Say things went sideways and you somehow ended up in prison, sentenced to 10 years. But authorities offer you freedom if you do just one thing for them. Transfer to a super-max facility for the criminally insane. Befriend a serial killer who may soon get out. And get him to confess more of his crimes.

Would you do it?

If the trailer for Apple TV+ psychological thriller series Black Bird is any indication, maybe don’t do it. That thing, promoting a true story brought to the screen by crime novelist Dennis Lehane, looks brutal — and potentially riveting.

Apple rebuilt its Home app from the ground up for iOS 16, ensuring it will make managing HomeKit a breeze and support the upcoming Matter home-automation standard.

But for those who’ve been using an iPad as a hub for HomeKit, the house party’s over as of iOS 16’s release.

Bluetooth headphones are nearly ubiquitous, and an upcoming feature called Auracast will allow computers or phones to stream music to not just one Bluetooth receiver but all of them in the area.

While one goal of Bluetooth’s Auracast broadcast audio is to let people share their music with groups, it also has more practical uses.

For your reading pleasure, Apple redesigned its Books apps in iOS 16 and iPadOS 16. When those operating systems hit your devices later this year, you should find the Books interface less distracting and more customizable.

One of the most-requested iPad features is here. Stage Manager in iPadOS 16 puts applications in resizable, floating windows. I’ve tested the first beta of the new system for several days now, and there’s a lot to like. And there’s plenty of frustration too. But some of that comes from this being an early beta.

Here’s my hands-on experience with the iPad’s new multitasking system, and why I think it’s going to change the way many of us use our tablets.

iOS 16 will make it easier to transfer an eSIM between iPhones using Bluetooth.

As spotted by @carsonwaldrop on Twitter, iOS 16 adds an option to import an eSIM from another iPhone in the “Set up eSIM” menu. Apple requires that the other iPhone is nearby, unlocked, has Bluetooth turned on, and is running iOS 16 during the process.

WaterField Designs unveiled its new Mac Studio Travel Bag Wednesday, giving you a protective and stylish carry case for the Mac Studio plus a keyboard, mouse, hard drive and other accessories.

Designed to help you take Apple’s powerful new desktop computer from place to place, the bag keeps your computer setup organized and protected, the company said.

A new framework dubbed RoomPlan will allow apps to quickly create 3D floor plans of rooms using the LiDAR Scanner in recent iPhones and iPads.

The Swift API will allow real estate and e-commerce apps to scan and create a room’s floor plan. This can then be used for remodeling and interior design changes. Despite its wow factor, Apple did not talk about the RoomPlan API onstage during Monday’s WWDC22 keynote.

Apple Original Films outraced other studios to win a deal for the rights to a Formula One racing film starring Brad Pitt. Notably, the resulting agreement takes a new road to theatrical and streaming distribution.

And Pitt’s not the only big name here. Joseph Kosinski directs and Jerry Bruckheimer produces the as-yet-untitled movie.

When all you want to do is browse and stream TV and movies, a full virtual private network can feel like overkill. Similarly, connecting to your VPN just to look at Facebook or shop on Amazon seems overwhelming.

If you need a simplified smart DNS and VPN, consider Getflix. It unlocks worldwide content such as streaming services with basically no setup. Plus, a lifetime subscription is on sale for just $49 (regularly $540) for a limited time.

We see plenty of paired HomePod minis in our travels online among computer setups, but not many stereo twosomes of the OG HomePods, the big ones Apple discontinued that may one day return in some form.

So today’s featured M1 MacBook Air setup is not only super-clean, it rocks that killer sound system and boasts a pricey 5K monitor that rivals Apple’s Studio Display.

And it’s the first setup we’ve come across where someone hates on the wildly popular Logitech MX Master 3 wireless mouse.

The just-launched Belkin SoundForm Immerse Bluetooth earbuds offer more than just great sound. They have active noise cancellation, and also work with Apple’s Find My network so they can be located with an iPhone.

They offer many of the same features as Apple’s AirPods Pro but at a lower cost.

Both of Apple’s latest laptops —  the M2 MacBook Air and the M2 MacBook Pro — run on the same powerful new chip. With only a $100 difference between the two, what exactly sets them apart? Does the new MacBook Pro live up to its “pro” name, or is the Air the better buy?

