Tech Talk

Apple today added 2017 models of the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pro with the Touch Bar to its vintage products list worldwide. Apple classifies a device as vintage five years after it was last distributed for sale. Vintage products are no longer guaranteed to be eligible for repairs at Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers, with service subject to parts availability. Apple also added the Mid 2015 model of the 15-inch MacBook Pro without the Touch Bar to the vintage products list. This model remained sold until 2018. The upcoming macOS Sonoma update is compatible with 2018 and newer MacBook Pro models. Apple first introduced the Touch Bar in 2016. Nowadays, the 13-inch MacBook Pro is the only model that remains available with the Touch Bar. Apple reverted to physical function keys with the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro in 2021. Tag: Vintage and Obsolete Apple Products This article, " 2017 MacBook Pro Models With Touch Bar Added to Apple's Vintage Pr

Eve Systems today announced the launch of the Eve Play, an audio streaming interface created for AirPlay 2. Eve Play adds ‌AirPlay‌ streaming capabilities to existing amplifiers, active speakers, and sound bars, allowing them to be synchronized with other ‌AirPlay‌ 2 speakers for whole-house audio. The Eve Play includes RCA connectors, optical digital outputs, and coaxial digital outputs, along with an Ethernet port and the option to connect to either 2.4 or 5GHz WiFi. According to Eve, the digital-to-analog converter has a signal-to-noise ratio of 112 dB for an "audiophile sound experience." When used with the Apple Home app and Apple Music , the Eve Play can be integrated into automations similar to other ‌AirPlay‌ 2-equipped devices. Alongside the Eve Play, Eve today introduced the Eve Thermo Control, a wireless temperature sensor and controller for rooms that are equipped with the Eve Thermo smart radiator valve. The Eve Thermo radiator valve is sold in Europe, s

Apple today seeded the seventh beta of the upcoming macOS 14 Sonoma update to developers for testing purposes. The beta comes a week after the launch of the sixth beta . Registered developers can download the beta through the Apple Developer Center and after the appropriate profile is installed, with the betas available through the Software Update mechanism in System Settings. macOS Sonoma introduces new Apple TV-like screen savers that also serve as wallpapers after you log in, plus it moves widgets to the desktop. You can use the new widget gallery to choose from a range of widgets, and then drag them to your Mac's desktop. Widgets can be arranged in any way that's useful, and when you're using an app, they are designed to fade into the background so they're less distracting. ‌Widgets‌ are more interactive than before, so you can use them to do things like play music, turn off the lights in your home, and more. Through Continuity, your iPhone 's widgets c

Leaker Sonny Dickson today shared images displaying a selection of iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro dummy models, providing a closer look at the design of the upcoming devices. The pictures showcase the design of the ‌iPhone 15‌ in five different color options, corroborating a range of other reports from over the past year. As rumored, the device's aluminum frame has noticeably softer edges and clearly shows a USB-C port. pic.twitter.com/EJc91RfWha — Sonny Dickson (@SonnyDickson) August 30, 2023 Apple is seemingly opting for a more muted, desaturated color palette for the ‌iPhone 15‌ models this year. The latest reports suggest that the device will come in black, pink, yellow, blue, and green, but several other colors have been rumored in recent weeks. The ‌iPhone 15 Pro‌ models, on the other hand, are widely expected to come in silver, gray, black, and blue – with no gold option available for the first time since the iPhone X. Other than the slightly more rounded f

A day after Apple announced it will be holding an event on September 12 , analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has shared more predictions for the iPhone 15 lineup. The higher-end iPhone 15 Pro models are widely expected to be equipped with a titanium frame instead of a stainless steel frame, and Kuo said this change should contribute to the devices weighing less than iPhone 14 Pro models. Kuo said production issues related to the titanium frame, display panels, batteries, and a new stacked camera sensor for the lower-end iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus have all been resolved. Kuo corroborated previously-rumored color options for the Pro models, including gray, silver/white, black, and blue . Notably, this means the highest-end iPhones would not be available in gold for the first time since the iPhone X. He said the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus will be available in black, pink, yellow, blue, and green. Kuo also reiterated that the iPhone 15 Pro Max was the last new model to enter mass production,

