Apple releases new iPad Air with M4, and flexes more RAM for the same price.

Apple:

Apple today announced the new iPad Air featuring M4 and more memory, giving users a big jump in performance at the same starting price. With a faster CPU and GPU, iPad Air boosts tasks like editing and gaming, and is a powerful device for AI with a faster Neural Engine, higher memory bandwidth, and 50 percent more unified system memory than the previous generation. With M4, iPad Air is up to 30 percent faster than iPad Air with M3,and up to 2.3x faster than iPad Air with M1. The new iPad Air also features the latest in Apple silicon connectivity chips, N1 and C1X, delivering fast wireless and cellular connections — and support for Wi-Fi 7 — that empower users to work and be creative anywhere. Available in two sizes and four gorgeous finishes that users love, the 11-inch iPad Air is super portable, and the 13-inch model provides an even larger display for those who want more space to multitask. With game-changing iPadOS 26 capabilities, advanced cameras, all-day battery life, a powerful app ecosystem, and support for accessories like Apple Pencil Pro and Magic Keyboard, iPad Air delivers a remarkable and versatile experience for anyone who wants to do more on iPad, from students and creators, to business users and gamers. […]

With the same starting price of just $599 for the 11-inch model and $799 for the 13-inch model, the new iPad Air is an incredible value. And for education, the 11-inch iPad Air starts at $549, and the 13-inch model starts at $749. Customers can pre-order iPad Air starting Wednesday, March 4, with availability beginning Wednesday, March 11.

Essentially just a spec bump, but the increase in RAM from 8GB to 12GB is notable. It’s funny how Apple never used to disclose RAM in their iPads and iPhones for years, and now we have them advertising it in the second sentence of their press release. 50% more RAM for the same price with today’s RAM prices? I would tout it too.

When compared to the previous two iPad Air devices, the M4 chip and RAM are the main upgrades.

What will Apple cut from the new budget MacBook?

According to a Weibo leak (reported by Tom’s Guide) the following limitations might apply to the new MacBook in order to reach a cheaper price point:

• No backlit keyboard

• The display may have a lower max brightness

• No True Tone color adjustment for the display

• Slower SSD speeds

• No 1TB or 2TB storage capacity options

• No fast charging support

• No N1 chip (the chip used to improve performance and reliability of connectivity features like AirDrop)

• No high-impedance headphones support

What I think should also be on this list:

• Single central speaker instead of stereo speakers

• Starting at 8GB RAM

• No MagSafe (but keeping a fast charging USB-C port)

• Single USB-C port

Bonus feature that could be a surprise welcome (complete wild guess):

• Vapor chamber similar to iPhone 17 Pro

We’ll find out soon enough.

Apple corrected its spelling mistake for turmeric.

Updated my watch to the latest watchOS 26.4 Developer Beta, and lo and behold, they spelled it right. Maybe someone at Apple does read my posts? I’m quite flattered.

Samsung didn’t put Qi2 magnets in their S26 lineup, and the phones’ design is probably why.

iPhone and Google Pixel are the only mainstream phones with magnetic Qi2 systems in place, and I think Samsung skipped it because their vertical camera setup makes it impossible to have a magnetic system that doesn’t interfere with squared off MagSafe accessories like wallets, battery banks, etc.

They’ve made cases as a consolation, but it’s still only useful for circular accessories. Take a look for yourself (phones not to scale).

Expect a plateau design in the future?

The “miracle” weight loss drug only works if you can withstand taking it for life.

Fast Company:

The impact of GLP-1 medications on weight loss is undeniable, but emerging research suggests the results may only be temporary. A growing body of evidence shows that when patients stop taking GLP-1 drugs, much of the weight they lost returns—and so do the medical complications that may have prompted treatment in the first place. 

“The only way that they work is if you keep taking them,” Scott Isaacs, an endocrinologist at the Grady Health System in Atlanta, told Market Watch. “And when people stop taking them, they have a lot of weight regain, and the medical problems that went away tend to come back.”

New research from the University of Oxford found that weight is projected to return to pretreatment levels within about 1.7 years after stopping medications. Improvements in cardio-metabolic markers—including blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes-related indicators—also trend back toward baseline within about 1.4 years after cessation.

It’s not a surprise that any medication for weight loss needs to be taken indefinitely, especially since personal responsibility takes a backseat. From personal experience, I take a cholesterol pill everyday, knowing full well that this might be a lifelong pill, and yes, it makes one eat a little less responsibly at times knowing that the pill will take care of my bad decision to eat a greasy burger with fries and soda, followed by some ice cream.

