Apple held their "Let Loose" event today. The entire video was 38 minutes long but in those 38 minutes there was a lot of information and all of that information related to the iPad. Specifically, the iPad Air and the iPad Pro, but there was one other announcement related to the 10th generation iPad.

10th Generation iPad

The 10th Generation iPad now has a lower price of $349. This is down from $449. There have been no other changes. With this price drop, the 9th generation iPad is no longer sold from Apple. It is possible that it might still be available from third-party retailers, but I would not expect to purchase it directly from Apple.

Now, let us look at the iPad Air.

iPad Air

The first iPad covered in the event was the iPad Air. The biggest change 6th generation iPad Air is the size. In fact, it now comes in two sizes, an 11-inch and a 13-inch version. The iPad Air comes with an M2, an upgrade from the M1 in the previous generation. One of the other noticeable changes will be the placement of the FaceTime camera, it is now along the landscape edge of the iPad. This is a more natural position for the camera and it follows the 10th generation iPad in its placement.

If you use the iPad Air in landscape mode, you will get stereo sound with the new "Landscape Stereo Speakers", which can improve the sound quality.

There are now also some additional storage options. The options available are 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB options. If you do order you have four color options to choose from: Blue, Purple, Starlight, and Space Gray. The Blue and Purple options are new variations on the previous colors.

The 11-inch version starts at $599 for the 128GB Wi-Fi only model. The 13-inch starts at $799 for the 128GB model. The cellular versions are $200 more.

Both models are available to order today and will begin delivering next week.

Accessories

There are ways that you can customize your iPad Air and one of them might be a case. There are some options, including the Smart Folio, or even a Magic Keyboard. The Smart Folio is available in four colors, Light Violet, Charcoal Grey, Sage, and Denim. The 11-inch version is $79 while the 13-inch model is $99.

The Magic Keyboard comes in two colors, White and Black. The Magic Keyboard for the 11-inch iPad Air is the same as the previous version and supports all 11-inch devices and costs $299. The Magic Keyboard for the new 13-inch iPad Air is the same one that supported the 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro. This comes in the same two colors, but costs $349.

iPad Pro

The main attraction for this event is the iPad Pro. The iPad Pro continues to come in two sizes, 11-inch and 13-inch. This mimics both the 6th generation iPad Air. The 13-inch is a new size but these two screen sizes are the actual sizes. The new screen sizes means that the resolution has changed to 2420 by 1668 for the 11-inch and 2752 by 2064 for the 13-inch model. This is a very minimal increase, but it is one none-the-less. The new size is actually due to one of the big changes to the iPad Pro, a new display. Specifically, the iPad Pro has an OLED display that Apple is calling "Tandem OLED".

The Tandem OLED display is actually two OLED panels that can light up the display as needed with up to 1000 nits of fullscreen brightness for SDR and XDR, and up to 1600 nits for peak HDR content. The OLED display will allow even deeper true black, more details in shadows and low light, and it should be more responsive for any content that is in motion.

With the OLED display there is an additional option, a Nano-texture display. Similar to the Studio Display, the nano crystals are embedded directly within the display. The Nano-texture display is a bit more than the standard display. More on pricing in a bit.

As rumored, the 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Pro are powered not by the M3, but by the M4. The M4 is a 3-nanometer chip that utilizes the second-generation 3nm manufacturing process. This means that the M4 is able to increase its performance while using the same or less power. According to Apple, it is 50% faster than the M2. In fact, it has the same performance as the M2, just uses half the power.

With the increase of power you may expect the thermals to be impacted, but Apple has accounted for that. The iPad Pro has graphite sheets in the device to help with the thermals. Along with this, there is copper in the Apple Logo on the back to help dissipate the heat.

Both models of the iPad Pro are thinner than their previous versions. The 4th generation 11-inch iPad Pro has gone from 5.9mm to 5.3, a reduction of just about 10%. Meanwhile, the 7th generation 13-inch iPad Pro has gone from 6.4mm to 5.1mm. This is a significant reduction of 20.5%. This reduction means that the weight has also been reduced by 4.7% in the 11-inch iPad Pro from 466 grams to 444 grams. The 13-inch iPad Pro has had a much larger reduction in weight from 685 grams down to 582 grams, or a 15% reduction.

The last change to mention is the placement of the camera. Just like the 6th generation iPad Air and the 10th generation iPad, the camera on the 11-inch and 13-inch iPad is along the landscape edge.

While there are only two color options, Silver and Space Black, you do have some options when it comes to storage. In fact there are different storage sizes, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB options. The Nano-texture glass option is only available in the 1TB and 2TB options. There are some slight differences in the processor for the 256GB/512GB models as compared to the 1TB/2TB models. The 256GB/512GB models have a 9-core processor with 3 performance cores and 6 efficiency cores. The 1TB/2TB options have a 10-core processor with 4 performance cores and 6 efficiency cores. It is not yet known how this difference will manifest in actual usage, if it will at all.

The one thing not covered yet is pricing. The 11-inch iPad Pro starts at $999 for the 256GB Wi-Fi model, the 256GB Cellular model starts at $1199. The 13-inch 256GB Wi-Fi model is $1299 and the Cellular model is $1499. If you want the Nano-texture glass that will be an additional $100, but it is only available on the 1TB or 2TB option.

You can order either model today and it will begin delivering next week. As of this writing some models are already later in May or early June, with the Nano-texture models not shipping until mid-June.

The iPad Pro does have some new accessories.

