Today Apple had their ‘California Streaming’ event. There was a number of products announced including new iPads, new Apple Watch, and new iPhones. Let us go in event order, starting with the 10.2-inch iPad.

10.2-inch iPad

The entry-level iPad is the most popular iPad model. It is not only the most popular due to it being the successor of the original iPad but also because of its low entry price of $329. The new 10.2-inch iPad has the A13 Bionic which provides 20% faster processing over the previous model, for CPU, GPU, and neural engine.

Beyond the speed increases while using the iPad, you should also see some improvements when taking pictures and video, because the camera sensors have been improved as well. The back camera is still an 8MP sensor, but it now includes improved autofocus and better low light performance. The Face Time camera is a different story.

The FaceTime camera is now has a 12MP camera sensor that includes an ultra-wide sensor with a 122 degree field of view. This will work quite well with a feature called CenterStage. CenterStage is already available on the iPad Pro, but it is now available on the 10.2-inch iPad Air as well. CenterStage will automatically adjust the zoom when people enter the field of view.

The 10.2-inch iPad has the same design, is available in two colors, Silver and Space Gray, and comes in 64GB and 256GB sizes. The price is still the same at $329 for the 64GB, and $479 of the 256GB, with the cellular versions being $459 and $609 respectively. You can order it today and it will be available starting September 24th. 

There was another iPad that got an update, the iPad mini. Let us move onto that one next.

Source: Apple Newsroom - iPad

iPad mini

The iPad mini is Apple’s smallest iPad. Even though it is the smallest that does not mean that it is the slowest. The iPad mini has received the biggest update. The iPad mini now has a similar design to that of the iPad Air. This means that there is a new edge to edge display, and the home button is no longer present. 

The removal of the Home button has two big impacts. The first is the size of the device hasn’t changed, that means the screen is now larger at 8.3-inches diagonally. Also like the iPad Air the iPad mini still has a Touch ID sensor, and the iPad mini’s TouchID sensor is located in the sleep/wake button.

The position of the sleep/wake button has moved from the side to the top of the device. The reason for this is to allow support of the 2nd generation Apple Pencil. Also like the iPad Air, the iPad mini now has USB-C.

The iPad mini has also seen a significant increase in speed due to the new A15 Bionic processor. tHis processor provides a 40% increase in CPU performance, 80% increase in Graphics performance, and up to 2x faster neural engine computations as compared to the previous version.

The iPad mini has two new sensor arrays, the FaceTime camera is the same as the one in the 10.2-inch iPad with the same features for Center Stage. The rear camera is a 12MP Wide camera with an ƒ/1.8 aperture, which is an improvement over the previous generation. To go along with this, there is a True Tone flash, to provide better lighting when taking photos. 

The iPad mini comes in four colors, Space Gray, Pink, Purple, and Starlight. The iPad mini comes in two sizes, 64GB and 256GB, for $499 and $649 respectively. The cellular models, which support 5G, are $649 for the 64GB, and $799 for the 256GB model.

The iPad mini is available to order today and will be available starting on September 24th. Now, onto the Apple Watch.

Source: Apple Newsroom - iPad mini

Apple Watch

Apple unveiled the Series 7 Apple Watch. This model of watch comes with a new design. The design includes smaller bezels, which means that the face of the Apple Watch Series 7 is slightly larger. This new design allows for some rethinking and redesign of the various Watch Faces. 

The glass of the Apple Watch Series 7 is stronger. According to Apple it should be more crack resistant. It is also dust resistant due to its IP6X rating, and remains water resistant with the WR50 rating.

The exterior is not the only changes coming to the Apple Watch. The Series 7 is also capable of ‘Fast charging’, up to 33% faster with a new Magnetic charging cable. And with a 15-minute charge you should be able to get an 8-hour charge, which is perfect for charging right before you go to sleep for sleep tracking.

The Apple Watch Series 7 comes in five colors, Midnight, Starlight, Green, Blue, and (PRODUCT)RED. The Apple Watch Series 7 will be priced starting at $399, and will be available “Later this Fall”. 

The Apple Watch Series 7 redesign means that the watch comes in 41mm and 45mm variations, but the good news is that all of your existing Watch bands will be compatible with the new watches. On the topic of watch bands, there are some new ones.