In iOS 17 , still in beta, Apple has added an accessibility setting that makes the haptic feedback feature activate faster than in previous versions of its mobile operating system. If you fondly hearken back for the days of 3D Touch , you might just prefer it. As many iPhone users might remember, ‌‌3D Touch‌‌ was an interactive haptic feature that Apple introduced in 2015 with the ‌‌iPhone‌‌ 6s. When the ‌iPhone‌ was released in 2018, Apple kiboshed ‌3D Touch‌‌ to the dismay of some users, and instead implemented the simplified ‌ Haptic Touch , which offers less functionality‌. ‌‌3D Touch‌‌ supported multiple levels of pressure for different interactions depending on how hard you pressed, with Apple implementing "Peek and Pop" gestures. In contrast, ‌‌Haptic Touch‌‌ supports just a single level of pressure for the long press gesture. ‌‌Haptic Touch‌‌ has always worked slower than ‌‌3D Touch‌‌ because of the two levels of pressure that ‌‌3D Touch‌‌ allowed for. The fir

Images purporting to reveal Apple's official wallpapers for the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max have been doing the rounds on China's Weibo platform, following the S-curved wallpaper and packaging leak that we reported on yesterday. Concept render representing alleged iPhone 15 Pro wallpapers The wallpaper is a concept render transposed onto Apple's marketing material for the iPhone 14 Pro models. The wallpapers shown are said to be based on colorway rumors for the iPhone 15 Pro models and a hand-drawn image allegedly leaked by an engineer in a Chinese iPhone factory. Meanwhile, as happens every year, Apple fans have gone to work looking for clues in Apple's "Wanderlust" event invite, which dropped on Tuesday , with some suggesting the blue, silver, and gray tones allude to the colors that the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will be available in. There's also speculation that the matte particle-like texture is a nod to the texture of the

Google Photos users on iPhone can now lock their most sensitive images and videos in a special passcode-protected folder, thanks to a new feature rolling out to the iOS app. Previously only available on Android phones, the privacy-oriented Locked Folder feature allows users to save photos and videos in the app within a separate space that requires Touch ID , Face ID , or a passcode to access. Media saved in the folder remains hidden, meaning the sensitive photos don't show up as users scroll through their Google ‌Photos‌ or any other apps on their device. Speaking to The Verge , Google said that Locked Folder content backed up to the cloud is done so securely. “We protect this data with multiple layers of security, including leading encryption technology like HTTPS and encryption at rest,” said a Google spokesperson. Regardless, users aren't compelled to use the new backup feature if they don't want sensitive content on Google servers, and can opt to store photos

Meta today released its overhauled WhatsApp app for macOS, introducing support for group calls, dragging and dropping files, and more. The new native Mac app is optimized for large displays and desktop-class experiences like dragging and dropping files into chats and viewing more messages in chat histories. It also touts better performance and supports WhatsApp group calls from macOS for the first time, supporting up to eight people on video calls and up to 32 people on audio calls. Users can join a group call after it has started, see their call history, and choose to receive incoming call notifications even when the app is closed. The new WhatsApp experience debuted on Windows earlier this year. Following a lengthy beta testing period, the native Mac app is now available to download from whatsapp.com and will soon be released on the Mac App Store . Tags: WhatsApp , Meta This article, " WhatsApp Releases Redesigned Mac App With Support for Group Calls " first appear

Apple is considering switching production of micro-OLED displays for future versions of the Vision Pro headset from Sony to Chinese manufacturers like BOE and SeeYa amid supply chain challenges, The Information reports. Sony, the current supplier of micro-OLED displays for Vision Pro, has apparently shown reservations about expanding its production capabilities for the components amid Apple's effort to ramp up mass production of the headset. Chinese technology firms BOE Technology and SeeYa Technology, on the other hand, are showing significant commitment to the technology, supported by local government initiatives. Apple is currently testing displays from these two suppliers for both a next-generation Vision Pro model and a future low-cost mixed-reality headset device. If BOE and SeeYa can meet Apple's rigorous quality standards, there is the potential for them to outright replace Sony as the principal Vision Pro display supplier in the future. Even so, Apple's incre

