The Black Unity Apple Watch is only available this month, February 2021. It will start at 599SGD, just like all the other Series 6 Apple Watches.
The Black Unity Sport Band will be available until the end of 2021. It will cost 69SGD.
Read about the introduction here.
One of the perks of getting the iPad Pro or the 4th generation iPad Air is the ability to use a first party Apple keyboard+trackpad accessory with your iPad.
The Apple Magic Keyboard (for iPad Air and iPad Pro 11”), unlike Apple’s Smart Keyboard and Smart Keyboard Folios, provide a all-in-one form factor to use the full mouse trackpad functionality that debuted in iPad OS 13.4 without a separate bluetooth mouse.
Third party options, usually from Logitech, while usable are usually clunky and inelegant. They also have bad reviews about their reliability and ability to stand the passage of time.
The biggest complaint of the Magic Keyboard has to be its price, which at 439SGD, is almost the price of a brand new 8th generation iPad.
However, now it is available at Amazon US, for a limited time, at the low price of 199USD (roughly 264SGD), representing a saving of 175SGD.
It is unlikely to stay at this pricing for now, so anyone interested should snag one immediately before it is too late.
Dead Bird Pic by Tiia Monto, Creative Commons.
Tweetbot 6 has just been released and it has adopted the dreaded subscription pricing structure. It now cost 6 USD per year to use.
There are almost no new features in Tweetbot 6 worth paying for. It is therefore not a good idea to pay for the subscription just yet. Like all previous versions of Tweetbot, Tweetbot 5 is still available in the purchased apps section of the App Store, and is modernized enough that it will probably work for many more years (Tweetbot 3 still works, apparently).
To express your displeasure, download Tweetbot 6 to rate it one star.
If you have not bought Tweetbot 5 and are looking for alternatives that do not involve subscription pricing, Aviary and Fenix are two good Twitter apps.
Well, this really came out of nowhere.
This is Apple’s first limited edition Apple Watch since the NikeLab Series 2 Apple Watch with the Light Bone/Black Nike Sport Band.
The watch itself looks like the usual Series 6 Space Grey Aluminium watch with special engraving on the ceramic back, and will only be available in February, while the Black Unity Sport Band will also be available separately throughout 2021 if you don’t buy the watch. It is likely that the packaging (boxes) will be different from the usual white (or nike black) ones, which will be of interest to collectors.
The Black Unity Sport Band is created in the same way that the 2020 Pride band was created, by fusing two different band colours into one single band. Seems like more bands created with this technique will be coming out in the future.
“Limited edition” is extremely tempting, but I really do not need another Apple Watch (and I am out of work). Maybe I will just fork out money for the band. We will see.
They will go on sale from February 1st.
John Ternus, the person most associated with the recent Mac resurgence in Apple, is now taking over as SVP of hardware engineering. This can only mean greater things for the Mac.
John Ternus came into the public eye during Apple’s announcement in 2017 that it was taking steps to further its efforts in the Mac line, as well as the development of the 2019 Mac Pro. Since then, John Ternus have always been present for the biggest Mac hardware announcements, including the recent M1 event.
With Apple Silicon being the big winner for Apple for the foreseeable future, we can only expect greater things to come with John Ternus at the helm of all hardware.
The AirPods Pro deal of the century (exaggerated) is back again
The AirPods Pro are the perfect Valentine’s Day gift for your girlfriend or wife. Considering the lead time for package forwarding from the US, the perfect time to buy is now.
Apple has been making first party iPhone cases for several years by now, but I have largely steered clear of buying them due to their higher prices and lack of full coverage of the body (iPhone 6 to 11 cases). They offer less than ideal protection, does not show off the beauty of the iPhone body, and cost 2 to 5 times the prices of the most popular iPhone cases on the market. To me the official Apple cases were a no go.
With the introduction of the iPhone 12, and the return to a iPhone 5-like form factor, the Apple official cases now cover the phone bodies completely. On top of that, they officially support MagSafe, enhancing the strength of the hold of the MagSafe Charger to the phone. The Apple cases also now show an interesting animation on the display when they are put on the iPhones, with their colours reflected in the animation, The iPhone 12 Apple cases are therefore quite a bit better than their predecessors. However, they also carry a higher price tag.
I managed to purchase an official Apple Silicon Case for the iPhone 12 mini in Dark Navy at a price lower than the MSRP. After using it for more than a month, I have some thoughts.
