In addition to the iOS 15.4 update for iPhones, which brought new emojis, anti-tracking features for AirTags and a neutral Siri voice, the company also released a software update for the Apple Watch. The software wasn’t highlighted at the company’s “Peek Performance” event last week, focusing on Apple TV, Apple Fitness Plus, heart rate detection, and more. The software, called WatchOS 8.5, is the fifth major update that Apple has offered free to Apple Watch users since WatchOS 8 was released last fall.
When is the release date for WatchOS 8.5?
WatchOS 8.5 was released on Monday, March 14th alongside iOS 15.4 and iPadOS 15.4.
So how to download WatchOS 8.5?
You must download iOS 15.4 to your phone before you can upgrade your Apple Watch. You can download iOS 15.4 by going to Settings > General > Software Update > Download and Install. Once done, the software will restart your phone. Then you can go to Watch App > General > Software Update. Apple Watch updates are usually scheduled at night, and people tend to take them off to charge.
Heart rhythm detection improvements
One of the most popular features of the Apple Watch is its health monitoring feature. There are many stories about the Apple Watch identifying and alerting people to heart problems before they feel symptoms. In WatchOS 8.5, Apple said, it improved software to detect atrial fibrillation, the most common type of irregular heartbeat that could signal a major risk of stroke. The new detection software is already available in the U.S., Chile, Hong Kong, South Africa and Apple says “more regions where the feature is available.”
More Apple TV
Another welcome feature of the Apple Watch is its ability to act as a passcode device, authorizing sign-in to apps like Microsoft’s Authenticator and business sign-in software Okta. Now, Apple says that WatchOS 8.5 users will be able to authorize purchases of TV episodes and movies through its Apple TV iTunes Store service.
Better Apple Fitness Plus
Apple is also adding $10 a month to Apple Fitness Plus, offering new features for users with disabilities. It has added health features to the Apple Watch, such as wheelchair exercise detection. Apple Fitness Plus will now offer optional audio commentary describing the movements of the visual demonstration during the workout.
Are you looking to upgrade to a MacBook Pro 14 or 16, or you’re entering desktop territory by pre-ordering the newly released Mac Studio. You can even keep an eye out for the rumored M2 MacBook Pro that may arrive later this year. But before you buy a new MacBook, you can get some money by selling your old Mac to help cover the cost of your new Mac. However, you will need to migrate your data to the new Mac and wipe the old Mac clean first.
Whether you give your Mac to a friend or family member, recycle it, or donate it to an organization, you need to wipe your personal information and files before separating from it.
Here’s how to remove all traces of your data and restore your old Mac to its default factory settings, let’s take a look!
1. Sign out of your account
First, you need to log out of all accounts. Now you have to quit three apps individually – Music, TV and Books. Open any of these applications and go to Account > Authorizations > Deauthorize This Computer. You will need to enter your Apple ID and password, then click the Deauthorize button.
Next, you need to turn off Find My Mac and sign out of iCloud. Go to System Preferences > Apple ID, click iCloud in the left panel, and uncheck Find My Mac. Next, click on Overview in the left panel, then click the Exit button.
Finally, you need to exit Messages. Open the Messages app, go to Messages > Preferences, click the iMessage tab, and then click Sign Out.
2. Bluetooth unpairing
If you’re giving your old Mac to your kids or someone else in the house, it’s a good idea to unpair any of its Bluetooth devices so your mouse or keyboard can control the new Mac without interfering with the old one. Go to System Preferences > Bluetooth, hover over the device you want to unpair, click the X button to the right of its name, then click Remove.
3. Reset NVRAM
NVRAM is the memory your Mac uses to save the settings it needs before loading MacOS: things like screen resolution, time zone, volume, and startup disk selection. Sometimes these files can get corrupted, so give your Mac’s next owner a fresh start by resetting the NVRAM. To do this, turn off your Mac, then turn it on and immediately hold down four keys simultaneously: Option, Command, P, and R. You can release the keys after about 20 seconds. That’s it! Your Mac’s NVRAM has been reset.