Watch Bands

There are a significant number of new Apple Watch Bands as well. The new watch bands are, as broken down by type:

Solo Loop

• Abyss Blue
• Chalk Pink
• Clover
• Dark Cherry
• English Lavender
• Marigold
• Starlight

Braided Solo Loop

• Abyss Blue
• Dark Cherry
• English Lavender
• Maize
• Pride Edition
• (PRODUCT)RED

Sport Band

• Abyss Blue
• Clover
• Dark Cherry
• Marigold
• Midnight
• Starlight

Sport Loop

All of these are two-toned and aligned vertically.

• Abyss Blue/Moss Green
• Dark Cherry/Forest Green
• Maize/White
• Pink Pomelo/Tan
• (PRODUCT)RED
• Tornado/Gray

Nike Sport

• Magic Ember/Crimson Bliss
• Midnight Navy/Mystic Navy
• Olive Gray/Cargo Khaki

Nike Sport

All of these now have the Nike "Swoosh" on them.

• Black
• Cargo Khaki
• Summit White

Leather

• Chalk Modern Buckle
• Dark Cherry Leather Link
• Golden Brown Leather Link
• Midnight Leather Link
• Midnight Modern Buckle
• Sequoia Green Leather Link
• Wisteria Modern Buckle

All of these watch bands are available to order today. Next, onto iPhones, starting with the iPhone 13.

Source: Apple Newsroom - Apple Watch

iPhone 13 Phones

The iPhone 13  is a big update over the iPhone 12 line. There are four total new iPhones, the iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Pro, and iPhone 13 Pro Max. The physical sizes have not changed they are 5.4-inch, 6.1-inch, 6.1-inch, and 6.7-inch respectively.

The entire iPhone 13 has the same A15 processor as the iPad mini, so all of the features and speed will apply to these devices as well. Additionally, there is a new 20% smaller notch on the iPhone 13, so you will be able to see more of the screen.

There is a new camera feature across the entire line called Cinematic Video mode. Cinematic Video is a technique that allows the focus of a video to shift from the foreground to the background. This typically takes a lot of setup in order to do, and was not necessarily easily achievable on the iPhone. With the iPhone 13 this can be done by simply tapping on the person to focus on, and then tapping on another person will change focus. The iPhone will even try to automatically detect changes when a person’s focus changes and adjust accordingly.

The iPhone 13 mini and iPhone 13 are getting an ew Super Retina XDR Display, which is 28% brighter and provides 800 nits of brightness with a peak of 1200 nits. There is still the P3 color gamut, and HDR10. The iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini also have 6-core CPUs, with 2 high performance and 4 high efficiency cores. The 16-core Neural Engine is capable of performing 15.8 trillion operations per second.

The iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini are getting a re-worked camera system. The first change is that the two lenses are now diagonal from each other instead of vertically aligned. They have a new f/1.6 aperture wide lens, which will allow 47% more light, which should be better in most situations. A feature pioneered with the iPhone 12 Pro Max is making its way to the iPhone 13 mini and iPhone 13, sensor shift optical image stabilization. This means that there should be better optical image stabilization in all situations. 

All four iPhone 13 models are getting a new feature called “Photographic Styles”. These are preferences that you can set that will allow you to apply specific styles to all of your photos. You can use a combination of features to create your own stye. The best part is that you do not need to set it every time, you can just set it once and then it will be used for all of your photos, by default.

The iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max are designed to be the most advanced iPhones that Apple produces. They do not disappoint in that. Much like the iPhone 13 mini and iPhone 13 the Pro are also getting a new display. The more efficient OLED display will be able to provide 1000 nits of peak brightness while outdoors. While this is a helpful change, there is a much bigger change, ProMotion.

ProMotion has been available on the iPad Pro models for a while, but it is coming to the iPhone 13 Pro models. ProMotion is the ability for the screen to automatically adjust its refresh rate. In the case of the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max it can go from 10Hz to 120Hz, and it can do this dynamically as needed. The lower refresh rate means that if the screen does not need to refresh it will reduce the rate in order to save battery, but when high refresh speeds are needed, they can make everything look much smoother and faster.

Beyond the screen, the entire rear camera system is getting an improvement. The first improvement is the telephoto lens which is now a 77mm lens. This larger sensor allows 3x optical zoom, which should allow for sharper photos. The Ultra Wide camera is an f/1.8, which allows for 92% better low light performance, and the wide lens is a f/1.5 aperture lens which has 2.2x better low light performance.

Battery life is an important part of any iPhone experience. All of the iPhone models are getting an improvement in battery. The iPhone mini and iPhone 13 Pro should see up to an extra 1.5 hours of battery life, while the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro Max should see an increase of up to 2.5 hours.

