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- Monday May 20
- 28 mins agoMicrosoft debuts AI-focused PCs it claims outpace M3 MacBook Air, new Surface Pro to rival M4 iPad Pro | 9 to 5 MacMicrosoft debuts AI-focused PCs it claims outpace M3 MacBook Air, new Surface Pro to rival M4 iPad Pro
Today Microsoft unveiled a new lineup of PCs centered around AI, complete with advanced AI-driven features like Recall, a tool that keeps track of everything you’ve ever done on your screen so you can easily revisit it later. Microsoft was especially eager to show how its new ARM-based PCs could outperform Apple’s M3 MacBook Airs, both in sheer performance as well as battery life. The Mac vs. PC fires were very much being stoked in this presentation. more…45 mins agoiOS 17.5.1 patches bug that caused deleted images to reappear
iOS 17.5.1 went out Monday to patch a nasty bug that could make images completely deleted from an iPhone reappear later. (via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)45 mins agoMagSafe Monday: Spigen Smart Fold 2 easily holds up to three cards with a built-in kickstand | 9 to 5 MacMagSafe Monday: Spigen Smart Fold 2 easily holds up to three cards with a built-in kickstand
I am all in on MagSafe Wallets. I am not sure I’ll ever return to a wallet not attached to my iPhone. It’s one less thing to keep track of day to day. They’re also small enough if I didn’t want to leave my iPhone behind, and they fit right in my pocket. I am on a mission to try all of them. Today, I am looking at the Spigen Smart Fold 2 with its strong and durable design. more…57 mins agoThis Anker Prime power bank that can charge your MacBook and iPhone is $55 off today
Macworld I think we can all agree that the most annoying thing in the world (besides slow internet) is seeing your phone’s battery dying out slowly. Thankfully, this Anker Prime Power Bank 27,650mAh is now available for its best price ever, which means you can get it for $125, down from $180. What makes this power bank so special? Well, it can charge multiple devices at once. Featuring 250W multi-device fast charging, the Anker Prime Power Bank has two USB-C ports and one USB-A port. It takes this power bank just under half an hour to get your MacBook Pro to 50 percent, while your iPhone will get to 100 percent in what will feel like no time. So, whether you’re traveling, enjoying a night out on the town, or working remotely, this power bank will solve a ton of your problems. The Anker Prime Power Bank is not only powerful but also highly portable. Despite its substantial capacity of 27,650mAh, Anker managed to make this power bank compact enough not to be a nuisance. Measuring just 6.37 × 2.24 × 1.96 in and weighing 1.47lb, this 99.54Wh power bank even meets TSA requirements, and you can carry it in your carry-on badge. We reviewed the Anker Prime power bank with a 12,000mAh capacity and loved how compact it was, how fast it charged devices, and how informative its display is. And with more than twice the capacity, this model is even better for road warriors. This special offer won’t last forever, so take advantage of the best price ever for the Anker Prime 27K Power Bank and charge all your gadgets on the go. Save 31% on the Anker Prime 27K power bank Mobile Phone Chargers60 mins ago6 tricks to master Preview on the Mac
How do you use Preview on the Mac? I have three top tips for working with documents and three for editing pictures. (via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)1 hour agoNew iOS & iPadOS update fixes reappearing photos bug
Apple has released a minor update for iOS and iPadOS, that fixes an issue in the Photos app that resurrected deleted images.A Portrait Photo shot in iOS 17One week after releasing iOS 17.5 and iPadOS 17.5 to the public, Apple has issued a minor update for both operating systems.The update to iOS 17.5.1 and iPadOS 17.5.1 replaces the respective 17.5 releases for each. The new builds are build number 21F90. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums1 hour agoApple releases iOS 17.5.1
Apple on Monday released iOS 17.5.1 which provides important bug fixes and addresses a rare issue where photos that experienced… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.1 hour agoNotes on Post-Pandemic Business Travel
Adam Engst took his first business trip in four years and discovered that some things have changed. He took advantage of packing and flight tracking apps, got free Wi-Fi on several flights, discovered that USB Type-A to USB-C cables are essential, learned that TSA PreCheck is easier to get, and ran across his second App Clip ever.05:11 pmReport: AirTag update coming next year but not much is changing