4. Factory reset
You will need to put your MacBook into recovery mode to erase all data and reinstall MacOS. To enter Recovery Mode on an Intel-based Mac, restart it and immediately hold Command-R. Once you see the Apple logo, you can release the keys.
Next, you will see the MacOS Utilities window. Select Disk Utility, click Continue and select your startup disk – unless you renamed it, it will most likely be labeled Macintosh HD or something like that. Next, click the Erase button at the top of the Disk Utility window and fill in the following two fields:
Name: Choose a name for the fresh new volume.
Format: Select APFS.
If you’re trying to sell an older Mac with a mechanical hard drive instead of a solid-state drive, choose Mac OS Extended (Journaled) for formatting.
Next, click Erase Volume Group and when Disk Utility finishes, exit Disk Utility. You should return to the MacOS Utilities window. (If not, restart your Mac again, holding down Command-R as it restarts.) From the MacOS Utilities window, select Reinstall MacOS and follow the instructions to install the operating system. After you reinstall MacOS, the Setup Assistant will greet you, and you can log out and shut down your Mac. That’s it!
Google has announced the limited release of Android 13 Developer Preview 1, codenamed Tiramisu with a focus on dessert. This latest version of the Android operating system will introduce several new color themes, enhanced privacy and security features, lock and home screen updates, and more.
As long as you have a compatible phone, you can connect your device to your computer and use Google’s Android Flash tool to easily download and install Android 13 Developer Preview 1. Note: The Android 13 Developer Preview can sometimes be unstable! Here’s how to download and install the Android 13 Developer Preview on your phone, let’s take a look!
Which phones is the Android 13 Developer Preview available for?
Google is expected to release Android 13 this fall. It will then be available on a variety of Android phones, but currently you can only install the Android 13 Developer Preview on many compatible Pixel devices: Pixel 4, Pixel 4 XL, Pixel 4A, Pixel 4A 5G, Pixel 5, Pixel 5A and 5G , Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, if your device isn’t on this list, you’ll have to wait for a later version of Android 13, be it public beta or public release.
Backup your Android device first
By default, your Pixel backs up automatically whenever you’re connected to Wi-Fi and your phone has been idle and charged for 2 hours, but you can also back up manually at any time. To back up your Pixel, go to Settings > Google > Backup and tap Back Up Now .
Now you need to enable USB debugging and OEM unlock
To install Android 13 on your Pixel, you’ll need to connect your phone to your computer via USB, which requires your Pixel to be unlocked and USB debugging enabled. While it’s easy to unlock your phone, to enable USB debugging, you’ll need to unlock the developer options first.
1. To unlock the developer options, go to Settings > About phone and tap Build number seven times. Enter your password when prompted and a new developer options menu will appear in system settings.
2. Now, enable USB debugging. Go to Settings > System > Developer options and turn on USB debugging. In the notification that appears, briefly describe what USB debugging means, click OK.
3. While you are still in developer options, turn on OEM unlocking. This will unlock your device’s bootloader, which is what loads the operating system. Once unlocked, you will be able to choose a different operating system to boot from.
Refresh your device with the Android Flash Tool in Chrome
There are two ways to flash the Android 13 Developer Preview system image on the Pixel using a computer, but for simplicity, we’ll use the Android Flash tool, which only works with some web browsers. Additionally, your computer must have 10GB of free storage to function properly.
If all is well, connect your Pixel to your computer via USB, unlock the device and visit the Android Flash Tool website in Chrome and do the following:
1. First, click Get started at the bottom of the website.
2. Next, click Allow ADB Access in the popup that appears (if any ad blockers are present, turn them off).
3. Now click Add New Device, select your device from the list and click Connect.
4. On your Pixel, check the box next to Always allow from this computer and tap Allow to give the Android Flash Tool access to your phone.
