Though originally covered in early drafts of a $200 billion escalation of President Donald Trump’s trade war with China, the product code covering these two Apple devices—as well as competing devices—will be exempted from tariffs.
AirPods
HYPER Intros Wireless Charging Adapter for AirPods
Apple still hasn’t released its wireless charging case for Apple’s AirPods, so HYPER stepped up with its Wireless Charger Adapter. The adapter slides on to your AirPods case and adds Qi charging support. It works with any 5W Qi-compliant charger, and gives your AirPods case a full charge in 1.5 hours. The HYPER Wireless Charger Adapter for Apple AirPods is priced at US$49.99 and is available now at the company’s website.
Apple Will Livestream 'Gather Round' iPhone Media Event
The company set up a special webpage just for the event, and even included a handy-dandy link for adding it to your Calendar.
Apple Asks Journos to 'Gather Round' for Media Event on September 12th
The invite is titled “Gather Round,” seemingly a reference to the Steve Jobs Theater in the circular Apple Park, and the company is expected to announce new iPhone models.
Brian Bumbery Joins Apple Music, Technology's Social Impact - TMO Daily Observations 2018-08-28
Andrew Orr and Dave Hamilton join Jeff Gamet to talk about Brian Bumbery leaving his own music industry publicity agency to join the Apple Music team, plus they dive into the way personal technology is creating social changes.
Sources Peg September 12th for New iPhone Launch Event
Insider sources say Apple’s coming iPhone launch event is happening on September 12th in the Steve Jobs theater.
macOS: Connect AirPods With a Keyboard Shortcut
Normally, connecting your AirPods to your Mac should be pretty easy and straightforward. However, sometimes you could run into connection issues.
New MacBook, iPad Pro, and AirPower Coming in September
Apple is set to introduce a new entry level MacBook in September, along with an iPad Pro refresh, and the AirPower wireless charging pad.
AirPods Wireless Charging Case May Support all Qi Chargers
Apple’s still unreleased AirPods wireless charging case may support any Qi charging pad.
Apple's Wearables Revenue Up 60% in Q3 2018
Apple’s wearables business, which includes Apple Watch, AirPods, and Beats headphones, is rising quickly with a 60% revenue increase year over year.
Review: AirVinyl's Leather AirPod Case Offers Snug and Satisfying Protection
Bryan Chaffin has been testing AirVinyl’s Leather AirPod Case for weeks, and says it offers a snug fit, satisfying motion, and solid protection.
Crazy Report Says New AirPods Case will Also Charge iPhone
Apple’s promised wireless charging case for AirPods will also charge your iPhone, or so claims one report.
Apple's Growing TV Series Lineup, the Long Overdue AirPower - TMO Daily Observations 2018-06-21
Adam Christianson from the Maccast and Andrew Orr join Jeff Gamet to talk about Apple’s growing stable of TV shows for its streaming video service, plus they have some thoughts on AirPower launching possibly a year after it was announced.
iOS: Naming AirPods Can Help You if They Get Lost
Redditor u/UnsightlyMe has a great tip to help you recover your AirPods if they get lost.
Sonos and AirPlay 2, iOS 12 Live Listen for AirPods - TMO Daily Observations 2018-06-08
Bryan Chaffin and Dave Hamilton join Jeff Gamet for the final day of Apple’s 2018 Worldwide Developer Conference to talk about the Sonos and AirPlay 2, the Sonos Beam, and Live Listen for AirPods in iOS 12.
iPhone Accessibility Feature 'Live Listen' to Support AirPods in iOS 12
An accessibility feature for the hearing impaired will receive a notable upgrade in iOS 12. “Live Listen,” a feature originally introduced in 2014 to enable hearing aid integration in iOS will soon be able to work with Apple’s AirPods in addition to MFi hearing aid devices.
Twelve South Intros AirFly Bluetooth to 3.5mm for AirPods
Twelve South is aiming to make your AirPods more versatile with its new AirFly Bluetooth to 3.5 mm adapter. AirFly lets you link your AirPods to wired-only connections, like in-flight entertainment systems on planes, or treadmills at the gym. The battery lasts eight hours between charges, so you can get through more than one movie on a flight. AirFly is priced at US$39.99 and is available at the Twelve South website, Amazon, along with InMotion stores and Best Buy kiosks in airports.
Catalyst Waterproof Case for AirPods
Check out Catalyst’s Waterproof Case for AirPods, a protective cover for your AirPods case that is both waterproof (IP67, up to 33 feet) and offers 40 feet of drop protection. The video below shows how that works, and I think it’s pretty cool, especially for active folks. They’re available in multiple colors, including Frost White, Blueridge/Sunset, Slate Gray, Deep Plum, Army Green, and Glow-in-the-Dark. The company announced Tuesday that these cases will be available in Best Buy stores and the BestBuy.com, and you can find them on the Catalyst website, as well as Amazon, and they’re priced at $24.99 at all three locations. [Edit: Dave Hamilton also thought this case was cool, as he wrote about them in January. Check out his personal video in that piece. – Bryan]
Here Are Apple's Best Recent Product Releases
What are the best devices released by Apple in the past few years? That’s a pretty subjective list, so I asked the TMO staff what they thought, and the answers were pretty interesting.
Spinner Madness, Apple's Best Products, and WWDC Tea Leaves - ACM 453
In this episode, Bryan Chaffin leads Jeff Gamet down into the ugly underbelly of FSM, or Fidget Spinner Madness. You can blame Mitsubishi if you want. They also talk about what TMO’s staff thinks were recent great Apple products and read the WWDC tea leaves. Does the WWDC website really mean anything?
PSA: Be Sure to Write Down Your AirPods Serial Number
Apple doesn’t say why it won’t replace the case without the number.
iOS: How to Use Siri Hands Free From Your iPhone Lock Screen
Using Siri hands free with AirPods is great, but then I ran into a problem.
Apple's AirPower Wireless Charging Mat Reportedly Coming in March
When Apple unveiled its AirPower wireless charging mat last September the company said it would ship some time in 2018, and it’s looking like “some time” may be March.
AirPods with 'Hey Siri' Support Coming this Year
Apple’s second generation AirPods are reportedly in the works and will include “Hey Siri” support instead of requiring a tap before giving voice commands.