The humble desk mat has its benefits. And that came up with today's featured, desk-mat-free M1 MacBook Air setup. (via Cult of Mac - Tech and culture through an Apple lens)

Illustration: The Verge Just when the metaverse had mostly faded from the headlines, a heavily rumored new product launch appears poised to bring it roaring back. Today let’s talk about what’s happened in the world of virtual and mixed reality since last we left it and whether Apple can find mainstream uses for headsets that go beyond the games that have defined it so far. Monday marks the start of Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference. Unlike most years, when coming software updates dominate the keynote, this year hardware is expected to take center stage. After more than seven years of development, Apple is reportedly set to unveil the Reality Pro, a roughly $3,000 headset that aims to serve a variety of…

The best camera is the one you have with you as you chase your kid across the playground. | Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge I spent an exciting, exhausting week last September with the new Apple iPhone 14 in hand before it went on sale. I did everything I could over the course of that week — navigating, web browsing, recording video, gaming, selfies, ferry rides, selfies on the ferry, you name it — to try to answer the $800 question: should you buy it? The answer then, which I stand by now, is “probably not.” It’s a great phone, but it’s not meaningfully better than the iPhone 13. Sure, it makes sense to pick the 14 if…

The best camera is the one you have with you as you chase your kid across the playground. | Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge I spent an exciting, exhausting week last September with the new Apple iPhone 14 in hand before it went on sale. I did everything I could over the course of that week — navigating, web browsing, recording video, gaming, selfies, ferry rides, selfies on the ferry, you name it — to try to answer the $800 question: should you buy it? The answer then, which I stand by now, is “probably not.” It’s a great phone, but it’s not meaningfully better than the iPhone 13. Sure, it makes sense to pick the 14 if…

You can get a discount no matter whether you buy a single AirTag or a set of four today. | Image: Vjeran Pavic / The Verge Memorial Day is just around the corner, and if you’ve got plans to travel, today’s deal on Apple’s AirTags has landed at the perfect time. Right now, you can buy a single AirTag for $25 ($4 off) at Amazon and Best Buy, which is the lowest price we’ve seen so far this year. If you’d like to buy a set for the whole family, you can also buy a pack of four for $89.99 ($10 off) from Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy. Even better? If you order from Walmart or Amazon in the next…

Macworld Apple has planted its own flag in the streaming wars with Apple TV+, its in-house streaming service that focuses almost entirely on original programming rather than an extensive library of existing TV shows or movies. This resource will list all the Apple TV+ content you can watch today, grouped into: TV shows, limited series, and movies. There’s also a ton of new content in the works for Apple’s $6.99-a-month service. If you want to know what’s on the way, check out our list of upcoming Apple TV+ shows and movies. Updated 05/12/23: Documentary film STILL: A Michael J. Fox Movie and drama series City on Fire are now streaming. u003cbru003eMentioned IN THIS story Apple TV 4K (2022, 3. Gen.)…