ArduinoMania

In addition to a slew of Macs, new Silicon and a compelling new Vision Pro headset, Apple also introduced a 15-inch MacBook Air at its Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) today. The larger MacBook Air not only offers a bigger display than its 13-inch counterpart, but it also comes with a more sophisticated sound system and battery life that's rated for hours longer. I was able to pick one up to see how it feels here at Apple Park today, though I wasn't allowed to do much else with it. 

I do like how thin and light the new MacBook Air is — at 11.5mm (0.45inches) thin and 3.3 pounds (1.49 kgs), it beats the Dell XPS 15, which is both heavier and thicker. Apple's machine has a slightly smaller 15.3-inch Liquid Retina Display, though, whereas Dell's comes in at 15.6 inches.

The 15-inch MacBook Air's screen can get up to 500 nits of brightness, and though I never got a chance to view it outdoors, the photos and interfaces I did see were lovely and crisp. Colors were vibrant and rich, and when an Apple rep showed me photos of long-haired dogs and a woman in a red dress in front of some cliffs, the details were tack sharp.

I also got to see how the laptop handles tasks like photo-editing and gaming, which thanks to its M2 chip happened impressively quickly. An Apple rep used Photonator to erase multiple kayaks from a topdown photo of canoes on a river, and also changed the colors of certain parts of the image. Everything happened instantly and accurately. They also showed me part of a game called Stray so I could see how the laptop handled the graphics rendering of things like light reflecting off a puddle. These were very controlled demos, so while they all did perform well and without lag, I would rather evaluate the MacBook Air based on our own realworld testing.

I did get to check out the new six-speaker sound system with spatial audio when a rep played some songs for me, including Beyonce's Cuff It. Unfortunately, because the demo space we were in was fairly noisy, it was hard to gauge how well the audio sounded. I stuck my ear right next to the machine and was only barely able to hear the song. This is another feature we'll have to wait for a review unit to test for ourselves.

I wasn't able to do much else with the new laptop, really, but here's a quick recap of some of its features. It has the same notch design from the 13-inch MacBook Air that houses its 1080p webcam, but unlike the smaller model, this year's device comes with a 10-core GPU across the board instead of 8 cores. It also ships with the dual-port 35W charger by default and has a larger trackpad. 

If you're intrigued, you can order the 15-inch MacBook Air today, starting at $1,299, and it'll be available in stores on June 13th. 

Follow all of the news from Apple's WWDC 2023 right here.

Apple isn't letting us try on its Vision Pro mixed reality headset just yet, but I was able to briefly glimpse the hardware after fighting through the crowds at WWDC. And, well, it looks like yet another headset — almost like a souped up version of the Meta Quest Pro. But even with just a short glance, it's clear that the Vision Pro is pure Apple: It's like seeing the iPod compared to the clunky MP3 players of its era, or the iPhone next to a BlackBerry. 

The Vision Pro is Apple's bold entry into the world of spatial computing, and it seems like the company has learned a lot from the VR and AR headsets before it. The front of the device features an OLED screen that can display your eyes, making you more connected to the people in the real world. Its springy side bands and ribbed rear headband look like suitably high-end. And, simply put, it has the wow factor you'd expect from a prestige Apple product. 

Still, there's some reason for concern. The required battery pack is a bit un-Apple, since you'll have to stuff it into your pocket or find somewhere to store it. And we've yet to see someone wearing this headset in the real world. Apple's event staff stressed that we couldn't touch the Vision Pro or lean too close. Of course, we won't see if Apple's spatial computing vision lives up to its slick promotional videos until we can actually wear this thing.      

Follow all of the news from Apple's WWDC 2023 right here.

Like clockwork, Apple will release the latest operating systems for its various products this fall. And, as ever, the company will leave some older generations of its devices by the wayside. 

If you're still clinging onto an iPhone 8 (that thing was great, so I don't blame you), iPhone 8 Plus or an iPhone X, you won't be able to update it to iOS 17. In other words, your iPhone will need to have an A12 Bionic or later chip to install the new firmware. If you have an iPhone XR, XS, XS Max, iPhone SE (second-gen) or later, you'll have access to features including Live Voicemail transcripts, the StandBy display mode and, at ducking last, better autocorrect.

Folks using a fifth-generation iPad or the first-gen 12.9-inch iPad Pro will not be able to install iPadOS 17, unfortunately. Apple is adding customizable lock screens, the Health app, interactive widgets and much more to the iPad. The following tablets will be supported:

• iPad (6th generation and later) 

• iPad mini (5th generation and later)

• iPad Air (3rd generation and later)

• 12.9-inch iPad Pro (2nd generation and later)

• 10.5-inch iPad Pro

• 11-inch iPad Pro (1st generation and later)

As for Apple Watch users, there's some good news. Apple is continuing to support all devices that run watchOS 9. If you have an Apple Watch Series 4 or later, you'll be able to use watchOS 10, which places more focus on widgets. There are upgrades to the Cycling and Compass apps, along with a slew of other updates.