The iPhone 13 mini and iPhone 13 come in five colors, Blue, Midnight, Pink, (PRODUCT)RED, and Starlight. There are three sizes, 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB. The iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max are available in four colors, Gold, Graphite, Sierra Blue, and Silver. There are four available storage sizes, 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB. Here is as complete breakdown of the pricing:

All of the iPhone 13 models will be available for pre-order on September 17th, with delivery or pickup on September 24th.

Source: Apple Newsroom - iPhone 13 Mini/iPhone 13, Apple Newsroom - iPhone 13 Pro/iPhone 13 Pro Max

Closing Thoughts

Today’s “California Streaming” event was a packed one. It included updates for the iPad, iPad mini, Apple Watch, and iPhones all in 75 minutes. 

The 10.2-inch iPad has seen a bump in processing power with the A13, the new camera system which supports Center Stage for better video conferencing. 

The iPad mini takes cues from the iPad Air with the new significantly reduced bezels, which results in a larger 8.3-inch screen. The iPad Air adds support for the 2nd Generation Apple Pencil, which is accomplished by moving the sleep/wake button to the top and includes Touch ID. The speed improvement on the iPad mini is significant with a 40% increase in CPU, and 80% in GPU performance. The new 10.2-inch iPad and 8.3 iPad mini are available to order today with availability starting on September 24th. 

The Apple Watch Series 7 has some improvement as well, including a new design that is more edge-to-edge. This has resulted in a slight increase in size to 41mm and 45mm, but the good news is that your existing Apple Watch Bands will continue to work with the new Apple Watches.

The screen is a more crack resistant glass, so you can be a bit more rough with it. There is also the new IP6X dust resistance and the WR50 water resistance rating. 

When you need to charge your Apple Watch, it can be done faster with the 33% faster charging, and you can get 8 hours of charge in just 15 minutes. 

The Series 7 Apple Watch will be available in five colors, Blue, Green, Midnight, (PRODUCT)RED, and Starlight and will be available “later this fall”. 

The iPhone 13 line of phones has a significant set of improvements with the new camera sensors which provide better low light photos, and sensor shift optical image stabilization across the entire line. This is all made possible with the 20% smaller FaceTime camera sensor array. Battery life is seeing an improvement of up to 1.5 hours on the iPhone 13 mini and iPhone 13 Pro, and up to 2.5 hours on the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro Max. 

The iPhone 13 mini and iPhone 13 are available in five colors, Blue, Midnight, Pink, (PRODUCT)RED, and Starlight. The iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max are available in four colors, Gold, Graphite, Sierra Blue, and Silver.

The iPhone 13 lines of phones will be available for pre-order this Friday, September 17th and will begin arriving on September 24th. 

I will have a post about how well my predictions did later this week.

With each Apple event, I make some predictions of what I think will be shown at the event. The 'California Streaming' event is no exception. Normally I provide a percentage likelihood of a prediction coming true. I am not going to do that this time. It will just be the prediction itself. On that note, here is what I think we will see announced at the event.

Four New iPhones

I think that we will see the next set of iPhones be announced, specifically four new iPhones. These will be the iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Pro, and iPhone 13 Pro Max, just like last year's iPhone.

I think the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max will have a higher refresh-rate. The iPad Pro models have ProMotion, and I am thinking that the Pro iPhones will get it this year.

No Macs

Apple announced the transition to Apple Silicon at their World Wide Developer Conference in 2020. In November of 2020 the first set of devices were announced, the 13-inch MacBook Air, the two-port 13-inch MacBook Pro, and the Mac mini. In April of this year Apple announced the 24-inch iMac with Apple Silicon.

Even though it would be a good time to release new Macs, I do not think we will see any announced at this event.

Refreshed iPads

I think we will see two new iPads, the standard 10.2-inch iPad, and the iPad mini. There are indications that the 10.2-inch iPad is running low on inventory, which could indicate that there is a new version imminently.

The iPad mini has not been revised in nearly 2 1/2 years. It is likely time that we will see a new iPad mini, possibly with a design that mimics the iPad Pro line, with squared off edges, Face ID, and even possibly USB-C. Checking the Apple Store, there does not seem to be any issues with inventory on this model, but it probably sells fewer units than other models.

