New Magic Mouse and Magic Keyboard don't work with older versions of macOS
Apple's new USB-C peripherals for the Mac are failing to work with either versions of macOS before macOS Sequoia 15.1, or with the current beta of 15.2.Apple's updated Magic Keyboard - Image Credit: AppleDespite Apple saying that its new USB-C Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse will work with devices that are years old, they won't without a specific update. Apple lists compatible Macs as old as 2018, but does not say that users have to update to macOS Sequoia 15.1.On macOS Sequoia 15 or earlier, Touch ID and function keys fail to work on the new Magic Keyboard. While there don't appear to be reports of the Magic Trackpad failing, the Magic Mouse is unable to scroll. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Forget AI. Here’s the one reason why you should upgrade to the iPhone 16
Macworld iPhones, in my opinion, aren’t really designed to be upgraded every year. Obviously, Apple is happy for hardcore fans and the uber-wealthy (and my friend Lewis) to splash the cash whenever a new model is announced, but the rate of spec bumps and new features lends itself to a noticeable improvement in the user experience only if you wait two or three generations between upgrades. And so, when I upgraded from the iPhone 15 Plus to the 16 Plus last month, I wasn’t expecting any huge changes. And for the most part, I was right. As I explained in my upgrade thoughts article, the design is slightly nicer but basically the same; the Action button hasn’t made much of a difference so far; Camera Control doesn’t feel like much of an upgrade; and the extra processing power isn’t noticeable in real-world use. As for Apple Intelligence, it’s finally arrived, but it’s missing features and still needs a ton of time before it can be a serious competitor to Gemini and other rival AIs. But there is one really significant upgrade I’ve noticed, and it has to do with the camera. Not Camera Control or Visual Intelligence— the actual camera. Things that have stayed the same Now, most of the time, and in most contexts and shooting conditions, your photos will look the same. That makes sense since the main lens remains 48MP and f/1.6. (The ultra-wide lens has been bumped from f/2.4 to f/2.2 so we might expect slightly better performance there, but it’s still 12MP.) As you can see in this shot, color reproduction, and vibrancy are basically identical across the two devices. Taken with iPhone 15 Plus (left) and 16 Plus (right) Here’s a shot of a less colorful object so you can focus on the clarity and level of detail. Taken with iPhone 15 Plus (left) and 16 Plus (right) What about more challenging shooting conditions? Again, we should expect the two devices to handle complex or difficult lighting with roughly the same aplomb since they both feature Smart HDR 5. The 16 Plus has a faster processor which could in theory mean more computational power being applied to this process, but I couldn’t see any difference when shooting trees silhouetted against the sun: Taken with iPhone 15 Plus (left) and 16 Plus (right) And what about the front-facing camera? Is that any different? Not really. In both cases, we’re working with a 12MP, f/1.9 lens. Taken with iPhone 15 Plus (left) and 16 Plus (right) Macro perspective Here’s where photography has changed dramatically: macro performance is miles ahead. Taken with iPhone 15 Plus (left) and 16 Plus (right) Get up close and the iPhone 16 Plus flips to a macro photography mode (you can tell this has been engaged because a small flower icon appears in the bottom corner), bringing the subject into sharp focus. It’s incredibly impressive. Taken with iPhone 15 Plus (left) and 16 Plus (right) It’s good for nature photography. It’s also very handy if you paint little models and take photos of them for social media. Taken with iPhone 15 Plus (left) and 16 Plus (right) Honestly, it’s rare to get such satisfyingly different test photos when comparing two phones. And to see this across a single generation is almost unheard of. Taken with iPhone 15 Plus (left) and 16 Plus (right) So there you go. The upgrade from iPhone 15 (or in my case 15 Plus) to iPhone 16 (or 16 Plus) is in the main an experience defined by lots of small tweaks and minor iterative improvements. But the new macro mode has an enormous impact on close-up photography, and if that’s a priority for you this is a purchase well worth making. And if you’re interested in iPhonography, you might be interested in our guide to the best iPhone cameras. Apple iPhone 16 Plus Price When Reviewed: $899 Best Prices Today: $899 at Apple | $929.99 at Best Buy

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The new Mac mini will be Apple’s fastest desktop Mac, as shown by M4 Pro Geekbench scores
The new will be Apple’s fastest desktop Mac, ever, eclipsing the M2 Ultra performance of Mac Studio and Mac Pro. The base M4 Mac mini will be blazing fast too, but for single core and multi-core, the M4 Pro is the new desktop king (We expect the high-end M4 Max MacBook Pro to handily beat it, of course). As shown by Geekbench scores appearing overnight, the Mac mini with M4 Pro is reporting single-scores in the 3,700 range and multi-core scores around 22,000. This means the Mac mini will beat the previous multi-core champ, M2 Ultra, on raw CPU performance. more…