At least I know what to watch out for in terms of side effects, but anyone taking a medication for lifestyle improvements needs to realize wholeheartedly what they’re getting themselves into. Don’t just follow the fad and look at the positives, but look at the negatives as well.

Samsung’s Privacy Screen is the standout feature for the Galaxy S26 Ultra, but don’t expect Apple to implement it until it’s perfect.

Having a privacy screen that can be customized to include certain fields (password entry) or even certain parts of the screen is really cool and I hope the iPhone gets it sooner than later.

Andy Boxall from AndroidPolice:

The Privacy Display is the top reason to consider buying the Galaxy S26 Ultra, and contrary to what you may initially think, it’s not a gimmick. It’s enabled through both hardware and software, and operates at a pixel level, meaning it has been engineered into the S26 Ultra and not just a cheap add-on.

It works by dimming pixels on the sides of the screen and boosting them in the center, with the result being at anything other than a mostly face-on angle, the screen appears black. Anyone looking at the screen from the side, no matter the angle, can’t see what’s on the screen.

It works fullscreen, but can also be tuned for partial screen use, meaning it only obscures notification popups. It’s not always active, and has to be manually enabled in the Quick Settings menu, plus it can be customized to only operate for certain apps.

Privacy Display is shockingly effective, and if you’ve ever wondered if someone sitting next to you is looking at your screen, it’ll stop them in their pixel-peeping tracks.

Why Apple won’t implement it just yet (Andy continues):

However, it comes with one downside: screen brightness.

Turn Privacy Display on, and the screen brightness instantly dims. Never to the point where you can’t see, but you will notice it. You can still manually adjust the brightness, and I don’t think you’ll have a problem seeing the screen in sunlight, but if you want the screen’s maximum brightness for games or videos, Privacy Display should probably be turned off.

Still a very impressive feature, but Apple likes to perfect a technology before it becomes a staple in its lineup. Samsung released their first major smartphone with an OLED display with the Galaxy S back in 2010, 7 years before Apple introduced their first OLED iPhone with the iPhone X.

It won’t be 7 years before iPhones get this feature, but I’m guessing whatever flagship iPhone comes out in 2027 will be the first.

Jony Ive is anxious to reveal the exterior of the Ferrari Luce, but should Ferrari fans be worried?

The spy photos of the Ferrari Luce’s exterior look absolutely hideous, the worst manifestation of a sporty hearse that you could imagine. It looks like an absolute disaster of a vehicle, but spy photos are meant to completely disguise the shape of the vehicle, so it’s anyone’s guess how radical it will look.

Jony’s vibe seems optimistic even though there are mixed signals (from Carscoops):

It’s not concern over the design itself that sparks that feeling, but instead the gravity of just how big this moment is for Ferrari. He called it “still clearly a Ferrari,” but went on to say that “It’s a different manifestation based on some of the beliefs around simplicity and the inherent beauty of something.” […]

Ive has also stressed that there is “no disconnection” between the exterior and interior, noting that both were designed simultaneously rather than by separate departments. In his view, that approach results in a complete package that feels cohesive rather than pieced together.

Still clearly a Ferrari, but also a different manifestation based on simplicity and beauty, and no disconnection between the exterior and interior. Mixed signals that manifest in anxiety if you ask me.

The full exterior reveal will be in May, but in the meantime, check out some interior design features that Apple fans would appreciate.

Nissan to be the first to introduce Qi2 wireless charging in their vehicles.

Yours truly just a couple of months ago:

One of the top worst modern car features is undoubtedly not so modern.

The ancient universal Qi wireless charging standard.

Automakers need to either get rid of it completely, or give us Qi2 with the Magnetic Power Profile (MagSafe), preferably in some sort of modular form that allows you to dock your phone similar to the Xiaomi SU7.

Looks like Nissan stepped up to the batter’s plate and is the first to introduce Qi2 magnetic wireless charging. Magnetically aligned wireless charging is a huge improvement both for efficiency and heat management, especially in a moving vehicle where a single pothole can throw your phone off the charging mat. There’s nothing worse than arriving at your destination thinking you have a topped up phone, only to see a low battery warning instead.

An absolute no-brainer, but it would be even better if it was vertically docked.

Apple’s new budget MacBook will be an absolute deal - just don’t upgrade it.

Apple’s new rumored MacBook with multiple deep color options might be the best deal for students and first-time Mac users, but the minute you go past the base model’s specs, it’s value proposition and charm will fumble.

