News - page 94

The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max will be able to run Apple Intelligence features, but no other current phone can handle the upcoming AI-powered features. Apple’s reasons for the limitation seem somewhat vague, at least so far. They don’t fully explain why a 2-year-old iPhone chip isn’t up to the job but a 4-year-old Mac chip is.

As it stands, some people harbor suspicions that it’s an attempt to force iPhone users to upgrade to the latest models this fall. And some iPhone 15 owners are angry that their relatively new devices won’t be able to take advantage of Apple Intelligence.

Cult of Mac asked Apple to explain the decision but we didn’t hear back. So, I’ll do what Apple hasn’t: Go through a range of hardware features and explore what role they might play in keeping Apple AI off so many iPhones.

In a move bound to raise eyebrows, Apple and Meta Platforms reportedly discussed integrating Meta’s generative AI model into Apple Intelligence. Besides Meta, AI startups Perplexity and Anthropic also reportedly talked with Apple about integrating their offerings into Apple Intelligence.

Update: The initial report of a possible partnership to bring Meta’s Llama large language model to Apple Intelligence made it sound like talks were ongoing. However, a new story published Monday said Apple rejected Meta’s LLM “months ago.”

Apple reportedly told the companies that assemble the iPhone to replace up to 50% of their employees with automation.

It’s an ongoing effort, and one that supposedly began after riots at a Foxconn plant several years ago over stringent Covid restrictions.

iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 let users reformat external drives as well as keep a copy of a file on iCloud permanently stored locally.

Both features were found by developers tinkering with the first betas of these operating systems, and should make the Files app on iPhone and iPad more useful.

Not being huge PC gamers, we aren’t particularly familiar with NZXT, a company based in Los Angeles that makes high-performance gaming PCs and the gear that goes with them. So when we saw today’s M1 Mac mini setup looking like a giant ad for NZXT, we thought we’d give it a look. The user loves his NZXT Relay lineup of gear, including powerful speakers and a wired headset with a surprisingly functional stand.

The European Commission said Monday that it made a preliminary decision that Apple breached the EU’s Digital Markets Act. Apple’s rules “prevent [iPhone] app developers from freely steering consumers to alternative channels for offers and content,” according to the EC.

The commission also said it started an investigation into whether Apple’s new Core Technology Fee complies with the DMA. If Apple doesn’t change its policies, the EC could levy extremely heavy fines.

iOS 18 will bring lots of useful features, big and small. But when the new iPhone operating system launches later this fall, you won’t get to enjoy all its new additions on day one. Many headlining features won’t arrive until later in the year or early 2025. But which iOS 18 features will be delayed?

Here’s a roundup of iOS 18 features that won’t arrive on launch day. Note: Many of these delayed features also will come to iPads and Macs in iPadOS 18 and macOS Sequoia. For the purposes of this article, we will talk in terms of iOS 18 only.

Apple reportedly wants to launch a cheaper AR/VR Vision headset, codenamed N107, as soon as late 2025. While the company set this plan even before the Vision Pro‘s launch, it might fail to meet the deadline.

The company’s engineers are struggling to reduce costs without affecting the headset’s key features.

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Apple seems dead-set on producing a much more affordable version of the Vision Pro. The current $3,499 price tag is definitely a dealbreaker. But will a cheaper version of the Vision Pro headset take off? We discuss the pros and cons — and a possible solution!

Also on The CultCast:

• Apple’s former obsession with making its products thin and light might make a comeback. Maybe even with Apple Watch Series 10 later this year.
• We might not have too much longer to wait for MacBook Pros powered by M4 chips.
• Griffin the risk-taker gives us his hands-on impressions of iOS 18, including 11 “hidden” features that Apple didn’t even mention during the WWDC24 keynote.
• And finally, the MoviePass saga gets a proper retelling, in the form of an HBO documentary.

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.

Following a price hike in the US earlier this month, Spotify has unveiled a cheaper streaming music plan for its users. The new “Basic” streaming tier costs $10.99/month, $1 cheaper than the Premium plan.

Spotify charged the same price for its Premium plan before increasing it in early June. That was the company’s second price hike in less than a year.

Apple revealed Friday that it will not introduce in the European Union the artificial intelligence features for iPhone, Mac and iPad it recently announced. The company blamed the EU’s Digital Markets Act for the decision.

Several other new features of the upcoming macOS Sequoia, iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 will also not debut in the EU.

Apple dropped the first iOS 18 developer beta right after the opening keynote of WWDC24. While the build packs several changes, many headline features are missing, and it is also buggy. But what about the iOS 18 public beta, which should bring even more features and offer better stability? When will it arrive?

The timing should be similar for the upcoming iPadOS 18, watchOS 11 and macOS Sequoia public betas, too.

