Apple Vision Pro launched in stores and began arriving to customers today in South Korea and the United Arab Emirates. In addition, customers can now schedule a free 30-minute appointment to demo the headset at Apple Store locations in bothcountries.
Apple has localized Vision Pro pages in South Korea and the United Arab Emirates with more details about the headset, for those unfamiliar.
Apple first released the Vision Pro in the U.S. in February, with pricing starting at $3,499. In June and July, the headset launched in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the U.K., China, Hong Kong, Japan, and Singapore. With the additions of South Korea and the United Arab Emirates, the headset is now available in 12 countries and regions.
In July, research firm IDC estimated that Vision Pro sales would total less than 500,000 units this year. In a recent interview, Apple CEO Tim Cook acknowledged that the Vision Pro is not a mass-market product due to its high price.
"At $3,500, it's not a mass-market product," said Cook. "Right now, it's an early-adopter product. People who want to have tomorrow's technology today—that's who it's for. Fortunately, there's enough people who are in that camp that it's exciting."
The award-winning Apple TV+ sci-fi series "Silo" is finally back, after nearly a year-and-a-half wait. The first episode of the second season is now available on Apple's streaming service, and one new episode will follow every Friday through January 17.
"Silo" follows the last 10,000 people on Earth, all of whom live in a massive underground bunker to escape the seemingly toxic and deadly world outside. The people are unaware of why the silo was built, and those who seek the truth face deadly consequences. Rebecca Ferguson stars as Juliette Nichols, an engineer who attempts to unravel the mysteries surrounding the silo following a loved one's murder. The sci-fi series is based on Hugh Howey's best-selling book trilogy "Wool." Ferguson and Howey both serve as executive producers.
The official PlayStation account on YouTube recently shared an exclusive clip from the second season of the show. And earlier this week, Apple shared a season-one recap video highlighting key moments in the series so far. Warning: spoilers!
Apple TV+ costs $9.99 per month or $99 per year in the U.S., and the streaming service is also included in all Apple One subscription bundles.
The M4 MacBook Pro models feature quantum dot display technology, according to display analyst Ross Young. Apple used a quantum dot film instead of a red KSF phosphor film, a change that provides more vibrant, accurate color results.
Young says that Apple has opted for KSF for prior MacBook Pro models because it doesn't use toxic element cadmium (typical for quantum dot) and is more efficient (and thus less expensive). Way back in 2015, when Apple introduced support for P3 wide color on the iMac, Apple executives said that quantum dot technology had been considered for its LED displays, but rejected because of the cadmium requirement.
Big Apple display news, they have adopted quantum dots for the first time. The latest MacBook Pro's (M4) use a quantum dot (QD) film rather than a red KSF phosphor film.
In the past, Apple went with the KSF solution due to better efficiency and lack of cadmium (Cd), but the… pic.twitter.com/5olq9lEHs9
— Ross Young (@DSCCRoss) November 14, 2024
There are now cadmium-free quantum dot options that Young says have as good or better color gamut and better motion performance than the KSF film Apple previously used. The KSF phosphor coating Apple added to prior MacBook Pro models boosted color by enhancing shades of red, but quantum dot film is considered superior because it often results in better color accuracy and a wider color gamut.
Quantum dot technology has been used for high-end displays for several years, with companies like Samsung and Sony manufacturing "QLED" displays and TV sets.
Apple didn't highlight specific color improvements with the M4 MacBook Pro models, but max SDR brightness increased to 1,000 nits, up from 600 nits in the prior model.
With iOS 18, Apple introduced a feature that causes the iPhone to reboot every three days, security researchers have confirmed (via TechCrunch). In a demo video, security researcher Jiska Classen proved that an iPhone left untouched for 72 hours will automatically restart, and Graykey manufacturer also Magnet Forensics wrote a blog post about the feature.
After a reboot, an iPhone is more difficult to break into with the forensic tools used by law enforcement and others, such as bad actors. There are multiple unlocked states for an iPhone, and an iPhone that's at a passcode screen but has been previously unlocked with Face ID/Touch ID is easier to break into.
An iPhone that has recently restarted is in a "Before First Unlock" state, and that is when an iPhone is most secure because all data is encrypted. A reboot will initialize if a device is in a locked state (as in has been unlocked with Face ID or Touch ID but is now at the passcode screen) and has not been unlocked for a 72 hour period.
A 7-day inactivity reboot functionality was initially introduced in iOS 18, but the timer was shortened to three days with the launch of iOS 18.1. An iPhone in "Before First Unlock" state has messaging about Face ID/Touch ID being required after an iPhone restarts. An iPhone in the "After First Unlock" state simply says "Enter Passcode."