China in the second quarter became the biggest iPhone market in the world, overtaking the United States for the first time in history, based on data analyzed by global market research company TechInsights (via The Elec ). According to the research firm's Global Shipment Report, China accounted for 24% of all ‌iPhone‌ shipments in Q2 2023, while the U.S. market accounted for 21%. The sluggish U.S. smartphone market in the second quarter is said to have been due to the psychology of consumers delaying the purchase of new phones in anticipation of new ‌iPhone‌ models launching in the second half of this year. However, TechInsight said its results at the same time reflected "China's [growing] economic power, the burgeoning middle class, and the premium phone preferences of Chinese consumers." iPhone 14 Pro Max Was Best-Selling Model Asian consumers have long been known to prefer larger-sized smartphones, and a separate analysis suggests this factor may have boos

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and in recognition of this important cause, well-known podcast network Relay FM has launched its annual fundraiser for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital , located in Memphis, Tennessee. Since 2019, the Relay FM community has raised over $2.2 million for the hospital. St. Jude's mission statement: The mission of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is to advance cures, and means of prevention, for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment. Consistent with the vision of our founder Danny Thomas, no child is denied treatment based on race, religion or a family's ability to pay. Relay FM has multiple Apple-related podcasts, such as Connected , hosted by Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley, and Federico Viticci. Hackett's son received treatment at St. Jude as an infant, so this initiative is near and dear to him . Donations can be made on the Relay FM for St. Jude website , with rewards such as Relay

Just a few weeks ahead of Apple unveiling new iPhones, rumors continue to circulate about new color options for the devices. The latest information comes from established leakers @MajinBuOfficial and @URedditor , who today said the lower-end iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus models will be available in a new light green finish. @MajinBuOfficial said it appears the new color option will be very similar to the green finish available for the iPhone 12 and the discontinued iPhone 12 mini. However, the leaker is unsure if the color will be available when the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus launch in September, or introduced as an additional color option in spring 2024. Other color options rumored for the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus include black, blue, yellow, and pink. Apple typically also makes the standard iPhones available in (PRODUCT)RED, a deep red color that benefits The Global Fund, an organization fighting HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria, primarily in sub-Saharan Africa. Apple

Rumors suggest Apple will not release leather cases for the iPhone 15 lineup, and today images were shared online claiming to show what an alternative leather-like case from Apple may look like, with leakers again suggesting they will use vegan materials instead of leather, but with a different feel and texture. Serial leakers Majin Bu and @DuanRui both shared case images on Twitter (now X) separately sourced from Weibo and allegedly based on Apple's official leather-alternative cases. The cases are said to be made of a patchwork of two materials that are more eco-friendly with a smaller carbon footprint than cowhide leather, although there is little other information available at the current time. The colors shown are not believed to be representative of any official Apple case. Claims that Apple will not offer new leather iPhone cases this year have previously come from three separate sources, so the rumor appears to be worth taking seriously. Apple first released a seri

Apple's next-generation iPad Pro will launch alongside a redesigned Magic Keyboard accessory that makes the device more laptop-like, according to Bloomberg 's Mark Gurman . In the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said that the next-generation ‌iPad Pro‌ will be the first major update to the product since 2018, introducing "fundamental changes." The new models, apparently codenamed "J717," "J718," "J720," and "J721," will feature the M3 Apple silicon chip, OLED displays, and 11- and 13-inch size options. Along with the significant overhaul of the tablet itself, the updated version of the Magic Keyboard for iPad will offer a larger trackpad, addressing criticisms of the current model, and "makes the ‌iPad Pro‌ look even more like a laptop than the current setup." The new ‌iPad Pro‌ and Magic Keyboard are not expected to debut until the spring or early summer of 2024, and anything ot

The Apple rumor mill remains busy, as reports about the iPhone 15 lineup are continuing to fly with only a few weeks until Apple officially introduces the new models. Apple is also wrapping up work on iOS 17 to release it to the public right around the same time. While the iPhone reliably gets annual updates, this week we also took a look at a number of other Apple products that are quite a bit longer in the tooth and offered our recommendations on whether they're still good purchases right now, so read on for all the details on this week's top stories! iPhone 14 Pro vs. 15 Pro: 20+ Upgrades and Changes to Expect September is fast approaching, and that means new iPhones are just around the corner. This week, we shared a list with over 20 new features and changes expected for the iPhone 15 Pro compared to the iPhone 14 Pro, plus a similar one looking at over 15 changes for the iPhone 15 compared to the iPhone 14. Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 15 series and n