Apple Watch

I think we will see the Series 7 Apple Watch. I suspect it will be a slight improvement over the Series 6, with two slightly larger sizes, 41mm and 45mm. This would be a 1mm increase over the previous models. Outside of this, I do not think there will be any new sensors, just a faster processor and a new design.

Prediction Recap

I think the 'California Streaming' event will be a bit more subdued. While there will be new hardware, I think it will fall more onto a smaller set of upgrades. Here is a recap of what I predicted.

As is the case with other events, I will have a full recap post on what Apple announces after the event.

Today Apple sent out invitations to attend an event titled 'California Streaming' for 10 am Pacific Time on September 14th, 2021. It will be available to stream on Apple TV or via the Apple Events website. It is likely that Apple will announce a new line of iPhones, but I will be publishing my predictions before Tuesday. What are you expecting to see?

It's hard to believe that it is already September and that summer will be officially coming to a close later this month. For meteorologists though, September 1st marks the start of meteorological fall.

August was a busy reading/listening month for me. You may notice that there are a number of items that appeared on earlier lists. No, this is not an error. I did in fact re-listen to a number of books that I listened to just earlier this year.

The number of the books that I listened to earlier this year is 13. The reason for this is two-fold. First, someone brought up the Bobiverse books, and after they mentioned it, I wanted to listen to them again.

I also re-listened to the Interdependency Trilogy and the Old Man's War Series, both by John Scalzi. I love the Interdependency series and then once I started listening to the series, I wanted to listen to the Old Man's War series again, so I did.

I listened to 23 audiobooks total in August and seven of these were first-time listens. If you want something that is completely ridiculous, take a listen to Space Force by Jeremy Robinson, be forewarned that it meant for adults, due to language. It does not contain trigger warnings.

However, if you check out Nameless: A Renegade Star Story, be aware that there is a trigger warning, there are some major adult themes.

Disclaimer: The links below will provide a bit of a commission if you purchase anything.

Previous Reading Lists:

• July 2021
• June 2021
• May 2021
• April 2021
• March 2021
• February 2021
• January 2021

ElevationLab is a company that has created a lot of third-party accessories. While many are designed for Apple products, the do have some other accessories for Android and even some general headphone accessories. Specifically for Apple, they have things like iPhone stands and docks. There are two accessories that I have purchased and thought I would review. These two items are the TagVault: Keychain and the MagBase. Let us start with the TagVault.

TagVault: Keychain

One aspect to most of Apple's product is that most products provide a market for third-party accessories. One of the products that provides the largest variety of options is the AirTag. Apple provides some accessories that you can purchase for the AirTag, however the ones that you can buy from Apple may not be usable in all situations.

The TagVault: Keychain is an AirTag holder that can be put on a keychain, which is very similar to Apple's AirTag Leather Keychain. One of the possible downsides of Apple's AirTag holders is that they may not hold up to abuse. That is where the TagVault can shine.

The TagVault: Keychain is an AirTag holder that encloses the entire AirTag in a water proof case. The waterproofing is accomplished by having two hard plastic outer halves, with a waterproof ring between the two halves.

The two halves of the case are secured with four screws. When these are tightened down, this will protect the AirTag and with the ring, it will be secure the AirTag. Now, you may think that you would need to have a screwdriver that will fit the screws that come with the TagVault, but that is not the case.

Included with the TagVault is a tool to be able to easily remove the screws and put them back in place. This is quite helpful and a small touch which adds to the overall appeal of the product.

Having an AirTag enclosed in a water proof case will have some effect on the functioning of the AirTag. The biggest impact is that the sound on the AirTag will be reduced. According to ElevationLab it should be two-thirds of the decibel level of the AirTag outside of the TagVault. This is a trade off that has to be made for waterproofing.

Tip

When I was putting an AirTag in the TagVault I realized that many might think that you should completely remove all four screws. This is not necessarily the case. In fact, you may only want to fully remove three of the screws and leave one mostly removed.

Possible Future Improvement

One slight improvement that I would like to see with this product is that I would like to see screws that cannot be removed from case, but would still allow the back half of the case to be removed. This way, the screws would not have a possibility of being lost.

Now that we have covered the TagVault, let us move onto the MagBase.

MagBase

When Apple introduced the iPhone 12 line of phones, there was a feature that can make life a bit easier. That feature is MagSafe. MagSafe allows you to use the magnets that are in the iPhone 12 line and magnetically attach accessories. There are a number of accessories like the MagSafe Battery Pack, Wallets, and even PopSockets. The benefit of MagSafe is that nothing is permanent, since it is only magnetically attached.