Apple has not provided details on inactivity reboot, and kept quiet about the addition of the feature. It was discovered when law enforcement officials noticed iPhones spontaneously rebooting following the launch of iOS 18. 404 Media last week shared a letter from officers in Detroit, Michigan, warning other law enforcement about the new limitation. While police speculated that the reboot could be tied to cellular network connectivity, iPhones will reboot regardless of connectivity status.
There was also speculation that an iPhone running iOS 18.1 could cause other iPhones to reboot, but that does not seem to be the case.
Law enforcement officials can still use brute force tools to get into iPhones running iOS 18 or later, but breaking into an iPhone must now be done before the iPhone restarts.
Every year, the Unicode Consortium decides on new emoji characters that will be coming to smartphones and other devices in the future, and this week, the Unicode 17 emoji recommendations came out [PDF].
Eight new emoji characters have been proposed, including hairy creature (like Bigfoot), distorted face, fight cloud, apple core, orca, trombone, landslide, and treasure chest. There are also skin tone variations for a number of existing emoji like ballet dancer, people with bunny ears, and people wrestling.
The Unicode consortium created mockups of what the emoji might look like, with the images shared by Emojipedia. It is important to note that the Unicode Consortium only comes up with the underlying emoji code, and Apple designers will create their own version of each character in the Apple style when the Unicode 17 standard is finalized.
Unicode 17 will likely be approved sometime next fall, though it will take Apple time to implement the new characters. We could see them around spring 2026 if Apple sticks with its typical emoji release timeline.
In 2025, Apple will introduce the Unicode 16 characters, which were approved in September 2024. Unicode 16 emoji include face with bags under eyes, fingerprint, leafless tree, root vegetable, harp, shovel, and splatter.
Apple last introduced new emoji with the iOS 17.4 update that was released in March 2024. Characters added in iOS 17.4 include lime, an edible brown mushroom, a phoenix, a broken chain, shaking head vertically (as in a "yes" nod), and shaking head horizontally (a "no" head shake).
With iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS Sequoia 15.2, Apple will debut Genmoji for devices that support Apple Intelligence. Genmoji are a customizable version of emoji that are generated based on a phrase supplied by the user. Genmoji behave like emoji on Apple devices, but are not cross-platform and don't display like emoji characters on Android devices.
The ChatGPT app for Mac is now able to integrate with coding apps like Xcode, VS Code, TextEdit, and Terminal, simplifying workflows where developers copy and paste their code from a coding app into ChatGPT.
When ChatGPT is given permission to interact with an app like Xcode through a new Work with Apps feature, a selection of code can be sent directly to ChatGPT alongside a prompt. TechCrunch had a demo of the feature, and described how it works:
In a demo with TechCrunch, an OpenAI employee opened the ChatGPT app and an Xcode environment containing a simple project modeling the solar system - although it was missing the Earth. The employee selected an Xcode tab within ChatGPT, which tells the AI chatbot to look at the app, and prompted the chatbot to "add the missing planets." The chatbot was able to complete the task, writing a line of code to represent the Earth that matched the rest of the project's format.
Back in October, GitHub brought Copilot integration to Xcode, with Copilot providing coding assistance right in the app. ChatGPT's integration is not that deep, and it is not able to write code in Xcode. ChatGPT is instead using the macOS Accessibility API for screen readers that allows apps to read text, which also means that it cannot interpret images or videos.
The new ChatGPT for Mac feature is available for ChatGPT Plus and ChatGPT Teams users starting today, with Enterprise and Edu support coming in the near future. Going forward, OpenAI plans to bring this integration to other apps.
Apple Vision Pro users can now watch "The Weeknd: Open Hearts," a new immersive music experience that features Canadian singer-songwriter The Weeknd. Filmed in ultra-high resolution 180-degree Apple Immersive Video with Spatial Audio, the music experience is designed to put viewers in the center of the action, according to Apple.
Open Hearts invites viewers to journey alongside The Weeknd as he walks through a surreal cityscape inspired by downtown Los Angeles. Apple vice president of Marketing Communications Tor Myhren said that Open Hearts is a leap forward in the intersection between music and technology.
Apple Immersive Video brings The Weeknd's creative vision to life in an entirely new way with Open Hearts, a groundbreaking music experience available only on Apple Vision Pro. With Vision Pro, fans experience storytelling in ways that were not possible before: with immersive visuals and Spatial Audio that make them feel like they're right in the middle of the action. This is an exciting leap forward in how music and technology come together to deliver memorable experiences for fans, and we're proud to collaborate with The Weeknd to make it happen.
With Open Hearts, The Weeknd is promoting his upcoming album "Hurry Up Tomorrow." Apple customers without a Vision Pro who want to watch Open Hearts can visit an Apple retail store.