Accessories

When the 3rd generation iPad Pro was introduced Apple also introduced a new accessory, the Magic Keyboard. The Magic Keyboard is great for having a keyboard with stand that you can use as a case with your iPad Pro. The new iPad Pros also bring a new Magic Keyboard. The new Magic Keyboard has some improvements over the previous version, in that there is a larger trackpad and an additional row of keys, dedicated function keys. This may seem like a small change, and in the grand scheme of things it might be, but having dedicated function keys will make things much easier.

You can get Magic Keyboards specifically designed for the 11-inch or 13-inch M4 iPad. Just like the previous models, there are two color options, white and black. The 11-inch version is $299 and the 13-inch model is $349, the same prices as before.

There is one last accessory to discuss, the Apple Pencil.

Apple Pencil

The 1st generation Apple Pencil was introduced in 2015 with the original iPad Pro. In 2018 it got a refresh with the 1st generation 11-inch iPad Pro and the 3rd generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro. At that time the 2nd generation Apple Pencil changed pairing, and charging, mechanism to be magnets along the landscape side of the iPad.

There is a new Apple Pencil that works only with the new 6th generation iPad Air and the 5th generation 11-inch iPad and 7th generation 13-inch iPad Pro, the Apple Pencil Pro. The Apple Pencil Pro takes what the second generation did and enhances it.

One of the new features is the addition of Find My, which means that if you cannot find your Apple Pencil you will be able to use the Find My network to locate it for you. Along with this, there is also a new gyroscope, which will allow precise control. Rotating the barrel also allows you to change the shape of the pen or brush tools.

The last feature on the Apple Pencil Pro is a new squeeze gesture. This will allow you to quickly bring up a tool palette to quickly switch between tools, line widths, or colors, without needing to lift up your finger and find the necessary button.

The Apple Pencil Pro is available to order now and it costs $129, which is the same as the 2nd generation Apple Pencil. The Apple Pencil Pro is only compatible with the latest devices. As a note, you can also use the Apple Pencil with USB-C with the new iPad Pros.

Closing Thoughts

The Let Loose event was short, but full of a bunch of information. The new iPad Air is a solid update that comes in two sizes, 11-inch and 13-inch models. The new iPad Airs come with an M2, new colors, and support for the Apple Pencil Pro. The iPad Air comes in 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB and it starts at $599 for the 11-inch and $799 for the 13-inch model.

The new iPad Pros comes in two sizes, 11-inch and 13-inch models. The iPad Pros with an OLED display, M4, and come in 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB options and in two colors, Silver and Space Black. The 11-inch iPad Pro starts at $999 and the 13-inch iPad Pro starts at $1299.

All of the products are available to order today and delivery begins next week.

Sources: Apple Newsroom: iPad Pro
Apple Newsroom: iPad Air
Apple Newsroom: M4

With Apple's "Let Loose" event in just a few days, it is time to post my predictions for what we will see. This event is happening at a significantly different time than most other Apple events. This one is at 7 am Pacific Time. This differs in that a majority of Apple's events take place at 10 am Pacific Time. Even though this is a different time than most, this is not the first time that Apple has held an event at a strange hour. In fact, Apple's "Scary Fast" event held on October 30th, 2023 was also at a non-standard time, 5 p.m. Pacific Time. So this is not unprecedented, but still a different time.

It is expected that this event will focus on iPads, and the invitation bears this out. The invitation clearly shows a hand holding an Apple Pencil. In addition, Apple's CEO Tim Cook posted "Pencil us in", in reference to the event. Beyond all of these subtle hints, it is time for new iPads. The last iPads released were announced more than 18 months ago, on October 18th, 2022, and released on October 26th. This is the first time since its introduction in January of 2007, and release in April of the same year, that Apple has gone an entire calendar year without announcing new iPad models. With that information out of the way, let us get to what I suspect we will see.

If you would like you can skip to the recap of what I expect.

iPad

The current base model iPad, known as the 9th generation iPad, is the last iPad with a home button. A Home Button has been standard since the original iPad was introduced in 2010. With the release of the 2018 iPad Pro, Apple added Face ID and with the introduction of the 4th generation iPad Air in 2020 Apple began putting the Touch ID sensor in the top button, instead of having a dedicated button. With all of this, I suspect that the 9th generation will no longer be available from Apple, except for maybe education, and possibly only in certain regions.

The reason I suspect this is that while the 9th generation is popular, particularly amongst schools, I think Apple is keen on getting rid of the remaining home-button based iPad. Besides having the home button, it is the last iPad that still uses the lightning connector and the European Union has mandated that all smartphones, tablets, and digital cameras must have USB-C connectors by the end of 2024.

I think how this could handled one of two ways. Either they introduce a new model entirely that maintains the price point of the 9th generation iPad, or the current 10th generation has its price reduced to become the new base-model iPad.

The last possibility is that Apple does not update the 9th generation iPad yet, and instead waits until the iPhone event in the fall before updating the base model iPad.

One thing I could see Apple doing is a minor update to the 10th generation iPad to drop support for the 1st generation Apple Pencil and instead only support the Apple Pencil with USB-C.

iPad Air

The 5th generation iPad was introduced in just over 2 years ago, in March of 2022. That model has an M1. I suspect that it will be updated, most likely with an M2 processor. I am not sure what other changes Apple could make, besides colors, and possibly changing the orientation of camera to be in landscape orientation, similar to the 10th generation iPad.

