Paid Training, Placement Program Eases Cybersecurity Hiring Challenges
Cybersecurity workforce developer NukuDo offers specialized training that leads to guaranteed jobs in computer security, providing a hands-on learning experience and direct employment opportunities. The post appeared first on TechNewsWorld.

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Apple Watch display tech hints at iPhone ProMotion upgrade
Advanced LTPO technology in the Apple Watch Series 10 display differs from previous generations, and future iPhone releases may get the new display.Apple Watch Series 10 - Image credit: AppleApple updated the Apple Watch to Series 10 in early September, making a number of changes to the form. One of the lesser spoken-about changes is actually part of the display, with Apple upgrading a quite important element.The low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) thin-film transistor (TFT) is a backplane technology that enables for dynamic refresh rate adjustment in an OLED screen. It's what allows the Apple Watch to have an always-on display. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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iOS 18.2 beta shows that the Apple Intelligence rollout isn’t as slow as some suggest
While the narrative around Apple Intelligence is that the company is leaning heavily on “coming later” asterisks, and we’ll have to wait a long time for any of it to actually launch, yesterday’s iOS 18.2 beta release tells a somewhat different story. Now, sure, we have to include an asterisk of our own here – just because a feature is available in the current beta doesn’t mean it’ll make it into the release version in December – but it’s still a good pointer to the intended pace of the Apple Intelligence rollout … more…

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The M4 MacBook Pro coming next week might finally get everything right
Macworld According to the latest rumors, Apple will release its first M4 Macs next week. Among the new models, which include a redesigned Mac mini, will be the first refresh to the entry-level MacBook Pro released next year. Normally, such an update would be nothing more than a chip upgrade from the M3 to the M4. But a series of reports claim that there will be more to this update–and could make the 14-inch base model a near-perfect laptop for just about everyone. The first report was by leaker VNChocoTaco on X, who posted a photo they received of the box label for the new MacBook Pro revealing key specs. The second report is from Russian YouTuber Wylsacom, who apparently got their hands on the M4 MacBook Pro, laptop and all. If the information in these two reports holds up, and it would be a very elaborate hoax if it doesn’t, we could be seeing some big changes in the base M4 MacBook Pro. Here’s what’s being reported and what it could mean. Memory that serves us right The current base M3 14-inch MacBook Pro has one glaring problem: It has only 8GB of unified memory. Apple will tell you that’s more than enough and 8GB is useable and for many buyers that’s probably true. But considering how much RAM higher-end software uses nowadays, 8GB in a “Pro” laptop is not enough. Still not convinced? How about this: The MacBook Air, Apple’s “consumer” laptop, the laptop for “everyone else,” also starts at 8GB of memory. The MacBook Pro is supposed to be the workstation laptop for, as the name says, the “Pro.” The other models all start at 18GB—does 8GB seem proper for a MacBook that costs $1,599? Both reports by VNChocoTaco and Wylsacom show what appears to be a specifications label from the base M3 14-inch M4 MacBook Pro, that shows a laptop with 16GB of memory. Assuming the model isn’t a higher-end configuration, that would mean Apple is finally addressing the biggest flaw of the entry-level Pro. With 16GB of RAM, pro users will be able to run their apps and feel comfortable about the laptop’s performance–they may still need more and upgrade to 24GB or more, and even then, it won’t be as expensive as starting from a standard configuration is 8GB. Bringing the Thunder(bolt) VNChocoTaco’s photo is low resolution and much of the text is garbled, but it seems to show that the 14-inch M4 MacBook Pro will have three Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports. Wylsacom’s label says the same and he shows off the laptop’s three ports in his video. This seems to indicate that Apple is adding one more Thunderbolt/USB 4 to the base M4 model. This would put the laptop in line with the higher-end MacBook Pro models with Pro and Max chips; it would no longer have the same two ports as the MacBook Air, another step toward making it an actual “Pro” laptop. Space Black for the masses When Apple introduced the M3 MacBook Pro, it revealed a new Space Black color option available only on the M3 Pro or M3 Max models. According to these reports, Apple is going to make Space Black an option on the base model, too. I’m currently using a Space Black MacBook Pro, and my first impression of the color was that it was nice, but it should be darker. But after having used the laptop for nearly a year now, I love Space Black and it’s now my color of choice. If it’s coming to the M4 MacBook Pro, it’s going to be a popular choice—and put the entry-level model on par with the others. Finally, a true entry-level MacBook Pro There are other specs revealed by these reports, such as the M4’s 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, and the same starting 512GB SSD. But the three changes above are going to make the base M4 MacBook Pro a popular laptop–especially if Apple keeps the price at $1,599. It would be the first time in a long time that buying the least-expensive MacBook Pro didn’t mean you had to make a significant compromise, such as the 8GB of RAM, fewer ports, hampered performance, or even an old design, as was the case when Apple kept the 13-inch MacBook Pro with the Touch Bar around after the Apple silicon redesign was announced. If and then this MacBook Pro does ship, it will fit right in with the M4 Pro and M4 Max models in the lineup and give users a real choice, rather than force them to the upper models due to cut-rate specs. Apple will sell a lot of them. Apple is expected to announce M4 MacBook Pro and other M4 Macs sometime next week for delivery on November 1. Learn more about the upcoming M4 MacBook Pro.