Open Hearts is available for free through the Apple TV app on Vision Pro. The music experience will be followed by Concert for One, another immersive music experience, on November 22. Concert for One will feature intimate performances with the world's biggest artists, kicking off with singer-songwriter RAYE.
Apple recently updated the MacBook Pro with the M4 series of chips and a series of other upgrades including a 12MP camera, a nano-texture display option, and Thunderbolt 5 connectivity. The new machines follow updated MacBook Air models with the M3 chip that were released earlier in 2024, so how do the latest models compare?
Despite now being similar in appearance, the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro are very different devices, so should you consider purchasing the 13- or 15-inch MacBook Air, which start at $999, to save money, or do you need one of the higher-end 14- or 16-inch MacBook Pro models, which cost at least $600 more? Our guide helps to answer the question of how to decide which of these two popular laptops is best for you.
MacBook Air
MacBook Pro
M2: 13.6-inch display M3: 13.6- or 15.3-inch display
M2: Enhanced 5nm node (N5P) based on A15 Bionic chip from iPhone 13 (2021) M3: 3nm node (N3B) based on A17 Pro chip from iPhone 15 Pro (2023)
3nm node (N3E) based on A18 chip from iPhone 16 (2024)
M2: 3.49 GHz CPU clock speed M3: 4.05 GHz CPU clock speed
M4: 4.4 GHz CPU clock speed M4 Pro and M4 Max: 4.5 GHz CPU clock speed
8-core CPU with 4 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores
M4: 10 CPU cores with 4 performance and 6 efficiency cores M4 Pro: Up to 14 CPU cores with 10 performance and 4 efficiency cores M4 Max: Up to 16 CPU cores with 12 performance and 4 efficiency cores
Up to 10-core GPU
M4: 10-core GPU M4 Pro: Up to 20-core GPU M4 Max: Up to 40-core GPU
Updated GPU architecture
Updated GPU architecture with improved efficiency
M2: 16-core Neural Engine, 15.8 trillion operations per second M3: 16-core Neural Engine, 18 trillion operations per second
16-core Neural Engine, 38 trillion operations per second
16GB or 24GB unified memory
M4: 16GB, 24GB, or 32GB unified memory M4 Pro: 24GB or 48GB unified memory M4 Max: 36GB, 48GB, 64GB, or 128GB unified memory
M4 14-Inch or M3 Pro 16-Inch: 24-hour battery life M4 Pro 14-Inch: 22-hour battery life M4 Max 14-Inch: 18-hour battery life M4 Max 16-Inch: 21-hour battery life
30W, 35W, or 67W USB-C Power Adapter
67W, 96W, or 140W USB-C Power Adapter
Silver, Space Gray, Starlight, or Midnight color options
Silver or Space Black color options
M2 13-Inch: Starts at $999 M3 13-Inch: Starts at $1,099 M3 15-Inch: Starts at $1,299
M4 14-Inch: Starts at $1,599 M4 Pro 14-Inch: Starts at $1,999 M4 Pro 16-Inch: Starts at $2,499
Design
Both the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro share the same basic design with a flat top and rounded edges on the bottom, but they do have several minor details that differ. For example, while both MacBooks have displays with a "notch" at the top to facilitate the built-in webcam, the MacBook Pro's bezels are noticeably slimmer. The keyboard well of the high-end MacBook Pro is also all-black.
The MacBook Air is available in Silver and Space Gray, but the MacBook Air is also offered in Starlight and Midnight color options, so if you are looking for a particular aesthetic with one of these finishes, you will need to get the MacBook Air. Space Black is exclusive to the MacBook Pro.
MacBook Air (13-Inch)
MacBook Air (15-Inch)
MacBook Pro (14-Inch)
MacBook Pro (16-Inch)
Height
0.44 inches (1.13 cm)
0.45 inch (1.15 cm)
0.61 inches (1.55 cm)
0.66 inch (1.68 cm)
Width
11.97 inches (30.41 cm)
13.40 inches (34.04 cm)
12.31 inches (31.26 cm)
14.01 inches (35.57 cm)
Depth
8.46 inches (21.5 cm)
9.35 inches (23.76 cm)
8.71 inches (22.12 cm)
9.77 inches (24.81 cm)
Weight
2.7 pounds (1.24 kg)
3.3 pounds (1.51 kg)
3.5 pounds (1.61 kg)
4.8 pounds (2.15 kg)
Dimensions are also a key area of difference between the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro. The 16-inch MacBook Pro is considerably larger and heavier than the 15-inch MacBook Air, but it is important to not understate the difference between the 14-inch MacBook Pro and the 13-inch MacBook Air. While the 14-inch MacBook Pro offers a larger display than the MacBook Air, its marginally larger footprint, added thickness, and an additional 0.8 pounds of weight do make for a noticeably less portable machine if you prefer to travel light.