There are rumors that the iPad Air may now come in two sizes, 10.9 and 12.9, similar to the iPad Pro. This does make sense to do and it would be inline with other devices, like the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air, and the 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro.

iPad mini

The iPad mini is not a device that gets updated all that often. In fact, the 6th generation iPad mini was released in September of 2021. This means it has been 2.5 years since it was last updated. It is definitely time for a refresh. The iPad mini is an interesting device given that its screen is 8.3 inches, hence the "mini" moniker. But what makes the device even more interesting is that it has a better processor than the 10th generation iPad, an A15 in the mini versus A14 in the 10th generation iPad.

It would not surprise me to see the iPad mini get updated with an M1 or even an M2 processor. It is also entirely possible that the iPad mini will not be updated until later in the year.

iPad Pro

The iPad Pro is likely to be the star of the event. This is the device that has had the largest number of rumors and also the most anticipated set of upgrades. Apple has positioned the iPad Pro as the most technologically advanced iPad. The 12.9-inch iPad Pro currently has a mini-LED display, but it is anticipated that the new iPad Pros will have an OLED display.

The other big change is likely to come with the placement of the camera. As mentioned in the iPad (no moniker) section, I suspect that the iPad Pro will also have the camera placed along the long edge of the iPad. This would bring it in line with the 10th-generation iPad and more usable for those using video

While there has been no rumors of this, but I think Apple might take the opportunity to have the 12.9-inch iPad start at a higher price, similar to how the iPhone 15 Pro Max starts at a higher price. The way that they did this was to have the higher-end model start with more base storage. I could see the same happening with the iPad Pro.

Colors

There is one thing that I would really like to see from the iPad Pro line and that is new colors. The original iPad Pro came in three, Silver, Space Gray, and Gold. The 9.7-inch iPad Pro came in one additional color, Pink. However, all other models have only come in two color options, Space Gray and Silver. I would like to see some new colors, preferably bright colors. Sure, keep the standards of Silver and Space Gray, but some new colors would be good, like maybe an Orange. People who opt for the iPad Pro do enjoy color options, and not just with the cases. I can understand not providing a lot of colors for the keyboard cases, but for the iPads would be a nice thing to have.

One thing not mentioned, thus far, is the chip that will power the iPad Pro.

Chips used in the iPads

With it being so long since Apple has released an iPad it is not easy to even begin to speculate how they might approach upgrades of the devices. It is reasonable to expect that each iPad model will see an upgrade to the next chip in its own line. For example, the 10th generation iPad has an A14 chip, so I would expect the upgraded version to have an A15. Similarly, the iPad Air currently has an M1, so I would expect this to be upgraded to an M2. The iPad Pro has an M2 now, so it would seem logical to have this upgraded to an M3, but that may not be the case.

There are rumors that none of the iPad will have an M3 chip, instead they will have an M4. This is borne out with model identifiers of iPad16,3, iPad16,4, iPad16,5, and iPad16,6. As explained by 9to5Mac, the 5th generation iPad Air and 5th generation iPad Pro had identifiers of iPad13,x, which both have M1 in them. This matched the Macs with an M1, which were all Mac13,x. Those devices with an M2 were iPad14,x and Mac14,x. From a 9to5Mac article:

According to the leaker, the new iPad Air will be powered by T8112, which is M2. However, the new iPad Pro has an unknown "T8132" chip. For instance, the M3 identifier is "T8122."

To add addition evidence, the manufacturing process used for the M3, M3 Pro, M3 Max, and A17 Pro was a one-off process that was significantly more expensive than the M2 line. So, it is possible that the line of iPads will have an entirely new chip, the M4.

Accessories

I expect that these new iPads will be accompanied by some new accessories. In particular, a new keyboard, and a new Apple Pencil.

Keyboards

Apple has long had accessories designed to go with the iPad. Currently Apple offers three different keyboard types for the iPads. These are the Smart Keyboard, Magic Keyboard Folio, and the Magic Keyboard. I expect that we will see updates to these that will work with the new iPads that are released. I suspect that these will be the same type of devices as the current iPads have.

Apple Pencil

The Apple Pencil was introduced with the iPad Pro in 2015. The first generation Apple Pencil allowed charging either via cable or directly in the lightning port on the iPad. This was not ideal, so when Apple introduced the 2nd generation Apple Pencil. The method of charging for the 2nd generation Apple Pencil changed to be charged directly from the side of the iPad. When you place the 2nd generation Apple Pencil on the iPad it also automatically pairs.

The rumors indicate that there will be a new 3rd generation Apple Pencil and that this one will work similar to the 2nd generation, but will also support a "squeeze" function, meaning that you can configure a function when you squeeze the Apple Pencil.

I think the 3rd generation Apple Pencil will replace the 2nd generation. However, it is also possible that the 3rd generation Apple Pencil will be more expensive than the 2nd generation, likely at $149.

My Predictions

1. New iPad Pros with OLED displays, same sizes of 11-inch and 12.9-inch.
2. New iPad Pros with storage starting 512GB, which will increase price.
3. New iPad Pros will have an M4.
4. New 11th generation iPad introduced.
5. 10th Generation iPad becomes the new "base" iPad.
6. 9th generation iPad is no longer in the line-up.
7. New iPad Air in two sizes, 10.9 and 12.9.
8. New Keyboards for the iPad Air and iPad Pro
9. New 3rd generation Apple Pencil with squeeze gesture

Sometime after the Let Loose event on May 7th, I will provide a recap of what Apple actually announces at the event.