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Apple is forcing me to turn to Google because Siri won’t do this one simple thing
Macworld I love to use my Apple products to set timers, usually while cooking. I use my Apple Watch for this all the time, raising my messy hands up to tell Siri to start a timer. My HomePod is another favorite, for the same reason–when I’m cooking, touching my phone means getting gunk all over it. I have a Nest Hub in the kitchen, and that’s my go-to for timers for two reasons. One, it has a display so it’s really useful to glance over and see how much time is left (a situation my Apple Watch also solves, but not easily with multiple timers going). But the other reason I like to use Google’s product to manage timers is that it offers a dead-simple, table-stakes feature that Apple still hasn’t provided after all these years: the ability to add time to a timer. How did Apple miss this? The year is 2018 and Apple is about to release the original HomePod. In the press tour, we’re given the rundown of its capabilities in each room of a rental house: playing music in the bedroom, triggering the kettle in the kitchen, playing music in the living room… (playing music was a big part of the pitch). In the kitchen demo, when setting a timer, I ask about multiple-timer support. It’s something I use all the time, after all. I need to put the pasta in the water in 10 minutes, the bread will be done in 12, and the roast vegetables in 15. The Apple rep looked at me as though she was expecting the question. I got a well-prepared, PR-speak answer about how it’s “not available at this time,” which is always a fun way to say that a product doesn’t have a feature. Apple eventually corrected this oversight in a software update about six months later, making HomePod the only Apple product with multiple timer support for five years until iOS 17 and macOS 14.2 (it didn’t even make it into the initial macOS 14 release). I remember thinking: How does this product that’s by far more expensive than its competitors, not have this fundamental feature? Didn’t you have a bunch of Apple employees test this before release? Wouldn’t a bunch of them mention the inability to set more than one timer, and how every competing product (Alexa and Google Home products) provides this common, useful, simple feature? We all knew a smart speaker from Apple would be hamstrung by Siri’s deficiencies (it was far behind the competition in 2018), but it’s not as if setting multiple timers is reliant on AI. I just want to add time to a timer! Here we go again… My roast veggies have 5 minutes left on the timer, but when I check on them, they’re definitely going to need a little more time. With my Nest Hub, I can just say “Hey Google, add 4 minutes to the timer” and I’m done. With any Apple product, whether I’m using Siri or the screen, I have to either wait for the timer to finish and then start a new 4-minute timer or cancel my current timer and make a new 9-minute one. It’s a pain, especially when I’ve got several timers going in a kitchen bustling with activity. Alexa and Google Assistant have had this figured out for years. Google even has a quick “Add one minute” button right there at the top level of the timer interface in its default Clock app. It’s the equivalent of the “add 30 seconds” button on a microwave, and just as useful. It’s something we’ve all done since before the days of digital timers by simply picking up the egg timer and cranking the dial to adjust the remaining time. Let’s get this done, Apple. This could easily be part of iOS 18.2. You already have the ability to set multiple timers and give them names, simply adding an arbitrary amount of time to one can’t possibly be more than one week of development work for a single engineer. If you had three or four people working on it you could even give us the handy “add a minute” button in the clock interface.