Even so, the 14-inch MacBook Pro offers a very good balance of portability and performance, so if you need its added capabilities, its size and weight should not hold you back. The 15-inch MacBook Air also provides a good balance of portability and display area, but users wary of its size should opt for the 13-inch model.
Ports and Connectivity
The selection of ports is an area of major difference between the two machines. The MacBook Air features just two Thunderbolt ports, while the M4 version of the MacBook Pro adds a third Thunderbolt 4 port plus an HDMI 2.1 port and SDXC card slot. When configured with the M4 Pro or M4 Max, the MacBook Pro upgrades those Thunderbolt ports to Thunderbolt 5, in addition to its HDMI 2.1 port and SDXC card slot. Both machines feature a 3.5mm headphone jack with support for high-impedance headphones.
All in all, the MacBook Pro is much more versatile in terms of physical connectivity, offering useful features for professionals who use SDXC cards from digital cameras, Thunderbolt 5 accessories, or even simply more USB peripherals.
Display Size
The smaller MacBook Air's display is 13.6 inches in size, which is a little smaller than the 14.2-inch MacBook Pro, and markedly smaller than the 16.2-inch MacBook Pro. 13.6 inches is still bigger than the largest iPad Pro model, which comes in at 13 inches, and even all of the previous Intel-based MacBook Air and smaller MacBook Pro models, meaning that it should be adequate for most users. The 14.2-inch MacBook Pro simply offers a little bit more screen real estate to those who need high-end capabilities.
The 15.3-inch MacBook Air and 16.2-inch MacBook Pro's displays will be better replacements for a desktop machine and provide much more screen space to arrange multiple windows and use professional applications that benefit from additional display area.
Display Technology
The display technologies of both machines are significantly different. Like most MacBooks in recent years, the MacBook Air has an LCD panel, but owing to its slim bezels and rounded corners, Apple calls it a Liquid Retina display. The 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro models feature Apple's more advanced mini-LED Liquid Retina XDR technology for deeper blacks, better dynamic range, and improved color accuracy.
The XDR display can get much brighter, reaching as high as 1,600 nits of brightness at its peak when showing HDR content. The 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro models also have ProMotion displays, allowing them to vary their refresh rate up to 120Hz. The MacBook Air does not have a display with a variable refresh rate.
It will be worth getting the high-end MacBook Pro models for viewing and editing HDR content, as well as watching high-framerate video such as sports. The display of the MacBook Air is sufficient for most users and some may not even notice a drastic difference. The MacBook Pro's deeper blacks and smoother on-screen motion simply offer a slightly better experience.
The MacBook Pro is also available with a nano-texture display for an additional $150, which significantly cuts down on glare in bright environments. No such option is offered with the MacBook Air.
Chips
The MacBook Air contains the M2 or M3 chip, while MacBook Pro customers can choose between the M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max chips. The M4 Pro and M4 Max are scaled-up versions of the M4 chip that offer additional CPU and GPU cores.
For example, the M4 Max provides a CPU with up to eight additional cores and a GPU with up to 30 additional cores. The entry-level MacBook Air's M2 chip is only a little less powerful than the M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max in single-core tasks, but the M4 chips, and particularly the Pro and Max versions, are considerably better in multi-core and graphics tasks.
With significantly more transistors, performance CPU cores, and GPU cores, the M4 Pro and M4 Max are powerful chips designed for professionals with demanding workflows. The M2 and M3, on the other hand, are more consumer-oriented chips focused on delivering surprisingly impressive performance and excellent efficiency to keep temperatures down and prolong battery life. The M4 series of chips also brought a dramatic improvement to Neural Engine performance for machine learning and artificial intelligence tasks.
It is also worth noting that the MacBook Air is passively cooled and contains no fan, which can slightly constrain peak performance compared to the MacBook Pro, since the high-end machines have large fans to actively cool the system and push the chips harder.
The M2 MacBook Air only supports a single external display. The limitations of the M3, M4, and M4 Pro chips also mean that MacBook Air and MacBook Pro devices configured with these chip support up to two external displays, whereas M4 Max machines support up to four external displays.
Memory and Storage
The MacBook Air can be configured with up to 24GB of unified memory and up to 2TB of storage, which should be more than enough for the vast majority of users. For those who need even more memory and storage, the MacBook Pro can be configured with significantly more memory and storage than the top-spec MacBook Air.
The M4 Pro and M4 Max chips in the MacBook Pro also provide up to 273GB/s and 546GB/s memory bandwidth respectively – an enormous increase over the 100GB/s memory bandwidth with the M2 and M3 models. All models now start with 16GB of memory as standard.