Macworld In the latest Power On Newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that Apple will be upgrading the AirTag in the middle of 2025. The upgrade would be the first since the tracking device was released in April 2021. As for what the upgrade will include, Gurman states it will have “a better chip with improved location tracking.” The current AirTag has Apple’s U1 chip, which uses ultra-wideband (UWB) technology to give a device with the chip spatial awareness. With the iPhone 15 Pro, Apple released a second-generation UWB chip with better precision. So, it appears that Apple will update the AirTag with the new chip. Gurman doesn’t mention any other features, but he does say his personal wish list includes a louder speaker, better battery life, and a size that fits well in a wallet. Whether his wish list is his way of implying that these are possible features is not clear. Gurman also states that Apple is already doing test production runs of the new AirTag. A new AirTag seems like a good product to make available during the holiday shopping season, so if Apple is already doing a test run, perhaps the release schedule could move up to the latter part of this year. However, the original AirTag was released in April so a similar timeframe seems equally possible., The AirTag is a disk-shaped Bluetooth device that is used as a tracker. It works with the Find My app that can be used to determine the approximate location of the items attached to the AirTag. To learn more, read our AirTag review and check out our AirTag superguide. Accessories, Mobile Phone Accessories05:09 pmApple releases iOS 17.5.1 with fix for ‘rare’ bug that caused deleted photos to return
Apple has released iOS 17.5.1 for iPhone. The software update specifically addresses the issue with deleted photos reportedly returning to after updating to iOS 17.5. more…05:04 pmiPhone 15 Pro Incase Woolenex and Vegan Leather ICON MagSafe case hands-on
Incase has been a favorite Apple accessory brand for me since before my time at 9to5Mac started in 2013. Seriously, their steel-colored Bird’s Nest Snap iPhone 4 case was the perfect blend of chaos and expression for me in 2011. Fast-forward to 2024 and Incase has brought back another crowd pleaser with their ICON case line. The Incase ICON case design is much more mature than the Bird’s Nest Snap case line that I favored back in the day. The ICON case line for iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max is more like —just without the drama. more…04:57 pmHow Apple has steadily been dropping the 'i' from its devices for over a decade
From the first iMac in the 1990s to today, the prefix "i" has symbolized Apple — but Apple has been working to get rid of it since the original iPad in 2010.Steve Jobs launching the iPad in 2010 — the last Apple device to be named with an "i"There is still of course the iPhone and the iPad — but there's no iWatch or iTV, and certainly no iVision Pro. Across hardware, software, and services, Apple named around 30 products with an i following the success of the iMac in 1998.It's just a letter, but it's so strongly associated with Apple that to this day there are people who call the Apple Watch an iWatch. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums04:35 pmHere are the new AI features coming to your iPhone with iOS 18
Macworld It isn’t news that Apple is focusing on AI at the moment. Despite its early start with Siri, the company has fallen behind in the AI arms race (whether or not you regard that as a bad thing) and has made no visible progress at all with the latest generative AI trend. All of this is expected to be remedied by software announcements at WWDC next month. What is news is the apparent revelation this past weekend of some actual, juicy details. In the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, Bloomberg leaker-analyst Mark Gurman claims Apple is about to make some “bold changes” to the iPhone’s iOS operating system, and reveals both broad strategic changes of direction for the company and specific features he predicts will be coming to the iPhone this year. On the strategic front, Gurman identifies two of Apple’s longstanding focuses–to largely refrain from collecting user data, and to run a large proportion of Siri’s processing on the device–as the cause of some of the difficulties in this area. The lack of data, while motivated by a wish to safeguard user privacy, means a lack of training fuel for large language models. Similarly, on-device processing is in theory a better way to protect user data security, since information about requests doesn’t have to pass through server farms or be accessible to (likely outsourced) company employees, but this makes it more difficult to consistently deliver strong performance. It would be a major reversal of company culture for data mining to become a priority, but as an acknowledgment that it needs to change, Gurman says it will transition to more of a cloud-based model for its data processing. Data centers will be upgraded with powerful Mac