watchOS 27 feature request: more triple, bite-sized widgets in Smart Stack please.
Smart Stack is great, but it becomes a drag to scroll through all your widgets when you just need a lot of different info as quick as possible. I love the default triple widget, but can we get more than one as an option? I know it will eat into my total widget count, but I’m OK with 6 of my 10 widgets being tied up into 2 blocks.
There are other triple widgets such as alarms, messages, and even the weather widget, but I want the truly independent triple widget that is not a subset of a particular app. Ideally I would like 2 triple widgets that have the following:
Messages
Digital seconds
Prayer timings
Activity Rings
Alarms
Start a Workout
Smart Stack is great, but it becomes a drag to scroll through all your widgets when you just need a lot of different, small bits of information as quick as possible. I love the default triple widget, but can we get more than one as an option? I know it will eat into my total widget count, but I’m OK with 6 of my 10 widgets being tied up into 2 blocks.
There are other triple widgets such as alarms, messages, and even the weather widget, but I want the truly independent triple widget that is not a subset of a particular app. My 2 triple widget setup would look like this:
Messages
Digital seconds
Weather temperature
Activity Rings
Prayer timings
Start a Workout
The heart is more than just a muscle.
The heart has always been at the center of emotion, purity, love, and passion, even though the brain is the organ with an unfathomably huge neural network. For comparison’s sake, the brain has about 86 billion neurons while the heart has about 40 thousand neurons.
86,000,000,000 vs 40,000 seems like a huge advantage, but the heart does have a memory, a memory that can be carried on between people who receive a heart transplant.
The heart has always been at the center of emotion, purity, love, and passion, even though the brain is the organ with an unfathomably huge neural network. For comparison’s sake, the brain has about 86 billion neurons while the heart has about 40 thousand neurons.
86,000,000,000 vs 40,000 seems like a huge advantage, but the heart does have a memory, a memory that can be carried on between people who receive a heart transplant.
The MacBook Neo shortage is the complete opposite of the iPhone Air surplus.
Great piece from Tim Culpan on his Culpium substack talking about the MacBook Neo “problem” with a summarized version on MacRumors.
All I can say is it’s the exact opposite of the iPhone Air dilemma, also brought to you by Tim Culpan.
Great piece from Tim Culpan on his Culpium substack talking about the MacBook Neo “problem” with a summarized version on MacRumors.
All I can say is it’s the exact opposite of the iPhone Air dilemma, also brought to you by Tim Culpan.
Prominent Islamic scholar talks about his conversion.
Funny story that you have to read till the end to get the humor.
Funny story that you have to read till the end to get the humor.
The original iPhone’s epic plastic screen story is nonchalantly repeating itself with Ceramic Shield 2.
Everyone knows the famous story of the original iPhone, where Steve Jobs was not happy when the plastic screen got gouged by his keys in his pocket. The iPhone was already announced to the public, and they only had 5 months to fix this issue before the iPhone ships. It was an impossible timeline, but the inevitable had to happen:
The iPhone had to ship with a glass screen.
An excerpt from Apple in China by Patrick McGee (affiliate link) describing the ordeal:
Two weeks after unveiling “the one device,” Steve Jobs walked into a routine divisional meeting. He was in a bad mood and didn’t look good. Then he pulled out his prototype iPhone, which looked worse. The keys in his pocket had cut a huge gouge across its plastic screen. He threw the unit onto the boardroom table toward Steve Zadesky and demanded: “Make it glass.” It wasn’t the first time the idea had come up. In September 2006, just four months earlier, Jobs had grown angry about smaller scratch marks and complained to a mid-level executive: “Look at this, look at this—what’s with the screen?” The executive responded, “Well, Steve, we have a glass prototype, but it fails the one-meter drop test one hundred times out of one hundred times.” Jobs cut the executive off. “I just want to know if you’re going to make the f**king thing work.” Now, in January, Jobs wasn’t taking excuses. Apple had just announced the phone would be available in June; the date couldn’t be pushed back. Six months would’ve been a rush job; but they had even less time than that. The display is a module that had to be ready months ahead of the assembly.
