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- Thursday May 02
- 8 mins agoHow to watch Apple’s May iPad event (with a different start time)
Apple’s “Let Loose” event is almost here and we’re expecting the official launch of the new iPad Pro, iPad Air, and more. Here’s how to watch the iPad event (including below), plus a reminder that the start time is three hours earlier than most of the company’s events. more…14 mins agoThe Last Thing the iPad Needs Is a Spec Bump
An anonymous reader shares a column: When Apple CEO Tim Cook and a bunch of his deputies take the virtual stage next week to announce new iPads, they're going to spend a lot of time talking about specs. If the rumors are true, we're going to get new iPad Pros with OLED screens and thinner bodies, new Airs with faster chips and a correctly placed front camera, and a couple of new accessories. Before they even launch, I feel confident telling you these are the best iPads ever. But after all these years, I still don't know how to tell you whether you should want an iPad. Or what you'd want to do with it. This has been true forever, of course. The iPad is the jack-of-all-trades in Apple's lineup, a terrific device in many ways that still feels increasingly redundant now that so many people have big phones and long-lasting laptops. Apple seems to have spent the last decade-plus enamored with the idea of the iPad as a shapeshifter -- a device that can be exactly what you need at any given time. The company loves that the iPad's use case is hard to pin down, that it means different things to different people. It's a fun, good, ambitious idea: The One Gadget To Rule Them All. The way to make that happen, though, is not to upgrade the chips or move the buttons or redesign the rounded corners. It's to focus less on the iPad itself and more on the things you attach to it. [...] The iPad is a screen and a processor, and everything else should be an add-on for whenever you need it. Give the gamers a controller and an external GPU. Give the music lovers a speaker dock, and give the smart home fanatics a bunch of buttons that connect to various devices. The photographers need lenses; the spreadsheeters need a keyboard with function keys. The Pencil and the Magic Keyboard are a start, but Apple needs to do much more. The company needs to spend less time worrying about the iPad itself -- a device famous for how long it lasts and that hardly anyone is using to its full potential -- and more time on how to make it more than just a tablet. (Plus, bonus for Apple: it's going to be a lot easier to get people to buy accessories than to convince them to upgrade their iPad when they don't need to.) Read more of this story at Slashdot.17 mins agoApple vastly expands Figma support with new set of design templates
Apple today has added nine new design templates to its collection of Figma resources, significantly increasing the number of resources available for Figma users. Previously the available resources focused solely on key operating systems like iOS and iPadOS, visionOS, and macOS. Now, nine new cross-platform feature templates are available. more…19 mins agoApple’s Beats Pill speaker could be about to make a comeback
Update May 2, 2024: Another day, another Beats Pill comeback teaser. This time, F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo was spotted carrying an unreleased Beats Pill speaker in Miami this week. Back in January 2022, Apple discontinued the years-old Beats Pill+ without announcing a replacement of any sort. It looks like that could be about to change, at least based on a teaser this week. more…24 mins agoSiri on HomePod can't tell you what time it is right now
The HomePod is having an issue understanding the simple query "What time is it?" right now. Apple will probably fix it soon.You can't ask Siri what time it is on HomePod for the momentUsers of Siri know that there are many basic queries that could be asked, which result in straightforward results. One common query is to ask Siri the time, which is helpful if the user can't see a clock nearby.However, social media users started to report on Tuesday that asking Siri for the time was coming up with a completely different answer on HomePod. In many cases, Siri seems to believe that users want to know about a web result. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums48 mins agoApple poised to throw billions more at investors amid stock slump
Apple stock has been in decline for most of the year, but AAPL investors are likely to get at least one bit of good news when the company… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.53 mins agoTwelveSouth’s adjustable iPad mount is secretly a versatile iPhone accessory
TwelveSouth recently sent me their l to test with FaceTime on Apple TV 4K. HoverBar Duo is primarily marketed as an adjustable iPad mount for using the tablet hands-free. However, the arrival of FaceTime for Apple TV 4K makes HoverBar Duo a versatile solution for positioning your iPhone camera just right. Before trying it with FaceTime on Apple TV 4K, the TwelveSouth HoverBar Duo has proved useful with the iPhone in lots of other ways. more…54 mins agoSave on flowers, jewelry, clothes and more with these select Apple Pay deals
Apple has debuted new Apple Pay promotions ahead of Mother's Day, offering a handful of discounts on flowers, chocolates, jewelry, and more.Save on Mother's Day with Apple PayMother's Day 2024 falls on Sunday, May 12, so it's time to make sure you've snagged a gift that will really wow that special mom in your life.For the fashion-forward mom, you can take 20% off a purchase of $125 or more with the promo code APPLEPAY at Ann Taylor. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums1 hour agoNew SoundLink Max cranks up Bose’s portable speaker lineup
The new Bose SoundLink Max Portable Speaker brings big sound and lossless audio to the party, wherever it may be. (via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)1 hour agoBeats Solo Buds, surprising iPad Pro specs, and iOS 18 rumors
