Despite reportedly pushing some iOS features down the road, it looks like Mac users might see some cross-compatible iOS apps show up in the Mac App Store before long. According to MacRumors, the framework which would allow iOS apps to run on MacOS is in the works for release later this year.
There is no word on how exactly it would work, which apps would be available cross-platform, or if it would be a universal framework that would work with any iOS app, but we do have a few clues as to how it could. Currently, as MacRumors reports, MacOS uses a framework called UXKit which is similar in function to Apple’s UIKit, which is used to create user interfaces for iOS apps. That means there is already a bit of overlap between these behind-the-scenes tools, making a closer integration between iOS and MacOS a shorter leap than it might appear.
MacRumors speculates that the public announcement could come at the Worldwide Developers Conference in June, with a beta test following in the summer and a public release likely coming in September or October. The plans were reportedly announced to Apple employees in a meeting with software engineering head Craig Federighi in January.
“Apple’s move to delay some features was announced to employees at a meeting earlier this month by software chief Craig Federighi. The company is looking to address criticisms that it has put new products and features ahead of ensuring quality,” Axios reports.
Bringing iOS apps to MacOS would put Apple’s flagship operating system in direct competition with Microsoft’s Universal Windows Platform — a similar framework designed to allow apps to run on various platforms seamlessly. With both operating system giants moving toward their own solutions to unify their respective desktop and mobile environments, it will be easier than ever for developers to create platform agnostic applications that work in a variety of environments.
In Apple’s case, it’s an intriguing move considering iOS is a much more mature and robust platform than Microsoft’s Windows 10 Mobile ever was. Bringing iOS apps to MacOS would open the doors to a large existing ecosystem, provided the implementation works seamlessly. Otherwise, it could just mean your Mac has access to a bunch of new apps you will never use.
The absolutely absurd idea of putting a touchscreen display on a mouse isn't exactly new. Turtle Beach already did it with its Command Series MC7, which features a 2.25-inch control screen. But apparently, even that wasn't ridiculous enough for Arctic Fox Technologies. Its new Super Mouse looks like someone took the chunky old Atari ST mouse, slapped a touchscreen and scroll wheel on it, and called it an upgrade.
The result is a rather unusual-looking mouse that is now on Kickstarter, starting at $199. And as ridiculous as it looks, some of its features are genuinely intriguing.
Apple is less than a day away from launching its highly anticipated OLED MacBook Pro with a touch-sensitive screen. But it appears that the upgrade is going to cost a pretty penny. According to a report by Bloomberg, Apple is reportedly eyeing a starting price of $2,899 for the 14-inch MacBook Pro, while the 16-inch version could start at $3,399 in the US.
"At $2,899, the 14-inch model would mark the highest starting price for a new MacBook Pro model, surpassing the $2,799 Apple charged for a 17-inch version introduced in 2006," says the report. The report claims that Apple is targeting a minimum price hike of $400 for its upcoming redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models.
I've spent a good amount of time digging into the spec sheet of the new M6 MacBook Pro (14-inch), and for all intents and purposes, this is a classic Apple "chip and connectivity" refresh. It's not a full redesign. The chassis, Liquid Retina XDR panel, speakers, ports, and battery, all of them carry over unchanged.
However, the M6 brings more cores, stronger on-device AI, higher memory bandwidth on the larger configs, and modern wireless. Here’s the practical rundown of what actually improved, and whether those gains are worth your money.