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- Did FDA just green-light Apple’s next wearable?
Did FDA just green-light Apple’s next wearable?
Apple is always looking for an industry to disrupt, and a momentous change from the Food and Drug Administration could put the hearing aid industry in Cupertino's crosshairs.
As our columnist Graham Bower points out, AirPods Pro already act a little like hearing aids. And if any company can blow up the entrenched hearing aid industry -- which for decades has charged extremely high prices for devices that suffer from a variety of problems -- Apple can.
There's a surprisingly huge market for hearing aids that work well, look good and don't break the bank. This could be Apple's next big thing.
— Lewis Wallace, managing editor
P.S. Elsewhere in "The Weekender," we've got the lowdown on when to expect Apple's next big event (plus details on what the next-gen iPhone and Apple Watch will bring).
And don't miss our review of Bad Sisters, a biting new dark comedy that looks like another winner for Apple TV+.
News and opinion
Apple’s next big thing might not be a car or an AR headset. Thanks to a rule change announced this week by the Food and Drug Administration, Cupertino could soon add hearing aids to its product lineup. The potential market is huge, and Apple stands uniquely positioned to disrupt the status quo.
Apple’s next big product event will kick off a busy release period before the end of the year, with new Macs, iPads and Apple Watches expected.
In a recent report, Apple outlined the “rigorous scientific validation processes” used to develop the health and fitness features baked into its products. But how convincing of a case does it make?
An app to make Androids copy the look of iPhones proves wildly popular (and a rival app has just as many downloads). Who knew the iOS user interface was so darn appealing?
Patches for iPhone and Mac (plus iPad and Apple Watch) bring no new features, but you should still update ASAP.
As the music-recognition app hits its 20th birthday, Apple celebrates by publishing lists that showcase the songs people most frequently tried to identify over the years.
How-tos
Ever since it was introduced in 2011, Apple’s Siri voice assistant has been driving people mad. As if the unhelpful answers were not irritating enough when you actually request them, Siri often interrupts a conversation, meeting or TV show when you haven’t asked for anything at all. Here's how to stop Siri from randomly activating.
Deals
Your search for a perfect sports strap for your Apple Watch could be over. The Mifa Nylon Sports Leather Apple Watch Band might just be the ideal go-anywhere, do-anything accessory for your wearable, especially at 20% off.
If modern life has taught us anything, it’s that the more backups you have, the better off you are. The iScanner app makes it easy to back up anything on paper as a digital file.
With the 2022 All-in-One Learn to Code Certification Bundle, you can explore several popular coding languages, and that’s just the start.
The iPad Pro is extremely expensive, so you’d be wise to protect yours from damage. You can safeguard your investment with a protective case like the CoverBuddy, on sale for only $34.99 (regularly $42).
Reviews
New Apple TV+ dark comedy Bad Sisters follows a family of Irish women who vow to help each other through thick and thin. Thick comes in the form of a miserable brother-in-law, who’s lying in a coffin and represents loose ends for all of them. Can they outmaneuver a desperate insurance investigator and keep from turning on each other? This is good TV.
Plus, more Apple TV+ recaps:
Enjoy the classic link look on your Apple Watch with the stylish Casetify Link Bracelet.
The Apple Magic Keyboard is a great way to get work done on your iPad, but it’s not a particularly secure way to transport the tablet. The Pitaka FlipBook Case fixes that.
Get seriously productive with MacTigr mechanical keyboard for Mac [Review] ★★★★★ — www.cultofmac.com
Das Keyboard’s MacTigr is specifically for Mac users looking to get serious work done. It uses top-quality mechanical switches in a 105-key layout, and adds Mac-specific keys (and bonus features).
Setups
App developer Steve Troughton-Smith raised a few eyebrows recently with his iPad Pro propped up on a stand and hooked up to a mechanical keyboard that dwarfed it. His setup looks like some ungainly desktop machine of yesteryear.
Imagine buying a massive new ultra-wide, curved monitor to display what you do on your Macs in style. But once you get it all set up, the monstrous thing won’t stop wobbling. Ugh.
If there’s one thing Apple displays are known for, it’s high prices. OK — all joking aside — if there are two things they’re known for, it’s crisp, accurate colors and being worth the price for that level of quality.