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How to get ready for Messages by satellite and go off the grid
Macworld Expanding its use of low-flying satellites for models of iPhone starting with the iPhone 14, Apple added Messages to the set of available features with the release of iOS 18. But there are a lot of footnotes as to how it works when you’re away from cellular and Wi-Fi networks that can require careful preparation if you want to rely on the service. Messages via satellite is bidirectional: once you connect to a satellite (using the on-device assistant in Messages or via Control Center’s network > Satellite menu) you can send and receive messages. Other people can also initiate messages to you as soon as you’re online in the right circumstances. With an iPhone 14 or later and iOS 18, swipe to reveal Control Center, tap the Cellular pane’s icon at right, and then tap Satellite > Try Demo to see all the options and perform a dry run of connecting.Foundry Advance requirements You have to enable iMessage while still on a Wi-Fi or cellular network and must have a SIM card with an active cell service plan. Messages via satellite leans on the cellular network for its features. For now, you can use Messages via satellite only within the United States and Canada, although models sold worldwide and used in those countries by residents (people with a local cell plan) or visitors (people roaming on other plans) will work. (The only exception is that iPhones sold in Armenia, Belarus, mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao, Kazakhstan, and Russia lack satellite features.) If you plan to use iMessage with someone, you must have “recently” exchanged messages with them using iMessage. Apple doesn’t define what that means. In testing with a friend who went off the grid and with whom I hadn’t exchanged an iMessage in a yea (we use Slack and other methods) I only saw SMS. However, when I replied, it appeared initially to send via iMessage before reverting to SMS for subsequent messages. When iMessage is used Apple creates an iMessage connection between an iPhone that’s using the satellite connection and an iPhone running iOS 18.0 or later. The recipient has to have an iPhone to receive the messages, even though iMessage should work on an iPhone, iPad, or Mac. We have to assume there’s a phone-network component in setting up the connection that requires an iPhone to be part of the mix. Your iPhone alerts you when Messages via satellite is available. Tap to connect to a satellite.Apple If the receiving iPhone isn’t running iOS 18.0 or later, the sending phone transmits messages via standard SMS text messaging. (I have heard from colleagues that they have seen iMessage work with 17.6, but Apple’s documentation says 18.0 or later is required.) A limited set of iMessage features are supported: You can send and receive text, but no photos, stickers, or audio messages, and all connections are one-to-one—no group iMessage communication. People can reply to you by sending a message and then tapping a Send via Satellite link. Messages sent this way have a dotted blue outline until transmitted. Your iPhone helps keep you connected (left). At right, a recipient receives cues in your conversation, such as a Send via Satellite link to send their iMessage.Foundry When SMS is used If a recipient has a non-Apple device or an iPhone that’s not yet running 18.0 or later, Messages reverts to SMS messaging. People can reply via SMS if they are either using a non-Apple device or have iOS 17.6 or later installed. For some reason, people with an iPhone with iOS 17.5 or earlier cannot reply. Messages via SMS are queued if the person using a satellite is temporarily unavailable. They’re then delivered later, either via the satellite or cellular network. Let others initiate a message to you Apple allows a limited set of people to message you when you have satellite connectivity before you reach out to them. They have to be part of your Family Sharing group or listed in your emergency contacts. Make sure you’ve added the appropriate people before you leave a regular coverage area. People in those categories can text you using SMS whenever you’re connected via satellite. If they qualify to use iMessage, the conversation should “upgrade” to iMessage after you reply. 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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Rumor: Apple to begin M4 MacBook Air production soon, will look to bring M4 to entire Mac lineup
If you’re hankering for the M4 MacBook Air, it’s apparently about to enter production. Per Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple will soon start production on M4 versions of the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models ahead of an early 2025 launch. It’s thought that there will be no design changes from the M3 MacBook Pro and […] Source

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Details surface as to Apple’s AirPods Pro hearing test might function
It’s a work in progress, but it could potentially lead to something helpful and awesome. TechCrunch recently demoed an incomplete version of Apple’s forthcoming Hearing Test app following the company’s “Glowtime” media event. The test shares key similarities with its clinical predecessors, prompting people to tap the display when they first hear gradually rising tones […] Source