Apple in ‌iOS 16‌ introduced a Remove Subject From Background option for photos on your iPhone, and in ‌iOS 17‌, you can also use the feature to create and save your own stickers. Keep reading to learn how it works. In iOS 16, Apple enhanced its Visual Look Up capability for photos by making it possible to isolate the subject of a picture from its background so that you can copy it to the clipboard for use elsewhere or share it in another app. With iOS 17, Apple has taken the feature further by allowing you to export isolated photo subjects as stickers that you can use in Messages. And if the subject is in a Live Photo, the sticker will even animate . There are a number of effects that can be added to make your digital stickers look more like real stickers, including a white outline, comic-like shading, a puffy 3D look, and a shiny, holographic finish. The sticker effects will animate and reflect the light appropriately, making your self-created stickers look professionally don

With the iOS 17 Photos and Camera apps, Apple added several features that make the apps more pleasant to use. Visual Look Up can recognize more than ever, including various mystery symbols you see in your daily life, plus the ‌Photos‌ app will detect your pets and put them in their own album. This guide highlights all of the new ‌iOS 17‌ ‌Photos‌ and Camera app features. Pet Recognition In addition to people, the ‌Photos‌ app can recognize specific animals so you can have your pets automatically sorted into albums. Accordingly, the People album has been renamed the "People & Pets" album. The pet recognition feature works on cats and dogs, and Apple says that people recognition has also improved. Visual Look Up Apple gave Visual Look Up some major updates. For a recap, Visual Look Up is the name of the feature that lets you get more information about the subject of a photo when you tap on the information button in the ‌Photos‌ app. For images of food, th

With iOS 17 , Apple is introducing new features for the Maps app. The changes in the Maps app aren't as notable as some of the additions we've seen with prior software updates, but there is at least one long-awaited function. This guide rounds up everything that's been changed or added in the ‌iOS 17‌ Maps app. Offline Maps Maps can be downloaded so that you can use them offline in ‌iOS 17‌, which is useful when there is no cellular or WiFi connection. You can save a specific area of a map to your device, allowing it to be accessed while offline. Saving retains all information like business hours and ratings, plus it allows for turn-by-turn directions, so the Maps app basically works like it does when it has a connection, with the exception of real-time traffic information. You can search for any location in the Maps app or set a pin and then choose the "Download" option to get an offline map. Tapping on the download button brings up a drag and drop in

A second device presumed to be an iPhone 15 model has been spotted in India's regulatory database, just weeks before the device is expected to be officially announced. The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) listing, spotted by MySmartPrice , shows an Apple smartphone with the model number "A3090." Last week, an Apple device with the model number "A3094" appeared in the BIS database . The iPhone 14 has the model numbers A2649, A2881, A2884, A2883, and A2882. No Apple devices with the model numbers A3090 and A3094 currently exist and with iPhone model numbers roughly increasing with each successive generation, it is highly likely these devices are from the impending ‌iPhone 15‌ lineup. In August 2022, just a few weeks before the announcement of the ‌iPhone 14‌ lineup, a single iPhone 14 model was spotted in the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) database with the model number A2882. This turned out to be the standard ‌iPhone 14‌ model built for "other co

Today Amazon has returned with a match of the all-time low price on Apple's new 15.3-inch MacBook Air notebooks, including every color of the 256GB and 512GB options. You can get the 256GB 15.3-inch MacBook Air for $1,099.00 , down from $1,299.00. 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. This sale is available in all four colors: Space Gray, Midnight, Starlight, and Silver. All models are in stock and have an estimated delivery date between August 26 and August 30. These notebooks debuted this past June and we last tracked this record low price earlier in August. $200 OFF 15-inch MacBook Air (256GB) for $1,099.00 Additionally, Amazon has the 512GB 15.3-inch MacBook Air on sale for $1,299.00 , down from $1,499.00. This one is available in one color (Starlight), and has an estimated delivery date between August 26 and August 30. $200 OFF 15-in