The new Satechi Qi2 Wireless Car Charger will replenish your iPhone or Android handset battery fast on the road, the well-known tech accessories company said Thursday. That’s because the compact, space-gray Qi2 charger packs a full 15 watts of charging power, MagSafe-style, rather than the routine 7.5 many older chargers bring.

So if you have an iPhone 12 series handset or newer, or a Qi2-enabled Android phone, it can get a nice extra energy boost in the car.

1Password — a popular password manager for iPhone, Mac and other platforms — added support for recovery codes Thursday. This will make it easier to recover your account when you can’t remember your password.

Recovery codes also will help you get into your 1Password vault if you lose access to your Secret Key.

UPDATE: The new versions of Final Cut Pro for iPad and Mac — and the new Final Cut Camera app — launched Thursday on the App Store.

Apple updated its video editing application Final Cut Pro with live multi-camera recording on iPad and powerful new AI color correction on Mac. Plus, Final Cut Camera, a free new app for iPad and iPhone, allows for professional video capture in multicam mode or on its own. These updates “take creativity to the next level,” said Will Hui, project manager for creative applications at Apple when they were announced in May.

The wait for them is now over.

FIFA’s ongoing struggle to launch and broadcast a new international soccer tournament next year in the United States ahead of the 2026 World Cup continue, as its talks with Apple over broadcast rights have stalled, according to a report.

Apparently $1 billion won’t cut it for soccer’s global governing body.

Apple’s latest retail shop sports a stunning multilevel design featuring an exotic hat on top — aka a tiered-pyramid roof. The iPhone giant showcased its first store in Malaysia, Apple The Exchange TRX, on Thursday. It opens Saturday in Kuala Lumpur. It will employ a staggering 160 team members offering the full array of Apple products and services in a dramatic location.

“We live for moments when we can surprise and delight our customers, and we’re excited to do that in Malaysia with the opening of our first store in the country, Apple The Exchange TRX,” said Deirdre O’Brien, Apple’s senior vice president of Retail.

“Being able to support and directly connect with a new community is always a special experience for our retail teams, and we can’t wait to welcome customers to this beautiful space designed for discovery, creativity, and shopping for the world’s most innovative products,” she added.

Apple’s annual Back to School promotion went live Thursday in the United States. As a part of the deal, eligible students and faculty members will receive up to a $150 gift card on the purchase of select Macs and iPads. Apple also offers a 20% discount on AppleCare+, its premium support and repair service.

The back-to-school promo runs through September 30, so students and parents have ample time to take advantage of Apple’s discounts.

In a first, a catalog of more than 1,300 classic games will come to the Apple Store for iPhone and iPad as of June 27, retro gaming service Antstream said Tuesday. Antstream Arcade’s upcoming launch on the App Store follows recent worldwide changes Apple made in response to the European Union’s Digital Markets Act.

If you want great sound out of your computer setup, you need excellent speakers, of course. But if you work with music rather than just listening to it, you also need a top audio interface for Mac to run between your computer and other gear. Today’s MacBook Pro setup incorporates one of our top picks in a recent roundup of best audio interfaces for Mac and pairs it with a nice set of Yamaha speakers.

TDK Corp. recently developed a material for its next-generation solid-state battery with an energy density about 100 times greater than the current version.

The Japanese company already supplies batteries that go into iPhones and other Apple devices, so there’s hope this breakthrough eventually will benefit Apple Watch and AirPods.

Apple could refresh its MacBook Pro lineup with M4 chips as soon as Q4 2024. Based on supply-chain checks, panel shipments for the 14-inch and 16-inch models will start in Q3 2024.

Typically, this indicates that Apple will start shipping new MacBook Pro models in the last quarter of the year.

Edifier’s new D32 speaker, a stylish and powerful wireless speaker that looks a bit like your grandfather’s radio, packs modern audio technology. Its hi-res audio capabilities and robust 60-watt amplifier system sit inside a hand-made wooden cabinet with crazy-cool retro buttons. And it costs just $170, which might seem steep to your grandpa, but it’s not bad.

A cheaper version of Apple’s Vision augmented reality headset has reportedly been fast-tracked. The goal is supposedly to have the scaled-back device on the market by 2025.

To accomplish this, Apple allegedly halted work on the next generation high-end Vision Pro model.

You can preorder the newly updated Beats Solo Buds headphones June 18 and expect shipping to commence June 20, Apple subsidiary Beats by Dre said.

At just about half the cost of AirPods 3 and ready-made to pair with Apple devices with long battery life and a truly tiny case, the new buds could be a tempting get for a lot of folks. And big sound is promised, too, according to the video below.

UPDATE: As noted above, Beats Solo Buds became available to order today, Tuesday, June 18, and should ship starting Thursday.