News - page 91

Apple’s upcoming M3 Ultra chip won’t consist of two M3 Max processors merged together, according to information leaking out of Cupertino. The change from its predecessors would free up designers to make the next-gen Apple silicon even more powerful.

It even raises the possibility of an M3 Extreme, a workstation-level processor that would give the Mac Pro a reason to exist. With Apple continuing to push the boundaries of performance, the Apple M3 lineup is expected to redefine computing power—learn more about it in Apple’s unveiling of the M3 Ultra chip.

Apple plans to release the first Immersive Video sports film Thursday at 6 p.m. PT. It’s a 5-minute recap of the 2023 MLS playoffs.

And the 180-degree 3D soccer blowout with Spatial Audio will be free in the Apple TV app for all Vision Pro users.

You may not want to spend top dollar on a new Mac or iPad, but how about bargain-basement deals on older Apple gear? That’s what Amazon bargain site Woot! asks with its latest sale on 40 items.

As the site says: “Apple iMacs, MacBooks, and iPads: Whether you need a big-screen powerhouse, a portable productivity partner, or a tablet to rule them all, we’ve got the iDevices you crave.”

You’ve got a little over a week to shop a wide range of Apple computers, some rather old (and really cheap) and some not so long in the tooth. The sale ends at 10 p.m. Pacific on April 6. See some highlights below.

And if you’re in the market for new Apple accessories, Woot! also offers $3 off with promo code APPLEBITE (although that sale ends March 31.)

Apple’s 13-inch MacBook Air with M3 chip has got a whopping $100 discount within weeks of its launch. Thanks to the deal, you can get Apple’s latest 13-inch Air for just $999.

A $50-$100 discount is also available on other configurations of the machine.

Apple TV+ may not pack in as many movies and TV shows as other major streaming platforms, but what it showcases rates highest for quality on IMDb, according to a new report.

Apple TV+ tops quality ratings in 19 genre categories on the movie-database site, including drama, comedy, action, biography and children’s content. But its relatively small catalogue helps keep it from ranking high on value for its price.

Add the iPhone 12 to the list of handsets that support the new Qi2 cross-platform wireless charging standard that’s based on MagSafe. Apparently, Apple gave the older phones support for the newest chargers without mentioning it.

More recent iPhone models already can use Qi2 accessories.

Apple Maps could receive a pair of big updates this year: “Custom routes” and topographic maps. A developer from Argentina spotted the two new features recently in Apple code, saying they could arrive in iOS 18 and macOS 15.

If true, the changes will make Apple’s navigation application more useful for both drivers and hikers.

Mac mini may be Apple’s smallest desktop computer, but that doesn’t make it meek. It’s anything but meek, in fact. Today’s M2 Mac mini setup is the user’s first Apple rig, and the computer, working alongside a recent 12.9-inch iPad Pro, drives an impressive 35-inch LG ultra-wide display.

Within weeks of going on sale, Apple’s 15-inch MacBook Air is available with a sweet $50 discount. The deal knocks the price of the entry-level configuration down to $1,249.

You can score a similar $50 discount on the 15-inch Air with M3 chip in 512GB and 16GB configurations. And, if you don’t need that massive 15-inch screen, you can get the 13-inch MacBook Air at an even bigger discount.

Apple reportedly released a tiny, tiny update to iOS and iPadOS on Wednesday. It’s possible this is the new version of the operating system supposedly needed for the much rumored — and much anticipated — 2024 iPad Pro and iPad Air models.

Don’t go looking for the updates on your iPhone or iPad, however.

Update: The latest leak indicates that Apple’s next tablets won’t reach customers until May. They allegedly aren’t just waiting on software; production challenges are also supposedly pushing back the launch.

Known for compact and affordable chargers, Ugreen jumped into network-attached storage (NAS) devices in a big way Tuesday with a crowdfunding campaign for its new NASync products on Kickstarter.com.

That’s where you can pledge and save 40% on items that suit home and business users alike with high-speed, huge-capacity data storage, the company said.

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft expressed disappointment Tuesday over how The Dynasty documentary on Apple TV+ portrayed the football franchise’s championship teams, according to a new report.

Kraft made the comments while talking with reporters at an annual NFL meeting.

Apple CEO Tim Cook’s trip to China apparently scored a big win: Tencent will reportedly bring some of its biggest apps to the Vision Pro AR headset. The company developed both the hugely popular WeChat super app plus a wide array of successful games.

