Macworld October 2024

The M4 chip is finally coming to the Mac. The latest rumors say that before the end of this year, we will see updates to the MacBook Pro, iMac, and Mac mini, with the Mac Studio, Mac Pro, and MacBook Air getting the same chipset next year. Usually, I get excited by updates of any kind to the Mac lineup. But this time? Meh. IT’S ALL THE iPAD PRO’S FAULT The new iPad Pro is the only Apple device to sport an M4 chip, and while that’s all fine and dandy for Apple’s tablet, its very presence dampens the enthusiasm I might have felt for any M4 Mac if for no other reason than there’s no mystery. Now that the M4 is out, we know what kind of performance to…

Sometimes it feels like the big tech companies have lost the script about how to make things that people really want. Take Apple Intelligence. Apple Intelligence may very well end up being a boon for Apple’s platforms. Certainly, anything that improves Siri is going to be a welcome addition. Still, there’s a fair amount of evidence that no one wants this stuff. For example, CNN reports, “brands should avoid this popular term. It’s turning off customers.” That “term” is not what I thought of, which was “mouth feel.” Turns out it’s “AI.” If you don’t believe me, then maybe you’ll believe the Taco Bell Distinguished Professor of Hospitality Business Management at Washington State University: “We looked at vacuum cleaners, TVs, consumer services, health services,” said Dogan Gursoy, one of the study’s…

On Thursday, the Steve Jobs Archive revealed a new online exhibit that features Steve Jobs’ presentation at the 1983 International Design Conference. “The Objects of Our Life” exhibit features video footage of a 28-year-old Jobs explaining how technology will change the way things are done. In the 55-minute video, Jobs talks about the history of computers and how the kids of the time are part of the “computer generation” and “in their lifetimes, the computer will become the predominant medium of communication.” He explains how computers can be used in education, financial transactions, software development, and so on. At the time, the Lisa computer had just arrived in January, so Jobs talked about how it was made for creative design. The exhibit has additional footage from other talks Jobs did at the…

If you bought a new MacBook recently, you likely have one with a notch at the top of the display. As with the cutout on the iPhone, it’s where the FaceTime camera is housed, but unlike the newer iPhones, macOS doesn’t have a Dynamic Island-like feature where the cutout is used as a user interface anchor. NotchNook shows that it can be done—the notch on the MacBook can be a more useful part of the UI. It basically adds a Dynamic Island–like UI to the menu bar with things like media and shortcuts widgets, a file repository, and more. It has a lot of potential, but some aspects of the app could make you hesitate before installing it. NotchNook opens simply by moving the cursor to the MacBook’s notch (it also…

The last Apple USB SuperDrive sitting in the company’s warehouse in the U.S. has left the building. According to the online U.S. (and Canadian and Australian) Apple Store, the Apple USB SuperDrive is “sold out”, and while Apple hasn’t officially made an announcement, we don’t expect the company to replenish its stock. After all, the days of optical media have come and gone. Apple introduced the SuperDrive in 2008, to go along with a wedge-shaped laptop that fits in a manila envelope called the MacBook Air. Back then, Apple didn’t think you should even bother with the SuperDrive, stating in the MacBook Air press release: “Many MacBook Air users will not find a need for an optical drive now that they can wirelessly rent movies from the iTunes Store, wirelessly…

The Anker Prime 27650mAh Power Bank (250W) is one of the most powerful laptop power banks that you can match with your MacBook. It has bundles of battery capacity in a portable package. In particular it is a great fit with the 16-inch MacBook Pro, which has a battery rated at around the same watt-hours (99.6Wh) as this power bank (99.56Wh) and can be fast-charged at 140W. Attach Apple’s USB-C to MagSafe 3 cable to the power back, and you can utilize one of the two 140W PD 3.1 ports to fast-charge the 16-inch Pro. Although the power bank ships with a perfectly acceptable 140W-capable USB-C to USB-C cable, Apple allows fast charging only using its proprietary charging cable. TECH SPECS Battery capacity: 99.56Wh Fastest power output: 140W Total power…