The Apple TV+ thriller/comedy Severance started out strong. It’s on Reelgood’s list of the Top 10 most-streamed shows of the week.
The series debuted February 18 on Apple’s streaming video service to very positive reviews from critics and audiences.
Apple TV+ released the first full trailer for WeCrashed to get viewers pumped for the limited series that premiers in March. It’ll star Jared Leto as the controversial co-founder of WeWork as he builds a cult of personality that eventually helps take the company down.
Watch the trailer to get ready for the wild ride up… then down.
The Wemo Smart Plug with Thread simplifies controlling lamps, fans, and other appliances with an iPhone or Siri. Anything that plugs into a standard wall outlet can be turned on or off.
Rather than Wi-Fi, the HomeKit accessory communicates with other accessories over Thread, a mesh networking standard.
Keeping large numbers of browser tabs open is such a common habit that Apple created a system to organize them. Safari Tab Groups let you put open tabs into logical collections so you can more easily work with them. And the same groups are available across all your Apple devices.
The system gets a little complicated. But here’s how to get started with Safari Tab Groups.
The OtterBox Wireless Power Bank for MagSafe offers two-sided charging capability. It clings magnetically to an iPhone while charging it, and the external battery also magnetically attaches to MagSafe chargers to receive power. It’s that second feature that sets it part from rivals.
There are versions with 3,000mAh and 5,000mAh of capacity.
Apple reportedly stopped requiring face masks at most of its retail locations. The move comes as the latest COVID-19 surge comes to an end.
In addition, in-person Today at Apple classes will resume soon.
Season two of The Snoopy Show premieres on Apple TV+ in March, with fresh adventures of Charlie Brown’s irrepressible pooch, his pal Woodstock and the rest of the gang. A new trailer shows the fun to be expected.
It’ll soon be followed by a pair of new Peanuts holiday specials for Earth Day and Mother’s Day.
Apple is reportedly doing engineering validation tests on its much-rumored VR/AR headset. This is an important milestone in moving the product out of the lab and into production.
The device — which supposedly will offer both virtual reality and augmented reality capabilities — is expected to be unveiled later this year.
Apple is reportedly working on a notebook with a display that dwarfs the 16-inch screen in the latest MacBook Pro. And the whole device won’t be gargantuan — because it’ll fold in half.
But don’t grab your credit card just yet. The product is supposedly still years away.
Ampere’s Apple Watch Charging Cable is a lot more portable than Apple’s. With its short cable, it fits easily in a purse or gear bag. As a bonus, it’s partially made from recycled ocean plastic.
I put the MFi-certified Apple Watch travel charger through its paces. Here’s how it did in real-world testing.
Help a young witch grow the family farm in Wylde Flowers, a magical sim game that debuted Friday on Apple Arcade. You’ll also need to increase your spell skills if you want to help your local coven solve a mystery.
The enchanting game is available now for a range of Apple computers.
Orbitkey offers a pair of AirTag holders that make it easy to attach Apple’s tracking tag to your keys or purse. The Slim Case has a minimalistic design, while the Leather Holder wraps the AirTag in a stylish sleeve.
I used both holders to see how they stood up to real-world use.
Workers at some Apple Stores are reportedly planning to unionize. Employees are two stores are close to filing paperwork with the National Labor Relations Board and more are moving in that direction.
They say their goal is a larger share of Apple’s huge profits.
The Mophie Portable Magnetic Stand folds flat but opens to hold up a MagSafe iPhone at a wide range of viewing angles. It’s a convenient way to make FaceTime calls or watch video wherever you go while freeing up your hands.
I tested the foldable stand with my iPhone 13. Here’s why I like it.
New York’s attorney general issued a warning Wednesday about AirTags being used to secretly track people. And this is only the latest in a growing controversy over misuse of Apple’s tracking tags.
Perhaps Apple should drop the item tracker completely. At the very least, the functionality needs to be scaled way back.
There’s no better case for giving your iPad a unique look than the Twelve South BookBook Cover — no one else is going to have a tablet that looks like something Isaac Newton might have carried. Plus, this new addition to the BookBook line has room inside for a click-on keyboard.
I tried out this tablet case to see how well it stands up in ordinary use. And to be sure there’s really room inside for an iPad keyboard.
The iPhone 6 Plus was a game changer for Apple back in 2014. But it’s riding off into the sunset now that it’s been added to Apple’s list of vintage products, limiting its repair options.
And the iPad 4 from 2012 is now officially obsolete.
If you have an elderly Mac that’s not up to the demands of the latest macOS version, you can turn it into a Chromebook. All you need is Chrome OS Flex, an operating system Google created for older Macs and PCs.
The OS is still in beta, and targeted at businesses and schools. Nevertheless, it might become a way to bring some new life to your obsolete Mac.
Hopefully you didn’t forget Monday is Valentine’s Day, and you can celebrate with the Peanuts gang. The 1975 special Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown is available to stream on Apple TV+.
Unlike the new Peanuts shows and specials on Apple’s streaming service, this one was written by Charles Schultz himself.
The iMac Pro might start reaching customers in early summer, according to a very reliable tipster. While some are hoping for a debut as soon as March, that’s apparently overly optimistic.
And the leaker says reiterates that the all-in-one desktop will have a mini-LED display.
If you want more Thunderbolt ports for your Mac, the Plugable USB4-HUB3A hub offers a trio of them. And they are fully functional, offering up to 40 Gbps transfer speeds and support for 4K monitors. Plus, there’s a USB-A port for good measure.
I put Plugable’s new Thunderbolt hub through a round of testing to be sure it lives up to specs.
The Samsung Galaxy S22 has the best chip available for an Android smartphone, but it can’t keep up with Apple’s A-series processor in the iPhone 13 series. Apple’s flagship solidly beats Samsung’s new top-tier models in benchmark tests. It isn’t even close.
And this is despite the iPhone 13 coming out months ago.
Apple recommends iPhone and iPad users install a system software update released on Thursday. It removes a security hole on all web browsers, and also includes an accessibility fix.
There are also fresh updates for watchOS as well as macOS available.
Intel-based Mac users can stop worrying about a frustrating Bluetooth bug that causes excessive battery drain. macOS Monterey 12.2.1, released Thursday, fixes the problem.
Apple also introduced iOS 15.3.1 and iPadOS 15.3.1 to fix a bug with Braille screens. And watchOS 8.4.2 is out, too.
Samsung unveiled the Galaxy S22 series on Wednesday, and there’s not much for Apple users to be jealous of. The iPhone 13 series from 2021 is as good or better in almost every way.
But there is an exception. The latest Androids from Samsung are almost certainly less likely to break when dropped than iPhone. But the iPhone 14 can — and should — steal a feature from the S22 that will fix that.