5. Back on your computer, click “Developer Preview 1” under “Popular Versions”.
6. Click Install to build, and then click OK.
The pop-up that appears will warn you that installing Android 13 will factory reset your phone, but that’s not a problem if you have a Pixel backed up. Make sure you don’t touch your phone or disconnect it from your computer during this process, or you could brick your phone. If you get another popup on your computer that mentions accepting the Android 13 version, do the following:
1. Click Start in the pop-up window that appears on your computer.
2. Go back to your Pixel, use the volume keys to select Unlock Bootloader, then tap the side key, which will cause your phone to reboot.
3. The software will start downloading, which may take a few minutes depending on your internet connection.
4. After the installation process is complete, click Start in the pop-up window that appears on your computer.
5. Again, back on your Pixel, use the volume keys to toggle to Lock Bootloader, then tap the side button.
6. Finally, on your computer, click Done and your phone will restart as usual.
If all went well, “Installation Complete” should appear in the Android Flash Tool. This means that the Android 13 Developer Preview is installed and you can safely disconnect your Pixel from your computer. After your Pixel reboots, you’ll see a notification that you’re now running the Android 13 Developer Preview. Click OK and set up your phone like a brand new phone.
The latest iPhone SE debuted on Tuesday at Apple’s “Peek Performance” event. The most notable updates to the affordable iPhone are 5G connectivity and Apple‘s latest mobile chipset. Aside from minor cosmetic changes, the third-generation iPhone SE looks identical to the previous-generation model launched in 2020. The phone still has a 4.7-inch screen and huge top and bottom bezels. It also retains the Home button with Touch ID, which is great for people who don’t want to use facial recognition to unlock their phones. Let’s take a look at the new features of the iPhone SE 3!
5G connectivity: Sub-6 yes, mmWave no
The most exciting new feature of the iPhone SE is support for faster data transfer speeds over 5G networks. However, the iPhone SE doesn’t support all types of 5G — it can’t connect to parts of the network that use the fastest mmWave type of 5G, which is currently found mostly in city centers and stadiums. As carriers continue to build out their 5G networks in 2022 and beyond, we’re still figuring out which networks the iPhone SE can connect to. Currently, we know that the iPhone SE can use C-band frequencies in the 3.7GHz to 3.98GHz range, which is already available for US carriers.
AT&T has confirmed that the iPhone SE will not support the 3.45GHz mid-band that will be added to its 5G network later this year and that only the best phones of 2022 will be able to connect to.
A15 Bionic Chipset: Better Performance, More iOS Updates
First introduced with the iPhone 13 series in September, the A15 Bionic chipset is Apple’s most advanced mobile chip. In addition to 5G connectivity, it also offers some new tricks for the iPhone SE. It should also support the same iOS update lifespan as the iPhone 13, which could be extended by seven years or more given how often Apple updates its oldest phones right now.
On the camera side, the new chipset should allow the iPhone SE to take better photos than its predecessors, but only because of computational photography improvements and AI tricks. The new phone has the same cameras as the 2020 model: a 12-megapixel, f1.8 rear camera and a 7-megapixel, f2.2 front-facing camera.
Even with the same A15 Bionic processor, the iPhone SE’s 3GB of RAM should slow down gaming performance and apps compared to the iPhone 13 Pro’s 6GB.
New glass back
The new iPhone SE looks almost unchanged from the previous model, but glass has replaced the all-aluminum back of the previous version. While the new glass back is an elegant touch, it’s unclear if it will change the shape of the new iPhones, making them incompatible with existing cases and accessories.
While we haven’t gotten a full review of the new iPhone SE, it does lack some features and polish. Its lower-resolution LCD display can’t deliver crisp, colorful pictures like the sharp OLED screens on the iPhone 13 series. While the new budget phones share the same chipset, the iPhone 13 has more RAM, more storage, and a larger battery with wireless charging.
