Technology

There were a whole lot of exciting announcements that came out of WWDC, but one update Apple didn’t mention onstage is that iOS 16 will bring support for using Face ID in landscape mode. As noted on Apple’s iOS 16 preview page (thanks @ParkerOrtolani for spotting), Apple states that you’ll soon be able to unlock your iPhone, make payments, autofill your passwords, and more with Face ID when your phone is tilted horizontally. You can already use Face ID when your iPad is in landscape mode, so expanding the feature to iPhones is overdue. When the feature is out, you’ll no longer have to ensure your phone is in portrait position to use Face ID, which can be somewhat of an annoyance if you frequently have your phone turned to the side. Apple says the feature is available only on “supported iPh...

It’s been five years since Apple debuted the Series 3, and at WWDC 2022, it effectively laid the smartwatch to rest. watchOS 9 will not support the Series 3, and that likely means the Apple Watch SE will officially take over as Apple’s budget smartwatch. The Series 3 introduced cellular calling when it launched in 2017, and at the time, it was a great smartwatch. (Though, the battery life could’ve been a bit better.) While Apple continued to support the watch over the years, it became increasingly clear that the Series 3’s days were numbered. Since the release of watchOS 7 in 2020, many users have reported the Series 3 struggles to update to new software. And watchOS 9 introduced a lot of new health and fitness features. When the Apple Watch SE launched in 2020 alongside the Series 6, it m...

It’s been five years since Apple debuted the Series 3, and at WWDC 2022, it effectively laid the smartwatch to rest. watchOS 9 will not support the Series 3, and that likely means the Apple Watch SE will officially take over as Apple’s budget smartwatch. The Series 3 introduced cellular calling when it launched in 2017, and at the time, it was a great smartwatch. (Though, the battery life could’ve been a bit better.) While Apple continued to support the watch over the years, it became increasingly clear that the Series 3’s days were numbered. Since the release of watchOS 7 in 2020, many users have reported the Series 3 struggles to update to new software. And watchOS 9 introduced a lot of new health and fitness features. When the Apple Watch SE launched in 2020 alongside the Series 6, it m...

Apple announced Monday that iOS 16 will let you switch on haptics when you type, meaning you’ll feel a tiny vibration every single time you press a key on your iPhone’s virtual keyboard. Apple’s haptics — powered by the company’s Taptic Engine — are some of the best out there on mobile phones (though many Android devices have caught up), and now you’ll get to feel a satisfying pulse while you’re chatting with your friends or composing an email. Previously, if you wanted haptic feedback on your keyboard, one option was to turn to… Google. The search company added haptic feedback to its Gboard keyboard for iPhone in 2019. I personally gave up on using third-party keyboards years ago because it’s a lot easier to just use Apple’s stock keyboard, and I haven’t tried haptic feedback on a k...

Apple announced Monday that iOS 16 will let you switch on haptics when you type, meaning you’ll feel a tiny vibration every single time you press a key on your iPhone’s virtual keyboard. Apple’s haptics — powered by the company’s Taptic Engine — are some of the best out there on mobile phones (though many Android devices have caught up), and now you’ll get to feel a satisfying pulse while you’re chatting with your friends or composing an email. Previously, if you wanted haptic feedback on your keyboard, one option was to turn to… Google. The search company added haptic feedback to its Gboard keyboard for iPhone in 2019. I personally gave up on using third-party keyboards years ago because it’s a lot easier to just use Apple’s stock keyboard, and I haven’t tried haptic feedback on a k...

Apple revealed a new version of macOS at its Worldwide Developers Conference. The new operating system, macOS Ventura, includes a new Stage Manager tool, updates to Spotlight, Mail, and Safari, and other continuity features that bring the operating system closer to iOS. Enabled from the Control Center, the utility will automatically organize your open windows on the left side of your screen while centering the one you’re working in. Users can also group windows together to easily open more than one at a time. Spotlight comes with new updates as well: it can now find images in your photo library and can search for them by location, people, scenes, objects, or included text (via the Live Text feature). You’ll also be able to take actions from Spotlight (starting a timer, running a Shortcut)....

Apple announced some major new features for Mail that finally bring the email app closer to parity with Gmail and other popular email clients. I personally rely on Mail on Mac for my work emails, and I think I’ll be taking advantage of many of these updates once they’re available. Perhaps the most useful will be an undo send feature, which will let you call back an email within 10 seconds of hitting the send button. It’s a feature that I’m a big fan of in Gmail, and I’ve used it more than I care to admit to save myself from sharing an embarrassing typo. A “remind me” feature will let you set a time for an email to come back to the top of your inbox. I already use Gmail’s similar snooze button quite often to earmark emails for the weekend. A new scheduled send feature that allows you to spe...

Ever since the MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro debuted with Apple’s own M1 silicon tech powering them in 2020, Mac laptops have experienced a small renaissance. The MacBook Air has returned to being an easy recommendation or de facto “no brainer” kind of purchase for most people, while the 13-inch MacBook Pro has become the final Touch Bar holdout once Apple revitalized its MacBook Pro line in 2021 with new 14- and 16-inch models. But now, after Apple’s recent WWDC announcements, we have a newly redesigned MacBook Air and a spec-bumped 13-inch MacBook Pro, both releasing in July. The new 2022 MacBook Air brings a fresh design with a larger 13.6-inch notched display as well as some nice quality-of-life upgrades like MagSafe charging and a new 1080p webcam. Meanwhile, the 13-inch MacBook...

If you’re a Costco member, you now have another chance at nabbing Sony’s PlayStation 5 console. Right now, the retailer is selling the disc-based PS5 console in a bundle with an extra DualSense controller, a Pulse 3D wireless headset, a DualSense charging station, and four $25 PlayStation Store gift cards all for $789.99. If you want to take part but are not a member, you can also buy the $60 annual Costco membership here. Sony PlayStation 5 Costco bundle Sony’s flagship next-gen console, which includes a disc drive, allows you to play both digital and physical games for the PS4 and PS5. Costco’s bundle includes an extra DualSense controller, Pulse 3D wireless headset, DualSense charging station, and four $25 PlayStation Store gift cards. As always, double-check your billing and shipping a...

Apple will no longer require you to have an Apple Watch to use the Fitness app on iPhone starting with iOS 16. At WWDC 2022, the company announced that the app will be included with Apple’s upcoming major software update. On an iPhone, the Fitness app will use your iPhone’s motion sensors to track things like steps. What your iPhone tracks can be put toward closing your rings. It’s a big change for the Fitness app, and as my colleague David Pierce said in our liveblog, “now you can have the pleasure / torture of having to close your rings every day, even if you don’t have a watch.” iOS 16 promises to be a big update for the iPhone, and it has a bevy of new features. Apple is adding major customizations for the lock screen, editable texts, and more. And watchOS 9 includes fitness features l...