Widgets are also coming to the Mac via macOS Sonoma. Along with other features, the desktop and laptop operating system will feature a new Game Mode that prioritizes CPU and GPU performance to deliver higher framerates on every game. The following Macs will support macOS Sonoma:

• iMac (2019 and later)

• Mac Pro (2019 and later)

• iMac Pro (2017)

• Mac Studio (2022 and later)

• MacBook Air (2018 and later)

• Mac mini (2018 and later)

• MacBook Pro (2018 and later)

Last year's big update, macOS Ventura, was compatible with the 2017 and later iMac, 2019 and later Mac Pro, 2017 iMac Pro, 2018 and later Mac mini, 2018 and later MacBook Air, 2017 and later MacBook and 2017 and later MacBook Pro.

Last but not least, tvOS 17 will finally bring FaceTime to Apple TV. Other new features include a way to find a misplaced remote with the help of your iPhone. The operating system will be available on Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD.

Follow all of the news from Apple's WWDC 2023 right here.

Apple's Vision Pro headset will introduce a new approach to security in the company's products: your eyes. The mixed reality device will use an Optic ID system that studies your irises through invisible LED light exposures, and compares it against your enrolled eye data to sign you in. You can use it as a password replacement and to make purchases in the App Store or using Apple Pay.

The company stresses that your eye data is encrypted and isolated in the headset's Secure Enclave. It never leaves the device and isn't available to apps. As with Face ID, then, there won't be actual images of your eyes or ways for intruders to abuse them.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Follow all of the news from Apple's WWDC 2023 right here.

Apple's new mixed reality headset may have stolen the show at WWDC, but it was not the only piece of tech the company announced. Apple debuted a 15-inch MacBook Air today that will join the classic 13-inch model as the iPhone maker's thinnest and lightest notebooks. The company is positioning the larger model as the ideal 15-inch laptop, boasting that it has a better balance of performance, features and battery life than any 15-inch PC notebook. Here's how you can order the 15-inch MacBook Air, plus the rest of the readily available products announced at WWDC 2023.

Apple MacBook Air 15

Apple's 15-inch MacBook Air is available to order today starting at $1,299 and will be widely available on June 13th. Apple's 13-inch MacBook Air M2 now starts at $1,099, and the 13-inch MacBook Air M1 remains in the lineup, starting at $999.

The first 15-inch laptop in the Air series runs on Apple's M2 chipset, and it looks much like an enlarged version of the 13-inch MacBook Air. The new laptop has a 15.3-inch Liquid Retina display that's surrounded by 5mm borders and only interrupted by a notch that includes a 1080p webcam for video calls. Its profile is similar to that of the 13-inch model, with rounded square corners, and it measures only 11.5mm thick and weighs 3.3 pounds. Unsurprisingly, such a svelte design doesn't leave a lot of space for ports. The 15-inch MacBook Air has just two Thunderbolt ports on one side, along with a MagSafe charging port, and a headphone jack on the other edge. The 15-inch Air will likely have similar performance to the 13-inch model since it runs on the same chipset, so it should be plenty fast for most people. Apple claims the larger laptop will get 18 hours of battery life as well.

Mac Studio & Mac Pro

The Mac Studio and Mac Pro are available to order today starting at $1,999 and $6,999, respectively. They'll both be more widely available on June 13th.

The second-generation Mac Studio could be seen as a larger and more powerful version of Apple's compact desktop, the Mac Mini. The biggest thing to note about this upgrade is that it can run on the new M2 Max or M2 Ultra chips, which Apple claims will excel at laborious tasks like 8K video editing, 3D modeling and the like. Apple claims the M2 Max version of the Mac Studio will be 50 percent faster than its predecessor, and the M2 Ultra version will be twice as fast as that.

As for the Mac Pro, it remains a very expensive and very powerful desktop that will have even better performance thanks to the M2 Ultra chip. It'll come with a 24-core CPU and it will support up to a 76-core GPU and up to 192GB of memory. In addition to that, the Mac Pro will come with seven PCIe expansion slots, seven Thunderbolt 4 ports, two 10GB Ethernet ports, three USB-A slots and two HDMI connectors that can output 8K resolution at 240Hz. Needless to say, this is overkill for most people, not to mention its sky-high price tag will put it out of reach for most consumers.

Apple Vision Pro

Apple debuted its long-awaited mixed reality headset, the Vision Pro, at WWDC 2023. The headset looks much like the VR headsets we're used to seeing from the likes of Facebook and Sony, but with a unique Apple spin. The Vision Pro is a standalone device that doesn't need a physical controller — instead, users operate it using a mix of hand gestures, voice input and the built-in Digital Crown on the headset. Apple showed off a number of uses cases for the Vision Pro including using with your Mac to expand your screen real estate, using Vision Pro apps alongside Mac apps, watch 3D movies and content from services like Disney+ and play games from Apple Arcade. But unlike the other hardware mention here, Vision Pro is not available today — it'll be available in early 2024 starting at $3,499.

