Experiment,” despite being apparent Mac users, all appear flabbergasted when told the Windows-powered laptops they’ve been shown aren’t made by Apple. Ugh.