Macworld If you’re going to get an Apple Watch, it may as well be the best of the best. The Apple Watch Ultra 2 easily fits that description for three reasons: It has the largest screen, the longest battery life, and an absolute ton of features. ...   Mac Central

Macworld We’ve been hearing for a few months now that iOS 19 and iPadOS 19 (and, to a lesser extent, macOS 16) will feature a huge redesign. Possibly the biggest since Apple swept away skeuomorphism back in iOS 7. The latest leak gives us a few hints at it, though maybe not at much as it seems. ...   Mac Central

Macworld The Macalope doesn’t like to complain (LOL). Really, when it comes down to it, being an Apple pundit isn’t a bad gig. Well, the hours are pretty good, anyway. Lately, however, it seems there are only two big topics in the Apple world and both of them suck. The first is AI. ...   Mac Central

Macworld At a glanceExpert's Rating Pros 12 top-end ports, including four Thunderbolt 5 Built-in fast M.2 NVMe SSD 2.5Gb Ethernet Fast card readers 140W Power Delivery Cons Premium price Our Verdict Thunderbolt 5 is the future for pro Macs, and this premium docking station boasts four TB5 ports plus a built-in SSD of up to 4TB. ...   Mac Central

Macworld With all the problems we’ve heard about Apple Intelligence lately–delayed Siri improvements, bad news notification summaries, unimpressive image generation, and more–you might wonder what Apple is planning to do to right the ship. ...   Mac Central

Macworld Two days after the release of iOS 18.4, Apple has begun the iOS 18.5 beta testing cycle. The first developer release landed on April 2, and we expect a wide release in May (or possibly late April). The last few iOS versions had their x. ...   Mac Central

Macworld macOS Sequoia arrived on Macs in September 2024, but the beta development continues and if you are a registered developer or registered as a public beta tester, you can continue to get the latest updates and try out new features still not available to the general public. ...   Mac Central

Macworld The new iPad A16 has barely been out a month and we’re already seeing a pretty good price cut. Over at Amazon, you can now get the newest iPad for $328, which means you’re saving $21, one of the best discounts we’ve seen so far. This offer is only good on the yellow color, so if you want pink, blue, or silver, it’ll cost you a little more. ...   Mac Central

Macworld The iPad is an excellent platform, so good that many of us prefer using it over a MacBook. But it has user interface issues that hinder productivity, issues that, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, are going to be addressed in iPadOS 19. ...   Mac Central

Macworld If there’s one criticism we have of the Apple Pencil–other than the confusing nature of the lineup–it’s that it only comes in one color, white. Now modification company ColorWare has a solution to that problem, but it’s going to cost you. ...   Mac Central

Macworld At a glanceExpert's Rating Pros Nine ports yet compact Four Thunderbolt 5 ports Five USB ports 180W total power Cons May require HDMI or DisplayPort adapters Our Verdict More of a mini dock than a hub, the CalDigit Element 5 packs nine fast ports including four of the latest 80/120Gbps Thunderbolt 5. ...   Mac Central

Macworld There’s been organizational turmoil lately at Apple’s Vision Products Group, which created the Vision Pro headset. Following the completion of that project, the group was essentially disbanded as a coherent body, with constituent parts reshuffled under other reporting lines within the company. ...   Mac Central

Macworld In the tariff saga’s latest baffling twist, President Trump claimed Sunday that the exemption announced Friday for imported electronics simply does not exist. In a lengthy post to Truth Social (via HuffPost), the president insisted that “NOBODY is getting ‘off the hook'” and that “There was no Tariff ‘exception’ announced on Friday.” This is confusing because U.S. ...   Mac Central

Macworld There was huge excitement in the Price household at the start of this month when Nintendo announced the upcoming launch of the Switch 2. And then that excitement turned to bitter recrimination when the company revealed that games for the new system could cost as much as $80, even if you choose a digital rather than physical copy. ...   Mac Central

Macworld It’s kind of hard to avoid screen time with kids now. They see you on your phone, and they want their own little screen to play with, but that doesn’t mean your only option is to open up a game or a kid-friendly playlist. ...   Mac Central

Macworld After a week of fears, uncertainty, and doubt, President Trump dropped a surprise on Saturday that will be music to Tim Cook’s ears: All of Apple’s products are exempt from the 125 percent tariffs placed this week on Chinese imports. That follows a 90-day pause on tariffs on all other countries. ...   Mac Central

Macworld Apple Watches are known for many things, but battery life is not one of them. You can charge your device overnight or during the day, but either way, you seem to be missing out on some of the robust features. I like to use my Apple Watch both for my morning workouts and to track my sleep, but the battery life makes that nearly impossible. ...   Mac Central