Rumored to start at 8GB of RAM and at 256GB of memory, it’s a solid computer for an alleged $599-$699 starting price. 8GB of RAM is a limitation though and historically Apple charges a $200 upgrade to 16GB. Now we’re at $799-$899 for this smaller laptop, right in MacBook Air territory, making the M4 MacBook Air the logical purchase since it’s always on sale for $799.

The Air will have the same storage and RAM numbers for that $799 price, but performance and monitor support will be significantly better compared to the new MacBook. My gut tells me most people will go for the base model anyway to keep prices low. Those that go for the higher spec’ed new MacBook know they’re getting a worse computer for the same amount of money, but the power of real colors on a MacBook is going to suck a lot of people in, logic be damned.

It’s already working for the orange iPhone 17 Pro.

Should you use an LLM to generate your random passwords?

I know I wouldn’t, and you shouldn’t to.

Don’t take my word for it. Just read this post from Gizmodo to learn all the smarts. If you’re curious how Apple generates passwords, read Ricky’s post. Ricky is a Principal Engineer at Apple’s Authentication Experience team.

Tesla needs more iPhone users to update to iOS 26 before they can release CarPlay.

From Chance Miller at 9to5Mac (originally from Mark Gurman’s PowerOn Newsletter):

The report explains that Tesla discovered several “compatibility hitches” between Apple Maps and its own first-party mapping platform used for autonomy features.

“Specifically, the turn-by-turn guidance from Tesla’s maps app didn’t properly synchronize with Apple Maps during autonomous driving,” Gurman explains. “That could create a confusing experience for users, who could theoretically have both applications open side by side.”

Tesla reportedly asked Apple to “make engineering changes” to improve the compatibility between its own software and Apple Maps.

“To address this, Tesla asked Apple to make engineering changes to Maps to improve compatibility. The iPhone maker agreed and implemented the adjustments in a bug fix update to iOS 26 and the latest version of CarPlay. But here’s the catch: Adoption of iOS 26 has been slower than with previous releases. That meant, in Tesla’s view, too few users had the updated Maps changes by the end of last year.”

As Gurman notes, Apple released the first iOS 26 adoption numbers on Friday, revealing that 74% of all iPhones released in the last four years are running iOS 26. However, this doesn’t mean all of those people have necessarily updated to the later version of iOS 26 that includes this CarPlay bug fix.

I think 74% is a healthy number for iOS 26 adoption. People who are going to buy an all-electric vehicle are already more tech savvy, and are more likely to already be on iOS 26. Considering the software update is already public, there is no excuse to blame iOS 26 adoption. Tesla probably has more kinks to work out on its side.

Apple will host a special event on March 4th for certain creators.

Special events actually, in New York, London, and Shanghai. The event is rumored to be for the launch of several non-flagship devices, but we’ll know for sure as the date gets closer.

Four features from the Ferrari Luce that scream Apple Design.

Jony Ive's LoveFrom Design Studio was hired by Ferrari to work on the internal design of Ferrari's new all-electric Ferrari Luce, and there are some unmistakable Apple-like design features that are hidden throughout the design.

1. The Rounded Rectangle

The Rounded Rectangle has received proper noun status, being the symbol for the current day iPhone that started it all, and has trickled down from iPhone, to iPad, to Apple Watch. The most obvious place you notice the Rounded Rectangle is in the center control panel.

The angular pose is also similar to many iPhone reveals in the past.

It looks like an iPad and an Apple Watch Ultra gave birth to this design. Looks like a Mac Pro handle is supporting it all?

2. The Ferrari Key

All exotic cars have special key fobs, and this Ferrari is no exception. Apple fans will appreciate the lock and unlock logo that are very similar to Apple's privacy lock. Most standard cars' "unlock" button is kinked open, but Apple's open lock has always been turned outwards, mimicked in the Ferrari Luce.

The key's side profile even has antenna lines like an iPhone.

3. Air Conditioning vents

This is the most obvious design similarity - they are literal copies of Apple's MagSafe charging pucks. Copying might be a harsh word since many of Jony Ive's team might have been the ones who designed the MagSafe charger to begin with. The MagSafe AC vent does look good.

Four vents in the front - get a little closer and...

the resemblance is uncanny.

4. Steering wheel colors

Most Ferraris let you choose the steering wheel leather color, but on the Luce, you can choose the color of the "aluminium" steering wheel. The colors themselves mimic Apple's Silver, Starlight, and Space Gray options.