The official Apple Silicone cases are made of a material called liquid silicone, which gives it a very rubbery feel, increasing the grip when you hold the phone in your hand, but also picks up lint every time the phone is in your pocket. They are quite a bit different from most of the other cases in the market, which typically use TPU, Polycarbonate, or a combination of both. There is also a microfibre lining on the inside, presumably to keep the back of your iPhone clean when it is inside the case.
I find the rubbery surface both extremely helpful in maintaining my grip, but also extremely uncomfortable to touch. The microfibre lining may also trap dust and make it harder to clean, causing scratches over time as the trapped dust rubs against the back of the phone. It is
I like the hold of the magnets to the MagSafe charger, as it is way stronger than when I was using the iPhone 12 mini with the Spigen Ultra Hybrid (TPU sides with Polycarbonate back). The Apple MagSafe Wallet will likely be more secured with the MagSafe case than with a random third party case. The stronger hold also means that it will work with chargers that are meant to hold the iPhone suspended in mid air by MagSafe, like the Belkin 3-in-1 wireless charger with MagSafe.
Will I buy another one? Yes, if I can get it at a discounted price, definitely. Will I recommend it for everyone? It really depends. For most people the MagSafe ecosystem is not a necessity, and diving into it requires a bunch of spare cash. Third party cases with MagSafe-like magnets built in can be a cheaper alternative, but the quality control on those are suspect, as online reviews have shown that more than a few have less than ideal magnet strength. The iPhone 12 works with normal Qi chargers, and MagSafe is ultimately a nice to have, at least until the time when Apple removes the Lightning port from the iPhones.
It’s less than three days from Christmas! Have you already prepared presents for your loved ones? Or have you totally forgotten that 2020 is near its end?
If your loved one/s are big Apple or iPhones fans, and you have already made up your mind to gift them an Apple this Thursday night or Friday, you will need to act fast.
It is unlikely that deliveries will make it in time, so your best bet is buying from the three Apple Stores locally. However, due to COVID-19 you can no longer just walk into any Apple Store without an appointment, so the way to go is to purchase online and do an in-store pickup.
The iPhone 12 mini or the iPhone 12 Pro Max
I have previously detailed why I think these two models are the ones to check out. Even as reports are coming in that initial sales of the 12 mini are lackluster, you will likely know what size of phone your loved one needs. The 12 mini is small and cute, and light on your wallet. The 12 Pro Max, the favorite for Singaporeans who can never get enough of the best things, is an investment but one that is worthy for your loved one.
Stock Status:
The iPhone 12 and 12 mini are in stock in almost every capacity in each of the three Apple Stores.
The 12 Pro, however, are mostly out of stock with the exception of the 512GB models. The 256 models are in stock only at Apple Orchard.
The 12 Pro Max is fully in stock in every color and capacity with the exception of 128GB Silver being unavailable at Apple MBS.
M1 MacBook Air
Now, if your kid or girlfriend has a old-as-hell laptop, it is likely time to get them the best laptop the computing industry has ever witnessed in three decades – the M1 MacBook Air.
Stock Status:
The space grey models are completely out of stock, with only sporadic availability for the gold and silver models. I personally prefer the gold, but you will know if the recipient is not a gold kind of person if you are spending this kind of money on time. Do act fast if you are intending to buy the MacBook Air. Like right now.
AirPods or Beats (selected models)
If you are buying something for someone you just met, or you are simply too broke to afford anything more, the Apple and Beats’ range of earphones are a good idea. However, you can almost always get them at a cheaper price elsewhere, so buying directly from Apple may not be the best idea. Maybe a promise that they will get their present when it arrives in Singapore will suffice for Christmas Eve.
These are the ones to go for: AirPods, AirPods Pro, Powerbeats, Powerbeats Pro and the Beats Flex. The Beats Flex you can buy from Apple since they are unlikely to be cheaper elsewhere for now. For the Powerbeats and Powerbeats Pro, take note that they may not fit every ear.
iPad Air
If your loved one seldom uses the computer at home, or already has a new-ish computer, the new iPad Air may be your answer. However, due to their popularity, you are unlikely to find many models in stock locally.
Stock Status:
Only the Sky Blue 64GB wifi models are in stock at one or two of the Apple Stores (Jewel and MBS), and Rose Gold 256GB wifi at MBS. Maybe hitting up resellers is a better choice if you want an iPad Air by Friday.
The Apple Watch
Finally, i think the Apple product that is best suited as a Christmas Present is the Apple Watch.