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Adata SE920 External SSD review: Turbo storage for mobile content creators
Macworld At a glanceExpert's Rating Pros High data transfer rates Good fan Cons No transport bag No rubber feet Our Verdict The SE920 External SSD is a high-performance USB4 SSD drive at a good price. The data rates are fast and stable over a long period and the thermal design works perfectly. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Retailer Price Adata $179.99 View Deal $179.99 View Deal $179.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Price When Reviewed1TB: $140 I 2TB: $200 I 4TB: $380 Best Prices Today: SE920 External SSD Retailer Price Adata $179.99 View Deal $179.99 View Deal $179.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket As a storage specialist, Adata has paid attention to the issue of SSD overheating. Its SE920 External SSD combines passive and active cooling; its compact metal housing is used for passive cooling, and a so-called micro-fan with openings is used for active cooling. The user can activate the fan simply by pressing on the housing. This expands the housing and the fan starts up. When should you use the fan? If you use the drive to store documents and for filing, you can do without the fan. If you are working on a project such as a video or image edit, or another task that could require a lot of drive access over a period of time, then switch on the fan. The fact that the SE920 is primarily designed for Windows users is evident from the formatting in the NTFS file system and the backup software for Windows. Both should not be a problem for experienced Mac users. The SE920 is quickly reformatted in APFS using the macOS Disk Utility. Freshly formatted, I measured the data transfer rates directly with Aja System Test Lite. The SE920 immediately achieved 2992MBps for writes and 3161 MBps for reads The test results in the Blackmagicdesign Disk Speed Test were similar. To see how hot the SE920 gets and how the results are affected, I used the Blackmagicdesign test to write and read for 30 minutes. With the fan activated, the results were pleasing, with the data transfer rates stable. And more importantly, the temperature did not rise above lukewarm to the touch. Should you buy the Adata SE920 External SSD? Adata has brought a high-performance USB4 SSD drive onto the market at a good price. The data rates are also stable over a longer period and the thermal design works perfectly. Even if the construction seems a little rickety. To protect the SSD and because the fan is very quiet, I usually have the fan on in practice. I can therefore recommend the SE920 to any content creator.

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iOS 18.2 beta 1: All the new features and changes
iOS 18.2 beta 1 is here, packing plenty of changes and tweaks, including new Apple Intelligence features like Image Playground. (via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)

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Macworld Podcast: What you should know about iOS 18.1, Apple Intelligence, and more
Macworld The first major update to iOS 18 is coming next week. In previews of the new hearing aid feature for the AirPods Pro 2, The Verge and The Wall Street Journal mentioned that the feature will be included in iOS 18.1, and Apple told them that the update will be available next week. So on today’s show, we talk about what to expect from iOS 18.1. And we also cover the new M4 Macs that are coming next week. This is episode 906 with Jason Cross, Michael Simon, and Roman Loyola.  Watch episode 906 on YouTube Listen to episode 906 on Apple Podcasts