The iPhone SE’s single rear camera is also better than the additional lens on the iPhone 13 series, with the iPhone 13 Pro featuring an ultra-wide-angle and 12-megapixel 3x optical zoom camera. Android users considering switching to a cheaper iPhone might be disappointed, as budget phones from Samsung and Motorola often feature two or even three rear cameras. If you just want your iOS phone to use some apps, watch some shows, and take some daylight photos, the iPhone SE should give you the right basics.
If you own an iPhone, you can use Face ID to unlock your phone or use Apple Pay. But the pandemic has made Face ID almost useless in public, because it doesn’t work when you’re wearing a mask, which covers almost half of your face.
Usually this leaves you with one of two options: put on the mask and manually enter the passcode, or take off the mask and let Face ID work that way. Neither option is perfect, which is why Apple’s upcoming iPhone software update is an improvement. Thanks to iOS 15.4 coming next week, you can finally use Face ID while wearing a mask.
As long as you have an iPhone 12 or iPhone 13 running iOS 15.4, you can easily go into your phone’s settings and open a new setting that uses features around your eyes to verify that you’re really you, even if you’re wearing a mask.
But if you have an older iPhone model, or just don’t want to update to iOS 15.4 for a while, there’s another way to unlock your iPhone while wearing a mask—with the Apple Watch. Let’s take a look at how to use it!
How to use Face ID with a mask
This new feature is exclusive to iOS 15.4 and only available on iPhone 12, 12 Mini, 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max and iPhone 13, 13 Mini, 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max. If you have both software and hardware, do the following to use Face ID with a mask:
1. On your iPhone, open the Settings app.
2. Next, go to Face ID & Passcode and enter your passcode.
3. Toggle Use Face ID with a mask.
4. On the next page, select the Use Face ID with mask option.
5. Wear a mask to set up Face ID.
Setting up Face ID with a mask is almost the same as setting up regular Face ID, but the emphasis is on verifying the unique features around the eyes. Once set up, which takes about a minute or so, you can unlock your iPhone masked (and unmasked).
If you don’t have iOS 15.4 or an iPhone 12 or 13, you can still unlock your iPhone with your Apple Watch. To do this, you need to be running iOS 14.5 or later and WatchOS 7.4 or later. To set up this function:
1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Select Face ID & Passcode and enter your passcode.
3. Scroll down to Unlock with Apple Watch, find your Apple Watch and turn on the feature.
Now, when you’re wearing a mask, all you have to do is raise your phone as usual and unlock it with Face ID. You’ll feel a touch on your wrist letting you know your watch has been used to unlock your phone.
The alert on the watch goes beyond just confirming that your phone is unlocked, though. It includes a button to lock the phone in case it’s unlocked by someone else. This is a safety feature that ensures that others cannot pick up your phone and unlock it while wearing a mask. While this is unlikely to happen, it’s a reassuring fallback to keep your data more secure.
Apple announced a new high-end CPU, the M1 Ultra, at its March 2022 hardware event. The goal of this processor is to bring higher performance to the desktop PCs of creative professionals.
Apple claims this is the largest processor ever built, and it accomplishes this feat by taking two M1 Max chips and bridging them with a new connector that allows Apple to achieve incredible performance without sacrificing efficiency .
The huge M1 Ultra chip has a GPU with 8,192 execution units, which puts it on par with the RTX 3080 on paper alone. We’ll have to wait and see how it plays out in our tests, though. Just like the rest of the M1 family of processors, the M1 Max is a system-on-chip design, which means the CPU, GPU, RAM, storage, and media engine are all contained in one large chip. Unlike Apple’s other SoCs, though, the M1 Ultra is only available in Mac Studio. It goes on sale on March 18.