Today Apple has sent out invitations to an event happening on May 7th, 2024, titled "Let Loose". The event will be available on Apple.com and via the Apple TV app at 7 a.m. Pacific Time on Tuesday, May 7th. The graphic for the event depicts a hand holding an Apple Pencil, therefore it is expected that this will be the anticipated iPad-focused event.

You can watch the event on the Apple Events page or via the Apple TV app.

As with most events, I will post my predictions sometime prior to the event.

No matter how you slice it, there is nothing free on the internet. There is a maxim that goes “If you are not paying for the product, you are the product”. Spelled out, if you are not paying for a service with money, you are paying with your data. It is that simple. Many websites use ads as a means of paying for supporting their website. Many sites use ads that are targeted towards your interests because it will end up making more money than using generic ads.

Larger companies sometimes have the opportunity to entice people to use their services with incentives. One example is Microsoft and their Microsoft Rewards program.

Microsoft Rewards

Microsoft Rewards is a program that allows you to perform various tasks, like performing searches, completing polls, and performing other tasks. The tasks are not just limited to Bing, but you can also complete tasks on your Xbox or Windows PC. Each of these tasks will reward you some points. The number of points vary on the task. Here are some of the points that you can earn.

You can earn up to 150 points, per day, by searching on the desktop. You can earn up to 100 points per day for searching on a mobile device.

You can earn points by playing games on your Xbox, or in the Xbox Mobile app. You can also earn points by completing weekly, and monthly, quests on your Xbox.

There is no definitive consensus as to how much you can earn per month, but it is close to 20,000 points, if you perform all of the tasks, provided you live in a region where you can earn all of the points.

Once you have earned enough points, you can trade in your points for gift cards, or you can donate your points.

My Experience

I went back and looked at when I first signed up for Bing Rewards, the predecessor to Microsoft Rewards. The earliest email I could find was from 2014. Therefore, I have been using it for nearly 10 years. Over that time I have earned just over 650,000 points. I am sure I could have earned more over that time, but I know there was a time when I did not complete my daily searches, and therefore did not earn points.

As you perform the daily tasks on the Bing website you will start a streak. As you lengthen your streak you will end up earning additional points for continuing the streak. These points are on top of the regular daily points.

For the last few years I have been trying to make a concerted effort to complete the daily tasks and searches to earn a lot of points. I did not have any particular goal in mind, but just enough to redeem some points. It took me years of searching and playing Xbox games, but eventually I did earn a lot of points.

As of this writing, I have a streak of 364 days. This means that for the last 364 days I have done the daily tasks on the Bing website. I have absolutely been doing the tasks for longer than that, but the Bing website decided, on multiple occasions, to decide that my activities did not count as a streak. This has happened multiple times over the last few years.

Each time that the streak breaks, it requires me to start the streak again. The streak, in itself, only matters because it would allow me to get a badge. The current set of badges include:

• Office Mate: 1997 lifetime points
• Dos Boss: 8088 lifetime points
• Audiofile: 35,000 lifetime points
• Local Hero: 98052 lifetime points
• Founder: 441,975 lifetime points
• 7-day set
• 30-day set
• 180-day set
• 365-day set
• 999-day set

I have earned all but the 999 set. It would take me 21 months to get the 999-day set badge. Honestly, the thought of continuing to do the daily tasks for that length of time is, in a word, tiring.

I have mostly been doing the Microsoft Rewards tasks to be able to automatically redeem a 1-month subscription to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. The automatic redemption reduces the number of points needed to redeem a code. For the length of time that I had been doing the auto redemption

In December, I redeemed a vast majority of my points for Game Pass Ultimate. I did this not only because it made sense, but also because I have heard horror stories of some people losing access to Microsoft Rewards, and I opted to redeem my points instead of losing them.

Now that we have covered my experience, let us look at some recent changes.

Recent Changes

Over the last few months Microsoft has been making massive changes to the Rewards Program. They have reduced the amount of points that you receive for various tasks. You are still able to receive enough points to redeem Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, or other gift cards, but the points have been reduced.

Another set of changes that they have made recently is that you can only earn up to 25 points by clicking on items. Now, you must perform searches in order to redeem points. Beyond this, Microsoft has implemented a delay between all searches in order to receive points. I can understand wanting to put some delay, in order to stop bots, and this is entirely understandable. However, adding a significant delay also means that it takes an increasingly longer amount of time to complete the daily searches.

Decision to Stop Earning Rewards

Even though you can still earn enough to redeem a gift card, or Game Pass Ultimate, every month, it takes a lot of time to complete the searches every day. In addition to this, the Xbox Rewards apps, on both iOS and Xbox, also take a lot of time.

Beyond the time, the apps do not always trigger the rewards, even though you have completed the tasks. With the delay, app issues, and the overall amount of time needed to complete everything, I have opted to stop doing the searches. I am not entirely sure when I will stop but it will likely be when I’m able to redeem another 3-month Game Pass Ultimate. This would end up being the last of my points, which seems like a good time to stop.

I have already stopped my monthly auto-redemption of my 1-month Game Pass Ultimate and since it is just half-way through the month, it is likely that I will redeem the 3-month Game Pass Ultimate towards the end of the month, and then that will be it for Microsoft Rewards.

Closing Thoughts

There are times in life when you have more time than money. There are other times when you have more money than time. I am in the latter portion. Now, I end up paying for things with my own money. I do this instead of using coupons, or in the case of Microsoft Rewards, allowing Microsoft to use my data to, in exchange for free rewards that I can redeem.