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Scuf Nomad review: Compact iPhone controller with customization options
Macworld At a glanceExpert's Rating Pros Can also be used as a normal Bluetooth controller Quiet buttons Hall effect sticks Interchangeable stick caps Cons iPhone cannot be charged while playing Our Verdict The Scuf Nomad is a compact Bluetooth controller for the iPhone that also works with iPads, Macs, and some Android devices. The accompanying app offers extensive customization options, ranging from simple button assignments to the dead zone of the sticks and triggers and how they react to inputs. The Scuf Nomad is quite small so it is probably not for people with large hands. In addition, the smartphone cannot be charged while playing. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Retailer Price $99.99 View Deal $99.99 View Deal Scuf $100 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Price When Reviewed$99.99 Best Prices Today: Scuf Nomad Retailer Price $99.99 View Deal $99.99 View Deal Scuf $100 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Scuf Gaming (a gaming controller division of Corsair) introduced the Scuf Nomad smartphone controller, joining a small-but-growing niche of mobile gaming controllers that turn the smartphone into a gaming handheld and produce something resembling the design of the Nintendo Switch. This niche has been populated by Razer with the Razer Kishi V2 and Razer Kishi Ultra, the Backbone One and the GameSir X3 and X2 Pro. In contrast to the competition, Scuf takes a completely different approach: the controller does not connect to the iPhone via a plug (USB-C or Lightning), but via Bluetooth. The Scuf Nomad includes two stick caps, an adapter, and a braided USB cable.Eugen Wegmann Design and controls As usual in this product category, the Scuf Nomad looks like an ordinary game controller that has been sawn in half and reconnected with a bridge. The first major difference to the competition: Scuf uses a different button layout that does not correspond to the Xbox (and Switch) or Playstation layout. The analog sticks are located at the top of both halves, with the directional pad and the A-B-X-Y buttons underneath. The layout is similar to the Nintendo Wii U Pro Controller, or more precisely when an iPhone is mounted, the Wii U gamepad–you know, the giant controller with the screen inside. The sticks themselves are interesting because Scuf doesn’t rely on classic sticks with potentiometers, which are used in the Xbox Wireless Controller, the Playstation Dualsense, the Nintendo Joy-Cons and most other controllers on the market. Instead, Scuf uses Hall-effect sticks in the Nomad, which are based on a magnetic operating principle and minimize the so-called “stick drift”. This is caused by dirt and wear on the contacts in classic analog sticks and leads to incorrect inputs. However, if you are used to conventional sticks, you’ll need to get used to the Hall-effect sticks, as the resistance is significantly lower and the movements a little more wobbly. Perhaps Scuf could have simply used slightly harder springs here. Concave cap on the left, convex replacement cap on the right.Eugen Wegmann Two additional caps for the sticks are included. Concave (curved inwards) caps are installed on the Nomad as standard, while the ones on the left are convex (curved outwards), as was common on the Playstation until the Dualshock 4 controller. The Nomad also includes a small adapter (ultimately a rubber spacer) for the iPhone 14 and 15 phones, so that the camera module does not rest on the bridge, and a generously dimensioned braided USB-A to USB-C cable. The rubber adapter ensures that.. … the camera of the iPhone 14 and 15 does not rest on the bridge. The controller has a total width of just over 20 centimeters and can be stretched to around 37 centimeters, with an internal distance between the two halves of around 17 centimeters. This is large enough for all smartphones, but unfortunately a little too small for the iPad mini. The size is therefore between the Razer Kishi V2 and the Kishi Ultra; not quite as compressed as the former, but also not as spacious as the latter. Mentioned in the article Razer Kishi Ultra Read our review Price When Reviewed: $149.99 Best Prices Today: $149.99 at Amazon | $149.99 at Best Buy | $150 at Razer Nevertheless, the Scuf Nomad is around 100 grams heavier than the small Kishi V2 and only 37 grams lighter than the large Kishi Ultra. This is primarily because the Nomad connects to the iPhone via Bluetooth and requires its own battery. This is charged via USB-C on the underside of the left half–there is no USB-C passthrough as with the Kishi Ultra. The Bluetooth pairing button is located on the underside of the right half. This is one of the reasons why an iPhone cannot be charged when it is clamped in the Scuf Nomad. There are no cut-outs for a cable or a MagSafe charger. As the controller supplies itself with power, you also have to explicitly switch it on and off. To do this, you have to press the home button at the top left until the LEDs at the bottom right light up or go out again. If you don’t notice the little hint in the app tutorial, you’ll have to try a bit, especially when switching off. The workmanship is satisfactory all round. The contact points with the iPhone (the bridge and the inside) are rubberized, the back of the handles are also rubberized for a better grip and the plastic does not feel cheap. The relatively high weight compared to the size contributes to a high sense of value. Eugen Wegmann Usability As mentioned at the beginning, the layout of the Scuf Nomad most closely resembles the Wii U controller. The only differences are the plate-like directional pad, which is reminiscent of a shrunken version of the Xbox Wireless Controller, and the positioning of the menu and option buttons. These are located below the directional pad and the main buttons. The Scuf Nomad also has two additional paddles on the back of the controller that are best reached with the middle fingers and can be freely assigned in the corresponding app. Above the left stick is the home button, which corresponds to the Xbox button on an Xbox controller in Xbox Cloud Gaming and opens the iOS Game Center in games from the App Store. Above the right stick is the Scuf button, which opens the Scuf app when pressed once, takes a screenshot when pressed twice, and starts and stops a video recording when pressed and held. The front buttons on the Scuf Nomad are small and fairly close together.Eugen Wegmann My only criticism of the layout is the main A, B, X and Y buttons. They are so close together that I sometimes press two of them with my not-so-large thumb in the heat of the moment. In contrast to the front buttons, the shoulder buttons are pleasantly large.Eugen Wegmann In contrast to the two Kishis mentioned in this review, the Nomad’s keys are largely quiet. The two buttons on the back are the loudest, followed by the clicking analog sticks. Overall, I would have no qualms about playing with the Nomad in the quiet compartment of an train, especially as the buttons on the back are completely optional. Compatibility The Scuf Nomad is fully MFi-certified and therefore perfectly compatible with Apple devices. However, iOS 16 or later is required. The iPhone X and iPhone 8 and the oldest iPhones that can be used with the Nomad. Although Scuf does not explicitly mention it, the Nomad also works flawlessly with Macs and iPads, although iPadOS 16 or later is also required for the latter. This means that the Nomad can be used as more than just an iPhone controller, making it more versatile than the competition with a plug connection. Unlike the Kishi Ultra, an iPad mini does not yet fit inside, but you can place it on a folding table on a train or airplane and play with it. If you are an Android user and have stumbled across this test report, Scuf officially states that the Nomad is not compatible with Android or is still working on it. A PCWorld colleague was able to pair and use it with her Oppo A55 without any problems. The biggest limitation is that there is no companion app for Android where you can configure the additional features. Scuf Nomad Companion app Nothing works without an app these days, so there is also an iPhone app for the Scuf Nomad, the Scuf Nomad Companion. Well, strictly speaking, the Nomad does work as an ordinary Bluetooth controller without an app, but then you have to do without some additional functions. Button assignment settings for the Scuf Nomad Different button assignments can be assigned to individual profiles. In this view, you can set which profile is assigned to the controller when you close the app. For example, the app is required to assign the two paddles on the back; the A and B buttons are assigned to them by default. You can also change the overall button assignment there. But that’s not all: alternative button assignments can be saved in individual profiles and then assigned to games, which can be an advantage if, for example, you play shooters with one button assignment and action RPGs (or other genres) with another. Not only the function of the buttons can be set here, but also the dead zone of the sticks and triggers and whether they react linearly, exponentially, dynamically, or aggressively to inputs. There is a lot of potential for experimentation and optimization here. Three platforms are available for quick access: Xbox Game Pass, Apple Arcade, and PS Remote Play.Eugen Wegmann Three gaming platforms are integrated into the app: Apple Arcade, Playstation, and Xbox Cloud Gaming. The respective game selection opens in the Scuf Nomad Companion interface; what happens next depends on the service. Games in Apple Arcade either start directly or link to the App Store if they are not installed. With Playstation, you can choose whether games are opened in the PS app or in PS Remote Play, Xbox Cloud Gaming is started as a PWA in a browser window in which you have to log in separately with a Microsoft account. Eugen Wegmann The app also contains a gallery of all recorded screenshots and videos, the quality of which can also be adjusted in the app. The controller firmware is also updated via the app. Last but not least, it should be mentioned that Scuf does not require an account and you can use the app and controller without a Scuf or Corsair account. Should you buy the Scuf Nomad? The Scuf Nomad is a compact Bluetooth controller for the iPhone that also works with iPads, Macs, and some Android devices. The accompanying app offers extensive customization options, ranging from simple button assignments to the dead zone of the sticks and triggers and how they react to inputs. The Scuf Nomad is quite small so it is probably not for people with large hands. In addition, the smartphone cannot be charged while playing.

