Today in Apple history: iTunes experiments with video downloads
On May 9, 2005, Apple quietly began selling music videos in the iTunes Music Store, marking the beginning of a very profitable video business. (via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)

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Sonos takes a cue from Apple, citing ‘courage’ as why its new app is disliked
Not loving the new Sonos app? Cut ’em some slack—it took courage. That’s what the company says in response to criticism from customers. more…

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Teen gamers say games have two positive impacts & two negative ones
There’s been much debate on whether playing video games has a positive or negative impact on kids – and now teen gamers themselves have weighed-in. A new large-scale survey of US teens found that around 40% of them played every day – with smartphones almost as popular a gaming device as consoles – and reported a mixed impact on their life … more…

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TikTok is about to start labeling your AI-generated content automatically
The accessibility of AI is on the rise, and with it, content platforms now have to grapple with how to handle the potential issues AI can introduce. A new report indicates that TikTok is about to ramp up its efforts in AI transparency. It will do this by automatically labeling all AI-generated content. Or at least, the content it knows about. more…

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Create your brand and automate your social media marketing with this AI tool
Stori lets you conceptualize and create branding, including an AI logo generator. Plus, you use AI to produce and schedule social media posts.  (via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)

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t:connect iOS app for insulin pump could kill users, says FDA
Version 2.7 of the t:connect iOS app – which is used to control delivery of insulin by the t:slim X2 pump – has been urgently recalled by the FDA. The FDA issued a Class I recall, which is reserved for products likely to cause “serious adverse health consequences or death” … more…

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At a crossroads to the future of computing: choosing between Apple Vision Pro and iPad Pro
Spatial computing represents Apple's long-term goals while iPad Pro lives in the post-PC present, but choosing one over the other may not be easy for those seeking to live on the cutting edge.iPad Pro versus Apple Vision ProAfter iPad was introduced by Steve Jobs in 2010, he described the product as post-PC — a popular term of the era. The concept of post-PC has become a reality as more people use iPhones and iPads than Macs by multiple magnitudes.While iPad is one potential future of computing, Apple Vision Pro represents another. It is Apple's first spatial computer that runs visionOS and paves the way for future AR and VR platforms. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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A crushing backlash to Apple’s new iPad ad
Hydraulic press destroying "symbols of creativity" has folks hopping mad.

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Get Apple’s M2 MacBook Air for just $829 via Amazon, the lowest price ever
Amazon's new price drop on Apple's M2 MacBook Air delivers the lowest price on record, with a $170 discount bringing the laptop down to just… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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Features we expected but didn’t get in M4 iPad Pro
The new iPad Pro adds an OLED screen and M4 processor but other features quietly disappeared. And some never appeared at all. (via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)

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Amazon's $829 M2 MacBook Air deal delivers the lowest price on record
Amazon's new price drop on Apple's M2 MacBook Air delivers the lowest price on record, with a $170 discount bringing the laptop down to $829.Grab the lowest price on record on this M2 MacBook Air.The $170 discount off MSRP, which is labeled a limited time deal at Amazon, offers the best price we've seen on Apple's M2 chip with an 8-core CPU and 8-core GPU.Buy for $829 Continue Reading on AppleInsider

