News - page 184

As soon as AirPods Pro (2nd generation) launched, I ordered them. I got them into the shipping queue so fast, in fact, I skipped any option that looked like it might take extra time or add expense. That included “Personalize them for free,” which would have done neither.

Apple has been letting users monogram AirPods cases with letters and numbers since 2019. It added emojis the following year. Now you can even choose your own Memoji via the Apple Store app.

What I didn’t realize at the time is that whatever you have etched on the case shows up on your devices wherever your earbuds are indicated, like when you pair them. Now I wish I’d monogrammed mine because it’s so much easier to identify your own personal AirPods.

The AR/VR headset likely coming from Apple in 2023 will not be the company’s next smash hit. It will have fans, just not huge numbers of them.

But this first headset will be an important stepping stone toward an Apple device that will change the world.

3 nanometer chip production is about to begin at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. This is important news for Apple, as TSMC makes the CPUs for Mac, iPhone, iPad, etc.

Apple is expected to use 3nm processors in products launching in 2023, making the devices faster and more efficient.

Apple has a gift for those without an Apple TV+ subscription: the first seasons of five popular shows are now available for anyone to watch at no charge.

Spend your Christmas vacation time enjoying some Ted Lasso or Prehistoric Planet, or any of the many other free episodes. These can all be enjoyed without an Apple device.

The A16 processor in the iPhone 14 Pro models isn’t as powerful as Apple first hoped. Engineers reportedly mucked up the original design of the GPU so much that the company was forced to use essentially the same design as its predecessor.

Apple’s difficulties hiring and retaining top talent for its processor team apparently caused the problem.

Today’s featured Mac-and-gaming-PC computer setup pulls off a rare feat. It perfectly aligns three displays on one arm. The displays are a substantial external monitor, a MacBook Pro and an iPad Pro mounted vertically (yet running Sidecar).

Read on for tips on how to pull all that off, as well as tricks to using an iPhone as a mounted webcam and more.

Apple’s year-long effort to broadcast pro football games on Sunday nights has come to an end. The Mac-maker was reportedly in negotiations for the rights to NFL Sunday Ticket, but was outbid by Google’s YouTube TV instead.

Apple TV+ will continue to boast high-profile sports, but its roster won’t include NFL games.

Even if you’re not worrying about giving gifts that must arrive by a certain deadline, mid-to-late December is a great time to take advantage of holidays sales. And right now you can get a great deal on a handy SwitchEasy 4-in-1 MagPower Charging Stand that’ll keep your gadgets going.

Through December 26 you can get it for 20% the regular price in the Cult of Mac Store. That’s a savings of $17.

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It’s almost Christmas, while Hanukkah is already in full swing, and the Apple store is helping last-minute shoppers with free two-hour delivery of some items.

You can literally order something on Christmas Eve and have it under the tree before Santa arrives, at no charge.

Blackmagic Design introduced the promised iPad version of it’s DaVinci Resolve professional video editing application. Beyond editing, it also handles color correction.

The software is available for download now from the App Store.

With iOS 16.2, iPadOS 16.2, and macOS Ventura 13.1, Apple introduced a new architecture for the Home app. Following issues reported by early adopters, the company has pulled the upgrade option altogether.

The new Home app architecture promises improved performance and reliability. It was an opt-in upgrade, with users getting the option when they opened the Home app after installing iOS 16.2.

At Cult of Mac we love retro Apple gear. Today’s featured setup pairs a powerful new M1 Max MacBook with a beautiful old Cinema Display plus the iconic Harman Kardon SoundSticks speaker system.

And if you love the old Cinema Displays but worry their resolution won’t cut it nowadays, read on.

Comcast customers can now wirelessly send cable channels to any TV over AirPlay. The Xfinity Stream application has been updated with Apple’s streaming video tech.

The app already supported Chromecast, but this latest addition is a better fit for iPhone and Mac users.

Apple could delay or cancel the launch of the 2024 iPhone SE 4 due to cost and demand issues. The company’s budget products have not performed as well as initially thought.

The full-screen design of the iPhone SE 4 could also push its prices higher. This could affect its demand and position in Apple’s current lineup.

Apple’s Self Service Repair program now includes Mac desktops. That means those who want to fix their recent iMac, Mac mini, Mac Studio, etc. have access to repair manuals and genuine Apple parts and tools. Plus, info and tools for the most-recent Apple monitor are also available.

The program already included some MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models, as well as recent iPhones.

Android users could soon find it easier to watch Apple TV+ shows and films. A reliable tipster says an Android version of the Apple TV application is in development.

It would be a win-win for both Android and Apple.

Although Apple killed off the iMac Pro line, it’s coming back better than ever, according to a reliable source. That means a high-end macOS all-in-one is supposedly on Apple’s product roadmap.

The company is also reportedly working on a Mac Pro desktop, also powered by Apple silicon.

Apple’s 2022 11-inch iPad Pro has dropped to its lowest-ever price ahead of Christmas. You can get the M2-powered tablet for $699, a $100 discount from its MSRP.

If you want the tablet before Christmas, Amazon promises delivery of the Space Gray mode before Christmas. However, it is available with a slightly lower $70 discount.

To a lot of people, “home for the holidays” may mean even more massive amounts of gameplay than usual. That could be the case with the owner of today’s featured computer setup. In addition to two Mac minis, the workstation sports an Xbox Series S with a couple of special-edition controllers.

And two of the three displays in the setup are curved gaming monitors. The other’s 12.9-inch iPad Pro mounted on a stand.

Apple’s efforts to broadcast pro football games on Sunday nights reportedly have come to an end. The Mac-maker has pulled out of negotiations with the NFL.

Apple TV+ will continue to boast high-profile sports. But apparently its roster won’t include the NFL Sunday Ticket.

At WWDC20, Apple promised to complete its transition to Apple silicon inside Macs in two years. It missed that deadline, and the company is yet to reveal a replacement for its 2019 Intel Mac Pro.

A new report details the reason behind the delay in the next Mac Pro’s launch. It also sheds light on why, contrary to initial rumors, Apple won’t launch a version powered by an upcoming processor that’s essentially four M2 Max processors merged together, sometimes called the M2 Extreme.

Criminals around the world are surely celebrating news that Apple is being forced by the European Union to enable iPhone to install applications from outside the App Store. The move will allow hackers to release a fresh tidal wave of malware, hoping to slip it onto iOS handsets. iPhone users will be forced to fend off attempts to trick them into installing this malware virtually every day.

And well-known, unscrupulous companies will take advantage of the new security hole, too.

Apple is currently working on multiple new external monitors powered by Apple silicon. This includes a replacement for the Pro Display XDR that launched in 2019.

There’s no confirmed timeline for the launch of the new monitors.

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: If the EU does indeed force Apple to open up the iPhone to allow alternative app stores, is that a bad thing? Some people think sideloading apps will be fantastic.

Also on The CultCast:

• Cool new stuff to try in iOS 16.2.
• Why web browsing might be in for radical changes on iOS devices.
• How to get Apple TV+ for free so you can watch Severance, our favorite show of the year.

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.

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Fans of My Little Pony have a new game to enjoy. It’s up players to help the Mane 5 save Equestria, and they’ll do so by solving multiple puzzles.

My Little Pony: Mane Merge debuted Friday on Apple Arcade, and is playable on a wide range of Apple computers.