Tech Talk

Mac fans, rejoice! You can now enjoy the upgrades that come with macOS Sonoma, which was released to the public this week just a bit later than the major updates for the rest of Apple's platforms. Apple isn't stopping there, of course, and it's already begun seeding iOS 17.1, macOS Sonoma 14.1, and other upcoming updates to developers and public beta testers. This week also saw some fresh rumors about the iPhone 16 (yes, already!), while discussion continues over thermal issues with the iPhone 15 Pro and Apple's controversial FineWoven accessories, so read on for all the details on these stories and more! Apple Releases macOS Sonoma With Desktop Widgets, Game Mode, and More macOS Sonoma was released to the public this week following over three months of beta testing. The free software update includes many new features and changes for the Mac, including interactive desktop widgets, a Game Mode, the ability to add websites to the Dock as web apps, several Safari i

Valve this week released Counter-Strike 2 , the highly anticipated free upgrade for owners of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive , but Mac owners were left in the lurch on launch day, with the upgrade breaking the game and no macOS version of the game seemingly forthcoming. The title's release on Wednesday forced a 26GB update for everyone with CS:GO , including Mac users, but after installation those on macOS soon discovered that the update essentially makes the game unplayable, because Steam then attempts to launch an executable file for Windows. Some users have had to employ a workaround to reverse the change and access CS:GO , but it's less than ideal. Valve quietly removed the macOS symbol on Steam's Counter-Strike product page , while the only reference to this omission for Counter-Strike 2 appears in Valve's official FAQ . A question about Mac support says: "No. CS2 is not available for Mac at this time," but provides no additional information.

The Apple Watch has received some incremental updates in recent years, with significant upgrades becoming fewer and farther between as the device has progressed. Since the Apple Watch's generation-over-generation enhancements are relatively small, it is all the more important to consider when an upgrade is justified and whether an older model could suffice for your needs. The Apple Watch Series 9 's headline upgrade is the S9 chip, bringing improved performance to the Apple Watch for the first time in four years and facilitating features like Double Tap. It is priced starting at $399. Last year's Series 8 introduced body temperature sensing and Crash Detection, but the last moderately significant update for the device was 2021's Series 7, which introduced larger display sizes and fast-charging capability. All previous Apple Watch models from before the Series 9 have been discontinued, but older models may still be found for even lower prices from third-party retailer

Apple wants to hire more staff to work on artificial intelligence in the United Kingdom, CEO Tim Cook today said (via BBC News ). Cook reaffirmed that Apple is actively researching generative AI technology, and said that he expects Apple's investment in the UK and AI to increase. He also highlighted how AI is already behind several features on Apple devices, such as Fall Detection, Crash Detection, and iOS 17 's predictive autocorrect. Apple is believed to now be spending millions of dollars a day on conversational AI research. The company is reportedly working on a chatbot tool that some engineers have dubbed " Apple GPT " to rival OpenAI's ChatGPT. Cook is currently visiting the UK following trips to several other countries in Europe. Yesterday, he visited St. Mary's Primary School and Apple's new store in Battersea Power Station . Earlier today, he met the Prince and Princess of Wales. It was a true honor to meet with the Prince and Prince

Back in 2020, Microsoft considered selling its Bing search engine to Apple, reports Bloomberg . Had the acquisition happened, Bing would have replaced Google as the default search engine on Apple devices. Microsoft executives met up with Apple services chief Eddy Cue to discuss a potential deal, but the talks were just exploratory and did not progress. According to Bloomberg , Apple did not move forward with a deal because of the money that it earns from Google and because it was concerned that Bing could not compete with Google in "quality and capabilities." Google's search engine has long been the default search engine on the iPhone , iPad , and Mac, and Google pays Apple billions of dollars per year for the privilege. Google and Apple last inked a deal in 2021, facilitated by Cue, and as of 2020, Apple was collecting $4 billion and $7 billion annually from Google. The Apple/Google deal has been under scrutiny this week due to the antitrust trial between Google an