chips in order to handle the additional strain. “The move shows that Apple recognizes the need to evolve,” Gurman writes. “As part of the changes, the company will improve Siri’s voice capabilities, giving it a more conversational feel, and add features that help users with their day-to-day lives.” On the features front, meanwhile, Gurman says we can expect “services like auto-summarizing notifications from your iPhone, giving a quick synopsis of news articles and transcribing voice memos.” He also predicts that existing auto-populating features for Calendar and suggested apps will be improved, and that AI-based editing will appear in Photos, with the caveat that this won’t be as impressive as similar features already available on Adobe apps. As intriguing as all of this sounds, it fails to address two of the most noteworthy elements of an AI strategy: chatbots and search. Sadly for Apple fans, it appears the company is well behind in both of these areas. Cupertino’s own generative AI tech isn’t strong enough to power a workable chatbot, so it’s instead planning to outsource OpenAI’s ChatGPT for this purpose–for the short term, at least. In the long run, Gurman says Apple will need to make a chatbot of its own. It’s not dissimilar to maps, which began as a partnership with Google before Apple developed its own solution. “For now,” Gurman says, “[Apple] believes the combination of its homegrown AI features (both on devices and in the cloud) and the OpenAI deal will be enough to get the job done.” Much the same applies to AI-powered search; Apple’s own search project never really got anywhere and it’s in no position to launch its own search engine. All of which adds up to an upcoming WWDC keynote that will feature plenty of small fireworks, but is likely to leave users with the feeling that Apple is still a long way from catching up in the AI race. For all the latest news, rumors, and information about Apple’s June announcements, check our WWDC superguide. iOS, iPhone04:34 pmWill you buy an ultra-thin iPhone 17 if battery life is reduced? [Poll]
We learned new details about what Apple may ship as the new high-end iPhone in 2025 with a redesigned ultra-thin form factor. But with that change, we could see shorter battery life, particularly compared to the Pro Max model. Would an ultra-thin design be worth it to you at the expense of a smaller battery? more…04:33 pmBest USB-C and Thunderbolt displays for Mac [May]
USB-C/Thunderbolt display options have really expanded over the last couple of years. While Apple’s Pro Display XDR isn’t the best fit for most Mac users at $5,000+, it also offers the more affordable Studio Display. But there are also lots of solid choices from LG, Samsung, BenQ, and more. Here are the best USB-C/Thunderbolt displays with many available in the $400-$1,600 range. Update 5/20/24: Samsung is running a limited-time promo with as well as 34% off the 32″ Smart Monitor and 47% off the 27″ Smart Monitor. more…04:30 pmM3/M4 Mac Studio: Everything you need to know
Macworld The M2 Max and Ultra Mac Studio were released at WWDC23 last June, and the M3 era of Apple’s System on a Chip started last November. So, with WWDC24 creeping up on us, it’s time to start looking forward to the next Mac Studio. The rumors will start to increase as June 2024 approaches, and whatever is reported now can change (and likely will) before the new Mac Studio is released. We’ll keep track of what’s being said in this article. Update 5/20/24: Apple does not have the Mac Studio scheduled for release in 2024, which could mean Apple will skip the M3 series and deliver an M4-series Mac Studio in 2025.. M3/M4 Mac Studio: Release date We’ve had two generations of Mac Studio. The first gen (M1 Max and Ultra) was released in March of 2022. The second-gen (M2 Max and Ultra) was revealed at WWDC23 in June 2023. Apple will likely continue with a March or June timeframe for the next Mac Studio. In April, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said in the paid version of his Power On newsletter that the next Mac Studio could launch in the second half of 2024, which likely means a WWDC release. ICsmart reports that the new Mac Studio could arrive in the middle of this year as well. Since Apple doesn’t traditionally hold standalone events during the summer months, WWDC is a safe bet. In May, Mark Gurman reported that the Mac Studio is not on the schedule of Apple releases for 2024. IT doesn’t appear until mid 2025. IF that’s the case, then Apple will likely skip the M3 series chips and release the 2025 Mac Studio with an M4 Max and M4 Ultra. The M3 Max and Ultra Mac Studio could be released by June 2024. The M3 Max and Ultra Mac Studio could be released by June 2024.Roman Loyola/IDG The M3 Max and Ultra Mac Studio could be released by June 2024.Roman Loyola/IDG Roman Loyola/IDG M3/M4 Mac Studio: Price No reports on the