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Search results for: “Apple”

  • Wait longer for Apple’s new home device

    Wait longer for Apple’s new home device

    Apple is set to introduce some new gadgets this week, but the one that’s got everyone buzzing, the new ‘HomePad’, isn’t coming out as soon as we hoped, according to Mark Gurman.

    HomePad Release Pushed Back

    Back in November, Gurman gave us a sneak peek at what Apple had in store with its upcoming home product, which I’ve nicknamed the HomePad. He initially hinted at a March release.

    However, his reports have since changed. In January, he suggested that the HomePad might take a bit longer due to some software updates needed for its features. Despite this, there was still hope for a not-too-distant launch.

    But as of this weekend, Gurman’s latest newsletter paints a different picture. He confirms that Apple isn’t rushing this one. They’ve dropped the idea of a March launch, and it now looks like we’ll be waiting for “months” before we see the HomePad on shelves.

    What Does This Mean?

    Firstly, forget about March; it’s not happening. Secondly, while April might still be on the cards, Gurman seems to think we might wait even longer than that.

    Perfect Timing with iOS 18.4

    I’m really looking forward to the HomePad more than any other Apple product this year. The wait might be worth it, especially since iOS 18.4 is due in April, bringing with it some cool new AI features. The HomePad could work great with these updates, especially with a smarter Siri.

    So, although we might have to wait a bit longer, an April launch would be a good match. But, as always with Apple, we’ll just have to see what they have up their sleeves.

    Source

  • Making Apple Vision Pro easier to wear

    Making Apple Vision Pro easier to wear

    The main complaints about the Apple Vision Pro have been its cost and its weight. Apple is already working on a cheaper version, and a new patent suggests a way to make the headset lighter. People who tried it early on noted that the headset feels heavy after a while, and I felt the same when I used it.

    John Gruber, a well-known tech commentator, shared similar thoughts:

    “The Vision Pro is heavy. I wore it for hours without pain, but the weight does become tiring. You can’t forget you’re wearing it. Plus, it’s quite big, like a large, heavy pair of goggles on your face.”

    During my hour-long session, I noticed the weight and comfort issues. Comfort is a big challenge with this kind of technology. On a warm day, even by UK standards, my upper face felt hot inside the headset, similar to my experiences with the Meta Quest 2.

    The weight was particularly noticeable after about 30 minutes. With my Quest, I use an extra battery pack at the back, which helps balance the weight. However, the Vision Pro is front-heavy, and that was starting to bother me, especially when moving my head up and down.

    A recent patent from Apple, highlighted by Patently Apple, offers a solution: moving the processor and other components away from the headset, much like they did with the battery.

    The patent starts by discussing the problem:

    “Head-mounted displays (HMDs) should be comfortable for long periods. As we add more features, battery life, and performance, we add more weight. We need to balance comfort with the device’s capabilities.”

    A heavy front can make wearing the device less enjoyable. Apple recognizes this and suggests a need for a lighter HMD that doesn’t compromise on performance. They also tackle the heat problem, suggesting better ways to manage heat. Currently, the Vision Pro uses a separate battery pack to help with weight, and the patent suggests that the processing could be moved into this external “cartridge.”

    This cartridge would house the processor, which would send video to the headset’s display, and could be attached or detached as needed. One idea is to have the processor in a unit that can either sit in the headset or be housed in an external case, providing flexibility in how the user wears the device.

  • New features in Apple’s Sports App for NASCAR fans

    New features in Apple’s Sports App for NASCAR fans

    Apple has just rolled out a fresh update for its Sports app on the iPhone, perfect timing for NASCAR enthusiasts as the Daytona 500 approaches this Sunday, February 16.

    Apple Sports Update Highlights:

    • Rev Up for NASCAR: Now you can dive into live race coverage and keep up with the leaderboard right from the Daytona 500.
    • Baseball Season Prep: With Spring Training kicking off, you can track your favorite teams as they gear up for the MLB season.

    The Apple Sports app, which first hit the App Store in February 2024, keeps fans in the loop with scores, player stats, league standings, and game schedules for numerous sports. Whether you’re into football, baseball, soccer, basketball, hockey, or the Premier League, this app has got you covered. It’s free to download on your iPhone from the App Store, making it easy for sports fans to stay connected to their favorite sports leagues.

  • Apple is hiring more people to make robots for homes

    Apple is hiring more people to make robots for homes

    Apple is increasing its team of experts to work on new home robots, according to Mark Gurman from Bloomberg. The company is just starting to work on a robot that sits on a table, but they’re also thinking about making one that looks like a human down the road.

    This project is being led by two groups at Apple: the Home Labs team, which makes hardware, and another team led by Kevin Lynch, who works on special AI projects. These teams came from Apple’s old self-driving car project, which ended last year.