What followed is perhaps the best-known anecdote on the manufacturing of the original iPhone. Jobs reached out to Wendell Weeks, CEO of Corning, a glassmaker in upstate New York, saying he needed the hardest glass they could make. Weeks told Jobs about Gorilla Glass, something Corning had developed for fighter-jet cockpits back in the 1960s. They’d never found a market for it and abandoned the project. Jobs convinced him to begin production immediately.
The decision risked throwing Zadesky, who managed all the mechanical parts for the iPhone project, into a tailspin. He and Tang Tan, another iPod veteran, had to quickly put together a touchscreen supply chain, as glass and plastic function in totally different ways. Fadell likens this “crazy” phase to landing “a fleet of 200 jets on an aircraft carrier, all within minutes of each other. And all the jets were running out of fuel.” Apple needed to find manufacturers that were highly competent, but with enough capacity to free up their top talent.
Every iPhone screen has always been glass, but glass still scratches no matter how OCD you are about it. More specifically, most screens on phones scratch at a level 6 with deeper grooves at a level 7 on Mohs scale of hardness. It’s a common phrase you hear as a tech nerd courtesy of Zack, but that stopped in 2025 with the release of Ceramic Shield 2.
Apple introduced Ceramic Shield 2 for iPhone 17, 17 Pro, and iPhone Air, which provides 3x better scratch resistance than previous iPhones. It seemed like a standard upgrade with the same fluffy marketing, but it really does make a real world difference. I never use a screen protector on my screens and upgrade iPhones every year, and my iPhone Air’s front glass is completely scratch free 6 months later.
This has never happened to me before.
Not a single scratch.
And that’s while using it caseless!
There probably isn’t an epic story behind the birth of Ceramic Shield 2 - just years of iterating and perfecting the glass chemistry to make it more durable - but the effect it has had on iPhone displays is seriously underrated.
Everyone knows the famous story of the original iPhone, where Steve Jobs was not happy when the plastic screen got gouged by his keys in his pocket. The iPhone was already announced to the public, and they only had 5 months to fix this issue before the iPhone ships. It was an impossible timeline, but the inevitable had to happen:
The iPhone had to ship with a glass screen.
An excerpt from Apple in China by Patrick McGee (affiliate link) describing the ordeal:
Two weeks after unveiling “the one device,” Steve Jobs walked into a routine divisional meeting. He was in a bad mood and didn’t look good. Then he pulled out his prototype iPhone, which looked worse. The keys in his pocket had cut a huge gouge across its plastic screen. He threw the unit onto the boardroom table toward Steve Zadesky and demanded: “Make it glass.” It wasn’t the first time the idea had come up. In September 2006, just four months earlier, Jobs had grown angry about smaller scratch marks and complained to a mid-level executive: “Look at this, look at this—what’s with the screen?” The executive responded, “Well, Steve, we have a glass prototype, but it fails the one-meter drop test one hundred times out of one hundred times.” Jobs cut the executive off. “I just want to know if you’re going to make the f**king thing work.” Now, in January, Jobs wasn’t taking excuses. Apple had just announced the phone would be available in June; the date couldn’t be pushed back. Six months would’ve been a rush job; but they had even less time than that. The display is a module that had to be ready months ahead of the assembly.
What followed is perhaps the best-known anecdote on the manufacturing of the original iPhone. Jobs reached out to Wendell Weeks, CEO of Corning, a glassmaker in upstate New York, saying he needed the hardest glass they could make. Weeks told Jobs about Gorilla Glass, something Corning had developed for fighter-jet cockpits back in the 1960s. They’d never found a market for it and abandoned the project. Jobs convinced him to begin production immediately.