Apple added a USB-C port to the iPhone 15 lineup this year, allowing it to work with USB-C cables, USB-C power banks, and more. It turns out that some USB-C battery packs are not working properly with Apple's ‌iPhone 15‌, resulting in charging issues. As highlighted on Reddit and the MacRumors forums , not all existing USB-C power banks can be used with the ‌iPhone 15‌ models, perhaps due to the iPhone 's reverse charging feature. In some cases, the ‌iPhone 15‌ will fail to charge, or the ‌iPhone 15‌ will charge the power bank. A range of different power banks are affected, and because of the wide number of them on the market, it is impossible to list the models that are non-functional. One version that fails to work is the Anker PowerCore Slim 10K PD, and a customer who contacted Anker was told that the only way to get the power bank to charge the ‌iPhone‌ is to use the USB-A port. It seems that due to the iPhone 15 series' reverse charging function, the USB C'

MacRumors videographer Dan Barbera picked up a new iPhone 15 Pro Max on launch day, and he spent the last four days using it non-stop to give MacRumors readers an idea of how the new iPhone experience is going and his first thoughts on the features Apple added this year. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. There have been complaints about the new ‌iPhone 15 Pro‌ models getting too hot , but other than a heat issue when using an uncertified USB-C cable to connect to CarPlay , Dan hasn't run into trouble and he hasn't seen overheating problems. The same is true for the rest of us at MacRumors - our iPhones appear to be functioning as intended and running cool following the initial setup and syncing period. With the switch to titanium, Apple lowered the weight of the ‌iPhone 15 Pro‌ models, plus added contoured edges that are much more comfortable to hold. Dan says that this is one of the most notable changes for him, and it makes picking up an

Epic Games today filed a petition for a writ of certiorari with the Supreme Court, which basically means the company is asking the Supreme Court to make a ruling in its ongoing legal battle with Apple. The Supreme Court is the last stop for ‌Epic Games‌ after it lost an appeal earlier this year. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in April 2023 sided with the lower court and ruled that Apple's App Store rules do not violate antitrust law by not allowing for third-party marketplaces. Since 2020, Epic has been pushing for a ruling that would allow it to skirt the ‌App Store‌ and offer apps directly to consumers through sideloading or an alternate store, but its legal arguments have not been successful . Epic ultimately wants to sell digital skins and other goods to its Fortnite customers without having to give Apple a 30 percent cut of its proceeds. Epic also offers digital goods--such as outfits--that users can purchase for use within Fortnite. Epic has invested vast sums in

Significant changes are expected to arrive with Apple's fourth-generation iPhone SE , in terms of both design and hardware, MacRumors has learned. The ‌iPhone SE‌ 4, known internally under the codename Ghost, is expected to receive a new design derived almost entirely from the base model iPhone 14 . According to our sources, the ‌iPhone SE‌ 4 will use a modified version of the ‌iPhone 14‌ chassis and will even maintain ‌iPhone 14‌ test parameters for internal testing. As far as the chassis is concerned, two major changes are expected – an Action button and a USB-C port. The Action button, recently debuted on the iPhone 15 Pro , is a multi-purpose button which replaces the mute switch on newer iPhone models. It can be configured to perform a variety of actions, depending on the user's preference. The ‌iPhone SE‌ 4 is also set to receive a USB-C port in order to comply with upcoming European Union regulations. Our sources have seen extensive references to the E85 connect

Apple last week launched watchOS 10 , the latest major software update for compatible Apple Watch models, as well as the new Apple Watch Series 9 and second-generation Apple Watch Ultra, both of which come with ‌watchOS 10‌ pre-installed. Headline ‌watchOS 10‌ features include a new Smart Stack interface with widgets, new watch faces, and more. In this article, we've listed 22 other features and enhancements in Apple's new smartwatch software, many of which may have gone under your radar. Bear in mind that ‌‌watchOS 10‌ requires Apple Watch Series 4 or later and an iPhone XS or later running iOS 17 . 1. Automate Night Mode On Apple Watch Ultra models, ‌watchOS 10‌ brings a new Modular Ultra watch face that, like the Wayfinder face, supports Night Mode . ‌Night Mode‌ puts a red filter on the display, and previously could only be manually activated by turning the Digital Crown. In ‌watchOS 10‌, however, there's a ‌Night Mode‌ setting in the watch face edit screen

