Apple iOS 15 promises loads of powerful new features
Apple’s WWDC started today and the tech giant had a lot of news covering iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS and more.
For many non-developers, the big news is going to be the changes coming to the iPhone’s mobile operating system, and iOS 15 doesn’t disappoint.
Watch Apple's WWDC 2021 keynote live here today
Today is a big day for Apple as it will be opening its yearly developer conference with a virtual 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, but it’s likely new hardware will also be unveiled.
How to verify your Apple AirTag has the new anti-stalker firmware
Apple AirTag is a very cool, albeit expensive, product. If you aren't familiar, it is a little battery-powered disc that is designed to track belongings. You can buy an accessory to turn it into a keychain, for instance, and then track your keys. As another example, you can buy a luggage tag accessory so you can track your bags when traveling. It is the dependence on accessories that makes the AirTag so expensive.
The problem, you see, is that not only can it be used to track things, but people too. Yes, creepy stalkers can secretly hide one of these AirTags inside something that belongs to another person and then track them. If the person being tracked has an iPhone, however, it will detect such behavior and warn them if it notices an AirTag (that they don't own) moving around with them.
Satechi Aluminum Stand and Hub transforms Apple iPad Pro into a desktop computer
When Apple launched its now-infamous What's a Computer? advertisement for the iPad Pro, it was pretty much universally panned for stupidity. In it, a woman refers to a girl's iPad Pro as a computer, and the girl replies with the classic "what's a computer?" line. As we know, an iPad is a computer, and it's absurd to think the youth of America are unfamiliar with the term "computer."
But what if an iPad Pro wasn't just a tablet computer, but a desktop computer too? Well, with the Satechi Aluminum Stand and Hub for iPad Pro, that can be a reality. You see, this elegant new product transforms the Apple iPad Pro into a makeshift iMac-like, desktop computer.
What does Apple's enterprise growth mean for IT administrators? [Q&A]
The use of Apple devices in the enterprise has grown exponentially over the past year. In fact, a recent report from IDC showed that macOS was the operating system of choice for 23 percent of computers at US companies with 1,000 employees or more in 2020, up from 17 percent in 2019.
As businesses continue to adopt Apple devices at work, Mosyle CEO Alcyr Araujo, wants to highlight how to seamlessly deploy, manage, maintain and protect these devices at scale. He believes simple, intuitive and automated mobile device management (MDM) and endpoint security are the key to solving new endpoint management and security challenges, we spoke to him to find out more.
Belkin SOUNDFORM Connect adds Apple AirPlay 2 to your existing speakers
Here's the deal, folks; Bluetooth speakers are very convenient, but for the most part, they don't sound very good. Don't get me wrong, some Bluetooth speakers will impress in the sound quality department, but those models are few and far between. Audiophiles and other lovers of music will often instead opt for wired speakers and stereo receivers -- convenience be damned.
Apple's AirPlay 2 is far superior to Bluetooth, as it often provides better sound quality while operating over Wi-Fi. Yes, you can easily transmit to an AirPlay speaker as long as it is connected to the same network. The problem? AirPlay 2 speakers are rather rare. Thankfully, a new product from Belkin will transform your existing stereo receiver or speaker system into a makeshift AirPlay 2 device.
SteelSeries Nimbus+ game controller now comes with 4 free months of Apple Arcade
If you are a fan of mobile gaming, and you own Apple hardware (such as an iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, or Mac), then you simply must check out Apple Arcade. The subscription service gives you access to more than 180 video games on all of your devices for just $4.99 a month -- a pittance. Best of all, you won't have to deal with any in‑app purchases -- all of the included games are fully accessible with no nagging. It is a phenomenal value -- if you fancy the game library, of course.
The best way to play many of these games is with a wireless controller, and the SteelSeries Nimbus+ is one of the best. It even charges using a Lightning cable -- the same one as your iPhone. And now, that controller is getting even better. You see, the SteelSeries Nimbus+ game controller now comes with 4 free months of Apple Arcade!
Apple Music to offer Dolby Atmos and lossless audio at no extra cost
I’m a big fan of Apple Music, and the good news for myself and other users of the service is the sound quality it offers is about to improve significantly.
Starting next month -- and for no extra cost -- Apple Music subscribers will be able to listen to more than 75 million songs in lossless audio (using ALAC -- Apple Lossless Audio Codec). The company will also be adding spatial audio with support for Dolby Atmos to the service, so you can enjoy improved clarity and multidimensional sound on thousands of songs from popular artists.