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Music streaming firms urge European Commission to reject Apple’s App Store proposal
A group that represents audio streaming firms including Spotify and France's Deezer in Europe has urged the European Commission to… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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Apple maintains US market share as smartphone demand continues to weaken
New research claims that US smartphone shipments have declined 8% year over year, yet Apple's iPhone has stayed steady at 52% of the market.Delays over Apple's iPhone 14 saw its sales boost come late, which has now affected yearly comparisonsEven if 52% of the market really does not constitute a monopoly, figures from Counterpoint Research say the market is shrinking. As well as the 8% drop between Q1 2023 and Q1 2024, the US smartphone market has now declined for six consecutive quarters.However, one reason for the latest quarter's decline is that there was a significant sales difference in the same period in 2023 because of a difficult 2022 holiday season, supply-wise. The iPhone 14 range that was launched in 2022 had been hit by COVID-related production delays, so it saw its main sales later than usual. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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How the iPad Pro’s M4 chip sets the iPhone and Mac on a new path
Macworld Well, that was fast. The M3 chip, introduced last October, is already yesterday’s news. We’re living in an M4 world, courtesy of the surprising announcement that the new iPad Pro is powered by Apple’s next generation of chips. Even if you don’t care about iPads, this announcement will affect the trajectory of the Mac and iPhone in quite a few ways. The first question to answer is: why so soon? The iPhone gets a new chip generation once a year, when the new iPhones arrive. Apple likely wants the M series on a similar cadence, since the two chips are really variations of one another. The rush to the M4 breaks this cycle. A new chip architecture The answer is complicated and has a lot to do with the vagaries of chip manufacturing. To simplify: TSMC, Apple’s chipmaker, introduced a new 3-nanometer process last year, which enabled Apple to ship the M3 (and A17 Pro) chips and boast about them being the first major chips to be on a 3nm process. The M3 was the first set of M-series chips made with the N3 process, a process that was quickly outdated. The M3 was the first set of M-series chips made with the N3 process, a process that was quickly outdated.Apple The M3 was the first set of M-series chips made with the N3 process, a process that was quickly outdated.Apple Apple The problem is that, even then, the manufacturing process that built those chips was a dead end. TSMC was recalibrating its chip manufacturing and moved from its old “N3” technology to the new (and very different) “N3E” version. The new version is not compatible with the previous method of designing chips, which mandated a wholesale redesign. When Apple says that the M4 is made using a second-generation 3nm chip technology, this is what it’s talking about. Basically, Apple used the M3 generation to get to 3nm before everyone else, but it knew that it would need a new design for the system TSMC was building toward. Hence the M4–and presumably the A18–were redesigns Apple absolutely had to do. Why launch the M4 on the iPad Pro rather than a more popular product, like a MacBook Air? Chances are pretty good that at the beginning of a chip cycle, the volume of chips coming out of the factory will be low. The iPad Pro doesn’t sell in remotely the same numbers as a MacBook Air, allowing Apple and TSMC to ramp up deliveries. The future of iPhone chips What does this mean for the future of the chips in the next-generation iPhones coming this fall? Last year, the iPhone 15 Pro featured a 3nm A17 Pro chip based on the older TSMC process. The non-pro