Author

Avatar for Zac Hall

Zac Hall

apollozac

Zac Hall is a Senior Editor, covering Apple, apps, and AI. His work is regularly featured by Techmeme.

He joined 9to5Mac in 2013. He later served as Lead Editor from 2016 through 2020, before 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 hosted multiple seasons of the 9to5Mac Watch Time podcast, a health and fitness-focused interview series.

Zac is based in the lovely Gulf Coast town of Ocean Springs, MS, where he lives with his brilliant kids and Nova, his loyal Cavachon rescue.

Contact: zac@9to5mac.com

Connect with Zac Hall

Review: NuPhy Halo75 V2 mechanical keyboard is a light show of fun for your Mac

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…

Expand Expanding Close

Apple says iOS 17.5.1 fixes ‘rare’ bug that caused deleted photos to return

Apple has released iOS 17.5.1 for iPhone. The software update specifically addresses the issue with deleted photos reportedly returning after updating to iOS 17.5.

While the bug is certainly alarming, it’s important to note that Apple does not access your photos or videos. The issue resulted from a small number of photos being impacted by a corrupted database entry, making it possible for the photo to not fully delete from the device, Apple says.

Expand Expanding Close

iPhone 15 Pro Incase Woolenex and Vegan Leather ICON MagSafe case hands-on

Incase has been a favorite Apple accessory brand for me since before my time at 9to5Mac started in 2013. Seriously, their steel-colored Bird’s Nest Snap iPhone 4 case was the perfect blend of chaos and expression for me in 2011. Fast-forward to 2024 and Incase has brought back another crowd pleaser with their ICON case line.

The Incase ICON case design is much more mature than the Bird’s Nest Snap case line that I favored back in the day. The ICON case line for iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max is more like Apple’s FineWoven line—just without the drama.

Expand Expanding Close

Vision Pro ‘one the the biggest steps’ for mainstream XR adoption, says Job Simulator studio

Vision Pro – buy now or wait? | Apple Store tryout

Apple Vision Pro may be taking a backseat while the M4 iPad Pro has its day in the sun, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t big things brewing for the premium mixed reality headset. GamesIndustry.biz has interviewed Owlchemy Labs CEO Andrew Eiche about their experience bringing Job Simulator and Vacation Simulator to Apple Vision Pro, and their perspective on its role in the world is clear.

Expand Expanding Close

As M4 iPad Pro arrives, Joz sets the record straight: ‘tablets suck, and iPads don’t’

Happy M4 iPad Pro launch day! Whether you’re picking one up for yourself or dreaming about which configuration you’d order, there’s plenty of M4 iPad Pro material to go around this week.

The latest insight into Apple’s vision for the iPad is included in an Apple exec interview by Harry McCracken for Fast Company. John Ternus and Greg Joswiak, or “Joz,” talk M4, AI, OLED, and what makes the iPad a “Pro” machine.

Expand Expanding Close

Look, this is the definitive answer to what ‘Air’ in iPad Air really means

M2 iPad Air back apple logo

Remember when Apple discontinued the original HomePod and still sold the HomePod mini? The question at the time was “mini compared to what?” Apple later revived the HomePod with a second-gen model, restoring balance to the universe.

Now the iPad lineup is in a similar situation. Apple blasted the M4 iPad Pro with its Super Galactic Thinnifier 3000 Ray Gun, leaving the M2 iPad Air thicker than its pricier companion. In a world where Air means thin, the question is then “thin compared to what?” 

The answer exists in the annals of etymology.

Expand Expanding Close

Meta unveils travel mode for using Quest headsets during flights like Vision Pro

Update: Three weeks later, Meta has announced the feature alongside a new partnership with an airline. Original coverage from April 18 below…


Today I learned two things. First, apparently Meta Quest headsets don’t work on planes? I guess Apple knew to prioritize that feature for Vision Pro. And second, support is reportedly on the way. Add this to the list of ways competition from Vision Pro is making Meta Quest 3 a better product.

Expand Expanding Close

Yes, Apple, nano-texture all the things!

One takeaway from the latest iPad event is that matte versus glossy is a polarizing topic when it comes to displays. This take is based on some of the reactions to Apple bringing its nano-texture matte display technology to the iPad Pro at last. For me, nano-texture coming to the iPad is easily my favorite piece of news from Apple’s Let Loose event.

Expand Expanding Close

A unique Apple marketing campaign for iPhone that you’ve probably never seen

As we await tomorrow’s iPad event, we’re looking back at a playful Apple marketing campaign that you’ve probably never seen. That’s because it ran in a single market at the time: Japan.

It turns out Apple relied on whimsical puppetry to convince Android users to switch to iPhone for a few years. If you haven’t experienced it, the ad campaign is unlike any other marketing campaign from Apple.

Expand Expanding Close