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Zac Hall

apollozac

Zac Hall is a Senior Editor, covering Apple, AI, and the modern technology landscape.

He joined 9to5Mac in April 2013, originally as a writer and copy editor.

He later served as Lead Editor from May 2016 through December 2020, before shifting focus to creating the Space Explored website.

In 2015, Zac began co-hosting 9to5Mac Happy Hour, establishing the format of the site’s premier podcast, which he hosted for eight years.

In 2018, he created 9to5Mac Daily, providing audio recaps of Apple and technology news each weekday. He also created and hosted multiple seasons of the 9to5Mac Watch Time podcast, a health and fitness-focused interview series.

Zac currently focuses on writing for 9to5Mac. He is based in the lovely Gulf Coast town of Ocean Springs, MS, where he lives with his brilliant kids and Nova, his adventurous Cavachon rescue pup.

Contact: zac@9to5mac.com

Connect with Zac Hall

iPhone 17 Air and iPhone 17 Pro design leaks are too strange to ignore

iPhone 17 season is heating up with two especially interesting design variants: iPhone 17 Air and iPhone 17 Pro. Yes, there will be a plain iPhone 17, but it doesn’t sound like Apple will be very bold with its design this year.

So what about the iPhone 17 Air and iPhone 17 Pro designs that some are calling radical? There seems to be two camps: those who believe the designs are real, and those who think Apple will never release something like what we’re seeing in leaks and rumors.

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Runtime 003: Boom goes quiet, T-Mobile Starlink explained, Musk’s OpenAI bid

Sophia Tung and Zac Hall discuss the evolution of tech news sources, the challenges of launching new tech verticals, and the need for an AI news platform. They explore the impact of professional audio equipment on podcasting, audience engagement, and diverse tech interests. The conversation touches on podcasting’s future, T-Mobile and Starlink’s collaboration, and innovative changes in connectivity. They discuss satellite internet, van life, Elon Musk’s bid for OpenAI, upcoming OpenAI models, AI user experience, personal stories, cultural reflections, self-driving cars, and pop culture predictions.

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Apple may finally be updating the Mac display that it finally released in 2022

Apple left the Mac in a bad place when it came to external displays between 2016 and 2022. After discontinuing the Thunderbolt Display, Apple relied on LG to sell a plasticky monitor with PC-maker build quality if you wanted a standalone 27-inch monitor with 5K Retina resolution. Apple eventually started selling an ultra premium (in Mac display terms) monitor with the 32-inch 6K Pro Display XDR, but it has always been priced the same as a small truck of Mac mini computers.

However, just three years after releasing the Apple Studio Display, it sounds like Apple may be planning a decent revision in the near future.

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Apple still under fire in Germany somehow over App Tracking Transparency, company responds

Apple has been the target of an antitrust complaint in Germany for three years over its App Tracking Transparency feature. ATT allows iPhone users to request that apps not track their activity between other apps.

Now the Bundeskartellamt (Federal Cartel Office) in Germany has issued its “preliminary legal assessment” which alleges that ATT only applies to third-party apps and not Apple, violating antitrust policy. In turn, Apple has responded.

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