Apple has removed two Meta apps from the App Store in China at the request of the Chinese government. Both WhatsApp and Threads have been made unavailable in the App Store, preventing new installs for the messaging and social apps.
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Zac Hall is 9to5Mac Editor-at-Large with a focus on technology news, product reviews, and analysis. Zac previously served as 9to5Mac Editor-in-Chief, hosted over 400 weekly episodes of the 9to5Mac Happy Hour podcast, and has been a member of the 9to5Mac family since 2013. Zac has over a decade of experience in technology journalism, including as a tech columnist for the Clarion-Ledger newspaper, part of the USA Today network.
Connect with Zac
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- Signal: 321-430-5367
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You can finally play checkers on Apple Vision Pro
Game Room is one of the best experiences on Apple Vision Pro, especially with newly introduced spatial Personas. The latest update to the Apple Arcade game introduces one of the most popular classics: checkers.
Expand Expanding CloseApple Watch fall detection helps rescue cyclist after crash during downpour
Apple Watch is a must-have accessory for every cyclist. That’s become time and again it has proven critical for helping cyclists after a crash. Eric Zollinger from New York is the latest Apple Watch wearer to know firsthand.
Expand Expanding CloseMeta working on travel mode for using Quest headsets during flights after Vision Pro launches with feature
Today I learned two things. First, apparently Meta Quest headsets don’t work on planes? I guess Apple knew to prioritize that feature for Vision Pro. And second, support is reportedly on the way. Add this to the list of ways competition from Vision Pro is making Meta Quest 3 a better product.
Expand Expanding Close12.9-inch iPad Air will use same display technology as current larger iPad Pro
Ross Young of DSCC has great news for potential 12.9-inch iPad Air buyers. According to Young, the newly introduced larger iPad Air will use the same display technology as the current 12.9-inch iPad Pro.
Expand Expanding CloseiOS 18: What I want from Siri + AI
Apple will reveal its AI cards on June 10 at WWDC, and Siri is surely going to be a key component. Generally, people want Siri to get good. You can’t just replace Siri intelligence with generative AI, however, but the two technologies make a powerful combination. What I want to see from an AI-infused Siri is actually simple.
Expand Expanding CloseBest smart scales with iPhone sync for Apple’s Health app
Whether you’re trying to lose a few pounds and track your weight for other purposes, smart scales that sync data to the iPhone can be a fun and useful way to keep an eye your status.
If you want to easily collect your weight and other measurement data in the Health app on iPhone and iPad (new with iPadOS 17), the trick is to find a scale that works with HealthKit.
Expand Expanding CloseRiley Testut launches Delta game emulator on App Store for everyone, AltStore marketplace for EU
The game emulation situation on iOS just got real. The oft rejected game emulator Delta has finally made its way to the App Store. Additionally, the Delta developer has also published their alternative marketplace, AltStore, in the EU today.
Expand Expanding Close‘For All Mankind’ season 5 and new spinoff series ‘Star City’ coming to Apple TV+
Double good news for fans of the hit sci-fi series “For All Mankind” on Apple TV+. The alt-history space race drama is returning for a fifth season, and a new spinoff series dubbed “Star City” has been announced.
Expand Expanding CloseHow do you take a selfie?
Existential question time: how do you take a selfie with your iPhone? This subject just hit the 9to5Mac Slack. That’s because Tim Cook is currently on tour in the eastern hemisphere, and at least two tweets include someone taking what I’ll call a reverse selfie with the Apple CEO.
Expand Expanding CloseTikTok Notes: latest on the upcoming Instagram competitor
Update: Half an hour after publishing, TikTok Comms shared much more on X, including availability in Australia and Canada starting today.
Remember that TikTok Photos app rumor? More recently, the unreleased app has been going by the name TikTok Notes. Although the name is changed, the game is still the same: take a swing at Instagram.
Expand Expanding CloseHow to turn wired CarPlay into wireless for under $100
Do Wireless CarPlay adapters actually work? My Honda Civic came with wired Apple CarPlay. I really wanted Wireless CarPlay in the Civic, but replacing its entertainment system seemed unwise. However, there’s a solution for turning standard CarPlay into Wireless CarPlay, and it works with iOS 17.4 and iPhone 15.