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M4 Mac Studio: Everything you need to know
Macworld The M2 Max and Ultra Mac Studio were released at WWDC23 last June, and the M3 era of Apple’s System on a Chip started last November. So, with WWDC24 creeping up on us, it’s time to start looking forward to the next Mac Studio. The rumors will start to increase as June 2024 approaches, and whatever is reported now can change (and likely will) before the new Mac Studio is released. We’ll keep track of what’s being said in this article.  Update October 23, 2024: Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that an new Mac Studio may be released in March or June 2025. M4 Mac Studio: Release date We’ve had two generations of Mac Studio. The first gen (M1 Max and Ultra) was released in March of 2022. The second-gen (M2 Max and Ultra) was revealed at WWDC23 in June 2023. Apple will likely continue with a March or June timeframe for the next Mac Studio. The M3 Max and Ultra Mac Studio could be released by June 2024.Roman Loyola/IDG In April, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said in the paid version of his Power On newsletter that the next Mac Studio could launch in the second half of 2024, which likely means a WWDC release. ICsmart reports that the new Mac Studio could arrive in the middle of this year as well. Since Apple doesn’t traditionally hold standalone events during the summer months, WWDC is a safe bet. In May, Mark Gurman reported that the Mac Studio is not on the schedule of Apple releases for 2024. It doesn’t appear until mid-2025. If that’s the case, then Apple will likely skip the M3 series chips and release the 2025 Mac Studio with an M4 Max and M4 Ultra. In June, Mark Gurman reported that the Mac released schedule had not changed. The M4 Mac Studio is not expected until the second half of 2025. In August, Gurman reiterated that the M4 Mac Studio will ship in 2025. In October, Mark Gurman reported that the new Mac Studio once had a similar release schedule as the M4 MacBook Air, which has a release planned between January and March of 2025. But Apple has decided to push the Mac Studio back to a March or June release. M4 Mac Studio: Price No reports on the price for the M4 Mac Studio have been made. Here are the standard configuration prices of the current M2 Mac Studio lineup, for reference. $1,999/£2,099: M2 Max with a 12-Core CPU, 30-Core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine, 32GB unified memory, 512GB SSD $3,999/ £4,199: M2 Ultra with a 24-Core CPU, 60-Core GPU, 32-Core Neural Engine, 64GB unified memory, 1TB SSD While the price of the Mac Studio has already increased outside of the U.S. (it was originally £1,999 in the U.K.), prices did not change in the U.S. when Apple upgraded from the M1 to the M2 chips, and prices could stay the same with an M4 upgrade. But when Apple released the M3 Pro and Max MacBook Pros, the price for the standard configuration M3 Max model increased by $100, so there’s a good possibility that the Mac Studio prices go up. M4 Mac Studio: Design No reports about design changes to the Mac Studio have been made. The current design works well and is going on its third year, so Apple likely isn’t going to change it. The only possible exception is a new space black color option to match the MacBook Pro. M4 Mac Studio: Specs and features The main (and likely only) change that will happen with the upcoming Mac Studio is with its SoC. The Mac Studio should continue to have the Max and Ultra versions of its M-series chips, so the new chips we will see are the M4 Max and M4 Ultra. The current M3 Max MacBook Pro is available with a 14-core CPU/30-core GPU or a 16-core CPU/38-core GPU, so if Apple does go with an M3 Max for the Mac Studio, it may have similar specs. The ports on the Mac Studio will likely remain unchanged.Roman Loyola/IDG Apple’s Ultra chips have doubled the CPU and GPU cores of the Max. In January 2024 Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported in the paid version of his Power On newsletter that this should continue, with the M3 Ultra featuring up to 32 CPU cores and 40 GPU cores. Also in January, a report by The Elect stated that the M3 Ultra will be manufactured using an enhanced 3nm process. In April 2024, Mark Gurman reported that “Apple is testing versions with both a still-unreleased M3-era chip and a variation of the M4 Brava processor.” As for the “M4 Brava,” Gurman states that Apple is working on AI-enhanced M4 chips that could find their way into the Mac Studio in 2025. However, in May Mark Gurman reported that the Mac Studio won’t be updated until 2025, probably at WWDC25. If that’s the case, then the Mac Studio will have M4-series chips, and the specs for the M4 Max and Ultra will be very different from the M2 Max and Ultra and what was projected with the M3 Max and Ultra. The other features of the Mac Studio should remain the same. That means no changes to the ports, connectivity, speaker, SSD sizes, or display support.