The decision risked throwing Zadesky, who managed all the mechanical parts for the iPhone project, into a tailspin. He and Tang Tan, another iPod veteran, had to quickly put together a touchscreen supply chain, as glass and plastic function in totally different ways. Fadell likens this “crazy” phase to landing “a fleet of 200 jets on an aircraft carrier, all within minutes of each other. And all the jets were running out of fuel.” Apple needed to find manufacturers that were highly competent, but with enough capacity to free up their top talent.
Every iPhone screen has always been glass, but glass still scratches no matter how OCD you are about it. More specifically, most screens on phones scratch at a level 6 with deeper grooves at a level 7 on Mohs scale of hardness. It’s a common phrase you hear as a tech nerd courtesy of Zack, but that stopped in 2025 with the release of Ceramic Shield 2.
Apple introduced Ceramic Shield 2 for iPhone 17, 17 Pro, and iPhone Air, which provides 3x better scratch resistance than previous iPhones. It seemed like a standard upgrade with the same fluffy marketing, but it really does make a real world difference. I never use a screen protector on my screens and upgrade iPhones every year, and my iPhone Air’s front glass is completely scratch free 6 months later.
This has never happened to me before.
Not a single scratch.
And that’s while using it caseless!
There probably isn’t an epic story behind the birth of Ceramic Shield 2 - just years of iterating and perfecting the glass chemistry to make it more durable - but the effect it has had on iPhone displays is seriously underrated.
Supporting my website.
I have been writing about Apple for over 3 years now, and although it’s a lot of fun (and stress!), I’ve decided to monetize to help support my website through an Amazon Affiliate Account. Every affiliate product that I will recommend will be a product that I bought myself or one that I know is a reliable product.
For example, an affiliate link to a MacBook Pro 16-inch is not something I use, but it is obviously a reputable product. An off-brand MagSafe mount on the other hand? I will test it myself and use it for 30 days before throwing affiliate links out there to make sure it’s worth your money.
I don’t have a dedicated affiliate links landing page, but in the meantime you will see links in my articles with relevant content.
I have been writing about Apple for over 3 years now, and although it’s a lot of fun (and stress!), I’ve decided to monetize to help support my website through an Amazon Affiliate Account. Every affiliate product that I will recommend will be a product that I bought myself or one that I know is a reliable product.
For example, an affiliate link to a MacBook Pro 16-inch is not something I use, but it is obviously a reputable product. An off-brand MagSafe mount on the other hand? I will test it myself and use it for 30 days before throwing affiliate links out there to make sure it’s worth your money.
I don’t have a dedicated affiliate links landing page, but in the meantime you will see links in my articles with relevant content.
Apple shows off rare prototypes to the Wall Street Journal.
Nice little video with Tim Cook and Ben Cohen from the Wall Street Journal talking about key moments in Apple’s history, showing some rare prototypes, and, “one more thing” from the Wall Street Journal for Tim Cook. Worth a watch.
Nice little video with Tim Cook and Ben Cohen from the Wall Street Journal talking about key moments in Apple’s history, showing some rare prototypes, and, “one more thing” from the Wall Street Journal for Tim Cook. Worth a watch.
Summer’s (almost) here, which means two tragedies and one adjustment…
The tragedies are real:
No more secret stash of chocolate in my car - it would melt before I could say, “milk chocolate with almonds is the best.” You could also file this “tragedy” under the, “blessing in disguise” category.
I have to iron my shirts again - jackets keep wrinkly shirts hidden in the winter, and lab coats at work keep wrinkles hidden all year long, but stepping out and touching some grass would require me to iron my shirts again.
One tech adjustment I’ve noticed so far:
I need to add one more link to my link bracelet to get a comfortable fit due to heat-induced wrist expansion. Do note - Apple only sells extra links for the larger 46mm link bracelet, so don’t lose your links if you use the smaller 42mm bracelet.
The tragedies are real:
No more secret stash of chocolate in my car - it would melt before I could say, “milk chocolate with almonds is the best.” You could also file this “tragedy” under the, “blessing in disguise” category.
