News - page 146

Want to make Siri smart again and help boost Apple’s artificial-intelligence chops across the board? A recent Apple job posting shows it seeks “machine-learning engineers with a background and/or interest in conversational and generative AI.”

“This role will play a critical part in helping Apple change the way humans learn about learning,” the listing noted.

Hard to say if the new engineers will inject more gray matter into Siri, but one source suggests they might work on device-based apps for Apple’s AR/VR headset, expected to show on Monday at WWDC23 Monday.

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.

Apple plans to open at least 24 new stores worldwide through 2027, focusing on expanding its retail presence in Asia and Europe.

Additionally, Apple will revamp or relocate six stores in Asia, nine in Europe, and 13 in the United States.

Apple Card Savings accounts launched to great acclaim recently with their high yield, but some customers are complaining that withdrawing money and transferring funds through the Goldman Sachs-held accounts takes too long.

And some are leaving, according to a new report.

Apple’s 27-inch 5K Studio Display is down to one of its lowest prices of the year. You can get the high-end monitor for $1,349, a whopping 16% off its MSRP.

If you want the nano-texture glass, that’s available with a $100 discount.

That’s some interesting timing on Meta’s press release Thursday for a VR headset not expected to come out until at least late September. Mark Zuckerberg and company wedged in a tease for Meta Quest 3 just four days ahead of WWDC23, when Apple is expected to unveil its much-anticipated AR/VR headset.

The Meta press materials even appropriated “we can’t wait,” one of Apple CEO Tim Cook’s trademark phrases.

On Thursday, noted Apple enthusiast Basic Apple Guy put out colorful new versions of his iPhone 14 schematics iOS wallpaper. They show the handsets’ innards in startling detail.

The new versions’ beautiful gradient colors match Apple marketing for WWDC23, coming up on Monday, he said.

An independent study found App Store developers generated $1.1 trillion in total billings and sales last year as part of the system’s robust year-over-year growth of 29%, Apple said Wednesday.

More than 90% of the money went to developers, without any commission paid to Apple, the company said.

A new report Wednesday from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) revisits the group’s recent finding that Android users increasingly switched to iPhone in recent years and gets into the reasons why.

It gave four specific major reasons and a fifth vague but important one, below.

Garmin unveiled three rugged new fēnix 7 Pro Series smartwatches Wednesday, giving Apple Watch Ultra a run for its money. The new multisport GPS watches have a lot in common with Ultra, including similar pricing depending on which features you select.

But the Garmin watches also offer a built-in LED flashlight and solar charging that helps provide 37 days of battery life in “smartwatch mode” and 139 days in “expedition mode,” according to the company.

Cutting-edge computer setups are cool. Vintage computer museums are also cool. But do you know what’s super-cool? Both. Together.

Los Angeles-based sound designer Drew Dalzell sent Cult of Mac his M1 MacBook Pro setup this week. As it turns out, it sits in the middle of a vintage computer collection. It includes an Apple IIGS, an Apple II Plus, an Ortrona, a Commodore 64 and more. The space is also his business HQ.

Apple has announced several tax changes for the App Store that go into effect starting May 31. The new rules will affect app developers in Ghana, Lithuania, Moldova, Brazil and Spain.

In Spain and Ghana, taxes on the proceeds earned from apps and games have increased. While in Lithuania and Moldova, the VAT rate on e-books and audiobooks has gone down.

Rumored specs of the micro OLED panels Apple plans to use in its upcoming VR/AR headset indicate the device could deliver ultra-realistic clarity that makes virtual worlds look real.

The headset, which could be called “Reality Pro” or “Reality One,” will use two 1.41-inch micro OLEDs with a pixel density of 4,000 PPI, according to a respected display analyst.

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.

You can now use your WhatsApp account on multiple devices. After rolling out Companion mode on WhatsApp for Android, the Meta-owned platform has made the feature available on iPhones.

WhatsApp initially announced Companion mode in late April 2023. But the feature was only available for Android users so far.

Each year alongside WWDC, Apple runs a contest for students worldwide to create great app playgrounds using Swift code. This year 375 coders won, up from the previous 350. They’ll be among WWDC23’s virtual and in-person attendees.

“We are amazed by the talent we see from the young developers who enter our Swift Student Challenge,” said Susan Prescott, Apple vice president of Worldwide Developer Relations.

“This year’s submissions demonstrated not only the next generation’s commitment to building tools that will improve our lives, but also a willingness to embrace new technologies and tools, and deploy them in original and creative ways,” she added.

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.

Everyone knows AirPods come only in white. If you want a set of Apple earbuds in another color, you have to turn to subsidiary Beats.

But white almost wasn’t the only case, so to speak. Apple prototyped AirPods cases in five colors to match iPhone 7 colors in 2016, according to a source who displayed some images Tuesday.

The massive Memorial Day Sale is still going on in the Cult of Mac Store, running through the end of the day on Monday, May 29. You can get up to 30% off great accessories for Apple products from half a dozen leading brands: Elago, Rilee & Lo, SwitchEasy, Mifa, Laut, Bucardo and Nine Twenty Eight.

See some sale highlights below and check out the whole sale on hundreds of items before it’s too late!

Part of the fun of covering computer setups for Cult of Mac is seeing how a setup is never “done.” Blood, sweat, tears and time may go into it, but it will always need something — whether that’s missing functionality, better decoration or the next generation of a key device.

Today’s featured M2 MacBook Air setup is a good example. Since we featured an earlier version of it just weeks ago, the user made important changes. He added two components to maximize crucial iPad functionality and pump up audio.

Looking to buy a new iPad, Apple Watch, Mac, or AirPods? Take advantage of the Memorial Day sale across various retailers, and you can save big on your purchase.

Given that Apple products are almost always in demand, they are heavily discounted this Memorial Day.

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: iOS 17 might turn your iPhone into a dashboard for your smart home. Plus, Apple’s new journaling app seems like it will arrive soon as well. With WWDC23 just weeks away, we don’t have long to wait.

Also on The CultCast:

• Three Apple TV+ hits conquer the streaming charts.
• Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie is a moving and surprisingly inspirational documentary about the actor’s life (and his heroic battle with Parkinson’s disease).
• MoviePass is back from the dead — and one option actually sounds enticing!

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.

After a long wait, Final Cut Pro, Apple’s professional video editing software, is now available for M1 or newer iPads. Editors accustomed to Final Cut Pro on their Mac can easily switch to their iPad as a portable editing machine.

However, before starting with Final Cut Pro on your iPad, you need to know how it differs from the Mac build. Both versions enable pro-level video editing, but they are understandably different in key ways.

Some of the computer setups on social media with the biggest “wow” factor are Mac Pro-based. And some boast not one but multiple Pro Display XDRs, Apple’s unattainably high-priced top monitor.  But some “wow” setup have both a Mac Pro and multiple Pro Display XDRs, like today’s featured rig.

And discussion prompted by the setup covers a key issue to consider when you’ve got a big, heavy, gorgeous, super-expensive display. What’s the most solid, safe and wiggle-free mount to use with it?

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.