The new HomePod should have been a reboot instead of a rerun

To say that the 2nd-generation HomePod announcement was a surprise is something of an understatement. While there had been some rumblings that a new model was in the works, the timing was completely unexpected, arriving on a Wednesday morning in the middle of January following the launch of the M2 Mac mini and MacBook Pro. But what’s even stranger...

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Why Sir Jony Ive is literally irreplaceable

Welcome to our weekend Apple Breakfast column, which includes all of the Apple news you missed this week in a handy bite-sized roundup. We call it Apple Breakfast because we think it goes great with a morning cup of coffee or tea, but it’s cool if you want to give it a read during lunch or dinner hours too. Design by committee Former Apple...

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iPhone 14: Buy now or wait?

One of the most common questions we get is: Is this a good time to buy an iPhone? Of course if you need one–your old one is irreparably broken and you can’t go without, for example–then just get the iPhone that’s right for you. But if you’re just craving an upgrade and don’t want to buy an iPhone right before the new model comes out, this article...

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Security researchers warn of a new Google malware scam that could infect your Mac

If there’s one thing that computer users can always count on, it’s that hackers will always try to find ways to intrude upon your devices. And according to a report by security specialists Spamhaus and abuse.ch (via Ars Technica), hackers have become more aggressive with attempts to spread malware through Google searches for Mac software. Essentially,...

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Apple says interest in the ‘richer, larger’ HomePod is at an all-time high

It might seem strange that Apple launched a 2nd-gen HomePod speaker that’s nearly identical to the first one, but there’s a simple reason why: People wanted it. In an interview with Men’s Journal, Alice Chan, the company’s vice president of product marketing, says that following two years of the HomePod mini, Apple had “heard more interest...

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Best NAS drives for Mac 2023

There are three types of storage you can use with your Mac. External storage devices like SSDs and hard drives can plug into your Mac and be used to back up your data or to extend your storage. There are also those little USB memory sticks you can use to store or transfer files, these days they can hold up to 2TB of files in your pocket.   These...

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Save up to $500 on the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro in Amazon fire sale

The new M2 Pro and M2 Max MacBook Pro hit are fantastic laptops, but with a starting price of $1,999 for the 14-inch model and $2,499 for the 16-inch one, they’re not exactly a bargain. But you still get a great deal on the older model: Amazon is selling several configurations of the M1 Pro and M1 Max 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro for as much as $500...

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Down is up: iPhone slumps, iPad soars, and a massive quarter isn’t massive enough

If you were bored of all those stories every three months about Apple’s quarterly financial results setting records and posting one banner quarter after another, I’ve got great news! Apple’s first fiscal quarter of 2023–covering the holiday quarter of the calendar year 2022–was merely the company’s second-largest quarter ever, unable to match up with...

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Apple doesn’t need a new HomePod, it needs an assistant that’s actually smart

Voice assistants aren’t perfect, and it would be unreasonable to expect them to be. The technology to recognize words themselves in a huge range of accents and tones is incredible, and further deciphering the jumbled cadences and vocabulary of natural speech takes the challenge to the next level. It’s not surprising that our devices sometimes can’t...

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What does Apple Mail’s ‘Load Content Directly’ button do?

The message “Unable to load remote content privately” may not offer enough advice on how to proceed even though a Load Content Directly button appears. But the explanation isn’t insidious. Rather, it’s part of how Apple continues to tighten the screws on those who attempt to track what you do without asking for your permission. You will see...

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