models used the older A16 processor from the previous-generation process. It seems unlikely that Apple will want to keep any iPhone on the older chip process, so I’d be surprised if Apple shipped two different chips with the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16. Instead, I’d expect an A18 chip that powers all new iPhones. However, it’s important to note that the M4 chip that Apple announced on Tuesday comes in two varieties. iPad Pro models with less storage and RAM also have one fewer performance CPU core. It’s entirely possible that Apple will differentiate the iPhone and iPhone Pro with variations of CPU and GPU cores, and even RAM. But I can’t imagine the company building more than a single iPhone chip for this new cycle, given that everything needs to come over to the newer chip fabrication process. The future of Mac chips So, what happens next on the Mac? The M3 generation thus far extends only to the iPad, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has suggested that there’s one yet as-unreleased M3 chip (the M3 Ultra, presumably) still to be released. This means we might be in for a first-time Apple silicon experience: New Macs on an older generation chip released after the newer generation has been introduced. (Presumably a Mac Studio with M3 Max and Ultra options?) Will Apple release an M3-based Mac Studio, or skip it and go with M4? Will Apple release an M3-based Mac Studio, or skip it and go with M4?Foundry Will Apple release an M3-based Mac Studio, or skip it and go with M4?Foundry Foundry But when you look at it closer… I’m not sure if there’s a need for concern. First off, all that we’ve seen from the new M4 generation is the base M4 chip. There’s absolutely no doubt that an M3 Ultra (and for that matter, the current M3 Pro and Max) is far more powerful than the little M4, even if it is from the next generation of Apple Silicon. And then there’s the big question: how big a leap forward is the M4, anyway? In all of Apple’s promotion of the M4 on Tuesday, it kept comparing it to the M2–since that’s the chip in the previous model of iPad Pro. Which, fair enough–every device is different, and comparing the iPad Pro to a MacBook Air is a little weird. (But it’s also potentially a bit self-serving if Apple has reasons to not want anyone to compare the M3 and the M4.) While the M-whatever naming scheme makes us want to think of each Apple chip generation as a monolith, the truth is that Apple chips are a collection of different components, including CPU cores, GPU cores, Neural Engine cores, display and memory controllers, and a whole lot more. And not every component gets a major upgrade with every generation. For example, it seems pretty clear that the GPU cores in the M4 are pretty much the same ones as in the M3, and the CPU cores are only slightly updated (to add some additional AI speed-ups from the M3. Apple tweaked performance by increasing the overall maximum CPU core count of the M4 from eight to 10, by adding two more “efficiency” cores, which use less power than the four beefy “performance” cores. Given all of that, it’s possible that the base M4 won’t actually be a whole lot faster than the M3. It’s even possible that the two bonus CPU cores were added in order to prevent the M4 from running slower than the M3! TSMC’s new process may be more future-proof and the start of a whole new generation of manufacturing processes, but it may actually be a bit less dense than the previous process–and as a result, this new generation might be more of a sidestep than a big step forward. Regardless, it behooves Apple to get off of TSMC’s old process and onto the new one as soon as possible, which is why (as Bloomberg’s Gurman has reported) Apple intends to turn the entire Mac line-up over to M4 by the end of next year. Given that the M4 generation has started surprisingly early, I’m wondering if the end of the M3 era will come even sooner than expected. CPUs and Processors, iPad, Mac