To be sure, the 64-core GPU built into the M1 Ultra is the highlight of Apple’s March 2022 event, but the actual CPU isn’t to be underestimated either. With the M1 Ultra, you get a 20-core CPU and 114 billion transistors, making it one of the densest processors ever built for a consumer device. High-performance cores are used to handle heavy workloads that require as much brute force as possible, while high-efficiency cores work in the background to handle background tasks as they arise.
Since the M1 Ultra is only in Mac Studio, battery life isn’t an issue. Apple can prioritize loading the chip with high-performance cores without adding more efficiency cores, because it doesn’t have to worry about battery life at all. This is also a Mac chip that supports up to 128GB of RAM, so it’s clearly designed to power creative-level workloads like video editing and rendering that require a lot of RAM.
If you’re a creative professional looking to harness the raw power of the M1 Ultra, you’ll be looking at Mac Studio. It’s the only Mac with the new M1 Ultra processor, but that’s not surprising. The amount of power such a device requires is simply too much for a mobile device, so it’s unlikely we’ll see the M1 Ultra make its way into the likes of the MacBook Pro — at least not in the current iteration.
But despite its price, the M1 Ultra is still easier to use than the Mac Pro. To be clear, though, the M1 Ultra is only really needed by creative professionals who need an extremely fast processor to make a living.
Last year, Apple brought iOS 15’s App Library to iPadOS 15, offering an alternative way to group apps together so you can easily find them. On the iPhone, this feature is neatly hidden on the right side of the home screen page. But the App Library for iPad is in your Dock. It takes up space, and frankly, it’s a bit of an eyesore.
If you don’t use the app library very often, because you probably don’t have that many apps downloaded on your tablet, it’s really useless to have that feature on your dock, taking up space on your screen. Unlike other apps on the Dock, the App Library icon cannot be removed by pressing it. But there is a way to get rid of it – it’s just hidden in your settings. Take a look below!
We’ll show you how to remove the App Library icon from the Dock on iPads running iPadOS 15.
How to Remove the App Library from the iPad Dock in iPadOS 15
On an iPad running iPadOS 15, go to the Settings app.
1. Tap Home and Dock.
2. Under the Dock section, turn off Show App Library in Dock.
Once you do this, the app gallery icon will disappear from your Dock, giving you more space to install other apps. But don’t worry – you can still access the feature by swiping left on the home screen until it appears. If you don’t like the app library, you can also use the search function by swiping down anywhere on the home screen and typing the name of the app you’re looking for.
When you connect to a Wi-Fi network for the first time, both the name and password are stored on your computer. Usually, you don’t need to know these credentials again, as your computer should automatically connect to the network when you’re nearby, but if you have other devices to connect to the Internet, you’ll need this information. Whether you have a MacBook Pro running MacOS Monterey or an HP Pavilion All-in-One running Windows 11, it’s easy to find passwords for all Wi-Fi networks you’ve ever connected to on MacOS and Windows. Do you want to know? The following will tell you how to check the Wi-Fi password on MacOS and Windows respectively!
Every password you enter and save on your Mac is stored in Keychain Access, MacOS’ password management system. This includes Wi-Fi network passwords.
First, use the search function to open the Keychain Access app and do the following:
1. Click System under System Keychain in the sidebar.
2. Next, click Password at the top of the window.
3. Find the Wi-Fi network for which you want a password and double-click it.
4. Finally, check the box next to Show password and enter your password when prompted.
The blank password field will then display the password you used to log into that Wi-Fi network. You can then double-click the password field to select the password and copy it to the clipboard.
How to Find Wi-Fi Password on Windows
Finding the password for your currently connected Wi-Fi network on Windows is easy, but getting all stored Wi-Fi passwords takes a bit of work, so we’ll discuss both methods below.
To find the password for the Wi-Fi network you are currently connected to on Windows:
1. Click the Start button, then go to Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center (Windows 11) or Settings > Network and Internet > Status > Network and Sharing Center (Windows 10).