Think Windows 10 is bad? Feast your eyes on Microsoft's macOS -- the desktop operating system we definitely don't want!
If you’re a Mac owner, then you’ll be very familiar with macOS, Apple’s desktop operating system. Similarly, if you own a PC -- and it isn’t running a flavor of Linux -- then there’s a good chance it will have Windows 10 on it.
macOS and Windows 10, like other desktop operating systems, share lots of similarities, but they are also very different in their own ways. But what if they weren’t? What if Microsoft was making macOS instead of Apple?
This is how the Apple iPad could take on Windows 10 PCs
Apple has been positioning the iPad more and more like a credible laptop alternative over the past few years, especially with the introduction of the new iPad Pro.
Two years ago the tech giant made the decision to create a dedicated iPad version of iOS which it called, inevitably, iPadOS, introducing more features for the larger, more capable device, such as better multitasking and enhanced app switching. iPadOS 15 is due later this year but for now we know very little about the new features it will offer.
Logitech Rugged Combo 3 Touch transforms Apple iPad into ultimate laptop for education
Want to know a secret? Kids do not want to use a clunky Windows 10 laptop for education. Instead, they will much prefer devices they are familiar with, such as Chromebooks or the iPad. Apple's tablet in particular can make learning more fun, as it simply feels more exciting. Kids just love Apple's iPad.
With the right accessory, the iPad tablet can become quite the capable laptop too. And no, you don't need an iPad Pro to have a proper laptop-like experience. For instance, the Logitech Rugged Combo 3 Touch will transform the "regular" 7th or 8th gen iPad into the ultimate laptop for education, while simultaneously protecting it from drops up to 4.5 feet. It has both a trackpad and a keyboard, plus it connects using the smart connector pins -- no Bluetooth or external power needed.
VMware has no plans to support Windows 10 on M1 Macs -- Windows is second priority behind Linux
The release of M1-powered systems was warmly welcomed by the Mac community, thanks largely to the huge performance boost Apple silicon brings. For macOS purists, the move to M1 chips makes a great deal of sense, but for anyone used to running other operating system on their Macs, there were questions.
Running Windows 10 on M1 systems is possible thanks to the latest version of Parallels for Mac, but this is far from being the only virtualization software available -- people have been asking for some time what to expect from VMware Fusion. Now the company has revealed details of what to come; and while it's great news for Linux fans, it's not so great for Windows users.
Pandora releases a beautiful home screen widget for Apple iPhone and iPad
You know what was funny? The excitement of iPhone users when Apple finally added home screen widget support to iOS. It was comical because Google had widget support on Android pretty much forever. In other words, the Apple faithful were getting all hot and bothered over what Android users considered "old hat."
But OK, it doesn't really matter which platform had widgets first -- both Android and iOS/iPadOS have them now. While there has long been a Pandora widget for Android, today, the music streaming company launches a new widget for Apple's mobile devices too -- as long as they are running iOS/iPadOS version 14.x.
I feel like an IDIOT for buying Apple AirTag
Am I an "Apple guy?" I suppose so; at least my iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV would suggest that to be the case. With that said, I don't blindly throw money at the company's latest products. For instance, I still use an iPhone 8 Plus -- with a home button -- as my smartphone. I don't have a fancy iPad Pro, but instead, a 7th-gen regular iPad with just 32GB of storage. True, my 2020 M1 Mac mini is very modern, but it is the extremely inexpensive base model.
Apple's newest product, AirTag, went on sale this past Friday, and for some reason, I got caught up in the hype and pre-ordered one. Not only did I buy the AirTag, but a red leather keychain for it too. Almost immediately after placing the order, I felt like a total fool. It is probably one of the stupidest tech purchases I ever made.
Apple secretly updates M1 Mac mini with 10 Gigabit Ethernet option
To say I like my M1 Mac mini is an understatement. The truth is, the little computer has me absolutely in love with it. If it were both legal and socially acceptable, I might try and marry it. OK, maybe computer matrimony would be a bit much. But look, the Mac mini is powerful, inexpensive, and absolutely silent. I have yet to hear its internal fan spin up. It is wonderful.
When configuring my Mac mini, I went with the base model (8GB/256GB). Why? Well, for one, that was the cheapest. Truth be told, I was curious how well the least expensive Mac would be perform -- especially with just 8GB RAM instead of 16GB. Plus, since Mac mini supports Thunderbolt 3 SSDs, I knew I could always add that type of storage later -- why pay a premium for a non-removable internal SSD?