Benjamin and Chance assess the final iPad rumors ahead of next week’s ‘Let Loose’ event. Beats launches an incredibly compelling new addition to their headphones lineup, the Beats Solo Buds. At the same time, Apple fails to acknowledge what happened with people getting locked out of their Apple IDs over the weekend, in the same week as it releases a statement promising to fix an issue with iPhone alarms. And in Happy Hour Plus, Benjamin and Chance discuss what podcast client they currently use and why, and how their listening habits reflect their app preferences. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join. Sponsored by Ladder: Go to Ladderlife.com/HappyHour today to see if you’re instantly approved. Sponsored by Incogni: Limit public access to your private information, mitigate the risks of identity theft, and keep your data from being sold. Use code “happyhour” at the link below to get an exclusive 60% off an annual Incogni plan: incogni.com/happyhour Sponsored by Kolide by 1Password, the device trust solution that ensures that if a device isn’t secure, it can’t access your apps. Close the Zero Trust access gap for Okta. Learn more or watch the demo. more…05:03 pmMicrosoft finally lets users sign into accounts with passkeys
Microsoft has rolled out support for passkeys to all consumer accounts, allowing users to log into services without using a password.Microsoft passkey supportPasskeys are slowly growing in popularity with services, since they offer a secure way to authenticate a user. Already a supporter of the passkey standard, Microsoft is now bringing support for it to all consumer Microsoft accounts.The change, introduced on May 2, means users can add a passkey to their Microsoft account. Once enabled, users can sign into Microsoft accounts via an iPhone or another mobile device, taking advantage of that device's biometric security. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums04:42 pmApple Adds More Carve-outs To Its EU Core Tech Fee After Criticism From Devs
Apple is tweaking how it applies a new fee that can apply to iOS developers in the European Union as it continues to configure its approach to the bloc's Digital Markets Act (DMA): Developers of free apps will be able to avoid the fee entirely under changes it announced Thursday, which apply from today, while other developers earning under a certain revenue threshold will get longer before they have to pay Apple the fee. From a report: The so-called "core technology fee" remains opt in for iOS developers in the region, as Apple continues to offer its standard business terms, but those wanting to take up new entitlements the DMA has required Apple to offer -- such as allowing sideloading of apps, third party app stores, and support for alternative payment tech than Apple's own -- must agree to the set of business terms that include the CTF (as Apple calls it). The fee remains under scrutiny in the region where the Commission, which enforces the DMA on Apple and other gatekeepers -- and opened its first investigations including on Apple in March -- is actively exploring whether the mechanism is enabling the iPhone maker to avoid its obligations to open up the App Store to competition, such as from third party app stores. But so far the EU hasn't prevented Apple from charging a fee. Read more of this story at Slashdot.04:10 pmApple extends new core technology fee to iPadOS apps in the EU
Apple will extend its newly introduced core technology fee to iPadOS apps downloaded on its App Store in the EU after the iPad operating… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.04:05 pmUse your iPhone to find and change passwords that hackers stole
World Password Day is a good opportunity to change passwords that hackers stole because of some company's lax security. (via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)03:58 pmPasskey support comes to Word, Excel, and more for all consumer Microsoft accounts
We’re getting closer every day to a password-free future. Less than two years after Apple launched passkeys with iOS 16 and macOS 13, more and more companies continue adding support. Following in the footsteps of Amazon and Nintendo, among others, today Microsoft announced that passkey support is rolling out for all its consumer accounts across Apple platforms, Windows, and Google products. Users of Word, Excel, and the host of other popular products requiring Microsoft sign-in will be able to authenticate using simple biometric tools like Face ID or Touch ID. more…03:50 pmToday in Apple history: Apple’s first watch is a freebie for upgraders
On May 2, 1995, Apple launched its first Apple watch -- a giveaway gadget for anyone paying to upgrade to System 7.5 on the Mac. (via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)03:50 pmApple Pay promo offers up to 20% off great Mother’s Day gifts
Apple has launched its newest specials when using its payment platform. For Mother’s Day, use Apple Pay to get up to 20% off a range of gifts from flowers, jewelry, chocolate, clothing, gift boxes, and more. Here are the details. more…03:50 pmThe Apple Studio Display is finally down to the price it always should have been
Macworld The Studio Display is more than a pretty monitor—it’s also loaded with high-end features you won’t find anywhere else, including a FaceTime camera, spatial audio, and three built-in USB-C ports. All that comes at a price, but today it’s cheaper than it’s ever been: Amazon is selling the 27-inch Apple Studio Display for $1,300, a savings of $299 and the best price we’ve ever seen. The Studio Display is a fantastic monitor with a 5K Retina display sporting 600 nits of brightness, True Tone, and a P3 wide color gamut. Inside its thin bezels, you’ll find a built-in 12MP ultra-wide camera with Center Stage support, as well as a six-speaker sound system with Spatial Audio, and three USB-C ports with 96W of power delivery for fast-charging a MacBook. In our 4-star review, we liked the Studio Display as “an affordable alternative to the Pro Display XDR,” but didn’t love its high price. This deal fixes that and at this price, it gets our full recommendation—especially if you want to pair it with a Mac mini, which is also on sale for $499 ($100 off). So go grab one before the price shoots back up. Mac03:46 pmThursday’s best deals: Magic Keyboard Folio $199, Bowers & Wilkins Px7 2Se headphones $319, more | 9 to 5 MacThursday’s best deals: Magic Keyboard Folio $199, Bowers & Wilkins Px7 2Se headphones $319, more
Thursday’s best deals are now live and headlined by Apple’s Magic Keyboard Folio for 10th Gen iPad at $199. It comes joined by the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e Headphones at $319, which are our favorite AirPods Max alternatives at $80 off. Plus, Satechi’s new SM1 Slim Keyboard for Mac is seeing a rare discount to $85. Hit the jump for all that and more in the latest 9to5Toys Lunch Break. more…03:30 pmApple cuts cost of 2024 MLS Season Pass by 30%
Soccer fans can now grab an MLS Season Pass for 30% less than what Apple typically charges. (via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)