512 Pixels

macOS Sequoia has been announced and it comes with a couple of colorful new default wallpapers and one based in the forrest that I really like.

Download full-sized copies here:

• Light Sequoia
• Dark Sequoia
• Sequoia Sunrise

There are new operating systems, but Apple has made some slight changes to the base system requirements for each OS:

iOS 18

iOS 18 brings no changes in compatibility:

• iPhone 15 line
• iPhone 14 line
• iPhone 13 line
• iPhone 12 line
• iPhone 11 line
• iPhone XS and XS Max
• iPhone XR
• iPhone SE (2nd generation or later)

iPadOS 18

iPadOS 18 seems to drop the 6th-generation iPad. RIP, buddy.

• iPad Pro (M4)
• iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation and later)
• iPad Pro 11-inch (1st generation and later)
• iPad Air (M2)
• iPad Air (3rd generation and later)
• iPad (7th generation and later)
• iPad mini (5th generation and later)

macOS Sequoia

Sequoia drops support for the 2018 MacBook Air, which can run Sonoma:

• iMac Pro (2017)
• Mac mini (2018 and later)
• MacBook Pro (2018 and later)
• iMac (2019 and later)
• MacBook Air (2020 and later)
• Mac Pro (2019 and later)
• Mac Studio (2022 and later)

Apple Intelligence

Apple Intelligence is a wide ranging set of features across these three operating systems, with its own set of system requirements:

• iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max (A17 Pro)
• iPad Pro (M1 and later)
• iPad Air (M1 and later)
• MacBook Air (M1 and later)
• MacBook Pro (M1 and later)
• iMac (M1 and later)
• Mac mini (M1 and later)
• Mac Studio (M1 Max and later)
• Mac Pro (M2 Ultra)

Apple says:

Apple Intelligence is free to use and will initially be available in U.S. English. Coming in beta this fall.

watchOS 11

The new version of watchOS drops support for the Series 4, Series 5, and original Apple Watch SE.

• Apple Watch SE (2nd generation)
• Apple Watch Series 6
• Apple Watch Series 7
• Apple Watch Series 8
• Apple Watch Series 9
• Apple Watch Ultra and Ultra 2

tvOS 18

The new version of tvOS drops no older models:

• Apple TV HD (2015)
• Apple TV 4K (2017)
• Apple TV 4K (2nd Generation, 2021)
• Apple TV 4K (3rd Generation, 2022)

These are always fun:

iOS 18

iPadOS 18

macOS Sequoia

watchOS 11

visionOS 2

“Audio & Home”

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This week on Mac Power Users, David and I discuss iMessage, Arc, Notes, and more. Then, we chat about OmniFocus 4 and David’s new Field Guide.

I am sure working on these things is hard and complicated, but it looks like a lot of fun, too:

Tripp Mickle and Erin Griffith, at The New York Times:

About a week after the reviews came out, Humane started talking to HP, the computer and printer company, about selling itself for more than $1 billion, three people with knowledge of the conversations said. Other potential buyers have emerged, though talks have been casual and no formal sales process has begun.

Humane retained Tidal Partners, an investment bank, to help navigate the discussions while also managing a new funding round that would value it at $1.1 billion, three people with knowledge of the plans said.

Two jokes came to mind:

1. The Humane Pin does kind of look like something Palm may have eventually made.
2. Wow, the AI hardware scene is really heating up.

Apple Newsroom:

“It’s inspiring to see how developers are using our technology to create exceptional apps and games that enhance the lives of users,” said Susan Prescott, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide Developer Relations. “This year’s winners have demonstrated how apps can create powerful and moving experiences — and we’re excited to celebrate their hard work and ingenuity at WWDC this year.”

Seven different categories recognize one app and game each for delight and fun, inclusivity, innovation, interaction, social impact, visuals and graphics, and a new spatial computing category. Winners were chosen from 42 finalists.

There are some great apps on this list. Congrats to the winners!