As outlined above, this is because it takes entirely too much time and effort for, what in me, is not worth the trade off. I am not discouraging anybody to use Microsoft Rewards, but for me, it is no longer worth my time. If you want to be able to get rewards, including gift cards, Microsoft Rewards may be worth your time, but expect additional changes in the future.

I, like many tech literate people, end up having multiple hats. One of those "jobs" that many tech literate people end up performing is being tech support for others. When you do need to provide tech support for others, there are instances when that can be accomplished via email, text message, or even over the phone. However, there are those times when you need to actually see what is happening. This requires connecting to a computer. For this, this is where remote control software can be handy.

There are a variety of options available depending on your needs. If you only need to connect to your own computers, you can probably use Apple's built-in software. It becomes a bit trickier if you need to connect to remote devices, but there are some solutions. Some of the available options are Jump Desktop, ZoHo Assist, AnyDesk, and Team Viewer, just to name a few.

Let us look at one in particular, the one I used, Team Viewer.

Team Viewer

For the last decade I have been using Team Viewer. Team Viewer is one of the myriad options available for remotely connecting to devices. The reason that I have been using Team Viewer is because it is cross-platform. I, as you probably guessed, use a Mac, but the other person I support is using a Windows computer.

Team Viewer offers a couple of different methods for connecting to a remote device. The first is by prompting the remote user to allow you to connect to their computer. This method is good if you are on the phone with them. The second option is by using a password. You can configure one so that you can always connect to the device, provided it is powered on.

The reason I chose Team Viewer was because it was free to use for personal use. According to their website:

"...Remote access software connects individuals and devices, allowing you to collaborate, interact, and provide support for free..."

Team Viewer has worked well for over a decade, at least, it did until earlier this year.

The Issue

Over the last couple of months Team Viewer has, incorrectly, been thinking that I am using Team Viewer in a "commercial" manner. Now, I have only ever had two computers connected to my account. One being my own computer, and the second being someone else's. I only ever connect to the other person's computer when they call and need help. When I setup the other computer, I created a password so I could connect automatically if I needed to.

Because Team Viewer thinks I am using their software in a commercial manner it only allows you to be connected for five minutes. To add even more friction, it is not possible to immediately reconnect. Instead, you had to wait at least one minute between connections. This arrangement effectively makes the software useless for remote support and troubleshooting. I struggled through getting kicked off every five minutes for two different sessions, but ultimately decided this was untenable.

Possible Solution

You, reader, might be wondering, "Doesn't Team Viewer have a paid version?". Yes, they do. I am not opposed to paying for software. Not only because I am a software developer and would like people to buy my apps (and books), but because if you like good software, you should probably pay for it. I pay for quite a bit of software, even on a subscription basis.

Paying for the service is one way of that I could have made the error disappear. Team Viewer has a few options, with different levels depending on your needs. The package that would have made sense for me is called "Team Viewer Personal". When I first encountered the issues I looked into the pricing for this. It would cost just $25 per month, and billed on an annual basis. This is comes out to just under $300 per year. To me, this is an absolutely ridiculous amount to pay, per year, to support a single computer.

A second possible solution was to contact Team Viewer support and explain that their software had incorrectly identified me as a commercial user. However, I figured that this approach would go nowhere. Therefore, I only had one option remaining; just completely replace the software with another solution, and that is what I did.

Screens

Once the trouble started the first time, I thought about what software I could use to replace Team Viewer. I looked at several different options, but ultimately landed on a piece of software that I have used before, Screens by Edovia. I am not new to Screens, I actually use the iOS version regularly to connect to my Macs from my iPhone and iPad. When I am on my Mac and need to connect to another of my devices, I just use the built-in Screen Sharing app.

I went back and looked at when I first purchased the Screens app, and it was in 2011 when I purchased Screens for iOS. I then purchased Screens VNC for the Mac in 2014. As mentioned above you can use the Screens apps on your local network and connect to other devices, but Screens really comes into play when you use it to connect to remote computers.

The way that the system operates is by using a relay server, hosted by Edovia, to connect your computers together. This relay software is called "Screens Connect".

Screens connect runs as a service in the background and will keep your computer connected to relay servers so you can access any registered computer at any point. The use of a relay server means that you do not need to open up ports on your router just to use the service.

Setup

Previously, I have done Screen Connects installs on a Mac, but this was my first time doing an install of Screens Connect on Windows. The install was pretty straightforward but one of the steps is to install TightVNC. This is standard free remote connection software. When you set up TightVNC you are required setting up a password, which you can be prompted for when you actually connect to a remote Windows computer.

This password can be entered every time you connect, or you can configure it to be saved within the Connection Settings for a device. This option is good so you do not need to enter in the password each time. Once you have installed Screens Connect, you will not likely need to worry about managing settings later on, but you can do so by right-clicking on a computer and then clicking on "Edit".

Screens App

In order to use Screens Connect, you will need to purchase the Screens app on your Mac. Technically, the app is free, but there is an in-app purchase.

Once you download the app you will have a few options. There are two subscription options; a $2.99 monthly subscription and a $24.99 yearly subscription. The monthly subscription is great for those who only need to do remote support, or need remote access to their computers, on an infrequent basis. There is a third option, which s particular good for those with subscription fatigue. There is a one-time "lifetime" purchase. This, as you might suspect, is more expensive. The one-time purchase is $79.00.

Given how infrequent I need the app, I could have opted for the monthly subscription of $2.99 and just re-purchase it each time I really need it. However, I actually opted to go for the one-time purchase of $79.00. I opted for the one-time purchase partially due to subscription fatigue, but also because I would rather just have a one-time purchase for the software.