Speakers and Microphones
The 13-inch MacBook Air has a four-speaker sound system that is surprisingly full and balanced for such a small, slim device. The 15-inch MacBook Air and all of the MacBook Pro models take things to the next level with a six-speaker sound system with force-cancelling woofers for dramatically bigger and deeper audio. Apple also describes the MacBook Pro's speaker system as "high-fidelity," which may be invaluable to users who work in professional audio production or simply listen to a lot of music out-loud.
The MacBook Air has a three-mic array with directional beamforming that is perfect for activities like video calls and voice notes. The MacBook Pro has what Apple calls a "studio-quality" three-mic array with high signal-to-noise ratio and directional beamforming. While they are not as good as a dedicated microphone, the MacBook Pro's microphones are impressive and, at a push, are suitable for production purposes like podcasting.
Battery Life
The 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M4 Max chip has the same 18-hour battery life as the MacBook Air, but all other MacBook Pro models offer better battery life. The M4 14-inch and M4 Pro 16-inch models offer up to 24-hour battery life – a significant increase over the MacBook Air.
Final Thoughts
Overall, the MacBook Air is the best option for casual users, offering an excellent balance of features and performance in a highly portable design. The MacBook Air's $999 starting price is much more affordable compared to the MacBook Pro, and with an education discount or an offer from our Apple Deals Roundup, it is possible to get that price down by at least $100. The additional $600 to get the MacBook Pro likely is not worth it for most ordinary users, and on the contrary, many will prefer the slimmer, lighter design of the MacBook Air and perhaps even its additional color options.
Professionals who require larger and more accurate displays, additional ports, more memory and storage, and a very high level of performance should look to the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro with the M4 Pro and M4 Max chips, and the higher price points of these machines reflects this. The high-end MacBook Pro models are not targeted at everyday consumers, being clearly tailored to creatives and professionals who rely heavily on the capabilities of their machines. As such, these high-end models should only be a go-to option if you are a power-user or professional who can make use of its advanced features. The 16-inch MacBook Pro, in particular, is also potentially a good desktop replacement machine due to its large display.
Alternatively, if you are considering the $1,299 15-inch MacBook Air, it may be worth paying more to get the M4 MacBook Pro. For just $300 more, the M4 MacBook Pro offers a considerably better Liquid Retina XDR display with ProMotion, a more powerful chip with active cooling, an extra Thunderbolt port, four extra hours of battery life, better speakers and microphones, an HDMI port and SDXC card slot, and more. In fact, if you configure the 15-inch MacBook Air with 512GB of storage to match the M4 MacBook Pro, there is only a $100 between the two machines, so in this instance it is almost always worth getting the more powerful machine, unless maximizing screen size is your only priority.
Apple on Wednesday released Final Cut Pro 11 for the Mac, with key new features including AI-generated captions, spatial video editing, and a Magnetic Mask tool for isolating people and objects in videos. The update also includes some smaller new features, changes, and bug fixes, as outlined in the full release notes on Apple's website.
Many of these features were already outlined in Final Cut Pro 11's release notes on the App Store, but the notes on Apple's website are a little more comprehensive, revealing some specific new keyboard shortcuts and a list of bug fixes.
Final Cut Pro 11.0 includes the following enhancements:
Expand your creative freedom with the revolutionary AI-powered Magnetic Mask, and isolate people, objects, and shapes in any footage without a green screen or time-consuming manual rotoscoping (a Mac with Apple silicon recommended).
Use Transcribe to Captions to automatically create captions from spoken audio in the timeline with a powerful AI language model built for speed and accuracy (Mac with Apple silicon and macOS Sequoia or later required).
Import and edit spatial video clips from Apple Vision Pro or iPhone 15 Pro or later; add titles, color correction, and effects; and share captivating spatial projects that can be viewed on Apple Vision Pro (Mac with Apple silicon required).
Edit in the timeline at 90, 100, and 120 fps.
Reduce clutter in the browser by automatically hiding original clips when creating synced clips or multicam clips.
Speed up your creative flow with new Picture in Picture and Callout effects.
Create interesting visual reveals with new Modular transitions.
Use Vertical Zoom to Fit to scale clip heights to fit in the timeline.
Change the order of vertically stacked clips with a new keyboard shortcut.
Quickly navigate clips in list view and edit clip text with a new keyboard shortcut.
Increase efficiency with additional new keyboard shortcuts including Rename Clip, Show/Hide Audio Lanes, Expand/Collapse Subroles, Play Half Speed Forward/Reverse, Consolidate Motion Content, Paste Timecode, and Show Horizon.
