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Macworld Ever since Apple launched the M3 MacBook Air earlier this month, weve been waiting for new iPads to follow. Now it seems as though we have a dateand well only need to wait a little longer. According to the Chinese-language site IT Home ( via Macrumors ), Apple will take the wraps off its new iPads on Tuesday, March 26, based on an analysis of several tablet-related accessories that are due to go live on Amazon. Its not clear which models will launch first or whether there will be a short preorder period. A separate report from Display Supply Chain Consultant Ross Young claims that supplies of the 11-inch models could be more constrained than the larger 12.9-inch models. Apple is expected to update both the iPad Air and the iPad Pro with the first new models in more than a year. The most notable update will be a completely new 12.9-inch iPad Air model as a cheaper alternative to the flagship iPad Pro. Its also expected to get a better camera and processor. The iPad Pro is rumored to get OLED displays, an M3 processor, and a thinner design as well as a higher price tag. Also rumored are new 11-inch and 12.9-inch Magic Keyboards that will presumably support both models of Air and Pro. Reports have said the new keyboards will be sturdier and more MacBook-like. A new Apple Pencil is also likely to launch to refresh the lineup. After the iPad launches, Apples next event is likely to be WWDC in June, which should be announced next week. Apple will unveil iOS 18 , iPadOS 18, macOS 15, and new versions of the rest of its operating systems. It could unveil some new hardware as well, such as a new Mac mini and Mac Studio . iPad
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Macworld If youve had your Mac for a few years you may be looking longingly at the Apple website wishing you could justify the expense of buying a new one. But luckily you dont have to fork out for a replacement computer to enjoy speed increases: in this article, we gather some simple tips to enhance the performance of your current device. How to make a Mac run faster Below we will run through the various checks you should make to find out why your Mac is running slow and speed it up, well cover why you need to have around 10% of your Macs total storage free to keep it running well and how you can free up that space if need be. Well also look at how to find out if a particular app is gobbling up all the processing power and how to close it. And well look at other changes you can make to your Mac to make it run faster, including adding more RAM or, if thats not an option, clearing your RAM to speed things up. Before you begin, try the following quick tips to see if they speed up your Mac: Restart your Mac. If you havent restarted it for a while your RAM/Unified Memory could be maxed out. Delete unnecessary files, apps and other items that are taking up space especially if you have less than 10% of your Macs storage free. Update your software in case there is a software issue that is causing the problem. PROMOTION CleanMyMac X | Boost your Macs performance Let CleanMyMac X set your Mac free from artificial restrictions. Locate large old folders, background apps, and heavy memory consumers. Tune your Mac for maximum speed, keep it malware-free and secure. Make sure you use the Smart Scan weekly to help your computer stay productive all year round. Get the exclusive offer for Macworld audience 10% off any CleanMyMac X package. Buy with 10% OFF How to speed up a Mac or MacBook Follow these steps to speed up your Mac and make it run faster. 1. Restart your Mac Foundry One of the most obvious things you can do if your Mac has slowed down is restart it. However, we understand that there will be lots of reasons why you dont want to do that. Perhaps you dont want to stop what you are doing and wait while your Mac restarts and the app you were using is reloaded. But restarting is usually the first fix for any Mac thats slowed right down. In fact that is why we recommend that you do restart regularly. Few aspects of Macs cause more arguments than the one about what to do at the end of the day: shut down or sleep? It used to be recommended that a computer should be left switched on because of the wear and tear of restarting the hard drive. With the advent of SSDs this is no longer a problem. The amount of time it would take to start up a Mac also used to be prohibitive. This is no longer the case, Macs start up almost instantly. Nowadays, the main advantage of leaving a Mac sleeping rather than switched off is that it lets you continue where you left off. The only other reason to leave the Mac running is if you run maintenance or backup scripts at night. We address that here: Should I shut down my Mac every night? Shutting down your Mac has a number of advantages many of which are related to how RAM (or Unified Memory, as Apple calls it) is being used. macOS uses swap files: spaces on your hard disk that allow your Mac to pretend it has more RAM than it actually has as virtual memory. Once the number of swap files exceeds five or so, your Mac starts to slow down. Then its time to reboot. Restarting your Mac also means caches will get flushed and applications that are hogging your RAM will let it go.Restarting your Mac clears the caches and shuts down applications. The result is a Mac thats refreshed and should perform better. If right now shutting down and restarting isnt for you or that doesnt work there are plenty of other tips below to work through as you attempt to speed up your Mac. 2. Close unnecessary apps Foundry It might sound obvious, but the best place to start, if you dont want to shut down your Mac, is to close any apps that are running in the background. If you havent shut your Mac down recently your Mac may be devoting memory and CPU space to a program you havent used since last week, instead of to the apps you want. A quick way to see which apps are running is to glance at the Dock at the bottom of the screen. Programs that are running will have a dotunderneath them. If you cant see this dot, open System Settings/System Preferences and click Desktop & Dockand ensure that Show indicators for open applications is selected. Alternatively, press Command + Tab to bring up the App Switcher and tab through to see which apps are open. There are a few ways you can shut down these apps. Right-click (or Ctrl-click) on their icon in the Dock and choose Quit, or if you are using the App Switcher, select a program and press Command-Q to quit it. If when you Right-click on the icon in the Dock you see the Force Quit option against it you likely have identified the culprit because a problem with that app is probably slowing down your whole system. Should you not get any options at all or just a spinning beach ball, you can use the Apple menu to shut the unresponsive app down. To do this, click on the Apple logo in the top left corner then select the Force Quit option. Youll see a list of all open applications, simply highlight the one you think is playing up and click the Force Quite button. Read How to Force Quit on a Mac for more information. 3. Find out whats slowing you down Foundry Some apps are more power-hungry than others, and sometimes apps have issues that cause them to grab more than their fair share of your system resources. If you want to see which apps are using up your system resources, open the Activity Monitor in the Utilities folder. (Or press Command + space bar and start to type activity and press enter to open it from there). Activity Monitor shows all the processes on your Mac (some of which you cant, or shouldnt, close) so go to the menu bar at the top of the screen and click View >Windowed Processes before you do anything. Now, back in Activity Monitor, click on the CPU button and the %CPU column to list all programs by the amount of CPU they are using. You can also use this to see what Memory, Disk and Network different processes are using. If you see that one app in particular is gobbling up a lot of CPU power then you can close it from here by selecting the app with the mouse and clicking on the x in the menu bar at the top of the Activity Monitor. Take note of the apps that are using the most power they might require a software update to make them work more efficiently. For more advice see: How to use Activity Monitor to handle troublesome apps on your Mac . 4. Update your software Foundry Make sure you regularly perform a software update for macOS and all the apps installed on your Mac. If you are running any recent macOS version go to System Settings > General > Software Update. In slightly older versions of macOS its System Preferences > Software Update. Now wait while your Mac checks for updates. If there is one to install, do so. Next check if your apps need updating. To check if there is an update for anything you have downloaded from the App Store open the App Store and click on Updates. If you have apps purchased outside of the App Store they need to be updated separately. You can make sure that macOS keeps itself up-to-date: Click on System Settings > General > Software Updates. Click on the i beside Automatic Updates. Ensure that Check For Updates, Download new updates, and Install macOS updates are selected. Make sure that Install Application updates from the App Store is selected. Also ensure that Install Security Responses and system files is selected. 5. Make sure enough space is free Foundry Part of your Macs performance depends on empty drive space. The Mac needs to be able to write and read its swap files and free space helps. But for these safeguards to work, you need at least ten percent of your disk drive empty. Therefore, if you want your Mac to run at its best and you dont have 10 percent of yourstorage space available you need to offload some of your larger files. Your hard drive hosts a number of big files and folders. These could include email files and backups, and old versions of apps that you no longer need. If you frequently upload photos to your Mac and download music you may find that you quickly use up thespace. There are a few ways to find out how much space you have available. The method depends on the version of macOS you are running. In macOS Ventura and later: Open System Settings > General > Storage. Wait while it calculates how much of your storage is being used, and also shows you what is using it. Click on the i beside any category of content, e.g. Applications. Click on anything and delete it if you dont need it. If you sort by date last used thats a quick way to find things you dont need. Alternatively sort by size to find larger items to delete. You wont be able to delete anything from the macOS and System Data categories, but you can find out ways to remove this kind of content here: How to delete System Data. In older versions of macOS there was a Storage option in About This Mac that took you straight to an explanation of ways to reduce the amount of space being taken up. Open the Apple menu by clicking on the Apple logo in the top left of your screen. Click on About This Mac. Choose Storage from the tabs and wait while it calculates how much of your storage is being used and shows you what is using it. Click on Manage to get options for optimizing your storage or storing photos and videos in iCloud rather than on your Mac. On very old versions of macOS there was an Other section of storage. If you want to delete from that read: How to delete Other storage on the Mac . If you are running short of space we run through various ways to free up the space on your Mac in How to free disk space on a Mac . You can also use paid software such as DaisyDisk ($9.99/9.99), WhatSize ($14.99)or OmniDiskSweeper to view your disk usage. We have some more space-saving tips below. 6. Free up RAM Foundry A long time ago the solution to improving your Macs performance was adding more RAM. Unfortunately this isnt really an option for users of modern Macs and not at all if you have any of the M-series of Macs as the memory is built onto the chip. If you own an older Mac a 27-inch iMac for example it is relatively easy to upgrade the RAM and we will discuss how to do that here: How to upgrade RAM in a Mac . But since that wont apply to many Mac users, well begin by explaining how to free up RAM. We also cover separately here: How to free up memory (RAM) on a Mac . The simplest way to free up RAM is to restart your Mac, but sometimes we dont want to do that. In that case there are apps you can use to free up RAM or you can use Activity Monitor. Well start with the Activity Monitor method. Open Activity Monitor. Click on the Memory tab. If you look at the bottom of the window you will see how much RAM is being used. In our case 7GB of the 8GB available. Click on the column headed Memory to sort by the biggest users of your RAM. Lots of what you will see here will undoubtedly mean nothing to you, but there will be a few apps that stand out. Free up RAM by closing any RAM-hungry apps you arent using. You can do this via the Dock (right-click on the app and choose Quit), or just click on the app on Activity Monitor and then click on the X in the menu. There are also apps that will help you clear your RAM. Among our favorites are Parallels Toolbox , which has an easy to use tool you can use to free memory and comes bundled with lots of other useful tools for $24.99/20.99 a year (Theres a free 7-day trial available ). Read our review of Parallels Toolbox . Another option is CleanMyMac X from MacPaw. This collection of tools will warn you if you have Heavy Memory Usage and will offer to Free Up your RAM. CleanMyMac X costs $39.95/29.95, it also has a free 7 day trial. f youre on a budget DaisyDisk is another option for $9.99/9.99. See our round-up of the best Mac cleaners for more options. 7. Check the health of your Mac Apple If these fixes arent working you should make sure that your Mac is completely healthy. You can do this by running Disk Utility, which a program included on your Mac. Open Disk Utility (in Applications/Utilities). Select your startup drive from the list on the left. Click the First Aid tab to the right. Click Run (in older versions this was Verify). If Disk Utility finds problems with your drive, youll need to boot from a different volume to perform the actual repairs. This is what Recovery mode is for. To boot into Recovery mode you need to hold down Command+R at startup on an Intel Mac, or press and hold the Power Button at start up on an M-series Mac. Once in Recovery Mode youll be able to access Disk Utility and carry out the recommended repairs. Read more about using Disk Utility to fix a Mac . You can also run the Apple Hardware Test (for Macs older than June 2013) or Apple Diagnostics (for Macs from June 2013 or later). Both tests check your Mac for other hardware issues, such as bad RAM. There are other steps you can take if you have an old Mac that you are trying to speed up, one is to repair permissions. Repairing permissions isnt something you can do on recent Macs, but in old versions of macOS it was necessary to repair permissions occasionally. This was achieved by following these steps: Open Disk Utility and choose your main hard drive from the sidebar. Click on First Aid and Repair Permissions. If you have an older Mac this will ensure that all the files on your Mac have the correct permissions, which will help keep things ticking along. However, since the arrival of Mac OS X El Capitan in 2015, you can no longer repair permissions in Disk Utility. Its gone because the new System Integrity Protection (SIP) that arrived in El Capitan prevents permissions on files being modified which, according to Apple at least, means there should be no need to repair permissions. 8. Sort out your iCloud syncs Foundry If you use iCloud to sync files across multiple desktops and sync your photos to iCloud Photos, you may be suffering slowdowns while your system syncs in the background. If you think this is happening to you there are a few things you can try. If you use iCloud Desktop, avoid storing large documents on your desktop dont drag and drop a humongous video file onto your desktop unless you need access at another location. You could also change where your screenshots are saved to. In fact if you only store the documents you need access to on your iCloud desktop you may speed things up and spend less time waiting for the files you actually need to sync. Just remember that if you dont save things on your Desktop or somewhere else where they sync, they wont be available to you in iCloud. If you use iCloud Photos on your Mac and you dont want to be busy syncing images, avoid opening the app in the first place. If it proves problematic, turn off iCloud Photos on that device. 9. Keep a tidy Desktop Foundry Another tip is to keep your Mac Desktop free of clutter. If youre using iCloud to sync various devices your Desktop will be synced and a cluttered Desktop will take time to sync. To find out just how much data is on your Desktop open the Finder and right-click on Desktop in Favourites, choose Get Info and then contemplate why there is 10GB of junk on your Desktop. But that isnt the only problem. Every file on your desktop is a window with an image in it either an icon or a preview of the file. Each of those windows and their contents is stored in RAM so that when you switch to the Desktop or use QuickLook, your Mac can show you whats in the window. The more files you have on your desktop, the more data is stored in RAM. That could result in your Mac running more slowly, especially if your Macs memory is already under pressure. This is why it is worth organizing files properly in the appropriate user folder Documents, Pictures, Movies etc and you may see an improvement in the speed of your Mac. Luckily, since macOS Sierra, it has been possible to automatically sort files on your Desktop into Stacks, so that everything it automatically filed away into folders (by Kind or Date). Just open a Stack and delete excess files from time to time. To set Desktop Stacks up if you havent already click on your Desktop and choose View > Use Stacks from the menu. 10. Manage Spotlight Foundry Spotlight, particularly in recent versions of macOS, is a terrific tool. But if you use multiple drives, particularly on older Macs, it can take Spotlight time to index and re-index the filesystem. That in turn will slow down your Mac. The answer is to limit the files Spotlight indexes. This is done in the Siri and Spotlight pane in System Settings (or the Spotlight pane in System Preferences on older Macs). As you can see in the image above Spotlight is indexing everything, but if we wanted to omit certain results we could. You can also omit certain folders you dont want Spotlight to search: Click on the Spotlight Privacy tab and drag in any folders or volumes that you dont want to search onto the window. That will stop Spotlight indexing the folder or volume and thus reduce the number of files it needs to index, meaning it spends less time indexing and should improve performance on your Mac. 11. Stop programs from opening at startup Foundry It is possible to set up your Mac so that when you start it up the programs you regularly need to use open up automatically. This could be a useful feature, but sometimes other applications you dont want to use get into those items that open automatically when you log in. If you really want to speed up your Mac stopping these programs from opening when you turn it on can really help. Heres what to do: Open System Settings. Click on General Click on Login Items. If any items are in the Open at Login (that you dont want to be there) remove them. You can also stop items from being able to run in the background. In older versions of macOS: Open System Preferences Click Users & Groups. Now click on the Login Items tab to see if there are any programs and services that are set to launch when you first power up (or log in to) your Mac. Highlight an item in the list that you dont want and click on the Delete from Login Items button at the bottom of the list. 12. Turn off visual effects Foundry Most Macs can run macOS without any trouble. However, you can turn off some features that might slow your Mac down. For example, some people prefer to keep the Dock static to prevent slowdown. Open System Settings > Desktop and Dock and untick the following boxes. (in older versions its System Preferences > Dock & Menu Bar) Besides Minimize windows using change Genie Effect to Scale Effect. Turn off Magnification if you have that option selected. 13. Turn off File Vault encryption Foundry File Vault allows you to encrypt every file you store on your Mac to keep it safe from prying eyes. It also uses lots of processor cycles, however, to encrypt and de-crypt those files. If you use it, switch it off and see if you notice a difference in performance. Click on System Settings. Go to Privacy & Security. Click on File Vault. Click Turn Off. (In System Preferences its the Security & Privacy tab that you need). 14. Delete, delete, delete Foundry Were you suffering from limited space when you checked earlier? There are a number of quick ways to free up space on your Mac. Empty the Trash : Right-click on Trash in the dock and choose Empty Trash. Automatically delete : You can also set the Trash to automatically delete items every 30 days. Open the Finder and click on Finder > Settings > Advanced. Now choose Remove items from the Trash after 30 days. DeleteDownloads : Are there any items youre unlikely to need still in the Downloads folder. Click on Downloads to the right of the Dock and the arrow at the top to open it in the Finder andsee everything thats in there. Delete old and large files : Open the Finder and choose Recents (in older versions of Mac OS X choose All My Files), then either choose to sort by date or size.Choose size to selectively delete the biggest files. Choose date to find the files you havent needed in a while. (If your finder window isnt showing size, go to View > Show View Options, and choose Size.) Remove unwanted apps and programs : remove apps that you dont use. You can just drag and drop apps into the Trash, but that can still leave associated files and settings on your Mac. For that reason, our advice is to invest in a program like CleanMyMac X ($34.95/29.95 for a one year subscription) that can show you how much hard drive space apps are taking up and when you last used them, and can delete apps and all associated files. Remove Widgets : You could also remobe widgets used in the Notification Centre. To do this, click on the clock and date at the top right of your screen (or the bullet icon on older macOS versions). Scroll down and click on Edit Widgets (or Widgets, or Today in older versions of macOS). Remove any you dont need. 15. Move photos to an external drive Foundry You might be surprised by how much of your Macs storage is taken up by photos and home videos. You may consider paying for iCloud Photo storage, thinking that this would mean you could delete photos from your Mac as they would be stored in the cloud, but unfortunately, that isnt how iCloud Photos works. If you delete the photos from the Mac that they are stored on you will also delete them from iCloud and all your devices you can view them on. Thats not to say that there is no benefit to using iCloud Photos. The service can greatly reduce the amount of space taken up by the images on your Mac thanks to a setting that means that no more photos are stored on your Mac than you have room for. To make sure iCloud Photos isnt taking a lot of space on your Mac follow these steps: Open Photos and click on Settings (Preferences in older versions). Click on iCloud. Make sure that Optimise Mac Storage is selected. This will mean that if your Mac is low on space only small versions of the photos and videos will be stored on your Mac the full res versions in the cloud. You can, of course, download full-res versions at any time. You may like to use another service to back up your photos in the cloud. You could try DropBox or Google Drive for example. Read about how to back up your Photo library in the cloud here: How to back up your Apple photo library . If you would prefer not to use a cloud service you could set up an external storage device and move the photos currently stored on your Mac to that. To do so, follow these steps: How to move photos to an external hard drive Quit Photos. Copy the Photos Library by dragging it from the startup volume to your external volume. Once complete, hold down the Option key and launch Photos. In Photos, select Photos > Settings (or Preferences), and in the General tab, click Use as System Photo Library. We explain those steps in more detail here: How to move your Photos library to an external drive and you might like to check out our recommendations for best hard drive and best SSD . 16. Move your music Foundry Another big folder could be your music library, especially if you have previously ripped music from CDs or have a lot of downloads. As with Photos, you could free up disk space by offloading your music files to an external drive. For more information read how to move your Macs Music Library to another location. (Note that your music library then needs to be relinked via the Settings > Advanced tab.) Alternatively, you could subscribe to iTunes Match , which, for $25/21.99 a year, will move all your music into the cloud so you can delete it from your Mac, and access it on any of your devices. Once your music is in iTunes Match you can just download the tracks you want to listen to when you want to listen to them. Apple Music subscription can work in a similar way, in that it allows you access to all your music via the cloud but iTunes Match is a clone of your music library in the cloud, where Apple Music just offers you access to any tracks you already own via the cloud. See How iTunes Match and Apple Music work together . 17. Empty your Macs Caches Foundry You shouldnt just delete files from cache because they can actually increase the performance of your Mac. For instance, a web browser will cache web pages so that when a website is revisited, the whole pages doesnt have to be re-downloaded. Deleting cache will also mean that you will have to re-enter login details and passwords. Deleting cache can be more trouble than its worth. However, if you need to free up space deleting some files from cache could be a solution. Have a look at your user caches by hitting Command+Shift+G from your Desktop to bring up Go To Folder and then typing ~/Library/Caches/. To see how much space your Cache is taking up you could right-click on the Caches folder in the Finder and select Get Info. Dont be surprised if a number of gigabytes are residing here. As user caches are rebuilt when needed, you can safely delete these, especially for apps that are no longer used. Safari, Firefox and iTunes all allow you to clear caches directly within the apps (we address removing Safari cache below). While you could go through all these cache files, deleting them, there are a number of useful utilities you can use to do this for you. For example, CleanMyMac X from MacPaw ($34.95/29.95 a year) can clear your cache quickly for you. Open the app, choose System Junk and then click Scan followed by Clean. Alternatives are CCleaner for Mac (free) and Parallels Toolbox ($19.99/15.99 a year). All three solutions feature in our round-up of Best Mac Cleaners . We have a separate guide to clearing the Cache on your Mac . 18. Empty Safari cache Foundry Speaking of Cache, Safari sometimes gets clogged up with data. Cleaning this out will help speed up Safari in macOS. In older versions you can just open Safari and choose Safari > Reset Safari and check Remove all Website Data. (Leave the other options unticked.) Now click on Reset. This can help speed up sluggish web browsing. In later versions, youll need to open the Settings (or Preferences) dialog box, then select the Privacy icon and click the Manage Website Data button. You can then delete all cookies and cache by clicking the Remove All button. If you just want to remove the cache and not the cookies or browser history, things are more complicated. But the hidden Safari Developer menu can be used to achieve this. The Developer menu can be activated by selecting Safari > Settings (or Preferences), clicking Advanced, then putting a tick by Show Develop Menu in Menu Bar. (This option is right at the bottom.) A new Develop menu option appears to the left of the Window and Help menu options. Close any open Safari windows and select Empty Caches on the Develop menu. Then click File > New Window to start Safari with a clean cache. Read: How to clear Safari Cache and Cookies on a Mac for more advice about clearing Safari cache. 19. Add more RAM Foundry As we explained above, adding more RAM isnt the solution it used to be because upgrading the RAM in modern Macs especially ones with an M-series chip is impossible. However, if you own an older Mac especially if you have a 27-inch iMac it is relatively easy to upgrade the RAM. In the past adding more RAM was the go-to solution for improving a Macs performance. Before you go ahead and spend money, however, its worth trying to figure out how much of a difference it will really make, if any. The easiest way to do this is to fire up Activity Monitor (its in Applications/Utilities), click on the Memory tab and keep an eye on the memory pressure gauge at the bottom of the window. Ifits permanently green, youre probably not going to see a huge difference by upgrading. If it turns red regularly, its worth the expenditure. How much RAM you add and how you add it is dependent on your Mac. But as a rule of thumb, the effort of performing the installation compared with the marginal cost of bigger RAM modules means that its worth maxing out your Macs RAM in one go. That will often mean removing the existing modules and replacing them. Its a good idea, though not essential, to buy all the RAM you fit at the same time from the same manufacturer. If you decide just to fill empty slots, the same applies. And you should pair RAM modules of the same capacity, if possible. The biggest hurdle will be whether it is possible to upgrade the RAM in your Mac, its easy to add more RAM to a 27-inch iMac, but as we said above, many modern Macs cannot be user-upgraded at all, which is why our usual advice is to buy as much RAM as you can afford as a build-to-order option when you first buy your Mac. We have a separate tutorial with more information about installing RAM in a Mac. 20. Do a clean install of macOS Apple If all else fails, and youve tried everything weve suggested to speed up your Mac without success, there is one more option: a clean reinstallation of the OS . Its not a job to be undertaken lightly youll need to delete your entire boot drive. But, it will clear all the files that have been collected in the system Library and the user Libraries over the years and which may be causing the Mac to run slowly. Remember to make at least one, preferably two, complete back-ups of your bit drive before you start so you can copy documents, images, music and anything else you need back once youve installed the new OS. And dont fall into the trap of thinking you have everything in the cloud, because there will be something that isnt in the cloud! 21. Buy a new Mac Apple If you are still struggling with a slow Mac read our guide to choosing a new Mac so that you can find the best replacement for you. Read: Which Mac is best or Which MacBook to buy. We also have round-ups of the best Mac deals right now so you can get a Mac at a lower price than Apple sells it for: iMac deals Mac mini deals MacBook Pro deals MacBook Air deals Mac Studio deals Cleaning and Data Recovery Software, Mac, MacOS, Personal Software
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Using NameDrop to share phone contacts is just one of the many ways iOS 17 is redefining the iPhone. Heres how to perform this digital exchange of info.