2. Next to Connections, click the Wi-Fi network name highlighted in blue.
3. In the Wi-Fi Status page that opens, click Wireless Properties, and then click the Security tab.
4. Finally, check the box next to Display characters to display your Wi-Fi network password above it.
However, that’s not the only way to find your Wi-Fi network password. The above method will only allow you to see the password of any Wi-Fi network you are currently connected to, but there is a way to find the password of all Wi-Fi networks you have ever connected to on your Windows computer.
1. Right-click the Windows icon in the desktop taskbar.
2. Click Windows Terminal (Admin).
3. Type netsh plan show profile and press Enter on your keyboard to see each Wi-Fi network you are connected to.
4. Once you find the Wi-Fi network you want the password for, type netsh wlan show profile “(Wi-Fi network name)” key=clear (for example, netsh wlan show profile “Netgear667” key=clear) and press enter .
Settings for profiles, connectivity, security, and cost will be displayed. The Wi-Fi network password will appear next to the key content under Security Settings. In addition to Windows Terminal, you can also use the Command Prompt application to find your Wi-Fi password by typing the commands listed above.
Apple appears to be working on a new workstation called the Mac Studio, which is reportedly a mix of a Mac Mini and a Mac Pro. According to 9to5Mac, there are two versions of Mac Studio in development. The first will feature the M1 Max chip (also in last year’s 14-inch MacBook Pro and 16-inch MacBook Pro models), while the second will use a more powerful variant of Apple’s silicon chip than the M1 Max.
The internal codename for Mac Studio is said to be J375 and will target the professional market. Backing up this claim is that it matches the Apple Studio Display that is rumored to be in development. If so, Apple might market them together for professional work.
This isn’t the first time Mac Studio has been mentioned, either. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has previously said that Apple is working on a smaller Mac Pro that will include an Apple silicon chip with 40 CPU cores and 128 GPU cores.
As with all things Apple, none of this is confirmed. Apple is hosting its March event next week, and we’d like to see the tech giant show off new Mac devices, but a Mac Pro device of any kind is unlikely. WWDC is more likely to be a showcase for professional gear, and since it’s just around the corner, we might see Mac Studio sooner or later.
With Apple’s March event just a week away, on March 8, the iPhone SE 3 (or iPhone SE (2022) seems highly likely. That’s partly because the timing is as expected, and partly because that date was leaked before.
Whenever it comes out, the iPhone SE 3 probably won’t be called that, it’ll probably follow the iPhone SE (2020) naming convention with the release year in the title, so maybe we’ll actually see the iPhone SE (2022) . Then again, a recent leak suggests it could actually be called the iPhone SE Plus 5G.
iPhone SE 3: What you need to know
The iPhone SE 3 may land on March 8. It’s likely to land at Apple’s spring event, and even if that date is wrong, it’s sure to happen soon.
iPhone SE 3 price: Pricing unknown, but the iPhone SE (2020) starts at $399/£419/AU$749.
Design: Rumor has it that the iPhone SE 3 looks a lot like its predecessor, with large bezels and a Home button that houses a Touch ID fingerprint scanner.
Display: The iPhone SE 3 will likely feature a 4.7-inch LCD screen, just like the previous one. That said, some reports point to it launching as the iPhone SE Plus 5G and sporting a larger 5.7-6.1-inch display.
Camera: There may not be many camera changes, the iPhone SE 3 is believed to have the same 12MP snapper as the iPhone SE (2020). However, the actual sensor may be new.
Specs: 5G support could be a big highlight of the iPhone SE 3. Apart from that, the leak points to the A15 Bionic chipset – the same as the iPhone 13 series.
Battery: We don’t know anything about the iPhone SE 3’s battery, but it’s likely to be similar to the 1,821mAh battery in the iPhone SE (2020).
Currently, all rumors point to a 2022 release, with some sources claiming the phone will land in the first half of the year, while some sources claim it will land before the end of March. With the March launch taking place on the 8th, that seems likely.