    In recent weeks, Apple has put out many job ads for people who know a lot about robots. They want to hire folks who will work with a small, smart group to add new features to Apple’s gadgets.

    Just last month, some Apple researchers showed off a robot that looks like a lamp, similar to the playful lamp from Pixar movies. This robot can do things like tell you about the weather, light up for taking photos with your iPhone, remind you to drink water, and even dance to music with you.

    Gurman also shared that Apple is working on a robot with a screen like an iPad, attached to a movable arm. This robot could be ready by 2027 and would mainly work with Siri. It might be able to look at you when you’re on a FaceTime call if you tell it to.

    It seems this new robot might be a fancy version of Apple’s smart home device, which is supposed to come out this year. It would be like a HomePod speaker but with a screen and a robotic arm.

    Source

  • Apple might switch iPhone screen makers due to quality problems

    Apple might switch iPhone screen makers due to quality problems

    Apple is thinking about changing who makes the screens for its iPhones because one of its current suppliers, BOE, is having trouble making good-quality displays. This information comes from sources in Korea, as reported by OLED-info.

    BOE, a company from China, has been having a hard time making the LTPS AMOLED screens that Apple wants for the iPhone 14, 15, and 16. Since the start of 2024, they’ve only been able to provide about 7-8 million screens to Apple, way less than the 40 million they were supposed to make.

    It’s going to take around six weeks to fix these quality issues. In the meantime, people in the industry think that Samsung Display will get most of the new screen orders because LG Display is busy making a different type of screen for the iPhone “Pro” models.

    This isn’t the first time BOE has had problems. Last year, they had issues with the screens around the camera cutout, which they call the Dynamic Island, for the iPhone 15, and Apple cut back on orders because of it. This situation shows how tough it can be to keep up with Apple’s high standards for their iPhone screens.

    Source

  • Apple still aiming for standalone AR Glasses, but it will take time

    Apple still aiming for standalone AR Glasses, but it will take time

    Apple has decided to put on hold its project for AR glasses that needed to be connected to a Mac, but don’t worry, they haven’t given up on the idea of standalone AR glasses. According to Mark Gurman from Bloomberg, Apple is still very much committed to creating these futuristic glasses; they’re just taking a bit more time to perfect them.

    Last month, it was reported that Apple had canceled its plan for AR glasses that would have looked like regular glasses but needed a Mac to work. This news was initially alarming, but it’s not the end of the AR dream. The glasses in question were akin to the RayNeo Air 2S, which I had the chance to review, but with a higher price tag and quality.

    Apple’s hardware leader, John Ternus, is cautious about launching another product that doesn’t meet expectations. Therefore, the focus is now shifting towards developing a standalone version of these glasses, similar to the expensive prototypes Meta showcased last year.

    The team at Apple, particularly the Vision Products Group, is busy working on all the essential technologies needed for these glasses. They’re focusing on improving screens and chips to make this vision a reality. However, we’re looking at a wait of at least three to five years before these glasses might hit the market.

    The groundwork laid by visionOS suggests Apple is on the right track. Here’s hoping that when the time comes, Apple will bring something truly innovative to the world of AR.

  • Apple’s budget iPad gets a small update after 2.5 years, but don’t expect much

    Apple’s budget iPad gets a small update after 2.5 years, but don’t expect much

    It’s been over two years since Apple last updated its most affordable iPad, back in October 2022, when they introduced the 10th generation model. Now, after a significant wait, the 11th generation iPad is on its way, but don’t hold your breath for big changes.

    The Main Upgrade: A New Chip

    Just like the iPad mini 7 that came out last autumn, the new iPad 11 is expected to be more of a performance boost than a redesign. The big news is the upgrade from the A14 Bionic chip, which was introduced with the iPhone 12 in 2020, to the A17 Pro chip from the iPhone 15 Pro in 2023. This change should offer around a 40% increase in CPU speed.

    Also, the memory is set to double from 4GB to 8GB, which should make handling several apps at once smoother.

    New AI Features

    The iPad 11 is expected to include Apple Intelligence, bringing AI-driven features like Genmoji, Image Playground, support for ChatGPT, and an updated Siri to the cheapest iPad for the first time.

    Possible Small Changes

    Unfortunately, there aren’t many exciting new features rumored. There might be minor color updates, and possibly some improvements in connectivity like Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3. There’s also a whisper about introducing Stage Manager, a feature from iPadOS 16 that’s currently limited to iPads with more advanced chips. Given the new iPad’s specs, it might finally support this multitasking tool.

    Conclusion

    Despite the long wait, this update to the iPad lineup is shaping up to be pretty modest. One of the more significant changes in recent iPad models was moving the camera to a landscape position, but that’s already in place for this model since 2022.

