Apple files patent for stylus that works without a screen
A new Apple patent details a stylus that can be used without a screen. It specifically mentions “force sensors” which leads us to believe that this could be used with future versions of the Mac that have Force Touch trackpads.
Apple’s plan to buy Shazam just hit a European roadblock
Apple officially announced its acquisition of the music recognition and tagging company, Shazam, last December. While this deal may not sound like one to experience antitrust hurdles, the EU is launching a probe to review the acquisition’s effect on competition.
tvOS 11.3 beta 2 for Apple TV developers now available
Apple has released tvOS 11.3 beta 2 for registered developers to test on Apple TV (fourth-gen) and Apple TV 4K. We’ll dig in to the new version and detail changes below.
Apple releases iOS 11.3 beta 2 for developers
Thirteen days after the first developer beta, Apple has released iOS 11.3 beta 2 for registered developers to test on iPhone and iPad. We’ll dig in to the new version and detail changes below.
Apple considering reimbursing customers who paid $79 for battery replacement
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Report: 2017 brings huge Apple Watch growth, 18 million units, up 54% YoY
New data from Canalys today shares details on Apple Watch shipments, and 2017 was a big win for Apple’s wearable. The reports says that Apple beat expectations with sales of 18 million units.
BBEdit 12.1 adds Touch Bar support on MacBook Pros, now 64-bit
Bloomberg: Apple decreases bond purchases ahead of cash repatriation, may weaken bond market
A new report from Bloomberg today says that Apple is reducing its bond purchases ahead of bringing its overseas cash back to the US. As other tech companies are doing the same, there are concerns about how this will affect the corporate bond market.
HomePod review roundup: not as smart as it could be, but stunning sound
Apple seeded HomePod review units to a number of websites, embargoed for today, and the first reviews are landing.
There are quibbles. More than one reviewer said that, for a smart speaker, it wasn’t as smart as its rivals. But when it comes to audio quality, everyone was universally impressed. The clear consensus here is that the sound quality isn’t just the best available from a smart speaker, it out-performs many more expensive speakers.
Even What HiFi gave it a full five stars, and based on the rave reviews below, I’m really looking forward to taking delivery of mine and finding out whether the sound really is so much better than I’d so far been expecting …