Apple and AI: Imperfect together
Macworld Ads. They are the disgusting fuel that makes the world go round. You thought it was angular momentum. Nope. Business Insider raises the prospect of more ads on Apple products. Apple has begun testing an AI-powered ad product similar to Googles Performance Max as it looks to supercharge its $7 billion ad business While Apples new tool appears to be limited to placements within the App Store, mobile-advertising experts said it could logically follow that Apple would eventually expand it to other properties. Huge, if true. Hugely gross, the Macalope means. But is it? People who identify as mobile advertising experts are likely to not see any kind of problem with paving the entire world in ads, so are not likely to have any familiarity with good taste. Commentators have previously speculated that Apple would soon bring ads to Maps, Apple TV+, and its Books app. Speculation that Apple will add an ad-supported tier to TV+ is rampant after the company hired Joseph Cady , former EVP of advanced advertising and partnerships at NBCUniversal. As every other major streaming service already has an ad-supported tier, this seems like an obvious move to make. The Macalope looks forward to TV+ maturing into the kind of grown-up streaming service that regularly cancels shows you love after two seasons and just flat-out refuses to air things that are already in the can because the tax write-off is more lucrative than the money theyd make showing it. Only then will it have arrived. Before we dip a bucket into the Steve Jobs would never well (which is full of bugs, algae, and maybe an old tire), we should look at Jobs track record on ads. Sure, he seemed pretty proud of the fact that TV shows purchased on iTunes were ad-free when he announced iTunes 6 in 2005. But he was also the one to enthusiastically note that a popular format for monetizing apps would be ads when the App Store was announced. While the Macalope doubts hed want them festooning Apple products like Intel stickers, he wasnt completely opposed to them. That said, the Macalope thinks the over-ad-ification of Apple products is one of the biggest threats to the companys reputation for a premium user experience. When you search for something in the App Store, the first thing you see is always an ad, which is rather minimally identified as such. This obviously does not serve the user and it is a real pain point for the developer of whatever you were actually searching for. Not to contradict Tim Cooks assertion that the App Store is a trusted place where developers and users could come together in a two-sided transaction. IDG IDG IDG Not only is Apple the unmentioned third party in that transaction, but if the customer had to search for the app, its there again as an ad seller and the developers competition is there as well, jumping up and down trying to distract the customer. AIs value add here is purported to be in targeting the ads toward the right groups. You know, left-handed people who recently ate but would be willing to split a dessert and are not Mennonites but are curious about the lifestyle. These are notorious Wink drinkers. In general, the Macalope is somewhat leery of AI in this ad context. Well, okay, hes leery of it in a lot of contexts, but this one as well. Someday were going to reach the point where ads are sold targeting AIs, trying to influence them to influence us on our buying decisions. Jokes on them, though, because the Macalope already outsourced all of his buying decisions to an Al. Al Henster, his financial advisor. And Al doesnt have a computer. Just business cards that read The Analog Advisor. Game, set, and match. iOS
iPhone 15 Pro vs. iPhone 15 Plus: a surprisingly tough choice
Apple's iPhone 15 Plus is a compelling pick for those looking for big screen at an affordable price, but how does it compare to the iPhone 15 Pro?
The 10 best apps for a second phone number in 2024
Getting a second phone number is a lot easier than you might think. In this article, we highlight the best apps for getting a second phone number.
iPhone 17 to Feature New Scratch Resistant Anti-Reflective Display
Next year's iPhone 17 will feature an anti-reflective display that is more scratch-resistant than Apple's Ceramic Shield found on iPhone 15 models, according to a new rumor out of Asia. Anti-reflection properties of Galaxy S24 Ultra (bottom) vs. iPhone 15 (Image: IceUniverse ) Chinese Weibo leaker Instant Digital claimed on Tuesday that the outer glass on the iPhone 17 is set to have a super-hard anti-reflective layer that is more scratch-resistant than you think. The coating equipment has just been handed over to China's supply chain, according to the leaker, but not in time for it to feature in this year's upcoming iPhone 16 series. Ceramic Shield is a marketing name for a glass-ceramic material developed by Corning in collaboration with Apple. Apple says the Ceramic Shield on the iPhone 15 is ougher than any smartphone glass. Introduced on iPhone 12 models in 2020, Apple advertised the ceramic-infused glass as increasing drop performance by 4x compared to the iPhone 11. More recently, Samsung debuted its newest Galaxy S24 Ultra, which features a Gorilla Glass Armor display panel, also developed by Corning. According to Corning , the Armor panel cuts reflections by 75 percent compared to a typical glass surface, and is resistant to micro scratches that build up over time on competing glass panels. Corning also claims the panels offer over 4x more scratch resistance than competitive aluminosilicate cover glasses. It's not clear whether Apple is planning to adopt Gorilla Glass Armor for the iPhone 17, but the description matches the Chinese leaker's claims. Corning could also be supplying Apple with an equivalent technology that will be branded under another name. Six Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 17 Corning has been a longtime Apple supplier, with Gorilla Glass used in devices across Apple's product lineup. In 2021 , Apple said it had invested a combined $495 million to support Corning's ongoing research and development into state-of-the-art glass processes, which led to the creation of Ceramic Shield. Tags: Corning , Instant Digital This article, iPhone 17 to Feature New Scratch Resistant Anti-Reflective Display first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
How to use iOS 17 FaceTime gestures (and what they look like)
FaceTime gestures is one of the coolest new iPhone features in iOS 17, letting you trigger fun 3D animations with a move of your hand. Here's how to use it.
Best Phones Under $300 in 2024 - CNET
Check out the best phones with productive and essential features that won't break your budget in 2024.
Unlock the Future with Galaxy AI: Experience the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra for Just Rs. 5417/Month
Get protection for your Mac and more with the ESET NOD32 Antivirus, now $20
Macworld The days of Macs dont get viruses are sadly long gone. Fortunately, ESET NOD32 Antivirus offers protection created by a team of experts with 30 years of experience fighting malicious software for a price you can only get through March 24. Available for MacOS 11 and higher, ESETs antivirus software uses multiple layers of active protection to filter out malware, viruses, ransomware, spyware, worms, and more. It even helps protect you against social engineering with an anti-phishing system that keeps tainted messages from corrupting your system . You wont notice it at work, however, as its been carefully designed to avoid slowing down your processor and is light on your battery, with testing from a range of professional bodies to prove it, including top scores from AV-Test, AV-Comparatives, MRG-Effitas, and SE Labs. Its also easy on your wallet, as there are no other hidden costs, and updates are included. Its easy-to-install process and straightforward user interface make it easy to manage, earning ESETa 4 out of 5 stars from PCMag. Get antivirus protection for your Mac with ESET NOD32 Antiviruss 2024 Edition , now just $19.97 through March 24 at 11:59 PM Pacific. ESET NOD32 Antivirus 2024 Edition Only $19.97 at Macworld StackSocial prices subject to change. Accessories
How to identify a font, any font, anywhere you find it
Macworld With thousands of fonts in circulation, its tough to identify a specific font from memory, when you see it. Fortunately, you dont have tothere are free websites and an iOS app that can identify font samples for you on the fly. The process is easy and a whole lot of fun. How to identify a font from a printed sample No matter which resource you use, identifying a font from a printed sample works the same way: Scan or take a photo of the text, then upload it. After the characters themselves are correctly identified, the resource tries to find the font. For best results, use a clean, straight image of the sample text. Ideally, find a large printed example of the font and then scan it18 point text or larger works best, because the edges of the characters will be more accurate. If you dont have a scanner, take a careful snapshot with your smartphone or camera. Hold your camera steady so the text isnt skewed horizontally or vertically. If youre working with an image thats askew, you can straighten it out in an image editor. The most graceful way to identify a font in the wild is with the free WhatTheFont Mobile app. Just launch the app and then snap a photo of the text wherever it appears: on paper, signage, walls, a book, and so on. The app prompts you to crop the photo to the text and then identify each character. Probable fonts then appear in a list beneath the photo you uploaded, using the letters from your example text (which helps you determine the best match). Tap any font in the list to see more details. Here are the steps for identifying the font of the iPad box using the WhatTheFont Mobile app on an iPhone. Here are the steps for identifying the font of the iPad box using the WhatTheFont Mobile app on an iPhone. IDG Here are the steps for identifying the font of the iPad box using the WhatTheFont Mobile app on an iPhone. IDG IDG If you dont have an iOS device(!), try using one of these websites instead: WhatFontIs WhatTheFont Each site examines an image you upload and then asks you to enter the letters that appear in your image. The website then tries its very best to identify the font for you. Again, the better the picture, the better your chances are of finding the font. How to find out what the font is on a webpage Happily, its far easier to identify fonts on the web than it is in print. If the font you want to find is used in live web text, as opposed to an image, just use WhatFont , which is available as a bookmarklet, as well as an extension for Safari and Chrome . Once installed, the extension adds a small f? button to the left of the address field in your browser. Click the button, point your mouse at some text, and information about the font magically appears. Clicking on some text while WhatFont is active pins a font detail panel to that text. This panel not only indicates the font name and size, it also shows the fonts alphabet and its color (as a hex value). The WhatFont browser extension can provide a list of potential fint identifiers. The WhatFont browser extension can provide a list of potential fint identifiers. Foundry The WhatFont browser extension can provide a list of potential fint identifiers. Foundry Foundry Find out what font is used in an image on the web If the font you want to identify on the web is actually inside an image (say, a logo or an ad), youll need to use one of the printed font resources mentioned earlier. However, instead of uploading your own image of the text, just drag the image from the website to your desktop and then upload that image to the font-identifying service. That said, Firefox and Chrome users can automatically upload images using the WhatFontIs extension . Once installed, simply right-click an image and choose Use this image on WhatFontIs.com. The WhatFontIs.com site opens in a new tab with your image primed and ready for identification. Profession font finders on the web If none of the above resources can identify your font, try uploading the image to one of the following popular font identification forums. In a best-case scenario, your font will be identified in minutes. Otherwise, it may take a few hours or even days. WhatTheFont Forum on MyFonts Font Identification Forum on Dafont This article was written by Lesa Snider and has been updated from when it was originally posted. iOS, MacOS, Professional Software
Google Play Games for PC to Expand Support for Native PC Games This Year
Google Play Games was released for Windows in 2022, bringing a diverse lineup of select Android games to PC. Googles gaming service, first announced in 2021, was launched in Beta in India last year, as well, offering optimised Android games for PC. Google recently announced that it will expand support for native PC games on the platform, offering more bespoke PC ti...
When Will Apple Announce WWDC 2024 Dates?
The 35th annual Worldwide Developers Conference isn't set to take place until June, but we are creeping closer to the general time when Apple tends to announce the dates for its developer event. Apple could make its first WWDC event date announcement in less than two weeks at the end of March or the beginning of April. Here are Apple's past WWDC announcement dates: 2023 - Wednesday, March 29 2022 - Tuesday, April 5 2021 - Tuesday, March 30 2020 - Friday, March 13 2019 - Thursday, March 14 2018 - Tuesday, March 13 2017 - Thursday, February 16 2016 - Monday, April 18 2015 - Tuesday, April 14 2014 - Thursday, April 3 Given these dates, we could see a WWDC announcement from Apple anytime from Tuesday, March 26 to Friday, March 29, though Apple might also hold the announcement until the next week, unveiling dates on Tuesday, April 2. WWDC Date Possibilities For the last several years, Apple held WWDC during the first week of June, and that's also the most likely target date this year. June 3 to June 7 would make the most sense based on past WWDC events, though June 10 to June 14 is also possible. Past WWDC dates: 2023 - June 5 to June 9 2022 - June 6 to June 10 2021 - June 7 to June 11 2020 - June 22 to June 26 2019 - June 3 to June 7 2018 - June 4 to June 8 2017 - June 5 to June 9 2016 - June 12 to June 17 2015 - June 8 to June 12 2014 - June 2 to June 6 WWDC Software Announcements Apple will unveil iOS 18 , iPadOS 18, macOS 15, watchOS 11, tvOS 18, HomePod Software 18, and visionOS 2 at WWDC this year, and the updates will be provided to developers directly after the keynote event. Betas will be limited to developers for the first month or so, but if Apple follows tradition, the software will be made available through public betas in July 2024. iOS 18 is the only update that we've heard much about, and Apple is said to be focusing heavily on artificial intelligence this year. There will be new AI additions across the OS, and Bloomberg 's Mark Gurman believes it could be one of the biggest updates we've seen to the iPhone in years. All of the rumors about what's coming in iOS 18 can be found in our roundup. Possible Hardware Announcements at WWDC There are no rumors yet that Apple will introduce new hardware, but we are waiting on refreshes for several Macs. Apple has yet to update the Mac Studio , Mac mini , or Mac Pro with M3 chips, so there is a possibility that some of these new Macs will see a debut at WWDC. Read More We have a dedicated WWDC 2024 roundup that will be updated on a regular basis as we learn more about what to expect from this year's developer event. Related Roundup: WWDC 2024 Related Forum: Apple, Inc and Tech Industry This article, When Will Apple Announce WWDC 2024 Dates? first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
The Perils of Having a Smartphone as Your Main Means of Connection - CNET
Commentary: What AT&T's outage means in an era when your whole life is routed through your phone.
Since Apple announced plans for the 0.50 euro Core Technology Fee that apps distributed using the new EU App Store business terms must pay, there have been ongoing concerns about what that fee might mean for a developer that suddenly has a free app go viral. Apple's VP of regulatory law Kyle Andeers today met with developers during a workshop on Apple's Digital Markets Act compliance. iOS developer Riley Testut, best known for Game Boy Advance emulator GBA4iOS, asked what Apple would do if a young developer unwittingly racked up millions in fees. Testut explained that when he was younger, that exact situation happened to him. Back in 2014 as an 18-year-old high school student, he released GBA4iOS outside of the App Store using an enterprise certificate. The app was unexpectedly downloaded more than 10 million times, and under Apple's new rules with Core Technology Fee, Testut said that would have cost $5 million euros, bankrupting his family. He asked whether Apple would actually collect that fee in a similar situation, charging the high price even though it could financially ruin a family. In response, Andeers said that Apple is working on figuring out a solution, but has not done so yet. He said Apple does not want to stifle innovation and wants to figure out how to keep young app makers and their parents from feeling scared to release an app. Andeers told Testut to stay tuned for an answer. What we are trying to do is tear apart a model that has been integrated for 15 years. And so for 15 years, the way we've monetized everything was through the commission. It covered everything from technology to distribution to payment processing, and the beauty of that model is that it allowed developers to take risks. Apple only got paid if the developer got paid, and that was an incredible engine for innovation over the last 15 years. We've seen it go from 500 apps to more than 1.5 million. To your point, we've seen kids everywhere from 8-year-olds, 9-year-olds, 10-year-olds, to teenagers come up with some amazing applications and it's been one of the great success stories of the App Store. In terms of the Core Technology Fee and our business model, we had to change. The mandates of the DMA forced us to tear apart what we had built and price each component individually. And so we now have a fee associated with technology, tools, and services, we now have a fee associated with distribution and the services we provide through the App Store, and then we have a separate fee for payment processing if a developer wants to use it. To your point - what is the impact on the dreamer, the kid who is just getting started. It could be a kid, it could be an adult, it could be a grandparent. We want to continue to encourage those sorts of developers. We build a store based on individual entrepreneurs, not so much catering to large corporate interests. And so we really wanted to figure out how do we solve for that. We haven't figured out that solution here. I fully appreciate that. We looked at the data. We didn't see many examples of where you had that viral app or an app just took off that incurred huge costs. That said, I don't care what the data said. We don't care what the data said. We want people to continue to feel... and not be scared... some parents... hey, I've got four kids who play around with this stuff. I don't have five million euros to pay. This is something we need to figure out, and it is something we're working on. So I would say on that one, stay tuned. It is not clear when Apple might come up with a solution or what that solution might be, but it sounds like the company might soon have some kind of option for these rare fringe cases when an app goes unexpectedly viral. The 0.50 euro Core Technology Fee (CTF) that Apple is charging applies to all apps created under Apple's new business terms, both those distributed in the App Store and those distributed outside of the App Store in the European Union. The CTF must be paid for every first app install over one million installs. A free app that is distributed outside of the App Store and downloaded over a million times will owe 0.50 euros for every subsequent first install, aka the first time a customer downloads an app on a device each year. The fee is incurred whether or not an app charges, creating a situation where an app developer could owe Apple money without ever making a dime. As it stands, the CTF is a major unknown for any kind of freemium or free app built under the new business terms that might go viral, effectively making it very risky to develop a free or freemium app outside of the App Store. A free or freemium app that gets two million annual first installs would need to pay an estimated $45,290 in fees per month, or more than half a million dollars per year, even with no money earned. That's not a sustainable model for free apps, and freemium apps would need to earn at least 0.50 euros per user to break even. App developers are able to continue to use Apple's current App Store business terms instead of adopting the new terms, paying just 15 to 30 percent commission to Apple with no change. That prevents distribution outside of the App Store, and it prevents developers from using third-party alternative payment solutions in the App Store. Adopting any of the new features that Apple has implemented because of the Digital Markets Act requires opting in to the updated business terms. Apple has been tweaking the app ecosystem rules that it introduced in the European Union based on developer feedback. Developers can now opt back in to the current App Store rules after trying out the new rules, though this is only available one time. Apple also recently did away with an app marketplace restriction that required alternative marketplaces to offer apps from any third-party developer that wanted to participate. Third-party app stores are now able to offer apps only from their own catalog, and developers will soon be able to distribute apps directly from their websites as long as they meet Apple's requirements. Note that all of these changes are limited to the European Union, and the App Store is operating as before in the United States and other countries. Tags: App Store , European Union , Apple Developer Program This article, Apple Working on Solution for EU Core Technology Fee Possibly Bankrupting Apps That Go Unexpectedly Viral first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
We may have just learned how Apple will compete with ChatGPT
Apple might look to boost your devices artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities by loading Google Gemini into iOS and macOS, a new report has claimed.
