Parker Ortolani

Yes, you read that correctly. We’ve finally done it. 9to5Mac merch is here, just in time for the holidays. We’ve carefully curated a collection of items that will be available exclusively on Cotton Bureau starting today. These products will make wonderful gifts for the Apple fan in your life, and there’s no harm in also treating yourself. By buying 9to5Mac merch, you’re supporting the great work our team does every day.

In October, Google announced that they were going to eventually move their iOS apps away from Material Design and introduce more native-looking user interfaces. While we still haven’t gotten a glimpse at what some of the most used apps on the planet may look like built with native UIKit components, I thought it’d be cool to draw up some concepts and imagine what they might entail.

There are plenty of folks out there authoring gift guides of the best Apple products to buy this holiday season. But no one is recommending these gems. We’ve compiled a list of some lesser known Apple products that will truly change the life of the loved one you give them to. Without further a due, let’s dive in.

One of the main draws of AirPods has always been their ability to essentially be invisible, both to the user and to people around them. When they were first introduced they had two features, the ability to play music and the ability to talk to Siri with a tap. But over the past five years, Apple has added new features both through hardware revisions and in software updates that have us wondering if AirPods deserve their own companion app on iPhone. Here’s what we think it should look like.

When the Wall Street Journal published its post the other day declaring that wired EarPods were back in style, I wasn’t even remotely surprised. In fact, I’ve always thought it was inevitable that once AirPods were fully democratized, younger generations would find them to be uncool. We’ve seen it happen time and time again with other technologies, the most popular reference being to Facebook and its now much older demographic. So yes, wired earbuds are trendy again. But what does that mean for the industry and culture at large?

In July of 1982, industry pioneer Alan Kay said “People who are really serious about software should make their own hardware.” In January of 2007, Steve Jobs used this quote to define his vision for Apple and the iPhone in particular. Over the past decade, Tim Cook has reiterated this belief that Apple is at its best when it makes the hardware, software, and now the services. So why don’t they apply that philosophy to everything they do anymore? Let’s talk about it.

The car experts over at Vanarama have created an impressive interactive 3D model of what they think the Apple Car could look like based on official Apple patents. The concept shows both the external design as well as the interior of the car. The model explains design decisions using helpful notes that detail the relevant Apple patent. It might be the best look at some of the ideas Apple could incorporate into its future car project.

About a half-hour ago, Jony Ive sat down with Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour as part of the RE:WIRED conference to talk about his new design collective LoveFrom. The conversation delved into Jony’s relationship with Steve Jobs, reflections on the 20th anniversary of the iPod, and how LoveFrom works with Apple.

This morning Apple debuted their 2021 holiday gift guide, and as part of the announcement they’ve also revealed a new holiday-themed gift card. This is the second holiday-themed Apple gift card that the company has made, with last year’s being a twist on the six-color Apple logo. The new cards have a red Apple logo sticker with a gift wrapping design on top of it.

Danish designer Michael Flarup has been working for nearly four years on a new book that celebrates the storied history of iOS app icons. The book, titled The iOS App Icon Book, is available to back as of 8 a.m. EST on Kickstarter. It features hundreds of designs from developers all over the world. There are nearly a decade’s worth of app icons to peruse.

Mark Gurman at Bloomberg has reported as part of his Power On newsletter that Netflix is planning to release its mobile games on iOS individually through the App Store. Developer Steve Moser shared the information with Bloomberg after discovering code in the Netflix app that points to an interesting solution to get around Apple’s rules.

I’ve been using Google’s new flagship Pixel 6 phone for a little over a week now. It’s been quite a wild ride, if I do say so myself. Like I said in my first entry, I’ve owned a handful of Pixels and other Android devices over the years. But the Pixel 6 continues to surprise me in delightful ways that other devices running Google’s operating system haven’t. In this entry, I want to focus specifically on Material You, Google’s new design framework for allowing users to customize nearly every aspect of their Android experience.

One of Apple’s best services is Apple Card. Sure, it might just be another credit card that happens to have a really great app in Wallet, but Apple Card could be much more than that. Currently, Apple Card offers excellent customer support, powerful security features, and one of the best physical cards you can get your hands on. Folks like Mark Gurman over at Bloomberg have been wondering, though, what could be next for Apple Card? We’ve been wondering the same thing, and here’s a dive into our ideas.

The Apple polishing cloth is this year’s big hit. Heck, it’s backordered up to 12 weeks. And yet it’s just a piece of gray cloth. So, what if Apple were to take the marketing success they’re seeing with this polishing cloth and make something a bit more fun? Remember iPod socks? Those are the right model for making something a bit more interesting and desirable.

When the “Unleashed” Apple event wrapped up a few weeks ago, the first thing I did was run over to the Apple store to see if any new unannounced accessories had been added. Sure enough, a handful of new ones were. But only one of them stood out: the polishing cloth. It’s taken the world by storm, so much so in fact that it’s backordered up to nearly 12 weeks. Luckily, I was able to get my hands on one and I’ve been using it rigorously over the past week.

One of Apple’s most important products is the $329 iPad. On the surface it seems uninteresting, almost boring. But it serves as a key entry point to the Apple ecosystem, and as a way to get iPad owners to upgrade every couple of years without having to spend an arm and a leg. It’s the best value Apple offers right now. The latest 9th-generation iPad is, in my opinion, one of the best products Apple makes. It has virtually no compromises for the price. But there are plenty of us who would love the option of a larger display that doesn’t cost a fortune. After all, people love big screens and low prices.

Apple’s three new HomePod mini colors officially went on-sale today at Apple stores and we’ve got our hands on all of them. The new HomePod minis are priced at the same $99 and are now available both for delivery and in-store pick up at Apple retail stores.

I’ve used an iPhone for 12 years, but Android devices have always intrigued me. Every once in awhile, one comes along that really peaks my interest. The Pixel 6 is one of those phones. I’ve been waiting for Google to finally step up to the plate and make “the whole widget.” They’ve finally done it this year and as far as I can tell, they’ve done a great job.

Apple’s three new HomePod mini colors are now available to order on Apple.com and the Apple Store app. The colors were introduced a few weeks ago at Apple’s “Unleashed” special event and include: yellow, orange, and a dark blue. They’re a big departure from the neutral white and space grey colors that Apple has offered for HomePods for 4 years. The new colors are priced at the same $99.

Apple’s flagship store on Fifth Avenue in New York City is now offering same-day engraving of AirPods. The service is complemented by a beautiful new avenue display that showcases all of the different designs that you can get engraved on your AirPods. Each of the emoji and text in the display is engraved into the wall.