Apple will make Spatial Personas, a more lifelike enhancement of the Persona feature for the Vision Pro mixed-reality headset, available in the visionOS 1.1 update coming Tuesday.
In beta test versions of the software, Spatial Personas allow Vision Pro users to create and interact with customizable, free-floating 3D digital avatars in virtual spaces. They enhance collaboration via SharePlay while going beyond the limits of a little box on a FaceTime call.
Apple TV+ just added two dozen more classic movies to its limited-time collection, including three John Wick films, the original Ghostbusters, a pair of Transformers movies and more.
They join an existing selection of films available to the streaming service’s subscribers, as well as all the content Apple TV+ itself produces or buys.
It’s almost time for spring cleaning — and that can and should include tidying up your Mac’s files. If you want to do the job right, try professional software like Mac Washing Machine X9 from Intego’s robust software suite.
Google is reportedly required to delete the data it gathered while millions of users of its Chrome web bowser were in Incognito mode as part of settling a lawsuit.
Moving forward, the company will continue to track Chrome users in Incognito mode — while making it clearer that is what is happening.
The new Apple TV+ trailer for LA-noir detective series Sugar asks an important question: Who is John Sugar? Well, apparently, the gumshoe played by Colin Farrell is a tough dude who “does one thing and one thing only: Find the missing.”
A legendary film producer played by veteran actor James Cromwell utters the line in the trailer, which Apple TV+ dropped Sunday. Having cast members like Cromwell adds some serious gravitas to a moody and engrossing-looking series (as if Farrell wasn’t enough).
You can see the new Sugar trailer, and the previous one, below. They should whet your appetite for some good ol’ fashioned-yet-contemporary LA crime noir. It comes up from time to time to great acclaim (see LA Confidential among others).
The new Elgato Facecam Mk.2, successor to the company’s popular Facecam webcam for creators and streamers, just came out. Improved picture quality, a new privacy shutter and other enhancements appear to make it a worthy upgrade. And that’s especially true because it carries a lower price than Facecam did at its launch.
We see many, many dual-display computer setups in our coverage, with the vast majority being two screens of the same size, whether they’re oriented differently or not. But that’s not always the case. Today’s M1 Pro MacBook Pro and Windows laptop rig sports different-size dual displays that even have different resolutions. But it works for the user, a systems engineer who works for a software developer.
Apple is investigating whether its wearable can prevent some of 4,000 drowning deaths every year in the United States. An engineer proposed a system for an Apple Watch to detect if the swimmer wearing it is in distress and send an alert to nearby iPhones.
The plan fits with Apple’s goal to bring more health-related features to Apple Watch.
Apple offers iCloud plans for iPhone and Mac users who need a bit of extra storage capacity, and other plans for those who want a huge amount. But there’s a noticeable gap in the middle the company should really fill.
The lack of a 1TB iCloud+ storage plan is painfully evident. Adding it would be a boon to many users, and to Apple, too.
Today is World Backup Day — a fine opportunity to lobby for the additional tier.
This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Now that Apple set a date for WWDC24, it’s time for the speculation to begin. Artificial intelligence undoubtedly will be on the agenda. But what will Apple’s AI push look like?
Join us for a whirlwind discussion.
Also on The CultCast:
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.
Comparing the Apple TV vs. Roku vs. other smart TV products, there are a lot of good reasons to stick with Apple’s offering — even though it’s more expensive.
Roku is the more popular product, selling plug-in devices for as little as $30. And if you buy a new TV today, it’s probably running Roku or Google TV software. Although the latest Apple TV 4K is a pricey $129, it offers better privacy protection, it’s easily controlled with your iPhone and Apple Watch, makes FaceTime calls, plays better games and runs faster.
Check out our latest video or keep reading.
Google let slip that Apple will fulfill its promise to add support for Rich Communication Services to the iPhone Messages app “in the fall of 2024.”
That almost certainly means iPhone and Android users will enjoy higher quality cross-platform texting with the release of iOS 18 and not before.
A smartphone giant just came out with its first car. No, Apple hasn’t about-faced on its plans to scrap its decade-long Project Titan car program. Instead, Chinese tech behemoth Xiaomi unveiled a sporty electric vehicle Thursday it hopes will rival those made by Porsche and Tesla. It’s the Xiaomi SU7 EV series.
Steve Martin is a comedy legend going way, way back, as the trailer for a new documentary called STEVE! (martin) a documentary in 2 pieces shows, below. The Apple TV+ documentary, debuting Friday, is chock-full of admiring celebs talking about the famous comedian, plus clips from his wild and crazy standup years in the 1970s.