Will Apple Watch Series 10 monitor your blood pressure? Not exactly
A blood pressure checker could arrive with Apple's 10th-generation smartwatch this fall, but it won't have the precision already offered by some rival devices.
The best Moto G 5G (2023) cases you can buy
Your Motorola Moto G 5G (2023) will look even better with a high-quality case. Here are the best ones you can buy today.
The FineWoven debate is over, and all you leatherheads lost
Remember when Apple announced it would no longer use leather in accessories and introduced FineWoven as a replacement? Remember how the internet basically exploded, screaming The post The FineWoven debate is over, and all you leatherheads lost appeared first on BGR .
The iPhones AI future just got a lot more interesting
Apple is reportedly eying a Google partnership to put Gemini AI one your iPhone. The possibilities are bright, but the pitfalls are equally worrying.
Apple is reportedly in talks to license Googles Gemini AI for use in iOS
Macworld The AI race shows no signs of slowing down. Weve reported about how iOS 18 is expected to build in many different AI features throughout the OS, and Apple is racing ahead with its AI research and development, publishing new research papers and code several times a month. But all that internal development doesnt mean the company wont also the approach of Microsoft, whose Copilot features in Windows are built with licensed OpenAI technology. If the latest report from Bloomberg is true, iOS 18 may have one or more AI features powered by Googles new Gemini AI . Mark Gurman cites people familiar with the situation in claiming that Apple is in talks with Google to license Gemini to power some new features coming to the iPhone software this year. Gemini is Googles latest next-generation generative AI model just introduced in December (with Gemini 1.5 announced in February ). Apple is said to have also spoken with OpenAI recently as well. Google has paid Apple billions of dollars a year to make its search engine the default for the iPhones Safari web browser. Users can change this , but most dont know how or care to. As a result, over a billion iPhone users make multiple Google searches a day, helping to cement Googles dominance in search and of course making the company a ton of money serving ads. Its unclear how this new deal would compare to that one. The report says that issues like branding or the scope of how features would be implemented have not yet been decided. Gemini made a big splash when it arrived earlier this year, but quickly ran into controversy. After a series of social-media posts showing inaccurate depictions of historical figures, Google paused image generation and admitted that its tuning to ensure that Gemini showed a range of people failed to account for cases that should clearly not show a range. Apple is pushing hard to introduce lots of big new AI-driven features in iOS 18 and has been publishing research papers on AI at an increasing rate over the last several months. A deal to use Googles generative AI may be an indication that Apple isnt far enough along in producing some of its own AI tools, or the effort may be limited in scopeusing Gemini for browser-based features like AI-powered search or web page summaries, for example, while Apples own AI is used for other features like image editing and an upgraded Siri. We likely wont hear anything concrete about Apples AI partners and homegrown tools until WWDC in June, when the company takes the wraps off iOS 18, macOS 15, and its other new operating systems. Apple Inc, iOS
Tests show how the M3 MacBook Airs best feature can hinder performance
Macworld One of the major differences between the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro is that the Air lacks cooling fans. That means the Air will slow down its performance if the task at hand causes the computer to generate excessive heat. Thats always been the case with the Airs, but apparently, its jumped to a new extreme with the M3 MacBook Air. Max Tech has done some extensive benchmarking with the M3 MacBook Air and discovered that when using the M3 Air in clamshell mode with two external displays , one of the laptops major new features, the laptop throttles so much that performance could be cut in half. Max Tech was able to do this by running the 3D Mark Wildlife Extreme benchmark for 20 minutes. After the sixth minute, the performance starts to dip and it continues to do so until about 50 percent of the performance is lost. Weve mentioned (and experienced) the MacBook Air throttling with past models, and even saw some of it while testing the new M3 MacBook Air with the laptop open. The clamshell mode (where the Air is closed while connected to external displays) shows a more drastic drop than weve seen with past Air models due to the laptops lack of a fan. The argument can be made that the situation that causes the drop is an outlier, but its not3DMark Wild Life Extreme is a 3D graphics test that performs tasks commonly used in high-end games, and Apple touts the Air as a capable gaming laptop. Also, the throttling isnt just with this one benchmark test. Max Tech saw a similar drop in Cinebench 2024 and with an Adobe Lightroom Classic image import. How to maintain M3 MacBook Air performance in clamshell mode Max Tech tried a few different things to prevent the M3 MacBook Air from throttling down. First, they used a Svalt Cooling Block , which is a laptop stand that also doubles as a heat sink, drawing away heat thats dissipating through the bottom of the case. Then they used the Svalt Cooling Block with a Svalt Cooling Fan Fx . Both methods reduced the amount of throttling, with the Block/Fan setup being better than with just the Block. Lastly, they cracked the Air case, installed thermal pads, and placed the Air on the Block with a Fan. This setup was the most successful, showing little to no throttling or performance loss. In fact, in some tests, the Air slightly outperformed the M3 MacBook Pro . Using the Svalt Cooling Block with the Cooling Fan Fx is a simple method to address the problem, but its a pricey onethe Block is $279 and the Fan is $49. Add that to the price of the $1,699 15-inch MacBook Air used in Max techs testing, and youre paying $2,023, which is $24 more than the $1,999 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro that will soon be updated to support two displays in clamshell mode like the Air. Cheaper stands with cooling fans are available, but its not known how effective they are for this purpose. Adding thermal pads is also relatively easy, but not everyone feels comfortable with cracking open a MacBook to access the inner workings. Why does the MacBook Air have no fans? So Apple can make it as thin and light as possible. However, the technology does exist where Apple could put fans in the Air without making the laptop bigger. A few months ago, I saw a demonstration of a hacked MacBook Air outfitted with Frores AirJet , which is what Frore calls a solid-state active cooling chip. Theyre fans that are a little bigger than the size of an SD Card. The AirJet drew the heat away from the Airs CPU, which allowed it to maintain performance. AirJet isnt a product consumers can buy, but it could be an option down the line as processors get more powerful and basic needs get more demanding. Apple has not commented on Max Tech findings, but Apple has always positioned the MacBook Air as a general consumer laptop that can do the occasional heavy-duty task usually done with a pro-level app. If you find yourself doing load-heavy work consistently, a MacBook Pro (which has cooling fans) is more appropriate. For more about the MacBook Air, check out our M3 MacBook Air superguide . Apple 13-inch MacBook Air (M3, 2024) Price When Reviewed: $1,099 (base) Best Prices Today: $1,049.99 at Amazon $1099 at Adorama $1099 at Apple Apple 15-inch MacBook Air (M3, 2024) Price When Reviewed: $1,299 (base) Best Prices Today: $1,234 at Amazon $1299 at Adorama $1299 at Apple Read our full Apple 15-inch MacBook Air (M3, 2024) review MacBook
New iPads Likely to Begin Shipping in April
Apple's new iPad Pro models with OLED displays will likely begin shipping to customers in April, according to information shared today by Ross Young , CEO of display industry research firm Display Supply Chain Consultants. Bloomberg 's Mark Gurman also said the new iPad Pro models might not ship until deeper into April in his Power On newsletter on Sunday: I've repeatedly said that new software for the iPad Pro a variant of iPadOS 17.4 designed for the updated models won't be complete until the end of March or even sometime in April. Once the OS is finished, Apple needs to send it off to the factories to be installed on the new hardware. That process could last a couple weeks, probably taking us deeper into next month. Young expects Apple to announce the new iPad Pro models in late March or early April, so the devices could still be unveiled later this month. Gurman has also said that an announcement is possible as early as the end of March. Young reiterated that Apple plans to launch a larger 12.9-inch iPad Air as well, and it will likely be announced alongside the new iPad Pro models. The following iPad-related announcements are expected in March or April: Two new iPad Pro models with the M3 chip, OLED displays, a thinner enclosure , a landscape-oriented front camera , a redesigned rear camera bump and other design tweaks, and possibly MagSafe wireless charging Two new iPad Air models with the M2 chip and a landscape-oriented front camera , including a first-ever 12.9-inch model A new Magic Keyboard for the iPad Pro with a larger trackpad, a partially-aluminum enclosure , and other design tweaks A new Apple Pencil Gurman previously ruled out an Apple Event for the new iPads . Instead, the devices will likely be announced in a press release on the Apple Newsroom website, like the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models with the M3 chip were earlier this month . Young said Samsung will be the exclusive supplier of OLED displays for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, while Samsung and LG will apparently split orders for the 11.1-inch model. Related Roundups: iPad Air , iPad Pro Tags: Mark Gurman , Ross Young Buyer's Guide: iPad Air (Don't Buy) , 11 iPad Pro (Don't Buy) , 12.9 iPad Pro (Don't Buy) Related Forum: iPad This article, New iPads Likely to Begin Shipping in April first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
Humorous Apple Ad Highlights iPhone 15 Storage
Apple's latest ad for the iPhone 15 models focuses on the device's storage, highlighting the 128GB of available storage space for the entry-level device. The ad features a man looking through his photos, and each photo on the device sings Don't Let Go by Terrace Martin, Mr. Talkbox, and PJ Morton. He ultimately decides not to delete his images. The spot ends with the tagline Lots of storage for lots of photos. While the standard iPhone 15 models and the iPhone 15 Pro models start with 128GB of storage, Apple offers 256GB and 512GB upgrade options, with an additional 1TB option for the iPhone 15 Pro. The iPhone 15 Pro Max models start with double the storage at 256GB, with 512GB and 1TB available when upgrading. Tag: Apple Ads This article, Humorous Apple Ad Highlights iPhone 15 Storage first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
How to replace lost or broken AirPods, AirPods Pro, or cases
Damaged or missing AirPods is something no one wants to face, but fortunately, there are a few ways you can go about getting your earbuds fixed or replaced.
Get up to 29% off the Google Pixel 7a, Pixel 8, and Pixel 8 Pro
Amazon's Google Pixel unlocked phones sale includes discounts of up to 29% off on Android devices, namely the Pixel 7a, Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro, and Pixel Fold.
I reviewed Garmins newest fitness watch. Heres why its a must-buy
The Garmin Forerunner 165 is a new, reasonably priced entry in Garmin's roster of fitness watches. But is it worth its price tag compared to other options?
All of Amazons Fire Kids tablets are heavily discounted today
The Amazon Fire Kids tablets sale is your chance to get your child a mobile device for cheap, with prices starting as low as $70 and discounts as much as $50.
Apple Publishes Details About New 'MM1' AI Model
Apple researchers have developed a new method for training large language models (LLMs) that seamlessly integrates both text and visual information. The company's findings, detailed in a research paper titled MM1: Methods, Analysis & Insights from Multimodal LLM Pre-training , showcase a new approach to creating more intelligent and flexible AI systems. By utilizing a diverse dataset comprising image-caption pairs, interleaved image-text documents, and text-only data, Apple's claims that the MM1 model sets a new standard in AI's ability to perform tasks such as image captioning, visual question answering, and natural language inference with a high level of accuracy. Apple's research focuses on the combination of different types of training data and model architectures, which enables the AI to understand and generate language based on a mix of visual and linguistic cues. This capability is vital for tasks that require a nuanced comprehension of the world, such as interpreting complex images or answering questions that involve visual elements. The paper also highlights the MM1 model's exceptional in-context learning abilities, particularly in the largest 30 billion parameter configuration of the model. This version apparently exhibits remarkable capabilities for multi-step reasoning over multiple images using few-shot chain-of-thought prompting, a technique that allows the AI to perform complex, open-ended problem solving based on minimal examples. This research emerges as part of Apple's broader initiative to enhance its AI capabilities amid growing competition. Earlier today, Bloomberg 's Mark Gurman reported that Apple is in discussions with Google to license Google's Gemini generative large-language models to power new features coming to the iPhone as part of iOS 18 . Tag: Artificial Intelligence This article, Apple Publishes Details About New 'MM1' AI Model first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
Anker and Jackery Introduce Discounts on Portable Power Stations, Bluetooth Speakers, and More
Anker and Jackery are kicking off the week with discounts on portable power stations, as well as a wide array of wall chargers and other USB-C accessories. All of the products in this sale can be found on Amazon, and some will require you to clip an on-page coupon then head to the checkout screen before you see the final sale price Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running. Highlights of Jackery's deals include the Explorer 100 Plus Portable Power Station , available for just $99.99, down from $149.00. This is a miniature-sized portable power station that can fit in the palm of your hand and weighs just 2.13 lbs, while featuring a 31,000 mAh capacity and 128W output. For these Jackery products, you can enter the code JAPLUS05 on Amazon and get an extra 5 percent discount when you purchase over $1,000 through March 25. $49 OFF Jackery Explorer 100 Plus for $99.99 Switching to the Anker deals, some of the best markdowns can be found on the company's Soundcore brand of Bluetooth speakers. You can get the Soundcore Motion 300 Wireless Bluetooth Speaker for $63.99, down from $79.99, and the Soundcore Motion X600 Wireless Bluetooth Speaker for $149.98, down from $199.99. Anker also has a huge collection of batteries, cables, hubs, and more on sale. $16 OFF Soundcore Motion 300 Wireless Bluetooth Speaker for $63.99 $50 OFF Soundcore Motion X600 Wireless Bluetooth Speaker for $149.98 Jackery Explorer 100 Plus Portable Power Station - $99.99, down from $149.00 Solar Generator 300 Plus Portable Power Station - $479.00 with on-page coupon, down from $579.00 Expansion Battery Pack for 1000 Plus - $698.99, down from $799.00 Explorer 2000 Pro Portable Power Station - $1,199.00, down from $1,899.00 Expansion Battery Pack for 2000 Plus - $1,199.00 with on-page coupon, down from $1,599.00 Anker Audio Soundcore Motion 300 Wireless Bluetooth Speaker - $63.99, down from $79.99 Soundcore Motion X600 Wireless Bluetooth Speaker - $149.98, down from $199.99 Portable Batteries Nano Portable Charger with Built-In Lightning Connector - $18.99, down from $29.99 Nano Power Bank with Built-In USB-C Cable - $37.99 with on-page coupon, down from $49.99 Prime Power Bank 20,000 mAh with 100W Charging Base - $157.24 with on-page coupon, down from $184.99 Power Stations Portable Power Station with Smart Display + Retractable Light - $109.99 with on-page coupon, down from $149.99 SOLIX F1200 Portable Power Station - $749.00 with on-page coupon, down from $1,098.00 SOLIX F2000 Portable Power Station - $1,399.00 with on-page coupon, down from $1,999.00 Wall Chargers 20W USB-C Charger - $13.99, down from $16.99 65W 3-Port USB-C Charger - $33.99 with on-page coupon, down from $55.99 100W 3-Port USB-C Charger - $42.99, down from $74.99 6-in-1 Nano Charging Station - $45.99, down from $65.99 Prime 67W 3-Port Charger - $49.99, down from $65.99 Hubs 4-Port USB-C Hub - $15.99, down from $19.99 10-in-1 USB-C Hub - $75.00, down from $149.99 If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week. Related Roundup: Apple Deals This article, Anker and Jackery Introduce Discounts on Portable Power Stations, Bluetooth Speakers, and More first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
Two AirPods 4 models coming this year with noise-cancellation and a lower price
Macworld Bloomberg leaker-analyst Mark Gurman has reiterated his prediction, which we covered back in December , that not one but two new sets of AirPods will launch in 2024. But we now have rather more details of the upcoming wireless earbud launch. In the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, Gurman reveals that the new models will enter formal production in May, setting the stage for a release around September or October [2024]. That means they could appear alongside the iPhone 16 , or at a second fall event if Apple decides to pursue that strategy again. Either way, this should be a big deal. For one thing, AirPods fansof which there are manyhave been starved of new releases in recent years. The only thing they got in 2023 was a USB-C case for the 2nd-gen AirPods Pro, which came out in September 2022. And the last time a non-Pro model came out was back in 2021. For another, the new models incorporate a lot of changes from the status quo. Releasing a pair of non-Pro AirPods at the same time is a new strategy (designed to simplify the range, which currently presents customers with both the 2nd- and 3rd-gen AirPods but no obvious way to tell them apart or understand why the latter costs more). And targeting the budget range, which the cheaper of the two models is expected to do, is a new strategy. Both the B768(E) and B768(M) models (the final letters in those codenames standing for entry and mid-tier respectively) will see a physical redesign, improved fit, and USB-C-equipped cases, but unsurprisingly only the mid-tier model will get new features worth mentioning: active noise cancellation, and Find My speakers in the case. Gurman adds that there will be new AirPods Pro as well, but not until 2025. He says, intriguingly, that these will feature low-resolution cameras that can scan the environment around a user. For all the latest news and rumors, check out our regularly updated guide to the new AirPods . Or, if you cant wait until the fall, pick up a bargain on one of the current models with our roundup of the best AirPods deals . Headphones
iOS 17.4.1 Update for iPhone is Imminent
iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 should be released within the next few days, with a build number of 21E235, according to a source with a proven track record. MacRumors previously reported that Apple was internally testing iOS 17.4.1 . As a minor update for the iPhone, it will likely address software bugs and/or security vulnerabilities. It is unclear if the update will include any other changes. As to be expected, Apple has also been internally testing iOS 17.5, and the first beta of that update is likely to be released this week. We consider it likely that there will also be a macOS 14.4.1 update for the Mac at some point, as there have been complaints about several bugs on macOS 14.4 related to USB hubs , Java , Bluetooth, printers, audio plugins, and more. Related Roundups: iOS 17 , iPadOS 17 Related Forums: iOS 17 , iPadOS 17 This article, iOS 17.4.1 Update for iPhone is Imminent first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
Nothing can stop the Oura Ring
There are more smart rings on the market than ever before. But no matter what, it seems like nothing can stop the Oura Ring.
Moto X50 Ultra, Xiaomi Civi 4 Pro, and More Phones Confirmed to Launch With Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 SoC
Qualcommannounced the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chipset on Monday, March 18. It is said to be a more affordable version of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset which was introduced last year. Following the launch of the latest, artificial intelligence-backed SoC, several brands have confirmed the4nm octa-core chipset for their upcoming models.
Do iPhone 14 cases fit the iPhone 15? Sort of, but not quite
The iPhone 15 series looks a lot like the iPhone 14 series. However, can you use older cases on the new models? That's the question we're going to answer.
