Originally published at: http://appletalk.com.au/2017/04/wednesday-morning-news190417/
Bloomberg summarises everything that we’re expected to see with this year’s iPhone refresh. A bezel-less OLED display featuring curved glass and stainless steel construction are expected to be the headlining features, with a display size that’s larger than the iPhone 7 Plus in a form factor that’s closer to the iPhone 7 being one of the benefits of going with a border-free design.
Possible renderings of the next iPhone show a bottom area that houses the Touch ID sensor, even though having a part of the display you can’t interact with seems like a weird design decision. It’s also possible Apple will remove Touch ID from the iPhone altogether, if they don’t find some way of making it work in a way that integrates nicely with the rest of the design.
Another render of the upcoming iPhone shows the iPhone with 4mm bezels around the display on all sizes, a length will be almost negligible in regular use. The renders show device that is also nearly identical to the iPhone 7 form factor, but with a display that’s 5.768-inches when measured diagonally. Curved 2.5D glass will also be used, like it has been since the iPhone 6.
Apple has made GarageBand, iMovie, and the iWork suite of apps free for all Mac and iOS users. Previously customers had to apply for free downloads when they purchased new hardware that didn’t come with the apps preinstalled, or you could find a workaround to download the apps for free on the Mac App Store. With this change, all Mac and iOS users now have access to Apple’s suite of productivity apps, even if you bought your Mac or iPhone second hand.
Rumour has it the iMac refresh slated for later this year will include an option for a workstation-class Xeon processor. The “server-grade” iMac seems like a strange choice given that the iMac has traditionally been the best all-in-one machine, but here’s hoping we’ll also see new consumer-level iMacs sometime after August.
The internet archive is now emulating early Macintosh software, operating systems, programs, and games from 1984-1989. There’s a small collection of software that’s accessible via a regular web browser, so if you’ve ever wanted to try out MacWrite, now is your chance.
The Wirecutter tells us about the best Apple Watch charging docks and stands. There’s good basic models if you just want something to hold the magnetic Apple Watch charging puck that also supports Night Stand mode, otherwise there’s other fancier models that present your Apple Watch for all and sundry to see.
Logitech’s Pop buttons don’t appear to be available in Australia, which is kind of shame seeing as controlling HomeKit-compatible appliances via programmable buttons is super futuristic. Being able to hook each Pop button up to do three different things sounds great, but I’m sure you could import them if you want to get in on that action.
When most people think of the iBook G3, they think of the 12 or 14-inch variants of the white plastic notebook. For a long time, the iBook G3 was the iconic Mac laptop, and when it was upgraded to the G4 processor, the white plastic branding was firmly cemented in the hearts and minds of consumers.
I opened the post about building a Macintosh Classic out of Lego, complete with a working e-ink display, and as much as I like the Macintosh Classic, I stayed for the Shufflepuck Cafe gameplay video.