Jeff Benjamin

A few weeks ago, I attended the Final Cut Pro Creative Summit – the first such event since 2019 – which included an invite to Apple Park. While visiting its campus, the next version of Final Cut Pro was revealed for the first time. Apple pre-announced its forthcoming update to Final Cut Pro for Mac, version 10.7, noting that it will be released later this month, presumably sometime this week if that timeline sticks.

The update includes one key feature that many Final Cut Pro enthusiasts have been wanting for well over a decade, along with several other enhancements that will help users stay organized and potentially speed up H.264 and HEVC exports. Personally speaking, I’m pumped to finally have these features, but as always, there will be a contingent that feels like Apple needs to do more…

Apple has released iOS 17 to the public, and as noted, it’s a massive release with tons of new updates. To illustrate how jam-packed this iOS release is, I previously did a two-hour iOS 17 hands-on that meticulously stepped through everything new. In this latest hands-on video walkthrough, I discuss and showcase my favorite iOS 17 top changes and features for iPhone users.

This update covers what I believe to be the 20 core items that should convince everyone to make the jump from iOS 16, as if the batch of critical security fixes wasn’t enough.

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Apple recently released four new models in its iPhone lineup: the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max. Like all iPhones that Apple sells these days, with the exception of the iPhone SE 2, it features an “edge to edge” display, and lacks the physical Home button that iPhones were associated with for years.

For modern iOS devices, you’ll utilize the Volume buttons and Side button to facilitate actions like force restarts, entering recovery mode and DFU mode, etc. Watch our hands-on video walkthrough for the details, and be sure to subscribe to 9to5Mac on YouTube for more videos.

Apple announced its next-generation iPhone lineup today, and unsurprisingly, it marks the end of the road for Apple’s long-running Lightning connector in favor of USB-C. Not only does USB-C further streamline the wired cable connections across Apple’s vast product lineup, but it also brings faster USB 3 speed capability, alongside other special features, to the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max.

On September 12, Apple will reveal the iPhone 15 and transition from its long-running Lightning connector to USB-C. When a similar switch was made from the 30-pin connector to Lightning over a decade ago, it resulted in a firestorm among Apple faithful who had invested money in cables and accessories designed for the 30-pin connector.

Nearly a dozen years later, and we’re on the precipice of another I/O shift with the move to USB-C – but there will be no firestorm this time, or at least there shouldn’t be…

Sonnet’s latest and arguably greatest dock became available to the masses a few weeks ago, and we got an opportunity to put its Echo 20 Thunderbolt 4 SuperDock to the test. Does it live up to its mouthful of a name? In this video, we break down how the SuperDock lets users add a bevy of I/O options to their Mac via a single Thunderbolt cable.

After using macOS Sonoma on a day-to-day basis for the last month and a half, I’ve been able to distill its many new changes and features down to just 10 of my favorites. In this hands-on review, I’ll discuss my the best 10 new features in macOS 14. Watch our hands-on video for the details.

Headlined by new features like improved widget support, dynamic wallpapers, and an enhanced Lock Screen, the initial macOS Sonoma beta release is filled to the brim with new updates. In this hands-on video, I walk through dozens of my favorite new features and changes that are coming to all Mac users later this year.

Half a year after its debut, the Level Lock+ continues to stand out amongst the competition for its unique, minimalistic design, and ease of installation. Level Home’s smart lock is also one of just a handful of smart locks that support Apple Home Key – a feature introduced with iOS 15 that allows for NFC control via an Apple Watch or iPhone.

Is this Level Lock+ the best smart lock for users knee-deep in the Apple ecosystem? Watch my hands-on video review for the details.

Today Level, creators of smart locks like the Level Lock+, have announced a partnership with home goods brand Rejuvenation, which falls under the same umbrella as brands like Pottery Barn, Williams Sonoma, and West Elm. The collaboration has resulted in five timelessly designed handlesets powered by Level’s invisible smart home technology.

Apple today announced the existence of Final Cut Pro for iPad, something that iPad users have been wanting for years. On May 23, Apple will finally release Final Cut Pro for its popular tablet, and it will arrive with a familiar yet brand-new interface that’s specifically designed for touch. In addition, Final Cut Pro for iPad will feature a new pro camera mode, which may give us a sneak peek of what to expect natively with upcoming iOS 17 pro camera features.

In this hands-on tutorial, I’ll show you how to run Windows 11 for ARM using VMware Fusion Player 13, an application that includes a free personal license option. The downside to VMware Fusion Player, is that it doesn’t include 3D support for Windows 11 on ARM, but that may not be an issue for you if you’re just need to run a one-off app or other basic software.

