OWC miniStack STX makes Apple Mac mini even better
Is the newest Mac mini (2020) a good computer? No. Actually, it is a great computer! Thanks to Apple's incredibly efficient ARM-based M1 processor, the low-priced Mac mini is shockingly powerful while being almost entirely quiet. I say "almost" because it technically has a fan that can make noise, but I have personally never heard mine spin up once -- even when pushing it fairly hard. I highly recommend the diminutive desktop.
Is the Mac mini perfect? Well, no. For instance, it is heavily lacking in the ports department. Besides HDMI, 3.5mm audio, and Ethernet, it only has two USB-A and two Thunderbolt 4 ports for expandability. Plug in a wired mouse and keyboard, and you now have zero available USB ports. Ugh. Not to mention, you cannot add additional internal storage drives.
Satechi 3-in-1 Magnetic Wireless Charging Stand simultaneously charges iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods
Look at you. One of Apple's most faithful customers. Not only do you have a fancy iPhone, but an Apple Watch and AirPods too. Tim Cook is proud of you. Steve Jobs is smiling down on you from heaven.
Now it's time to charge your trio of Apple devices. Are you going to use three different chargers like some sort of a jerk? Or, will you instead use the Satechi 3-in-1 Magnetic Wireless Charging Stand? This elegant charging station can simultaneously charge compatible models of iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods. It looks like a quality product, but unfortunately, there is a big catch.
Apple Self Service Repair makes fixing an iPhone on your own easier... sort of
If your iPhone needs repair, you should probably bring it to the Apple Store to get it fixed, right? Well, maybe. I recently brought my iPhone 8 Plus to that store for a battery replacement, and the Apple "genius" accidentally broke my phone entirely! Yeah, they did the right thing and replaced it with a working iPhone 8 Plus, but still, it was a massive hassle to restore everything.
Of course, if I was able to replace the battery myself, I probably would have done that instead. I am no expert though, and I would probably not be happy with the results. Plus, Apple has historically frowned upon consumers doing repairs on their own.
Will Apple's AR headset win over consumers?
Remote work isn't going anywhere. The number of major companies announcing plans to allow their employees to work from home into the future continues to grow every week as Covid-19 prolongs the time away from the office and remote employees realize an improved work/life balance.
A switch to permanent remote work will also mean changes to the technology we use to work. Existing solutions were utilized early in the pandemic when there weren’t any other options, but as the projected time at home continued to increase it was clear that purpose-built solutions were needed to make an entirely remote office function properly.
Apple Business Essentials launches in Beta
Do businesses use Apple products? Well, iPhone smartphones and iPad tablets without a doubt. Are Mac computers used in the business world though? Not so much. Typically, the only Mac you see in an office belongs to the resident artsy employee that works on designing things. For the most part, Microsoft Windows still reigns supreme in the Enterprise.
With that said, some companies are all-in on Apple hardware, forgoing Windows for computers running macOS instead. True, it is rare, but some businesses do it. And now, if a small business has 500 or fewer employees, Apple is making it easier than ever to manage iPhone, iPad, and Mac computers. Launching today in Beta, Apple Business Essentials is a seemingly elegant solution for setting up and managing Apple devices, but also, the service offers assistance with things like backing up data, security, repairs, and more.
macOS Monterey update is bricking some Macs
Microsoft may have stolen a lot of the attention with the launch of Windows 11, but Apple has also released the latest update to its own operating system -- macOS 12.
The rollout of macOS Monterey started last week, and as the update spreads, users are experiencing serious issues when performing the upgrade. More and more reports are emerging of Mac owners ending up with computers that are very unstable, or won't even power up.
Apple reveals how to scale apps to avoid the MacBook Pro notch
Earlier today we shared details of a handy free app called TopNotch that makes it possible to hide (or at least disguise) the notch that Apple has added to the latest version of the MacBook Pro.
But it seems that even Apple is aware that the position of the notch is not going to be to everyone's liking. The company has published a new support document that explains how apps can be scaled so they do not make use of the notched area of the screen. Here's what you need to know.