Vision Pro has not yet launched in China but the debut is expected soon.

WWDC24, this year’s big Apple developer conference, will start with a live-streamed event on June 10, the company said Tuesday. During the keynote, Apple undoubtedly will reveal its plans for iOS and its other computing platforms, with a rumored focus on AI.

After the keynote, set to stream for free at 10 a.m. Pacific on June 10, the rest of the week will be filled with prerecorded online sessions that will help developers implement the new features and APIs in their apps.

The conference will take the same format of the mixed online/in-person event Apple utilized the last two years.

The U.S. move toward banning the hugely popular TikTok video service is “hypocrisy.” That’s the opinion of Steve Wozniak, a co-founder of Apple.

He sees no difference between a Chinese company tracking users and U.S. companies doing the same thing.

The new “Why Upgrade” page on Apple’s website shows users of some older iOS models what features they’d get if they traded up to the latest iPhone 15 series.

The tool says “See what you’re missing“ in hopes of convincing shoppers that it’s time to move on from handsets introduced in 2019 or 2020.

Apple TV+ committed to a second season of The Last Thing He Told Me, a thriller that aired in 2023. Jennifer Garner will continue in the starring role.

Season one of the drama is based on a novel of the same name by Laura Dave. Season two will be an adaptation of the forthcoming second book in the series.

Mac users should install macOS Sonoma 14.4.1, a patch to remove a bug that affected USB hubs (and made headlines). The update, released Monday, also takes care of a couple of other problems.

Currently, it’s the only OS update coming out of Cupertino on Monday, meaning Apple Watch and tvOS users are still waiting.

 Today’s M2 Ultra Mac Studio setup puts one of Apple’s most powerful desktop computers front and center, driving a pair of beautiful Studio Displays.

And while the user pointed out his machine packs only base specifications, that’s still a hell of a lot of computer for most people. And if you max it out, the thing is astonishing. Check out the options below.

The next time you buy a new iPhone, it could come out of the box with a fresh iOS software update, according to a new report. A new proprietary system called “Presto” will update it right in the packaging before you buy it at an Apple Store.

Normally, updating iOS is one of the first orders of business for new iPhone purchases. Now it won’t be necessary unless a new update comes out right after their purchase.

The European Commission opened a noncompliance investigation Monday into whether Apple is fully following the rules that went into effect with the EU’s Digital Markets Act. If not, Apple faces potentially heavy fines.

The Mac-maker isn’t being singled out. The EC also opened similar investigations into Alphabet/Google and Meta/Facebook.

Apple will allow for greater iPhone Home Screen customization in iOS 18, including the ability to place app icons anywhere on the screen, according to a new report.

iPhone owners also supposedly will gain the flexibility to create blank rows and columns, though the icons will still snap to a grid.

Apple launched Vision Pro on the 40th anniversary of the Macintosh. That’s surely not a coincidence — both are ground-breaking computers that show where the company is headed for the coming decades.

Anyone highly critical of Vision Pro because it appeals only to a niche audience and is very expensive needs to remember that those exact same criticisms were leveled at the original Macintosh in 1984. If the current problems really are proof the AR headset is inescapably doomed — as some have argued — then there never would have been a second-generation Macintosh.

I was around when both computers launched. That gives me perspective on what Apple’s past can tell us about the company’s future.

Apple’s CEO Tim Cook confirmed during his visit to China that Vision Pro will launch later this year in the country. Currently, the company’s $3500 mixed reality headset is only available in the US.

Apple opened preorders for the Vision Pro in mid-January 2024, following its announcement at WWDC 2023. The headset went on sale in the US in the first week of February.

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: The latest rumors indicate 2024 will bring big changes to the AirPods lineup. In fact, Apple’s ramping up for “the biggest AirPods launch to date.”

But even this fantastic news can’t cheer us up after the Department of Justice files a wide-ranging antitrust lawsuit against Apple. We recorded this episode of The CultCast right after news of the DOJ’s suit broke, and some of us are fuming!

Also on The CultCast:

• So … Apple might lean on Google Gemini to power iOS 18 features? Good luck with that.
• iPhone 17 could bring a major upgrade in the display department.
• The next-gen Vision Pro headset might drop the price to something much more approachable.

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.