Macworld Don’t upgrade to Adobe Scan Premium’s monthly plan; there’s a more cost-effective option worth looking at. iScanner is a top-rated and reviewed document scanning and management app that offers premium features but with a one-time payment instead of a monthly subscription. Right now, new users can get lifetime access to iScanner for just $24.99 with code SCAN. ...   Mac Central

u-he has released Blue Flamingo for Repro-5. Here's what they say: Spring has arrived in Berlin, bringing with it a burst of vibrant colours to lift even the chilliest of moods. With that same sense of renewal, we're excited to unveil a brand-new soundset for Repro-5 from KYHON — the creative mind behind some of our more unconventional collections. ...   KVR Audio

Toontrack has released the Modern Pop Piano EKX, a new expansion for EZkeys 2 featuring a carefully sampled vintage upright piano blended with layers of synths and effects. This marks the eighth EKX produced for the new expansion format launched together with EZkeys 2 in May of 2023. ...   KVR Audio

Plugin Alliance has released Cut Classic High Flyer, a new plugin that 'captures the swirling, hypnotic soundscapes of 70s phasers, infused with the warmth of analog style preamps, retro 8-bit sampling, and cutting-edge modern textures'. ...   KVR Audio

Boz Digital Labs has announced the release of El Clapo 2, which fuses El Clapo, Das Boot, and Le Snappet into one plugin — completely rebuilt for 'lightning-fast workflow, upgraded sonics, and next-level control over the most lifelike claps, stomps, and snaps in the game'. New in El Clapo version 2.0 3 becomes 1: claps, stomps, and snaps in a single, seamless interface. ...   KVR Audio

n-Track Software has announced the release of n-Track Studio for Linux. Record, edit, and mix audio, MIDI, and step sequencer tracks. Use 35+ built-in effects including VocalTune, Dynamic EQ, Lookahead Limiter, Vocal Harmonizer, and more. More features: Split full songs into stems with AI MixSplit. Over 15GB of royalty-free loops and 400+ instruments, or build your own in the n-Track Sampler. ...   KVR Audio

discoDSP has updated Bliss to 2.9, featuring MTS-ESP microtuning support, a new Key Mapper view, expanded SFZ compatibility, and improvements to the Sample Editor with enhanced UI/UX design and performance optimizations. What's new: Key Mapper View: Introduced a visual Key Mapper grid within the Sample Editor for intuitive zone management. ...   KVR Audio

Chris Hein, a name associated with detailed sampling since the early days of computer music and the Commodore C-64, brings decades of experience to the virtual instrument landscape. His work has often focused on faithfully reproducing real instruments digitally. OCTA is one of his latest efforts. ...   KVR Audio

Cableguys have released v1.1 of Snapback, 'the instant drum layering effect'. This update introduces a new Reverse button, enabling users to quickly convert imported samples into custom snapbacks: short snippets of reversed audio triggered just before each drum hit, designed to add subtle groove or impact. ...   KVR Audio

Artists in DSP has announced the release of Killa Gorilla, a free experimental feedback plugin that turns sonic limitations into creative opportunities. Whether you're performing live with microphones and speakers or working within your DAW, Killa Gorilla gives you hands-on control over feedback, transforming it into a playable instrument. ...   KVR Audio

Sonic Academy has announced Vela, a new reverb plugin based on a new reverb technology that, according to Sonic Academy, is designed for versatility, capable of creating everything from ultra-realistic spaces to expansive soundscapes. The plugin features a fully customizable early reflection system combined with a node-based late reflection engine. ...   KVR Audio

Black Rooster Audio has announced the official release of v3.0.0 across its entire plugin catalog, marking the successful completion of a major framework migration. With this milestone, full VST3 support is now available for all Black Rooster Audio plugins, further modernizing their lineup and preparing for next-gen plugin standards. ...   KVR Audio

KV331 Audio has announced the release of SynthMaster v3.2 with new features and critical bug fixes. New Features Added support for Plugin Boutique Ltd.'s 'Rent To Own' system, so that SynthMaster 3 can now be purchased by making monthly payments, as low as $4.12/month during KV331 Audio's Spring Sale through April. ...   KVR Audio

Sonic Academy has announced Vela, a new reverb plugin based on a new reverb technology that, according to Sonic Academy, is designed for versatility, capable of creating everything from ultra-realistic spaces to expansive soundscapes. The plugin features a fully customizable early reflection system combined with a node-based late reflection engine. ...   KVR Audio