I have to iron my shirts again - jackets keep wrinkly shirts hidden in the winter, and lab coats at work keep wrinkles hidden all year long, but stepping out and touching some grass would require me to iron my shirts again.
One tech adjustment I’ve noticed so far:
I need to add one more link to my link bracelet to get a comfortable fit due to heat-induced wrist expansion. Do note - Apple only sells extra links for the larger 46mm link bracelet, so don’t lose your links if you use the smaller 42mm bracelet.
Tab Groups in macOS Safari should give you the option to retain audio playing in other Tab Groups.
When you leave a Tab Group in macOS Safari, any audio playing in that Tab Group will pause, which I find annoying and I’m sure others feel the same way. I can see how this makes sense for some workflows, but there should be an option to retain audio playing in other Tab Groups. Simply place an additional audio glyph in the Tab Group selector to guide people to the audio source in their web of Tab Groups.
When you leave a Tab Group in macOS Safari, any audio playing in that Tab Group will pause, which I find annoying and I’m sure others feel the same way. I can see how this makes sense for some workflows, but there should be an option to retain audio playing in other Tab Groups. Simply place an additional audio glyph in the Tab Group selector to guide people to the audio source in their web of Tab Groups.
A mosaic of Lil Finder Guy on TikTok.
The videos have helpful tips, but if you go to Apple’s profile, the video thumbnails show a nice surprise.
The videos have helpful tips, but if you go to Apple’s profile, the video thumbnails show a nice surprise.
Vintage 3.5” floppy disk wallet is for the nostalgic in you.
There’s a 2-month wait, but it’s perfect for the sling carrier, purse wearer, fanny packer, or backpack trekking individual.
Too impractical for the pants pocket, unlike the Untitled Folder Wallet.
It would be the perfect way to carry your SD cards or a tiny storage drive since it fits the theme perfectly. Buy it here in either black, beige, or orange (not an affiliate link).
There’s a 2-month wait, but it’s perfect for the sling carrier, purse wearer, fanny packer, or backpack trekking individual.
Too impractical for the pants pocket, unlike the Untitled Folder Wallet.
It would be the perfect way to carry your SD cards or a tiny storage drive since it fits the theme perfectly. Buy it here in either black, beige, or orange (not an affiliate link).
My first Apple product that I used - Apple IIe.
At the time (5th-6th grade), these weren’t too exciting since game consoles were superior gaming devices. We never owned one, but we had them in our school’s computer class and in that environment, they were exciting because anything is more exciting than textbooks.
Our class was a particular challenging group of youth, and we did not treat the equipment with tender care and love. I distinctly remember floppy disks being thrown around like frisbees. It was still a step up from just a few years prior. In 2nd grade (same school), we had a computer class that had a single computer, and we would learn the anatomy of a computer - the keyboard itself was a challenge since we had to learn “complex” controls such as TAB, ENTER, CAPS LOCK, and SHIFT. Only in the last part of class did each student get a turn to play Pac-Man. You literally got one chance, so if you died in 5 seconds, then you only got 5 seconds to use the computer. Imagine giving a new piece of technology to someone for only 5 seconds. What a tease!
For a more visual experience, this picture was the closest thing I found that mimics my 5th grade classroom environment.
At the time (5th-6th grade), these weren’t too exciting since game consoles were superior gaming devices. We never owned one, but we had them in our school’s computer class and in that environment, they were exciting because anything is more exciting than textbooks.
Our class was a particular challenging group of youth, and we did not treat the equipment with tender care and love. I distinctly remember floppy disks being thrown around like frisbees. It was still a step up from just a few years prior. In 2nd grade (same school), we had a computer class that had a single computer, and we would learn the anatomy of a computer - the keyboard itself was a challenge since we had to learn “complex” controls such as TAB, ENTER, CAPS LOCK, and SHIFT. Only in the last part of class did each student get a turn to play Pac-Man. You literally got one chance, so if you died in 5 seconds, then you only got 5 seconds to use the computer. Imagine giving a new piece of technology to someone for only 5 seconds. What a tease!