I may have to re-purchase the software again once Screens 6 comes out, but, as of this writing, Screen 5.0 just came out four months ago so it will likely be a while before they end up releasing the next major version that requires purchase. So, I do not have any issues with spending the money.

Overall Experience

After I had installed Screens connect on the remote computer, where I previously had Team Viewer installed, and connected using the Screens app I immediate noticed one difference, the screen quality. When using the Screens app the quality was significantly better than when using Team Viewer. It is not like the Windows PC was using a 4K monitor or anything, but it was noticeably clearer and sharper.

The second thing I noticed was the improved responsiveness overall. Instead of clicking taking multiple seconds for an action to complete, things just actually worked as expected. I would absolutely expect a bit of delay due to the age of the computer, and the fact that it is a remote connection, but I did not realize just how poorly the Team Viewer experience was.

Screens 3

As mentioned earlier, I purchased the Screens VNC app back in 2014. Out of curiosity I re-downloaded the latest version of that, which is from 2018, to see if it would work. And, guess what, it actually did run, and it will connect to newer devices. This was simultaneously surprising, and not surprising.

It means that I did not necessarily need to purchase the Screens 5 app, but I do not know how long the Screens 3 app will continue to run. Besides that, supporting small software companies is always a good thing, particularly if you want the software to stay around.

Closing Thoughts

If you have a Mac and are looking for an app that allows you to connect to a remote Windows computer, you may want to look at Screens and Screens Connect. Yes, you will need to purchase a license for the Screens app, but you do have three options, a monthly subscription, a yearly subscription, or even a one-time "lifetime" purchase. The one-time purchase is not an insignificant amount, but it is not exorbitant amount either.

Screens is designed for the Mac, but the fact that they have Screens Connect for Windows means that they do know that a certain segment of their user base does need to connect to other devices.

Today Apple announced that WWDC 24 will take place from June 10th to June 14th.

The format will be the same as the past few years, in that there will be an in-person experience for a limited group of developers and the conference will be available to stream online for everyone. You will be able to stream the videos online at developer.apple.com or via the Apple Developer App.

Should you wish to attend in-person you have a short amount of time to do apply to attend in-person.

As part of their effort to help the next generation of developers, Apple will be announcing the winners of the Swift Student Challenge on Thursday, March 28th, 2024. These winners will be eligible to attend the keynote in-person. Along with them, 50 Distinguished Winners will be invited to the Apple Campus for a three-day experience. You can read more about the criteria for these on the Apple Developer website.

Source: Apple Newsroom

By now you have likely heard that the United States Department of Justice, along with 15 States Attorneys General, and the District of Columbia, are suing Apple under the Sherman Antitrust act.

I am not a lawyer, nor have I ever studied to become one. Instead of me trying to decipher everything, I want to point you an article titled Understanding the DOJ’s Antitrust Complaint Against Apple by John Voorhees from MacStories. John is a lawyer and as such he has a much better understanding of the nuances, and the laws, than most pundits talking about the lawsuit.

I have read through John's article and I do want to pull a couple of relevant parts:

So far, all we have to go by in the DOJ’s action against Apple is the DOJ’s complaint. Under federal law, Apple has 60 days to file an answer, and that deadline could get extended. I mention that because it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that what the DOJ has filed are merely allegations and arguments. The complaint simply represents the facts the DOJ thinks it can prove and how they apply to antitrust law.

This is a good little legal factoid.

Regarding Messaging:

What releasing RCS won’t do is eliminate the DOJ’s argument that third-party messaging services should have access to it just like Messages will as a fallback when a service’s own network is unavailable. That’s something, but the DOJ’s messaging arguments still feel like a bit of an empty sack.

Many have attempted to argue that Apple should be forced to open up their iMessage protocol because lower quality videos are sent to Android phones. This has nothing to do with iMessage, but the fact that SMS is a global industry standard. Apple has not yet implemented the newer Rich Communications Services, or RCS. However, it will be doing so by the end of the year. There is nothing stopping families from using another service, like WhatsApp, Google Chat, or any other messaging app to send images and videos in higher quality.

Regarding Game Streaming:

(Game Streaming) is another good example of a situation where Apple hasn’t done itself any favors. In 2020, Microsoft was beta testing an app-based version of Xbox Cloud Gaming. When Apple told the company that every app on the service would need to be downloaded locally and reviewed by Apple’s App Review team, Microsoft abandoned its app for the Apple-favored, browser-based approach.

To me, this one in particular is entirely on Apple and wanting to boost revenue. If I have subscribe to a game streaming service, there are no security implications for any of Apple's devices. This is because streaming, by its very nature, is merely transmitting audio and video over the internet to the device, just like a movie streamed from a service. Deliberately blocking this is just egregious. As John states:

The DOJ’s arguments will still apply to the period when streaming wasn’t permitted, which may lead to financial penalties...

My Thoughts

This is going to be a long and drawn out case. There are some aspects of this case that I find super flimsy. Futhermore the re-writing of history regarding the iPod, which is not covered in John's article, is particularly egregious, because the U.S. has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with the iPod. Additionally, the iPod has nothing to do with the antitrust lawsuit against Microsoft in the 1990s, but that is a whole other topic.

I am not sure how much coverage of this I will have on the site, given that it is super nuanced and Apple is going through legal fights all of the time. If there is a settlement and major changes come out of it, I will likely cover it, but as stated before, that could be years from now. I also would not be super suprised if Apple attempted to settle instead of going to trial, but only time will tell.

