Cult of Mac

In a strategic move that could reshape the mixed-reality landscape, Google and Samsung announced a partnership Thursday to develop a new mixed-reality headset running on the Android XR operating system, according to a new report. Clearly, the Google and Samsung Android XR headset directly challenges Apple’s Vision Pro and Meta’s headsets in the premium market.

The collaboration aims to create a more accessible and diverse ecosystem for extended reality (XR) devices, potentially offering buyers, including Apple users, alternative options in the growing mixed-reality space. More competition could impact both features and pricing, of course.

Probably the coolest wearable you can get is Apple Watch Ultra 2. And that’s especially true with the recently added black titanium finish. Right now you can get $65 off a black titanium Apple Watch Ultra 2 with shipping in time for Christmas, Amazon says.

December 12, 1980: Apple goes public, floating 4.6 million shares on the stock market at $22 per share. The Apple IPO becomes the biggest tech public offering of its day. And more than 40 out of 1,000 Apple employees become instant millionaires.

As Apple’s biggest shareholder, 25-year-old Steve Jobs ends the day with a net worth of $217 million. However, the big payday triggers internal tensions as it highlights Cupertino’s class divide.

United Airlines built support for AirTag’s new Share Item Location into its app. This lets flyers easily show the airline the real-time location of the tracker tag hidden in their lost luggage.

The optional tracking feature debuted in iOS 18.2 on Wednesday.

Emmy winner Brett Goldstein, who plays footballer-turned-coach Roy Kent on Apple TV+ hit comedy Ted Lasso, takes on dual roles as star and co-writer in the new romantic drama All of You, a movie set to debut on Apple TV+ in 2025, the streamer said Wednesday. It offered a “first look” image. And the other writer, who also directs? That’s none other than William Bridges, who writes for Netflix’s darkly fascinating sci-fi anthology series Black Mirror. If often explores the scary side of technological innovation.

And they say All of You is a romantic drama. Well, that’s probably going to be interesting, no matter how much or little the film has in common with Ted Lasso or Black Mirror.

Designed with Apple users in mind, the Mag Tube and Mag Qube Qi2 charging stations can juice up iPhone, AirPods and Apple Watch simultaneously. But they’re not like every other cookie-cutter charger. Their magnetic tops rotate so you can attach your iPhone at a convenient angle. And their dedicated wireless charging spots for Apple Watch and AirPods pop out of the gadgets’ sleek sides like one of R2-D2’s stealthy tools.

One charger is cylindrical and the other is a rectangular cuboid. (Yeah, we had to look that up.) And they’re both on sale now for just $79.99.

With iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia, Apple turned iCloud Keychain into a full-blown password manager with a dedicated Passwords app. While it’s a useful addition, I am not ready to give up on 1Password and switch to the Apple Passwords app yet.

The latter suffers from several limitations that prevent it from becoming a versatile password manager.

Apple is gradually rolling out many of the big iOS 18 features showcased at WWDC24. iOS 18.1 marked the debut of Apple Intelligence, and with iOS 18.2, the company brought more AI features. This slow rollout is supposedly leading to many internal delays in iOS 19 features.

Expect to wait until 2026 for some new iOS 19 additions.

A report suggests Apple shelved plans to build the M4 Extreme Apple silicon chip. The company gave up on the SoC to divert resources to build an AI server chip.

The report points to Apple working with Broadcom to develop this AI chip.

The Kinhank Super Console X2 Pro is a retro-style gaming console preloaded with more than 70,000 classic games. It also lets you use your favorite streaming apps to watch videos. It’s great for any household — and a perfect gift for any gamer on your list.

This retro games and streaming console is on sale now for just $99.99 with free shipping. However, that deep discount won’t last much longer.

Monument Valley 3 launched Tuesday, the latest edition in one of the best puzzle game franchises ever. The challenges offer the same M. C. Escher-esque defiance of visual perspective as their predecessors, but there’s a new twist: a sailboat.

ustwo’s latest creation is available for iPhone and iPad (plus) Android, but it’s a Netflix Games exclusive. A subscription to the streaming service is required to play.

Microsoft started rolling out an upgrade Wednesday to its Phone Link software and the Link to Windows app that promises seamless file transfers from iPhone to PC and vice versa.

The goal seems to be imitating the functionality of AirDrop, Apple’s simple system for wirelessly moving files between iPhones, Macs, iPads, etc.

Targus and Macally unveiled iPad folio cases with built-in keyboards and trackpads. Although the designs vary, all can turn an Apple tablet into a slim notebook computer.

Apple makes its own iPad keyboard case, but these new third-party options cost considerably less.