    Here’s hoping Apple might at least bump the storage from 64GB to 128GB. We should see this new model hit the market this spring.

  • Apple Might Add Cameras to AirPods: What does this mean for us?

    Apple Might Add Cameras to AirPods: What does this mean for us?

    Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has revealed that Apple is working on a new type of AirPods that include cameras. Don’t expect to see this in the upcoming AirPods Pro 3, but the tech is definitely on the way. The big question is, what’s the purpose?

    Exploring Visual Intelligence

    With the iPhone 16, Apple introduced a feature called Camera Control, which not only helps in taking photos but also brings something called Visual Intelligence. This allows your phone to understand and interact with the world around you. For example, you could scan an event poster and add the details to your calendar or use AI to learn about something new.

    Apple seems to want to extend this capability to AirPods. Imagine being able to ask Siri about your surroundings without even touching your phone. This move is part of Apple’s strategy to stay competitive in the AI technology race.

    Enhancing Audio Experience

    Ming Chi Kuo, a known tech analyst, suggests these cameras could also improve how we experience spatial audio, especially when used with devices like the Apple Vision Pro. If you’re watching a video and turn your head, the audio could shift to match your new perspective, making the experience more immersive.

    There’s also a wild card idea from Kuo about “in-air gesture control” for AirPods, which sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie.

    When Will We See Them?

    According to Gurman, don’t hold your breath for these camera-equipped AirPods until at least 2027, possibly with the AirPods Pro 4. Apple’s vision includes not just these AirPods but also smart glasses, aiming to make use of the costly technology developed for the Vision Pro. This would help in understanding and interacting with the environment around the user.

    In summary, Apple’s exploration into adding cameras to AirPods might revolutionize how we interact with our devices, enhancing both utility and entertainment through smarter, more contextual technology.

  • Ex-Apple Engineer Apologizes for Leaks: ‘A big and costly error’

    Ex-Apple Engineer Apologizes for Leaks: ‘A big and costly error’

    Last year, we shared news about Apple taking legal action against Andrew Aude, their former software engineer, for sharing secrets about upcoming projects, including details on the Journal app and Vision Pro headset.

    According to 9to5Mac, the lawsuit was dropped on Thursday by the Santa Clara County Superior Court after Apple and Aude came to terms on a settlement. The details of this settlement aren’t public, but Aude made an apology online.

    On the social media site X, which used to be Twitter, Aude admitted that leaking information was a “big and costly error.”

    Here’s what Aude said in his apology:

    “I worked at Apple as a software engineer for almost eight years. I had access to a lot of private company info, including details about products that weren’t out yet. But instead of keeping these secrets, I shared them with journalists. I didn’t see it then, but it was a huge mistake. It ruined friendships and professional connections I’d built over years. My career in software engineering took a hit, and it’s going to be tough to start over. Leaking wasn’t worth it. I’m truly sorry to my colleagues who worked so hard on these projects and kept them confidential. They deserved better.”

    Aude started at Apple in 2016, focusing on improving battery life, and was let go in 2023 after his leaks came to light. For more on this story, check out our previous articles on the lawsuit.

  • Exciting new Apple products coming soon

    Exciting new Apple products coming soon

    Apple is getting ready to surprise us with new gadgets next week. Here’s what you can look forward to:

    iPhone SE 4

    The next iPhone SE is finally getting an update after a few years. Here’s what’s new:

    • A beautiful screen that goes from edge to edge
    • Easy face unlock without a home button
    • Fast A18 chip inside
    • Charging with USB-C
    • More memory for smoother use
    • Works with Apple’s new smart features
    • A 48MP camera for great photos
    • Its own 5G connection for faster internet

    Even though it might cost a bit more than before, starting at about $499, this iPhone SE will be a great choice for many people.

    Powerbeats Pro 2

    Also coming soon are the new Powerbeats Pro 2. These have been spotted on some famous athletes and are expected to hit the market very soon. They’ll come in cool new colors like purple, orange, and light brown. Plus, they’ll have a heart-rate sensor, just like the upcoming AirPods Pro 3.

    Surprise Launches?

    There might be even more surprises:

    • M4 MacBook Air: With current models running low in stores, the new version might be just around the corner.
    • M3 iPad Air: Stocks are low, which could mean an update is coming sooner than expected.
    • 11th Generation iPad: An update to the basic iPad model could be on its way too.

    Big Week for Apple?

    With all these possible new gadgets, and whispers of the next iOS update, next week could be packed with announcements. Apple might even do a series of reveals like they did last fall with their new Macs. This approach was a big success, so fingers crossed they do it again.

    It’s shaping up to be an exciting time for Apple fans. Stay tuned for what could be a very interesting week!

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