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#1560: Apple OS updates, M1 24-inch iMac and iPad Pro, AirTag, Apple TV 4K and Siri Remote, AppleCard Family, purple iPhone 12, AppleCare+ for Macs

Last week at its “Spring Loaded” event, Apple made a slew of announcements, several of which focused on the M1 chip. The new M1-based 24-inch iMac showcased the model’s first major redesign in years, with an ultra-thin overhaul and an array of colors. Also unveiled were the new M1-based iPad Pro with Thunderbolt, the long-rumored AirTag item tracker, and an updated Apple TV 4K with a redesigned Siri Remote. Smaller announcements included Apple Card Family, paid podcast subscriptions, and a snazzy purple iPhone 12. Apple followed all those hardware announcements with updates to its entire stable of operating systems, enabling your Apple Watch to unlock your iPhone if Face ID is stymied by a mask, enhancing Siri, and fixing worrisome security vulnerabilities, among much else. Last and least, Mac owners in the United States can extend AppleCare+ coverage indefinitely, and AppleCare+ is now available for the Apple TV, though we don’t recommend it. Notable Mac app releases this week include DEVONthink 3.7, TextExpander 6.8.4, Fantastical 3.3.8, and Live Home 3D 4.0.1.

Julio Ojeda-Zapata 26 comments

Apple’s AirTag Promises to Help You Find Your Keys

Apple’s long-rumored AirTag has finally arrived to help Apple users find their car keys via the familiar Find My app. You can track down one of the little metal discs in your couch via Bluetooth and Ultra Wideband. Elsewhere in the world, you can find an AirTag using Apple’s vast Find My network, which leverages nearly a billion in-use Apple devices to relay a tag’s location across town or the globe.

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Live Home 3D 4.0.1 Agen Schmitz No comments

Live Home 3D 4.0.1

Major new release for the interior and exterior home design software adds support for M1-based Macs and brings improved Metal-based rendering. ($29.99 new, free update, 426 MB, macOS 10.12.6+)