UPDATE: The two-part documentary — and the two parts are quite distinct, like two different documentaries — premieres Friday, March 29, on Apple TV+. One part chronicles Martin’s meteoric rise to fame decades ago and the other part nestles into his happy and fulfilled life now. Reviews so far seem quite positive, though the two parts don’t provide a complete, linear account of all the legend’s accomplishments.
A version of Apple Pencil stylus that can be used with the Vision Pro AR headset is in testing, according to an unconfirmed report.
And there’s proof that Apple is at least considering the idea — it filed for a patent on methods of using a stylus to create virtual objects while wearing a headset.
It’s the best of both worlds: A computer setup with a Mac and a PC. They each have their strengths. But how best to use both in the same workstation? Well, today’s setup does it with a MacBook Pro and Anker dock arrangement.
The user, a systems engineer for a software developer, relies on an Anker 5-in-1 Thunderbolt 4 dock to connect an M1 Pro MacBook Pro and Windows laptop to displays that suit them, plus other peripherals.
This JBL earbuds sale lets you get the wireless earbuds for only $60. These well-reviewed noise-canceling earbuds are highly rated for their bass-heavy sound and long battery life.
This deal is “open box,” which means it’s excess inventory. They could have been a display set that sat on a store shelf. But aside from being removed from the original packaging, these earbuds are certified as new. The packaging might show some wear or have extra stickers, but the gear itself is in prime condition.
Receiving calls from unknown numbers is a recurring theme that can often be quite aggravating to deal with, especially since most of them tend to be from pranksters and telemarketers. However, the fact remains that some calls may be important, which raises the question, how can you truly distinguish the real from the fake?
An AI writer can significantly reduce the time it takes to craft copy, and that’s precisely what Write Bot is designed to do. Perfect for bloggers, marketers and content creators, this AI writing bot makes the writing process incredibly easy and efficient with the power of artificial intelligence.
Right now, a Lifetime Pro subscription to Write Bot is priced down to just $19.97 (regularly $539.40).
A release date for much anticipated 2024 iPad Pro and iPad Air will come in early May, according to a reliable source of Apple information. Fans of Apple tablets have been on tenterhooks as the announcements for these had been expected weeks ago.
This will reportedly be the debut of the first iPad Pro with an OLED display plus the largest iPad Air model yet.
Apple’s upcoming M3 Ultra chip won’t consist of two M3 Max processors merged together, according to information leaking out of Cupertino. The change from its predecessors would free up designers to make the next-gen Apple silicon even more powerful.
It even raises the possibility of an M3 Extreme, a workstation-level processor that would give the Mac Pro a reason to exist. With Apple continuing to push the boundaries of performance, the Apple M3 lineup is expected to redefine computing power—learn more about it in Apple’s unveiling of the M3 Ultra chip.
Apple plans to release the first Immersive Video sports film Thursday at 6 p.m. PT. It’s a 5-minute recap of the 2023 MLS playoffs.
And the 180-degree 3D soccer blowout with Spatial Audio will be free in the Apple TV app for all Vision Pro users.
You may not want to spend top dollar on a new Mac or iPad, but how about bargain-basement deals on older Apple gear? That’s what Amazon bargain site Woot! asks with its latest sale on 40 items.
As the site says: “Apple iMacs, MacBooks, and iPads: Whether you need a big-screen powerhouse, a portable productivity partner, or a tablet to rule them all, we’ve got the iDevices you crave.”
You’ve got a little over a week to shop a wide range of Apple computers, some rather old (and really cheap) and some not so long in the tooth. The sale ends at 10 p.m. Pacific on April 6. See some highlights below.
And if you’re in the market for new Apple accessories, Woot! also offers $3 off with promo code APPLEBITE (although that sale ends March 31.)
Apple’s 13-inch MacBook Air with M3 chip has got a whopping $100 discount within weeks of its launch. Thanks to the deal, you can get Apple’s latest 13-inch Air for just $999.
A $50-$100 discount is also available on other configurations of the machine.
Apple TV+ may not pack in as many movies and TV shows as other major streaming platforms, but what it showcases rates highest for quality on IMDb, according to a new report.
Apple TV+ tops quality ratings in 19 genre categories on the movie-database site, including drama, comedy, action, biography and children’s content. But its relatively small catalogue helps keep it from ranking high on value for its price.