Today Apple has announced updated 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models, now with the M3 System on a Chip. According to Apple, the M3 processor in the MacBook Air is up to 60 percent faster than the M1 model, and up to 13 times faster than the last Intel-based MacBook Air.

The 13-inch M3 MacBook Air starts at $1099, with an 8-Core CPU, 8-Core GPU, and 16-core Neural Engine, and 256GB of storage. The 15-inch model offers the same specifications, except for the 15-inch screen, is $200 more and starts at $1299. You can configure up to 24GB of unified memory, and 2TB of storage.

The M3 MacBook Air does come with a three new features. The first is the AV1 decode engine built directly in the chip, making decoding even faster. This is not present in the M2 MacBook Air. The second feature is support for Wi-Fi 6E, which can result in faster Wi-Fi connections with the right access points.

The last, and arguably more meaningful feature for many users, is the ability to connect two external displays. This is more than the single display you could connect previously. The M3 MacBook Air can support the internal display and one external display up to 6K. In order to use two external displays, you will need to have the MacBook Air lid closed. This second display can be up to 5K resolution running at 60Hz.

You can order them today and they will be available starting this Friday, March 8th, 2024.

The 13-inch M2 MacBook Air remains on sale and now starts at $999 for an 8-core CPU, 8-Core GPU, 8GB of unified memory, and 256GB of storage. You can still configure the M2 MacBook Air with up to 24GB of unified memory, and 2TB of storage.

Source: Apple Newsroom

Apple’s Security Research team has published an article about how they are upgrading iMessage with improved security, specifically, with a new protocol called Post-Quantum 3, or PQ3. PQ3 should be resistant to its encryption being broken, even with a Quantum Computer. Before diving into the features of PQ3, a brief history, and comparison, of current encryption, starting with a brief history.

Brief History of Encryption

Encryption, at its most basic and fundamental level, is any method, or means, of taking readable text and making it unintelligible. This could be something as simple as a substitution cipher, like ROT13. ROT13 replaces each letter with one that is 13 characters ahead of it. For instance, the letter "A" would be replaced with "N", "B" would be replace with "O", and "C" would be replaced with "P". Given that there are 26 standard letters in the English alphabet, the letters end up being swapped. To illustrate what I mean, let us take the word "Apple". If you use ROT13 it would become "NCCYR". This is a very basic example of an encryption algorithm, and should not be used for anything sensitive, but it does provide a basic understanding.

Early computers did not take encryption into account, primarily because the computing power was not available. The first modern encryption protocols were developed by Netscape in 1995 and was called Secure Socket Layer, or SSL. SSL was eventually adopted by most browsers, and subsequently went through a number of revisions. Ultimately, to appease everyone involved, SSL was superseded by Transport Layer Security, or TLS, in 1999, and became an industry standard. TLS is currently at version 1.3.

Encryption is comprised of keys, and can be any length. The length of the key ends up indicating its security. The strength of a key is measured in bits, specifically the length of the key. The longer the key, the more difficult it is to break.. The first SSL algorithms could be up to 40 bits long. This was due to an export restriction by the United States government. However, that limitation has been lifted. The most common key lengths are 1024, 2048, and 4096. The longer the key length, the more difficult it would be to guess. The difficulty is not linear, instead it is logarithmic in terms of difficulty. The actual given length of time does depend on many factors, including the key length, but also the computers being used. You can easily calculate the possible number of keys, by taking 2 and raising it to the length of the key, minus 1. Therefore, for a 1024-bit key it would be 2 ^ 1023, or

possible keys. This would take an extremely long time to attempt to get the base keys used.

Another example, for a 4096 bit key, the number of combinations would be 522194440706576253345876355358312191289982124523691890192116741641976953985778728424413405967498779170445053357219631418993786719092896803631618043925682638972978488271854999170180795067191859157214035005927973113188159419698856372836167342172293308748403954352901852035642024370059304557233988891799014503343469488440893892973452815095130470299789726716411734651513348221529512507986199933857107770846917779942645743159118957217248367043905936319748237550094520674504208530837546834166925275516486044134775384991808184705966507606898412918594045916828375610659246423184062775112999150206172392431297837246097308511903252956622805412865917690043804311051417135098849101156584508839003337597742539960818209685142687562392007453579567729991395256699805775897135553415567045292136442139895777424891477161767258532611634530697452993846501061481697843891439474220308003706472837459911525285821188577408160690315522951458068463354171428220365223949985950890732881736611925133626529949897998045399734600887312408859224933727829625089164535236559716582775403784110923285873186648442456409760158728501220463308455437074192539205964902261490928669488824051563042951500651206733594863336608245755565801460390869016718045121902354170201577095168 possible combinations.

As you can see, it’s not just that it gets longer, but significantly longer.

There are a number of different means of generating the keys. These means are what is called a cipher suite, or set of algorithms. There are a number of different cipher suites, including Rivest–Shamir–Adleman (RSA), Data Encryption Standard (DES), or Advanced Encryption Standard (AES). The suite used depends on the intended usage.

There are two different types of encryption, symmetrical and asymmetrical encryption. Symmetrical encryption is where you use the same key to encrypt as well as decrypt the data.

Asymmetric encryption uses two keys, a private and public key, for encryption and decryption. Asymmetrical encryption is the basis for TLS. These two keys work in conjunction to be able to encrypt and decrypt. Only these two keys will work together. Another public key cannot function with the private key.

