Apple has updated the Game Porting Toolkit, with version 1.0.2 of the development tool now working at a higher level of performance when running Windows games on a Mac.The introduction of the Game Porting Toolkit during WWDC 2023 offered a way to show developers what a game made for Windows could look like when running on a Mac. The kit included elements such as an emulation interface, to give developers an idea of how their game will run under macOS.Updated on June 30 and first reported by Andrew Tsai via YouTube on Tuesday, Game Porting Toolkit Beta 1.0.2 is a refresh of the original release. However, while Apple doesn't offer any documentation about what's different in the release, there are…

Apple is known to be working on an updated version of the Apple Watch Ultra that uses a next-generation microLED display, but the device has again been postponed due to manufacturing issues, according to market research firm Trendforce (via The Elec). Information shared in April by display analyst Ross Young suggested that an Apple Watch Ultra with microLED display would launch in the second half of 2025 at the earliest, rather than late 2024 as was originally rumored. Now, Trendforce believes it has been postponed for a second time and is unlikely to emerge before the first quarter of 2026, because of problems relating to high manufacturing costs which need to be solved before Apple can proceed to mass production.…

Macworld StandBy, one of a number of appealing new features in this year’s iOS 17 software update, enables iPhones to act as smart displays when plugged in and not otherwise in use. This means they can serve a secondary function as a reduced-brightness (or red-tinted) digital alarm clock with a few useful widgets while charging overnight. But based on a new report, Apple is considering a similar feature for the Mac. Of course, your Mac is less likely to be sitting beside your bed during the night, so the analogy isn’t exact. But there’s considerable merit to the idea of the screen automatically transitioning into a more general info hub when it would otherwise be sleeping (and assuming battery conservation…

Macworld Welcome to our weekly Apple Breakfast column, which includes all the Apple news you missed last week in a handy bite-sized roundup. We call it Apple Breakfast because we think it goes great with a Monday morning cup of coffee or tea, but it’s cool if you want to give it a read during lunch or dinner hours too. The only way is upsell One of the quirkier stories we covered last week centered on a simple Velcro strap. Apple’s upcoming Vision Pro headset, you see, is rather heavy, and the company seems to have addressed possible issues with comfort by adding on an extra strap that goes over the top of the user’s head. But this strap is…

The Vision Pro almost had a dedicated controller. | Image: Vjeran Pavic / The Verge Apple’s new Vision Pro headset, which is coming later this year, will use hand-tracking and eye-tracking for control, but at one time, Apple considered a finger-worn input device, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman in today’s Power On newsletter. Gurman said that early in the Vision Pro’s development cycle, Apple tested third-party virtual reality controllers from companies like HTC. Later, it looked into the finger-worn device — indeed, in 2015 a smart ring patent from the company emerged, though at the time seemed more intended as a general wearable device, not something specific to a mixed reality headset. Apple Vision Pro first look. In the end,…

Early in the Apple Vision Pro development cycle, the company toyed with bespoke VR controllers for the headset, but ultimately decided that eye and finger tracking with cameras was the way to go.Apple Vision ProAt some point in early development, Apple reportedly company considered a device like a smart ring to control the Apple Vision Pro. According to the latest newsletter from Mark Gurman, the company also reportedly tested third-party VR controllers from HTC at least. Read more...