The Wemo Smart Plug with Thread simplifies controlling lamps, fans, and other appliances with an iPhone or Siri. Anything that plugs into a standard wall outlet can be turned on or off.
Rather than Wi-Fi, the HomeKit accessory communicates with other accessories over Thread, a mesh networking standard.
A world where Bluetooth rises above compression and delivers full-stream, hi-res, lossless audio remains in the future. But sound specialist Astell&Kern said it’s about the roll out the world’s first Bluetooth speaker with support for the rarefied LDAC and aptX HD codecs — which should at least allow for CD-quality wireless streaming.
The Acro BE100, Astell&Kern’s first Bluetooth speaker, goes on sale March 7, the company said. And it’s not just the codecs that make it special.
The OtterBox Wireless Power Bank for MagSafe offers two-sided charging capability. It clings magnetically to an iPhone while charging it, and the external battery also magnetically attaches to MagSafe chargers to receive power. It’s that second feature that sets it part from rivals.
There are versions with 3,000mAh and 5,000mAh of capacity.
On the heels of a big Obscura 3 camera app refresh, another popular and powerful photo app sees major changes this week. This time, it’s the Halide MK II app for iPhone and iPad, from Lux Optics, which also makes the Spectre app for creating long exposures.
The Halide app’s important updates include the addition of batch actions — so you can finally work with multiple photos at the same time — and an improved “Image Rescue” function.
Our friends at MacPaw in Kyiv, Ukraine, are today facing the horrifying reality of a Russian invasion. But they want to assure users of their software — including CleanMy Mac X and Setapp — that support will continue.
An emergency plan is in place to ensure that there are no disruptions to MacPaw’s operations, development or customer assistance. “We’ve been enjoying working for you all these years and appreciate all the trust you’ve put into our company,” said CEO Oleksandr Kosovan in a blog post Thursday. “We won’t disappoint your expectations.”
Apple previewed its “dramatic” new Al Maryah Island store in Abu Dhabi Thursday, showcasing design elements never seen before at Apple stores, as well as special programs.
The retail location opens Friday at 5 p.m. United Arab Emirates time.
Apex Legends Mobile, the smartphone and tablet version of the popular battle royale game, expands its reach to 10 new countries next week ahead of an official global rollout.
The game has been in testing since EA and Respawn launched a closed beta almost a year ago. It still doesn’t have a release date, but Respawn says it will share more details “coming out of the limited regional launch.”
Facebook parent company Meta is still bemoaning App Tracking Transparency, the “harmful” feature Apple introduced last year in iOS 14.5 to bolster the privacy of iPhone and iPad users.
The change is “making it harder and more expensive” for businesses to reach their customers, Meta said as advertisers reportedly slash their spending on Facebook and Instagram and turn to rivals like Amazon and Google instead.
Intel is planning to build more efficient mobile chipsets that will better compete with Apple silicon, according to a leaked internal roadmap.
The document outlines plans to take on the 14-inch MacBook Pro specifically with upcoming Arrow Lake processors that are scheduled to launch in late 2023 or early 2024. There just one (rather large) problem with that plan.
Long one of the most popular professional camera apps for iOS, Obscura is relatively easy to use. It enables various manual-style controls for shooting photographs using your iPhone.
And with Obscura 3 – Pro Camera, released Thursday, developer Ben McCarthy redesigned the interface, added new capture modes and made other improvements. The last major upgrade to Obscura came four years ago.
You don’t have to settle for an uncomfortable work setup when you’re away from the office. Wiplabs’ new Lift Stand elevates your MacBook so that it’s easier to use, and folds down so you can easily transport it anywhere.
It’s made from sturdy anodized aluminum so there’s no need to worry about it getting broken in your bag. And it’s adjustable, so you’re all but guaranteed a great viewing angle anywhere. Get your Lift Stand today for under $40.
In what will surely be welcome news for folks who like to use the company’s peripherals with their Macs, Logitech said it’s rolling out full native M1 support in the latest beta version of its Logi Options+ software.
If you use Logitech products, you may think of it as Logi Options. Logi Options+ replaces that software and features some enhancements in addition to the native support for Silicon Macs.
