Not only did Apple announce next year’s Swift Student Challenge early to give coders more time to prepare — it put the word out Wednesday for the February 2024 competition — it also added a new “Distinguished Winners” category and a raft of new coding resources in “Everyone Can Code Projects.”
We’re not recommending that you buzz Apple Park or anything, but owning a 4K drone makes capturing exquisite aerial footage simple. Owning a pair of them gives you extended flight time, as well as a wider array of features.
Now through November 9, you can score two drones for the price of one. Get the Ninja Dragon Phantom K Pro and Alpha Z Pro — two 4K drones that are easy to use, even for beginners — for only $159.97 (regularly $369).
They make great gifts, too.
Backbone updated the USB-C version of its popular game controller just in time for the iPhone 15 series, Apple’s first handsets with a USB-C port.
Like earlier versions, this wraps around an iOS or Android handset to put a collection of buttons, sticks and triggers on either side of the landscape screen.
The classic horror game Resident Evil 4 will make its iPhone and iPad debut on December 20. It’s a demonstration of the gaming capabilities of Apple’s most powerful mobile devices.
This is one of multiple console titles being ported to Apple handsets and tablets thanks to their highly capable processors.
Apple Music joined the ranks of the Swifties. Taylor Swift was picked to be Apple Music’s Artist of the Year for 2023.
“I am so honored to be Apple Music’s Artist of the Year,” said Swift. “Thank you to every single one of you for making this year the most incredible, joyful, celebratory year ever. From streaming the music nonstop to screaming it together in real life at the shows, dancing chaotically in movie theaters, none of this would have been possible without you. Thank you so much.”
Work on the operating systems Apple will release in 2024 was reportedly halted temporarily because the code had become extremely buggy.
The move affected iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS 15 and watchOS 11, none of which are expected to reach users for almost a year.
★★★★☆
The just-launched Apple Pencil includes USB-C charging, making it easy to use with the budget iPad. While top quality, the new model doesn’t have all the features of Apple Pencil 2 but costs $50 less.
I tested the stylus with my iPad and found reasons to like it even more than the premium version.
Many people associate leather and stainless steel with watch bands for both analog and smart watches, but nylon seems to be on the rise for a lot of good reasons. Straps like the Carterjett Nylon Apple Watch Band offer lightweight comfort, flexibility and waterproof durability that looks good in a lot of situations.
And you can get the Carterjett Nylon Apple Watch Bands in 11 color choices from just $32.99 in the Cult of Mac Store.
Apple is developing greatly improved batteries for its future devices, according to a new report. It appears the iPhone-maker wants to create a custom process in-house and own it — rather than outsourcing — just like it did with Apple silicon chips.
Apple TV+ is cranking up the action in espionage-thriller series Slow Horses, if the season 3 trailer it dropped Tuesday is any indication.
Dissipated Cold War-era spy Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman) sees his Slough House crew of remedial MI5 agents come under major attack, and one of them is kidnapped by an elite military unit. Is it an inside job? Per previous seasons, the Slow Horses tend to get in trouble with their more-accomplished MI5 colleagues.