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M4 Ultra Mac Pro: Everything you need to know
Macworld Apple last updated the Mac Pro in 2023 when it was the last Mac to be outfitted with an M-series chip–three years after Apple started to use its own silicon in Macs. The Mac Pro may be on a longer update cycle than the other Macs because it’s an expensive machine with features that address the needs of a niche audience. But if you’re part of that audience, you’ll want to know when the next model will arrive, so we’ll be tracking the news and rumors about the Mac Pro. This article includes information about the potential updates to the Mac Pro, as well as offers perspective on what those rumored updates mean to Apple’s Mac lineup. Update October 23, 2024: Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that an M4 Mac Pro may be released in 2025. Mac Pro M4: Release date In a report by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman about Apple’s plans for its AI-enhanced M4 chip, he reported that Apple could update the Mac Pro with an M4 variant in 2025 after the other Macs have been updated. Gurman’s report did not address the possibility of an M3 Ultra Mac Pro upgrade being released between now and then. This omission seems to indicate that Apple will skip the M3 cycle and stick with the M2 Ultra until next year, which seems even more likely since Apple has launched the M4 chip in the iPad Pro. In June, Mark Gurman reported that the Mac released schedule had not changed. The M4 Mac Pro is not expected until the second half of 2025. In August, Gurman reiterated that the M4 Mac Pro will be released in 2025. In October, Mark Gurman reported that Apple “continues to work on an M4 version of the Mac Pro.” He did not provide an update for its release date, which he has previously reported as late 2025. Mac Pro M4: Processor The biggest upgrade we expect in the new Mac Pro is of course the chip. While we originally expected the Mac Pro to get an M3 Ultra update this year, it’s now looking like the Mac Pro will skip the M3 generation entirely and jump to the M4. In his April 2024 report, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman stated that the Mac Pro will be part of Apple’s AI focus and will be upgraded with an M4 with enhanced AI capabilities. Gurman did not offer any details on how those AI enhancements will be implemented or any other specifications about the M4. At the time, Gurman said the M4 chip currently in testing was code-named Hidra. Since then, Apple unveiled the M4 chip in the iPad Pro with 6 efficiency cores, and 10 graphics processing cores. In tests, speeds were about 20 percent higher than the base M3, so the M4 Ultra, which is what will go in the Mac Pro, should be much faster than the M2 Ultra. We also know that it has an improved Neural Engine for AI features that will be discussed at WWDC. Presumably, Hidra is an M4 Ultra-type chip. Apple’s M1 Ultra and M2 Ultra chips are essentially two Max chips that work together, but there have been reports that Apple will be changing the processor’s architecture, so we could see higher performance than in previous Ultra chips. For example, the 256GB and 512GB iPad Pro’s M4 has just 3 CPU performance cores, the first time Apple has offered a version with fewer than four cores. Mac Pro M4: Design and specs Gurman also reported that Apple wants to dramatically increase the maximum amount of unified memory in the high-end desktop M4 Macs to 512GB. The current limit on the M2 Ultra Mac Pro is 192GB. So, the M4 Ultra Mac Pro could support more than twice the memory as the current M2 Ultra Mac Pro. No other reports have been made about the inner workings of the upcoming Mac Pro. Because Apple wants to focus on AI, the Mac Pro could be marketed as an AI development workstation, so Apple could upgrade other components to accommodate these needs. No reports have been made about the design, either. The next Mac Pro upgrade is expected to keep the same design, but the internal components will likely change, with the key one being a possible M4 Ultra upgrade.Foundry In August, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported that one of the Macs will get a “dramatic change” in its design along with its M4 update. Though Gurman didn’t specifically say that the Mac Pro was going to be the Mac with the new design, the Mac Pro has had its design for 11 years, so it could be the Mac being referenced. MacBook Pro M4: Price Here are the prices for the current standard base configurations of the M2 Ultra Mac Pro for reference. Apple expects customers to customer configure their orders, so prices will vary from these base specifications. $6,999/£7,199/CA$8,999/AU$11,999 Mac Pro Tower: M2 Ultra, 24-core CPU, 60-core GPU, 32-core Neural Engine, 64GB Unified Memory, 1TB SSD $7,499/£7,699/CA$9,599/AU$12,999 Mac Pro Rack: M2 Ultra, 24-core CPU, 60-core GPU, 32-core Neural Engine, 64GB Unified Memory, 1TB SSD Pricing for the new Mac Pro has not been reported, though we expect pricing to remain the same in the U.S. The price may be adapted to more recent exchange rates elsewhere. We predict that in the U.K. the price will be in line with the U.S. for example: £6,999 rather than £7,199.

