beyerdynamic Free BYRD wireless earbuds are a legit alternative to Apple AirPods Pro
Apple's AirPods Pro wireless earbuds are cool, but they are far from perfect. They are uncomfortable and not at all attractive -- the white stems that protrude from your ears are very unsightly. Not to mention, they are only offered in white -- don't like that color? Sucks for you. Worst of all, most of the unique features, such as spatial audio, are only compatible with Apple devices like iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
If you are an Android and/or Windows user that wants some premium wireless earbuds that aren't made by Apple, then today, you are in luck. The company beyerdynamic has launched its first-ever "True Wireless" earbuds, and they look incredible. Called "Free BYRD," these Bluetooth earbuds are discreet, attractive, come in two colors, and best of all, beyerdynamic promises exceptional audio quality.
Joe Biden gives deceased Apple Co-founder Steve Jobs Presidential Medal of Freedom
Steve Jobs is dead. The Apple Co-founder is long dead, in fact. You see, the iPhone-inventor died way back in 2011 -- more than a decade ago. And yet, President Joe Biden has decided to give Jobs an award... in 2022. Yes, really.
No, Joe Biden is not confused, nor did the current President make a mistake. Actually, the leader of the USA has intentionally chosen to bestow the late Steve Jobs with a posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom. Even though Jobs is not currently alive, I am sure his family will appreciate the much-deserved honor.
Entry-level 13-inch M2 MacBook Pro has significantly slower SSD than M1 models
If you opt for the base model of Apple's 13-inch MacBook Pro with the company’s new M2 chip, you might end up being disappointed by the performance.
Tests have revealed that the entry-level 256GB model, priced at $1,299, have significantly slower SSDs than their M1-based counterparts. And the difference really is significant; benchmarks shows that that SSD read speeds are 50 percent slower in the latest models. Write speeds are also slower, although not quite so dramatically. So, is the M2 MacBook Pro worse than the M1 version?
What do Apple's new privacy-focused changes mean for advertisers?
One of the key announcements at Apple's developer conference earlier this week was around improvement to the privacy-focused to the SKAdNetwork API.
These are aimed at providing ad networks and developers with the ability to better measure how ads perform while still preserving user privacy.
It won't be long until the iPhone ditches the Lightning connector in favor of USB-C, thanks to the EU
USB-C is now all-but ubiquitous as a connection and charger type for everything from smartphones and webcams to laptops and Bluetooth speakers. There are some notable exceptions, of course, not least of which is Apple's iPhone.
Although just about every Android phone has made the switch to USB-C, Apple has decided to doggedly hang on to its proprietary Lightning connector for the iPhone. But the EU could soon force the company's hand as it moves towards implementing a legal requirement for all phones to have USB-C port in Europe.
Apple announces macOS Ventura, with a free public beta available next month
Yesterday, Apple announced updates to all of its operating systems -- iOS, iPadOS, watchOS and macOS -- and the next version of its desktop operating system is called macOS Ventura. Also known as macOS 13, this will be a free upgrade for anyone with an eligible system and the hardware requirements cut far fewer people out of the loop than Microsoft did with Windows 11.
Apple shared details of the latest version of the OS at WWDC 2022, immediately making a developer preview available for download and promising that a public beta will launch in July. What can you expect to see in Ventura? There's a new app and window management tool called Stage Manager, the ability to use an iPhone as a webcam for a Mac, a greater focus on gaming than before, and much more.
Apple takes a steaming dump on non-M1 iPad Pro owners with iPadOS 16
Earlier today at WWDC 2022, Apple officially unveiled iPadOS 16, which is due out later this year. It has a lot of cool new features, including Stage Manager Multitasking and full external display support. It will undoubtedly be the best version of the operating system yet.
The thing is, those aforementioned two new features are not coming to all iPad models. In fact, they are limited to the newest M1-powered tablets, such as the 2021 iPad Pro (5th gen) and the iPad Air 5. This means if you dropped $1,000 or more on a previous generation iPad Pro without the M1 chip, you are already losing out on new Pro features. In other words, Apple is taking a huge steaming dump on these iPad Pro owners.