MagSafe is not exclusively used for accessories, but can be used to charge the iPhone as well. Through the aforementioned MagSafe Battery Pack or by using a specially designed Apple accessory called the MagSafe Charger.

The MagSafe charger is a charging puck that will allow you to charge your iPhone through the built-in Qi charging. There are two downsides to MagSafe charger. The first is that it has a completely flat bottom. This can lead to the charging puck moving around when you want to place your phone on it. The second downside is that the cable from the Charging Pad is only 1 meter (3 feet) long. This is often not long enough.

ElevationLab has an accessory specifically designed for the MagSafe Charger called the MagBase. The MagBase solves both of the issues mentioned above. It includes a base for keeping the charging pad in one spot as well as a USB-C extension cable.

The USB-C extension cable is also one meter long, which makes the overall length 2 meters or 6 feet. This makes it much easier to place the MagSafe charger where you need. The extension cable works well and can be used for whatever you need because it is a USB-C to USB-C cable.

The MagBase itself is a medical-grade silicone that uses micro air bubbles to be able to keep the MagBase adhered to the surface that you place it on. When you place the MagBase you need to make sure that it is firmly pressed to the surface. It may sound like you are permanently attaching it, but you are not. You need to press firmly because this is where the micro air bubbles will be able to attach.

After you have placed the MagBase you can then place your MagSafe charger in the base. You are able to easily pick up the phone with the MagSafe charger attached to use it while charging. Alternatively, if you need to remove the iPhone from the MagSafe charger entirely you can slide the phone off of the charger. This is possible because the micro bubbles will keep the MagBase in place.

As mentioned earlier, the MagBase is made of medical-grade silicone. Because of this, your iPhone will not get scratched when you slide it off of the MagSafe charger while it is in the MagBase.

Longevity

The MagBase in itself is useful, however I have encountered an issue which may reduce its overall effectiveness. After about a month of usage the MagBase stopped staying in place on the night stand that I have it on, without me moving it at all. Cleaning off both the bottom of the MagBase and the nightstand allowed the MagBase to stay in place again.

Closing Thoughts

Both of these accessories work well. The TagVault will allow you to have a super sturdy AirTag holder that can stand up to the elements. Even though the sound that is emitted from the AirTag is diminished when in the TagVault, it is still audible.

The MagBase is useful if you want to be able to keep your MagSafe charger in one spot without

Neither of the accessories is expensive. The TagVault is $12.95 for a single item, $39.95 for a four-pack and $74.95 for a pack of eight. There is only one color available, black. This is likely the color that most will want anyway. Similarly, the MagBase is $12.95. It only comes in white.

I hope that ElevationLab is able to come out with additional colors in the future for each of these products. If you need a waterproof AirTag case, definitely take a look at the Tag Vault. If you think the MagBase might work well for your situation, definitely consider it as an option.

It appears as though Apple has reached an agreement with the parties in a class action regarding Apple's App Store policies. Here are the highlights:

• The Small Business program will remain enforce for at leas the next three years.
• Search results will continue to be based on objective characteristics, like download numbers and text relevance.
• Developers can inform customers outside of their apps that they can purchase subscriptions and the like at a lower price.
• The number of price points will increase to over 500, from the fewer than 100 now.
• The option to appeal a rejection will be maintained.
• Apple will provide a yearly transparency report.
• A $100 million fund will be established to assist developers.

My Thoughts

The proposed settlement has only two real changes, the additional price points and the fund. Outside of that, there is no real change. In reality, this does not cost Apple anything. Most of the proposed settlement items were already in place.

Sure, Apple will have to spend money and resources to enable the additional price points. And the $100 million fund for U.S. developers will cost money, but in the grand scheme of how much Apple makes, $100 million is not a whole lot, particularly since Apple made $21 billion in profit in the March to June quarter this year alone.

This settlement is laughable given that there will be no meaningful changes. This does not really address some of the underlying issues like arbitrary interpretation of App Store rules and spurious rejections.

Apple will get to continue their existing practices which ultimately end up benefiting them and not developers.

Source: Apple Newsroom

Every year since 2012 I have written a book covering the new releases of Apple's operating systems, one that covers iOS and its sibling operating systems and another one for macOS. This is the 10th year that I have been writing books. Beyond it being 10 years, Apple's operating systems have become quite similar, particularly wit the addition of Apple Silicon.

