Zac Hall

Keeping up with what’s new from Apple’s accessory store always fascinates me. The latest is one of the more interesting grab bags in recent memory.

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While Apple Intelligence may be the biggest change landing on the Mac this fall, macOS Sequoia includes a handful of other new features. Two features specific to video conferencing, presenter preview and background replacements, are already available in beta. As part of macOS Sequoia, these features are available in third-party video calling apps like Zoom and WebEx as well as FaceTime. Here’s how they work…

It was this month a year ago when I posed the question: Will the Siri face survive watchOS 10 and Apple Watch widgets?

To my knowledge, Apple has never retired a watch face. Some are hardware specific, others are redesigned, but watch faces don’t leave the Apple Watch. I think that’s why the Siri watch face still exists for now, but it will need some love to stay relevant.

As of watchOS 10, the Siri watch face is six versions old. It debuted with much potential and made steps toward realizing that potential before it stalled. Now there’s a new widget system on Apple Watch that turns the Siri watch face into an antique. It still has some uniqueness to it, but I’m not sure that will be the case this time next year.

Well, it’s “this time next year” now, and the Siri watch face on Apple Watch has not survived.

ChatGPT. What is it good for? That was a common question after the highly capable Apple Intelligence service was unveiled at WWDC 2024. Did Apple really need to make a deal with OpenAI for optional ChatGPT integration?

Apple’s answer during the keynote address for when ChatGPT would be needed in addition to Apple Intelligence was less than specific: broad world knowledge. That’s a broad answer. But it turns out there are at least two specific instances in which an Apple Intelligence user may want to call upon ChatGPT on iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia.

This week, Tim Cook surprised 14 Swift Student Challenge winners with a rare opportunity: present their work to the CEO of Apple. After having the chance to witness this special event on Sunday, I had the opportunity after the WWDC keynote to sit down with four of the student developers and ask what the experience meant for each of them. Here’s my chat with Elena Galluzzo (Care Capsule), Shinwon Lee (Melody), AJ Nettles (CryptOh?), and Dezmond Blair (MTB-XTREME).

Sandwich Vision is kicking off WWDC week with a brand-new app launching on Apple Vision Pro. The studio is also collaborating with SpatialGen to livestream John Gruber’s The Talk Show Live in stereoscopically-captured 3D video using high-end cameras and lenses.

In a few hours, we’ll learn what Apple has in mind for an AI-infused version of iPhone software. We expect AI to deliver quality-of-life improvements to iOS over the next year. In recent history is any indication, AI will advance such that iOS 19 and iOS 20 are as influenced by AI as iOS 18. We’ll see.

In the meantime, I want to set a marker for how generative AI is working for me prior to Apple’s anticipated contribution.

Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference in Cupertino kicks off tomorrow, and for a select group of Swift Student Challenge winners, the surprises have already begun.

This year Apple invited 50 Distinguished Swift Student Challenge winners to WWDC, and Tim Cook gave a surprise welcome to this special group of developers.

For an even smaller number of students, there was a once-in-a-lifetime experience unknowingly awaiting them: showing off their work to the CEO of Apple.

Want to try Apple Vision Pro? In-store demos have only been offered at Apple retail locations so far. However, a popular home improvement retailer will let shoppers try Apple Vision Pro starting this weekend.

Lowe’s is testing Apple Vision Pro demos for customers in select locations this month. The experience will focus on the Lowe’s Style Studio app on Apple Vision Pro, giving customers hands-on experience with the headset.

You probably know Halide, the pro camera app for iPhone. Who makes the Halide of video apps though? Turns out, it’s the makers of Halide themselves. Lux, the studio behind Halide, is launching their first pro video app for iPhone, called Kino. It’s a joy to use, with a design and user experience that matches the quality of the iPhone hardware.

Will there be a fourth season of Ted Lasso? As we approach the one-year anniversary of the season three finale, we still don’t have a definitive answer on whether the final episode was also the series finale.

However, Nick Mohammed, the actor who portrays Nate, just dropped a tease that would be too cruel if it were a red herring. While promoting the Ted Lasso S1-S3 Blu-ray disc and DVD box set, the actor appears to suggest there’s more story to tell.

AirPods firmware updates. Where do they come from? What do they do? We don’t need the answers to those questions to tell you that updated AirPods Pro 2 firmware was just released.

The newly pushed AirPods Pro (2nd generation) firmware is labeled version 6.5.7 (6F7) and belongs to the same build train. It’s available for both the Lightning and USB-C version of AirPods Pro 2.

Apple is preparing to launch its second Beats Pill product since acquiring the audio brand nearly a decade ago. After being bought by Apple in 2014, Beats introduced the Beats Pill+ that sold from 2015 to 2020. While it was discontinued without a replacement in sight, the forthcoming Beats Pill has been showing up everywhere from celebrity sightings to regulatory listings.

Seeing the unreleased Beats Pill is an effective tease, but it doesn’t tell us what’s different this time around aside from an apparent integrated lanyard for toting it. However, 9to5Mac has learned through sources what features and specifications will accompany the new Beats Pill Bluetooth speaker when it officially launches.

OpenAI recently launched their official ChatGPT app for the Mac (before Windows). The macOS app brings most of the functionality from the iPhone version to the desktop — no web browser needed.

It’s been two months since the United States Department of Justice filed its lawsuit against Apple over alleged antitrust violations. While Apple has voiced opposition to the case before now, today the company has taken the first step toward filing a motion to dismiss the case altogether. The move also sets up a number of upcoming deadlines for the case.

Apple plans to boost its iPhone production in India, increasing from below 15% to 25% by 2028. This target underscores Apple’s commitment to building a robust network of local suppliers and reducing its reliance on Chinese suppliers. It’s also a reality check on inflated projections made in recent reports.

Samsung Electronics is set to mass-produce its 3nm Exynos application processors in the latter half of 2024, challenging Apple’s smartphone dominance, and pressuring TSMC and Qualcomm.

Vietnamese officials have asked Apple supplier Foxconn to voluntarily reduce power usage by 30% at its northern assembly plants to prevent power shortages like last summer, which led to over a billion dollars in lost output.

Anyone play Mega Man back in the day? That’s the first thing I thought of when I unboxed the new NuPhy Halo75 V2 mechanical keyboard. The awesome “blue lagoon” color just screams Mega Man, and the aptly named Halo75 puts on a really playful light show for your Mac as you type. Come to think of it, those blues also give 9to5Mac vibes…