The event includes a new Apple Watch band and face, an iPhone wallpaper and a bunch of content across Apple’s services.
Category: Apple
Apple Announces Second-Generation HomePod⇢
In its second product announcement in two days, Apple has unveiled a new HomePod:
Oh shoot, that’s the original HomePod. Here’s an image of the new one:
The two generations are very similar on the outside. The display at the top on the new one looks much more like what’s on the HomePod mini, and the new speaker comes in both white and midnight, but it’s hard to spot the differences in color in Apple’s images. Sadly, the big HomePod doesn’t come in the great colors its smaller sibling does.
Apple Announces Updates to MacBook Pro, Mac mini
The 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros have been bumped to the new M2 Pro and M2 Max chips. Apple even put together a short video with all the news:
The specs for these new machines are just bonkers, with up to 12-core CPUs, 38-core GPUs and 96 GB of unified memory. Here’s a bit from the press release:
Report: Mac Updates Coming This Week⇢
Chance Miller, writing at 9to5Mac:
Apple could be making its first announcement of 2023 as soon as tomorrow, sources say. The company is holding Mac-related briefings with influencers and select members of the press this week, and an announcement could be made via Apple’s Newsroom website on Tuesday…
The details here are sparse at the moment. 9to5Mac has independently heard that Apple is holding press briefings this week related to the Mac. This has also been corroborated by other sources on Twitter, including friend of the site Ian Zelbo. Additionally, leaker Jon Prosser has teased: “keep an eye on Apple’s newsroom tomorrow.”
Exploring the $69 OS X Lion USB Installer
While working on a Top Secret project,1 I needed to install OS X Lion on an older MacBook Pro. I have my own USB installer that I created, but I thought it would be a good time to use the USB installer Apple sold for $69 back in the day. 2
Physically, the USB key is about as minimal as you can get. It’s just a thin piece of plastic with exposed USB contacts on side that slid right into a USB A port:
iTunes for Windows Being Replaced by Three New Apps⇢
Andrew Cunningham, writing at Ars:
Today, as part of a new Windows 11 preview build for Windows Insiders, Microsoft has announced that previews of new Apple Music, Apple TV, and Apple Devices apps are available in the Microsoft Store for download.
The Apple Music and Apple TV apps handle iTunes’ music and video functionality, just as they do on macOS, and provide access to the Apple Music and Apple TV+ subscription services. The Apple Devices app is what you’ll use to make local device backups, perform emergency software updates, sync local media, and the other things you can do with an iDevice that’s plugged into your PC (in macOS, similar functionality was added to the Finder, rather than being broken out into its own app).
Bloomberg: Apple Planning Macs with Touch Screens⇢
Apple Inc. is working on adding touch screens to its Mac computers, a move that would defy long-held company orthodoxy and embrace an approach that co-founder Steve Jobs once called “ergonomically terrible.”
Apple engineers are actively engaged in the project, indicating that the company is seriously considering producing touch-screen Macs for the first time, according to people familiar with the efforts. Still, a launch hasn’t been finalized and the plans could change.
Apple Maps Adds New Parking Features⇢
In partnership with parking platform SpotHero, Apple Maps now provides parking information for more than 8,000 locations across the U.S. and Canada. Parking availability can be filtered based on EV charging, wheelchair accessibility, and more.
On the iPhone, users can open the Apple Maps app and search for a popular destination such as Madison Square Garden in New York or Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, tap on the “More” button in the place card, tap on the “Parking” option in the menu, and proceed to search for and reserve nearby parking on the SpotHero website without leaving Apple Maps. SpotHero says the feature will also be available on the Mac.
Gurman: Apple’s Headset Due This Year⇢
While Apple still has many kinks to work out with the device —involving hardware, software and services, as well as how it will be marketed and sold — the company is banking on the product as its hot new introduction for this year.
… what’s ready at this point, then?
Apple’s Q1 2023 Results Coming February 2⇢
I quit covering these things years ago, but this report has the potential to be very spicy. Usually, Q1 is Apple’s best, as it covers the holiday season, but recent supply and production issues are expected to take a big bite out of the company’s earnings.
Apple Guiding Dark Sky Users to Apple Weather⇢
Dark Sky’s features have been integrated into Apple Weather. Apple Weather offers hyperlocal forecasts for your current location, including next-hour precipitation, hourly forecasts for the next 10 days, high-resolution radar, and notifications.
Apple Weather is available on devices running iOS 16, iPadOS 16, and macOS 13 Ventura. If you’re new to Apple Weather, here are some tips to get started.
What’s Left in the Apple Silicon Transition
Over at MacRumors, Hartley Charlton pointed out something that hadn’t crossed my mind:
Historically, Apple released at least one new Mac model every year in the fourth quarter that runs between October and December, starting in 2001 with the launch of the iBook G3. This means that there has been a new Mac toward the end of the year for the entire lifespan of product lines including the iPod, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. The last Mac that Apple released is the M2 MacBook Air, which launched on July 15. Depending on how long Apple waits to launch its next Mac, the time following the launch of the MacBook Air could be among the longest periods with no new Mac models at all.