Here’s a look at the differences between the two new Mac laptops unveiled during Monday’s WWDC22 keynote.

Alongside a slew of software updates announced at WWDC22, Apple said its Mail app will let you schedule email delivery and undo sends, among other changes that bring the client closer in functionality to some of its leading competitors.

That’s handy for shooting off emails at ideal times and for clawing back those notes you realize you shouldn’t have sent (you know, because you forgot the attachment, not necessarily because you said something awful).

Mac is not the preferred platform for most gamers, but Metal 3 in macOS Ventura shows Apple hasn’t given up. And iPadOS 16 is getting support for a wider range of game controllers.

These are just a couple of gaming features Apple is bringing to Mac and iPad.

The WWDC22 keynote contained a blizzard of features and exciting announcements. As in past years, I ended up with two pages of drawings in my notebook. I sketched out the biggest new features coming to iOS 16, macOS Ventura and watchOS 9. And then there’s the new CarPlay, Maps, Apple Pay, Messages, the new M2 chip, MacBook Air and more.

For a quick visual recap of the highlights of Monday’s WWDC22 keynote, check out my two pages of sketchnotes below.

Everything old is new again, eventually. Music from the 1990s. Fashion from the 1980s. Facial hair from the 1970s. And now floppy disks, an important storage medium from the closing decades of the last century.

They’ve returned in the form of an Apple accessory from Elago — namely, a particularly clever case for an AirTag tracking device.

It’s retro-cool. It keeps your AirTag safe and secure. And best of all, the Elago Floppy Disk Case for AirTag is only $12.99 in the Cult of Mac Store.

Folks noticed Monday that the new iOS 16 beta for developers contains a tantalizing clue about an unknown, unreleased HomePod.

Could it be a new version of the discontinued large HomePod Apple dropped in favor of the better-selling HomePod mini?

The Lightning port’s days are numbered. The EU government has settled on a plan that will require all new phones and tablets to have a USB-C port, including iPhone.

But is seems Apple saw the writing on the wall and is already getting ready to switch iPhone from Lightning to USB-C.

Apple showcased an impressive lineup of improvements to Focus modes at WWDC22 Monday. They include Focus-linked custom Lock Screens, set-up suggestions, new filters and more.

The upgrades should provide users with customized ways to cut down on distractions more effectively, especially now that Focus can provide a new level of control by setting boundaries within apps.

Following the WWDC 2022 opening keynote Monday, Apple honored exceptional apps and games via the 2022 Apple Design Awards. In the ceremony, the company selected iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS app nominees that “demonstrated outstanding technical achievement” and more.

In this year’s awards, selection pared down a field of 36 nominated finalists to the 12 winners. Three apps and three games competed in each of the six categories: inclusivity, delight and fun, interaction, social impact, visuals and graphics, and innovation.

Check out the winners below.

Anyone with an eye on the newly announced MacBook Air or 13-inch MacBook Pro should be aware that they have a limitation: each supports only a single external monitor. It seems that’s all the Apple M2 processor can handle.

But the same is true for MacBooks with the original M1 chip, and workarounds were developed for these devices that will likely work with the M2 models.

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Whether you primarily use the internet for casual browsing or work remotely full-time, you have data that needs protection. Unfortunately, even your simple browsing data is worth something to companies and trackers. And without the proper equipment, there’s not much you can do to protect yourself.

The Deeper Connect Pico can block those nosey third parties from observing and stealing your data. And for a limited time, this hardware VPN is on sale for $248.

iOS 16 will improve photos and videos shot with iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro via computational photography tweaks.

The software update will add foreground blur in Portrait photos and improve videos shot in Cinematic mode. However, these enhancements will be exclusive to Apple’s 2021 iPhone lineup due to hardware limitations.

Supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo thinks Apple’s AR/VR headset won’t ship until the second quarter of 2023 due to delays caused by COVID-19 lockdowns in China.

Apple made no mention of its long-rumored AR headset, or the realityOS platform upon which it reportedly will operate, during Monday’s WWDC22 keynote — as predicted by Kuo himself. However, the company could announce the headset at a special media event next January, according to the analyst.