Macworld When you first register for an Apple Account (formerly Apple ID), you can use either a new email address provided by Apple (with an @icloud.com address) or one you already have. ...   Mac Central

Macworld Apple introduced the 16-inch M4 Pro MacBook Pro just a few weeks ago, so you may not expect to find any good Black Friday deals on it so soon after its release. But that’s not the case! In fact, you can get an excellent deal right now–Amazon is selling the 16-inch MacBook Pro with an M4 Pro processor, 24GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage for $2,199. ...   Mac Central

Macworld If you’re wondering which Mac to buy, you’ve come to the right place. In our Mac buying guide, you’ll find everything you need to know about the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, Mac mini, iMac, Mac Pro, and Mac Studio, with expert buying advice to help you choose the machine (and configuration) that’s right for you. ...   Mac Central

Macworld Back in May, cut the price of the 10th-gen iPad from $449 to $349, turning an OK tablet into a budget bargain. But today’s deal makes it a dowright impulse buy: Amazon is selling he 10th-gen iPad for $279 ahead of Black Friday, a savings of $70 and the lowest price we’ve ever seen. ...   Mac Central

Macworld It now looks extremely likely that the next version of the iPhone SE will launch in March 2025, after an analyst report claimed to confirm that timeframe earlier this week. In a research note (via MacRumors), Barclays analyst Tom O’Malley and colleagues outlined the findings from a recent trip to supply chains in Asia. ...   Mac Central

Macworld With just a week to go until Black Friday, Apple has announced the details of its anticipated four-day shopping event that runs from November 29 to December 2. As always, there aren’t any actual savings during the promotion, but you can score a gift card for a future purchase when you buy certain devices. However, there are a lot that are excluded this year. ...   Mac Central

Macworld It seems like Beats wants to make sure you have a cool new speaker to listen to music with this holiday season because it just dropped to its best price ahead of Black Friday. The Beats Pill has dropped to $100 at Amazon, a 33 percent discount from its $150 MSRP. That’s the lowest we’ve seen since Prime Day. ...   Mac Central

Macworld Your iPhone might seem like an impenetrable vault, keeping your personal information, photos, messages, and apps safe. But guess what? It might not be as tightly locked down as you think. While Apple keeps adding and improving iOS security features, some sneaky ways thieves and hackers can get in still exist. ...   Mac Central

Macworld Apple has offered a Retouch tool in the macOS Photos app for several releases. This brush-like tool lets you “paint” over an area or in spots and have Photos interpolate detail, removing noise and dust. Starting in macOS 15.1 Sequoia, however, some readers who rely on Retouch noticed it disappeared. ...   Mac Central

Macworld Is Apple finally going to make a real effort into the smart home market? In this episode of the Macworld Podcast, we’ll examine a few recent reports on some rumored products: an iPad-like control center, smart home cameras, an Apple television set, and more! This is episode 910 with Jason Cross, Michael Simon, and Roman Loyola. ...   Mac Central

Macworld Between gift shopping, cooking, and hosting the family, the holidays are not cheap, but I’m hoping they’re easier to manage now that I’m doing all my shopping at Sam’s Club. I went years avoiding warehouse stores, but here’s why I’m actually glad I did:  New Sam’s Club Members can get a 1-Year Membership for only $20 (instead of $50). ...   Mac Central

Macworld Black Friday is our favorite time of the year because when else could you see a brand-new MacBook Air laptop drop to a new best price? The 15-inch M3 MacBook Air is now available for $1,234 at Amazon, a solid $265 off its MSRP and a whopping $465 off the price just a month ago when the base model started with 8GB of RAM. ...   Mac Central

Macworld Apple’s next big product launch might still be a long way off, but a new report has shed light on powerful new technology coming in the next version of Apple’s flagship Pro Display XDR. The 2nd-gen model will use state-of-the-art quantum dot technology, according to the respected displays analyst Ross Young (via 9to5Mac). ...   Mac Central

Macworld Solid-state drives – aka SSD – used to be really expensive, but prices have really fallen in the last few years, and you can now pick up fast, reliable SSDs that cost only slightly more than their hard drive counterparts. As well as being faster than conventional hard drives, SSDs are lighter and sturdier too, making them ideal for use with a laptop when you’re traveling. ...   Mac Central