Install third-party Media Extensions to support playback and editing of more video formats (macOS Sequoia or later required).
Additional support and bug fixes:
Improves performance in timelines that contain a high number of markers.
Fixes an issue that caused the alert badge on an event to not disappear after all missing media was relinked.
Fixes an issue that caused the Clouds generator to be partially transparent.
Fixes an issue that caused the Collapse to Connected Storyline command to trim audio if the audio was leading video.
Adds support for exporting uncompressed or ProRes MXF video with 32 kHz audio.
Adds support for exporting directly to the Photos library.
Updates FCPXML to version 1.13.
Final Cut Pro 11 is available now as a free update for existing users of the app. In the U.S., the app remains priced at $299.99 on the Mac App Store for new users. Some of the new features require a Mac with an M1 chip or newer.
Today we're tracking all-time low prices on both the 9th and 10th generation iPad, both of which are available on Amazon.
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 64GB Wi-Fi 9th generation iPad for $199.99 in Silver, down from $329.00. This is a match of the record low price on this version of the 2021 tablet.
Moving to the newer models, Amazon has the 64GB Wi-Fi 10th generation iPad for $299.00 in every color, down from $349.00. You can also get the 256GB Wi-Fi iPad for $449.00, down from $499.00.
Cellular models are also seeing all-time low prices this week. The 64GB Cellular 10th generation iPad has hit $449.00 ($50 off), while the 256GB Cellular model is available for $599.00 ($50 off).
You can find all the Apple Black Friday Deals currently available in our dedicated post. For everything else, we're keeping track of all of the season's best Apple-related deals in our Black Friday roundup, so be sure to check back throughout the month for an updated list of all the most notable discounts you'll find for Black Friday 2024.
Deals Newsletter
Interested in hearing more about top deals as we head into the holidays? Sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we'll keep you updated so you don't miss the biggest deals of the season!
Apple today announced it will be opening an all-new store at the La Vaguada shopping center in Madrid, Spain on Thursday, November 28.
To celebrate the occasion, Apple has released a special wallpaper for the iPhone, iPad, and Mac with a creative illustration of Apple's logo.
Apple La Vaguada will be the company's 12th store in Spain, and its first all-new location opened in the country in just over a decade. The official La Vaguada account today shared a short teaser video of the store's facade on Instagram Stories.
Google Maps has been given a fairly substantial update in time for the holidays, with the introduction of an in-app product search function to help users find specific items at nearby stores. The new feature allows shoppers to search for electronics, home goods, grocery items, and last-minute gifts directly within the Maps interface.
The update also brings navigation enhancements, with Google Maps now displaying real-time weather disruptions such as unplowed roads, flooded areas, and zones with low visibility. Public transit users can now also access crowdsourced delay reports and improved station information, including detailed subway entrance locations and alternative route suggestions.
Elsewhere, for electric vehicle owners, Maps has gained a synced route planning feature with charging stops, allowing users to send their planned routes directly to vehicles with built-in Google Maps. Meanwhile, a new trailer-friendly routing feature, currently available for select 2024 Chevrolet and GMC models, helps drivers avoid low bridges and tunnels by considering vehicle dimensions.
In an effort to reduce holiday stress, Maps has also enhanced its Popular Times feature with detailed traffic predictions and store crowd information. Google recommends avoiding peak travel times, particularly between 1.00 p.m. and 4.00 p.m. in the days leading up to Christmas.
The features are rolling out globally, although some functions like trailer-friendly routing are currently limited to specific vehicle models, with broader availability planned for the future.
Capcom's Resident Evil 2 remake will launch on Apple devices on December 10, making it the fourth Resident Evil title to arrive on Apple's mobile platforms.
The game will be available as a free download with a trial version, after which players can purchase the full game. While pricing hasn't been officially announced, it's likely to cost between $19.99 and $59.99, based on other Resident Evil titles on the App Store.
A deadly virus engulfs the residents of Raccoon City in September of 1998, plunging the city into chaos as flesh eating zombies roam the streets for survivors. An unparalleled adrenaline rush, gripping storyline, and unimaginable horrors await you. Witness the return of Resident Evil 2.
Resident Evil 2 requires an iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 16 series model to run, along with iPads and Macs equipped with M1 chips or later. The game will support cross-progression across supported Apple devices, so players can continue their progress whether playing on iPhone, iPad, or Mac. Capcom says it will be a universal purchase, meaning a single purchase grants access across all compatible Apple devices.
