At WWDC 2023, on June 5th, Apple will attempt to do for mixed-reality headsets what it’s previously done for personal computers, portable media players, tablets, smartwatches, and smartphones. No everyone is convinced Apple will be able to do so. Apple VR/AR headset concept by Antonio DeRosa Mark Gurman for Bloomberg Businessweek: Despite Apple’s track record, an air of doubt surrounds the device, expected to be sold under the Reality name. It will run on a new xrOS operating system and cost about $3,000. Billions of dollars of investment into computers you wear on your face from the tech industry’s largest companies and well-funded startups have yet to produce a breakout success. The device [Apple CEO Tim] Cook will present, say…

Macworld Apple’s yearly Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) is a hugely important event, second in significance only to the company’s iPhone launch each fall. WWDC is important because, at the opening keynote presentation, we get to hear what Apple has in store for its various operating systems, and therefore for the devices that run them. If you own an iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch or Apple TV, WWDC will be relevant to you, and we strongly recommend that you watch the keynote. Fortunately you don’t need an invite. The keynote will be available online for everyone to watch live, or to stream later. We’ll embed the livestream once it’s available, so you can watch it here. There are other options too,…

The Dynamic Island is a potentially good idea that’s waiting for the next step Apple pulled off some unexpected surprises with the iPhone 14 Pro: there had been lots of solid rumors about the company switching from putting the front-facing camera and Face ID system in a pill-shaped cutout instead of the familiar notch, but the new “Dynamic Island” alert system came out of nowhere. And while it was getting clearer that Apple would have to follow the industry in using bigger camera sensors eventually, Apple went even further and rebooted its entire computational photography system as the Photonic Engine. There’s a lot of that sort of thing in the iPhone 14 Pro, whose prices in the United States still…

Macworld With WWDC just weeks away, Apple on Tuesday offered a preview of a wide range of new accessibility software features for the iPhone, iPad, and Mac. The features, intended to make Apple’s devices easier to use for those with or at risk of cognitive, vision, hearing, speaking, and mobility disabilities, will roll out later in 2023, but the company made the announcement to tie in with Global Accessibility Awareness Day, which falls this year on Thursday, May 18. “Today, we’re excited to share incredible new features that build on our long history of making technology accessible,” said Tim Cook, “so that everyone has the opportunity to create, communicate, and do what they love.” Assistive Access The first new feature…

Macworld With WWDC just weeks away, Apple on Tuesday offered a preview of a wide range of new accessibility software features for the iPhone, iPad, and Mac. The features, intended to make Apple’s devices easier to use for those with or at risk of cognitive, vision, hearing, speaking, and mobility disabilities, will roll out later in 2023, but the company made the announcement to tie in with Global Accessibility Awareness Day, which falls this year on Thursday, May 18. “Today, we’re excited to share incredible new features that build on our long history of making technology accessible,” said Tim Cook, “so that everyone has the opportunity to create, communicate, and do what they love.” Assistive Access The first new feature…

You can get a great device for less than $500 these days if you know how to pick your priorities. | Image: The Verge You can’t have absolutely everything at this price, but you can get a great smartphone. Whether you want an iPhone, a 120Hz screen, or water resistance, you’ve got options. You can’t set foot in a wireless retail store without being bombarded by “free phone” offers. And while there’s certainly nothing wrong with taking a free phone deal, there are almost always lots of strings attached. Paying out of pocket means you’ll have much more freedom, but the sky-high prices on flagship phones mean that’s not an option for everyone. Budget phones to the rescue. These devices…