Apple MacBook Air (2022) gets M2 processor upgrade and refreshed design
The MacBook Air is one of Apple's most-loved laptops, and today, it gets a refresh. It is thinner, lighter, and thankfully, features a return of the Magsafe charging connector. The fanless laptop also gets an improved 1080p webcam and a beautiful 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display (with an ugly notch).
The big upgrade, however, is the processor. You see, MacBook Air (2022) gets the second generation of Apple Silicon -- the unimaginatively named "M2." And yes, according to Apple, the M2 is a huge improvement over M1.
Apple iPadOS 16 gains powerful new productivity and collaboration features
At today’s developer conference, Apple took the wraps off iPadOS 16, and it’s a huge update, with loads of exciting new features.
There’s a new multitasking experience with Stage Manager that allows multiple overlapping windows, full external display support, Messages improvements and big updates to Mail and Safari.
watchOS 9 comes with new, customizable Apple Watch faces and an enhanced Workout app
If you have an Apple Watch, you’ll no doubt be excited to know what new features the tech giant plans to bring to it later this year.
At its WWDC conference today, Apple unveiled iOS 16, and also watchOS 9. Each new iteration of watchOS introduces new watch faces, and this time around there are four new ones to play with -- Lunar, Playtime, Metropolitan, and a remastered Astronomy face.
Apple unveils iOS 16 with reimagined Lock Screen and much more
It’s the first day of Apple’s developer conference, and in its big keynote, the company has revealed what’s coming in the next iteration of its mobile operating system.
If you’ve ever wished your iPhone’s Lock Screen was more customizable, Apple has you covered in iOS 16. There’s a new multilayered effect which lets you set the subject of photos in front of the time, and users can finally change the look of the date and time with different type choices and colors. That’s not all though.
Watch Apple's WWDC 2022 keynote live here today
Today is a big day for Apple as it will be opening its yearly developer conference with an exciting keynote. As always there will be a lot of software news.
The focus will no doubt be on the latest versions of iOS, iPadOS, macOS and watchOS (there’s talk of a better battery mode), but it’s possible new hardware will also be unveiled.
Apple's space ambitions are real
Last summer, a couple weeks before the iPhone 13 announcement, Chinese market analyst Ming-Chi Kuo wrote that the iPhone 13 would include satellite communication capability. Huh?
This was a bolt from the blue. No other Apple analysts were writing about satellites at that time. And while Ming has a very good track record based on finding out from Apple’s supply chain about likely details in upcoming products, there was nothing about this satellite tip that even made sense, since it didn’t seem to involve hardware at all.
Satechi USB-C Slim Dock for 24-inch iMac is an elegant storage and port expansion solution for Apple's all-in-one desktop
Apple's iMac is a wonderful all-in-one macOS desktop that offers a combination of power and elegance. The computer takes up very little real estate on a desk, making it a good choice for those living in a residence that doesn't offer a lot of space. It allows you to have a proper desktop computer with a large display without needing a giant tower.
Today, Satechi launches a new product that makes the 2021 24-inch iMac even better. Called "USB-C Slim Dock," it fits over the iMac's stand and provides USB-A ports, a USB-C port, and two memory card reader slots. While port expansion alone makes this a neat product, it also has an internal M.2 SSD slot that is compatible with both NVMe and SATA drives. To create more desk space when needed, Apple's wireless keyboard can be stored on top of the USB-C Slim Dock when not in use.
Apple Music finally comes to Google's Waze
If you have ever driven a car and needed directions, there's a good chance you have tried Waze. The Google-owned service is very popular thanks to its crowdsourced traffic information -- any user can report traffic jams, police speed traps, and more. It really is a useful app that can reduce travel times.
One of the coolest features of Waze is the ability to integrate with music-streaming services, such as Spotify, so you don't have to exit the navigation app to interact with music controls. This isn't just for convenience, but for safety purposes too. Sadly, the wildly popular Apple Music has not been compatible with the aforementioned Waze feature, but today, this finally changes.
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