This week on Connected, we made our official predictions for WWDC24.

Ben Surtees, the original developer behind the excellent macOS utility Bartender, concerning the recent sale of the app:

After the release of Bartender 5, I came to the realization that supporting all the users and maintaining the app at the high standard I expect and you deserve was too much for one person. It required a dedicated team that could provide continuous support, innovate, and keep up with the fast-evolving macOS landscape. This realization led me to make a difficult decision.

Three months ago, I sold Bartender to Applause, a company with the resources and expertise to take the app to new heights. Applause shares my vision for Bartender and is committed to maintaining its core values while bringing in new features and improvements. I truly believe they are the right team to continue the journey and ensure Bartender remains a valuable tool for all of you.

I understand that the transition hasn’t been entirely smooth. Recently, there was a change in the signing certificate for the app, and unfortunately, this change wasn’t communicated properly to you, our loyal users. I apologize for any confusion or concern this may have caused. Please rest assured that Bartender is signed by a valid Apple ID developer and notarized by Apple, which verifies the app to ensure it is free from malware.

(I take slight exception with his explanation of Notarization. You can read more about how the process works over at The Eclectic Light Company.)

While this does clear up much of the panic that has surrounded this app for the last day or so, so much of this mess could have been avoided if Applause had communicated with its new users.

That said, I fully understand why users of Bartender feel uneasy about its future, despite what Surtees wrote about its new owner.¹ Hidden Bar, Vanilla, and Ice all seem like nice alternatives. I’m currently playing with Ice myself and I suspect David and I will talk about this on a future episode of Mac Power Users once we’ve had more time to explore.

xAI, Elon Musk’s AI company (no not that one) is coming to my hometown with what would be the world’s largest supercomputer, as reported by Samuel Hardiman at The Daily Memphian:

The Elon Musk-founded artificial intelligence startup — xAI — is building an AI supercomputer in Memphis, officials announced Wednesday, June 5.

The facility, when completed, could be worth billions of dollars and be one of the most advanced computing facilities in the world.

Musk recently told investors he planned to build a supercomputer for xAI but did not say where, according to a presentation obtained by business news site The Information.

Neil Strebig at The Commercial Appeal writes:

Chamber President and CEO Ted Townsend said this project represents a multibillion dollar investment and is the largest by a new-to-market company in Memphis history. Final job counts and total investment are still being calculated by the company, he said. The project is expected to open this year.

Few specifics were provided about the project, which is called “xAI’s Gigafactory of Compute,” including its location. Townsend said due to global security concerns, the location would not be announced.

The Daily Memphian reports that the deal came together very quickly, and that the location is an old Electrolux oven factory, which has been undergoing mysterious renovations for several weeks. The area where the factory is located is home to other industries, and seems well-equipped for the task. Here’s more from Hardiman’s article:

Supercomputers like the one xAI building in southwest Memphis need considerable electricity. The facility is less than a mile from the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Allen Combined Cycle Plant by car and it’s even closer as the crow flies.

Memphis Light, Gas and Water said there is enough electric capacity on its system and TVA’s for the project. Power to the supercomputer would be interrupted if the system is stressed.

“They’re working on that with Tennessee Valley Authority and our team to determine how much off-peak they can come when the demand gets high, and what the terms of that will be,” MLGW CEO Doug McGowen said.

(I guess we now know where those unused H100s are going.)

Memphis is a curious choice for this. The city is in the New Madrid Seismic Zone, and we’re prone to severe weather. That said, we enjoy a low cost of living and local government officials have been working to incentivize new developments in town.

This is an exciting, if unexpected, bit of news around here. Beyond FedEx, St. Jude, and AutoZone, Memphis does not have a lot of high-paying tech jobs, and this could accelerate things… assuming it takes shape as promised. And assuming Musk doesn’t screw Memphis over.

Silo may be my favorite show on TV+ so far, and I hope we get a lot more of it.