price for the M3/M4 Mac Studio have been made. Here are the standard configuration prices of the current M2 Mac Studio lineup, for reference. $1,999/£2,099: M2 Max with a 12-Core CPU, 30-Core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine, 32GB unified memory, 512GB SSD $3,999/ £4,199: M2 Ultra with a 24-Core CPU, 60-Core GPU, 32-Core Neural Engine, 64GB unified memory, 1TB SSD While the price of the Mac Studio has already increased outside of the U.S. (it was originally £1,999 in the U.K.), prices did not change in the U.S. when Apple upgraded from the M1 to the M2 chips, and prices could stay the same with an M3/M4 upgrade. But when Apple released the M3 Pro and Max MacBook Pros, the price for the standard configuration M3 Max model increased by $100, so there’s a good possibility that the Mac Studio prices go up. M3/M4 Mac Studio: Design No reports about design changes to the Mac Studio have been made. The current design works well and is going on its third year, so Apple likely isn’t going to change it. The only possible exception is a new space black color option to match the MacBook Pro. M3/M4 Mac Studio: Specs and features The main (and likely only) change that will happen with the upcoming Mac Studio is with its SoC. The Mac Studio should continue to have the Max and Ultra versions of its M-series chips, so the new chips we will see are the M3/M4 Max and M3/M4 Ultra. The current M3 Max MacBook Pro is available with a 14-core CPU/30-core GPU or a 16-core CPU/38-core GPU, so if Apple does go with an M3 Max for the Mac Studio, it may have similar specs. The ports on the Mac Studio will likely remain unchanged. The ports on the Mac Studio will likely remain unchanged.Roman Loyola/IDG The ports on the Mac Studio will likely remain unchanged.Roman Loyola/IDG Roman Loyola/IDG Apple’s Ultra chips have doubled the CPU and GPU cores of the Max. In January 2024 Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported in the paid version of his Power On newsletter that this should continue, with the M3 Ultra featuring up to 32 CPU cores and 40 GPU cores. Also in January, a report by The Elect stated that the M3 Ultra will be manufactured using an enhanced 3nm process. In April 2024, Mark Gurman reported that “Apple is testing versions with both a still-unreleased M3-era chip and a variation of the M4 Brava processor.” As for the “M4 Brava,” Gurman states that Apple is working on AI-enhanced M4 chips that could find their way into the Mac Studio in 2025. However, in May Mark Gurman reported that the Mac Studio won’t be updated until 2025, probably at WWDC25. If that’s the case, then the Mac Studio will have M4-series chips, and the specs for the M4 Max and Ultra will be very different from the M2 Max and Ultra and what was projected with the M3 Max and Ultra. The other features of the Mac Studio should remain the same. That means no changes to the ports, connectivity, speaker, SSD sizes, or display support. Mac04:28 pmApple is just weeks away from unveiling its big AI marketing effort
Apple is preparing to make its big artificial-intelligence announcement via a canned video presentation at the opening of WWDC… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.04:25 pmGaming emulator apps are best played with one of these iOS-supported game controllers
Game emulator apps are having a moment on the iPhone and iPad. Thanks to a recent App Store rule change, Apple is now permitting retro gaming emulators on its devices, and developers have wasted no time meeting the pent-up market demand. Retro gaming was never meant to happen on touch displays, though. These games were designed with a physical controller in mind. Here are some of the best iOS-compatible game controllers to elevate your gaming experience. more…04:00 pmOtterBox ‘Cactus Leather’ iPhone case looks good and makes you feel good [Review]
A plant-based alternative to traditional cow leather, the first OtterBox Cactus Leather iPhone case is a great, renewable choice. (via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)03:52 pmMacBook Air M3 16GB 13-inch down at $1,350, M2 Mac mini, early Memorial Day Apple deals, more | 9 to 5 MacMacBook Air M3 16GB 13-inch down at $1,350, M2 Mac mini, early Memorial Day Apple deals, more
Your Monday collection of the best Apple gear deals is now ready to go. Alongside a host of big-time early Memorial Day offers in our roundup and ongoing discounts on the new M4 iPad Pro and M2 iPad Air, today’s deals are headlined by Apple’s maxed-out 13-inch M3 MacBook Air. Loaded with a 512GB SSD and 16GB of memory, you can score this one down at $1,350 alongside the return of $100 price drops on the latest M2/Pro Mac mini models. You’ll also find an exclusive all-time low for 9to5 readers on the gorgeous new Burton Goods leather iPad cases for Apple’s latest and plenty more in today’s 9to5Toys Lunch Break. more…