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Nintendo Music app launches on the App Store, offers access to music from the company’s game library
If you live and breathe Nintendo soundtracks, you might like this. Nintendo on Thursday released Nintendo Music a new music streaming app that gives Nintendo Switch Online subscribers access to soundtracks from the company’s game library. The app offers music from franchises such as Mario, The Legend of Zelda, Animal Crossing, and Splatoon, and songs […] Source

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What to do when a browser page loaded from a Mac app won’t work
Macworld Many websites that offer financial services (such as banks and investing companies) let you connect your accounts to other software, such as Quicken. However, it’s often unwise to let any third party see your login credentials. The workaround is that you can start at the app, which switches to a browser in which you log in directly to the site in question and authorize the conduit, and then the site provides a token directly to your app to allow data to flow. I’ve found lately that this process fails as often as it succeeds when I use Safari. Apple has added more privacy protections with each successive release of Safari, and version 18 for macOS (released as part of macOS 15 Sequoia and to previous versions of macOS, like 14 Sonoma) seems to break some banking sites authorization loops. The trouble is that the app-to-browser authorization process doesn’t reveal a URL you could copy and paste in another location: the app opens a web page in the browser. The solution is to change the default browser on your Mac to another one that is built differently, like Google Chrome or Firefox. Here’s how to change your default browser in macOS: Go to   > System Settings. Navigate to Desktop & Dock. From the “Default web browser” pop-up menu, choose a different browser. In the accounting or other app, start and complete the browser-based authentication process. Return Desktop & Dock and change the default browser back to Safari. Sometimes changing your default browser solves an app-to-website authorization problem that Safari stalls.Foundry Ask Mac 911 We’ve compiled a list of the questions we get asked most frequently, along with answers and links to columns: read our super FAQ to see if your question is covered. If not, we’re always looking for new problems to solve! Email yours to mac911@macworld.com, including screen captures as appropriate and whether you want your full name used. Not every question will be answered; we don’t reply to emails, and we cannot provide direct troubleshooting advice.

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Apple quietly boosts MacBook Air Unified Memory to 16GB for all models
Beyond the nifty M4 product announcements from this week, Apple quietly updated its current M2 and M3 model MacBook Air to feature 16GB of Unified Memory for all tiers of the product line. The notebooks previously arrived with 8GB onboard, and even with the boost to 16GB, the entry-level prices continue to start from $999. […] Source

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iPhone 17 could use Apple’s new Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip
A reputed Apple analyst claims Apple will switch to its in-house Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chips with the iPhone 17 in H2, 2025. (via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)

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Early Geekbench scores show M4 Pro may outpace Mac Pro with M2 Ultra
Supposed scores for the M4 Pro chipset have shown up on Geekbench, and it easily outperforms the Mac Pro with M2 Ultra in single- and multi-core scores.M4 Pro benchmarks show it may be a powerhouseThe M4 Pro is an option for the new Mac mini and MacBook Pro. While these products don't launch for the public until November 8, early testers are running benchmarks.According to a score for Mac16,7 on Geekbench, the M4 Pro is a powerful chipset capable of outperforming the M2 Ultra found in Mac Pro. It received a single-core score of 3,925 and a multi-core score of 22,669. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Snag a free $45 gift card with this early Black Friday Costco membership deal
An early Black Friday deal on the Costco Gold Star or Executive membership offers new members a free $45 Shop Card just in time for holiday shopping.Get a $45 Costco Shop card with this membership deal.Whether you're looking to pick up a new monitor for the 2024 M4 Mac mini or are eager to finally commit to an OLED TV to pair with your Apple TV 4K, this Costco membership deal has you covered.Get the Costco deal Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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PSA: Update your Mac before buying a USB-C Magic Mouse, Trackpad, or Keyboard
Apple this week launched the new USB-C Magic Mouse, Magic Trackpad, and Magic Keyboard along with the M4 Macs. While the new Macs won’t arrive until November 8, customers can already buy the new Magic accessories in stores. However, you may need to update macOS before you can pair them with your Mac. more…

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Tim Cook bids farewell to Luca Maestri on his last earnings call
Apple CFO Luca Maestri has been with Apple since 2013, and his last, incredibly uneventful, earnings call was Thursday's.Apple CFO Luca Maestri is stepping downWe've been hearing Maestri's voice on quarterly earnings calls for over a decade, but he is stepping down from the role. Kevan Parekh is taking over as CFO and will be present at the next quarterly earnings call.Maestri may not be a keynote presenter or a known personality like other Apple leadership members. In fact, he's effectively spent his entire career at Apple as a relatively unknown entity besides his voice and name — yep, we only have that one photo of him. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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iOS 18.1 is a smash hit, thanks to Apple Intelligence
Users upgrade to iOS 18.1 twice as quickly as they did with iOS 17.1 a year ago, a sign that iPhone users are hot for Apple Intelligence. (via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)