Hide the MacBook Pro notch for free with TopNotch
Apple is famous for its attention to detail and quality designs, but even such a well-respected company is not immune to making design decisions that divide opinion.
One of the controversial choices made by Apple was to add a notch to the iPhone, using it to house the selfie camera; it was a decision that was loved and hated in just about equal measure. With the recent launch of the latest MacBook Pro, the same notch has landed on Apple's top-end laptops, once again polarizing users. If you fall on the side of hating the notch, there are steps you can take to hide it.
Big changes coming to the App Store later this year
2021 has proven itself to be a big year for mobile apps, and for iOS the approaching changes are even more substantial. A long-awaited update is coming to the App Store, namely the introduction of an A/B testing tool that allows developers to directly test different treatments of their product page on App Store Connect.
Although A/B testing has been available for developers on the Google Play Store through Google Play Experiments since May of 2015, Apple has continuously fallen short in offering a similar feature that allows for convenient testing. Instead, developers on the iOS App Store rely on deploying new builds to compare metrics before and after, utilizing third-party testing, or using conversion optimization via Apple Search Ads creative sets. This is all changing with the introduction of Custom Product Pages and Product Page Optimization.
Apple's superb AirPods just got even better
I got my first pair of Apple AirPods earlier this year -- yes, I know I’m very late to the party -- and they are exceptional. Today at its latest hardware event, Apple introduced the next generation of its popular wireless headphones with an all-new design.
The third generation AirPods are resistant to sweat and water and feature spatial audio and a new contoured shape and a shorter stem. The extended battery life promises up to six hours of listening time and up to 30 hours of total listening time with the charging case.
Apple introduces new MacBook Pro with M1 Pro and M1 Max -- its most powerful chips yet
At its latest hardware event hosted today, Apple unveiled a new MacBook Pro powered by M1 Pro and M1 Max processors -- its first pro chips designed exclusively for the Mac.
Available in 14- and 16-inch models, the updated MacBook Pro promises improved performance and battery life and a Liquid Retina XDR screen which Apple describes in its usual modest way as the "world’s best notebook display".
Get 'DearMob iPhone Manager' for Windows/macOS ($69.95 value) FREE for a limited time
DearMob iPhone Manager, from Digiarty (WinXDVD), is an easy to use program that lets you transfer, manage, backup and restore your iPhone or iPad.
If you’re always running out of space on your Apple device, you can use this tool to quickly manage your storage, and it’s available for both Windows and Mac.
Hybrid working has boosted Apple adoption in the enterprise
The switch to remote and hybrid working has seen 76 percent of enterprises report increased use of Apple devices, according to a new study from device management company Kandji.
Mac notebook computer use is up the most with a 63 percent reported increase. Additionally, over half (53 percent) of respondents report that requests for Apple devices have increased in the past two years, and far more report bigger increases in requests for Apple (42 percent) than any other device (11 percent).
OWC launches Thunderbolt Dual DisplayPort Adapter for Windows and Mac
When it comes to Mac accessories, OWC is one of the most respected makers out there. With that said, the company's products are not limited to Apple devices. In other words, if you have a Windows computer, for instance, many OWC offerings will work without issue.
Today, OWC launches a really cool new adapter that converts a single Thunderbolt 3/4 port into dual DisplayPort. This will enable a compatible Mac or Windows computer to output video to two external displays for optimal productivity. Sadly, due to a limitation of Apple's M1 processor, its newest MacBooks powered by that ARM chip will be limited to a single video output. Hopefully the next generation of Mac laptops with the rumored M1X processor will offer better multi-monitor support.
Hackers can use Apple Pay to make large contactless Visa payments with locked iPhones
Researchers from the Computer Science departments of Birmingham and Surrey Universities have discovered a way for hackers to make large, unauthorized payments from locked iPhones by exploiting the functionality of Apple Pay.
The academic researchers found that the attack works on Visa cards in Express Transit mode in an iPhone's wallet. They were able to make a contactless payment of £1,000 (around $1,350) without unlocking the iPhone being used. Despite having been reported to Apple a year ago, the issue remains unfixed.
Recent Headlines
Most Commented Stories
© 1998-2024 BetaNews, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy - Cookie Policy.