Apple will begin using a new material to make its printed circuit boards thinner starting next year, according to a source with a good track record. Apple will reportedly switch to using resin coated copper (RCC) foil as a new printed circuit board (PCB) material in 2024. The change will apparently allow Apple to make its PCBs even thinner. Current iPhone PCBs are made from a flexible copper substrate material. A thinner PCB could free up valuable space inside compact devices like the ‌iPhone‌ and Apple Watch to provide more room for larger batteries or other components. The iPhone 16 Pro models are expected to grow in size from 6.1- and 6.7-inches to 6.3- and 6.9-inches , respectively. The increase in size is believed to be partly due to a need for more internal space for additional components such as a tetraprism telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom and a capacitive "Capture" button . The information comes from an integrated circuit expert on Weibo, who was fir

In June, Apple launched its annual Back to School promotion in the U.S. for college students. This year's promotion offers students a free Apple gift card with the purchase of an eligible Mac or iPad from Apple, along with 20% off AppleCare+ plans. In the U.S. and Canada, the promotion ends on October 2 , so time is running out to take advantage of the offer if you are a student. In the U.K. and select other European countries, the promotion ends a few weeks later, on October 23. In the U.S., Apple is offering the following: $150 Apple gift card with any new MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, or iMac $100 Apple gift card with any new iPad Pro, iPad Air, or Mac mini The gift card can be used towards purchases of Apple products and accessories, App Store apps, subscriptions to services like Apple Music, iCloud+ storage, and more. The offer is available through Apple's online education store and at Apple Store locations for students attending or accepted to a higher-educatio

The iPhone 15 Pro brings over 50 new features and improvements to Apple's high-end smartphones compared to the iPhone 13 Pro, which was released two years prior. This buyer's guide breaks down every major difference you should be aware of between the two generations and helps you to decide whether it's worth upgrading. The ‌iPhone 13‌ Pro debuted in 2021, introducing a brighter display with ProMotion technology for refresh rates up to 120Hz, the A15 Bionic chip, a telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom, Macro photography and photographic styles, Cinematic mode for recording videos with shallow depth of field, ProRes video recording, a 1TB storage option, and five hours of additional battery life. The ‌iPhone 13‌ Pro was discontinued upon the announcement of the iPhone 14 Pro in 2022, but it is still possible to get hold of it second-hand. Our guide helps to answer the question of how to decide which of these two iPhone models is best for you and serves as a way to c

Apple Music subscribers can now stream shows from Apple's original radio catalog via the Apple Podcasts app, fulfilling a new services pledge made by the company earlier this year. The new Podcasts app integration means eligible subscribers can delve into ‌Apple Music‌ original radio shows from the likes of ‌Apple Music‌ 1, ‌Apple Music‌ Hits, and ‌Apple Music‌ Country – as if they were made to be listened as podcasts. The feature went live for eligible subscribers early on Tuesday, as per Apple's announcement in June: "Subscribers will be able to listen to the entire catalog of award-winning, commercial-free Apple Music radio shows in Apple Podcasts, where they can follow individual shows to automatically download and be notified of new episodes as soon as they're released." The ‌Apple Music‌ content can be accessed from the Podcast app's Listen Now screen, as well as from the Channels section in the Library tab. In addition to ‌Apple Music‌ radi