Expand Expanding CloseBimmy NES Emulator is the latest game emulation app for iPhone, iPad, and Mac [update: developer decided to pull]
Update: That didn’t last long. Bimmy is no longer available in the App Store, which may or may not have something to do with the NES part of the title.
Update 2: Actually, from the developer, Tom Salvo: “I removed the app out of fear. No one reached out to me.”
Bimmy NES Emulator is one of the latest game emulation apps to officially land on the App Store. NES may or may not refer to the Nintendo Entertainment Console.
Expand Expanding CloseApple Watch Activity Challenges set for Earth Day and International Dance Day this month
Prepare to dance and celebrate the planet. Two new Apple Watch Activity Challenges are on the way in April.
Expand Expanding CloseApple releases second betas for iOS 17.5, macOS 14.5, and more
Update: One day later, we have public betas as well.
The iOS 17.5 beta train continues today with the second developer release. Apple is also testing macOS Sonoma 14.5, visionOS 1.2, watchOS 10.5, tvOS 17.5, and HomePod 17.5.
Expand Expanding CloseApple ad touts eliminating leather in accessories, but is FineWoven next to go?
Apple stopped offering leather cases and watch bands last fall as part of its environmental efforts. The idea is that pushing leather specifically at Apple’s scale is a net negative for the planet. Ahead of Earth Day this weekend, Apple is marketing the move with a short clip.
Expand Expanding CloseiOS 18 feature request: Send quietly in Messages without Focus mode
I’m sure it’s been said countless times before, but—now that would be a good name for a column!—iMessage could use a send quietly option that’s always available. Send quietly is a feature today, but it’s only available when the recipient is in a Focus mode.
Expand Expanding CloseApple will relax repair policy to allow used genuine parts with select iPhones
Here’s an early Earth Day victory for the planet we all inhabit. Apple is relaxing the rules for its repair policies to allow used genuine parts for the first time. The change will apply to select iPhones and go into effect this fall.
Expand Expanding CloseApple Vision Pro is already making the Meta Quest 3 better
You don’t need to own an Apple Vision Pro to appreciate it. Just having competition from the high end is pushing Meta to improve its mainstream mixed reality headset.
Meta Quest 3 hit the market last year for $499. That’s $3000 shy of Vision Pro, but with the same goal of colorized passthrough for mixed reality. The only problem was that Meta’s version of passthrough was hardly comparable to Apple’s. My own evaluation is that Meta Quest 3 passthrough is usable but not convincing.
That appears to be changing now. In a Quest software update called v64, Meta says that it has improved passthrough quality for the Meta Quest 3 headset. Here’s a summary from the release notes:
Expand Expanding CloseApple releases visionOS 1.1.2 software update for Vision Pro
Apple has released a new software update for Apple Vision Pro. visionOS 1.1.2 is now available. According to the release notes, visionOS 1.1.2 focuses on bug fixes.
Apple is also testing visionOS 1.2 for Apple Vision Pro users on the beta release cycle. A new build of visionOS 1.2 has also been released today.
Expand Expanding CloseNetflix won’t make a Vision Pro app, so Supercut to the rescue
Apple Vision Pro is the best way to watch video, but Netflix hasn’t received the memo. Fortunately, young and aspiring developers are ready to show up and ship. Enter Christian Privitelli, the 19-year-old Australian developer of Supercut.
Expand Expanding CloseApple TV+ premieres first ‘Fly Me to The Moon’ trailer starring Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum
Happy Eclipse Day! Remember Apple’s secretive Project Artemis film? The movie production team basically took over Kennedy Space Center in a time machine for it. Last week the official movie title was revealed as Fly Me to The Moon, and today the first official trailer has dropped.
Expand Expanding CloseApple Watch Ultra 2 ‘instant lifeline’ to runners trekking from Santa Monica to Las Vegas
Apple Watch is an essential runner’s companion, and Apple Watch Ultra takes it to the next level with longer battery life and more. That’s why participants of this year’s The Speed Project call it an “instant lifeline” during a grueling relay race from Santa Monica to Las Vegas.
Expand Expanding CloseBest Apple Vision Pro apps
What does Apple Vision Pro actually do? Thanks to these visionOS app developers, the answer is a lot. While it’s not a comprehensive list of every visionOS app, these are some of the many experiences possible on Apple Vision Pro!
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