News - page 145

Apple said Monday in the WWDC23 Keynote that tvOS 17 brings FaceTime to Apple TV 4K for the first time. So you can put your calls with family, friends and colleagues on the biggest screen you have.

“tvOS 17 transforms the biggest screen in the home with FaceTime and new video conferencing capabilities, giving Apple TV 4K users the ability to easily connect with anyone right from their living room,” said Bob Borchers, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing.

“New features and enhancements make Apple TV simpler to use and even more enjoyable, reinforcing it as the absolute best option in the living room for Apple customers,” he added.

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.

At today’s Platforms State of the Union, Apple went into more depth on the updates coming to their software: interactive widgets for iOS, iPadOS and now on the macOS desktop; big updates to watchOS; and the introduction of visionOS, the operating system that runs on Apple’s new Vision Pro.

There are loads of new features that developers will be able to take advantage of that Apple didn’t highlight in the main Keynote. Thus far, they’ve covered improvements to the in-app camera, a standard tips balloon, and an easier way to make animations in SwiftUI.

One key feature of Apple’s upcoming Vision Pro headset certainly made a splash after Monday’s unveiling. But it wasn’t “spatial computing” or the way you dial in reality while wearing the sci-fi-looking goggles — it was the Vision Pro’s eye-popping $3,499 price tag.

Shortly after the big reveal during the company’s Worldwide Developers Conference keynote, “For $3500” trended on Twitter, with people jumping on the chance to take the piss out of Apple’s pricey new product.

This might be the future of computing, but some of these jokes are hilarious.

watchOS 10 will introduce widgets and bring a new look for many built-in Apple Watch apps. But the biggest changes come to the Workout app, which adds features that serious cyclists have been demanding for years, including support for third-party Bluetooth power and cadence meters.

Apple announced iOS 17, iPadOS 17, watchOS 10, and macOS Sonoma at the opening keynote of WWDC23. While these OS’s won’t launch anytime soon, when they do land, your old Apple device might be incompatible.

Below is a list of all the iPhones, iPads, Apple Watch, and Macs compatible with iOS 17, iPadOS 17, watchOS 10, and macOS Sonoma.

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.

Apple unveiled macOS 14 — aka macOS Sonoma — at WWDC23 Monday. It brings new gaming functionality, desktop widgets, video screensavers and Safari browser upgrades. That’s in addition to cross-device compatibility reflecting some of the new iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 features.

“Introducing macOS Sonoma a big new release that will make your Mac more delightful and even more productive,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering.

“First, many of the features we talked about earlier on iOS and iPad OS are going to be great on the Mac. And macOS Sanoma brings a rich set of features that elevate the experience of macOS,” he added.

Apple’s long-awaited Vision Pro headset features all of Apple’s apps in a floating, immersive 3D space that’s designed to let wearers interact seamlessly with the real world, rather than walling them off in a virtual one.

“Vision Pro will introduce us to spatial computing,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook during the recorded WWDC23 keynote Monday as he unveiled the pricey device. “This marks the beginning of a journey that will bring a powerful new dimension to personal technology.”

The company described it as “the first Apple product you look through, not at.” Vision Pro starts at $3,499 and will be available early next year.

Apple’s transition to its own silicon is finally complete with the launch of a new Mac Pro, which combines Apple’s powerful M2 Ultra chip with PCIe expansion.

The new Mac Pro features the “most powerful chip ever created for a personal computer,” and is up to 3x faster than the previous-generation Intel-based model.

The Mac Studio just got its first update, and it’s a screamer.

The desktop machine now comes with Apple’s new M2 Ultra chip — the “most powerful chip ever created for a personal computer,” according to Apple.

The new chip, based on Apple silicon, triples the performance of the previous M1 machine.

iOS 17 will bring major improvements to the Phone app, FaceTime and Messages on your iPhone with new customization options. In the Phone app, you can now set personalized contact posters or memoji to make the call screen a lot more vibrant.