This year I am doing something different, there is only one book this year. That book covers all of Apple's operating systems. The title of this year's book is "iOS 15, iPadOS 15, macOS Monterey, tvOS 15 and watchOS 8 for Users, Administrators, and Developers".

Here is the description of the book.

Apple is on a yearly cadence for releasing new operating systems. Despite all of the troubles of 2020 and 2021, Apple has continued this cadence. This year’s releases of iOS 15, iPadOS 15, tvOS 15, watchOS 8, and macOS Monterey are somewhat lighter on new features that one might expect. However, the new features the operating systems have are big changes.

The biggest change is with a new Focus system, which will allow you to customize how your iPhone, iPad, and Mac all function when you need to concentrate on a particular type of task. The iPad has seen a significant change with the ability to place Widgets on the home screen. This will create a whole new experience, particularly with the extra large widget size.

For developers there are significant changes with Swift’s new async/await pattern, a whole new button system for customizing buttons, and a new continuous integration service called Xcode Cloud. Xcode itself has some improvements like inline commenting and the ability to review, merge, or close pull requests.

SwiftUI, Apple’s Swift-only UI framework has some enhancements with a new refreshable modifier, new button options, a new primitive called AsyncImage.

These topics just barely scratch what is covered in iOS 15, iPadOS 15, tvOS 15, watchOS 8, and macOS Monterey. The information within will provide details about all of the new features of each operating system and has something for everyone, no matter what level of expertise.

The book is available for pre-order from both Apple Books and Amazon for $4.99. The current release date is November 1st, but the book will be available whenever iOS 15 or macOS Monterey is released.

There will be a paperback forthcoming. When that is available there will be another post letting you know.

Ever since the original Macintosh, introduced in 1984, there have been peripherals, like the a keyboard and mouse, included with most desktop computers. Some of the peripherals, in particular the mice, have not always been the most well received.

As time has gone on the Mac line of computers have received a set of upgrades that enhance a user's experience. One of these upgrades was brought over from the iPhone and iPad. That feature is Touch ID.

Touch ID uses a fingerprint for this authentication, however, it is not an image of your fingerprint. Instead, it is a mathematical hash that cannot be directly accessed by the system and securely stored in a place called the Secure Enclave.

When you attempt to authenticate with Touch ID, the Touch ID sensor computes a hash of your finger and compares it with the fingers stored in the Secure Enclave and if there is a match, then the authentication request succeeds. If it does not match, then it fails and you have to try again.

On Intel Machines, Apple built some custom silicon, called the T2 chip, that would be the interface between the Secure Enclave and the built-in Touch ID sensor.

At their World Wide Developer Conference in June of 2020 Apple announced that they would be moving away from Intel chips to their own custom silicon. The first of these chips was introduced in November of 2020, and the System on a Chip is called the M1. The M1 is similar to the A-series of chips found in the iPhone and iPad.

There were three devices introduced as the first machines, the 13-inch MacBook Air, the lower-end 13-inch MacBook Pro, and the lower-end Mac mini. The MacBook Air and MacBook Pro have built-in Touch ID sensors on their keyboards. The Mac mini does not have a keyboard included.

In April of 2021, the first desktop machine with Apple Silicon was introduced, it was an upgrade to the 21-inch iMac, a new 24-inch M1 iMac. The 24-inch iMac included a new set of colors, a new profile, and a new accessory, a Magic Keyboard with Touch ID.

When it was introduced, many wondered how long it would be until Apple released a standalone keyboard with Touch ID. Apple has done just that.

Magic Keyboard With Touch ID

There are only two different types of Magic Keyboards, the Magic Keyboard and the Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad. There is a variant of these two that includes a Touch ID sensor. This review will cover the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID, although everything in this review also applies to the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID and Numeric Keypad.

The Magic Keyboard with Touch ID is not the first Magic Keyboard, far from it. The first Magic Keyboard was introduced in October of 2015. The Magic Keyboard does not have any external batteries and connects via a lightning cable.

The same still applies to the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID, except instead of it being a USB-A cable to lightning cable, it is now a USB-C to lightning cable. The reason for this is because all of Apple's modern devices have USB-C ports and do not have USB-A.

The Magic Keyboard with Touch ID is charged via a lightning cable. You can use either a USB-A, or USB-C to lightning cable.