Accessorize your Apple Vision Pro with these cases, clips, and more
Macworld So you just dropped $3,500 or more on an Apple Vision Pro. Congratulations! If you want to take it anywhere, you might want to invest in a case if you ever plan to take it out of your home. And what about that battery packcan you do something about that? Or the straps Apple providesare there better options? These are some of the most interesting Vision Pro accessories weve tried so far. The product is still very new and relatively niche, so there are limited accessories available right now with more coming all the time. Vision Pro: Apple accessories Like iPhones and Macs, Apple sells numerous accessories for Vision Pro, most of which are spare and replacement parts for accessories that come with the device. Battery : $199 Light Seal : $199 Light Seal Cushion : $29 SoloKnit Band : $99 Dual L oop Band : $99 Vision Pro: Third-party accessories Vision Pro Shield Case Pros Attractive with multiple colors. Compact Well-made Cons Maybe a little too compactit's a tight fit Limited options if you're not into leather Price When Reviewed: $179 Best Prices Today: $179 at WaterField Designs WaterField Designs makes great leather cases and pouches, and their Vision Pro case is no exception. With ballistic vinyl sides and a leather top, its soft and well-cushioned insides will hold your Vision Pro, straps, power adapter, battery, and lenses. Theres even a little hidden pouch in the outside pocket for an AirTag. The is a little high at $179theres not much leather in thisbut you can get a blue or black all-vinyl version for $159. Our favorite thing about this is how compact it is. It fits easily in most backpacks with room to spare. Our least favorite thing is that its too compact. Getting everything in is a little bit of a tight fit, and a few millimeters more room in each dimension would make it a little easier to use. Klasden Pouch Pros Relatively affordable Rigid and durable Roomy and easy to use Cons difficult to fit into smaller backpacks and bags Price When Reviewed: $89.99 Best Prices Today: $27.99 at Amazon $89.99 at Spigen Spigens Klasden Pouch is half the price of Apples official case and honestly, we prefer it. Its similar in size, and its rigid exterior make it feel more like a piece of luggage than a gadget case. The inside is roomy enough to easily fit your Vision Pro, battery, power adapter, USB cable, lenses, and straps. Plus, theres a little AirTag pocket on the inside. Its easy to get everything in and out, but not quite so open that everything jostles around a lot. If we had feedback, wed say shrink it just a little bit and round the edges a little more, so it would be easier to get into a smaller-size backpack or bag. Battery Holder for Apple Vision Pro Pros It does indeed hold the Vision Pro battery Cons Why? Costs twice what it should Price When Reviewed: $49.95 Best Prices Today: $49.95 at Belkin If youre just dying to relive your favorite Blackberry Holster days from 15 years ago, this would do the trick. You snap the Vision Pro battery pack into this, and it has a belt clip, a lanyard, and a little clip for the Vision Pro power cable. Butwhy? If you dont have a pocket (perhaps because womens fashion is insane), this isnt really solving your problem, because youve got nowhere to clip it and the lanyard just makes everything more cumbersome. You could clip it to a bag, but then you could just put the battery in the bag. If you do have a pocket, the Vision Pro battery pack fits comfortably in most of them. Its hard to fault Belkin too much when this product definitely does what it claims to do just fine. It just doesnt need to existand certainly not for $50. Virtual Reality
Apple to Announce New iPads on March 26, Rumors Claim
Apple is widely expected to release new iPad Air and OLED iPad Pro models in the next few weeks. According to new rumors coming out of Asia, the company will announce its new iPads on Tuesday, March 26. Chinese leaker Instant Digital on Weibo this morning claimed that the date will see some sort of announcement from Apple related to new iPads, but stopped short of calling it an official launch date. Instead, Apple could announce pre-order availability, with shipping dates to follow. Separately, Chinese website IT Home claimed that March 26 will see Apple release new iPads. However, the outlet appears to have interpreted this as a launch date based on when several Amazon listings for third-party protective cases for the new iPads go live, rather than specific information from a trusted source. According to Bloomberg 's Mark Gurman , Apple plans to release new iPad Pro and iPad Air models around the end of March or in April. That said, the well-connected reporter now seems to be leaning more towards the possibility of an April release. Writing in the latest subscriber edition of his Power On newsletter , Gurman said he wanted to clear up confusion about when he believed Apple would release new iPads (specifically new iPad Pro models). Gurman reiterated that a new variant of iPadOS 17.4 designed for the updatedmodelswon't be complete until the end of March or even sometime in April. Once the OS is finished, Apple needs to send it off to the factories to be installed on the new hardware. That process could lasta couple weeks, probably taking us deeper into next month, he wrote. Two new iPad Pro models are expected to feature a new M3 chip, OLED displays, a thinner enclosure, a landscape-oriented front camera, a redesigned camera bump, and possibly MagSafe wireless charging. The two new iPad Air models are expected to feature Apple's M2 chip and a landscape-oriented front camera, including a first-ever 12.9-inch model. Other announcements expected in the March-April window include a new Magic Keyboard for the iPad Pro with a larger trackpad, and a new Apple Pencil. Gurman previously ruled out an Apple Event for the new iPads . Instead, he believes they will be announced in a press release on the Apple Newsroom website, like the new 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models were earlier this month. Related Roundups: iPad Air , iPad Pro Tags: Mark Gurman , Instant Digital Buyer's Guide: iPad Air (Don't Buy) , 11 iPad Pro (Don't Buy) , 12.9 iPad Pro (Don't Buy) Related Forum: iPad This article, Apple to Announce New iPads on March 26, Rumors Claim first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
Best Mac for programming and developers
Macworld Do you have a great idea for an iOS app or a Mac app? Looking for the right Mac to code it on? Youve come to the right place. In this article, we will look at why a Mac is necessary for iOS development and why a Mac is a great choice for developers. We also reveal the minimum Mac you need for coding including whether a MacBook Air will be sufficient. Whether you are a seasoned app developer looking to update your Mac to something more substantial, or just trying your hand at creating an app for the first time and hoping to find a low-cost Mac thats good enough for the purpose, we will help you find the best Mac for your needs. You may be wondering if Apples M1, M2 or M3 Macs are good enough for developers or if the M2/M3 Pro, M2/M3 Max or M2 Ultra would be better. You may even be wondering if you should choose a Mac with an Intel processor. Well take a look at those questions below. If you want to skip the buying advice, you can jump straight to our recommendation of the best Mac for developers. Why you need a Mac for iOS & macOS development To develop an iOS or Mac app you will need the following: Membership of the Apple Developer Program. It costs $99 annually (about 78 in the UK) and gives you access to beta software (although you can now get access to betas without a paid account), advanced app capabilities, extensive beta testing tools, and app analytics (more information here .) To just test and deploy applications you only need an Apple ID, but you will need to be a member of the Developer Program if you want to sell your apps on the App Store. Even if you developed your app using something other than a Mac, you will need a Mac to compile the final product that is uploaded to the AppStore. Xcode is the primary tool for macOS and iOS development and it is only available on the Mac. It is a free download from the Mac App Store and the current version is 15.1 the time of writing. That includes Xcode IDE, Swift, C/C++/Objective-C compilers, Instruments analysis tool, simulators, and SDKs for the latest versions of iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, tvOS, and macOS. Note that Xcode 15 requires macOS 13 Ventura 13.5 or later, so you also need A Mac that can run macOS 13 Ventura or later. (See our macsOS compatibility checker ). One key reason to buy a Mac for development is the simple fact that its difficult to run macOS on anything other than a Mac. You could build a hackintosch , and some people do, but there are lots of reasons why we wouldnt recommend that as a solution. We also have a guide to coding and programming on a Mac. Can Apples M1, M2 or M3 Macs be used by developers? There is a lot of positive to be said about Apple M-series chips which so far include the M1-series, the M2-series (including the M2 Pro, Max and M2 Ultra) and the M3-series (with the M3 Pro and M3 Max, so far). Ever since the introduction of the M1 in November 2020 Apples home-made Arm-based chips have proved groundbreaking and the benchmarks impressive. These new Macs compared very favorably with the older Intel-powered Macs. In fact, even the M3-powered iMac beats the best-specced iMac Pro from a few years ago. As you can see from the table below. For an overview of all the M-series chips, so you can see just how powerful they can be, take a look at the benchmarks below for a clearer picture: It used to be the case that the Mac was chosen for development because you could run not only macOS on it, but also Windows and Linux and other operating systems by using virtualization and virtual machine software. However, this isnt as simple as it was. With the introduction of the M-series chips the architecture has changed and it is no longer as simple to run Windows on a Mac . Because Macs no longer use the same X86 platform as Windows if you want to run Windows on your Mac the only choice is to use the Arm version of Windows, if you need another version of Windows you need to use an Intel-powered Mac (or a PC). This move from X86 to Arm may also mean that the software you use might not be fully supported. However, over the past few years, many apps have been updated for the Arm-based chips. If the app you need isnt native yet, Apple includes Rosetta which translates old X86 code so it can run on Arm (there may be some lag if you are having to rely on that though). You can check the status here: Apps Ready for M1 and we run through which apps work on M1 Macs in a separate article. Luckily many essential apps do already run natively on the M-series chips, including Python, Unity and Chrome. One criticism of the first batch of M1 Macs was that they could only support 16GB RAM (or unified memory as Apple refers to it). Apple rectified that with the M2 Macs and M3 Macs, which support 24GB unified memory. If that still doesnt feel like enough, the M1 Pro and M2 Pro chips support up to 32GB memory, the M3 Pro supports up to 36GB memory (18GB as standard), the M1 Max chips support 64GB, the M2 Max chips support up to 96GB, and the M3 Max up to 128GB. The M1 Ultra can support up to 128GB of unified memory, while the M2 Ultra takes that to 192GB. There is a lot of debate as to whether you, as a developer, will need 32GB or more RAM. It should be noted that RAM in the M-series Macs is very different to RAM in the Intel-based Macs, but we still advise that you get 16GB RAM or more (we always recommend that you buy the most amount of RAM you can afford because it isnt possible to upgrade it later.) If you feel you need to max out the RAM you have the choice to go up to 192GBunfortunately the price of the additional RAM (which you wont be able to update later) is high. All those disadvantages aside, the Apple silicon Macs do offer some excellent positives such as incredibly long battery life; cool, quiet operation; and benchmark-beating specs. If you dont need to run other operating systems and you dont need to use software that isnt yet native to Apples chips the M-series Macs will not hold you back. Choosing the best Mac for app development We have already established that you will need a Mac that can run macOS 13 Ventura 13.5 or later in order to use the latest version of Xcode, and here are the Macs that can run Ventura: MacBook models from 2017 or later MacBook Air models from 2018 or later MacBook Pro models from 2017 or later Mac mini models from 2018 or later iMac models from 2017 or later iMac Pro (all models) Mac Pro models from 2019 or later Mac Studio (all models) So which of these Macs would be best? If you were to consider every Mac included above that would be a huge range of Mac laptops and desktops. Some are better suited to app development than others. You might find a Mac that looks like a bargain, but another Mac could offer much more for only a little extra money. To help you decide on the best Mac for your needs well look at the following requirements below: screen, portability, RAM, CPU, storage, battery life, ports and peripherals while assessing each Macs suitability for coding. Best MacBook for developers In this section, we will look at each Mac available now and discuss its merits as a coding machine. If you are trying to decide between MacBook Air and a MacBook Pro well address this next. However, a Mac mini or Mac Studio may suit you better if you are looking for the most bang for your buck in which case you may want to skip to the best Mac for development section. Apple 14-inch MacBook Pro (M3 Pro, 2023) Price When Reviewed: $1,999 Best Prices Today: $1,933.50 at Amazon $1999 at Apple The 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M3 Pro chip is a good choice for developers. It will allow you to kit it out with 36GB RAM if you dont feel that the 18GB that comes as standard is enough. How much RAM you need depends on the kind of development work you are doing. The total RAM needed will depend on the requirements of the applications you need and your development tools, youll also need to consider the RAM requirements if you want to run multiple containers or virtual machines on your Mac. We think you will need 16GB RAM at the minimum, and since the machine ships with 18GB as standard, you should be fine here. If you are buying a new Mac then wed recommend that you get as much RAM as you can afford as a build-to-order option to future-proof your purchase because its been years since it was possible to update the RAM on MacBooks. Youll also get a 11- or 12-core CPU and 14- or 18-core GPU. When it comes to the processorthe CPUthere is no difference between the M3 Pro and M3 Max (excluding the entry-level Pro which has fewer processor cores). There is a bigger difference when it comes to GPU cores though. However, as a developer, the number of GPUs may matter less, unless you are planning to play games or use apps that require powerful graphics. There is an even faster chip on offer which supports even more memory. The M3 Max is an option in both the 16-inch and 14-inch MacBook Pro, but choosing the 14-inch MacBook Pro will save you money if you dont need the bigger screen and better battery life of the 16-inch model. You may be intrigued to know that back in November 2021 Twitter, Uber, and Shopify announced that they had given their developers M1 Max MacBook Pro machines. The reason they chose to go with the M1 Max is because they found that compilation time, specifically Android build time, was cut in half. The main reason to choose the M3 Max as a developer would be to get the maximum 128GB RAM and 40 GPU cores. If you configure the 14-inch MacBook Pro with those specs it will cost $4,699/4,799, which is $300/300 less than the same configuration on the 16-inch model. The MacBook Pro comes with either 512GB or 1TB storage as standard. You can configure up to 8TB storage if necessary, but our advice would be that you shouldnt need a lot of storage on the basis that your code shouldnt take up a lot of spaceif it does you might need to look at your code. Buy the MacBook Pro from Apple or check out the best MacBook Pro deals right now here: Best MacBook Pro deals . Read our full Apple 14-inch MacBook Pro (M3 Pro, 2023) review Apple 16-inch MacBook Pro (M3 Pro, 2023) Price When Reviewed: $2,499 Best Prices Today: $2,447.94 at Amazon $2499 at Apple The 16-inch MacBook Pro is practically identical to the 14-inch model and offers the same options for the M3 Pro or M3 Max chip. The big differences are the bigger screenuseful if you need lots of windows open at onceand better battery life. Those two things may be really important to you. They come at a price thoughgenerally $300/300 more than the same on the 14-inch MacBook Pro. Do you need the bigger screen? One of the most useful things for a coder is a big screen. As a developer you will probably have several programs and windows open at once: a web browser, a text editor, and the Xcode IDE (Integrated Development Environment) to name a few. You will benefit from a large screen or things will feel uncomfortably cramped (even more so if you are using Unity3d for game development, for example). However, if you want to use a big screen there is nothing to stop you plugging an external display into your MacBook Pro. A separate screen is a good option if you are looking for a portable Mac. That way you have the benefit of being able to code wherever and whenever inspiration hits, and benefit from a bigger screen when you are at your desk. What about when you arent at your desk though? If you want as much screen as you can get on a Mac laptop then the 16-inch MacBook Pro is the one to pick. While we are discussing the screens. The 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro offer Pro Motion, which means refresh rates up to 120Hz. Refresh rates are adapted according to whats on the screen at the time. There are certainly applications that will benefit from this more than others. Its questionable how much of a benefit it will be to developers. The 14-inch and 16-inch MacBooks are able to go up to 1,000 nits sustained (full-screen) brightness, 1,600 nits peak brightness (although the extra brightness is only utilized by certain apps and for HDR content, so most of the time it will only go to 600 nits). The M2 MacBook Air doesnt offer Pro Motion and brightness is limited to 500 nits. Buy the MacBook Pro from Apple or check out the best MacBook Pro deals right now here: Best MacBook Pro deals . Apple 14-inch MacBook Pro (M3, 2023) Price When Reviewed: $1,599 Best Prices Today: $1,524 at Amazon $1599 at Apple The 13-inch M2 MacBook Pro has been replaced by a 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro and it is a good option if you are on a budget, although we do suggest you upgrade to 16GB RAM at the minimum (+$200/200), or 24GB (+$400/400) if you can afford it. The reason weve picked the 14-inch MacBook Pro over the MacBook Air is to do with how well the machine would cope if you were really pushing it. The MacBook Pro includes a fan where the MacBook Air doesnt so it will be better able to cool itself, rather than throttling the machine to cope with the pressure. One disadvantage of the M3 version of the 14-inch MacBook Pro (and the MacBook Air) is that it only supports one external display (although there are workarounds, read: How to use dual monitors with M1/2/3 Macs ). If you need more than one display (in addition to your built-in display) then you would be wise to choose an M3 Pro-powered version of the 14-inch or 16-inch MacBook Pro, as those models can support three external displays. Alternatively, the Mac mini can support a second display via HDMI, for two displays total. While the Mac Studio can support up to five displays. Read our full Apple 14-inch MacBook Pro (M3, 2023) review Apple 15-inch MacBook Air (M3, 2024) Price When Reviewed: $1,299 (base) Best Prices Today: $1,234 at Amazon $1299 at Adorama $1299 at Apple There are three different MacBook Air available. A $999/999 M2 MacBook Air thats the cheapest Mac laptop you can buy, a M3 MacBook Air with a 13-inch screen that costs just $100/100 more than the M2 MacBook Air, and a M3 MacBook Air with 15-inch screen. We discuss these models in our comparison of the M2 and M3 MacBook Air . Here we are focusing on the biggest MacBook Air which brings the benefits of the lighter, cheaper Mac laptop, without sacrificing screen space. For a lot less than the 14-inch MacBook Pro, the 15-inch MacBook Air screen gives you a decent amount of display space to view code and work with multiple windows (although wed always recommend plugging into an external monitor when you are at your desk.) If you were thinking of getting a MacBook Air for casual app development wed recommend it as an option. Upgrade the RAM to at least 16GB though. If you needed something for more extensive coding then it might not have the uumph though. You could expect faster compile times from the M3 version of the 14-inch MacBook Pro mentioned above. As we said, one of the biggest differences between the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air is that the Air lacks a fan, which could mean that it slows down in order to avoid overheating during more intensive activity, so keep that in mind. Buy the MacBook Air from Apple or check out the best MacBook Air deals right now here: Best MacBook Air deals . Read our full Apple 15-inch MacBook Air (M3, 2024) review Best Mac for coding Actually, some of the best Macs for developers are desktop Macs, which generally offer more power for less money. So if you dont mind being tied to your desk these are a good options: Apple Mac mini (M2 Pro, 2023) Price When Reviewed: $1,299 Best Prices Today: $1,264.99 at Amazon $1299 at Adorama $1299 at Apple The Mac mini is an attractive package and we expect many developers will be wondering whether to get one. Its the cheapest Mac going, although you will have to factor in the cost of a monitor and keyboard and mouse but you probably have them anyway. With the Mac mini you can get an impressive and powerful machine for a fraction of the price of a similarly speced alternative Mac. For example, for $599/649 you can get a M2 Mac mini with 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 256GB SSD, 8GB RAM (update that to 16GB or for another $200/200). A MacBook Air with the exact same specs would cost more than double that at $1,299/1,349. Theres an even better Mac mini to consider though. The M2 Pro Mac mini costs $1,299/1,399 and comes with 10-Core CPU, 16-Core GPU and 16GB unified memory as standard. It also features four Thunderbolt 4 ports compared to two on the M2 Mac mini. If you were to buy a similarly specced 14-inch MacBook Pro youd have to spend $1,999/2,129. Were not sure that the extra $700/730 is worth spending unless you really need a laptop. Buy the Mac mini from Apple or check out the best Mac mini deals right now here: Best Mac mini deals . Read our full Apple Mac mini (M2 Pro, 2023) review Apple Mac Studio (M2 Max, 2023) Price When Reviewed: 1,999 Best Prices Today: $1999 at Adorama $1999 at Apple $1999 at Best Buy If you need more power than the Mac mini M2 Pro offers then look to the Mac Studio with M2 Max (or the M2 Ultra version if you are really power-hungry). This machine offers maximum power at a lower price than the equivalent Mac. Sure you will need to plug in a display, but if you already have one that wont be a big issue, and even if you dont, a decent display doesnt have to cost a fortune. The M2 Max version of the Mac Studio means you get up to 96GB RAM, a mass of ports, plus enough GPU and CPU cores to keep everything smooth. At $1,999/2,099 it might seem a lot of money, but compared to a roughly equivalent 14-inch MacBook Pro M2 Max at $3,099/3,349 its a decent saving. Buy the Mac Studio from Apple or check out the best Mac Studio deals right now here: Best Mac Studio deals . Read our full Apple Mac Studio (M2 Max, 2023) review Can Xcode run on a PC? As we said above, there is not a version of Xcode for Windows. You need a Mac to run Xcode. There are a few ways around this limitation, for example, you could pay to access a Mac from your PC via the cloud and do your coding there. Services like macincloud or MacStadium enable developers to offload Xcode builds to Macs so they can test iOS and Mac apps. But it might just be cheaper and more efficient to buy a Mac. Its also illegal to run macOS on a PCalthough some developers will find ways of running macOS on a PC, be it via a VM or a tool like VirtualBox, or because they have built a Hackintosh. We wouldnt recommend going to such lengths, but you can read about how to install macOS on a PC here. You might think you will get away with breaking the legal agreement with Apple not to run macOS on a PC, but remember you are going to be asking them to approve your app, so dont give them any reason to say no! Attempting to run Xcode on something other than a Mac also means you are likely to experience issues and you will never know if it is your code or the dodgy installation you are using. If your app matters that much to you then use the right equipment. There are alternatives to Xcode that will allow you to make an iOS app on a PC. Can I use Flutter to develop iOS and macOS apps without a Mac? Flutter is an open-source development kit from Google that makes it easy to create an app that can be used across a variety of platforms. It means that developers only need to code once and then the app can be converted to iOS, Android and others. Understandably there are many wondering if this process means developers can bypass the necessity to use a Mac. In a word, no, although you could use Flutter to create an app for multiple platforms on a Linux machine or a PC, you will still need to use a Mac to test the application and submit it to Apple for distribution on the App Store. Flutter can be installed on macOS alongside Xcode. If you have an M1 Mac you might be concerned that Flutter isnt yet M1 optimized, but it can be used via Rosetta. Download Flutter here . Can I develop on an iPad? There is one other option, you could code on an iPad, the best option would be an iPad Pro with a separate keyboard. Read: A developers week working from the iPad for one developers experience using an iPad. How to get a cheap Mac for coding Sometimes, as much as you would love to own the best and most powerful Mac, the budget just wont stretch above 1,000/$1,000. Maybe that is more than you are willing (or able) to pay. Luckily there are a few options: Student discount If you are a student, check out Apples education store to get a discount on your new Mac. Read more here: How to get an Apple student discount at Apples Education Store . Refurbished store Apple sells Macs that have been returned to it. These could be ex-display Macs from Apple Stores, or they might be Macs that were returned due to a fault that has since been fixed, or it might be old stock that the company is selling after a new model has launched. You can pick up some good deals here . See: How much can you save at Apples Refurbished Store? Reseller discounts You may also be able to find a good deal on one of the previous generation MacBook Pro from a reseller. Check out our best deals: Best MacBook Pro deals this month Apple 14-inch MacBook Pro (M2 Pro, 2023) Read our review Price When Reviewed: From $1,999 | Model reviewed $2,499 Best Prices Today: $1899.99 at Best Buy | Not Available at Adorama Rent a Mac in the cloud If you really cant afford an adequately specced Mac for programming your app on you could rent one in the cloud. For example macincloud or MacStadium and get access to Mac servers from $20 a month. AWS also offers some Mac mini models powered by the AWS Nitro System. Plus customers can choose from macOS Mojave (10.14), macOS Catalina (10.15), macOS Big Sur (11), and macOS Monterey (12) as Amazon Machine Images (AMIs). Want to know even more about programming on a Mac? Read: Best programming language for Mac How to make apps with Apple Swift 5 How to use Swift playgrounds How to learn Swift: books, courses, guides How to learn Python coding on a Mac Mac, MacBook, MacOS, Professional Software
Is 2024 the year Apple gets everything right?