Survive a zombie-infested Raccoon City in an all-new way. Resident Evil 2 releases for all iPhone 16 models, iPhone 15 Pro models, and every iPad and Mac with the M1 chip or later on December 10th.
https://t.co/LUA77E7w8dpic.twitter.com/L6jsWMPokY
— Resident Evil (@RE_Games) November 13, 2024
Interested readers can pre-register for Resident Evil 2 on the App Store starting today, just note that the iPhone app will require 22.1GB of storage when it drops on December 10. [Direct Link]
Google has launched its dedicated Gemini artificial intelligence app for iPhone users, expanding beyond the previous limited integration within the main Google app. The standalone app offers enhanced functionality, including support for Gemini Live and iOS-specific features like Dynamic Island integration.
The new app allows iPhone users to interact with Google's AI through text or voice queries and includes support for Gemini Extensions. A key feature is Gemini Live, which wasn't available in the previous Google app implementation. When engaged in a conversation, Gemini Live appears in both the Dynamic Island and Lock Screen, letting you control your AI interactions without returning to the main app.
The app is free to download, and Google offers premium features through Gemini Advanced subscriptions available as in-app purchases. Gemini Advanced is part of a Google One AI premium plan costing $18.99 per month. Apart from Gemini in Mail, Docs, and more, it includes access to Google's next-generation model, 1.5 Pro, priority access to new features, and a one million token context window. Users need to sign in with a Google account to access the service.
The rollout follows an initial soft launch in the Philippines earlier this week, with availability now extending to additional regions including Australia, India, the US, and the UK.
Previously, iOS users could only access Gemini through a dedicated tab within the main Google app, which offered a more limited experience compared to the Android version. This standalone release, available on the App Store, brings feature parity closer between the two mobile platforms.
Apple is facing an almost £3 billion ($3.78 billion) lawsuit after British consumer group Which? on Thursday alleged that the company breached competition law by locking millions of its customers out of its iCloud service and charging them "rip-off prices."
Apple users receive 5GB of free storage to back up photos, messages, and other content, and are then encouraged to pay for the service once they exceed the limit. Prices for extra storage in the UK range from £0.99 a month for 50GB of space to £54.99 a month for 12TB.
Which? alleges that the company makes it difficult for customers to use alternative cloud storage providers "by giving its iCloud storage service preferential treatment," and "'trapping' customers with Apple devices into using iCloud."
The consumer group filed the legal action with the Competition Appeal Tribunal, and said it was seeking damages for 40 million Apple users in the UK. If successful, the lawsuit could result in a £70 payout per customer. According to the Consumer Rights Act 2015, all those eligible are automatically included in the claim unless they choose to opt out.
Which? said it was urging Apple "to resolve this claim without the need for litigation by offering consumers their money back and opening up iOS to allow users a real choice for cloud services." Which? CEO Anabel Hoult commented: "Taking this legal action means we can help consumers to get the redress that they are owed, deter similar behaviour in the future and create a better, more competitive market."
Apple in a statement said it rejected the suggestion that its iCloud practices are anticompetitive, vowing to "vigorously defend against any legal claim otherwise." Apple said it works hard to make data transfer as easy as possible, and that nearly 50% of its customers do not need nor pay for an iCloud+ subscription. It added that its pricing was in line with that of other cloud storage providers.
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Apple first teased a new version of Final Cut Pro when introducing the new M4 Macs in October, and now the updated software is available for download with a number of "intelligent" improvements.
With Final Cut Pro 11, Apple is making sure to take advantage of the full power of its M-series chips. Magnetic Mask, a new AI-powered tool, lets video editors isolate people and objects in a video clip without a green screen or time-consuming rotoscoping.
Magnetic Mask is ideal for customizing backgrounds and environments, and it can be combined with color correction and video effects for more control over each project.
Another new AI feature, Transcribe to Captions, lets Final Cut Pro automatically generate closed captions in the timeline using an Apple-trained large language model that analyzes spoken audio in a video.
Final Cut Pro 11 now has support for editing spatial video. Users are able to import footage from the iPhone 15 Pro models, iPhone 16 models, or Canon's R7 camera with RF-S7.8mm F4 STM Dual Lens to make color corrections, add effects, and enhance video with titles and other features. The depth position of titles and captured footage can be adjusted using FCP, and there are different viewing modes for previewing left and right eye angles on the Mac.
When a Mac is paired with a Vision Pro, the Mac Virtual Display can be used for editing spatial video with the Final Cut Pro software. Spatial videos edited in Final Cut Pro can be exported directly to a user's Photos library to be viewed on Vision Pro, or they can be shared with others by uploading them to the visionOS Vimeo app. Other new Final Cut Pro features:
- Reduce clutter in the browser by automatically hiding original clips when creating synced clips or multicam clips. - Use Vertical Zoom to Fit to scale clip heights to fit in the timeline. - Speed up your creative flow with new Picture in Picture and Callout effects. - Create amazing visual reveals with new Modular transitions. - Increase efficiency with new keyboard shortcuts for common tasks in the browser and timeline. - Install third-party Media Extensions to support playback and editing of more video formats.
