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iPad

Only one tablet has survived the rise and fall of the tablet craze — mostly unscathed, that is— and that’s the Apple iPad. First launched in 2010, the original iPad mostly served as a larger iPhone, but without calling capabilities. And with no front-facing camera, you couldn’t even place video calls. Fast forward almost a decade and Apple’s tablet lineup are bonafide laptop replacements for some. Apple has adapted the iPad in form, function, and overall cost in such a way that it’s become the no-brainer tablet purchase.

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Look at this bonkers, beautiful Mac-iPad hybrid.

Leave it to Federico Viticci and MacStories to go super, super deep on what it takes to smash together an iPad and a Mac into “The MacPad,” a beautiful mess of a touchscreen laptop. Building — and using — this setup is not for the faint of heart, and it looks totally ridiculous. But I can’t help myself. I want one.


A combination iPad and MacBook, held up by a hand.
The MacPad is a hare-brained beautiful mess of a hybrid device.
Photo: Federico Viticci / MacStories
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Apple tells its support staff not to shoot from the hip about sideloading.

Apple is preparing to release iOS 17.4 soon with many changes, including those meant to comply, to some degree at least, with Europe’s Digital Markets Act.

According to Bloomberg today, the company has told support staff not to engage with customers about whether or not the iPhone will get changes like third-party app stores outside of the EU.


What a bunch of A-list celebs taught me about how to use my phone

Nobody has to think more carefully about their technological lives than celebrities. And a few of them have figured out the answer.

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Apple’s next iPads are “likely” due at the end of March.

So says Mark Gurman in the latest Power On newsletter for Bloomberg. That’s not all — in addition to two iPad Air models (one a 12.9-inch!) and OLED iPad Pro tablets, he writes that 13- and- 15-inch MacBook Air models will be updated with M3 chips at the same time.

That would be the first refresh of each iPad and the 13-inch MacBook Air since 2022.


At least one app is preparing to enable HDMI input to Apple’s Vision Pro.

Developer Finn Voorhees tested the Castaway: Spatial HDMI Monitor beta by playing Super Mario Bros. Wonder within visionOS using a USB capture card hooked up to an iPad. However, the developers of Halide/Orion have said the APIs necessary to connect their app to Vision Pro aren’t available yet.

Voorhees writes, “Going back and forth with app store review” in hopes of having it in the App Store in time for the Vision Pro launch February 2nd.


visionOS simulator showing capture from HDMI input of a Nintendo Switch playing Super Mario Bros. Wonder.
Capture of Super Mario Bros. Wonder playing within visionOS.
Image: Finn Voorhees / @finnvoorhees@mastodon.social

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Apple iPad Pro (2022) review: bump the chip

Apple’s latest iPad Pro has one upgrade from last year: a new processor. That enables a new feature for the Apple Pencil and is technically faster than the old one. But since this year’s update is so small, here’s a wish list for things when Apple does redesign its top-of-the-line iPad.

Is this iPad add-on overkill?

Take a look at Federico Viticci’s modded iPad Pro with an iPhone holder and stereo speakers, which he wrote about on MacStories.

This would be overkill for me, but I’m a boring single-monitor person on my computer. I respect Viticci’s effort.


A photo of Federico Viticci’s iPad setup.
Image: MacStories
Keep an iPhone or iPad close by if you’re ordering a Vision Pro online.

If you’re spending $3,499 to be one of the first 70,000 or so people with Apple’s Vision Pro, we can probably assume you own a recent iPhone. But just in case, 9to5Mac points out details from an Apple email explaining the online ordering process.

Despite rumors of required in-store appointments for face scanning, it looks like Apple will let you use FaceID on another device to judge the fit requirements and provide a current prescription if you need the $149 vision-correcting lenses.


Have an iPhone or iPad with Face ID nearby. When you order Apple Vision Pro, you’ll need to scan your face with an iPhone or iPad with Face ID. This helps us determine the right size Light Seal and head bands, which work together to give you a precise fit. Make sure your Apple Store app is up to date. For the face scan, you’ll need the latest version of the Apple Store app, which became available on January 11.
Apple Vision Pro pre-order instructions
Image: Apple email
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It’s “put MacOS on the iPad, you cowards” season.

Lenovo’s new 2-in-1 is a Windows laptop with a detachable Android tablet. They run on separate hardware. This is the least awkward way Lenovo could have done this.

Apple, on the other hand, uses the exact same chips for iPads and MacBooks and could simply make an iPad Pro that runs MacOS when the keyboard is attached. And yet!


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Performance testing Grand Theft Auto’s latest remastered re-release.

Rockstar’s attempt at launching Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy — Definitive Edition in 2021 went so poorly that the PC version was removed from sale for a while. Now, the bundle (GTA III, GTA: Vice City, and GTA: San Andreas) is available on mobile devices and for no extra cost if you have Netflix.

So how does it run? Digital Foundry’s iOS analysis is here, finding that despite an uneven framerate and iffy gamepad support, it “probably offers the best portable experience at the moment.”


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Procreate Dreams is now available to download.

It’s an exciting day for animators and art geeks. The iPadOS-exclusive Procreate illustration app has made some serious waves in the creative community since its 2011 release, so expectations are high for the company’s new animation app.

Procreate Dreams is available now on iPad for $19.99 via the app store. Artist Nikolai Lockertsen has some great demos on YouTube to showcase what it’s capable of.


Apple has new updates coming for Final Cut Pro on Mac and iPad soon.

Our video producer, Vjeran Pavic, called out the new iPad version’s missing features in his review when it launched, and a new update coming out later this month will address at least one by adding stabilization.

Final Cut Pro is also getting an Apple Silicon performance boost for exporting videos, automatic timeline scrolling, and a lot of other tweaks. Like the update Apple released for Logic earlier today, it's free, but the software will still cost $299.99 on macOS, with a subscription on iPad that’s $49 annually or $5 per month.


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Logic Pro on the iPad gets new creator features in the latest update.

9to5Mac spotted that Apple updated the Mac and iPad versions of Logic Pro today. Updates include an automatic mastering tool called Mastering Assistant and 32-bit float recording.

Apple also ported over the iPad’s Sample Alchemy and Beat Breaker features to the Mac version, while the subscription iPad version gets drag-and-drop support from other apps.

Look for Logic Pro 1.1 (iPadOS) and Logic Pro 10.8 (macOS)


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Really seems like Apple is testing a HomePod with a screen.

9to5Mac found evidence suggesting that Apple has gotten tvOS running on the sixth-generation iPad Mini — a device that would has a screen that’s near in size to the the rumored HomePod in development with a seven-inch screen. Suspicious!


A brief, early look at the new Apple Pencil’s hidden USB-C port.

Apple’s new $79 Pencil is mostly notable for what it doesn’t include; pressure sensitivity, wireless pairing, wireless charging, or a double-tap shortcut. But you can check out its selling point, a stealthy USB-C port, in this short hands on video. It can charge from USB-C iPads without an adapter or the awkward fragility of previous Lightning-equipped styluses when it releases next month.


A gif showing the USB-C port on the pencil being revealed.
The USB-C port gets revealed by sliding up the cap of the Pencil.
Image: @JakeKrol