Macworld Welcome to our weekly Apple Breakfast column, which includes all the Apple news you missed last week in a handy bite-sized roundup. We call it Apple Breakfast because we think it goes great with a Monday morning cup of coffee or tea, but its cool if you want to give it a read during lunch or dinner hours too. A very good year Its been a tough couple of years for Apple watchers, with dull iPhone and Apple Watch refreshes, uninspiring Mac launches, and little of note from the iPad and AirPods departments. The product pipeline slowed down, and the things coming out of it lost their sparkle. There was a reason for this, of course, and that is the Vision Pro project. This moonshot product launch sucked in developmental resources and marketing focus alike, and for some at Apple Park, it must have felt like the entire company had turned into a mixed-reality specialist. Which made sense, because Vision Pro represents the future like no other Apple product. Apple needed to plan for life after the iPhone and was wisely prepared to sacrifice some excitement in 2023 to secure it in 2033. But Vision Pro is out now, indeed the hardware was completed a long while ago, and while work on the line will continueengineers will now be focusing on that important cheaper version it is unlikely ever again to dominate employees time and energy the way it did last year. This frees things up for what now looks like a far more productive year for the company. Indeed 2024 could be remembered in years to come as one of Apples best, and not just because it saw the launch of the headset that would set up the company for the decade to come. While were still waiting on a major physical redesign in the Mac space, for example, weve already seen a sensible rejig of the MacBook line. The arrival of the M3 MacBook this spring essentially completed the Apple silicon transition , removing confusion and ensuring there is a machine for every need and budget. (Well, within reason.) Okay, this didnt count as an exciting announcement, but it was certainly more meaningful than any of the M2 launches. We havent seen any iPads yet (although that could conceivably have changed depending on when youre reading this) but here too Apple reportedly has a clever announcement to makenamely, that the landscape selfie camera, first rolled out on the 10th-gen iPad in 2022 and inexplicably held back from the rest of the line, is going to become the standard . This is both sensible and wildly overdue: iPads are far more commonly used for video chats in landscape orientation than for selfies in portrait, and the only reason to keep the camera on the short edge was to avoid component overlap with the Apple Pencil connector. Needless to say, that kind of cop-out wasnt very Jony Ive of Apple, and well be very glad to see the end of such a compromise. But the real breakthroughs for Apple in 2024 wont be hardware. They will come in the software and specifically, AI space, where the company has been lagging behind its rivals for years. iOS 18, which will be announced in June and roll out to iPhones around the world in the fall, is set to focus on generative AI . That means improvements in a wide variety of apps, and indeed in the development of apps, but AI is most sorely needed in one area of Apples portfolio: Siri. Siri has been terrible for as long as I can remember, and Ive driven myself mad writing articles complaining about this fact. If Apples work in AI results in a passable Siri in 2024, that wouldnt just be a good year. It would be a miracle. Foundry Trending: Top stories New iPads are coming. Does anyone care? Apples Epic rollercoaster ride is trapped in a full-on freefall , the Macalope has noticed. Jason Snell argues that an open Apple isnt good for anyone. While Jason Cross has thought up 9 ways Apple can improve Vision Pro right now. The clock is ticking on ad-free Apple TV+ , so enjoy it while you can. Apple will allow iPhone app downloads on the web in the EUbut theres a catch . Podcast of the week Apples latest addition to its Mac lineup is the M3 MacBook Air , and on this episode of the Macworld Podcast, we talk about why the Air is probably the best laptop for you! https://open.spotify.com/episode/4s5hcWuZbhytDwNxr8T0iX You can catch every episode of the Macworld Podcast on Spotify , Soundcloud , the Podcasts app , or our own site . Reviews corner M2 vs M3 MacBook Air : Is the cheapest model good enough ? Adobe Photoshop Elements review : updated for 2024 . Best Mac displays Best NAS drives for Mac The rumor mill Apple to finally fix 13-year-old error in the iPads design, report claims . Apples first big AI innovation in 2024 may be smarter ads . Try not to be disappointed. The M3 MacBooks are already old news as Apple gets to work on the M4 lineup . Listen up: AirPods Pro to get hearing aid mode in iOS 18 . Software updates, bugs, and problems There may be hope for Apple Watches sold with disabled blood-oxygen sensors . If you use GarageBand on your Mac, theres a rareand critical security update . If macOS Sonoma 14.4 has caused issues with USB devices , heres a possible fix . And with that, were done for this weeks Apple Breakfast. If youd like to get regular roundups, sign up for our newsletters . You can also follow uson Facebook , Threads , or Twitter for discussion of breaking Apple news stories. See you next Monday, and stay Appley. Apple Inc
Best Phone to Buy for 2024 - CNET
Whether you want a cutting-edge phone or a more affordable option, we tested the best from Apple, Samsung, Google and more.
Apple in Talks With Google to Bring Gemini AI Features to iPhone
Apple is in discussions with Google to integrate its Gemini AI engine into the iPhone as part of iOS 18 , according to Bloomberg 's Mark Gurman . In a report citing people familiar with the situation, Gurman claims the two companies are in active negotiations to let Apple license Google's generative large-language models in order to power some new features coming in iOS 18. The two parties haven't decided the terms or branding of an AI agreement or finalized how it would be implemented, according to the report's sources. With the release of iOS 18 later this year, Apple is rumored to be bringing major new AI capabilities to its iPhone operating system. According to Gurman, however, Apple is focusing on features that operate on-device and do not require an internet connection. To power additional cloud-based generative AI features, such as the ability to create images and write essays based on single prompts, Apple is seeking a partner that has the necessary large-scale hardware infrastructure and compute capabilities already in place. Apple has been internally testing an Apple GPT rival that could compete with OpenAI's ChatGPT. According to previous reporting by Gurman, work on AI is a priority for Apple, and the company has been designing an Ajax framework for large language models. However, the technology is still not as advanced as tools from Google and other rivals, making a partnership look like the better option, according to the latest report. If the talks bring about a deal, it could be a lucrative addition to the two companies' existing search partnership. Google has paid Apple billions of dollars for several years to keep its search engine the default option in Safari browser on Apple devices. However, the existing deal is facing regulatory scrutiny from the U.S. Department of Justice and the European Commission over concerns that it helps Google maintain a search monopoly. Related Roundup: iOS 18 Tags: Bloomberg , Mark Gurman This article, Apple in Talks With Google to Bring Gemini AI Features to iPhone first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
Vivo X Fold 3 Series Launch Set for March 26; Design Revealed, Key Features Teased
Vivo X Fold 3 series is confirmed to launch in China soon. The lineup is said to include a base Vivo X Fold 3 and a Vivo X Fold 3 Pro model. Now the company has confirmed the launch date of the series and a senior official has teased some important features of the phones, including the design and colour options.
Qualcomm is about to make cheap Android phones better than ever
Qualcomm goes back to an old, but welcome playbook with the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3. It takes the best of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, but lowers the barrier for all.
Siri Could Become More Like Chat-GPT This Year: Here's How - CNET
Siri has struggled to compete with its peers, but this year Apple's voice-activated assistant could get a lot smarter.
Apple's M2 MacBook Air Hits All-Time Low Prices at Best Buy, Get Up to $300 Off
Best Buy's weekend sale includes great deals on the 13-inch and 15-inch M2 MacBook Air, both of which have hit all-time low prices. Anyone can get these deals and you don't need a My Best Buy Plus or Total membership to see the discounts. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Best Buy. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running. Starting with the 15-inch M2 MacBook Air, you can get the 256GB model for $999.00 , down from $1,299.00. The 512GB model has hit $1,199.00 , down from $1,499.00. Both of these are record low prices on the 15-inch M2 MacBook Air. $300 OFF 15-inch M2 MacBook Air (256GB) for $999.00 $300 OFF 15-inch M2 MacBook Air (512GB) for $1,199.00 The 13-inch M2 MacBook Air is available for $100 off across the board this weekend at Best Buy. The 256GB model is on sale for $899.00 and the 512GB model is available for $1,099.00 . You can get both models in all four colors: Starlight, Space Gray, Silver, and Midnight. $100 OFF 13-inch M2 MacBook Air (256GB) for $899.00 $100 OFF 13-inch M2 MacBook Air (512GB) for $1,099.00 Apple discontinued the 15-inch M2 MacBook Air earlier this month, following the introduction of the M3 MacBook Air. At the same time, the company knocked the price of the 13-inch M2 MacBook Air down by $100, selling them alongside the M3 models. Be sure to visit our full Deals Roundup to shop for even more Apple-related products and accessories. Related Roundup: Apple Deals This article, Apple's M2 MacBook Air Hits All-Time Low Prices at Best Buy, Get Up to $300 Off first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
8 iPhone browser apps you should use instead of Safari
Safari is the default web browser for every iPhone. But what if you want something different? Here are the best Safari alternatives available in 2024.
Two New AirPods 4 Models Expected to Launch in September or October
Apple suppliers will begin production of two new fourth-generation AirPods models in May, according to Bloomberg 's Mark Gurman . Based on this production timeframe, he expects the headphones to be released in September or October. Gurman expects both fourth-generation AirPods models to feature a new design with better fit, improved sound quality, and an updated charging case with a USB-C port. The higher-end ones will also feature active noise cancellation and a speaker in the charging case that can play a sound for Find My location tracking, he said. Apple plans to discontinue the second-generation and third-generation AirPods after launching the two fourth-generation models, he previously said. Gurman does not expect new AirPods Pro to launch until next year at the earliest, but he said the current models will get a new hearing aid mode with iOS 18 . He added that Apple is also working on a hearing test feature for AirPods. Related Roundup: AirPods 3 Tag: Mark Gurman Buyer's Guide: AirPods (Don't Buy) Related Forum: AirPods This article, Two New AirPods 4 Models Expected to Launch in September or October first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
Samsung Galaxy A55 vs. A54: all the big changes, explained
The Samsung Galaxy A54 was one of 2023's better budget phones. Is the new Galaxy A55 a big upgrade over it?
Get 32% off the cellular model of the iPad Pro 12.9 this weekend
This model of the 2021 Apple iPad Pro with a 12.9-inch screen and cellular capabilities is down to just $810 from Amazon's Woot, for massive savings of $389.
Best iPhone in 2024: Which Apple Phone Should You Buy? - CNET
Apple has a wide range of iPhones to fit every budget and meet all your smartphone needs.
You can get Apple innovation for less with this near-mint condition MacBook Air, now under $350
Macworld Apple is known worldwide for its powerful, luxe laptops, but unfortunately, those laptops often come with hefty price tags. Fortunately, theres a way to score Apples top-tier innovation for a fraction of the retail price. How? By buying refurbished. Refurbished isnt what you think it is in this case, it arrives in the form of this Grade A refurbished MacBook Air , now only $339.97 (reg. $599). Its Grade A status means itll arrive to you in pristine condition, with very little to zero markings. This 2017 MacBook Air is powered by a 1.8 GHz Intel Core i5 processor that provides users with a speedy and smooth performance. With 128GB of local storage, theres plenty of space for all your files, photos, and more, while its 13.3-inch display with Intel HD Graphics 6000 offers generous screen real estate in vibrant clarity. Meanwhile, its 12-hour battery allows you to bring it anywhere without having to recharge throughout the day. Its easy WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity ensure seamless internet connection and file transfers from other Bluetooth devices, as well as peripheral connection. For a limited time, you can snag this near-mint condition 13.3-inch MacBook Air for just $339.97. Grade A Refurbished 13.3-inch MacBook Air Only $339.97 at Macworld StackSocial prices subject to change. Accessories
Apple's Larger Store at Canada's Square One Mall Opens Next Saturday
Apple's relocated store at the Square One shopping mall in Mississauga, Ontario will hold its grand opening on Saturday, March 23 at 10 a.m. local time, according to updated wording on the store's construction facade, shared with us by Apollo Zhao . Mississauga is located just west of Toronto, the most populous city in Canada. The new Apple Square One (via Apollo Zhao ) Thursday, March 21 will be the final day of business at Apple's existing Square One store, which originally opened in August 2009. The new store is located on the second floor of Square One, above the central food court, and it has a very wide, partially-curved facade. It has a significantly larger footprint than the existing store, which will allow it to better accommodate the heavy customer traffic at Canada's second-largest indoor shopping mall. Get ready. Great things are in store. Apple Square One Opens Saturday March, 23 at 10:00 am pic.twitter.com/MXFZn6OO90 (@ApolloZhaoD) March 16, 2024 Tag: Apple Store This article, Apple's Larger Store at Canada's Square One Mall Opens Next Saturday first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
Oracle Warns macOS 14.4 Can Cause Java to Terminate Unexpectedly
Oracle this week warned that the macOS 14.4 update released earlier this month for Macs can cause Java processes to erminate unexpectedly. In a blog post on Friday, Oracle's Senior Director of Product Management Aurelio Garcia-Ribeyro recommended that Apple silicon Mac users who rely on Java avoid updating to macOS 14.4 until the issue is resolved by Apple: An issue introduced by macOS 14.4, which causes Java process[es] to terminate unexpectedly, is affecting all Java versions from Java 8 to the early access builds of JDK 22. There is no workaround available, and since there is no easy way to revert a macOS update, affected users might be unable to return to a stable configuration unless they have a complete backup of their systems prior to the OS update. The blog post and bug report include more technical details about the issue. Oracle says it has notified Apple about the issue. Apple did not immediately respond to our request for comment about the matter. Update: macOS 14.4 also has compatibility issues with audio plugins protected by PACE/iLok. Related Roundup: macOS Sonoma Tag: Java Related Forum: macOS Sonoma This article, Oracle Warns macOS 14.4 Can Cause Java to Terminate Unexpectedly first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
Dont buy this new Motorola phone get this other one instead
Motorola's two new budget smartphones look great, but how do they compare? We put the Moto G Power 5G (2024) against the Moto G 5G (2024) to find out.