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Apple’s record Q4 2024 earnings: Services, iPhones sales up; tax hit eats into profit
Macworld Apple on Thursday announced its fourth quarter 2024 earnings, posting revenue of $94.9 billion for the quarter, a 6 percent increase year over year, and a record for the quarter. Quarterly earnings per diluted share are $0.97. Diluted earnings per share was $1.64, up 12 percent year over year. The company reported $14.7 billion in profit. Apple beat the analysts’ predicted revenue of $94.58 billion expected, $1.60 diluted earnings per share. Apple continues to see growth in Services, which posted $25 billion in revenue, a 12 percent increase from last year’s $22.3 billion. iPhone sales were up year over year, posting $46.2 billion in revenue, which is a 5.5 percent increase from the fourth quarter of 2023. iPad sales were also up, posting $6.9 billion in revenue, which is a 7.9 percent increase. Mac sales were also up slightly to $7.4 billion, compared to $7.6 billion in 2023. Apple’s Wearables, Home, and Accessories category was the one place where the company saw a decline, posting $9 billion in revenue, a 3 percent decrease from 2023’s $9.3 billion. Apple did state during the announcement call that the Apple Watch installed base reached an all-time high, but did not offer specifics. Apple’s profit this year took a hit due to tax provisions. In a September filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Apple stated that it would “record a one-time income tax charge in its fourth fiscal quarter ending September 28, 2024, of up to approximately $10 billion.” Apple posted a profit of $23 billion for the same quarter a year ago. How the quarter ended year-over-year for Apple: iPhone: $46.2 billion (up from $43.8 billion) iPad: $6.9 billion (up from $6.4 billion) Mac: $7.7 billion (up from $7.6 billion) Wearables: $9 billion (down from $9.3 billion) Services: $25 billion (up from $22.3 billion) Apple declared a cash dividend of $0.25 per share of common stock payable on November 14, 2024, to shareholders of record at the close of business on November 11, 2024. “Today Apple is reporting a new September quarter revenue record of $94.9 billion, up 6 percent from a year ago,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, in a press release. “During the quarter, we were excited to announce our best products yet, with the all-new iPhone 16 lineup, Apple Watch Series 10, AirPods 4, and remarkable features for hearing health and sleep apnea detection. And this week, we released our first set of features for Apple Intelligence, which sets a new standard for privacy in AI and supercharges our lineup heading into the holiday season.” This financial earnings announcement was the last for Apple CFO Luca Maestri, who announced last August that he is stepping down from the role. Kevan Parekh will become Apple’s new CFO next year.

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Tim Cook honors Luca Maestri in his last earnings call as Apple CFO
As announced back in August, Apple’s current CFO Luca Maestri will soon be moving to a new role at the company. During the Q4 2024 fiscal earnings call, Apple CEO Tim Cook took some time to honor Luca Maestri’s work as CFO, as this is the last call he will participate in. more…

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Tim Cook: iPhone users adopting iOS 18.1 twice as fast as iOS 17.1
Apple released iOS 18.1 with the first Apple Intelligence features on Monday. In a new interview with CNBC today, Apple CEO Tim Cook touted that Apple is seeing strong adoption numbers of iOS 18.1 so far. Cook’s comments come following Apple’s Q4 2024 earnings report, where it set a new September quarter revenue record. more…

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Apple published a new Press Release
Apple just published a new Press Release:Apple reports fourth quarter results

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Tim Cook says users are updating to iOS 18.1 at twice the rate of iOS 17.1
Tim Cook has revealed that the adoption rate of iOS 18.1 is far faster than it was for iOS 17.1 at the same time in 2023.Tim Cook and the Apple Intelligence icon — image credit: AppleJust ahead of its latest earnings call, Tim Cook has announced that the first indications of Apple Intelligence's success have come from the increased rate of updates."A really early stat, which is only three days worth of data," he told CNBC, "but users are adopting iOS 18.1 at twice the rate that they adopted 17.1 in the year ago quarter." Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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MacDailyNews presents live notes from Apple’s Q424 conference call
MacDailyNews presents live notes from Apple’s fiscal Q424 Conference Call with analysts starting at 2pm PT / 5pm ET today, October 31, 2024… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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Strong iPhone sales return Apple to record revenue
Apple's Q4 2024 results reveal record revenue and strong iPhone performance. Get the details on the company's financial success and growth. (via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)

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9to5Mac Daily: October 31, 2024 – Apple’s health projects, more
Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from 9to5Mac. 9to5Mac Daily is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players. Sponsored by Dreametech: Industry-leading smart cleaning products, available now with massive savings. more…

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