Final Cut Pro for iPad 2.1 improves the touch-first editing experience by adding support for Enhance Light and Color, which refines color balance, contrast, and brightness in video or still images with one tap.
There's haptic feedback support for the Apple Pencil Pro and Magic Keyboard, which means users will feel a light pulse when trimming clips, moving media, navigating the timeline, and resizing viewer clips to snapping points. Apple added four new inks for the Live Drawing feature on iPad for adding animations to videos. There are now watercolor, crayon, fountain pen, and monoline pen options.
Other improvements include a vertical pinch gesture for expanding or minimizing clip height in the timeline, an option for dynamically adjusting the size and position of the viewer in Picture in Picture mode, and timeline support for recordings at 90 to 120fps on the iPhone 16 Pro models. The content library features additional modular transitions, color-grading presets, and dynamic soundtracks.
Apple also updated Final Cut Camera to version 1.1, adding support for capturing Log-encoded HEVC video in either standalone or Live Multicam sessions, pairing the dynamic range of Log with reduced file sizes. Users can also enable a preview lookup table (LUT) while recording in Log.
iPhone 16 Pro users are able to record 4K 120fps footage for smoother cinematic slow motion and then import it into Final Cut Pro for iPad to edit. Other new features include an advanced level with roll and tilt indicators and a crosshairs indicator for top-down shots.
Along with these updates to Final Cut Pro, Apple refreshed Logic Pro for Mac and Logic Pro for iPad, adding support for a new Quantec Room Simulator plug-in. There are also updates for Motion, Compressor, and iMovie.
The new versions of Final Cut Pro for Mac and iPad, Final Cut Camera, and Logic Pro for Mac and iPad can be downloaded from the App Store. Final Cut Pro for Mac is priced at $299.99, while Final Cut Pro for iPad is priced at $4.99 per month or $49 per year. The version 11 update is available to existing users for free.
Logic Pro for Mac is priced at $199.99, while Logic Pro for iPad is priced at $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year.
Apple today released Logic Pro 11.1 for Mac and Logic Pro 2.1 for iPad, adding new features for songwriting, producing, and mixing. There's a new Quantec Room Simulator plug-in that uses the original algorithms and code from Quantec founder Wolfgang Buchleitner, allowing users to add naturalistic acoustic space to their music with Quantec QRS, or to select Quantec Yardstick for more accurate modeling of acoustic spaces.
Plug-in search lets Final Cut Pro users find and add any plug-in from the plug-in menu without clicking on a channel strip insert. Users can search by categories, company name, or part of a plug-in name.
There is a new Modular Melodies sound back that includes hundreds of loops crafted from patchable hardware synths and a collection of meticulously designed Alchemy synth patches.
Along with these features, the app also includes several enhancements.
Drag channel strips to organize your mixer layout
Send your mix directly to Voice Memos and preview on iPhone, iPad or Apple Watch
Click on any plug-in slot while holding the command key to quickly remove plug-ins
Quickly set input, output, side chain source, or bus routings using in-menu search
Use key commands to move Marquee selections in all directions to speed up editing
Apple has also released a new version of Logic Remote with stability improvements and bug fixes.
Oura CEO Tom Hale doesn't believe that Apple has plans to get into the smart ring market because an Apple-designed smart ring might undercut sales of the Apple Watch.
In an interview with CBNC, Hale said that Apple is likely "unconvinced about the value of having a ring and watch together," and he said that while the company is likely keeping a close eye on both Oura and Samsung, an Apple smart ring probably won't happen because "it's hard to do this product category right."
Oura recently came out with the Oura Ring 4, a product able to track movement, fitness, health, stress, and sleep. Oura is one of the most well-known companies in the smart ring space, and it first came out with a ring back in 2015.
Rumors suggest that Apple has explored the idea of a smart ring, but the company reportedly has no plans to launch one at this time. Back in October, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that no ring is in active development.
Apple is said to be worried about cannibalizing sales of the Apple Watch because a smart ring would have many of the same features as the watch. Apple's industrial team proposed a smart ring that would be a lower-cost alternative to an Apple Watch, but Apple executives weren't interested.
Should smart rings pick up in popularity, Apple could decide to design one after all. Back in July, Samsung launched the Galaxy Ring, a device that works with Galaxy devices and tracks movement, sleep, heart rate, and respiratory rate, providing users with a daily sleep score and an energy score.
Apple has patented ring-like devices, resulting in "iRing" rumors, but Apple often patents all manner of products that never make it to launch.
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