The Apple Watch is one of the Apple items that may not be in every iPhone user’s hands yet, maybe because they do not want to fork out the cash to test something they have no experience with, or they simply do not have the habit of wearing watches for them to fork out the extra cash. Gifting the Apple Watch, will open these people’s minds to the idea of having an accessory that does things that they do not expect their iPhones to do, or even features that they think they needed before.
The Apple Watch spans such a huge range of prices that they literally fit everyone’s budget. You can gift a kid an affordable Series 3, or gift your wife an expensive Hermes Apple Watch. The Edition and Stainless Steel models are practically jewellery. The SE is a good gift for your parents to track their health, and the Series 6 is good for anyone who wants to be at the forefront of Apple tech. Unless the recipient is a watch snob, or someone who always have scratched watches on their wrists, I do not know any iPhone user who will be unhappy to receive one.
Stock Status:
Take note, that the Hermes are hard to find in stock, especially with the wide range of band options. The Apple Watch Edition Titanium models are much easier to find, even though not every band is available everywhere.
All the Series 6 and SE aluminium and stainless steel models are in stock at all stores (not every band is), including the Red and Blue models.
Tip 1: If you are set on buying a Space Grey or Silver Aluminum model, buy the Nike+ ones. They cost exactly the same but have Nike+ model specific watch faces that you cannot get with the normal models. The only catch is that you have to choose from the available Nike+ bands to pair with the watch.
Tip 2: Always use the Apple Watch Studio to find your favourite watch and band pairing instead of just selecting one of the default Apple pairings on their site.
Tip 3: Unless you are absolutely sure of the recipient’s wrist size (even the Apple tool can get it wrong), do not order the Apple Watch with any of the Solo loops. It will be a pain in the arse to get it exchanged as many sizes and colours are in and out of stock all the time. Get the Sport Band or the Sport Loop, or any of the leather options if you want something high class.
What are you waiting for? There is no time to lose. Order on Apple.com today and collect tomorrow.
Similar packaging to the Powerbeats Pro
Black Box Now
The red Powerbeats looking good
Everything else in the box
Only tips and a black Lightning cable
Flimsy fabric pouch
Beats sticker and literature
The AirPods Max came out today. But unless you already have a pair on the way, you will likely be waiting until March 2021 for a pair since both the online and retail are fully sold out. What should you buy if you need to find a pair of iOS friendly headphones for your loved one this Christmas?
Let me tell you a story.
A long time ago, there was a headphones brand by the name of Beats by Dre. They were very popular among the youth and those who value the looks of a headphone over the actual sound. Any self-respecting audiophile or wannabe stayed far away from them.
Then in May 2014, Beats by Dre became “Beats by Apple” (Apple purchased them).
For a long time since the purchase Beats just kept doing its own thing, as the Apple then was mainly interested in what is now Apple Music.
Then in 2016, with the release of the iPhone 7, Apple removed the 3.5mm headphone port from the iPhone. On top of the AirPods they introduced at the same iPhone 7 event, Apple also mentioned that a bunch of Beats headphones will be introduced and updated with their W1 chip that was powering the first generation AirPods.
Those Beats headphones were the Beats Solo 3, the Beats Studios 3, the Powerbeats 3, and something new in Beats’ lineup – the BeatsX.
The Beats Solo 3, Beats Studio 3 and the Powerbeats 3 were, as far as anyone could tell, still tuned by Beats, and they, well, continued to sound like shit headphones muddy with too much bass. The BeatsX, however, was an entirely different animal. It sounded exciting, with a decent sound stage, and pretty well instrument separation. There was bass, but it was just the right amount, and the mids and highs were pretty balanced. As it was reviewed as a tech accessory, some in the tech world just dismissed it as another Beats headphone. To some others, the Beats X was the successor to the famous ADDIEM, the Apple Dual Driver In Ear Monitors, also known as the Apple In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic. Everything released by Beats after the Beats X eventually received the same high level of sound tuning.
Many people are mistaken about Apple. The arseholes out there think that Apple is an arrogant company that makes overpriced lousy products that only people who were hypnotised by the Steve Jobs Reality Distortion Field bought. The PC die-hards think of Apple as another PC company that sold overpriced assembled PCs on commodity hardware and they only achieved the success they have because their computers are made of aluminium and/or white plastic.
Apple is an audio company. And they are one of the best audio companies. Apple did not just start making audio products in 2016. There were the iPods, the iPod hifi, and hell, remember the iSub (later part of Harmon Kardon Soundsticks)? People who were aware of this history were afraid that Apple’s audio quality would go down the drain through the Beats acquisition. In reality, the opposite happened. Beats by Dre is shit. “Beats by Apple” is genuinely a very good audio company.