Macworld If you have a new iPhone, the easiest and safest way to charge it is with Apple’s official MagSafe charger, especially when you can get one for crazy cheap: Amazon’s Woot is selling the 1st-gen MagSafe charger for $15, a savings of more than 60 percent and the lowest we’ve ever seen. ...   Mac Central

Macworld Ahead of the eagerly anticipated macOS 15.2 update, Apple on Tuesday released the macOS Sequoia 15.1.1 emergency update to patch a pair of scary vulnerabilities that have already been used in remote attacks.  The two patches fix flaws in JavaScript and WebKit, and were both discovered by Google’s Threat Analysis Group. ...   Mac Central

Macworld Personal computers started out simple. So simple that you could just type in programs and run them, save them, and even give them to your friends. But over time, things got more complicated. A lot more complicated. ...   Mac Central

Macworld Back in 2016, the most hated accessory in the Apple ecosystem was a small dongle that came free with the iPhone 7 and cost $9 to replace. And now it looks like it might be gone forever. Of course, we’re talking about the much-maligned Lightning to 3.5 mm Headphone Jack Adapter. ...   Mac Central

Macworld When they already have the best phone on the planet, what do you buy an iPhone user? We’re here to help you select the best iPhone gifts available—perfect gifts for Christmas, birthdays, Fathers Day, Mothers Day, anniversaries, and when you are just feeling generous. ...   Mac Central

Macworld How many times have you started Duolingo only to end up guiltily ignoring the constant notifications a few days later? I must have given up German nein times.  If Duolingo felt more like a game you were losing than a language you were learning, maybe it’s time to switch things up. ...   Mac Central

Macworld There are some iOS updates you can wait on, and there are some you should absolutely grab right away. This is one of the latter. There’s not much in the iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1 update other than a pair of critical security vulnerabilities. ...   Mac Central

Macworld The Apple Watch Series 10 is Apple’s newest wearable and we haven’t seen much in the way of sales on it. But now that Black Friday is just a week away, Amazon is finally cutting the price: The Apple Watch Series 10 is on sale today for $349 (42mm) or $379 (46mm), a savings of $50 on either size and the best price we’ve seen so far. ...   Mac Central

Macworld We’ve all been there. You decide to pick up a shiny new device, so you head to the shops and return home with your expensive purchase; all is well with the world. Then a week later a newer, better version is released, and you’re left wondering whether you’ve wasted your money. ...   Mac Central

Macworld Apple is expected to launch an extra-thin model when it unveils the iPhone 17 line-up next year. But exactly how thin are we talking? A new report appears to confirm the figure is 6mm, which would make the iPhone 17 Air/Slim the thinnest smartphone Apple has ever released. The analyst Jeff Pu put out a research note Monday supporting a recent rumor about the device’s thickness. ...   Mac Central

Macworld At a GlanceExpert's Rating Pros Good speed and performance, runs well in the background. Very good price point, the license allowing protection for up to 10 devices. Caught a respectable amount of test malware and some phishing site activity. Cons Allows AdWind and Adobe Flash Player sample malware to be installed, AdWind having to be removed with a separate utility. ...   Mac Central

Macworld It looks like the long wait for a new AirTag is almost over. After sparse and tentative rumors earlier this year that Apple was working on a 2nd-gen model, a new report indicates that the project has made firm progress and is on track for a launch in mid-2025. ...   Mac Central

Macworld For several years back in the late 2000s and early 2010s, there were persistent rumors that Apple was making its own TV set (mostly stemming from analyst Gene Munster). It made sense after all—at the time, flat-screen TVs were attainable luxury items that fit well into Apple’s media-focused products, including the relatively new Apple TV streaming box. ...   Mac Central

Macworld Buying for the Apple fan who has everything We’re entering 2024’s holiday shopping season, which runs from Black Friday until Christmas. This means two things: great prices on superb tech products, and lots of difficult buying decisions. ...   Mac Central

Macworld A big tech company, assuming its managers are sensible, is always looking for new places to make money. Smartphones and laptops might be paying the bills right now, but that won’t remain the case forever. Like sharks, tech giants must keep moving, or perish. And these movements can be alarming for the smaller fish. ...   Mac Central

Macworld At a glance Pros Built-in USB-C cable 15W wireless or 45W wired charging Cons Less useful for older iPhone users Our Verdict The Baseus Nomos Magnetic Power Bank boasts a high battery capacity, 15W Qi2 wireless charging, and the fastest wired charging we’ve tested so far on any iPhone power bank. ...   Mac Central