Follow all of the news from Apple's WWDC 2023 right here.

Apple's Vision Pro mixed reality headset will run on visionOS, company executives announced following the bombshell reveal of its long-rumored wearable at WWDC 2023. The operating system, internally codenamed "Oak," has reportedly been in development since 2017. It's existence further leaked via source code references last February. 

Vision Pro's applications will skew hard towards gaming, media consumption, and communication and will offer Apple apps like Messages, FaceTime and Apple Arcade. Apple is already working with a number of media companies to bring their products and content into the new Vision Pro ecosystem. This includes Disney which, as part of its 100th anniversary celebration, announced Monday that it will bring immersive features to Disney+ content, "by combining extraordinary creativity with groundbreaking technology," Disney CEO Bob Iger said. "Disney+ will be available 'day one,' [of the headset's availability]." It appears that ESPN content won't be far behind, based on the few glimpses we saw during the demo.

Apple's announcement comes just days after rival Meta unveiled its own mixed reality headset, the Quest 3. 

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Safari might not be the most exciting part of macOS, but Apple isn't giving its web browser the cold shoulder. The latest version includes a number of useful improvements, including better privacy controls, encryption features, and the ability to create "apps" from any web page. 

The splashiest feature might be the new web apps feature. This puts a website in your dock, just like any other app and opens it with a minimal interface that helps mask the fact that you're just using a webpage in a browser. If this sounds similar, that's because it's almost exactly like shortcuts in Google's Chrome which can also put a link, complete with a favicon in your dock and opens the site in a simple frame with none of the normal browser controls. 

The more important improvements though are to privacy and profiles. Now private browsing blocks more trackers and your fingerprints from sites so they can't identify you. You can also now lock private browsing sessions behind your fingerprint, so you can step away from your computer without worrying that someone can sneak a peak while you're shopping for a gift or having to close your session.

Profiles allow you to separate your browsing by topic or context. So you could, for example, keep all your work tabs in a separate Safari window that has its own cookies, extensions and favorites. Then you can quickly switch to your personal profile to pick up where you left off trolling eBay for deals on vintage cameras. 

Lastly, users will be able to share passwords or groups of passwords through iCloud Keychain with end-to-end encryption. The latest version of Safari will be available later this year as part of macOS Sonoma which will be launching in beta next month.

Follow all of the news from Apple's WWDC 2023 right here.

Apple gave a look at its latest accessibility updates during its annual WWDC on Monday, including new voice and and assistive tech features, that will launch with iOS 17. 

For iOS users with cognitive disabilities, Apple's new Assistive Access features lets people customize apps with high contrast buttons and large text labels to meet their individual needs. Apple also added Live Speech and Personal Voice for people who are unable to speak, have trouble speaking or may lose their voice over time. 

With Live Speech, you can type what you want to say and have it spoken out loud to others on a phone or FaceTime call or jot down commonly used phrases to select during conversation to avoid any delay that comes with typing out in the moment. Personal Voice creates a voice that sounds like you by recording 15 minutes of random phrases. As an example, Apple wrote in a May release that people with ALS or other conditions that impact speech can save their voice to their device to use with Live Speech and other assistive tech as their condition progresses. Other new accessibility updates include a Point and Speak feature to read the text on household object aloud.

Follow all of the news from Apple's WWDC 2023 right here.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

The Apple headset is one of the company's most anticipated products with leaks and rumors dating back to 2017. But after years of speculation, today at WWDC 2023 Apple has finally given us a real look at the device that it's now calling the Vision Pro.

Created to support both AR and VR applications, the Reality Pro is a standalone device featuring an innovative design without the need for a dedicated controller. Instead, thanks to the use of multiple external cameras, Apple is planning to rely entirely on voice inputs and hand gestures. On top of that, Apple has created a new feature called EyeSight that uses an exterior display and the headset's internal cameras so that users can see people your reactions while someone is wearing the headset. 

Additionally, you can use familiar apps like Safari and others while still being able to interact with objects or people in the real world. And while the Vision Pro has been designed for use at home, Apple says thanks to new versions of familiar apps like FaceTime, the headset it also a great collaboration tool for those on the road. 

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Follow all of the news from Apple's WWDC 2023 right here.

Apple gave a look at features targeted at reducing eye strain for kids during its annual WWDC on Monday. The feature comes after Apple initially previewed more health and accessibility features for Global Accessibility Awareness Day in May.

Myopia, commonly known as nearsightedness, usually develops in childhood and affects about 30% of the US population, according to the American Optometric Association. At WWDC, Apple said spending more time outdoors and in the daylight can help reduce a child's risk of developing nearsightedness. A new Apple Watch feature will use the ambient light sensor to measure how much time the wearer spends outside. That data will show up in the Health app, and in Health Sharing for families, to keep track of how much time is spent outside. 

Follow all of the news from Apple's WWDC 2023 right here.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.