That is a lot of words unrelated to the actual Powerbeats headphones review.
The Powerbeats (4th Generation), was released earlier this year, during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. It did not garner much attention, for the world today likes to focus on “true wireless”, whatever that means. Most people had other issues to deal with then too. The Powerbeats Pro, released one year before, was universally well received for having both passive sound cancellation and the best sound in Apple’s headphone lineup then (this was before the AirPods Pro existed).
The easiest way to describe the Powerbeats is that they are “Powerbeats Pro with a wire”.
There are many in the audiophile world who will put the sound of the Powerbeats Pro above that of the AirPods Pro, so you know that the Powerbeats have really good sound. From my testing that sentiment is generally accurate, even if I prefer the AirPods Pro overall for various reasons (ANC, easier to seal).
The Powerbeats also happen to be the most affordable pair of headphones with the H1 chip in Apple’s line up (even cheaper than the AirPods second generation). This means that it has auto device switching with firmware 3A283, like the AirPods and AirPods Pro. If you have multiple iOS devices, you already know how magical this feature is. Beats branded products are also easily available with decent discounts, unlike the Apple branded AirPods. They are often on Amazon US for only 99.95USD, 50USD off their usual retail price. Plus they come in colours other than just white.
For the smaller price tag, the Powerbeats took features off the Powerbeats Pro. There is a wire across the two headphone pieces, so it is not “true wireless”. There is no wireless charging case to top up the battery charge when they run out of power. The “case” they come with is a cheap looking fabric pouch.
That is about it. And they are 100USD cheaper than the Powerbeats Pro’s retail price.
However, there are two points you must consider before you decide to purchase the Powerbeats. Like the Powerbeats Pro, it has the ear hooks, which makes wearing the Powerbeats uncomfortable for some people, especially over long periods. And like the Powerbeats Pro, the “buds” are angled at a specific angle that will make it difficult for some people to get a proper seal with the rubber tips. A bad seal results in bad sound. If you do not have a problem with the Pro’s fit, you will not have a problem with the Powerbeats either.
In conclusion, the Powerbeats are a superb buy. If you have a loved one on iOS but who has yet to make the jump to wireless headphones, the Powerbeats will be a good choice of present this Christmas.
Pros
-Very good sound quality (way better than the cheap Beats Flex, which is just acceptable)
-Sweat-resistant
-Very affordable for Apple’s line up
-Comes in colours other than White (like the superb Red in this review)
Cons
-Earhooks are annoying
-Some ears might find it hard to get a decent seal on (resulting in bad sound)
Loren Brichter, creator of the Tweetie (now Twitter) app and the pull to refresh interaction technique, created Chromeisbad.com days ago, after realising that completely removing Google Chrome and the Chrome Updater (also known as Keystone), solved all the performance issues he had with his MacBook Pro and his family’s iMac.
This is not a new development, it is not a Chrome “bug”. Most seasoned Mac users know that having Chrome installed on your Mac is the modern equivalent of having Norton Antivirus for Mac installed – it basically makes your brand new Mac into a years-old one, and an old Mac into one that seemed like its on the verge of its death. Getting rid of Chrome and Keystone has always been one of our first pieces of advice for anyone having performance issues on macOS.
Keystone, in particular, have been widely reported about in the news outlets for doing nefarious things to the system, being referred to by many (even some very very smart people) as malware. Just a year ago it was responsible for modifying system files that resulted in a large number of production Macs crashing.
If you need a browser that renders like Chrome, aka Chromium browsers, some of the popular ones to try are Brave, Vivaldi and even Microsoft Edge. I personally only use Brave on my Google Pixels and they run way faster than the built in Chrome (the ad blocking is a bonus).
Hit up Chromeisbad.com for the instructions to remove Chrome and especially Keystone, for it will sneakily reinstall itself in different parts of the system if you just delete it in the user library without removing Chrome (or other Google apps).
Have a brand new M1 Mac? Remember, DO NOT INSTALL CHROME.
A podcast about everything Apple, and non-Apple, in the Sunny Island of Singapore. Hosted by Ryu and Daniel.
Your Monthly Overview of Apple news, with a Uniquely Singaporean Flavour. New episodes monthly with additional episodes after Apple events. Hosted by Ryu.
Old Apple “Steve”notes, ancient Apple Ads and original content!
