The first macOS Sonoma beta was released to developers and early adopters this week, and changes in the newest version of Apple's macOS operating system are still being unearthed. Below are just a handful of notable differences that may have passed you by. System Settings In macOS Ventura, Apple replaced System Preferences with System Settings to align it with iOS and iPadOS, but the way controls were organized left many users wanting. The same System Settings interface remains in macOS Sonoma, but it is now easier to navigate through different menu screens you have visited without continually scrolling through the side bar, thanks to the addition of backward and forward buttons. FaceTime UI and Reactions Apple has changed the way…

This thing could cause PC manufacturers some real problems. Apple’s M1 and M2 devices have become many reviewers’ default recommendations for popular classes of laptops. Slim and light? Try the 13-inch MacBook Air. Big and powerful? Get the 16-inch MacBook Pro. But in between those two is one of few form factors still firmly dominated by the Windows PC: the 15-inch ultralight. Until, perhaps, next week. Apple has announced that a 15-inch MacBook Air, powered by its M2 chip, will hit shelves on June 13th. I’m excited to try it out because I’m madly curious to know what a 15-inch MacBook Air feels like. But more importantly, I’m excited to see the impact it has on the 15-inch lightweight space.…

Macworld Apple only just cut the price of the M2 MacBook Air days ago and there’s already an even better price: B&H Photo is selling the 256GB MacBook Air in Midnight, Space Gray, or Silver for $999, a savings of $200 and the best price we’ve ever seen in these colors. The Starlight color, which was previously the only colorway to sell for this price, is $50 more.  The M2 MacBook Air has a gorgeous Pro-inspired design that’s lighter and thinner than the M1 model with an incredible 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display with skinny bezels, 18 hours of battery life, MagSafe for fast charging, and a 1080p webcam. With 256GB of storage and 8GB of RAM, it’ll be ready for…

Earlier this year, Apple announced a major update for its high-end MacBook Pro models, adding the M2 Pro and M2 Max chips, better battery life, Wi‑Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, and an HDMI 2.1 port. In 2022, Apple updated the MacBook Air with a complete redesign and the M2 chip, followed by an all-new 15-inch model this year, so how do the two product lines compare? Despite now being similar in appearance, the ‌MacBook Air‌ and the MacBook Pro are very different machines, so should you consider purchasing the 13- or 15-inch ‌MacBook Air‌, which start at $1,099, to save money, or do you need one of the higher-end 14- or 16-inch MacBook Pro models, which cost at least $900 more?…

Image: Dan Seifert / The Verge The iPad is finally getting support for external USB webcams and cameras. Apple’s latest iPadOS 17 developer beta includes support for a variety of USB webcams and even cameras connected through devices like Elgato’s Cam Link 4K or mirrorless cameras that have webcam modes. Twitter user Stephen Robles has demonstrated the USB webcam support and notes that it only works in FaceTime right now. That’s because this is a new underlying API in iPadOS 17 and developers will need to update their apps to support the new camera options. It will be particularly useful for apps like Zoom or Microsoft Teams to be able to use external USB cameras and webcams. So, iPadOS 17…

Starting with iPadOS 17, the built-in camera on the Studio Display and other external displays can be used with iPads for FaceTime calls and other video purposes. This functionality is available on any iPad model equipped with a USB-C port. As it turns out, this feature actually goes beyond external displays. In its Platforms State of the Union video for developers, Apple revealed that any USB-C webcam can now be used with iPads on a plug-and-play basis, as demonstrated in the video below from Stephen Robles. USB-A webcams are also supported with an adapter. So, iPadOS 17 now supports external USB webcams #WWDC23 pic.twitter.com/2MRUqU1TKq— Stephen Robles (@stephenrobles) June 6, 2023 iPadOS 17 is available in beta for anyone with an…