If you’re looking to run games, in general, Parallels Desktop 18 remains the better option due to its support of DirectX 11. The downside to using Parallels for running Windows 11 on ARM? It is a paid application that requires a subscription for the version that most people will want to use. You can read and watch our full Parallels Desktop 18 Windows 11 on ARM tutorial for more details.

On Monday Apple officially rolled out iOS 16.4 to the public, and it’s not hyperbole to say that’s it’s a huge release with tons of new changes, features, emoji, bug fixes, and more. In this hands-on video, I take a look at over 50 new features. Be sure to subscribe to 9to5Mac on YouTube for more videos like this.

iOS 16.5 developer beta 1 doesn’t appear to contain many new features and changes, but there is at least one new feature that will surely make some users happy – the ability to ask Siri to start a screen recording.

Back in the Intel days, the Mac mini’s small stature resulted in huge performance tradeoffs. In the past, you could have a small footprint, or you could have high performance, but you couldn’t have both. Apple Silicon has totally changed the game in that respect, and that’s further emphasized with the Mac mini featuring M2 Pro. Watch my hands-on experience with Apple’s diminutive beast, and be sure to subscribe to 9to5Mac on YouTube for more hands-on videos.

We’re still waiting on the Mac Pro, but two things are a must if it’s going to live up to the high expectations set by its predecessors: (1) It must be the most powerful Mac, and (2) it must be the most customizable Mac. 9to5mac has found a new “ComputeModule” device class in Apple’s iOS 16.4 developer disk image in the Xcode 16.4 beta release last week, and it could be the missing piece to Apple’s modular Mac Pro plans… or it could be a processor box for the Apple Reality Pro headset, or perhaps even a Raspberry Pi-like device. Let’s take a closer look.

Are there Windows-exclusive apps that you need to run but don’t have access to a dedicated Windows machine? If you’re still using an Intel-based Mac, Boot Camp remains a popular option, but if you’ve transitioned to Apple Silicon Macs, Boot Camp, a native method for running Windows on a Mac, is no longer an option.

Fortunately, Microsoft has put considerable effort into developing Windows 11 for ARM architecture, which Apple uses for its M-series chips in today’s Macs. Parallels Desktop for Mac — optimized for Apple Silicon — emulates PC hardware, allowing users to deploy a Windows 11 virtual machine in just a few clicks.

In this step-by-step walkthrough, we’ll show you how easy it is to get Windows 11 running on your Mac and also discuss some of the potential caveats and configuration notes. Be sure to subscribe to 9to5mac on YouTube for more videos like this.

Apple rolled out hardware security key support in iOS 16.3, but what are they, and should you consider using them? Watch my hands-on video walkthrough as I explain why Apple added hardware security key support for Apple IDs, showcase how to use hardware security keys, and answer some frequently asked questions.

This written walkthrough explains a lot about security keys, but the video walkthrough embedded in this post is more in-depth, touches on additional platforms like macOS, and showcases features that I don’t touch on here. If you’re keenly interested in security keys, be sure to give it a watch, and perhaps consider subscribing to the channel for more in-depth analysis.

If you’ve been an iPhone user for any significant amount of time, chances are you’re well-versed in managing the iOS Home Screen. Seasoned veterans have no-doubt adopted best practices for managing Home Screen apps icons, interfacing with the App Library, widgets, etc. But here’s my challenge: Even if you consider yourself to be a Home Screen expert, you’ll likely find at least a few tips in this guide that you didn’t know before.

And if you’re new to the iPhone? Then this nearly one-hour walkthrough will help you wrangle the iOS Home Screen like never before in 4K60p HDR. Watch our hands-on video, and be sure to subscribe to 9to5mac on YouTube for more videos like this.

Earlier this week Apple officially released iOS 16.3 updates for iOS, iPadOS, and HomePod. The update brings several noteworthy changes and enhancements to these devices, headlined by support for hardware security keys for Apple IDs and the global rollout of Advanced Data Protection.

iOS 16.3 also paves the way for the new second-generation HomePod, which is scheduled to be released on February 3. But even if you don’t plan on dropping $299 for Apple’s newest smart speaker, you’ll be pleased to learn that iOS 16.3 includes enhancements for the first-generation HomePod and the HomePod mini. Watch my hands-on video walkthroughs for a visual breakdown of what’s new.

With today’s availability of the 2023 Mac mini and MacBook Pro, two machines with the ability to drive 8K displays, Apple has published guidance on how to use these high-resolution displays with your Mac. In addition, these new Macs support higher 4K refresh rates up to 240Hz and expanded support for variable refresh rates (VRR).