Get Samsung's ViewFinity S9 5K Smart Monitor With Steep $700 Discount, Plus More Display Deals
Samsung this weekend has the 27-inch ViewFinity S9 5K Smart Monitor at a steep discount, available for $899.99 , down from $1,599.99. In addition to this $700 discount, you'll find deals on 4K and 5K Samsung monitors in Samsung's new sale, including the Smart Monitor M8, as well as storage, audio, TVs, smartphones, and home appliances. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Samsung. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running. Overall, the ViewFinity S9 5K Smart Monitor is at a very solid second-best price this weekend, just $50 higher compared to the previous record low price. This monitor has a matte display, modular 4K SlimFit camera, and support for Thunderbolt 4. $700 OFF 27-inch ViewFinity S9 5K Smart Monitor for $899.99 Samsung's 27-inch Smart Monitor M8 is also being discounted during this sale, available for $399.99 in Warm White, down from $699.99. This is a 4K smart monitor with a design that looks similar to the new iMac line, and it's at another great second-best price during Samsung's monitor sale. $300 OFF 27-inch Smart Monitor M8 for $399.99 Additionally, when you sign up to learn more about Samsung's upcoming TV and audio product lineup, you can get $100 off your purchase. The new slate of Samsung TVs and audio equipment is set to be unveiled on March 21, and this $100 discount offer will be available through that date. Monitors 27-inch Odyssey HDR10 Gaming Monitor - $269.99, down from $349.99 34-inch ViewFinity HDR10 Curved Monitor - $549.99, down from $699.99 49-inch Odyssey G9 Curved Gaming Monitor - $899.99, down from $1,299.99 34-inch OLED Curved Smart Gaming Monitor - $999.99, down from $1,499.99 TVs/Audio Q-Series Wireless Dolby ATMOS Soundbar - $1,099.99, down from $1,399.99 55-inch Neo QLED 4K Smart TV - $999.99, down from $1,499.99 65-inch OLED S90C TV - $1,599.99, down from $2,599.99 85-inch Samsung Neo QLED 4K Smart TV - $2,399.99, down from $4,799.99 Be sure to visit our full Deals Roundup to shop for even more Apple-related products and accessories. Related Roundup: Apple Deals This article, Get Samsung's ViewFinity S9 5K Smart Monitor With Steep $700 Discount, Plus More Display Deals first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
iPhone 14 vs. iPhone 16: 30+ Upgrades to Expect
After over a year of reports, there are now more than a dozen specific rumors about the features and improvements set to be offered by the two non-Pro iPhone 16 models later in 2024. While the upgrades that the iPhone 16 offers over the iPhone 15 will likely be at the center of Apple's marketing strategy later this year, many users are on two-year upgrade cycles, so the features introduced on both the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 will stack up. All of the changes the iPhone 16 models are expected to feature compared to their two direct forerunners are listed below, using information from a range of reliable sources that we have previously covered . We will update this article as more rumors emerge in the coming months. This guide focuses on the iPhone 14 and iPhone 16, but to learn about how we are expecting the iPhone 14 Pro to improve on the iPhone 16 Pro , see our other comparison article . Design The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus are expected to largely carry over the design of their predecessors. As a result, the iPhone 16 will be a relatively significant evolution over the iPhone 14, featuring slightly rounded edges, a frosted glass back, and a vertical rear camera arrangement to facilitate spatial video capture. Other important design changes are expected to include the removal of the mute switch in favor of the Action button introduced on last year's Pro models and the introduction of an all-new Capture button. iPhone 14 iPhone 16 Aluminum chassis with squared-off edges Aluminum chassis with contoured edges Glossy glass back Color-infused frosted glass back Notch TrueDepth camera array Dynamic Island Diagonally arranged rear camera array Vertically arranged rear camera array to support spatial video capture Ring/Silent switch Action Button Capture Button to trigger photography and videography features Lightning port USB-C port Displays For iPhone 14 users, the iPhone 16 will offer many of the display upgrades that came to the previous generation, as well as a more efficient OLED panel thanks to micro-lens technology. iPhone 14 iPhone 16 More efficient OLED display with brighter micro-lens technology 800 nits max brightness (typical) 1,000 nits max brightness (typical) 1,200 nits peak brightness (HDR) 1,600 nits peak brightness (HDR) 2,000 nits peak brightness (outdoor) Cameras The iPhone 15 introduced a major camera upgrade for Apple's standard smartphone lineup, bringing over the 48-megapixel camera of the iPhone 14 Pro. With a number of other improvements such as spatial video capture, the iPhone 16 should be a significant camera upgrade over the iPhone 14. iPhone 14 iPhone 16 12-megapixel main camera with /1.5 aperture 48-megapixel main camera with /1.6 aperture 0.5x and 1x optical zoom options 0.5x, 1x, and 2x optical zoom options 24- and 48-megapixel super-high-resolution photos Smart HDR 4 Smart HDR 5 Portrait mode with Focus and Depth Control Next-generation portraits with Focus and Depth Control Night mode and Night mode portraits Improved Night mode and Night mode portraits Spatial video capture Chip, Memory, and Connectivity With the iPhone 16 models rumored to receive the same A18 chip as the Pro models, the new models could offer a major performance improvement over the iPhone 14, which features the A15 Bionic chip first introduced in 2021. The 2GB of additional memory and the second-generation Ultra Wideband chip are also due to be notable upgrades. iPhone 14 iPhone 16 A15 Bionic chip (TSMC's N5P enhanced 5nm process) A18 chip (TSMC's N3E enhanced 3nm process) 16-core Neural Engine Neural Engine with significantly more cores to support new AI features 6GB memory 8GB memory (+33%) Wi-Fi 6 connectivity Wi-Fi 6E connectivity First-generation Ultra Wideband chip Second-generation Ultra Wideband chip (connects from 3x further away) Precision Finding for Find My friends Batteries and Charging The iPhone 16 models could receive some major improvements in battery technology and charging, sporting denser batteries and faster charging capabilities. It is worth noting that the iPhone 16 Plus is rumored to feature a smaller battery than its predecessors, but it is not clear how this will affect actual battery life. iPhone 14 iPhone 16 Single-layer battery technology Stacked battery technology for increased energy density and prolonged lifespan iPhone 14 : 3,279 mAh battery iPhone 14 Plus : 4,325 mAh battery iPhone 16 : 3,561 mAh battery iPhone 16 Plus : 4,006 mAh battery Up to 27W wired charging Up to 40W wired charging (48% faster) 15W charging via MagSafe 20W charging via MagSafe (25% faster) Setting to prevent charging above 80% Battery manufacture date, first use, and cycle count information in Settings Other Features and Changes While many of Apple's devices are rumored to receive a series of new AI-based features via software updates later this year, the iPhone 16 models are expected to take these further with exclusive capabilities facilitated by a more powerful Neural Engine in the A18 chip and an upgraded microphone. iPhone 14 iPhone 16 Upcoming support for new AI features in iOS 18 Upcoming support for new AI features in iOS 18, plus a suite of device-exclusive AI features Microphone Upgraded microphone with improved signal-to-noise ratio and water resistance, designed to support new AI features Improved audio quality on phone calls Will It Be Worth Upgrading? The iPhone 15 was a fairly significant upgrade over the iPhone 14 in 2023, introducing a more modern design with the Dynamic Island, a USB-C port, and q 48-megapixel camera. The iPhone 16 will build on these upgrades, offering the Capture and Action buttons, AI features, and spatial video capture. With over 30 upgrades rumored to be in store, many current iPhone 14 users will find upgrading to an iPhone 16 model worthwhile, if not essential. Release Date The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus are expected to launch in the fall. Apple usually hosts an event every September to unveil new iPhone models, with launch following just over a week later. For more information about the iPhone 16 models, see our comprehensive roundup . Related Roundups: iPhone 14 , iPhone 16 Related Forum: iPhone This article, iPhone 14 vs. iPhone 16: 30+ Upgrades to Expect first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
iPhone 15 Pro vs. iPhone 15 Pro Max: whats actually different?
Apple has widened the gap a bit between this year's iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. Check out what's changed.
What they dont tell you about wearing a camera on your face
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Top Stories: iPhone Apps via Web in EU, iOS 17.4.1 Coming Soon, and More
Apple news and rumors settled down a bit this week following the launch of the M3 MacBook Air, but there was still plenty to talk about including Apple's ongoing changes to satisfy the EU's Digital Markets Act and signs of an upcoming iOS update likely to address some bugs. We're also looking forward to new iPad Pro and iPad Air models coming in the next few weeks or so, plus the iPhone 16 lineup later this year, so read on for the latest on these stories and more! Apple Announces Ability to Download iPhone Apps From Websites in EU Apple this week announced that iPhone users in the EU will soon be able to download apps directly from the websites of eligible developers. Apple says web distribution will be available in a software update that will be released later this spring, which likely refers to iOS 17.5. Apple already added support for alternative app marketplaces on the iPhone in the EU with iOS 17.4, released earlier this month. These changes are a result of the EU's Digital Markets Act, which Apple has strongly opposed but reluctantly complied with. Apple Preparing iOS 17.4.1 Update for iPhone Apple is internally testing iOS 17.4.1 for the iPhone , based on evidence of the software update in our website's logs this week. It is unclear exactly when the update will be released to the public. Our logs have revealed the existence of several iOS 17 versions before Apple released them, ranging from iOS 17.0.3 to iOS 17.3.1. iOS 17.4.1 should be a minor update that addresses software bugs and/or security vulnerabilities. 2024 iPad Pro: Key Rumors to Be Aware of Ahead of Announcement Bloomberg 's Mark Gurman expects new iPad Pro and iPad Air models to be released towards the end of March or in April . He also expects new Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil accessories to be released for iPads simultaneously. We have recapped key rumors about the 2024 iPad Pro models ahead of the devices being announced, so be sure to check out our list of expected features and more. Video Comparison: M3 MacBook Air vs. M3 MacBook Pro Earlier this month, Apple updated the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air with its latest-generation M3 chip, Wi-Fi 6E support, and compatibility with two external displays when the laptop's lid is closed. In a recent video on our YouTube channel, we compared the new MacBook Air with the base model 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M3 chip . Subscribe to MacRumors on YouTube for even more Apple news and rumors! Every iPhone 16 Rumor We've Covered So Far While the iPhone 16 lineup is still months away, there are already many rumors about the devices. This week, we recapped every iPhone 16 rumor that we have heard about so far . Check out our list for an overview of new features and changes expected for the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max. As usual, the devices are expected to be released in September, alongside iOS 18 and more. Everything We Know About Apple's Next-Generation CarPlay It has been nearly two years since Apple first previewed next-generation CarPlay at WWDC 2022, and it has still yet to become available in any vehicles. In an article this week, we recapped the latest information about the upcoming software system . Next-generation CarPlay will have deeper integration with a vehicle's instrument cluster, climate controls, FM radio, and more. It will also support multiple displays across the dashboard, and offer a variety of personalization options. MacRumors Newsletter Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view. So if you want to have top stories like the above recap delivered to your email inbox each week, subscribe to our newsletter ! Tag: Top Stories This article, Top Stories: iPhone Apps via Web in EU, iOS 17.4.1 Coming Soon, and More first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
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Best Buy Selling M1 MacBook Air for $650, a New All-Time Low Price
Best Buy is selling the 13-inch M1 MacBook Air for $649.99 , which is the lowest price that we've seen to date on the machine. Best Buy's price drop comes just hours after Walmart started selling the M1 MacBook Air for $699. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running. Just after Apple announced the new 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models, Best Buy started selling the M1 MacBook Air for $750, so the price has come down $100 in the last 10 days. The model that Best Buy has for $649.99 is the entry-level version with 8GB Unified Memory, an 8-core CPU, a 7-core GPU, and a 256GB SSD. $350 OFF 13-inch M1 MacBook Air for $649.99 Apple discontinued the M1 MacBook Air on March 4, which is why we're seeing such low prices on remaining inventory. The M1 MacBook Air first came out in 2020, so it is four years old at this point, but the Apple silicon chip is still more than adequate for day-to-day tasks. $649 is a great price for those who want to get an Apple silicon Mac while also saving some cash. As the M1 MacBook Air is no longer being manufactured, available supply is likely to dry up soon. For deals on other Macs, make sure to check out our dedicated Deals Roundup , which we updated regularly. Related Roundup: Apple Deals Tag: Best Buy This article, Best Buy Selling M1 MacBook Air for $650, a New All-Time Low Price first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
You Can Now Browse Vision Pro Apps on the Web
Apple today made the visionOS App Store available on the web , giving Vision Pro users and prospective owners a way to see what apps are available for the device. As noted by 9to5Mac , Vision Pro apps can be viewed by going to the App Store for Apple Vision Pro web page . Apple has dedicated sections for apps and games, along with a separate tab for Apple Arcade games that can be used on Vision Pro. Apps are organized into the same categories that are available on the Vision Pro, such as What's New, Hot This Week, iPhone and iPad Games for Vision Pro, and Don't Miss. Apps can also be viewed by type, with Apple organizing them into options like Weather, Utility, Entertainment, Sports, Productivity, and more. The option to view available Vision Pro apps gives those without the headset a central location to check out the available software before deciding whether to make a purchase. Vision Pro apps have been listed individually on the App Store website since launch, but until now, there was no way to get an overview of all available content except on the Vision Pro itself. Related Roundup: visionOS Related Forum: Apple Vision Pro This article, You Can Now Browse Vision Pro Apps on the Web first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
How Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra compares with the most expensive, nonfolding phones offered by Apple, Google and OnePlus.
Five Key Upgrades Coming to iPhone 16
The iPhone is Apple's top-selling product, and it gets an update every year. In 2024, we're expecting the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro lineup, with an arguably more interesting feature set than we got with the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro . Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Capture Button All four iPhone 16 models are set to get a whole new button, which will be located on the right side of the device below the Power button. In the United States, this is where the mmWave 5G antenna is, so Apple will be shifting that over to the other side. This addition, which Apple calls the Capture Button, will be for taking photos and videos when the iPhone is held in a landscape orientation. It seems aimed specifically at capturing 3D landscape video that will then be viewed on the Apple Vision Pro , but it will also be useful for taking regular video and photos as well. Rumors suggest the button will be a standard mechanical button like the Power and Volume buttons, but it will support multiple levels of pressure. You'll be able to press down lightly to focus, and then press down further to snap a picture or start recording. The feel will be similar to a multi-function camera shutter button. As a bonus, the standard iPhone 16 models will also get the Action Button that was introduced with the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, so both the Action Button and Capture Button will be available across the entire lineup. Display Sizes Apple has been using 6.1 and 6.7-inch display sizes for all iPhone generations since the 2020 iPhone 12 models, but display sizes are finally set to increase slightly in 2024. The iPhone 16 Pro display is expected to be approximately 6.3 inches, while the iPhone 16 Pro Max display will be approximately 6.9 inches. Screen sizes are bigger because the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max will be about 3mm taller, and around 1mm wider. Thickness isn't increasing, but weight will go up just a bit because of size jump. Unfortunately, the size change will be limited to the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max this year, and the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus will still measure in at 6.1 inches and 6.7 inches, respectively. Camera Upgrades Apple has camera changes in store for all of the iPhone 16 models. For the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, there will be a new vertical lens arrangement that does away with the diagonal arrangement Apple has used for the last several years. The change is expected to let the iPhone 16 models capture spatial video, a feature limited to the 15 Pro and Pro Max right now. The biggest update will be limited to the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max, though. Apple is upgrading the Ultra Wide camera to 48 megapixels, bringing improved images in lower lighting conditions. The lens is expected to work like the 48-megapixel Wide camera, which uses pixel binning to combine the data from four pixels into one super pixel for better image quality. Since spatial video recording uses both the Wide and Ultra Wide cameras, spatial videos will get a boost with the new Pro models. Apple is also going to bring the 5x Telephoto lens to the iPhone 16 Pro this year, and that's presumably possible because of those aforementioned size increases. 5X optical zoom is available on the 15 Pro Max right now, but both Pro models will get it in 2024. Faster 5G With the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max, Apple plans to adopt Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon X75 modem chip. Modem chips aren't often a major feature that we highlight, especially since the transition to 5G, but the X75 will be faster while also using less power. It offers 10-carrier aggregation for mmWave and 5x carrier aggregation for sub-6GHz. Carrier aggregation improves data speeds, so a higher number equates to lower latency and more data throughput. The modem chip has a second-generation AI processor inside that Qualcomm says will improve speeds, coverage, link robustness, and location accuracy. You might see fewer connection issues in parking garages, elevators, and subways. The X75 merges the sub-6GHz and mmWave transceivers, so there's 25 percent less circuit board space used and less power draw. So far, rumors suggest that the X75 will be limited to the Pro models in 2024, with the standard models to continue to use the X70 in the current iPhone 15 lineup. Along with better 5G, Apple could also bring Wi-Fi 7 to the iPhone 16 Pro models. Wi-Fi 7 supports speeds up to 40Gb/s, and could result in lower latency and more reliable connectivity. As for the iPhone 16, we're expecting to see an upgrade to Wi-Fi 6E, allowing them to connect to 6GHz networks. The 15 Pro models support Wi-Fi 6E, but the standard iPhone 15 models are limited to Wi-Fi 6. Generative AI Apple is focusing on AI in a big way in 2024 as it aims to catch up with Microsoft, Google, OpenAI, and other companies that have invested heavily in generative AI. AI is software based, of course, but it needs hardware to support it. With iOS 18 , Apple is rumored to be making some major AI-based improvements and introducing AI across the operating system, and some of the most advanced features might be limited to the iPhone 16 lineup because of the processing power required. All four iPhone 16 models are expected to get an A18 chip (perhaps A18 Pro for the Pro lineup), and the A18 chips will be built on Apple's 3-nanometer process for improved performance and efficiency. Right now, the iPhone 15 Pro models use the 3nm A17 Pro, but the iPhone 15 models are using prior-generation A16 chip technology. Upgrading to a 3-nanometer chip across the iPhone 16 lineup will allow Apple to bring the latest AI features to even its most affordable flagship models, and the A18 is expected to include a faster Neural Engine with significantly more cores. Rumors suggest that Apple wants to do AI processing on-device to preserve privacy, and some serious performance is needed to make that possible. Read More For more on the features coming to the iPhone in 2024, make sure to check out both our iPhone 16 roundup and our iPhone 16 Pro roundup . Related Roundups: iPhone 16 , iPhone 16 Pro This article, Five Key Upgrades Coming to iPhone 16 first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
Apple's Butterfly Keyboard Repair Program for MacBooks is Nearly Over
Apple's long-running butterfly keyboard service program for MacBooks is ending soon, with only a few models still eligible for a free repair. Below, we take a look back at Apple's butterfly keyboard problems that led to the program. The Butterfly Keyboard For much of the 2000s, MacBook keyboards had a traditional scissor switch mechanism. That changed in March 2015, when Apple released an ultra-thin 12-inch MacBook with a low-profile keyboard that used a new butterfly switch mechanism. While the keyboard fit in the 12-inch MacBook's thin enclosure, it is prone to issues, such as letters repeating unexpectedly or failing to appear when keys are pressed. Related: Apple's Butterfly Keyboards vs. Scissor Switch Keyboards It was not until Apple updated the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pro models with its second-generation butterfly keyboard in October 2016 that customers began to complain about sticky and unresponsive keys in earnest. Apple expanded the butterfly keyboard to the MacBook Air a few years later, leading to even more complaints. The situation came to a head in May 2018, when Apple was hit with a class action lawsuit in the U.S. alleging that the company knew the butterfly keyboard was defective. An online petition about the issues that year gained nearly 43,000 signatures. The Program In June 2018, Apple launched a Keyboard Service Program worldwide after it determined that a small percentage of keyboards in certain MacBook, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro models may exhibit one or more of the following behaviors: Letters or characters repeat unexpectedly Letters or characters do not appear Key(s) feel sticky or do not respond in a consistent manner Apple and Apple Authorized Service Providers have been repairing eligible MacBook keyboards, free of charge, for up to four years after the first retail sale of the affected laptop. That window is nearly over, as all eligible models except the two 2019 versions of the 13-inch MacBook Pro were discontinued more than four years ago. The butterfly switch mechanism for a 2018 MacBook Pro keyboard The list of all models that were eligible: MacBook (Retina, 12-inch, Early 2015) MacBook (Retina, 12-inch, Early 2016) MacBook (Retina, 12-inch, 2017) MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018) MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2019) MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Two Thunderbolt 3 Ports) MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017, Two Thunderbolt 3 Ports) MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2019, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports) MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports) MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports) MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2016) MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2017) MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2018, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports) MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2018) MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2019, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports) MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2019) Apple discontinued the 2019 model of the 13-inch MacBook Pro in November 2020, so some customers who own that laptop may still be eligible for a free keyboard repair until as late as November 2024, depending on when they purchased it. After that, the service program will be completely over, unless it is extended by Apple. The Apology In March 2019, Apple finally apologized about the keyboards . We are aware that a small number of users are having issues with their third-generation butterfly keyboard and for that we are sorry, an Apple spokesperson said, in a statement shared with The Wall Street Journal 's Joanna Stern. The vast majority of Mac notebook customers are having a positive experience with the new keyboard. The Fix Starting with the 16-inch MacBook Pro in November 2019, Apple ditched the butterfly keyboard and returned to using a scissor switch mechanism. The change was extended to the MacBook Air in March 2020, and to the 13-inch MacBook Pro in May 2020, marking the end of the problematic butterfly keyboard era for the Mac. The Settlement In July 2022, Apple agreed to pay $50 million to settle the U.S. class action lawsuit related to the butterfly keyboard issues. Affected customers who submitted a valid claim by the March 2023 deadline will receive a payment of between $50 and $395. Tag: Butterfly Keyboard Issues This article, Apple's Butterfly Keyboard Repair Program for MacBooks is Nearly Over first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