For a more visual experience, this picture was the closest thing I found that mimics my 5th grade classroom environment.
The European Union gets major features with iOS 26.5 Beta 1
Juli Clover at MacRumors mentions all the new features as part of her iOS 26.5 Beta 1 coverage:
European Union Third-Party Wearable Changes
Apple is working on new interoperability features in the EU to comply with the requirements of the Digital Markets Act. Apple has tested these features in prior betas, but the Live Activity sharing feature is new.
Proximity pairing - Devices like earbuds will be able to pair with an iOS device in an AirPods-like way by bringing the accessory close to an iPhone or iPad to initiate a simple, one-tap pairing process. Pairing third-party devices will no longer require multiple steps.
Notifications - Third-party accessories like smart watches will be able to receive notifications from the iPhone. Users will be able to view and react to incoming notifications, which is a capability normally limited to the Apple Watch. Notifications can only be forwarded to one connected device at a time, and turning on notifications for a third-party device disables notifications to an Apple Watch. Notifications from select apps can be forwarded, or from all apps.
Live Activities - Live Activities are able to sync to a third-party wearable, similar to other notifications. This is a feature that appears to be new to iOS 26.5.
There's no word on when the EU third-party wearable features will launch, and Apple also tested them in the iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 betas before removing them when the software was released to the public.
Proximity pairing sounds neat and convenient, but Notifications and Live Activities on third-party smart watches sounds like a huge mess:
What if the manufacturer of a 3rd-party smartwatch releases an update that accidentally breaks iPhone notification compatibility?
With Apple Watch, you can pair up to 5 Apple Watches with one iPhone and easily switch them out to activate them, simply by wearing the other watch. Notifications only go to the Apple Watch you’re wearing. How smooth will the transition be when going from a 3rd-party watch to an Apple Watch or vice versa?
What 3rd party devices will be supported and for how many years? iPhone and Apple Watch compatibility already has a lot of tiers depending on how far back you go, but you almost need a Doctorate just to figure out if an iPhone and Apple Watch are compatible. I can’t even imagine how that will be for 3rd party devices.
Juli Clover at MacRumors mentions all the new features as part of her iOS 26.5 Beta 1 coverage:
European Union Third-Party Wearable Changes
Apple is working on new interoperability features in the EU to comply with the requirements of the Digital Markets Act. Apple has tested these features in prior betas, but the Live Activity sharing feature is new.
Proximity pairing - Devices like earbuds will be able to pair with an iOS device in an AirPods-like way by bringing the accessory close to an iPhone or iPad to initiate a simple, one-tap pairing process. Pairing third-party devices will no longer require multiple steps.
Notifications - Third-party accessories like smart watches will be able to receive notifications from the iPhone. Users will be able to view and react to incoming notifications, which is a capability normally limited to the Apple Watch. Notifications can only be forwarded to one connected device at a time, and turning on notifications for a third-party device disables notifications to an Apple Watch. Notifications from select apps can be forwarded, or from all apps.
Live Activities - Live Activities are able to sync to a third-party wearable, similar to other notifications. This is a feature that appears to be new to iOS 26.5.
There's no word on when the EU third-party wearable features will launch, and Apple also tested them in the iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 betas before removing them when the software was released to the public.
Proximity pairing sounds neat and convenient, but Notifications and Live Activities on third-party smart watches sounds like a huge mess:
What if the manufacturer of a 3rd-party smartwatch releases an update that accidentally breaks iPhone notification compatibility?
With Apple Watch, you can pair up to 5 Apple Watches with one iPhone and easily switch them out to activate them, simply by wearing the other watch. Notifications only go to the Apple Watch you’re wearing. How smooth will the transition be when going from a 3rd-party watch to an Apple Watch or vice versa?
What 3rd party devices will be supported and for how many years? iPhone and Apple Watch compatibility already has a lot of tiers depending on how far back you go, but you almost need a Doctorate just to figure out if an iPhone and Apple Watch are compatible. I can’t even imagine how that will be for 3rd party devices.
Trying to read “Apple: The First 50 Years,” in bed.
David Pogue’s historical book is quite the monstrosity from both a content and size perspective, and from a physical point of view it is a proper textbook. I thought the only way to read this beast was on my desk, but I am able to read it comfortably (enough) while lying in bed. All of the book’s weight is on a pillow on my chest, making it easy on my arms while elevating the book for a good reading angle.
Apple Books and Kindle are cheaper options for digital readers, but I know I would get distracted and start doom scrolling. With a physical book, I am focused in on one task, and within 20-25 minutes (regardless of which book I’m reading), it is lights out for me.
David Pogue’s historical book is quite the monstrosity from both a content and size perspective, and from a physical point of view it is a proper textbook. I thought the only way to read this beast was on my desk, but I am able to read it comfortably (enough) while lying in bed. All of the book’s weight is on a pillow on my chest, making it easy on my arms while elevating the book for a good reading angle.
Apple Books and Kindle are cheaper options for digital readers, but I know I would get distracted and start doom scrolling. With a physical book, I am focused in on one task, and within 20-25 minutes (regardless of which book I’m reading), it is lights out for me.
Smart Stack on Apple Watch needs this cool upgrade for older watch faces.
If you notice all of Apple’s newer watch faces, they have a mini version of said watch face in Smart Stack. It’s a nice little touch that Apple cares about, but not enough to back port it to older watch faces.
At least, not yet…📓
If you notice all of Apple’s newer watch faces, they have a mini version of said watch face in Smart Stack. It’s a nice little touch that Apple cares about, but not enough to back port it to older watch faces.
At least, not yet.
We had a similar issue when the Series 10 was released, with only 3 watch faces having the Always On Display with ticking seconds hand. I won’t give Apple too much grief over this Smart Stack request because they didn’t announce it as a feature of the watch. They didn’t get on stage and say:
“We’ve updated Smart Stack to have a more lively watch face in the corner, giving you a more intimate look at the time representing your current watch face.”
Every new watch face since the debut of the Series 10 has this new feature. Take a look at Flux for example:
The smaller time in Smart Stack looks and behaves just like the real version with the solid line filling up the screen.
Here are more examples of newer watch faces having this feature:
Apple started keeping the “soul” of the watch face in Smart Stack.
The detail is pretty impressive, especially for Exactograph and Waypoint. In Waypoint, the compass is actually functional in Smart Stack which is overkill, but cool. We need some of this love for older watch faces. I say “some” because it doesn’t make sense for certain watch faces, and the generic analog and digital watch faces are fine.
Here are some analog watch faces that could be spruced up:
BEFORE: Notice how the Utility watch face is used as the generic Smart Stack watch face for most analog faces.
AFTER: Smart Stack keeps the watch face identity intact.
There’s also a ton of digital watch faces that could use this new feature: For example, having the digital time with a small typeface doesn’t make sense on the X-Large face, which is all about accessibility. In Artist, sure the color is matched in Smart Stack, but the face can be shrunken down to fit with similar sized font as the current digital clock.
Before - not enough distinction with just a few color variations.
After - Each watch face keeps its identity and makes Smart Stack a fun place to hang out.
Will we see an updated Smart Stack in watchOS 27? Maybe, but let’s hope we also get smoother swipes between watch faces.
How the iPhone’s Screenshot buttons came to be.
Heard this on The Talk Show a few days ago, but Imthaz at Volatile Inputs has the full transcript of that particular segment between John Gruber and David Pogue.
Heard this on The Talk Show a few days ago, but Imthaz at Volatile Inputs has the full transcript of that particular segment between John Gruber and David Pogue.
Apple discontinues the Mac Pro, and also the $700 optional wheels.
Chance Miller fro 9to5Mac:
It’s the end of an era: Apple has confirmed to 9to5Mac that the Mac Pro is being discontinued. It has been removed from Apple’s website as of Thursday afternoon. The “buy” page on Apple’s website for the Mac Pro now redirects to the Mac’s homepage, where all references have been removed.
Apple has also confirmed to 9to5Mac that it has no plans to offer future Mac Pro hardware.
The Mac Studio has long been considered the unofficial replacement for the Mac Pro, and now it’s…still not official. It’s as official as saying there will be a new iPhone coming this September.
Juli Clover from MacRumors talking about the wheels:
The Mac Pro Wheels kit was introduced in 2020, and allowed Mac Pro owners to add wheels to their machine after purchase. The Mac Pro could be bought with a wheel option for an additional $400, but the lower price was because opting for wheels removed the $300 feet.
Apple's kit included a 1/4-inch to 4mm hex bit for installing the wheels, and an installation guide.
Apple also sold a $300 Mac Pro Feet Kit for users who ordered wheels but wanted to swap to standard feet. That kit has also been discontinued. The Mac Pro and its accessories have been removed from Apple's website entirely, and old links now redirect to the online Apple Store.
For Mac Pro owners who want to switch to wheels but are now unable to do so, OWC sells a less expensive Rover Pro wheels kit for $200.
You can still buy a refurbished Mac Pro if you are so inclined but if you want the OEM wheels, your only option is eBay. Prices are still decent at around $300.
Chance Miller fro 9to5Mac:
It’s the end of an era: Apple has confirmed to 9to5Mac that the Mac Pro is being discontinued. It has been removed from Apple’s website as of Thursday afternoon. The “buy” page on Apple’s website for the Mac Pro now redirects to the Mac’s homepage, where all references have been removed.
Apple has also confirmed to 9to5Mac that it has no plans to offer future Mac Pro hardware.
The Mac Studio has long been considered the unofficial replacement for the Mac Pro, and now it’s…still not official. It’s as official as saying there will be a new iPhone coming this September.
Juli Clover from MacRumors talking about the wheels:
The Mac Pro Wheels kit was introduced in 2020, and allowed Mac Pro owners to add wheels to their machine after purchase. The Mac Pro could be bought with a wheel option for an additional $400, but the lower price was because opting for wheels removed the $300 feet.
Apple's kit included a 1/4-inch to 4mm hex bit for installing the wheels, and an installation guide.
Apple also sold a $300 Mac Pro Feet Kit for users who ordered wheels but wanted to swap to standard feet. That kit has also been discontinued. The Mac Pro and its accessories have been removed from Apple's website entirely, and old links now redirect to the online Apple Store.
For Mac Pro owners who want to switch to wheels but are now unable to do so, OWC sells a less expensive Rover Pro wheels kit for $200.
You can still buy a refurbished Mac Pro if you are so inclined but if you want the OEM wheels, your only option is eBay. Prices are still decent at around $300.
When one MagSafe car mount is not enough.
We needed 3 different MagSafe mounts. Technically we could get by with 2, but the 3rd one on top was necessary for entertainment purposes so the kids in the 3rd row could still watch YouTube. It’s the opposite of being addicted to YouTube, but also not quite torture since you can still make out the contents if you squint hard enough. You have to get the dopamine dose just right. 📓
I have a dual MagSafe setup in my car, but for my wife’s car, the one that gets significant highway miles and travels to the pothole capital of the world (New York City), we needed something more than just a simple MagSafe setup:
We needed 3 different MagSafe mounts. Technically we could get by with 2, but the 3rd one on top was necessary for entertainment purposes so the kids in the 3rd row could still watch YouTube. It’s the opposite of being addicted to YouTube, but also not quite torture since you can still make out the contents if you squint hard enough. You have to get the dopamine dose just right.
The triple threat.
