April 2026

iOS & Apple news

Mark your calendars: WWDC is set for the week of June 8, announced Apple. The Keynote will be on Monday, June 8.

Apple's Greg Joswiak announced today:

Apple Studio Display XDR Now FDA-Cleared for Diagnostic Radiology Use

Apple introduces AirPods Max 2. `Powered by H2, AirPods Max are better than ever with more effective ANC, enhanced sound quality, and new features like Adaptive Audio and Live Translation.'

Compare 3 models of AirPods: AirPods Max 2 vs. AirPods max vs. AirPods Pro 3.

Stephen Robles unboxes his new Studio Display XDR with the VESA mount, and starts using it, sharing first impressions. He also unboxes a new Macbook Neo:

The astronauts traveling in the Artemis II spacecraft were allowed to take iPhones with them , reports the NY Times. The phones can’t connect to the internet or use Bluetooth, NASA said. They are primarily for taking photos and videos.

Last week, on April 1st, Apple commemorated 50 years.

From the 60 Minutes Archives: Steve Jobs interviewed by Dan Rather, discussing being inspired by the Beatles, and says, `My model of business is the Beatles.' and `Great things in business are never done by one person. They're done by a team of people.'

WSJ's Ben Cohen interviewed Tim Cook for the occasion. Cook explained his philosophy of success and failure, reflected on a “man-on-the-moon” project from Steve Jobs, and got a surprise from the Wall Street Journal’s archives. Take a look:

Esquire Magazine profiled Tim Cook on the occasion of Apple's 50th anniversary.

David Pogue's Apple: The First 50 Years is available at bookstores.

[ RUMOR ] Foldable iPhone will be called Ultra

[ RUMOR ] iPhone Fold Expected to Launch on Time in September Despite Delay Rumors, reports Macrumors based on reporting from Bloomberg.

iOS apps

Recall the app Flighty. The app also make available Major Airports & Disruptions, as a free service on a webpage (and also inside the app for those who use the app). Bookmark this. You can save it on your iPhone's desktop as a shortcut: https://flighty.com/airports (on Safari, use the Share option and choose Add to Home Screen).

Magic Lasso is a Safari extension that blocks ads on websites. Additionally, it blocks ads on YouTube. Besides not being bombarded by ads, there are many other benefits you get by using an ad blocker. Websites load significantly faster and consume less battery when ads get blocked. Additionally, a lot less data is downloaded, which can be important when you are using cellular service, especially when traveling. Magic Lasso works on iOS, macOS, and AppleTV. They offer a free and a paid version.

podcasts

Listen to the interview of Tristan Harris by Kara Swisher: Why the Al Race Is Leaving Humans Behind with Tristan Harris. Podcast description: `Tristan Harris is a technology ethicist and co-founder of the Center for Humane Technology, studies how the tech industry's platforms have become extractive and controlling. Kara first interviewed him in 2017, and after he was featured in the 2020 Netflix documentary "The Social Dilemma," his profile shot through the roof. Now he's featured in a new film called, "The Al Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist," which explores the promises and existential risks of Al. Tristan joins Kara to discuss how the current Al arms race is driven by the wrong incentives, and why that's leading us towards an "anti-human" future. He argues that the benefits and breakthroughs promised by Al are inseparable from profound risks, and calls for public pressure, regulation and global coordination to build a humane future with Al before it's too late. You can find out more about the work Tristan and the Center for Humane Technology are doing at The Human Movement.

tips & tricks

iPhone Missing Calls & Texts, or Not Ringing? ? Here is how to fix most of these cases.

gadgets & accessories

Shane Whatley reviews the new the new Aqara W200 thermostat, which uses Apple’s new Adaptive Temperature feature.

AI

If you are interested in Using Claude, you can Switch to Claude without starting over. `Bring your preferences and context from other AI providers to Claude. With one copy-paste, Claude updates its memory and picks up right where you left off.' Olga has been using Claude for the past month and it has been a smooth experience.

general news and crossover

Data Drop: Every iPhone. This is a beautiful webpage dedicated to listing every single iPhone model over the past 20 years.

next iPUG

Our next iPUG meeting is Tuesday, May 5, at 7 pm AZ Time and PT.