How to recover unsaved Word documents on a Mac
Macworld Few computer-related disasters can quickly drain the color from your face quicker than losing a document youve been busily working on. Whether your Mac crashed or froze, you forgot to save, or you accidentally clicked on delete, all might not be lost. Well show you how you can recover that vanished Word document. If everything is working as it should then its quite hard to lose a file in Word. Word has an autosave feature that means that in the event of an accident, you should still have the bulk of your work, except for the last ten minutes. Our top tip would be to save a document as soon as you start working on it to ensure that it autosaves regularly. But thats not why youre here. If youve opened Word and cant find that document you were working on dont panic! There is a good chance that you can get your document back. In this article, well run through the various ways you can recover an unsaved or deleted Word document. How to recover an unsaved Word doc Well run through a few scenarios that you might have been confronted with to recover that Word document for you. As we said above, the good news is that Word for Mac has a built-in autosave feature called AutoRecover. This means that Word is quietly saving the document you are working on without you needing to manually tell the software to do so. For this feature to function properly, however, youll need to initially save the document with a name, and then Word will make incremental saves every ten minutes. However, even if you havent done this Word will still save your document and you should be able to find a version of it in the AutoRecover folder. Below we will run through how to get to the AutoRecover folder and some other steps you can take to recover your document. Scenario 1: You are working on a Word document and you have to restart your Mac without a chance to save first Solution: Open Word again to see an autosaved version of your document. The good news is that if you are using an up-to-date version of Word then just opening up Word again should recover the documentor at least a very recent version of it. This is because Word autosaves your document even if you havent saved it yet. This is even though at the top of the Window you will see an AutoSave button, which may be off. (Switch that button on and youll see a request to save your document.) Scenario 2: Opening Word doesnt load up the document you were working on Solution: Find it in the AutoRecovery folder. Open the Finder. Click on Go in the menu. Click on Go To Folder. Paste in the following: ~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.Word/Data/Library/Preferences/AutoRecovery This will open your AutoRecovery folder where you will find the AutoRecovery versions of your documents even though you didnt save them. Having found the document you may not be able to open it, in which case you may need to try the steps in the next scenario Scenario 3: Word wont open the AutoRecovery version of your document Solution: Drag the file into a different text editor app When you try to open the AutoRecovery file (either by clicking on it or trying to drag it onto the Word icon in the Dock) you may see a message claiming that Word experienced an error trying to open the file. One of the suggestions may be to open the Text Recovery Converter. Heres what we did: Open TextEdit. Drag the file onto the TextEdit icon in the Dock. Copy the text into a new file in Word. Scenario 4: In a moment of madness you clicked on Dont Save or Delete Solution: Find the most recent version in the AutoRecovery folder The great news is that even if you didnt save your Word document even the best of us have clicked Dont Save by accident when we were closing documents you can recover it from the AutoRecovery folder. However, it is really difficult to locate as it is locked away in a hidden Library folder. Luckily there is a simple way to view that folder. Just click on Go > Go To Folder in the Finders Go menu and paste the following: ~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.Word/Data/Library/Preferences/AutoRecovery This will open your AutoRecovery folder where you will find the AutoRecovery versions of your documents even though you didnt save. If you are thinking you might be able to locate that folder directly in the Finder, notice that the ~ symbol means that it is a hidden folder, so its easier to cut and paste the above address. Scenario 5: You made a mistake and want to go back to an older version Solution: Browser through recent versions Its not always the case that you lose the whole document. Sometimes you might lose some of the work you have done, which can be just as traumatic if youve spent a lot of time on it. As long as you have made an initial save of the document you should be able to browse the version history: With the Word document open click on File . Select Browse Version History . In the right-hand column, youll see the version history. Locate a version of the document from before you made the mistakes you wish to correct. Click on Open Version . This will open a second copy of your document. Either click on Restore (to go back to this version of the document) or Compare (if you dont want to recover the whole document and just want to copy and paste the bit you need). Other ways to recover a lost Word document If the above doesnt work, or your version of Word is older than the current one, try the steps we outline below. Check the Trash In some cases, your file might be missing because you deleted it. Its easily done when you are trying to make room on your Mac and you remove a load of old files only to realize that one of them was crucial. Luckily this isnt as disastrous as it sounds. The document might still be found in the Trash. Click on the Trash can icon in the Dock to open it. Youll now see the contents of the Trash. Look for your file. If you click on a file and press Space Bar you may be able to see a preview of it. If you dont see your file look for a Recovered Items folder in the Trash. Its possible that your file is located in that. If its there youll need to right-click on it and choose Put Back. This will place the file back in the folder where it was originally saved and you can continue to work on it. Try data recovery software There are third-party apps that may be able to help you recover your document if the above advice doesnt help. Disk Drill Disk Drill will scan your storage for free and show you the files that can be recovered using the tool (so you dont have to pay before you know if it will be able to find your file). To recover the file youll need to pay for the full version of Disk Drill here (83.28/$89). EaseUS EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard will scan the drive or volume where you lost the files. Once the scan is complete you can view Unsaved Documents. Double-click to see a preview of the file and click Recover to recover it. There is a free version that has a 2GB recovery limit, which may well be enough for your needs. Get it here . (Full version costs $69.95 a month, cancel at any time, or $99.95 a year) For details of some other apps that might help you recover your files, check out our round up of the best data recovery apps, which also includes Stellar Data Recovery , RecoverIt , Data Rescue . Find AutoRecovery for older versions of Word Since you might not have the latest bersion of Word well detail the steps below for you to follow to locate that Word AutoRecovery folder. How to find the AutoRecovery folder in Word 2016 Heres how to find AutoRecover in Word 2016: In Word 2016, the AutoRecovery folder is buried deep in the system and requires your Mac to display hidden files, so the first step is to reveal these secret folders, to do so we recommend following our advice at the link below, although the key combination to use is cmd + shift + . (full stop). Read: How to show hidden files and folders on a Mac. With this done youll need to open Finder then click on the Home icon in the left-hand column (its usually your name). Now navigate to the following folder: Library/Containers/com.microsoft.Word/Data/Library/Preferences/AutoRecovery/ If you have any AutoRecovery files then they will be in here. One thing to remember is that AutoRecovery files are temporary and only exist if they think that Word shut down unexpectedly. So, if you clicked Dont Save rather than Save when you were closing the document there wont be an AutoRecovery file for it. How to find the AutoRecovery folder in Word 2011 If you are using Word 2011 its easy to locate the AutoRecovery folder: Click on the File option in the Menu bar then search for Autorecover. If you use Word often then there might be a few different Autorecover files, so check the date to see which one matches your missing item. Once youve found the document just click on it to open it up, then remember to save it again under a new name. Even if you dont find your document in the AutoRecovery folder, it may not be the case that it isnt there. Files in the AutoRecover folder dont always show up. We have first-hand experience of this. In the past, our Mac has helpfully saved a Word document in the Office 2011 AutoRecovery folder. This would not be an issue, except for the fact that when we then accessed the folder (just a quick search in Spotlight for Office 2011 AutoRecovery) the files were nowhere to be seen. As you can see from this screen grab, the most recent file in our AutoRecovery folder was from 5 March, but we know that there are more recent files saved there. The problem with the AutoRecovery file is that it is located in a Library folder that isnt visible by default, and that will have some impact on whether your files are visible or not. Fortunately, there is a way to locate the file. How to view files in Office 2011 AutoRecovery folder Go to the Finder, and press Alt (or Option) while selecting Go from the menu at the top of the page. This will make the Library folder visible (if you dont press Alt you wont see it and you have to keep Alt pressed or it will vanish). Click on Library to open the Libray folder. Locate the following folder: Application Support > Microsoft > Office > Office 2011 AutoRecovery. When you see the Office 2011 in this view you should be able to locate your file. Recover old versions of documents via Time Machine While Word has its own Version History that only works if you have saved the file at some point. Plus, if you have subsequently deleted the document by accident you cant open it to open an older version. In that case, you could try Time Machine. If you have a Time Machine backup on an external drive you can roll back to a time when a deleted or corrupted file was still on your system. Go to the folder where youd hope to see your file, or an earlier version of your file. Open Time machine and flick back through the day, weeks or months to see if your file is there. Well keep our fingers crossed for you. Follow our Complete guide to Time Machine for instructions on how to recover your files. If you are unfortunate enough not to have a backup routine then we suggest beginning one immediately. Macs are very reliable machines, but there is always a risk of something going wrong, so its best to protect yourself against potential disaster. Try looking at our How to back up a Mac feature that highlights several solutions for this essential practice. What if you never saved your file if in a moment of madness, you clicked on Dont Save rather than Save? It happens! Can you retrieve your file? Recover lost docs from the Temporary folder Your Mac also has a folder where it might temporarily keep files. The Temporary folder isnt easy to find though. To find the Temporary folder, use Terminal (find it in Applications > Utilities > Terminal, or Spotlight search for Terminal by pressing Command + Space. Open Terminal Type: open $TMPDIR Press Enter. Inside this TMP folder, you should find a folder called Temporaryitems. Its possible that your document might be inside. Tips to avoid lost Word files Avoid this nightmare happening again follow the tips below. Save first, save often It goes without saying that you should save frequently especially if your Mac can be a bit unreliable. You may be able to rely on Word autosaving for you, but remember that you have to save the file first to really benefit from Autosave. Change the autosave frequency A helpful thing to know is that you can reduce the gaps between autosaves on Word for Mac. By default they are set at ten minute intervals, but its easy to make them more frequent. In Word go up to the Menu bar at the top of the screen and click on Word. From the dropdown menu select Preferences and then in the Output and Sharing section youll see a disk icon named Save. Click this and youll now be able to adjust the time between saves by entering a value into the Save every X minutes box at the bottom. While it might be tempting to set it as low as possible, bear in mind that Words performance could be be hampered slightly if its saving every minute, especially if you are working on a large file. Experiment to see what setting works best for you. You may also find one of these articles helpful: How to recover deleted files. Want to get to know Word better? Read our Top tips for Word for Mac . Cleaning and Data Recovery Software, Mac, MacOS, Personal Software
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Macworld Thinking of buying a Mac or MacBook for school, college or university? Here, in our best Mac for students guide, we take a look at Apples current line-up to evaluate which Mac is best for students. Well compare the MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro for college and examine whether another Mac might actually be a better choice. Choosing the best Mac for college or university depends on what you are going to be studying as well as how much you have to spend. Luckily registered students can save money on a new Mac by shopping at Apples Education Store, or with one of Apples partners. We discuss How to get an Apple student discount at Apples Education Store separately, although we also talk about the different ways you can save money as a student below. You can save hundreds on a MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini, Mac Studio and even a Mac Pro at Apples Education Store all year round. Click on the following links for the Education stores in the countries where most of our readers reside: Apples U.S. Education Store Apples U.K. Education Store (in the UK you will need to verify your student status via UNiDAYS). Apples Canada Education Store Apples Australian Education Store Also, starting in January in Australia and New Zealand, June in the U.S., and July in the U.K. and Europe, Apple runs a Back To Uni event , where Apple gives people looking to buy a Mac for university gift vouchers (and occasionally a free pair of AirPods). If youre a student, you can also get Apple Music for half price with free Apple TV+ included. Buy a Mac or iPad for university during the summer months and take advantage of Apples Higher Education deal. Apple Well run through exactly how much money you can save on a new Mac if you are a student below, then we will assess which Mac to choose based on your needs as a student and the course you are taking. Note that you may be able to get even more money off your Mac purchase if you go straight to a reseller and take advantage of a discount, youll see the best deals for each Mac below. If youre doing a degree in film and video, or music, or graphic design then it might make sense to also look at one of our other Best Mac For guides for that subject area: Best Mac for graphic design Best Mac for making music Best Mac for video editing Best Mac for programming Best Mac for photo editing Best Mac for gaming (in case you have any free time) We also have a guide to help you get the best MacBook deals for students . How much can students save on a Mac? Before we begin lets look at what is available and how much you can save with the education discount. Students can typically save $100 to $200 in the U.S., in the U.K. the savings are from 100 to 200, Australian students can save between $150 and $330 and Canadian students can typically save from $130 to $270. Savings are even bigger on high-end products like the Mac Pro, although we arent sure that many students need one of those. In March 2024 Apple updated the MacBook Air models. Product U.S. U.K. Australia Canada 13.6-inch MacBook Air, M2, MSRP $999 999 $1,599 $1,299 13.6-inch MacBook Air, M2, Student discount $899 899 $1,439 $1,169 13.6-inch MacBook Air, M3, MSRP $1,099 1,099 $1,799 $1,449 13.6-inch MacBook Air, M3, Student discount $999 999 $1,649 $1,299 15-inch MacBook Air, M3, MSRP $1,299 1,299 $2,199 $1,749 15-inch MacBook Air, M3, Student discount $1,199 1,199 $1,999 $1,599 14-inch MacBook Pro M3 MSRP $1,599 1,699 $2,699 $2,099 14-inch MacBook Pro M3 Student discount $1,499 1,589 $2,529 $1,969 14-inch MacBook Pro, M3 Pro MSRP $1,999 2,099 $3,499 $2,699 14-inch MacBook Pro, M3 Pro Student discount $1,849 1,939 $3,239 $2,399 16-inch MacBook Pro, M3 Pro MSRP $2,499 2,599 $4,299 $3,299 16-inch MacBook Pro, M3 Pro Student discount $2,299 2,389 $3,949 $2,939 iMac M3 MSRP $1,299 1,399 $2,199 $1,699 iMac M3 Student discount $1,249 1,349 $2,109 $1,629 Mac mini MSRP $599 649 $999 $799 Mac mini Student discount $499 539 $829 $669 Mac Studio MSRP $1,999 2,099 $3,299 $2,699 Mac Studio Student discount $1,799 1,889 $2,969 $2,429 Mac Pro MSRP $6,999 7,199 $11,999 $8,999 Mac Pro Student discount $6,599 6,789 $11,309 $8,479 Apples discounted price for students compared to the usual price. MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro for college/university? This is likely the question you are hoping to get an answer to: should I buy a MacBook Air or a MacBook Pro for college? We compare the MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro in detail separately. Below well evaluate the different MacBooks from the perspective of a typical student in the order that we recommend them for students. 1. MacBook Air, 13-inch, M3, 2024 Price When Reviewed: $1,099 (base) Best Prices Today: $1,096.08 at Amazon $1099 at Adorama $1099 at Apple You might assume that the MacBook Air is low-powered in comparison to the MacBook Pro, but not only does this 13-inch MacBook Air offer the same M3 chip as the 13-inch MacBook Pro, it also has a bigger and brighter screen, better FaceTime cameras, is thinner and lighter than the Pro, and has other benefits when compared to the alternative. If youre looking for a MacBook that doesnt break the bank and offers the ultimate in portability and great battery life, then this MacBook Air is the perfect fit. The model we are recommending here is not the cheapest MacBook Air, but it offers the best value for money and the price difference between this and the older M2 model is so small that it is one of those cases where spending a little more gets you a lot more. This MacBook Air offers 18 hours of battery life, according to Apple. This is less than the 13-inch MacBook Pros 20 hours, but its sure to be enough to get you through a day and an all-nighter at university. There are no USB-A ports on the MacBook Air or MacBook Pro, just two USB-C, a headphone jack, and a MagSafe port so you can charge your laptop and still have two USB ports free. You may feel that you need more storage than the entry-level model offers, in which case the 512GB model costs $200/200 more. Previously there were additional benefits to choosing the 512GB version because Apples smaller SSDs werent as fast as the larger ones, but for the M3 MacBook Air Apple seems to have addressed this issue. Rather than fork out for extra storage built-in you may find external storage, or even iCloud storage, works out cheaper. (If you have a big Music library, for example, pay for iTunes Match so you can keep your music in the cloud. If you have a big photo library turn on iCloud Photos and get additional iCloud storage ). How much can students save on the 13-inch MacBook Air, M3? MSRP: $1,099 / 1,099 / AU$1,799 / CA$1,449 Student: $999 / 999 / AU$1,649 / CA$1,299 Students save: $100 / 100 / AU$150 / CA$150 Youll see the best prices right now in the block above, which may be even better than Apples education pricing. 2. MacBook Air, 15-inch, M3, 2024 Price When Reviewed: $1,299 (base) Best Prices Today: $1,234 at Amazon $1299 at Apple $1299 at Best Buy There is only one reason not to buy the 13-inch MacBook Air with M3: the 15-inch MacBook Air with M3. The 15-inch MacBook Air costs $200 more than the entry-level 13-inch M3 model, but it offers a better M3 chip as standard with a 10-core GPU, rather than an 8-core GPU. And theres also a bigger screen. Another benefit relates to the speakers, which are better than the smaller MacBook Airs. Here you get a six-speaker sound system with force-canceling woofers rather than the four-speaker sound system of the 13-inch M3 (and M2). The 15-inch MacBook Air weighs a little more and will take up more space in your bag, but if you want a bigger screen then thats a fair price to pay. Battery life is the same 18-hours as the other 13-inch MacBook Air models. How much can students save on the 15-inch MacBook Air, M3? MSRP: $1,299 / 1,399 / AU$2,199 / CA$1,749 Student: $1,199 / 1,289 / AU$1,999 / CA$1,599 Students save: $100 / 110 / AU$200 / CA$150 Youll see the best prices right now in the block above, which may be even better than Apples education pricing. Read our full Apple 15-inch MacBook Air (M3, 2024) review 3. Apple 14-inch MacBook Pro, M3, 2023 Price When Reviewed: $1,599 Best Prices Today: $1,449 at Amazon $1599 at Apple The 14-inch MacBook Pro with M3 is quite a leap up from the MacBook Air in terms of price and now that both are furnished with the same M3 chip, you may be wondering why anyone would want to pay more for the MacBook Pro. There is a reason to buy the MacBook Pro rather than the MacBook Air though and thats basically if the MacBook Air wont be powerful enough for your needs. The thing about the MacBook Air is that it lacks a fan, which means that if you really push it then the Mac might slow down to avoid overheating. For this reason, if you want to use your Mac for heavy processing then you might be better off with a MacBook Pro. In this case, if you have the budget, you might actually want to consider the M3 Pro option (discussed next). One other benefit of the MacBook Pro is the wider selection of ports than on the MacBook Air, including HDMI and an SDXC card reader. But if you arent doing anything too demanding then the MacBook Air is going to be more than powerful enough for your needs and wed suggest that you save the money youd be spending on the MacBook Pro and buy an external display to plug into when you are back in your dorm room, or something equally as useful (like food). How much can students save on the 14-inch MacBook Pro, M3? MSRP: $1,599 / 1,699 / AU$2,699 / CA$2,099 Student: $1,499 / 1,589 / AU$2,529 / CA$1,969 Students save: $100 / 110 / AU$170 / CA$130 Read our full Apple 14-inch MacBook Pro (M3, 2023) review 4. MacBook Pro, 14-inch, M3 Pro, 2023 Price When Reviewed: $1,999 Best Prices Today: $1,933.50 at Amazon $1999 at Apple It is unlikely that students need the power of the M3 Pro in the 14-inch MacBook Pro (or 16-inch MacBook Pro for that matter) and the price is likely to be prohibitive anyway. But we do see some good MacBook Pro deals , so if you can get a bargain then these more powerful MacBook Pro models are worth considering. If you need a more powerful Mac because your course calls for it, or perhaps because you are a gamer looking for a machine that can meet those demands, then you can save a bit of money by choosing the 14-inch MacBook Pro over the 16-inch model. Both models offer the same specs, so you arent forfeiting any high-power options. Read: 14-inch vs 16-inch MacBook Pro. How much can students save on the 14-inch MacBook Pro, M3 Pro? MSRP: $1,999 / 2,099 / AU$3,499 / CA$2,699 Student: $1,849 / 1,939 / AU$3,239 / CA$2,399 Students save: $150 / 160 / AU$260 / CA$300 Read our full Apple 14-inch MacBook Pro (M3 Pro, 2023) review 5. MacBook Air, 13-inch, M2, 2022 Price When Reviewed: $1,099 (current price at $999) Best Prices Today: $899 at Best Buy $979.99 at Amazon $989 at Adorama Students looking to spend as little money as possible may well be considering the M2 MacBook Air, which is just $899/899 for students. Thats $100/100 less than the student price of the newer M3 MacBook Air. Thats not a huge saving though, so we suggest you shop around a bit before you buy: you may find a discount on the M3 13-inch MacBook Air that beats Apples Student discount on the older model. If you can spare the extra money our recommendation is to spend the extra $100/100 because the M3 MacBook Air is the better purchase thanks to the newer M3 chip and faster storage. In fact our advice is to avoid the 256GB M2 MacBook Air because the storage is known to be slower. Wed recommend upgrading to the 512GB model, but by that point, you might as well spend the money on the M3 MacBook Air which isnt hampered by the same storage issue. But, if you cant spare the extra money the M2 MacBook Air will be more than adequate for a student, especially those predominantly writing essays and conducting research. This model came with a bigger and brighter screen, and better FaceTime cameras than its predecessor, and still has a lot of benefits compared to the MacBook Pro. The M2 MacBook Air offers 18 hours of battery life, just like the M3 model. That is less than the 13-inch MacBook Pros 20 hours, but it is enough to get you through a day and an all-nighter at university. It offers the same ports as the M3 MacBook Air: two USB-C, a headphone jack, and a MagSafe port for charging. How much can students save on the 13-inch MacBook Air, M2? MSRP: $999 / 999 / AU$1,599 / CA$1,299 Student: $899 / 899 /AU$1,439 / CA$1,169 Students save: $100 / 100 / AU$160 / CA$1 3 0 Read our full Apple 13-inch MacBook Air (M2, 2022) review MacBook vs Mac desktop for students? Student life normally involves a fair amount of mobility traveling to lectures, libraries, the occasional coffee shop, and then possibly home for weekends and term breaksso it makes sense to consider a laptop rather than a desktop Mac. While the screen sizes in MacBooks are smaller than iMacs, you can always buy a cheap screen and use that with your laptop when you are home. Or, if you also have an iPad, you might be able to link your iPad to your MacBook and use the iPad screen too (heres how to use your iPad as a second screen for your Mac ). You could also use that iPad for taking notes when you are at lectures (read our guide to the best iPad for students ). However, there are some benefits to buying a Mac desktop. Generally, it is the case that you pay more for a Mac laptop, compared to the same specs on a desktop. The Mac mini, for example, is Apples cheapest Mac despite having some pretty impressive specs. However, if you compare the 24-inch iMac with a similarly speced Mac laptop the iMac is considerably more expensive. iMac vs Mac mini vs Mac Studio for students While we appreciate that there are plenty of benefits associated with choosing a laptop for university, you may be better off with a desktop. 