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How to use the new text effects in Messages on iPhone with iOS 18
Apple's iOS 18 software update brought plenty of new features, including to the Messages app. The addition of cool new text effects gives iPhone owners new ways to communicate and they're surprisingly easy to use.Text effects offer the option to animate words in ways that can help convey a message, whether you want something to pop by having it explode or hint at your nerves by having a word jitter.There are eight new text effects on offer and they're available to everyone using iOS 18 or later. Your recipient will also need to be using iOS 18, iPadOS 18, or macOS 15 Sequoia for them to be able to see the effect of course, so keep that in mind as well. The feature also only works with messages sent via iMessage rather than SMS or RCS, too. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Wombat Willow Pro keyboard review: Maximum keys, minimum space
The Wombat Willow Pro provides a full mechanical keyboard with a shorter width than usual and even has low-profile switches. It's an interesting choice if you're prepared to learn a very unusual layout.Wombat Willow ProPower users are often quite picky about the keyboards they use. This can include whether it takes the form of a chicklet-style keyboard, a membrane one, or a mechanical keyboard, for example.With choice, there is also a need to trade off one feature in favor of another. One of these things can be the size, as having a smaller keyboard can mean a reduction in the number of actual keys you can press. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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The iPhone’s haptic keyboard is fantastic: Here’s how to turn it on
Studies show that a haptic keyboard improves touchscreen typing speed and input accuracy, but very few people know you can enable it on your iPhone. (via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)

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iOS 18.2 beta enables Apple Watch sleep apnea detection for users in Canada
iOS 18.2 beta was released today for developers, and it brings a lot of new features – most of them related to Apple Intelligence. However, there are a few other changes, and one of them is related to the Apple Watch’s sleep apnea detection feature. With the update, users in Canada can finally enable the new health feature. more…

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iOS 18.2 lets third-party web browsers add web apps with custom engine in the EU
Apple last year introduced the ability for third-party web browsers to add web apps to the iOS Home Screen, a feature that was previously exclusive to Safari. However, these web apps still depend on Apple’s WebKit. But Apple is changing that with iOS 18.2 – at least for a specific group of users. more…

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iPhone users in the EU can delete the App Store and more with iOS 18.2
As a result of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) antitrust legislation in the EU, Apple has had to change how iOS and the App Store work for users in European countries. And there are more changes coming with iOS 18.2. More specifically, iPhone and iPad users will soon be able to delete the App Store, Safari, and many other built-in iOS apps. more…

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