Jony Ive and his team from LoveFrom design the interior of the all-electric Ferrari Luce.

Probably the best writeup about the Ferrari Luce for Apple fans by Jordan Golson (reported by MacRumors).

Some notable quotes from Golson’s interview with Ive:

Then carmakers looked at a product that sold billions of units and said, we should put one of those in the dashboard. But they took the wrong lesson. Your car isn’t supposed to do everything. It’s supposed to be a car. You need to adjust the temperature, change the volume, turn on the heated seats and keep your eyes on the road. These are not problems that require a general-purpose interface. They are problems that have been solved for more than a century — by knobs and buttons and switches — and the industry unresolved them in a decade.

Ive knows this. “The reason we developed touch — the big idea was to develop a general-purpose interface that could be a calculator, that could be a typewriter, could be a camera, rather than having physical buttons,” he told me. “To use touch in a car is something I would never dream of doing, because it requires that you look at what you’re doing.”

He paused. “Touch was seen as almost like fashion. It was the most current technology. ‘We need a bit of touch.’ And, ‘You know what we’re going to do next year? We’re going to have an even bigger one.’ That’s just the wrong technology to be the primary interface.”

So the man who inadvertently ruined car interiors is back to fix them. And on a Ferrari, no less — the new Luce. […]

When Ive walked us through the interior, he started with the organizational logic. “This is driving,” he said, gesturing at the steering wheel and binnacle. “Every other element augments the driving experience, but the focus of the steering wheel and this binnacle is very clearly about driving.” Then the rules: “This is output. This is input. Because these controls are mechanical.”

That clarity of organization sounds obvious. It isn’t. Walk up to any modern luxury car and try to figure out, from a standing start, how to adjust the climate. You’ll be three menus deep in a touchscreen within seconds, and you still might not have found it. In the Luce, Ive said, “When you look at this, you’re not wondering — how many layers deep am I going to have to go to find something to make my bottom warm?”

I asked whether there was ever a discussion about making the physical controls flexible — a button that could be a heated seat toggle or a drive mode selector, depending on context. Ive’s answer was instant and direct: “And you would have hated that.”

Skechers shoes with a hidden AirTag compartment are now branded as “Where’s my Skechers” instead of the former “Find my Skechers.”

Engadget back in July 2025:

Skechers just released a helicopter parent's dream shoe. Find My Skechers is a new line of children's shoes that encourages parents to hide an Apple AirTag under the heel.

Appleinsider:

The Skechers Kids range now includes a feature known as "Find My Skechers," referring to Apple's app for tracking down misplaced hardware and AirTags. This is handled by a small compartment in the heel of the shoe, hiding an AirTag under the insole.

Not sure when this was updated, but “Where’s my Skechers” sounds less litigious. Also, a reminder that AirTags in shoes are the best way to track your child’s shoes.

Quranic rendering for the digital age.

Tarteel.ai:

A few decades ago, navigation meant paper maps stored in your glove compartment. When GPS devices and smartphones emerged, the obvious next step might have been to digitize those maps; to scan them, store them as images or PDFs, and allow users to pan and zoom.

Instead, modern navigation tools look nothing like paper maps. They automatically detect your location, incorporate live traffic data, provide contextual insights, and reroute you dynamically. You can travel from point A to point B without ever touching the device.

Now consider how we engage with the Quran digitally. We moved from physical mushafs to images of their pages on a screen, still flipping page by page. Some enhancements such as search and audio playback have been layered on, but fundamentally, the experience has barely progressed. We are still changing the medium, not rethinking the experience.

At Tarteel, we are reimagining how Muslims engage with the Quran from the ground up. Doing this well requires solving a problem that most digital products never face: rendering a sacred text with absolute textual fidelity, deep interactivity, and strict spatial consistency, all at once. This post explains why existing digital approaches fall short and how we built a new rendering system to overcome those constraints.

Very nerdy but cool process for bringing the Qur’an into the digital age with more functionality, while keeping spatial consistency. A must read for design and font enthusiasts.

Apple gets spared by the EU for Apple Ads and Apple Maps because they’re not, “big enough.”

The EU, reported by MacRumors:

Following a review of Apple’s arguments, the Commission has concluded that Apple does not qualify as a gatekeeper in relation to Apple Ads and Apple Maps, as neither of these platform services constitute an important gateway for business users to reach end users. This assessment is based on a number of considerations, including that Apple Maps has a relatively low overall usage rate in the EU, and that Apple Ads has very limited scale in the online advertising sector in the EU.