“Our next release iOS 17, delivers more expressive communication, simplified sharing, more intelligent input and all new experiences for your iPhone,” said Craig Federighi on stage during the WWDC23 keynote.

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.

You may already have a mouse pad in your computer setup, but what about a desk mat? Similar concepts in some ways, those two. But many folks may not even think of a desk mat as a necessary item in a computer setup. Or they may consider it an afterthought rather than any sort of priority.

But the humble desk mat, reminiscent of grandpa’s desk blotter, has its benefits. And that came up with today’s featured, desk-mat-free M1 MacBook Air setup.

With Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference just a week hours away, anticipation is building for what looks like one of the company’s most momentous events in years. In addition to the next versions of iOS, iPadOS, watchOS and macOS, Apple reportedly plans to use its WWDC23 keynote on June 5 to showcase some very interesting hardware.

Here’s a roundup of what to expect from the WWDC23 keynote, which streams live at 10 a.m. Pacific today.

Apple’s online store down a few hours ahead of the WWDC23 opening keynote. The Cupertino company could announce several new hardware products at the event.

Alongside the 15-inch MacBook Air and new Mac Studio, Apple will also unveil iOS 17, iPadOS 17 and watchOS 10.

Maybe all this talk of superior AI chatbots is getting to Apple’s voice assistant. Siri interrupted a radio broadcast Saturday during a double-header matchup between the Boston Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays.

The voice assistant had a pretty good reason. The announcer said Siri’s name. But he was talking about Rays outfielder Jose Siri coming up to bat.

And Siri’s response was apparently unintelligible. Typical swing and a miss.

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: With WWDC23 just days away, we’re going on the record with our predictions for Apple’s most momentous developer conference in years. Will iOS 17 allow alternative app stores? Will the Apple headset cost $3,000? Will our reputations survive this public guessing game?

Also on The CultCast:

• It looks like new high-end Macs will definitely be in the mix — and the leaked specs sound absolutely blistering.
• The Apple headset’s advanced hardware might make virtual reality look stunningly real.
• Generative AI shows us what the rest of Taylor Swift’s evermore album cover might look like.

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 live stream, embedded below.

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.

Apple’s WWDC keynote is the biggest event of the year, kicking off the annual cycle of software updates and changes to every single platform — iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple TV. Only a few people buy a new Apple product every year, but everyone has something to look forward to after WWDC. How can you watch it all unfold this Monday?

You can watch the live stream on the web on Apple’s website or on YouTube, inside the free Apple Developer app, on your smart TV, and for a select lucky few, in person — my tips on how to make the most of that and more are all below.

The breathtaking first season of Apple TV+ drama Drops of God was deeply, compulsively consumable, just like the fine wine on the show itself. A fascinating portrait of obsessives consumed by a familial burden — and the promise of millions — the season wrapped today with a fantastic finale.

Cult of Mac spoke to lead actor Fleur Geffrier about the process of inhabiting a wine expert’s palette, the challenges and lessons she learned while making Drops of God, and how to make the internal external.

Calling WWDC23 Apple’s “most significant product launch event in nearly a decade,” a report Friday relayed new information about the event’s headlining hardware — Apple’s first AR/VR headset.

While the headset won’t go on sale for months, WWDC attendees and media can try demonstrations of it in a large new structure at Apple Park, and in future demos throughout the summer.

Apple could launch two new high-end desktop Macs at WWDC23 next week. Labeled internally as Mac 14,13 and Mac 14,14, the two machines could be Apple’s most powerful Macs yet.

Likely aimed at professionals, the new desktop Macs — likely updated versions of the Mac Studio — reportedly will feature M2 Max and M2 Ultra chips. The rumored specs point to big performance boosts.

Some computer setups blow you away with the sheer number of components they include. Today’s featured M1 Mac mini rig not only has five computing devices — not counting a whole wall full of gaming systems — its gear list at the bottom of this post includes 33 items.

And that doesn’t even count the 3D printer, smartphones and a bunch of other items the user showcased.