USB-C Cable

There is one thing to mention about the included USB-C to Lightning cable. It is significantly different than a normal USB-C to lightning cable. The difference is that the outer jacket has a braided sleeve. It is not known whether or not these cables will last longer than standard cables, but my initial take is that they should last longer, because they do seem to be a it better constructed. But, as I stated, only time will tell if this is truly the case.

Design

Beyond the actual connections for connecting the keyboard to your Mac, the keyboard itself has seen some slight changes. Most notably, the edges of the keyboard is now rounded. As a side note, the Magic Trackpad and other refreshed Magic Keyboards also have this same rounded look.

When you are using the keyboard, you may notice that some of the keys have changed. Most notably, the four corner keys, Function, Right arrow, Touch ID, and Escape are all rounded to match the corner radius of their respective corners, as to match the keyboard.

Beyond the rounded keys, the font on the keys themselves is a bit darker than on previous models, which should allow the letters to be easier to see.

Beyond the font being darker, there have been tweaks to the symbols on the keys. The Function, Control, and Option keys all have their corresponding Mac Menu symbols on the keys. These are 🌐 , ^ and ⌥, respectively. This is a big plus because if you do need to use a key combination it will be a lot easier to figure out the proper keys to use.

The special keys are not the only ones who received some new iconography. Three other keys, F4, F5, and F6 also have new icons. F4 has a magnifying glass, which indicates searching, F5 has a microphone, which indicates Siri. F6 has a half moon, which indicates quick access to sleep.

The darker font, new icons, and rounded keys to mirror the radius of the corners are all nice additions and provide a nice set of updates. Now, let us move onto Touch ID itself.

Touch ID

The Magic Keyboard with Touch ID, as the name implies, has Touch ID. The Touch ID sensor will only work on Macs with an M1, or newer, chip. Meaning that the Touch ID sensor will not work on Intel-based machines.

You can still use the keyboard on any bluetooth-enabled device, but the Touch ID will only work on a Mac. Additionally, even though the latest iPad Pro models have an M1 in them, they cannot use the Touch ID sensor. The reason for this is likely due iOS expecting a Touch ID sensor to be directly connected, and not available over wireless.

When you connect the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID to your M1 Mac for the first time, you will need to securely pair the two devices. This is done by pressing the power button twice in rapid succession. The reason that this is needed is so the Magic Keyboard can exchange its public hardware key with the Mac. This pairing can only be performed when the on screen steps indicate to do so.

Enrolling Fingerprints

As mentioned earlier, Touch ID fingerprint hashes are stored in the Secure Enclave on the Mac. This is true whether it is an Intel or Apple Silicon machine. There is a limit to the number of fingerprints that can be stored in the Secure Enclave at a single time. The limit is three fingerprints. This differs from an iOS device that has Touch ID because those devices can store up to five fingerprints at a time. You can enroll the same fingerprint more than once, but that might not be the best decision.

Enrolling a fingerprint using the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID is the same as enrolling a fingerprint on a MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iPhone, or iPad with Touch ID.

In order to enroll a finger perform the following steps:

1. Connect the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID to the Mac using a USB-C, or USB-A, to Lightning cable. A Notification will appear.
2. Tap on the notification to begin the pairing process.
3. When prompted press the power button on the Mac in rapid succession.

4. Open Up System Preferences.
5. Locate the "Touch ID" system preference.
6. Click on the "Touch ID" system preference.
7. Click on the "+" fingerprint icon. You will be prompted for your password.

8. Enter in your password.
9. Follow the prompts for placing and lifting your finger.
10. Again, follow the prompts for lifting and placing your finger to get the outer edges.

Once you have gotten all of the angles of your fingerprint, the fingerprint hash will be saved and you will get a screen similar to the image below.

Options for Touch ID

In the Touch ID system preference you can choose which system options are able to use Touch ID. The full list of options are:

• Unlocking your Mac
• Apple Pay
• iTunes Store, App Store, & Apple Books
• Password Autofill
• Use Touch ID sensor for fast user switching

By default all of the options will be checked. However, you can control which actions will be available for Touch ID to best suit your needs.

Pricing

If you have a Mac mini, or could really use Touch ID on an external keyboard for your MacBook Air or MacBook Pro, and you have an Apple Silicon Mac, the Magic Keyboard with Touch might be a good solution. However, be prepared to pay for the convenience.

The Magic Keyboard with Touch ID is, in a word, expensive. The standard Magic Keyboard is $99, but if you want Touch ID as well, it will be another $50. So, it is $149. If you really need Touch ID it is the only solution. Otherwise though, I do not know if this price is worth the overall cost.