In an advancement for mobile music production, Apple showed off the Voice Memos app’s new Layered Recordings feature Wednesday, releasing a new holiday single recorded with it. Exclusively available on the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, Layered Recordings comes via the newly released iOS 18.2 update.

Apple Original Films unveiled plans Tuesday to air a groundbreaking documentary chronicling one of America’s lesser-known but pivotal civil rights actions. Deaf President Now! will tell the story of transformative 1988 protests at Gallaudet University. Students successfully demanded the appointment of the school’s first Deaf president. It proved to be a pivotal moment in Deaf advocacy and helped pave the way for the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

The iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2 and macOS Sequoia 15.2 release date is here. They bring in the second wave of Apple Intelligence features, including Genmoji, the Image Playground, optional ChatGPT integration and more.

watchOS 11.2, tvOS 18.2 and visionOS 2.2 also went out, though these don’t include any AI features.

Apple subsidiary Beats surprised everyone when it sprang new cases for the iPhone 16 series handsets, its first-ever iPhone cases. And now, surprisingly, you can get bold new Beats iPhone 16 case colors — sunrise pink and twilight blue. That’s in addition to the four original colors, which weren’t too boring in the first place (Beats is known for colors in its products, Apple … not so much).

December 11, 2013: A Chinese labor rights group calls on Apple to investigate the deaths of several workers at a Shanghai factory run by iPhone manufacturer Pegatron.

Most controversially, one of the dead workers is just 15 years old. The underage worker reportedly succumbed to pneumonia after working extremely long hours on the iPhone 5c production line.

A university student calling themselves a “broke Harvard undergrad” while showing off a computer setup loaded with older and newer Apple hardware is bound to take some ribbing from social media on various levels. But today’s data-science number-crunching setup makes impressive and thrifty use of newer and older gear, including a 2023 M3 MacBook Pro, a 2013 “trash can” Mac Pro and a 2018 Intel MacBook Pro, plus a 2021 iPad Pro and a PlayStation 5 console.

Apple’s 5K Pro Display XDR is too expensive for regular users. The Studio Display is the perfect monitor for most Apple users, packing a big 27-inch 5K panel.

At $1,600, the monitor is too expensive for what it offers, especially since it is a few years old now. However, a deal on Amazon drops the Studio Display to a lifetime low price of $1,300, making it much more affordable.

Apple on Wednesday honored the winners of its 2024 App Store Awards. These come in a range of categories, like iPhone App of the Year, Mac Game of the Year, and many more.

“We are thrilled to honor this impressive group of developers who are harnessing the power of Apple devices and technology to deliver experiences that enrich the lives of users and have a profound impact on their communities,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “The remarkable achievements of this year’s winners demonstrate the incredible ingenuity that can be unlocked through apps.”

Another generation of MacBook Pros recently launched without Face ID, meaning Apple once again missed an opportunity to make its premier laptops easier to use. Adding the facial-recognition authentication system seems like a no-brainer, since it would enable Mac users to unlock their computers simply by looking at them.

Instead, MacBooks continue to depend on Touch ID, even though multiple reasons make Face ID a far superior security option. And Apple’s excuse for sticking with its fingerprint sensor is lame.

Monday isn’t the iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2 and macOS Sequoia 15.2 release date, as some had hoped. Instead, Apple sent out another round of pre-release versions for testing, a slightly unusual step.

UPDATE: Apple just announced that iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS Sequoia 15.2 are set to launch on Wednesday, December 11. They are not yet out at the time of this writing, and the most likely time is 10 A.M. Pacific/1 P.M. Eastern.

UPDATE 2: It’s here!

When they debut, these operating systems bring to iPhone, iPad and Mac a new collection of Apple Intelligence features, including Genmoji, the Image Playground and more, so there’s plenty of anticipation.

The Focais Meet One is an AI-powered device that elevates note-taking and voice recording to a new level. Designed for convenience and accuracy, the AI voice recorder combines voice recognition with advanced AI features to streamline capturing and organizing essential details from conversations.

Its AI transcription feature supports more than 120 languages. This makes it an ideal tool for multilingual environments and anyone dealing with diverse clients or partners. Whether it’s a meeting, lecture or phone call, the Focais Meet One transcribes conversations accurately.

It’s a perfect companion for busy professionals, students or anyone who regularly handles meetings and calls. And for a limited time, this advanced AI voice recorder is on sale for just $99.99.

Apple Watch Ultra 3 reportedly will let hikers and other travelers send texts via a satellite connection when cellular communication isn’t available. Anyone who gets into trouble in a remote location could turn to Apple’s top-tier smartwatch to ask for help — a potential lifesaver.

In addition, Apple is still working to add blood-pressure monitoring to the wearable.