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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

Apple Watch features I really thought we’d have before watchOS 10

watchOS 10 is just a few days away, and the update sounds like a big deal for big Apple Watch screens. A new widget overlay and apps optimized for Apple Watch Ultra? Let’s go!

Not much else has been rumored for watchOS 10, however, and that’s probably because the Apple Watch software is fairly mature now. Turns out you can knock out a lot of great features in nine years. That’s had me thinking about some rather old feature requests that have never materialized – features I really thought we’d have by now.

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Long delays with cash withdrawals are causing some Apple savings account users to flee [Update]

Originally published on June 1, this story has since been updated with a statement from a Goldman Sachs representative.

Apple’s new high-yield savings account service recently launched with a positive reception, especially over how easy it is to set up. A new report from the Wall Street Journal, however, says some customers claim getting money is out a different story.

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Why Apple Watch Ultra might say you’ve finished a race before reaching the finish line

I used to write a lot about run tracking with the Apple Watch and how it performed during races. It’s been a while, though, because, well, I haven’t run much since the pandemic. I should probably change that.

Anyway, I found myself nodding my head in total agreement this week while reading Victoria Song’s piece on The Verge about training with the Apple Watch Ultra. In the article, Victoria investigates why running distance tracked by the Apple Watch can greatly vary from the distance of a set race course.

It also includes some really good stuff from folks who work on the watch at Apple.

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Should you be concerned about health and safety with Apple’s mixed reality headset?

xrOS software

Apple’s Reality Pro headset is almost upon us, and Mark Gurman at Bloomberg has shared an interesting new tidbit. According to Gurman, Apple will provide warnings about using the mixed reality headset for a number of medical conditions. To better understand the topic, we’ve compared what’s been reported to Meta’s health and safety warnings for Quest headsets.

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9to5Mac Happy Hour 436: Final iOS 17 wishes, Apple headset expectations, and new Mac rumors ahead of WWDC

9to5mac happy hour

Benjamin and Chance give their final takes on what they expect from WWDC next week, including the latest rumors around new Mac hardware and the much anticipated Apple headset, as well as predictions for iOS 17 and the rest of Apple’s operating systems.

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Apple responds to dubious iPhone security claim by Russia, vowing to never create a backdoor to iOS

iPhone theft passcode security

Earlier today, the Federal Security Service accused the NSA of hacking iPhones of citizens and foreign diplomats in Russia as part of a an espionage operation. Apple has now responded indirectly to Russia’s claim that the alleged operation included close cooperation between the company and the NSA. 9to5Mac has the statement below.

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Mark Zuckerberg randomly unveiled the Meta Quest 3 just days before Apple unveils Reality Pro

Alright, Apple. Pack it up, show’s over. Mark Zuckerberg just dropped a surprise announcement, unveiling the Meta Quest 3 virtual reality headset. The reveal comes just *checks calendar* four days before Apple is set to officially announce its high-end mixed reality headset. So much for Apple’s headset hype, I guess.

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