1. Mac mini, M2, 2023 Price When Reviewed: From $599 Best Prices Today: $499 at Amazon $499 at Best Buy $599 at Adorama The Mac mini was last upgraded in January 2023 when it gained the M2 chip (and the M2 Pro chip option discussed below). Apple also reduced the price to $599/649 so the cheapest Mac going is now even cheaper! The only real compromise is the lack of monitor and keyboard. The Mac mini is about as portable as a desktop Mac can get. You could, in theory, take it home on the train, as long as you had a spare monitor waiting for you when you got there. If you are on a budget the Mac mini is the way to go. Get an entry-level Mac mini and ask around for an old keyboard, mouse and monitor. How much can students save on the Mac mini, M2? MSRP: $599 / 649 / AU$999 / CA$799 Student: $499 / 539 / AU$829 / CA$669 Students save: $100 / 110 / AU$170 / CA$130 Read our full Apple Mac mini (M2, 2023) review 2. Apple Mac mini (M2 Pro, 2023) Price When Reviewed: $1,299 Best Prices Today: $1,264.99 at Amazon $1299 at Adorama $1299 at Apple The M2 Pro Mac mini offers all the benefits of the Mac mini discussed above along with the more powerful M2 Pro chip which brings more GPUs and support for more RAM (unified memory). If you need an M2 Pro chip the Mac mini with M2 Pro is a lot cheaper, at $1,199 (student price) than a 14-inch MacBook Pro, which starts at $1,849 for students. How much can students save on the Mac mini, M2 Pro? MSRP: $599 / 649 / AU$999 / CA$799 Student: $499 / 539 / AU$829 / CA$669 Students save: $100 / 110 / AU$170 / CA$130 Read our full Apple Mac mini (M2 Pro, 2023) review 3. Mac Studio, M2 Max, 2023 Price When Reviewed: 1,999 Best Prices Today: $1999 at Adorama $1999 at Apple $1999 at Best Buy Like the M2 Pro Mac mini, the M2 Max Mac Studio brings a more powerful chip, with more GPU cores and support for more RAM, at a much lower price than similarly specced Mac laptops. If you need a powerful Mac, either because your course demands it, or because you want to spend your free time gaming, the Mac Studio is worth consideration, and the student discount is pretty good. As with the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models though, wed suggest that you probably dont need this much power and could probably use the money for something more important, like accommodation or food. How much can students save on the Mac Studio? MSRP: $1,999 / 2,099 / AU$3,299 / CA$2,699 Student: $1,799 / 1,889 / AU$2,969 / CA$2,429 Students save: $200 / 210 / AU$330 / CA$270 Read our full Apple Mac Studio (M2 Max, 2023) review 4. iMac, 24-inch, M3 Price When Reviewed: $1,299 base model Best Prices Today: $1,249.99 at Amazon $1299 at Adorama $1299 at Apple Back in May 2021 Apple introduced an M1-equipped 24-inch iMac with a brand new design in a choice of seven different colors, it then took until October 2023 before Apple updated the machine, adding an M3 chip and nothing else. We werent recommending the iMac for students then and we arent fully recommending it now. But the iMac does have a few qualities that might appeal to you. Thanks to its design its certainly a Mac that will make a statement to anyone entering your dorm room. That 24-inch display could also be a great screen for streaming your favorite shows and movies. The iMac is a non-portable Mac though, which might deter many students from purchasing one. You wont be able to take it with you to lecturesor cart it home on a train for the holidaysbut you will be able to work more efficiently thanks to its 24-inch screen. How much can students save on the iMac? MSRP: $1,299 / 1,399 / AU$2,199 / CA$1,699 Student discount: $1,249 / 1,349 / AU$2,109 / CA$1,629 Students save: $50 / 210 / AU$330 / CA$270 Read our full Apple 24-inch iMac (M3, 2023) review Which Mac should you get for university? Our pick of the entire Mac range, if youre a student, is the M3 MacBook Air. It will give you a better screen, better webcam and an attractive new design to show off in lectures. Its light, fast, and with student pricing starting at $999/999 its very good value. You could save by opting for the older M2 MacBook Air, but, if you are looking for the cheapest Mac you can get, the M2 Mac mini is a very good option. Its powerful and with Apples education discount, its just $499/539. You just need a monitor, mouse and keyboard. The only reason to delay buying one is the fact that a Mac mini may be coming soon. How to get a discount on a Mac for university or school You can get a student discount at Apples education stores, but you have to qualify as a student in higher education, be a teacher, someone buying for an education institution, or a home educator. School-age children can only take advantage if the equipment is being purchased by their school or if their parent is home-educating them. If you are a registered student youll be able to get a discount on a new Mac if you shop in Apples various Education Stores (below). You can find out all about it in more detail in our Apple Education Store explainer . Apples U.S. Education Store Apples U.K. Education Store (in the UK you will need to verify your student status via UNiDAYS). Apples Canada Education Store Apples Australian Education Store Getting a student discount from Apples education store isnt the only way to get a cheaper Mac as a student though. There are various ways to get a bargain: Look out for reseller discounts : Another way to get a bargain is to look out for deals at Apple resellers and Amazon, where we have see Macs with as much as $500 off the price. Take a look at our round ups of the best Mac deals to get the best prices right now: Best MacBook Air deals this month Best Mac Studio deals available now Best MacBook Pro deals this month Best iMac deals this month Best Mac mini deals this month Buy a refurbished Mac : Take advantage of Apples refurbished store where the company sells ex-display, returned, and previous-generation Macs at a discount. The benefit of buying refurbished from Apple is that the products are fully checked and come with a one-year warranty. You can also get a refurbished Mac elsewhere with many resellers offering the same service, but beware that not all refurbished Macs are equal. Usually refurbished means that the Mac is guaranteed to be in full working order, but do check with the reseller. Heres a guide to how to buy a refurbished Mac. We also look at why you should buy a refurbished Mac. Buy second-hand/used : One advantage of buying refurbished is that it should be guaranteed to work and you should have no problem returning it if there is a problem. These are reasons why we dont recommend buying a secondhand Mac . If you do see a deal on a second hand or used Mac just be especially cautious. The best Mac bargains are usually on older models, although we do see discounts on current Macs as well. If you see a good discount on an older Mac its important to be aware of what the newer models offers so that you know what you are missing out on and can judge whether the deal is as good as it appears to be. For one thing, older Macs are likely to feature Intel processors rather than Apples M1, M2, M3 or their variants, which could put you at a disadvantage in the future (and will certainly mean your Mac depreciates in value very quickly). If you are picking an Intel Mac then make sure that it is a relatively recent Intel chip to ensure that Apple will at least support that Mac until the end of your course. See: How long does Apple support Macs for. If you are a student heres how to get Apple Music for half price . Plus students with an Apple Music student subscription also get free access to Apple TV+ for a limited time. Mac, MacBook
Samsung Galaxy A55 vs. A35: Dont buy the wrong phone
Samsung has introduced its latest mid-priced smartphones, the Galaxy A55 and Galaxy A35. These smartphones have key differences although they look the same.
MacRumors Giveaway: Win an iPad Air and Rock Paper Pencil Kit From Astropad
For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with Astropad to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win an iPad Air, an Apple Pencil 2, and two Astropad accessories. Astropad is known for the Astropad Studio app that turns the iPad into a drawing tablet for a Mac, but also for the Rock Paper Pencil and Darkboard iPad Stand , both of which are perfect for getting more out of Apple's iPads. Rock Paper Pencil is a kit that includes a textured screen protector and Apple Pencil tip that combine to make writing and drawing on the iPad feel like you're writing on a piece of paper. Astropad just recently overhauled the Rock Paper Pencil to make it an even better experience. The screen protector uses NanoCling technology so it adheres to an iPad using static cling, and it can be taken off and put back on as needed with no residue left on the iPad's screen. With NanoCling, the screen protector fits right up to the display of the iPad to provide a flat surface with no gaps or ridges. Because of the slight friction from the texture of the screen protector, there's more control over stroke output. Rock Paper Pencil's pencil tip fits on to the Apple Pencil and can hold up to heavy daily use. There's a wear-resistant copper alloy core inside with a palladium coating, and it is equivalent to an 0.7mm ballpoint pen for precision writing and sketching. Astropad includes two pencil tips with the kit, along with a protective storage sleeve so you can tuck away the screen protector when you're not using it. Priced at $40, the Rock Paper Pencil kit works with all of Apple's modern iPads, including the iPad Air, both iPad Pro models, the sixth-generation iPad mini, and the 7th-generation and later iPad. For those who like to sketch and draw on their iPads, Astropad also makes the Darkboard Drawing Stand , an essential accessory for improving iPad ergonomics for artists. Made from a rigid foam material, the Darkboard can be used on the couch, in bed, or on a flat surface without causing stress on the arms and wrists. The foam material provides cushioning, and a polycarbonate frame holds the iPad in place at any angle so you can get comfortable positioning no matter where you're at. If you have a desk or a table for Darkboard, it can be used vertically to turn the iPad into a mini Mac. Astropad designed Darkboard with 1mm of space between the iPad's display and the foam for device protection in case the Darkboard is dropped, and it leaves a cutout for the camera and charging port so you're not losing any functionality. There's also a little pocket for storing the Apple Pencil when it's not in use, and grooved handles so it can be moved from place to place. Priced at $100 , Darkboard works with the 11-inch iPad Pro, third-generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro and later, and the 10.9-inch iPad Air. We have a 10.9-inch iPad Air, Darkboard, and Rock Paper Pencil kit to give away to one lucky MacRumors reader. To enter to win, use the widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winner(s) and send the prize(s). You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter , subscribing to our YouTube channel , following us on Twitter , following us on Instagram , following us on Threads , or visiting the MacRumors Facebook page . Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years or older, UK residents who are 18 years or older, and Canadian residents (excluding Quebec) who have reached the age of majority in their province or territory are eligible to enter . All federal, state, provincial, and/or local taxes, fees, and surcharges are the sole responsibility of the prize winner. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section , as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected. Astropad Giveaway The contest will run from today (March 15) at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time on March 22. The winner will be chosen randomly on or shortly after March 22 and will be contacted by email. The winner will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before a new winner is chosen. Tags: Giveaway , Astropad This article, MacRumors Giveaway: Win an iPad Air and Rock Paper Pencil Kit From Astropad first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
The MacRumors Show: Will the New iPad Air Be a Big Enough Upgrade?
On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show , we discuss Apple's upcoming iPad Air models, which are expected to be announced in just a matter of weeks. Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos The sixth-generation iPad Air is rumored to feature the M2 chip, a redesigned rear camera , and specification upgrades like Bluetooth 5.3 and Wi-Fi 6E. Most significantly, the iPad Air is expected to come in two sizes for the first time, just like the Apple Watch, iPad Pro , MacBook Air , and MacBook Pro. One of the size options will be the same as the previous two generations at 10.9-inches, while the new addition to the lineup will mirror the iPad Pro's 12.9-inch model. The new devices should be announced alongside new iPad Pro models in late March or April. We also discuss iPad workflows, the new MacBook Air, and the positioning of each of the models in the current iPad lineup. The MacRumors Show is now on its own YouTube channel , so make sure you're subscribed to keep up with new episodes and clips going forward: Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel! You can also listen to The MacRumors Show on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , Overcast , or your preferred podcasts app. You can also copy our RSS feed directly into your podcast player. If you haven't already listened to the previous episode of The MacRumors Show , catch up for our discussion about Apple's new MacBook Air models featuring the M3 chip. Subscribe to The MacRumors Show for new episodes every week, where we discuss some of the topical news breaking here on MacRumors , often joined by interesting guests such as Brian Tong , Quinn Nelson , Kevin Nether , Jared Nelson , Eli Hodapp , Luke Miani , Mike Bell , Sara Dietschy , iJustine , Jon Rettinger , Andru Edwards , Arnold Kim , Ben Sullins , Marcus Kane , Christopher Lawley , Frank McShan , David Lewis , Tyler Stalman , Jon Prosser , Sam Kohl , John Gruber , Federico Viticci , Thomas Frank , Jonathan Morrison , Ross Young , Ian Zelbo , and Rene Ritchie . The MacRumors Show is on X @MacRumorsShow , so be sure to give us a follow to keep up with the podcast. You can also head over to The MacRumors Show forum thread to engage with us directly. Remember to rate and review the podcast, and let us know what subjects and guests you would like to see in the future. Tag: The MacRumors Show This article, The MacRumors Show: Will the New iPad Air Be a Big Enough Upgrade? first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
Apple Agrees to Pay $490M to Settle Lawsuit Alleging That Tim Cook Defrauded Shareholders
Apple has agreed to pay $490 million to settle a class action lawsuit alleging that Apple CEO Tim Cook defrauded shareholders by concealing falling demand for iPhones in China, according to Reuters , which cited a court filing today. The proposed settlement requires approval by U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in California. On a November 1, 2018 earnings call with analysts, Cook said Apple was facing pressure in emerging markets where local currencies were weakening, such as Turkey, India, Brazil, and Russia, but he did not include China in the list: The emerging markets that we're seeing pressure in are markets like Turkey, India, Brazil, Russia. These are markets where currencies have weakened over the recent period. In some cases, that resulted in us raising prices and those markets are not growing the way we would like to see. Cook went on to say the following about China on the call: In relation to China specifically, I would not put China in that category. Our business in China was very strong last quarter. We grew 16%, which we're very happy with. iPhone in particular was very strong, very strong double-digit growth there. Our other products category was also stronger, in fact, a bit stronger than even the overall company number. A few months later, in January 2019, Cook shared a letter to investors indicating that Apple's revenue for the fourth quarter of 2018 would be around $84 billion, lower than its original guidance of between $89 billion and $93 billion in the quarter. Apple ended up reporting revenue of $84.3 billion in the quarter on January 29, 2019. Apple's share price dropped around 25% between November 1, 2018 and January 31, 2019. In his letter, Cook said the Greater China region's slowing economy was largely to blame for Apple's revenue shortfall in the quarter: While we anticipated some challenges in key emerging markets, we did not foresee the magnitude of the economic deceleration, particularly in Greater China. In fact, most of our revenue shortfall to our guidance, and over 100 percent of our year-over-year worldwide revenue decline, occurred in Greater China across iPhone, Mac and iPad. The letter added that lower-than-anticipated iPhone revenue, primarily in Greater China, accounted for the entire revenue shortfall: Lower than anticipated iPhone revenue, primarily in Greater China, accounts for all of our revenue shortfall to our guidance and for much more than our entire year-over-year revenue decline. Investors alleged that Cook knew that iPhone demand was falling in China at the time of the November 2018 earnings call, but failed to disclose it. Apple has denied these allegations and has not admitted to any wrongdoing. Apple only agreed to the proposed settlement to avoid additional costs and time involved with litigation, the filing says. Tags: Apple Lawsuits , Tim Cook This article, Apple Agrees to Pay $490M to Settle Lawsuit Alleging That Tim Cook Defrauded Shareholders first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
TipTop Shop App Offers Single-Transaction Buying, Selling and Device Trade-Ins
TipTop , an app for trading in used devices and getting instant cash, today launched a new feature called Shop. With TipTop Shop, users are able to buy new, open box, and refurbished items, while also trading in old devices at the same time. The feature allows customers to sell items, trade them in, and/or buy new devices in a single transaction. It is a unique option for a trade-in/device selling app, as there is no need for a multi-step process when upgrading to a new device. Now, with TipTop Shop you can purchase any item and, at the same time, trade in any device from any manufacturer. Cross brand trade-in is an industry first, as other trade-in programs rely on multiple step transactions, gift cards or other complicated arrangements. Want to trade in your Samsung Galaxy for a new iPad? No problem. An Apple HomePod mini for a solid discount on the new Nintendo Switch? You bet. Trading in your iPhone for a Nothing Phone? We can help with that. And TipTop can do it all in one tap. TipTop was founded by Bastian Lehmann, the founder and CEO of Postmates, and its marketing VP is former TechCrunch editor-in-chief Matthew Panzarino. The app's trade-in prices are similar to the prices offered by Apple, though it offers more than Apple on some newer devices and less than Apple on older devices. The app can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [ Direct Link ] This article, TipTop Shop App Offers Single-Transaction Buying, Selling and Device Trade-Ins first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
This new Android phone is one of the most stunning Ive ever seen
Smartphone designs today are boring. Thankfully, this new one from OnePlus is anything but. Here's a hands-on look at the OnePlus 12R Genshin Impact Edition.
Get an M1 MacBook Air for just $699 in this all-time-low blowout sale
Macworld Even with a new M2 model for $999 and an M3 model for just $1,099, the M1 MacBook Air is still a fantastic laptop. Especially when its at a crazy low price: Walmart is selling the M1 MacBook Air with 256GB of storage in silver, gold, or space gray for $699 , a savings of $300, and the best price weve ever seen. This MacBook Air has the classic wedge design with the original M1 processor (8-core CPU/7-core GPU), and its still an incredible performer for everyday tasks like email and web browsing. Youll get the whisper-quiet Air design with a gorgeous 13.2-inch retina display, a pair of Thunderbolt ports, and a fantastic Magic Keyboard with Touch ID. In our 2020 review , we praised the M1 Airs performance and itll still be more than capable of running macOS 15 when it arrives this fall. Weve never seen a non-refurbished model for this cheap and were not sure how long it will be available until stock runs out, so go grab one now if youre looking for a fantastic budget laptop. MacBook
Highlights from this week's best deals include the AirPods Pro 2 for the all-time low price of $189.00, as well as Amazon's first ever discount on the 15-inch M3 MacBook Air. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running. AirPods Pro 2 What's the deal? Get $60 off AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C Where can I get it? Amazon Where can I find the original deal? Right here $60 OFF AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C for $189.00 Amazon returned the AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C to their all-time low price of $189.00 this week, down from $249.00, and they're still available at this price today. MacBook Air What's the deal? Get $65 off 15-inch M3 MacBook Air Where can I get it? Amazon Where can I find the original deal? Right here $65 OFF 15-inch M3 MacBook Air (256GB) for $1,234.00 Amazon introduced its first discount on the new 15-inch M3 MacBook Air this week. You can get the 256GB model for $1,234.00 in Starlight, down from $1,299.00. Apple Watch SE What's the deal? Get $60 off Apple Watch SE Where can I get it? Amazon Where can I find the original deal? Right here $60 OFF Apple Watch SE (40mm GPS) for $189.00 $60 OFF Apple Watch SE (44mm GPS) for $219.00 The Apple Watch SE hit $60 off on Amazon earlier in the week, and you can still get the 40mm GPS model for $189.00 and the 44mm GPS model for $219.00. These are both solid second-best discounts that are just $10 higher than previous all-time low prices. OWC What's the deal? Save on Thunderbolt docks and more Where can I get it? OWC Where can I find the original deal? Right here $130 OFF OWC 14-Port Thunderbolt 3 Dock for $149.99 OWC's steep discount on the 14-Port Thunderbolt 3 Dock is still available today, available for $149.99, down from $279.99. You can also find deals on cables, keyboards, headphones, external drives, and more. Keep up with all of this week's best discounts on Apple products and related accessories in our dedicated Apple Deals roundup . Related Roundup: Apple Deals This article, Best Apple Deals of the Week: M3 MacBook Air Gets First Discount on Amazon, Plus Best-Ever Price on AirPods Pro 2 With USB-C first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
Caviar's 18-Karat Gold Custom Apple Vision Pro Won't Start at $3,499
Caviar , a company known for making luxury variants of popular tech gadgets, intends to release a custom Apple Vision Pro plated with 18-karat gold next year that will inevitably set you back more than Apple's $3,499 starting price. The device's headband is made from Connolly leather, and features a gold visor cover attachment inspired by Tom Ford flip-up glasses and Gucci ski masks. Judging by the public's reaction, not everyone appreciates having their eyes displayed on the external screen. With Caviar's version, you can preserve your privacy if you wish, says the company. The Apple Vision Pro CVR Edition by Caviar will be a limited edition release of 24 units, with an estimated early 2025 launch. The starting price is available on request, according to the website, but elsewhere the device is advertised for around $40,000. Caviar also recently listed a custom iPhone 15 Pro that has been modified to match the look of the Vision Pro. That costs a mere $8,060 and can be pre-ordered today from the Caviar website. Related Roundup: Apple Vision Pro Tag: Caviar Buyer's Guide: Vision Pro (Buy Now) Related Forum: Apple Vision Pro This article, Caviar's 18-Karat Gold Custom Apple Vision Pro Won't Start at $3,499 first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums