Is my Apple Watch band going to give me cancer?
Stephen Warwick from TechRadar:
Scientists from the University of Notre Dame have called for more comprehensive studies and greater transparency from manufacturers after a study found elevated levels of so-called "forever chemicals" in some consumer smartwatch and fitness tracker bands.
The study, published this week in Environmental Science & Technology Letters, analyzed 22 watch bands from numerous brands and price points and found that some of these bands contained elevated levels of PFAS (polyfluoroalkyl substances), namely perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA). These chemicals are colloquially known as "forever chemicals" because they have an almost unbreakable chemical structure which means they don't degrade or break down over time.
The tested brands include many of the bestsmartwatch manufacturers and accessory makers including Apple (and Apple Watch Nike sport bands), CASETiFY, Fitbit, Google, and Samsung.
As reported by Notre Dame News, nine of the 22 bands tested contained elevated levels of PFHxA, with more expensive bands generally found to have higher levels.
The conclusion of this study? Inconclusive:
While the study does mention some big names in the smartwatch sector, notably Apple, Samsung, and Google, it's difficult to extrapolate too much because the study doesn't give the results for each brand. Companies like Apple clearly advertise Fluoroelastomer as present in its best Apple Watch bands, notably its Nike offerings, Sport Band, and the Apple Watch Ultra's Ocean band. However, the study doesn't tell us which of the bands offered by these major players were tested, or if they were the bands with notably high PFA levels.
Also why it’s inconclusive:
Speaking to Yahoo Life, Jamie Alan, associate professor of pharmacology and toxicology at Michigan State University called the findings "interesting", but said that the study doesn't give any insight into how much PFHxA is absorbed through the skin, if any is absorbed at all. Other specialists in toxicology and dermatology agreed, stating that it is unlikely a significant amount of PXHxA would be absorbed through the skin. Finally, Alan pointed out that the study involved chemically extracting these compounds from Apple Watch bands, something users aren't doing when they wear these items day-to-day. "So although they found very high levels, that does not mean any significant amount is getting into our system," she concluded.
Apple sells 4 bands that are made of fluoroelastomer:
Interestingly the solo loops are made of liquid silicone which is a safer material.
If you look at Apple’s (and any company’s) Substance Specifications Report, you will see a number of substances on that list that can freak you out. On Apple’s 2023 report on page 8, you will see PFAS and specifically PFHxA used in “All Materials,” and an example of their use is “Protective and oleophobic coatings.”
If you remember your Apple history correctly, the iPhone screen has an oleophobic coating.
It could very well be that your iPhone and many other phones out there are coated with PFHxA, and your touching them all day while you’re snacking on Chick-fil-A.
Your Apple Watch band is not the only thing with dangerous chemicals in it. Millions of products out there have them.
It is good to be aware of these studies and how likely it can harm the human body, but the unfortunate reality is that these chemicals are everywhere.
Your pizza boxes are coated with an oleophobic coating so the oil doesn’t seep through the box. It makes for a better presentation to the customer.
Your heat-printed receipt from Best Buy that fades before the 14-day return policy? It has phthalates. Another chemical that can harm the body and cause cancer.
The list goes on.
If someone gets cancer or any other illness, most of the time you can’t blame one specific factor and say that is the cause. It is the cumulative effect of many factors, including these chemicals that are growing in our highly industrialized world.
What does Apple plan to do about PFAS? They plan to phase it out based on a 2022 report.
What can you do about it? Make informed decisions and take realistic steps to decrease exposure.
Even though the Apple bands with fluoroelastomers might not actually be harmful, you can choose to play it safe and use another band.
Just like you can opt for emailed receipts instead of physical ones and dine-in for pizza.
This study just stirred the pot, but it hasn’t cooked any solid information.
Stephen Warwick from TechRadar:
Scientists from the University of Notre Dame have called for more comprehensive studies and greater transparency from manufacturers after a study found elevated levels of so-called "forever chemicals" in some consumer smartwatch and fitness tracker bands.
The study, published this week in Environmental Science & Technology Letters, analyzed 22 watch bands from numerous brands and price points and found that some of these bands contained elevated levels of PFAS (polyfluoroalkyl substances), namely perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA). These chemicals are colloquially known as "forever chemicals" because they have an almost unbreakable chemical structure which means they don't degrade or break down over time.
The tested brands include many of the best smartwatch manufacturers and accessory makers including Apple (and Apple Watch Nike sport bands), CASETiFY, Fitbit, Google, and Samsung.
As reported by Notre Dame News, nine of the 22 bands tested contained elevated levels of PFHxA, with more expensive bands generally found to have higher levels.
The conclusion of this study? Inconclusive:
While the study does mention some big names in the smartwatch sector, notably Apple, Samsung, and Google, it's difficult to extrapolate too much because the study doesn't give the results for each brand. Companies like Apple clearly advertise Fluoroelastomer as present in its best Apple Watch bands, notably its Nike offerings, Sport Band, and the Apple Watch Ultra's Ocean band. However, the study doesn't tell us which of the bands offered by these major players were tested, or if they were the bands with notably high PFA levels.
Also why it’s inconclusive:
Speaking to Yahoo Life, Jamie Alan, associate professor of pharmacology and toxicology at Michigan State University called the findings "interesting", but said that the study doesn't give any insight into how much PFHxA is absorbed through the skin, if any is absorbed at all. Other specialists in toxicology and dermatology agreed, stating that it is unlikely a significant amount of PXHxA would be absorbed through the skin. Finally, Alan pointed out that the study involved chemically extracting these compounds from Apple Watch bands, something users aren't doing when they wear these items day-to-day. "So although they found very high levels, that does not mean any significant amount is getting into our system," she concluded.
Apple sells 4 bands that are made of fluoroelastomer:
Interestingly the solo loops are made of liquid silicone which is a safer material.
If you look at Apple’s (and any company’s) Substance Specifications Report, you will see a number of substances on that list that can freak you out. On Apple’s 2023 report on page 8, you will see PFAS and specifically PFHxA used in “All Materials,” and an example of their use is “Protective and oleophobic coatings.”
If you remember your Apple history correctly, the iPhone screen has an oleophobic coating.
It could very well be that your iPhone and many other phones out there are coated with PFHxA, and your touching them all day while you’re snacking on Chick-fil-A.
Your Apple Watch band is not the only thing with dangerous chemicals in it. Millions of products out there have them.
It is good to be aware of these studies and how likely it can harm the human body, but the unfortunate reality is that these chemicals are everywhere.
Your pizza boxes are coated with an oleophobic coating so the oil doesn’t seep through the box. It makes for a better presentation to the customer.
Your heat-printed receipt from Best Buy that fades before the 14-day return policy? It has phthalates. Another chemical that can harm the body and cause cancer.
The list goes on.
If someone gets cancer or any other illness, most of the time you can’t blame one specific factor and say that is the cause. It is the cumulative effect of many factors, including these chemicals that are growing in our highly industrialized world.
What does Apple plan to do about PFAS? They plan to phase it out based on a 2022 report.
What can you do about it? Make informed decisions and take realistic steps to decrease exposure.
Even though the Apple bands with fluoroelastomers might not actually be harmful, you can choose to play it safe and use another band.
Just like you can opt for emailed receipts instead of physical ones and dine-in for pizza.
This study just stirred the pot, but it hasn’t cooked any solid information.
Are all 42mm Apple Watch bands the same size?
If you want to skip this writeup about watch band compatibility, I found an image from chargerstore on eBay that sums it up beautifully in just one image.
If you want the nitty gritty, keep reading.
If you want to skip this writeup about watch band compatibility, I found an image from chargerstore on eBay that sums it up beautifully in just one image:
Source: chargerstore
If you want the nitty gritty, keep reading.
Apple Watch Series 10 hits several new milestones. As usual, it’s the best Apple Watch since Apple Watch, with an even bigger screen that matches the size of the Apple Watch Ultra. Apple says it’s bigger than the Ultra, but to the naked eye, it is the same.
There is one more milestone for the Series 10 that is not discussed.
The smaller 42mm Series 10 is now the same size as the bigger version of the original Apple Watch. The Series 10 is thinner, but the length and width are the same.
The Series 3 (same design as the original Apple Watch), measures 42mm x 36.4mm, and the Series 10 measures 42mm x 36mm.
This now begs the question:
If they both have a 42mm case size, are all 42mm bands that Apple sells or has sold in the past, interchangeable with both these watches?
The short answer is no, but let’s really dive into the details.
If you look at the Series 3 (and older), it is much more square in shape while the Series 10 has more rounded off corners. That square body of the Series 3 adds extra real estate and needs a wider band to fit into the slots.
Not all 42mm case sizes are created equal.
When you’re about to buy a watch band on Apple’s website, there is a link showing compatibility details.
Here is part of what it says:
You can match most bands with any Apple Watch Series 3 or later case of the same size.
38mm, 40mm, 41mm, and 42mm bands are compatible with 38mm, 40mm, 41mm, 42mm case sizes. 44mm, 45mm, 46mm, and 49mm bands are compatible with 44mm, 45mm, 46mm, and 49mm case sizes.
The first sentence is a bit misleading because a 42mm Series 3 will be compatible with the new 42mm bands that Apple sells today, but there will be a gap on each side:
The gap isn’t a deal breaker and can be perfectly usable and presentable. You might even forget the gap exists. Might.
At the same time, if you are buying a 42mm Series 10 Apple Watch, and you want to scour the internet for some classic bands that Apple used to sell, you might get burned buying a rare band that is 42mm, only to realize it is bigger than your Series 10:
A rare Ceramic Edition Series 2 band (42mm). Not a good look.
Imagine buying a light colored band, only to have it stick out.
This is how Apple should word their compatibility description:
You can match most bands with any Apple Watch Series 3 or later case of the same size.
38mm, 40mm, 41mm, and 42mm bands are compatible with 38mm, 40mm, 41mm, and Series 10 42mm case sizes.
44mm, 45mm, 46mm, and 49mm bands are compatible with 44mm, 45mm, 46mm, and 49mm case sizes, and Series 3 or earlier models with a 42mm case size.
I know what most of you are thinking.
“Who actually uses a Series 3 or earlier Apple Watch??”
Last week, I saw someone using an iPhone 5S as their main device. It had the polished chamfered edges and not the matte-finished edges of the 1st gen iPhone SE.
If you know, you know.
If people can still rock an 11-yr-old iPhone 5S as their primary communication device, they sure as heck can rock a 7-yr-old Series 3 Apple Watch as a secondary, “no problems if I forget it at home,” device.
I have been wearing a Series 3 for over a week now, and it is still usable today, but we’ll take a deep dive into that another time.
Like I said earlier, the main issue isn’t really for Series 3 users since you can get by with a slimmer band. The problem is for 42mm Series 10 users who want to buy older bands or discontinued leather bands that are labelled 42mm.
Let’s not forget about 3rd party bands either, which only compounds the problem.
That being said, here are the rules for buying watch bands for your 42mm watch:
Series 3 or earlier - Look at the item description. If 42mm is paired with numbers above it (44mm, 45mm, 46mm, 49mm), it is compatible.
Series 10 - Look at the item description. If 42mm is paired with numbers below it (38mm, 40mm, 41mm), it is compatible.
If they advertise the band as 42mm by itself, God help you.
6 settings you must have for your Apple Watch
Whenever I get an Apple Watch (it’s a yearly thing for me), I always do these six things to give me peace of mind.
Note: You can setup most of these features on the Apple Watch under Settings, but it is easier to use the Watch app on your iPhone…
Whenever I get an Apple Watch (it’s a yearly thing for me), I always do these six things to give me peace of mind.
Note: You can setup most of these features on the Apple Watch under Settings, but it is easier to use the Watch app on your iPhone.
1. Add a passcode
This seems like a no-brainer, but our watches are now phones, whether we like it or not. There is too much sensitive data on our watches, and you don’t want anyone looking at your messages, emails, and photos, just to name a few apps. If you jump in the shower and take off your watch, all someone has to do is pick up your watch, and you just gave them access to your life.
You can choose between a simple 4-digit passcode, and go up to a 10-digit passcode. Pick what works for you, and get peace of mind.
Open the Watch app and go to Passcode, and follow the prompts to set up your passcode.
Adding a passcode is also the only way to get Apple Pay on your watch, which is #2 on my list.
2. Adding Apple Pay
I had an issue recently with my bank where I had a fraudulent transaction posted to my account. Someone somehow used my debit card and it was time to file a fraud claim. Of course I had to wait 5-7 business days to get my new card in the mail.
What I didn’t have to wait for was my digital card. I could login to my Bank’s app, and activate the digital card instantly. Having Apple Pay on my watch gave me the ability to purchase goods without having to resort to another credit card or bank account.
A more common occurrence is when you forget your iPhone or wallet, and now you can’t pay for anything. Having Apple Pay on your Apple Watch will bail you out in these all too common situations and once again, give you peace of mind.
Open the Watch app and go to Wallet & Apple Pay, and select which cards to add to your watch. If you scroll down, you can even Allow Payments on Mac and use your watch to confirm payments.
3. Unlock your Mac with Apple Watch
This is a handy feature that any Mac user can appreciate. It is compatible with macOS Sierra and onwards, so odds are it will work with your current Mac.
It works on my 2013 MacBook Pro.
On your Mac, go to Settings > Touch ID and Password and scroll all the way down to the Apple Watch section, where you can allow the Apple Watch to unlock your Mac. This is especially handy on older macbooks that don’t have Touch ID. Now you don’t have to be paranoid that someone might be watching you enter your password when your watch will unlock it for you, and give you peace of…you get the idea.
If you have an older mac with the older Settings menu, just search “Apple Watch” in Settings and you will see the option to unlock with Apple Watch.
4. Swipe to change watch faces
This used to be a staple feature of the Apple Watch, but now it is hidden. The draconian way of changing watch faces is to tap and hold your finger on the current watch face screen until it zooms out, swipe left or right to another watch face, and then tap your finger on the screen to select your new watch face. You can do this a lot faster and get access to more information by simply swiping from the edge of your screen to the next watch face, just like in the early days of the Apple Watch.
Open the Watch App and go to Clock, and toggle ON Swipe to Switch Watch Face.
5. Configure your Live Activities
This is a personal preference, but I would recommend setting up this feature from the get go so you’re not confused. Live Activities give you more upfront information about a particular activity, such as current media being played, workouts, parking timers, stopwatch, etc.
Think of it like Dynamic Island on your watch, except you get these cards at the beginning of your Smart Stack. This is nice when you’re playing a podcast and you want quick access to the pause and play buttons. However, it can also be annoying on other apps such as the ParkMobile app, where the information displayed is limited.
The ParkMobile Live Activity isn’t useful and clicking on the timer button on the right just tells you to “Open on iPhone.”
The great thing about Live Activities is you can customize which apps are shown.
Open the Watch App and go to Smart Stack. Here you can disable or enable Live Activities altogether, and if you do allow them, you can customize which apps get to have the Live Activity feature.
But do yourself a favor and disable Auto-Launch Live Activities. It’s just easier to access the Live Activities with a swipe up from your watch or by turning the Digital Crown when you want to, instead of fighting with it all the time when it pops up automatically.
There’s nothing more frustrating than trying to look at your watch and get some info from your complications (left), only to see that your Live Activities are automatically displayed with just the time and date (right).
6. Unlock your watch with your iPhone
Open the Watch App and go to Passcode, and toggle on Unlock with iPhone. Now once you unlock your iPhone, your watch will be unlocked as long as you are wearing it. This is great if you have a longer passcode for the watch.
People got iPhones for the holidays.
Amber Neely from AppleInsider:
This year, CNBC reported that Apple's "Move to iOS" app has made its way into the top 40 apps on the Google Play store. It is not terribly surprising — after all, many people are excited to set up their new devices, but not without ensuring all their files come with them.
I couldn’t find the actual CNBC report, but as of 12/27/24 at 3:28PM, the Move to iOS app on the Play Store is ranked #12.
How about Google’s Android Switch app on the App Store? It’s ranked #160…in the Utilities category.
Amber Neely from AppleInsider:
This year, CNBC reported that Apple's "Move to iOS" app has made its way into the top 40 apps on the Google Play store. It is not terribly surprising — after all, many people are excited to set up their new devices, but not without ensuring all their files come with them.
I couldn’t find the actual CNBC report, but as of 12/27/24 at 3:28PM, the Move to iOS app on the Play Store is ranked #12.
How about Google’s Android Switch app on the App Store? It’s ranked #160…in the Utilities category.
How to sync your Photos App in iOS 18
In certain situations, your photos on your iOS devices don’t sync automatically, such as when being on a cellular connection or being on Low Power Mode.
In iOS 17, it was really easy to resume sync by simply tapping Sync Now at the end of your Camera Roll.
In iOS 18, there is no Sync Now button at the end of your Camera Roll…
In certain situations, your photos on your iOS devices don’t sync automatically, such as when being on a cellular connection or being on Low Power Mode.
In iOS 17, it was really easy to resume sync by simply tapping Sync Now at the end of your Camera Roll.
In iOS 18, there is no Sync Now button at the end of your Camera Roll. You have to click on your iCloud account in the top right corner, and then hit the Sync Now button there.
Took me forever to find this setting.
Do you need a cellular plan on your Apple Watch?
My opinion on this matter mimics quite literally everything Jason Cross at Macworld said about this topic. For most people, you don’t need a cellular plan.
I’ve never even considered having a plan in the last 10 years.
Cross quotes a cellular plan at an extra $10/month, but with fees it’s closer to $15-$20 per month.
Everytime he finds a reason to need a cellular plan, he finds a valid excuse:
For example, if you’re a runner that wants to run outdoors without the awkwardness of an iPhone strapped to you somewhere, and don’t want to give up listening to music or a podcast, an Apple Watch streaming to your earbuds is a great solution. You can always download the music or podcast ahead of time—cellular would let you stream, but that’s a minor convenience…
I’ve seen reports of people who were glad they had their cellular Apple Watch to make a phone call when out on a hike without their iPhone, which I suppose could happen. But… you hike without your iPhone? You don’t want your camera with you, or the capability to connect to a satellite if you’re out of cellular range? (Emergency SOS via satellite isn’t a feature of the Apple Watch.)
The only real excuses?
The real benefit would be staying in touch via text or phone while out on your iPhone-free run…
Note that if you want to set up an Apple Watch for your child using a Kids account, it must have cellular. This is meant for a child that doesn’t have their own phone and ensures that you’ll always be able to locate them with Find My, send or receive texts or calls, and control their access to apps or notifications.
Most freak situations like swimming outdoors, paddle boarding, and surfing might warrant a cellular connection, but beyond that, your iPhone will likely be on your person or very close by.
Save yourself the $100 premium plus the monthly costs.
If you go stainless steel or titanium, the cellular capability will be built-in, but you don’t have to activate a plan.
For the record, I used a spare iPhone for my three young kids at $12/month with all fees included. The phone is given to the kid who will be away from home depending on their schedules.
My opinion on this matter mimics quite literally everything Jason Cross at Macworld said about this topic. For most people, you don’t need a cellular plan.
I’ve never even considered having a plan in the last 10 years.
Cross quotes a cellular plan at an extra $10/month, but with fees it’s closer to $15-$20 per month.
Everytime he finds a reason to need a cellular plan, he finds a valid excuse:
For example, if you’re a runner that wants to run outdoors without the awkwardness of an iPhone strapped to you somewhere, and don’t want to give up listening to music or a podcast, an Apple Watch streaming to your earbuds is a great solution. You can always download the music or podcast ahead of time—cellular would let you stream, but that’s a minor convenience…
I’ve seen reports of people who were glad they had their cellular Apple Watch to make a phone call when out on a hike without their iPhone, which I suppose could happen. But… you hike without your iPhone? You don’t want your camera with you, or the capability to connect to a satellite if you’re out of cellular range? (Emergency SOS via satellite isn’t a feature of the Apple Watch.)
The only real excuses?
The real benefit would be staying in touch via text or phone while out on your iPhone-free run…
Note that if you want to set up an Apple Watch for your child using a Kids account, it must have cellular. This is meant for a child that doesn’t have their own phone and ensures that you’ll always be able to locate them with Find My, send or receive texts or calls, and control their access to apps or notifications.
Most freak situations like swimming outdoors, paddle boarding, and surfing might warrant a cellular connection, but beyond that, your iPhone will likely be on your person or very close by.
Save yourself the $100 premium plus the monthly costs.
If you go stainless steel or titanium, the cellular capability will be built-in, but you don’t have to activate a plan.
For the record, I used a spare iPhone for my three young kids at $12/month with all fees included. The phone is given to the kid who will be away from home depending on their schedules.
The Right Way to Backup your iPhone.
Many people will be getting new iPhones this holiday season, and there’s nothing worse than having your transfer to another iPhone go bad without having a proper backup.
It’s easy to just backup your iPhone to iCloud, but there is a proper way to do it so you have little to no problems in case you need it.
Here is the proper way to backup your device to iCloud:
Update all your apps to the latest version in the App Store.
Force quit all your apps.
Restart your iPhone to remove any software gremlins running in the background.
Backup your iPhone to iCloud.
There is no 100% failsafe solution, but this method has always worked for me and gave me a reliable backup to fall back to.
Many people will be getting new iPhones this holiday season, and there’s nothing worse than having your transfer to another iPhone go bad without having a proper backup.
It’s easy to just backup your iPhone to iCloud, but there is a proper way to do it so you have little to no problems in case you need it.
Here is the proper way to backup your device to iCloud:
Update all your apps to the latest version in the App Store.
Force quit all your apps.
Restart your iPhone to remove any software gremlins running in the background.
Backup your iPhone to iCloud.
There is no 100% failsafe solution, but this method has always worked for me and gave me a reliable backup to fall back to.
Will the iPhone SE 3rd gen become a collector's item?
With the EU discontinuing any phone that does not have a USB-C port, that means aloha to the iPhone 14 and iPhone SE.
The iPhone SE by itself is a mediocre iPhone, but it has the potential to become a collector’s item one day.
It will probably be decades before it is, but it has a lot of “lasts” that make it unique as a collector’s item:
Last iPhone with a lightning port.
Last iPhone with an LCD screen.
Last iPhone with Touch ID(?).
Last iPhone with a Home Button.
Touch ID might return to an iPhone near you, but what won’t return is the Home Button.
One of the most iconic features of the iPhone era.
It doesn’t seem like a big deal right now, but it was the gateway to safety. The gateway back home.
No matter where you were on your phone, if you felt lost, you could always come home simply with a press.
In this case, a haptic press.
I passed up my chance to get the “Designed by Apple in California” book, when it was released, making the excuse that it was “too expensive.”
Retailing for $199 for the small version and $299 for the large version, that seems like peanuts now since they’re fetching over $1,000 online in excellent condition. I wanted to buy one to look at and one to keep as an investment, but it might be too late.
The iPhone SE is still readily available.
Apple Collectors, don’t lose your chance.
With the EU discontinuing any phone that does not have a USB-C port, that means aloha to the iPhone 14 and iPhone SE.
The iPhone SE by itself is a mediocre iPhone, but it has the potential to become a collector’s item one day.
It will probably be decades before it is, but it has a lot of “lasts” that make it unique as a collector’s item:
Last iPhone with a lightning port.
Last iPhone with an LCD screen.
Last iPhone with Touch ID(?).
Last iPhone with a Home Button.
Touch ID might return to an iPhone near you, but what won’t return is the Home Button.
One of the most iconic features of the iPhone era.
It doesn’t seem like a big deal right now, but it was the gateway to safety. The gateway back home.
No matter where you were on your phone, if you felt lost, you could always come home simply with a press.
In this case, a haptic press.
I passed up my chance to get the “Designed by Apple in California” book, when it was released, making the excuse that it was “too expensive.”
Retailing for $199 for the small version and $299 for the large version, that seems like peanuts now since they’re fetching over $1,000 online in excellent condition. I wanted to buy one to look at and one to keep as an investment, but it might be too late.
The iPhone SE is still readily available.
Apple Collectors, don’t lose your chance.
Apple Watch compatibility with iPhones.
There’s a slew of iPhones and Apple Watches out there, but not every watch is compatible with every iPhone. How do you get around the confusion?
Apple has a convenient website that lets you know what is compatible, but the chart does not help you if you own an iPhone SE.
I am here to fill in the gap so you know what is compatible with your iPhone SE 1st, 2nd, or 3rd generation. This will be updated as new iPhones, watches, and software updates are announced.
Here’s the link: Apple Watch Compatibility Chart (updated 12-22-24)
To find out what iPhone SE or Apple Watch model you have check out these links:
Identifying your Apple Watch model
Updated 12/22/24 @ 8PM: Spreadsheet was updated with more accurate iPhone SE compatibility.
There’s a slew of iPhones and Apple Watches out there, but not every watch is compatible with every iPhone. How do you get around the confusion?
Apple has a convenient website that lets you know what is compatible, but the chart does not help you if you own an iPhone SE.
I am here to fill in the gap so you know what is compatible with your iPhone SE 1st, 2nd, or 3rd generation. This will be updated as new iPhones, watches, and software updates are announced.
Here’s the link: Apple Watch Compatibility Chart (updated 12-22-24)
To find out what iPhone SE or Apple Watch model you have check out these links:
Identifying your Apple Watch model
Updated 12/22/24 @ 8PM: Spreadsheet was updated with more accurate iPhone SE compatibility.
Jet Black Apple Watch is the most luxurious Apple Watch of the year.
The Jet Black Apple Watch took all of us by surprise, and it has been 8 years since the last Apple product with Jet Black. I owned the Jet Black iPhone 7 Plus which was released in September 2016, but I couldn’t get my hands on it until November because of the long back-order for the Jet Black variant. Even though it was priced the same as all the other colors, it was the hardest one to buy.
It had a luxurious flow to it, with its smooth, glossy, and reflective outer shell. You could never really capture it well in photos since the highly polished body would always catch the light. It was a striking design that everyone wanted.
Now you can have that same experience with the Apple Watch.
You get the polished inky black body that seamlessly blends in with the OLED display, resembling a finely polished volcanic rock with a mirror shine, hand crafted by Jony Ive himself. That highly polished look is a twin of the stainless steel Space Black model from the original Apple Watch, which warranted a $100 premium over the regular stainless steel version. The only way you can tell the difference is if you hold them. The original stainless steel Space Black weighs 10g more than the Jet Black Series 10.
Sadly, this inky black color slowly made its way from being a standard stainless steel option to becoming an exclusive for the luxurious Apple Watch Hermès. The Titanium Edition Series 5-7 did get “Space Black” but I don’t consider that to be a true Space Black since it was gray and had a brushed finish.
The Space Black color has always been a premium product for Apple, as you can see over the course of the Apple Watch’s life:
Series 1 thru 4 - Space Black was a premium stainless steel model.
Series 5 - Space Black was available for the stainless steel and Hermès models.
Series 6 thru 9 - Space Black was available for the Hermès models. The “plebeian” stainless steel model now gets an inferior graphite coating with a dark gray look instead of the inky black.
Series 10 - inky black returns as Jet Black for the aluminum watches. (Polished slate titanium models are very close to Jet Black but lighter in color)
The official Space Black was a Diamond-like coating (DLC) which is more durable and expensive than the ink-based anodization on the Jet Black, but the look is the same.
So we have the same luxurious look with the deep blacks, but what about the display?
The Jet Black does have an Ion-X display which is more prone to scratching than the Sapphire display on the polished titanium models. Sapphire however, is more prone to shattering than the Ion-X display. Where the Ion-X display wins is it has noticeably less glare than Sapphire, which makes it easier to read in all lighting conditions. The only time where they are equal is in complete darkness.
Here is what DisplayMate said when they tested the Ion-X glass vs Sapphire:
In the dark both Apple Watch displays appear and perform identically, but in ambient light they appear and perform differently due to the difference in the Reflectance of Sapphire and Glass.
For the Apple Watch Sport with Ion-X Glass we measured the Screen Reflectance to be 4.7 percent, while for the Apple Watch with Sapphire we measured 8.2 percent Screen Reflectance, which is 74 percent higher than Glass. Both values are about 0.6 percent higher than just pure sapphire and glass alone, indicating that Apple has done an excellent job in optically bonding both the glass and sapphire to the OLED display without an air gap.
Having both a Series 9 with a Sapphire display and a Series 10 with a Ion-X display, the glare is apparent when I go to my Series 9. Sometimes I think my glasses have some oils on them, but it is just the glare from the Sapphire crystal. One could argue that Sapphire is a more luxurious material versus glass, but having a clearer display is more satisfying to look at.
Clarity is luxury in many spaces.
When it comes to dents and scratches on the actual body of the watch, this is where the titanium is more durable, but not necessarily more luxurious.
Once again, durable and luxury are not inclusive of each other. There are plenty of luxury items that are not durable, especially watches that don’t even have splash resistance. The Apple Watch would still be way more durable than even these ultra-expensive watches.
If you treat your watch well and get one with no defects, you can get a luxury experience out of the Jet Black Series 10. Any watch band that looks good on the Slate Titanium version will look the same or better on the Jet Black Aluminum.
If you plan on using your watch like a tool and are going to get it banged and dinged up, then go for the Titanium.
If you do plan on using your watch in more fancy environments, the Jet Black would be the better option and up to $300 cheaper.
However you look at it, watch enthusiasts who like to go dark got a special treat this year with Jet Black.
The Jet Black Apple Watch took all of us by surprise, and it has been 8 years since the last Apple product with Jet Black. I owned the Jet Black iPhone 7 Plus which was released in September 2016, but I couldn’t get my hands on it until November because of the long back-order for the Jet Black variant. Even though it was priced the same as all the other colors, it was the hardest one to buy.
It had a luxurious flow to it, with its smooth, glossy, and reflective outer shell. You could never really capture it well in photos since the highly polished body would always catch the light. It was a striking design that everyone wanted.
Now you can have that same experience with the Apple Watch.
You get the polished inky black body that seamlessly blends in with the OLED display, resembling a finely polished volcanic rock with a mirror shine, hand crafted by Jony Ive himself. That highly polished look is a twin of the stainless steel Space Black model from the original Apple Watch, which warranted a $100 premium over the regular stainless steel version. The only way you can tell the difference is if you hold them. The original stainless steel Space Black weighs 10g more than the Jet Black Series 10.
Sadly, this inky black color slowly made its way from being a standard stainless steel option to becoming an exclusive for the luxurious Apple Watch Hermès. The Titanium Edition Series 5-7 did get “Space Black” but I don’t consider that to be a true Space Black since it was gray and had a brushed finish.
The Space Black color has always been a premium product for Apple, as you can see over the course of the Apple Watch’s life:
Series 1 thru 4 - Space Black was a premium stainless steel model.
Series 5 - Space Black was available for the stainless steel and Hermès models.
Series 6 thru 9 - Space Black was available for the Hermès models. The “plebeian” stainless steel model now gets an inferior graphite coating with a dark gray look instead of the inky black.
Series 10 - inky black returns as Jet Black for the aluminum watches. (Polished slate titanium models are very close to Jet Black but lighter in color)
The official Space Black was a Diamond-like coating (DLC) which is more durable and expensive than the ink-based anodization on the Jet Black, but the look is the same.
So we have the same luxurious look with the deep blacks, but what about the display?
The Jet Black does have an Ion-X display which is more prone to scratching than the Sapphire display on the polished titanium models. Sapphire however, is more prone to shattering than the Ion-X display. Where the Ion-X display wins is it has noticeably less glare than Sapphire, which makes it easier to read in all lighting conditions. The only time where they are equal is in complete darkness.
Here is what DisplayMate said when they tested the Ion-X glass vs Sapphire:
In the dark both Apple Watch displays appear and perform identically, but in ambient light they appear and perform differently due to the difference in the Reflectance of Sapphire and Glass.
For the Apple Watch Sport with Ion-X Glass we measured the Screen Reflectance to be 4.7 percent, while for the Apple Watch with Sapphire we measured 8.2 percent Screen Reflectance, which is 74 percent higher than Glass. Both values are about 0.6 percent higher than just pure sapphire and glass alone, indicating that Apple has done an excellent job in optically bonding both the glass and sapphire to the OLED display without an air gap.
Having both a Series 9 with a Sapphire display and a Series 10 with a Ion-X display, the glare is apparent when I go to my Series 9. Sometimes I think my glasses have some oils on them, but it is just the glare from the Sapphire crystal. One could argue that Sapphire is a more luxurious material versus glass, but having a clearer display is more satisfying to look at.
Clarity is luxury in many spaces.
When it comes to dents and scratches on the actual body of the watch, this is where the titanium is more durable, but not necessarily more luxurious.
Once again, durable and luxury are not inclusive of each other. There are plenty of luxury items that are not durable, especially watches that don’t even have splash resistance. The Apple Watch would still be way more durable than even these ultra-expensive watches.
If you treat your watch well and get one with no defects, you can get a luxury experience out of the Jet Black Series 10. Any watch band that looks good on the Slate Titanium version will look the same or better on the Jet Black Aluminum.
If you plan on using your watch like a tool and are going to get it banged and dinged up, then go for the Titanium.
If you do plan on using your watch in more fancy environments, the Jet Black would be the better option and up to $300 cheaper.
However you look at it, watch enthusiasts who like to go dark got a special treat this year with Jet Black.
ChatGPT can now read your Apple Notes on Mac.
Tim Hardwick from MacRumors:
OpenAI has expanded the capabilities of its ChatGPT app for macOS, adding support for Apple Notes and a range of popular third-party apps. The update builds on last month's release that introduced the ability to read on-screen content from select Mac apps…
OpenAI says that users maintain full control over which apps ChatGPT can access, and all data handling follows the same OpenAI privacy protocols as the app's regular conversation history. The expanded app integration feature remains exclusive to paid subscribers, including ChatGPT Plus, Pro, Team, Enterprise, and Edu users.
You do have to give ChatGPT permission to use the app, but that’s a lot of sensitive data to give to a 3rd party application, especially one as controversial as ChatGPT. People store all kinds of data in their Notes, including passwords, personal reflections, Driver’s license, medical and financial information, you name it.
I’m a free user of ChatGPT, so I have nothing to worry about, for now.
Tim Hardwick from MacRumors:
OpenAI has expanded the capabilities of its ChatGPT app for macOS, adding support for Apple Notes and a range of popular third-party apps. The update builds on last month's release that introduced the ability to read on-screen content from select Mac apps…
OpenAI says that users maintain full control over which apps ChatGPT can access, and all data handling follows the same OpenAI privacy protocols as the app's regular conversation history. The expanded app integration feature remains exclusive to paid subscribers, including ChatGPT Plus, Pro, Team, Enterprise, and Edu users.
You do have to give ChatGPT permission to use the app, but that’s a lot of sensitive data to give to a 3rd party application, especially one as controversial as ChatGPT. People store all kinds of data in their Notes, including passwords, personal reflections, Driver’s license, medical and financial information, you name it.
I’m a free user of ChatGPT, so I have nothing to worry about, for now.
Why you should use Water Lock on your Apple Watch
You can easily screw yourself over if you don’t use the Water Lock feature on the Apple Watch.
Whether you are swimming or taking a shower, you need to turn it on or else your screen will do crazy things.
Water conducts electrons like our fingers and can register touches and gestures on the touch screen. If you’re in the shower, the overwhelming amount of water can cause unpredictable behavior on your watch.
I have had the following two scenarios happen to me because I forgot to turn on Water Lock when jumping in the shower:
My mail app was open, and the watch had swiped left on an email to delete it. I noticed it just in time, but I could have unknowingly lost an important email I couldn't’ afford to lose.
In a separate incident, I was getting out of the shower and I heard voices coming to me. I glanced at my watch and realized that I was on an active call with my mom who was trying to talk to figure out what the heck was going on!
Do yourself a favor, and turn on Water Lock before jumping in the shower. That way you won’t have to worry about your watch accidentally opening apps, calling people, or deleting your emails.
You can easily screw yourself over if you don’t use the Water Lock feature on the Apple Watch.
Whether you are swimming or taking a shower, you need to turn it on or else your screen will do crazy things.
Water conducts electrons like our fingers and can register touches and gestures on the touch screen. If you’re in the shower, the overwhelming amount of water can cause unpredictable behavior on your watch.
I have had the following two scenarios happen to me because I forgot to turn on Water Lock when jumping in the shower:
My mail app was open, and the watch had swiped left on an email to delete it. I noticed it just in time, but I could have unknowingly lost an important email I couldn't’ afford to lose.
In a separate incident, I was getting out of the shower and I heard voices coming to me. I glanced at my watch and realized that I was on an active call with my mom who was trying to talk to figure out what the heck was going on!
Do yourself a favor, and turn on Water Lock before jumping in the shower. That way you won’t have to worry about your watch accidentally opening apps, calling people, or deleting your emails.
When your passion becomes your bane.
Cate Twining-Ward from L.A. Times:
The first thing I do each morning is check my watch — not for the time but for my sleep score.
As a runner, when the glowing red letters say my score — and my training readiness — are poor, I feel an instant dread. Regardless, I scroll on, inspecting my heart rate variability and stress level — snapshots that influence the tone I carry into the day.
What does dreading my smartwatch’s interpretation of my athletic competence say about me? That I have become a pawn in the gamification of health data.
Last year, electronics represented one of the largest proportions of total Black Friday sales, according to Deloitte. That’s when I bought my first smartwatch, a Garmin.
This year, I’m throwing it away.
I was the perfect target. For several years, I had been preparing to run my first marathon. I watched fitness influencers, ultramarathoners and Olympians optimize their training with meticulous tracking and high-tech devices. I wanted in. I got the watch and joined Strava, a social media network for athletes.
Once I had a tracker on, sleep became sacred. I traded late-night socializing for it, confident that I’d cash in on race day. I built my day around my nights, transfixed by a false sense of control over my circadian rhythm.
Sleep, just like my running routine, had slowly morphed from a bodily function into a technological token of productivity.
I was hooked, emboldened by the illusion that I was training intuitively. I pushed hard when my Garmin nudged me, and even harder when I wanted to prove its metrics wrong. I began to run more for the PR (personal record) badge and “your fastest 5k!” notifications than for mental clarity and solitude.
I ran because I loved it, and because I loved it, I fell prey to the Strava-fication of it. Suddenly, I was no longer running for myself. I was running for public consumption.
I realized this only when it literally became painfully obvious. An MRI found that the lingering pain I’d been ignoring in my heels — something my watch hadn’t picked up on — was caused by four running-induced stress fractures.
Recovering from the injury forced me to be sedentary, and during that time I’ve thought a lot about the app-ification of exercise culture.
I’ve realized that health optimization tools — the ones marketed as necessary for better sleep, a lower resting heart rate, higher VO2 max (a measure of how much oxygen your body absorbs) and so on — are designed to profit off our fitness anxiety. We track ourselves this way and that way, obsessing over our shortcomings to no apparent end. In doing so, we are deprogrammed from listening to innate physiological signals and reprogrammed to create shadow experiences such as posting our detailed workout stats or running paths on digital walls that no one is looking at.
I’ve also learned that if you stop tracking, you will feel marginally but measurably better.
I don’t deny that today’s fitness gadgets are incredibly alluring, and in many ways tracking can be useful for training. I am convinced, however, that overreliance on the data collected by devices and apps — and the comparisons we draw from sharing it — can quickly corrupt and commodify what I find to be the true essence of running: being present.
When we aren’t tracking, when we are just doing, we can begin to reap the dull yet profound psychological benefits of endurance sports — the repetitive silence, the consistent failure — that can’t be captured in a post or monetized.
And when we endure the mundane and difficult aspects of a sport, over and over, we often make gains that are mindful as well as physical, becoming more aware of how and what we pay attention to. This is no small task. It takes discipline to remain aware, present and undistracted.
Exercise is a rare opportunity to allow our bodies’ movement to color our thoughts from one minute to the next. When we’re in motion, we don’t need to analyze our health metrics. We can learn to accept the moment and be humbled by our limitations.
Gift-giving season will attempt to convince you that you need devices to make your exercise more effective and efficient. There will be bright and beautiful advertisements featuring famous athletes. There will be a sleeker smartwatch and a cutting-edge GPS tracking shoe sole like that one Instagram keeps showing you. Be skeptical.
Freeing yourself, even temporarily, from the smartwatch or smartphone or smart-fill-in-the-blank that is tracking your every move is a challenge worth taking on. Because every walk or run or ride is a new story, and without fitness devices the path remains ours to choose.
I pasted the whole article here, because it has a nice flow and also describes something that a lot of people go through.
A phase many people have known too well for too long:
When your passion becomes your bane, to the point where you’re harming your body instead of helping it.
This is one of the reasons why I don’t track my health to an absurd amount. As a matter of fact, I don’t close my rings most of the time because I work in a sterile lab environment, and you can’t even wear your Apple Watch, or any jewelry for that matter.
I also don’t track my sleep with it because I work the graveyard shift 35% of the time, and 65% of the time I work a normal 9-5 routine. If I were to track my sleep and vitals obsessively, I know I would feel worse about it because objectively, it would be considered “non-optimal,” even though I have my own routine that works for me and my body.
I only track my rings on days that I formally workout, since I know I can hit my goals. I could pause my rings or change my daily calorie count which Apple allows with watchOS 11, but that is just too much work and too much tracking.
I’m not trying to turn my life into stats and data and be dictated by it.
The same thing goes for even writing on this blog and my passion for Apple products. There could be moments of excitement when new hardware gets announced, but if I was trying to beat the other websites for content, I know it would be a losing battle because I’m one guy vs teams of people.
That excitement would turn into a form of exhaustion since I can’t keep up with everybody else.
New Apple announcements would turn into a flurry of, “what should I write about to increase my view count?”
I’ve realized that it isn’t about the clicks and views, but it really comes down to writing because you actually care about the subject and you actually want to help people make good decisions, even if it is just one person.
Or maybe you just want to write about something that interests you and others who like your hobby, as a form of entertainment or nostalgia.
If you want to follow your passion and build something out of it, you need to take it easy and at a pace that is sustainable, or else you will get burned out.
You need to find that balance of passion, purpose, and consistency.
Cate Twining-Ward from L.A. Times:
The first thing I do each morning is check my watch — not for the time but for my sleep score.
As a runner, when the glowing red letters say my score — and my training readiness — are poor, I feel an instant dread. Regardless, I scroll on, inspecting my heart rate variability and stress level — snapshots that influence the tone I carry into the day.
What does dreading my smartwatch’s interpretation of my athletic competence say about me? That I have become a pawn in the gamification of health data.
Last year, electronics represented one of the largest proportions of total Black Friday sales, according to Deloitte. That’s when I bought my first smartwatch, a Garmin.
This year, I’m throwing it away.
I was the perfect target. For several years, I had been preparing to run my first marathon. I watched fitness influencers, ultramarathoners and Olympians optimize their training with meticulous tracking and high-tech devices. I wanted in. I got the watch and joined Strava, a social media network for athletes.
Once I had a tracker on, sleep became sacred. I traded late-night socializing for it, confident that I’d cash in on race day. I built my day around my nights, transfixed by a false sense of control over my circadian rhythm.
Sleep, just like my running routine, had slowly morphed from a bodily function into a technological token of productivity.
I was hooked, emboldened by the illusion that I was training intuitively. I pushed hard when my Garmin nudged me, and even harder when I wanted to prove its metrics wrong. I began to run more for the PR (personal record) badge and “your fastest 5k!” notifications than for mental clarity and solitude.
I ran because I loved it, and because I loved it, I fell prey to the Strava-fication of it. Suddenly, I was no longer running for myself. I was running for public consumption.
I realized this only when it literally became painfully obvious. An MRI found that the lingering pain I’d been ignoring in my heels — something my watch hadn’t picked up on — was caused by four running-induced stress fractures.
Recovering from the injury forced me to be sedentary, and during that time I’ve thought a lot about the app-ification of exercise culture.
I’ve realized that health optimization tools — the ones marketed as necessary for better sleep, a lower resting heart rate, higher VO2 max (a measure of how much oxygen your body absorbs) and so on — are designed to profit off our fitness anxiety. We track ourselves this way and that way, obsessing over our shortcomings to no apparent end. In doing so, we are deprogrammed from listening to innate physiological signals and reprogrammed to create shadow experiences such as posting our detailed workout stats or running paths on digital walls that no one is looking at.
I’ve also learned that if you stop tracking, you will feel marginally but measurably better.
I don’t deny that today’s fitness gadgets are incredibly alluring, and in many ways tracking can be useful for training. I am convinced, however, that overreliance on the data collected by devices and apps — and the comparisons we draw from sharing it — can quickly corrupt and commodify what I find to be the true essence of running: being present.
When we aren’t tracking, when we are just doing, we can begin to reap the dull yet profound psychological benefits of endurance sports — the repetitive silence, the consistent failure — that can’t be captured in a post or monetized.
And when we endure the mundane and difficult aspects of a sport, over and over, we often make gains that are mindful as well as physical, becoming more aware of how and what we pay attention to. This is no small task. It takes discipline to remain aware, present and undistracted.
Exercise is a rare opportunity to allow our bodies’ movement to color our thoughts from one minute to the next. When we’re in motion, we don’t need to analyze our health metrics. We can learn to accept the moment and be humbled by our limitations.
Gift-giving season will attempt to convince you that you need devices to make your exercise more effective and efficient. There will be bright and beautiful advertisements featuring famous athletes. There will be a sleeker smartwatch and a cutting-edge GPS tracking shoe sole like that one Instagram keeps showing you. Be skeptical.
Freeing yourself, even temporarily, from the smartwatch or smartphone or smart-fill-in-the-blank that is tracking your every move is a challenge worth taking on. Because every walk or run or ride is a new story, and without fitness devices the path remains ours to choose.
I pasted the whole article here, because it has a nice flow and also describes something that a lot of people go through.
A phase many people have known too well for too long:
When your passion becomes your bane, to the point where you’re harming your body instead of helping it.
This is one of the reasons why I don’t track my health to an absurd amount. As a matter of fact, I don’t close my rings most of the time because I work in a sterile lab environment, and you can’t even wear your Apple Watch, or any jewelry for that matter.
I also don’t track my sleep with it because I work the graveyard shift 35% of the time, and 65% of the time I work a normal 9-5 routine. If I were to track my sleep and vitals obsessively, I know I would feel worse about it because objectively, it would be considered “non-optimal,” even though I have my own routine that works for me and my body.
I only track my rings on days that I formally workout, since I know I can hit my goals. I could pause my rings or change my daily calorie count which Apple allows with watchOS 11, but that is just too much work and too much tracking.
I’m not trying to turn my life into stats and data and be dictated by it.
The same thing goes for even writing on this blog and my passion for Apple products. There could be moments of excitement when new hardware gets announced, but if I was trying to beat the other websites for content, I know it would be a losing battle because I’m one guy vs teams of people.
That excitement would turn into a form of exhaustion since I can’t keep up with everybody else.
New Apple announcements would turn into a flurry of, “what should I write about to increase my view count?”
I’ve realized that it isn’t about the clicks and views, but it really comes down to writing because you actually care about the subject and you actually want to help people make good decisions, even if it is just one person.
Or maybe you just want to write about something that interests you and others who like your hobby, as a form of entertainment or nostalgia.
If you want to follow your passion and build something out of it, you need to take it easy and at a pace that is sustainable, or else you will get burned out.
You need to find that balance of passion, purpose, and consistency.
Is an 11-year old MacBook still usable in 2024?
I posted about this last year, but the 2013 15-inch MacBook Pro with the 2GB NVIDIA GT 750M graphics card, 1TB SSD, and 16GB of RAM still holds up well today. I recently went on a 3-day work trip, and I took this laptop as my primary laptop. I had my work desktop as a backup computer if anything went wrong, but everything worked out just fine.
I left the base model M1 Air at home even though it would run circles around this beast from 2013. It is always nice to retreat back to a 15.4 inch screen. The M1 Air is obviously the better choice for portability, but I was using the 15-incher as a desktop. I had it elevated on a stand, and paired it with the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID. Plugged in a USB-A mouse, and I was good to go. No, Touch ID does not work on the Magic Keyboard, but everything else does. When I did need to use Apple Pay, I had my watch and my iPhone nearby, so it wasn’t an issue when I had to buy lunch, or anything else that caught my eye online.
When I got back to the hotel, I just used the laptop’s keyboard and trackpad, a delightful and reliable experience. This is pre-butterfly keyboard mayhem.
The most limiting factor about this laptop for me is ironically, the blog platform for my website, which is Squarespace. In the past, Squarespace was the Achilles’ heel as it would constantly cause the fans to spin up and slow down this computer. I eventually took a hiatus from blogging, and when I came back months later, I noticed that Squarespace had changed its design and layout and updated their platform altogether. I was skeptical if a 2013 laptop would keep up, especially now that it has been improved with a more modern UI.
To my surprise it actually performed better than before! Whatever optimizations Squarespace did in the background ended up breathing new life into this machine. Still not as fast as a modern computer, but nothing that would make you call it a slow machine and make you want to hurl it down the street after typing for 15 minutes, only to find out that nothing was saved due to website errors and not pressing the save button frequently enough. I used to blame the laptop for those issues before, but in hindsight, maybe it was Squarespace that was the kink in the armor?
It just goes to show that software optimization can go a long way in making an old computer work like new.
Not everything is great, of course, since we are still talking about an 11-year old laptop. The battery life is at best 3 hours, which is good enough for me and probably most people who would use this as a backup computer. Once again my main use for this laptop was as a desktop, and the hardest I pushed it would be using Squarespace while doing some graphical work in Canva. I would also have the typical Apple apps open in the background, such as Mail, Safari, Notes, and Apple News. Safari works fine and you can easily browse any website with no issues, including YouTube.
When I bought it in 2018, I paid around $800 for it. Now, you can get these for $300 at the high end, which is insane. I’m not saying you should buy this laptop, since for another $300 you could get an M1 Air that is miles ahead of this Intel based laptop. What I am trying to say is, if you have one of these lying around, you should definitely give it another life.
Maybe you know someone who wants to try macOS but doesn’t want to take the plunge? Let them borrow this for a while. Or you have a child who needs a real computer (sorry Chromebooks, and iPads).
If you do want to tinker around and get one, remember to get the right spec. It has to have 16GB of RAM since that is not user upgradeable, and you should get the GT 750M graphics. It helps a ton. For more details, check out Louis Rossman’s video about which older Macs are worth buying. Remember, this video came out during the butterfly keyboard era, and also before Apple introduced the M1 chip.
Unfortunately if you need to buy a charger, they’re still $80 brand new for a real one. Don’t get a fake one and burn your house down.
I posted about this last year, but the 2013 15-inch MacBook Pro with the 2GB NVIDIA GT 750M graphics card, 1TB SSD, and 16GB of RAM still holds up well today. I recently went on a 3-day work trip, and I took this laptop as my primary laptop. I had my work desktop as a backup computer if anything went wrong, but everything worked out just fine.
I left the base model M1 Air at home even though it would run circles around this beast from 2013. It is always nice to retreat back to a 15.4 inch screen. The M1 Air is obviously the better choice for portability, but I was using the 15-incher as a desktop. I had it elevated on a stand, and paired it with the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID. Plugged in a USB-A mouse, and I was good to go. No, Touch ID does not work on the Magic Keyboard, but everything else does. When I did need to use Apple Pay, I had my watch and my iPhone nearby, so it wasn’t an issue when I had to buy lunch, or anything else that caught my eye online.
When I got back to the hotel, I just used the laptop’s keyboard and trackpad, a delightful and reliable experience. This is pre-butterfly keyboard mayhem.
The most limiting factor about this laptop for me is ironically, the blog platform for my website, which is Squarespace. In the past, Squarespace was the Achilles’ heel as it would constantly cause the fans to spin up and slow down this computer. I eventually took a hiatus from blogging, and when I came back months later, I noticed that Squarespace had changed its design and layout and updated their platform altogether. I was skeptical if a 2013 laptop would keep up, especially now that it has been improved with a more modern UI.
To my surprise it actually performed better than before! Whatever optimizations Squarespace did in the background ended up breathing new life into this machine. Still not as fast as a modern computer, but nothing that would make you call it a slow machine and make you want to hurl it down the street after typing for 15 minutes, only to find out that nothing was saved due to website errors and not pressing the save button frequently enough. I used to blame the laptop for those issues before, but in hindsight, maybe it was Squarespace that was the kink in the armor?
It just goes to show that software optimization can go a long way in making an old computer work like new.
Not everything is great, of course, since we are still talking about an 11-year old laptop. The battery life is at best 3 hours, which is good enough for me and probably most people who would use this as a backup computer. Once again my main use for this laptop was as a desktop, and the hardest I pushed it would be using Squarespace while doing some graphical work in Canva. I would also have the typical Apple apps open in the background, such as Mail, Safari, Notes, and Apple News. Safari works fine and you can easily browse any website with no issues, including YouTube.
When I bought it in 2018, I paid around $800 for it. Now, you can get these for $300 at the high end, which is insane. I’m not saying you should buy this laptop, since for another $300 you could get an M1 Air that is miles ahead of this Intel based laptop. What I am trying to say is, if you have one of these lying around, you should definitely give it another life.
Maybe you know someone who wants to try macOS but doesn’t want to take the plunge? Let them borrow this for a while. Or you have a child who needs a real computer (sorry Chromebooks, and iPads).
If you do want to tinker around and get one, remember to get the right spec. It has to have 16GB of RAM since that is not user upgradeable, and you should get the GT 750M graphics. It helps a ton. For more details, check out Louis Rossman’s video about which older Macs are worth buying. Remember, this video came out during the butterfly keyboard era, and also before Apple introduced the M1 chip.
Unfortunately if you need to buy a charger, they’re still $80 brand new for a real one. Don’t get a fake one and burn your house down.
Passwords App on iPhone and Mac - one huge security difference.
I was reading about Microsoft’s AI based Recall feature, and I thought to myself, what if that feature was on the Mac? Would sensitive information be blurred out when screenshots were automatically being captured?
I was reading about Microsoft’s AI based Recall feature, and I thought to myself, what if that feature was on the Mac? Would sensitive information be blurred out when screenshots were automatically being captured?
The most sensitive app on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac is the Passwords app, and if it were to be “screenshotted,” it should blur the passwords.
On iOS and iPadOS, the Passwords app blurs all passwords when you take a screenshot. Even if you want to display the password in large type, the whole screenshot is a giant white blank screen, which is awesome. Even if the password field is obscured with dots (•••••••••••), taking a screenshot makes that whole field completely blank so you don’t even know how long the password is.
Here are 4 screenshots on iOS, showing the completely blank password field:
Now compare that to what you actually see when you are in the Passwords app on iOS (or iPadOS):
In general, iOS and iPadOS do a great job of obscuring your password when taking a screenshot in their app.
On macOS, that is not the case.
I opened the Passwords app and started taking screenshots, and it faithfully captures everything your eyes can see:
If your password is hidden with dots, you will see the dots.
If you hover over your password revealing itself and then you take a screenshot, you will see the password.
If you choose the option to display the password in large type and then take a screenshot, you will see the password.
This is the complete opposite of iOS and iPadOS, and something Apple should address.
This might not be a security risk, but it can be in certain scenarios:
You save your screenshots to the cloud by default, making your passwords exposed to other individuals who might share the same iCloud folders as you.
You have multiple monitors and your passwords app is on your secondary (or tertiary) monitor. Many people don’t know or forget that when you take a screenshot, all of your monitors are being captured.
You have a custom mouse that has hotkeys for screenshotting, and you accidentally capture screenshots without your knowledge.
If this Recall feature was on macOS today, would you even want to open your Passwords app, knowing that the computer is taking screenshots in the background and capturing your sensitive information?
Imagine if your computer constantly was taking screenshots of your activity…
Not to worry, because Microsoft has a beta feature called Recall. Here is what it does in a nutshell:
If you opt in to the feature, then as you use your PC, a snapshot of your active screen will be saved every few seconds and when the content of your active window changes. Snapshots are also protected with Windows Hello, so that you are the only signed in user can access Recall content. Recall allows you to search for content, including both images and text, using the clues you remember. Trying to remember the name of the sustainable restaurant you saw last week? Just ask Recall and it retrieves both text and visual matches for your search, automatically sorted by how closely the results match your search. Recall can even jump back into the content you saw.
How safe is it?
To use Recall you need to opt in to saving snapshots, which are screenshots of your activity. Snapshots and the contextual information derived from them are saved and encrypted to your local hard drive. Recall does not share snapshots or associated data with Microsoft or third parties, nor is it shared between different Windows users on the same device. Windows will ask for your permission before saving snapshots. You are always in control, and you can delete snapshots, pause or turn them off at any time. Any future options for the user to share data will require fully informed explicit action by the user.
Do we really need our computer to constantly take screenshots of our online activity? Sounds overboard, even if the information is encrypted locally. I know that if Apple were to do something like this for the Mac, I would keep it disabled. Thankfully this feature is an opt-in feature for Windows users.
Since it is still in beta, there are still lots of security risks since Recall has trouble discerning sensitive websites and screenshots sensitive information.
Not to worry, because Microsoft has a beta feature called Recall. Here is what it does in a nutshell:
If you opt in to the feature, then as you use your PC, a snapshot of your active screen will be saved every few seconds and when the content of your active window changes. Snapshots are also protected with Windows Hello, so that you are the only signed in user can access Recall content. Recall allows you to search for content, including both images and text, using the clues you remember. Trying to remember the name of the sustainable restaurant you saw last week? Just ask Recall and it retrieves both text and visual matches for your search, automatically sorted by how closely the results match your search. Recall can even jump back into the content you saw.
How safe is it?
To use Recall you need to opt in to saving snapshots, which are screenshots of your activity. Snapshots and the contextual information derived from them are saved and encrypted to your local hard drive. Recall does not share snapshots or associated data with Microsoft or third parties, nor is it shared between different Windows users on the same device. Windows will ask for your permission before saving snapshots. You are always in control, and you can delete snapshots, pause or turn them off at any time. Any future options for the user to share data will require fully informed explicit action by the user.
Do we really need our computer to constantly take screenshots of our online activity? Sounds overboard, even if the information is encrypted locally. I know that if Apple were to do something like this for the Mac, I would keep it disabled. Thankfully this feature is an opt-in feature for Windows users.
Since it is still in beta, there are still lots of security risks since Recall has trouble discerning sensitive websites and screenshots sensitive information.
Taking a screenshot on your Apple Watch also pauses your workout.
I was trying to flex a bit and wanted to show my peeps when I hit Zone 5 in my workout, with a heartbeat of 169 bpm. I’m sure many people do the same thing since Apple lets you share your rings and workout status with others. It was a new milestone and made me happy, but it also made me realize that if you hit the side button and the Digital Crown at the same time, it also pauses your workout.
I only found that out when my watch notified me a few minutes later if I still wanted to continue my workout.
“What do you mean continue my workout? I’ve been working out for a while now!”
As surprised as I was, I hit yes and kept going.
I did the screenshot button combo again, and sure enough, it paused my workout. Not a glitch, but a “feature.”
So the next time you want to take a screenshot of your active workout, make sure you unpause the workout right away.
I was trying to flex a bit and wanted to show my peeps when I hit Zone 5 in my workout, with a heartbeat of 169 bpm. I’m sure many people do the same thing since Apple lets you share your rings and workout status with others. It was a new milestone and made me happy, but it also made me realize that if you hit the side button and the Digital Crown at the same time, it also pauses your workout.
I only found that out when my watch notified me a few minutes later if I still wanted to continue my workout.
“What do you mean continue my workout? I’ve been working out for a while now!”
As surprised as I was, I hit yes and kept going.
I did the screenshot button combo again, and sure enough, it paused my workout. Not a glitch, but a “feature.”
So the next time you want to take a screenshot of your active workout, make sure you unpause the workout right away.
Will Apple make a new router?
Ryan Christoffel from 9to5Mac:
Apple is reportedly moving away from using Broadcom’s combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chips in its devices.
The replacement? Apple’s own in-house solution.
The company will start using its own Wi-Fi chip across a wide range of devices.
In 2025 that means:
iPhone 17
new Apple TV
new HomePod mini
and likely the HomePad too
Then in 2026, iPads and Macs will adopt the new chip as well.
Apple’s goal is to develop an end-to-end wireless approach that is tightly integrated with its other components and more energy-efficient…With a homegrown wireless chip in Apple’s smart home devices, the products will work more closely together and potentially synchronize data more quickly
Apple controlling the Wi-Fi chips in its devices, combined with its renewed ambitions for home devices, sparks fresh hope for a new AirPort router to appear.
This only makes sense.
Apple is taking their vertical integration to the next level, and they have been hugely successful with the M-line of chips for the Mac. One could argue the M line of chips saved the Mac.
Why have all these wireless services working together, only to have the heart of the system controlled by a 3rd party manufacturer?
Apple’s services industry is on a rapid incline, and having their own wireless infrastructure in each home once again, just makes sense.
Ryan Christoffel from 9to5Mac:
Apple is reportedly moving away from using Broadcom’s combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chips in its devices.
The replacement? Apple’s own in-house solution.
The company will start using its own Wi-Fi chip across a wide range of devices.
In 2025 that means:
● iPhone 17
● new Apple TV
● new HomePod mini
● and likely the HomePad too
Then in 2026, iPads and Macs will adopt the new chip as well.
Apple’s goal is to develop an end-to-end wireless approach that is tightly integrated with its other components and more energy-efficient…With a homegrown wireless chip in Apple’s smart home devices, the products will work more closely together and potentially synchronize data more quickly
Apple controlling the Wi-Fi chips in its devices, combined with its renewed ambitions for home devices, sparks fresh hope for a new AirPort router to appear.
This only makes sense.
Apple is taking their vertical integration to the next level, and they have been hugely successful with the M-line of chips for the Mac. One could argue the M line of chips saved the Mac.
Why have all these wireless services working together, only to have the heart of the system controlled by a 3rd party manufacturer?
Apple’s services industry is on a rapid incline, and having their own wireless infrastructure in each home, once again, just makes sense.
The coolest app for tracking and purchasing hard to find Apple Watch bands.
Bandbreite is by far the best app (and website) for Apple Watch band collectors. Even if you don’t collect bands and are just a fan of the Apple Watch, it is a nice repository of every band Apple has released.
From the original bands to Apple Watch Edition to special International bands, you can find all the details you will ever need in the app. You can even add bands to your wish list and if you live in certain European countries, you can even buy discontinued bands at a reasonable price.
Here is what Bandbreite says about availability:
There's always that one band missing, right? We partnered with SB Supply, which has a growing and frequently changing collection of officially discontinued bands. A collection from a reliable partner, which is always worth to keep a look at. Complete our collection or get a new band that best suits your taste for a discounted price. Starting at 34,90 Euro all original bands are brand-new and sealed.
Available for users in the European Union only, with dedicated websites for Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands.
A friendly reminder that the UK is no longer part of the European Union.
You support the creators of your favourite app by using the links below. Make sure your region is selected before visiting the website, or choose EU if your country is not available as option.
If you’re one of the lucky European Union countries, check out SB Supply.
Bandbreite is by far the best app (and website) for Apple Watch band collectors. Even if you don’t collect bands and are just a fan of the Apple Watch, it is a nice repository of every band Apple has released.
From the original bands to Apple Watch Edition to special International bands, you can find all the details you will ever need in the app. You can even add bands to your wish list and if you live in certain European countries, you can even buy discontinued bands at a reasonable price.
Here is what Bandbreite says about availability:
There's always that one band missing, right? We partnered with SB Supply, which has a growing and frequently changing collection of officially discontinued bands. A collection from a reliable partner, which is always worth to keep a look at. Complete our collection or get a new band that best suits your taste for a discounted price. Starting at 34,90 Euro all original bands are brand-new and sealed.
Available for users in the European Union only, with dedicated websites for Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands.
A friendly reminder that the UK is no longer part of the European Union.
You support the creators of your favourite app by using the links below. Make sure your region is selected before visiting the website, or choose EU if your country is not available as option.
If you’re one of the lucky European Union countries, check out SB Supply.
Can you bundle a different colored Titanium Milanese Loop when buying an Apple Watch Ultra 2?
No, you cannot buy a different colored Titanium Milanese Loop bundled with an Apple Watch Ultra 2 online or in-store. You have to buy it separate for an additional $200.
I made a promise and went to an Apple Store yesterday to confirm if it can be done in person, but the result is the same. You are only allowed to buy the same colored Titanium Milanese Loop with your Ultra 2.
It’s a shame because you can save $100 bucks by buying the mismatched band instead of having to buy one of their non-metal bands plus the Milanese loop separately.
Sometimes you can do certain things in-store vs online, but not in this case.
No, you cannot buy a different colored Titanium Milanese Loop bundled with an Apple Watch Ultra 2 online or in-store. You have to buy it separate for an additional $200.
I made a promise and went to an Apple Store yesterday to confirm if it can be done in person, but the result is the same. You are only allowed to buy the same colored Titanium Milanese Loop with your Ultra 2.
It’s a shame because you can save $100 bucks by buying the mismatched band instead of having to buy one of their non-metal bands plus the Milanese loop separately.
Sometimes you can do certain things in-store vs online, but not in this case.