Yum Audio has announced the release of Ember, their first synthesizer. Built from the ground up to deliver expressive, rich tones that go beyond ordinary synthesizer sounds, Ember blends analog-inspired... Read More   KVR Audio

Bitwig has announced the release of a beta version of Bitwig Studio 5.3, which elevates its existing stock of drum instruments with 25 new devices. These are sorted into three groups: an 808... Read More   KVR Audio

HoRNet Plugins has released ChannelStrip MK3 v3.2.1, an update that introduces Apple Silicon support for the AAX format on macOS, ensuring compatibility with the latest Pro Tools systems.... Read More   KVR Audio

Plugin Alliance has announced the release of SPL BiG, a stereo image processor that offers exceptional control over stereo width and character. Experience stereo enhancement like... Read More   KVR Audio

Reflex Acoustics has released the Reflex Limiter: a free, lightweight plugin designed to be quick to configure, with features such as automatic input & output gain-staging. They... Read More   KVR Audio

Authentic Soundware has released Space Age Sleigh Bells, a free instrument for the full version of Kontakt. This library features performance repetition sampling, rolls with dynamic... Read More   KVR Audio

Polyverse Music has announced the release of their new flagship plug-in, Filterverse, describing it as 'the most powerful and musical multi-filter plug-in available today'. Using... Read More   KVR Audio

CME has announced the H4MIDI WC and U4MIDI WC, both compact tools designed to meet the diverse needs of modern musicians and producers. H4MIDI WC: Advanced USB Host MIDI Interface... Read More   KVR Audio

Cableguys have released version 3.5.3 of ShaperBox, their rhythmic effects plugin for 'creative mixing and rhythmic inspiration'. They have also released version 1.0.1 of Snapback,... Read More   KVR Audio

MyAudioFactory has announced the release of ProAudioDeclipper version 1.2.0, which introduces enhanced memory optimization for real-time mode and an updated user manual. The new version... Read More   KVR Audio

Line 6 has updated Helix Native and HX to v3.80, which includes 6 new amps, 4 new cabs, 1 new effect, and bug fixes and is strongly recommended for all users of Helix and HX. New Amps in... Read More   KVR Audio

AudioThing has released Arguments, a test equipment-based processor and tone generator plugin made in collaboration with Hainbach. Details: Analog Modelled Oscillator. Sidechain... Read More   KVR Audio

Punk Labs has announced the release of OneTrick Chonk, a physically modeled electric bass monosynth, available as an Audio Unit, CLAP and VST3 plugin for Linux, macOS and Windows.... Read More   KVR Audio

Acon Digital has announced the release of the new Mix & Mastering Suite, which replaces their Mastering Suite and adds the TEC Award-nominated Verberate 2 Reverb Plug-in to the collection.... Read More   KVR Audio

Ocean Swift has announced Wavetable Creator. With crossfade and blending techniques, and multiple export options, this software allows users to create custom wavetables for synthesizers, modular... Read More   KVR Audio

Attila M. Magyar has announced the release of version 3.2.1 of JS80P, a MIDI driven, performance oriented, free and open source synthesizer VST plugin for Linux and Windows. The 3.2.1... Read More   KVR Audio

Igor Vasiliev has updated NoInputMixer - Feedback-based instrument for iOS and macOS to version 1.3. They say: No-Input Mixing is an experimental technique for creating a wide range... Read More   KVR Audio

Audio Brewers has launched their newest tool for three-dimensional sound visualization, ab Visualiser HOA. This Higher Order Ambisonics (HOA) Visualiser is designed to enhance the audio experience... Read More   KVR Audio

Force56 Audio Software has announced the release of Pulse16 Drums VST, an unofficial clone of the iconic Alesis SR-16 drum machine saying: This plugin brings the classic sounds of... Read More   KVR Audio

Ginger Audio has introduced Sphere v2, a significant update to its monitor control software. Here's what they say: Sphere v2 supports up to 8 simultaneous audio interfaces,... Read More   KVR Audio

Polarity Audio have released Reverb & Delay Calculator, a free VST3 and Audio Units plugin that helps you calculate essential parameters for reverb, delay, and even release time. All you... Read More   KVR Audio