The one on top is my new favorite accessory by LISEN that so far has been promising. It has a motor that makes the suction really tight, and will self-activate if it notices the suction getting weaker, giving you peace of mind. We didn’t have any falls or loss of suction over an 8 hour driving period. It also allows for a landscape orientation whereas the bottom two are too tight together to allow for landscape.
On the bottom right we have a standard Apple MagSafe puck hooked into a CD slot holder, primarily used for charging of course. The bottom left is a Moment MagSafe Wall Mount that I permanently attached to the archaic infotainment display. Blocking the display wasn’t an issue since we always keep it on the bluetooth player setting. The Moment mount is my go to for navigation and when driving on bumpier roads since it has really strong magnets. Plenty an iPhone hath fallen when placed on the MagSafe charger, and I just don’t need that in my life anymore. The magnets on the LISEN are similar to the Moment mount and can withstand even the worst potholes. All three mounts have a purpose, and strategic placement throughout long journeys between charging and bad road conditions means I don’t have to think about my phone falling and can concentrate on driving.
All audio is routed via Bluetooth, making this hot mess actually very seamless and manageable.
Apple releases updates for watchOS 5 and watchOS 8 in order to keep core functions alive.
Juli Clover from MacRumors:
watchOS 5.3.10 is available for the Apple Watch Series 1, Series 2, Series 3, and Series 4, while watchOS 8.8.2 is available for the Apple Watch Series 3, Series 4, Series 5, Series 6, Series 7, and original Apple Watch SE.
According to Apple's release notes, the updates extend the certificate that features like device activation, iMessage, and FaceTime need to function. The certificate update ensures that these apps and features will continue to work after January 2027, which is when the existing certificate was set to expire.
watchOS 8 is the final version of watchOS that's supported on the Apple Watch Series 3.
watchOS 5 is the final version of watchOS able to be installed on an Apple Watch Series 1 or Series 2 using an iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, or iPhone 6 Plus. The Series 1 and Series 2 do support watchOS 6, but installing watchOS 6 requires an iPhone 6s or later.
To add to Juli’s bit:
Series 4, Series 5, and the original Apple Watch SE can be updated to watchOS 10, but watchOS 10 requires an iPhone XR, XS, or later, and relearning the controls.
Series 6 and Series 7 can be updated to watchOS 26, but watchOS 26 requires an iPhone 11 or later, or iPhone SE 2nd generation or later.
Juli Clover from MacRumors:
watchOS 5.3.10 is available for the Apple Watch Series 1, Series 2, Series 3, and Series 4, while watchOS 8.8.2 is available for the Apple Watch Series 3, Series 4, Series 5, Series 6, Series 7, and original Apple Watch SE.
According to Apple's release notes, the updates extend the certificate that features like device activation, iMessage, and FaceTime need to function. The certificate update ensures that these apps and features will continue to work after January 2027, which is when the existing certificate was set to expire.
watchOS 8 is the final version of watchOS that's supported on the Apple Watch Series 3.
watchOS 5 is the final version of watchOS able to be installed on an Apple Watch Series 1 or Series 2 using an iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, or iPhone 6 Plus. The Series 1 and Series 2 do support watchOS 6, but installing watchOS 6 requires an iPhone 6s or later.
To add to Juli’s bit:
Series 4, Series 5, and the original Apple Watch SE can be updated to watchOS 10, but watchOS 10 requires an iPhone XR, XS, or later, and relearning the controls.
Series 6 and Series 7 can be updated to watchOS 26, but watchOS 26 requires an iPhone 11 or later, or iPhone SE 2nd generation or later.
M5 Max MacBook Pro vs…Dell Pro Max 18 Plus
Dell can have every muscular iPhone moniker attached to its name, but it still can’t compete when it comes to dollar for dollar value. Plus it’s way too big of a laptop.
I’d rather have a Dell Neo mini 13 Air.
Dell can have every muscular iPhone moniker attached to its name, but it still can’t compete when it comes to dollar for dollar value. Plus it’s way too big of a laptop.
I’d rather have a Dell Neo mini 13 Air.