Expect this to be reversed once Apple Ads and Apple Maps do get more traction in the EU, but my gut tells me we’ll be past iPhone 20 when this happens.

Should you buy a 15-inch 2013 MacBook Pro in 2026?

I probably overpaid for this device back in 2018 ($900 on eBay), but 8 years later, I would say it was worth the money. I got a pretty good spec too:

1. 2.6 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7

2. 16 GB 1600 MHz DDR3 RAM

3. NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M 2 GB graphics card

4. 1TB SSD

5. Battery cycle count - 476 (as of today)

6. Battery condition - Normal

7. 15.4” retina display.

The battery doesn't last more than a few hours, but the real issue is the News app not working reliably. I’ve been using it for about a week straight and it crashes without fail, but it’s still great for almost everything else. Basic computing with a huge screen, MagSafe charging, and plenty of USB-A ports for legacy devices along with HDMI and a full-sized SD card slot makes it a great deal for newbie mac users or just as a secondary backup device. As long as you use Safari for browsing the web, you’ll be fine.

Don’t use Chrome.

What’s the pricing like? When you factor in the cost of a new, legitimate $70-$80 MagSafe 2 charger - yes, Apple still makes these - you’re at less than $250 all in. Some previous price history (price includes cost of a new charger):

• ~$900 in 2018

• ~$480 in 2023

• ~$380 in 2024

• ~$230 in 2026

If you’re a DIYer, you can get a cheaper storage config and put your own SSD in. This was the last design that allowed for user upgradeable storage and is a great way to backup your photos in iCloud. More thoughts in my previous posts below.

Is a ten year old MacBook still a good option in 2023?

Is an 11-year old MacBook still usable in 2024?

New updates for old Apple Watches says a lot about what people are really using.

Apple just released new software updates for older iPhones, iPads, Macs, and Apple Watches, but let’s just focus on Apple Watches for now. From Aaron Perris (reported by 9to5Mac):

Apple has released the following new software updates:

watchOS 10.6.2 (build 21U594)

watchOS 9.6.4 (build 20U512)

watchOS 6.3.1 (build 17U224)

These releases are all for older versions of iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch software. […]

Per Apple’s online support documents, they appear to be focused on extending iMessage, FaceTime, and device activation certifications on older devices.

From Apple’s website regarding the Big Sur update:

“This update extends the certification required by features such as iMessage, FaceTime, and device activation to continue working after January 2027.”

watchOS 10 is actually smoother than watchOS 26 in a lot of ways, partly because Liquid Glass has made watchOS more buggy and even my iPad Pro 4th generation isn’t as speedy as it was on iPadOS 18. This update isn’t much of a surprise, but I’m glad they have extended compatibility for these older watches, especially the Series 5.

watchOS 9.6.4 is a “black hole” version of watchOS because all watches compatible with watchOS 9 (Series 4, 5, SE 1st gen), are able to upgrade to watchOS 10, but if it is synced to an iPhone 8 or iPhone X, it won’t upgrade to watchOS 10.

That means we still have a lot of iPhone 8 and iPhone X users out there. Phones released in late 2017.

WatchOS 6.3.1 is compatible with, wait for it, the Series 1, released back in September 2016. It featured the same dual-core processor as the Series 2, while the original Apple Watch was too slow for its own good.

The main reason for all these updates: to extend device functionality past January 2027.

Wow.

It’s great that they released the update now because it might take till January 2027 to sync your iPhone 6S Plus with your Apple Watch Series 1. And yes, there are still people using an iPhone 6S Plus.

You cannot jump to a specific page of a document in ‘Files’ but you can in ‘Preview.’

No matter which sub-menu you try, there is no “Go to page” option. You need the new Preview app in iOS 26 and then you’re allowed to go directly to a specific page number. Kind of annoying because I like scanning my books as a backup, and it’s annoying to scroll hundreds of pages down to get to a specific page.

You need iOS 26 or iPadOS 26 to download the Preview app. The good thing is the Files app in iOS 26 gives you a Preview button at the bottom, making it one tap to jump right in.

To be clear, the Files app never had the “Go to page” option from what I can recall. I used an iPhone 14 with iOS 18 installed to confirm that Files does not have that option. You will need to upgrade to iOS 26 to get Preview or download a 3rd party app if your device doesn’t support iOS 26.

No matter which submenu you choose, you don’t get a “Go to page” option, but if you click Preview at the bottom…

The 3 dots in the top-right corner brings up the option to navigate to a specific page.