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MacBook Pro Touch Bar could be revived as a strip that supports Apple Pencil
Apple keeps researching how to have the iPad-centric Apple Pencil do the work of the old Touch Bar on the surface of a future MacBook Pro.The patent doesn't appear to rule out a touch screen Mac, but it's focused on the Touch Bar-like stripIt's just a patent application and not only may one of those not be granted, it may not ever lead to an actual product if it is. Except this patent application made public on May 9, 2024 is an expansion of a series of previous ones — including some that have actually been granted.So this is not a skunkwork project by a few Apple people, it is a project that at least was under continuous development. Mildly hidden under the dull title of "Mountable tool computer input," it's really about how an Apple Pencil could be used with a MacBook Pro. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Disney+, Hulu, Max bundle on the way – are we reinventing cable TV?
A new streaming video bundle has been announced, comprising Disney+, Hulu, Max. It will be available in two tiers, starting sometime this summer. Given the that it will include ABC, CNN, DC, Discovery, Disney, Food Network, FX, HBO, HGTV, Hulu, Marvel, Pixar, Searchlight, Warner Bros, and more, it raises the question of whether the big networks are simply reinventing cable TV … more…

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With the fourth model, the Apple Pencil strategy finally makes sense
Macworld When Steve Jobs returned to Apple in 1996 one of the first things he did was drastically streamline the company’s product portfolio. Slashing over 70 percent of the company’s products, everything was focused on a simple 2×2 grid: pro/consumer on one axis, desktop/portable on the other. Among other things, he argued that if consumers don’t know which product to buy, there are too many products. Obviously, Apple is in a very different place today. It’s many times larger and competes in many more markets (both product markets and territorial markets). While it’s arguable that Apple makes too many products today, one could scarcely argue that it has too many Apple Pencils. There are four. Four! Apple Pencil (x4) It wouldn’t be crazy to suggest that Apple doesn’t even need to be the one making styluses for its tablets—just build the frameworks and let the accessory makers take care of it. But it’s hard to argue that Apple really needs more than one. And if it’s going to have more than one, they should have different names, right? But no, Apple has three styluses all named “Apple Pencil” and just added a fourth (albeit with a different name). Apple has a whole page dedicated to helping you figure out the dizzying compatibility matrix and different features. This one has pressure sensitivity but that one doesn’t. These support double tap, those charge wirelessly, and so on and so forth. And since several are called “Apple Pencil,” Apple has to differentiate them with parentheticals. What’s next, Apple Pencil (Taylor’s Version)? Would it have been so hard to give them really different names? “Number 2 Pencil” was right there! Apple Apple Apple Some of the new models were necessitated by iPad product design changes, but that just means Apple’s product teams didn’t work together closely enough to plan ahead. Fortunately, we’re about to have just two distinct styluses from Apple, with clear naming, features, and compatibility. Apple has stopped selling the iPads that necessitate the original Apple Pencil and Apple Pencil (2nd generation). It only has to keep selling those two Pencils to support customers who might buy them for their older iPads. Over time, that will become less of a concern, and the products can be buried five layers deep in the accessories section of the store. Pencil and Pencil Pro Once the new M2 iPad Air and M4 iPad Pro become available next week, those will be the only iPads to support the new Apple Pencil Pro. Hey look, they changed the name a bit by adding Pro to it! A nice clear distinction of both features and compatibility. Now that the 9th-gen iPad is no longer sold (outside the refurb store), the original Apple Pencil with its Lightning connector is no longer needed, except to support those with older iPads. Same with the 2nd-gen Apple Pencil, which will not support the new iPad Air and iPad Pro (and Apple’s no longer selling the old models outside of its refurb store). That leaves just a single Apple Pencil that supports every iPad Apple sells, and an Apple Pencil Pro that adds a bunch of features and only supports the higher-end iPads. If you only consider iPads in the current lineup and not older models no longer sold new, the Apple Pencil lineup finally looks clean and clear. Apple PencilApple Pencil ProCharge and pairUSB-CWirelessFeaturesLow-latency and precision with tilt and hoverAdds pressure sensitivity, double-tap, squeeze, roll, haptic feedback, and Find My suportCompatibilityAll current iPadsOnly iPad Air and iPad Pro Two styluses, with a clear distinction between compatibility and features, and a clear naming convention to match. It’s about time, Apple. Accessories, iPad

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iPad Pro ad looks better in reverse; Hugh Grant and others criticise Apple
Hollywood names have criticized Apple’s new iPad Pro ad, as it depicts the crushing of musical instruments, paints, camera lenses, books, movie characters, sculptures, and more. Actor Hugh Grant was one of those speaking up against the ad, tweeting that what it showed was “the destruction of the human experience, courtesy of Silicon Valley” … more…

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Apple deleted a San Francisco highway, and not on Apple Maps
Apple's "Let Loose" event showed commuters looking at their iPads instead of the scenery — but what they missed was a view of San Francisco's Bay Area that doesn't exist.John Ternus was on a new BART railcar, but not everything Apple showed outside was realIt sounds like something Apple Maps would have done when it launched, but this time it was deliberate. Apple quite painstakingly altered its footage of San Francisco used in its "Let Loose" event in order to create a prettier shot.Viewers may have suspected that the Apple's John Ternus was enthusing about the iPad from within a set instead of a real train. But the panning shot across the country from Apple Park to that commuter train was definitely fake — or at least one key part of it was. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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The dominant EU music streamer by far is still complaining Apple has too much power
Spotify by far has the largest music streaming share in the EU and has now enlisted smaller services to go in with it on a complaint saying that Apple is defying the Digital Markets Act.Spotify's app in the EUDigital Music Europe is a trade group that contains the EU's streaming powerhouse Spotify, alongside smaller services Deezer, Qobuz, Soundcloud, Soundcharts, and Hamendo. According to its own mandate it aims to "support policies that promote fair competition and innovation for digital music services."Another goal it claims to have is to "encourage a 'light touch' approach to regulation that reflects the complexity of the music industry and the challenges faced by innovators." Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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