Today we're tracking the return of an all-time low price on the 256GB M1 MacBook Air, which is available for $749.99 on Amazon, down from $999.00. This deal originally debuted during Prime Day back in July and it remains one of the best MacBook-related discounts of 2023 so far. 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. You can get the notebook in Gold and Silver at this price, and there's an estimated delivery date of September 27 to September 30 for the MacBook Air. As of writing, the Space Gray model is not matching this record low price. $249 OFF M1 MacBook Air (256GB) for $749.99 There are many internal and external differences between the 13.3-inch M1 MacBook Air and the newer 13.6-inch and 15.3-inch M2 MacBook Air models, but as an entry-level computer the M1 device should work great for common tasks, especially at this all-time low pri

Repair website iFixit today shared a video teardown of the new iPhone 15 Pro Max, providing a closer look inside the top-of-the-line device. While the iPhone 15 Pro Max has a similar internal design as the iPhone 14 Pro Max, the device has a redesigned frame that allows the back glass panel to be easily removed , resulting in lower repair fees for cracked glass for customers without AppleCare+ coverage. This change was first made to the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus last year. The teardown provides a brief glimpse at the iPhone 15 Pro Max's upgraded Telephoto lens with a tetraprism system, which enables 5x optical zoom. iFixit said the Main and Ultra Wide lenses on the device appear to look the same as the ones on the iPhone 14 Pro Max, in line with information shared on social media last week. This suggests camera improvements beyond 5x optical zoom are the result of the A17 Pro chip and software optimizations. iFixit says the iPhone 15 Pro Max has a similar logic board

Apple could be preparing to release a seventh-generation iPad mini before the end of the year, based on a new report by DigiTimes . In an article discussing stagnating global tablet demand in the second half of 2023, the Taiwan-based outlet forecasts an uptick in Apple's share of the market owing to orders for a "small-size" iPad in the fourth quarter. From the report (see bold): In the second quarter, iPad shipments had a sequential decline higher than those of non-iPad tablets, resulting in iPads' combined shipment share seeing two consecutive quarters of decline. However, the share will gradually pick up during the second half because of Apple's inventory replenishment needs in the third quarter and orders for a new small-size iPad in the fourth quarter , the figures show. DigiTimes obtains its information from the suppliers who manufacture parts for iPhones and other Apple products. Its sources often provide reliable information, but the site has a mixed

Resident Evil Village will be released for iPhone 15 Pro and iPad on October 30, Capcom announced during the Tokyo Game Show over the weekend (via TouchArcade ). During the event, Capcom also revealed pricing for the mobile ports of Resident Evil 4 Remake and Resident Evil Village . While both games are free to start, they will require $59.99 and $39.99 in-app purchases, respectively, to unlock the full experience. Pre-orders have since gone live for Resident Evil 4 Remake on the iOS App Store , which still lists the game as "available 2023." Both games will support on screen controls, game controllers, multi-touch, HDR, and more. For those who haven't been following these games, Resident Evil 4 Remake and Resident Evil Village were showcased during Apple's ‌iPhone 15 Pro‌ announcement. The ‌iPhone 15 Pro‌ and ‌iPhone 15 Pro‌ Max are powered by an A17 Pro chip that features a brand new GPU with hardware-accelerated ray tracing, enabling ported console ga

The iPhone 15 series is set to launch in over 20 additional countries and territories on September 29, including Macao, Malaysia, Turkey, Vietnam, and others. Apple has not provided a complete list of the countries. Unlike last year's iPhone 14 series, all of the latest ‌iPhone 15‌ models were available to order when the first wave of launches took place in over 40 countries and regions on Friday, September 22. Likewise, the ‌iPhone 15‌, ‌iPhone 15‌ Plus, iPhone 15 Pro , and ‌iPhone 15 Pro‌ Max will all be available to order on day one when the second wave of launches takes place on Friday, September 29. The ‌iPhone 15‌ and ‌iPhone 15 Pro‌ introduce over 30 new capabilities and improvements , including USB-C and Dynamic Island across the lineup, as well as a new titanium design and Action button on the high-end models. Related Roundups: iPhone 15 , iPhone 15 Pro Buyer's Guide: iPhone 15 (Buy Now) , iPhone 15 Pro (Buy Now) Related Forum: iPhone This article, "