The Weekender
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Snap great solar eclipse pix

Snap great solar eclipse pix

With these tips and tools, your iPhone photos will shine.

Lewis Wallace
March 09, 2024

We’re less than a month away from a total solar eclipse in North America. If you’ll be lucky enough to witness this event, you’ll likely want to snap some photos with your iPhone.

And if you want those pictures to look good, you should read this weekend’s how-to and start preparing now. In addition to mastering some special techniques, you’re going to need some supplies!

Also in this edition of The Weekender:

Curious if one of the new M3 MacBook Airs is right for you? Our latest buying guide pits the M2 MacBook Air against the just-announced model.
Despite some crippling indecision, Cupertino came up with some wild Apple car prototypes.
Find out about all the new features in iOS 17.4 and macOS Sonoma 14.4.
Apple keeps plugging away at making a 20-inch MacBook with a folding screen.
And finally, don’t miss your chance at taking an extra 20% off gear from the Cult of Mac Deals store. We’ve got a keychain charger for iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods, a dashcam that doubles as a backup cam and many more hardware deals. Use code ENJOY20 this weekend for extra savings on select products.

Enjoy your weekend!

— Lewis Wallace, managing editor

How-tos

How to take solar eclipse photos with iPhone

Solar eclipse photos on iPhone can be hard to capture without the right tools. Make sure you have everything you need before the big day next month.

How to use the built-in Translate app on iPhone

The Translate app built into your iPhone is a hidden gem if you’re traveling abroad — it could help you out of a sticky situation.

Try these exciting iOS 17.4 features on your iPhone now

iOS 17.4 arrives, packing several changes including a revamped Battery Health menu, new emoji, massive EU changes and more.

Plus: Here are the new features to try in macOS Sonoma 14.4

How to autofill passwords, email addresses and more on iPhone

AutoFill on iPhone is supposed to help you out when you’re entering a password or typing in your email. It’s now made easier in iOS 17.

How to read auto-generated transcripts in Apple Podcasts

As of iOS 17.4, the Apple Podcasts app automatically generates transcripts for all episodes. Here's how to read them.

News

New M3 MacBook Air gets big specs boost with same awesome battery life

Apple launches the updated MacBook Air with an M3 chip, Wi-Fi that’s up to twice as fast and support for two external displays.

Plus, more Mac news:

How indecision and hubris killed the Apple car

An inside look at how Project Titan crashed and burned offers details on prototypes, chaotic management and crippling indecision.

EU fines Apple 1.8 billion euros over 'abusive’ treatment of Spotify

Responding to complaints by Spotify, the European Commission fines Apple approximately $1.96 billion over App Store rules.

Plus, more DMA fallout:

Cool concept video shows possible iOS 18 generative AI features

Get a sneak peek at the potential of iOS 18 generative AI features with this well-conceived concept video.

MacBook with 20-inch folding screen still on track for release

Apple reportedly continues to work on a MacBook with a 20-inch folding screen. It could set a new pattern for notebooks for the coming decade.

Plus, more Apple rumors:

Classic action manga ‘Midnight’ comes to life in 'Shot on iPhone' film

Osamu Tezuka's manga gets adapted to live action in the latest "Shot on iPhone" film project.

Apple TV+ documentary chronicles Steve Martin's wild and crazy career

Comedy legend Steve Martin gets the documentary treatment on Apple TV+ on March 29.

Plus, more Apple TV+ trailers and news:

MacPaw’s latest app will clean your photo library [Awesome Apps]

CleanMyPhone is a new app from MacPaw that will clean up your iPhone photos library by deleting screenshots and blurry photos.

Deals

This $16 keychain charger keeps your iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods juiced anywhere

Keep your beloved iPhone and Apple Watch juiced up anywhere with this 2-in-1 wireless keychain charger, on sale now for just $15.19.

Plus, more gear from Cult of Mac Deals:

Save hundreds on a bundle of Microsoft's best software

Get lifetime access to Windows 11 Pro, Microsoft Office, Project and Visio in this heavily discounted Microsoft software bundle deal.

Digitize your tax docs (and everything else) with this top iPhone scanning app

Streamline tax season with a discounted lifetime subscription to iScanner. The highly rated iPhone scanner app is on sale now.

Plus, more tax and finance deals:

Get almost $400 off 12.9-inch iPad Pro

Get $400 off iPad Pro! Hey. one of the great things about Apple putting out new gear is the deals you can get on the old gear.

Setups

Mac Studio and Studio Display refurbs seem new

The refurbished M2 Max Mac Studio and Studio Display in this neat setup are hard to tell from brand-new gear, the user says.

Mechanical keyboard clicks with Mac Studio workstation

A Keychron K8 wireless mechanical keyboard handles data input duties in this Mac Studio setup, alongside a very popular Logitech mouse.

Scarlett audio interface masters Mac Studio rig's sound

Want to turn your Mac into a recording studio? You need the right gear, like this setup's Focusrite audio interface.