Closing Thoughts

The Magic Keyboard with Touch ID is a standard Magic Keyboard, so it can be used with any Mac you want, or even a PC if you would like, but the Touch ID sensor will only with Macs with Apple Silicon. The Magic Keyboard with Touch ID may be a great solution for those who use a MacBook Air, or MacBook Pro, in clamshell mode so you can still use Touch ID.

When you begin to pair the Magic Keyboard with your Apple Silicon Mac, you will need to perform an initial handshake between the two devices by pressing the power button twice at the appropriate time, which will be provided to you when it is needed.

The keyboard has some new design features, like the rounded corners for not only the keyboard, but also for the four corner keys. Beyond this, there is a darker font, some new iconography, and symbols on special keys. All of these changes will make it easier to use the Magic Keyboard in all situations.

Overall, the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID seems like it is quality, but it is not cheap. If you know you really need Touch ID for a particular Mac, be prepared to pay for it. If you just need a keyboard, the non-Touch ID version might be a more worthwhile purchase.

Today Apple has released some upgrades. This includes a new set of "Magic" accessories and some additional upgrades for the Intel Mac Pro. Let us start with the Graphics Cards for the Intel Mac Pro

Graphics Card

Apple indicated that the transition from Intel to their own Silicon would take two years. We are just over halfway through those two years. One of the devices that has not been upgraded yet is the Mac Pro.

In order to allow the Intel Mac Pro to remain relevant, Apple has added three new video card options. These are:

• Radeon Pro W6800X MPX Module
• Radeon Pro W6800X Duo MPX Module
• Radeon Pro W6900X MPX Module

Each of these can be configured when you order a new Intel Mac Pro. If you do add these they will cost, $2400, $4600, and $5600, respectively. If you already have a 2019 Intel Mac Pro, you can also get these as standalone for $2800, $5000, and $6000 respectively, or $400 more.

Each of these graphics cards have 32GB of GDDR6 memory in them, so they should be plenty fast when it comes to utilization. Apple has also released an accompanying white paper that will provide performance characteristics for the graphics cards.

New Magic Accessories

The Mac has its own set of accessories, like keyboards, trackpads, and mice. Apple has prepended these with the word "Magic". Therefore, they would become Magic Keyboard, Magic Trackpads, and Magic Mice.

When Apple introduced the 24-inch iMac with M1 earlier this year, they came in a range of colors and the keyboards, trackpads, and mice that you would get with the Mac would match the color of the color of the Mac.

The 24-inch iMac did not just have a color-matched keyboard, but there were three keyboard options. These are:

• Magic Keyboard
• Magic Keyboard with Touch ID
• Magic Keyboard with Touch ID and Numeric Keypad

When these were announced many wondered how long it would be before Apple would allow these to be purchased on their own. Well, today is that day. All three of these, along with the Magic Mouse and Magic Trackpad are available to order. These are only available in silver. The standalone keyboards will cost you $99, $149, and $179 respectively. The Magic Mouse is $79 and the Magic Trackpad is $129.

You can still purchase the older Magic Keyboard with Numeric Pad for $129.

The Touch ID sensor that is on the Magic Keyboards with Touch ID will not work with Intel machines. They will only work with Macs with M1.

While it is not 100% known, it would make sense that the keyboards with Touch ID will work with any Mac, but the Touch ID will not work on Intel Machines.

Closing Thoughts

All of these items are available to order today. The Magic accessories should arrive by Friday, if ordered today. The graphics cards will arrive August 16th to 18th, if ordered today.

It is not known if Apple will release the Magic accessories in colors at a later date or not.

Now that the last full month of summer is upon us, it is time for me to post the list of titles that I read during July of 2021. Unlike my guess when I posted the Reading List for May 2021, I actually listened to more items than I expected.. Here is what I did manage to listen to. I listened to 13 titles. Of these, ten were new. The reason for this is that most of them, seven of the ten, were Great Courses. Great Courses are broken into 30 or 45 minute chapters, so they can be easily listened to in small chunks. Additionally, I can not listen to one for a few days and it will not be a problem to pick it up again.

Out of all of the items I listened to, I would recommend New Arcadia: Stage One by Eric Jason Martin, particularly if you like '90s video games.

Disclaimer: The links below will provide a bit of a commission if you purchase anything.

Previous Reading Lists:

• June 2021
• May 2021
• April 2021
• March 2021
• February 2021
• January 2021