It’s hot in China. Hot enough that the government is ordering industries in parts of the country to temporarily halt electrical consumption so there’s enough left for air conditioning. An Apple analyst warns that iPad assembly could be affected.
Apple is expected to launch a redesigned budget iPad and an updated iPad Pro this autumn, and production problems could limit their availability.
The newest beta of Microsoft Office gives iPad users the option to convert handwriting done with an Apple Pencil or other stylus into text using Apple’s Scribble system. It’ll should be available to all in the near future.
Apple’s handwriting-recognition system uses AI to recognize letters and words, and will allow users to quickly edit a document or spreadsheet on the go with a stylus. But it could also be used to write entire Word docs.
Apple tried to talk Facebook into creating a version of its social network without adverts, according to a new report. Users would pay a subscription fee and would not be tracked for advertising purposes.
Obviously, it didn’t happen.
You don’t have to wait until September to get the details on the next-gen Apple Watch. Many of them leaked out already.
Here’s what to expect out of the upcoming Series 8, and a new “extreme sports” Apple Watch. An updated Apple Watch SE is also supposedly in the offing.
Play pinball in a galaxy far, far away as an update to Zen Pinball Party adds two new tables based on Star Wars. Enjoy characters and music from some of the bast of the Skywalker saga.
The pinball game launched on Apple Arcade in 2021, and already lets players have a go at tables with a Kung Fu Panda theme, or Trolls, or How to Train Your Dragon.
AirPods users will soon be able to discover what’s new in each firmware update. The current iOS 16 beta includes a link to a description of the current firmware on Apple’s website.
That’s a notable change from iOS 15 and before, where firmware updates for these wireless earbuds are an almost complete mystery.
Physical starring Rose Byrne will return to Apple TV+ for a third season. The dark comedy about a female fitness guru is set in the 1980s.
There were some questions about the show’s future after a shaky first season, but season two made continuing the series a no-brainer.
The web browser that Meta built into the iPhone Facebook and Instagram applications can collect far more information about users than they probably realize. It can “track every single interaction with external websites,” according to a developer.
But users don’t have to stay in this sketchy browser. Leaving it is easy – here’s how.
★★★★★
The Scoshe BoomCan MS sticks to the back of a MagSafe iPhone and ups the sound quality considerably. The palm-size Bluetooth speaker magnetically attaches to recent Apple handsets where it also act as a kickstand or a handle. And it’s waterproof and dustproof.
I’ve been using the BoomCan MS for a few weeks… and I love it.
Disney will soon hike the monthly subscription price of its streaming service almost 40%. When Disney+ first launched, it was one of the cheapest streaming streaming services. Not for much longer.
The company also increased the cost of Hulu and ESPN+.
Rodolfo Castro of the Pittsburg Pirates made an epic slide into third base Wednesday. His iPhone also tagged third – we know because the handset flew out of his pocket and hit the base.
The umpire had to point out to the baseball player that that the iPhone was lying on the field.
Jon Hamm’s humorous request to be included in Apple TV+ has been answered. The actor has been added to the third season of the drama The Morning Show, which is expected to premiere on Apple’s streaming service before the end of 2022.
Ask and ye shall receive, apparently.
The just-announced Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Galaxy Z Fold 4 offer the clearest evidence yet that Apple is correct to hold off on releasing a folding iPhone. Flexible screens still come with too many problems to be acceptable in an iPhone.
Of course, that didn’t stop Samsung from releasing handsets with these drawbacks.
If your iPhone or iPad locks up, iOS 16/iPadOS 16 will let get out of the jam by rebooting the device with a simple Siri command. It’s the easiest method I’ve found to get the handset or tablet going again when there’s a problem with the touchscreen, or the device is just misbehaving.
Here’s all you have to do.
Google’s campaign to talk Apple into supporting Rich Communication Services in iMessage continues. The Android-maker introduced a new website Tuesday that claims that because iPhone does not support RCS it lacks “modern texting standards” and causes unnecessary problems.
Apple has long resisted RCS, choosing instead to reserve the best benefits of its messaging software to iPhone users.
The Gamevice Flex and PowerA MOGA XP5-i Plus are both game controllers for iPhone, but that’s almost the only thing they have in common. The Gamevice product wraps around the handset to put buttons and d-pads on either side of the screen, while PowerA’s mimics an Xbox controller but with a phone mount.
No matter the design, these let players escape using onscreen touch controls when accessing cloud-gaming services, Apple Arcade and other games.
You can have your own 2.6-inch Ted Lasso. And Coach Beard, Rebecca Welton, too. They’re all in Mattel’s newly released Fisher-Price Little People Collector set for the hit Apple TV+ show.
There are six characters in the set, which is available now.
The latest iOS 16 beta returns the iPhone’s battery percentage to the status bar. This is Apple finally walking back a controversial user interface change from 2017.
However, users of some iPhone models report that the new feature isn’t available on their device.
★★★★☆
iPad is an outstanding tablet, but add the Zagg Pro Keys with Trackpad and it becomes a powerful notebook computer that’s ready for work or school. Plus, the keyboard case offers a welcome 6.6 feet of drop protection.
There are versions for several Apple tablets, so I wrapped my 12.9-inch iPad Pro in the Pro Keys and went to work using it. There’s a lot to like here.
Apple will add two new ports to the 2022 iPad Pro, according to an unconfirmed report. However, it’s not known what these will be for as they do not conform to any connectors used by current Apple devices.
But there’s no mention of a second USB-C port in the upcoming tablet.
There’s a fresh addition to the classic Bomberman series. Like its many predecessors, Konami’s Amazing Bomberman involves moving through various game levels while blowing things up, but is more musical than before with original songs.
The action title debuted Friday, August 5 in Apple Arcade. It’s playable on a wide range of Apple devices.
Anyone who uses an Apple Card can get Apple TV+ free for three months. And the deal isn’t limited to new subscribers – current ones also qualify.
It’s a promo for the new Apple TV+ movie Luck, and has the tagline, “It’s your lucky day. For three whole months.”
Foxconn will begin shipping the iPhone 14 from its assembly plant in India almost as soon as its Chinese plant starts shipping Apple’s next smartphone, according to an industry analyst. This is apparently a sign that Apple is decreasing its dependence on China.
And Foxconn is reportedly building up its assembly capacity in India.
A firmware update released Thursday fixes an audio problem that has afflicted the Apple Studio Display. Users of the pricey monitors have been complaining of choppy playback, audio that cuts out unexpectedly and playback speed issues.
Previously, Apple’s only solution to the problem was a variation on “turn it off and then back on again.”
The Mophie Powerstation Pro boasts 20,000mAh of power, and dual USB-C ports to quickly deliver it to a MacBook or other computer at up to 45W. Apple likes the new power bank enough to launch it Thursday on its online store.
For a deeper look at its performance and features, check out our Mophie Powerstation Pro review.
The same is true of the Mophie Speedport 120, a 4-port charger that can provide up to 120W of power.
In addition, a collection of car chargers from Mophie also just debuted on the Apple store.