It has been a week of unexpected Apple releases, and we have lots of details for you. First, the company announced new M2 models of the Mac mini and the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro, with the surprise unveiling of the M2 Pro and M2 Max chips. The next day, Apple announced the second-generation HomePod, bringing back the previously discontinued full-size smart speaker. And hours before we were scheduled to put this issue to bed, Apple released iOS 16.3, iPadOS 16.3, macOS 13.2 Ventura, and watchOS 9.3, plus security-focused updates to iOS 12.5.7, iOS/iPadOS 15.7.3, macOS 11.7.3 Big Sur, macOS 12.6.3 Monterey, and Safari 16.3. Adam Engst also looks briefly at the wave of industry layoffs and how Apple has avoided cutting jobs like all the rest of the tech giants. Other notable Mac app releases this week include BBEdit 14.6.3, Audio Hijack 4.1, Fantastical 3.7.6, Default Folder X 5.7.4, Toast 20.1 Titanium and Pro, Fetch 5.8.3, Firefox 109, and Mimestream 0.41.2.
The latest versions of Apple’s main operating systems add Security Keys for Apple ID, celebrate Black History Month with a new Unity Lock Screen wallpaper and Unity Mosaic Apple Watch face, and fix bugs and security vulnerabilities.
If you’re still using an iPhone or iPad that can’t update to iOS 16, Apple has released security updates for iOS 12 and iOS 15.
Amidst nearly 75,000 tech industry layoffs in the last year, Apple alone has avoided cutting headcount. Why? And what does it mean that the other tech giants all reference AI in their letters to employees?
Apple has unexpectedly revived the full-size HomePod, releasing a second-generation model that supports spatial audio, includes a temperature/humidity sensor for home automations, and promises a Sound Recognition feature to detect alarms.
Apple has unveiled its latest Apple silicon chips, the M2 Pro and M2 Max, and announced new M2 and M2 Pro models of the Mac mini, plus M2 Pro and M2 Max models of the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro.
Watchlist
Security patches for Monterey and Big Sur. (Free, various sizes, macOS 12 and 11)
Patches security vulnerabilities in Monterey and Big Sur. (Free, various sizes, macOS 11+)
Maintenance release for the long-standing text editor. ($49.99 new, free update, 24.7 MB, macOS 10.15.4+)
Brings a lengthy list of enhancements to the audio-recording workflow app. ($64 new, free update, 36.5 MB, macOS 10.15+)
Adds support for Slack Huddle links and SecureVideo telehealth links. ($56.99 annual subscription, free update, 63 MB, macOS 11+)
Addresses several reliability issues in the Open/Save dialog utility. ($34.95 new, free update, 13.7 MB, macOS 10.13+)
Maintenance update for the digital media suite with a handful of bug fixes. ($99.99/$149.99 new, free update, macOS 10.14+)
Maintenance release addresses a performance problem with long transcripts in macOS 13 Ventura. ($29 new, free update, 10 MB, macOS 10.13+)
Adjusts the behavior of mouse-wheel and trackpad scrolling while using Control or Command. (Free, 126 MB, macOS 10.12+)
Collects an assortment of improvements and bug fixes for the Gmail-specific email app. (Free during beta, 12 MB, macOS 11+)
