Macworld June 2024

While Apple silicon has done great things for the Mac, Apple has yet to settle on a predictable update cycle for its Mac lineup. Along with shifting release schedules, each generation of chips has skipped a model without a clear reason why. The Mac Pro and high-end Mac mini never got the M1 chip. The iMac skipped the M2. And the M3 hasn’t made it to the Mac mini, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro. But a new report claims the M4 will finally put the entire Mac lineup on a level playing field as Apple plans to update its entire catalog with the next-generation chip. PODCAST: THE A18 AND M4 ARE ALL ABOUT AI Listen now. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the M4 rollout will begin later this year and continue…

I have an admission: Though I frequently review new Apple products, I don’t always buy them. Like many of you, I can’t afford to update every bit of Apple hardware every time the company revises one of its products. So I have to carefully measure when my stuff has now become too old and needs to be replaced with the shiny and new. Of course, Apple would love us all to buy new stuff all the time. But the company has to earn its sales the hard way. I might buy a new iPhone because of an upgraded camera or a new MacBook Air because of a new design and a faster processor. I might bypass the latest Apple Watch because the new features just don’t matter to me. As…

Following a report that the Notes app (fave.co/3UhPLIp) will offer new math-based features, AppleInsider reports that the Calculator app will get a major overhaul in macOS 15. Apple is expected to debit macOS 15 at its Worldwide Developers Conference 2024 in June. The changes to the Calculator include: > A redesign that resembles the iOS Calculator app. While the macOS Calculator app has a layout and color scheme similar to that of the iOS Calculator, the iPhone app has circular buttons compared to square buttons on the Mac. > An adjustable window size that replaces the current fixed size. You can choose between basic, scientific, and programmer views in the menu bar, but the Mac Calculator app doesn’t support resizing by dragging the window corners. > A history tape that displays past…

I’ve long been a user of the 2019 Intel Mac Pro. I firmly believe it is one of the best, most upgradable products Apple has ever released. And even with a new M2 Ultra-equipped Mac Pro on the market, I’m not giving up my 2019 Mac Pro just yet. To be clear, I’m not recommending that you go buy this discontinued product. Generally, most users should not consider an Intel Mac Pro—or Apple silicon Mac Pro for that matter. A Mac Studio with the M2 Ultra can do what’s needed in most key areas. The newly minted MacBook Pro with an M3 Max is an absolute performance champion that’s power efficient and priced right. I simply appreciate the unique nature of the Mac Pro, much like the Concorde jet was an engineering marvel…

Geminos (from Mobile Pixels) is a new way of using more than one display. Instead of having two separate displays side by side, Geminos stacks one monitor on top of another in a one-piece but foldable setup. The Mobile Pixels Geminos Dual Vertical FHD Monitor incorporates two vertically stacked 1080p at 60Hz HD displays. It folds like a laptop, but you can position it so that both screens are straight on or slide the lower screen to an angle of your choosing. You could position the upper and lower screen at 90 degrees, for example. This vertical setup seems odd until you think about the way we use two monitors horizontally. With the traditional side-by-side setup, you have to twist your neck to see the screen that isn’t directly in…

It’s easy to forget how big chargers used to be. Gallium nitride (GaN) technology has not only shrunk the size of chargers but also allowed for higher supported wattages. GaN technology enabled Ugreen to make the ideal charger to take on a trip. With dimensions of 2.8×2.8×1.3 inches (70×70×33 millimeters), the Nexode Pro 160W 4-Port GaN Fast Charger fits in the palm of your hand—yet it can provide the power you need for your devices. The Nexode Pro 160W has three USB-C ports and a USB-A port. Its first port, labeled USB-C1, can output 140 watts when none of the other ports are in use. That’s enough power to change a MacBook Pro battery from zero to 85 percent in just one hour—from a charger that’s 21 percent smaller than…