If you’re ready to start traveling the world again despite the ongoing pandemic, accessories maker Zendure thinks its new, 65W Passport III GaN travel adapter is just what you need. It said the charger works in 200 countries and can top off up to six devices at once.
Citing the success of the device’s crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter, the company even suggested Tuesday that the travel industry may be on the mend.
Well, use your own judgment there. But the Passport III does indeed look like it might be a worthy addition to your charging arsenal.
You still rarely see a computer setup with a 3D printer in it. Today’s featured setup is an exception. You can see the printer against the wall on the left in the photo above.
Probably more workstations in the near future will have them. Why? Not only are they becoming more affordable, you can use them to make parts of the setup!
“Omnia” means “prepared for all things” in Latin. The 40-year-old Italian audio brand Sonus Faber tries to live up to that with its new Omnia all-in-one wireless streaming speaker. It joins the fray in a fast-growing market for compact but premium systems.
The Omnia has built-in support for practically all streaming sources and you can hook up almost any audio-related hardware to it.
Did I mention it costs two grand? Well, there are reasons for that price point.
The European Union’s head of digital policy believes Apple would rather continue to pay fines than accept new App Store regulation.
Cupertino is currently fighting new rules in the Netherlands that say dating app developers should be allowed to use third-party payment systems. EU competition chief Margrethe Vestager called Apple’s behavior an example of how “gatekeepers” try to circumvent the rules.
Apple’s newest 14-inch MacBook Pro is now more affordable than ever, thanks to a whopping $270 discount from Amazon.
The price cut applies to the M1 Pro model with 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. Get yours in space gray for $2,229 — down from $2,499.
Apple thanked police in Amsterdam on Wednesday for their “exceptional work” after a “terrifying” hostage situation unfolded at a local Apple store.
An armed man in a balaclava stormed Apple Leidseplein on Tuesday, and a bystander was taken and held at gunpoint. After several hours, police stopped the gunman by hitting him with a car as he tried to flee.
Apple’s newest iOS 15.4 beta adds new anti-stalking features for AirTag that were first announced earlier this month.
The fourth beta release, which rolled out to registered developers on Tuesday, includes a new AirTag setup warning that states it is illegal to use the device to track people without their consent in many regions.
Apple reportedly stopped requiring face masks at most of its retail locations. The move comes as the latest COVID-19 surge comes to an end.
In addition, in-person Today at Apple classes will resume soon.
Sick of seeing charging cables strewn across your desk or nightstand? Enforce order with the brilliantly simple MS Charging Hub Duo from Elago. It takes your MagSafe and Apple Watch chargers and neatly integrates them into a sleek silicone stand that eliminates cable clutter.
Get yours today for under $25.
Many students rely on Apple devices — including some who get them for free — though iOS and macOS don’t offer functions designed especially for school-related routines. But the Schooly app just came out on the App Store, giving students one special place to organize their scholastic lives.
Season two of The Snoopy Show premieres on Apple TV+ in March, with fresh adventures of Charlie Brown’s irrepressible pooch, his pal Woodstock and the rest of the gang. A new trailer shows the fun to be expected.
It’ll soon be followed by a pair of new Peanuts holiday specials for Earth Day and Mother’s Day.
If you suffer from a cluttered desktop — and who doesn’t, at least sometimes? — Choetech has something for you. Right now you can preorder its new Invisible Wireless Charger and take one more item off the junk pile.
Of course, unless you also suffer from some seriously magical thinking, you know it’s not literally invisible. But it does hide the charger under your desk so you can power up your iPhone or other Qi-enabled gadget right on the desktop without another piece of gear sitting there.
Bose made a splash with its recent, long-awaited update to its popular QuietComfort 35 headphones. But while the company was probably smart not to change the QuietComfort formula much, that included not expanding the classic headphones’ limited customizability. Until now.
If you have a set of QC 45s, Bose said a new firmware update lets you access and adjust a new equalizer via the Bose Music app. So you can tweak the sound all you want with the new Adjustable EQ feature.