DES and AES are used for symmetric key cryptography, while RSA is used for public key cryptography.

How Keys Are Exchanged

One of the more common tasks for any type of encryption is the exchanging of keys. The way that this works is as follows:

1. The client sends a synchronization packet to the server.
2. The server sends a synchronization acknowledgment packet back to the client.
3. The client sends an acknowledgment back to the server, along with a Client Hello packet.
4. The server sends back a Server Hello, certificate, and Server Hello Done packet back to the client.
5. The client sends Client Key exchange, Change Cipher Specification, and Finished packet to the server.
6. The server sends a Change Cipher Specification and Finished packet to the client.

At this point, the ciphers to be used, and the public keys are established. There is a lot more information that is contained within these six steps. I will not go into detail for all of them. You can learn more about that by reading an article from CloudFlare titled What happens in a TLS handshake?, but this is a brief overview.

There are a few things that need to be pointed out. First, during the initial exchange the client sends which TLS protocols that it can understand. This is needed because the server or client may not be able to handle a particular protocol. The client and server should agree upon the highest level protocol that both can support.

The second thing to mention is that it may seem like this interaction would take a long time, but as you can probably guess, today’s devices are fast enough to support this and have this interaction take, at most, a few seconds, but in most situations this is much faster.

Now that we have a basic understanding of how key exchanges occur, let us look at how encryption works with iMessage.

How iMessage Encryption works

According to Apple’s "iMessage security overview" support article, quote:

When a user turns on iMessage on a device, the device generates encryption and signing pairs of keys for use with the service. For encryption, there is an encryption RSA 1280-bit key as well as an encryption EC 256-bit key on the NIST P-256 curve. For signatures, Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA) 256-bit signing keys are used. The private keys are saved in the device’s keychain and only available after first unlock. The public keys are sent to Apple Identity Service (IDS), where they are associated with the user’s phone number or email address, along with the device’s APNs address.

For iMessage keys, there would be 2^1279 possible combinations, so it is not likely that anybody could guess your private key. There is no way to derived from your private key from your public key.

Using today’s hardware, it will take an extremely long time to decrypt the data. While it may take a significantly long time on today’s hardware, that will not always be the case. This is where being proactive with post-quantum

Post Quantum Cryptography with iMessage

In Apple’s security article, Apple has outlined how it is incorporating this new PQ3 protocol into iMessage, starting with iOS 17.4.

There are actually currently four levels of cryptography, Level 0 to Level 3, with future levels possible. Level 0 and 1 are part of the "Classical Cryptography", while Level 2 and 3 are "Post-Quantium Cryptography".

Level 0

Level 0 is no-end-to-end encryption, or what is commonly called "clear-text" communications. This includes apps like Telegram, WeChat, SMS, and Skype.

Level 1

Level 1 is services that have encryption enabled by default. This includes the previous version of iMessage, as well as other apps like WhatsApp, Line, and previous versions of Signal.

Level 2

Level 2 contains services who have Post-Quantum Cryptography for key establishment only. This means that the methods used to generate the encryption keys are resistant to being broken by current day computers, as well as quantum computers. The only app that has this is Signal.

Level 3

Level 3 is similar to Level 2, except it also includes ongoing Post Quantum Cryptography rekeying . The only service that will support this, for now, is iMessage starting in iOS 17.4. Let us look at this re-keying a bit in depth.

Protecting Data

One of the possible issues with any encryption is that computers will get better and may be able to easily break previous encryption schemes. With most encryption, if a key is compromised then all of the previous messages, as well as any future messages using the same key, would be easily decrypted.

In order to protect against a key being compromised, Apple’s PQ3 takes this into account by adding the level 3 feature of ongoing rekeying. The way that this works is by changing the keys on a regular basis. Per Apple’s security article:

PQ3 employs a hybrid design that combines Elliptic Curve cryptography with post-quantum encryption both during the initial key establishment and during rekeying. Thus, the new cryptography is purely additive, and defeating PQ3 security requires defeating both the existing, classical ECC cryptography and the new post-quantum primitives. It also means the protocol benefits from all the experience we accumulated from deploying the ECC protocol and its implementations.

This re-keying should go a long way to being able to protect conversations should a key get compromised. And even if a flaw s found in a cipher,

Closing Thoughts

Quantum computers being capable of breaking encryption is not anything that one needs to worry about right now. Even though there is no current worry, it is best to be proactive and Apple is doing just that. With iOS 17.4 they are updating the encryption of iMessage to include cryptography that is not only resistant to being broken by today’s computers, but also resistant to quantum computers.

Apple could match Signal and just have post-quantum keys, but instead they are going beyond that to re-keying on a regular basis and minimizing the ability to access data even if a key is compromised at some point. Even if a post-quantum cipher is broken, the current level of cryptography will still protect

This post is just an overview, and Apple’s security article has a lot more in-depth information about the ciphers used, the encryption algorithms, and additional details, should you be interested.

Today Apple has made a number of announcements with many of these being related to complying with the European Union Digital Markets Act, or DMA. The DMA requires big technology companies, like Apple, to comply with a number of various new regulations.

There is a lot of information. I could attempt to detail all of the changes, but I would do a poor job of it. Instead, I am going to provide a brief overview of each of the changes, with links to a much more in-depth article. Most of these will be limited to the EU, but there are some new items that are not.

Request for Improved Interoperability

Developers can now make a request improved interoperability with the iOS hardware and software. This request form does not guarantee that a feature will be implemented. Developers will need to be explicit in their request and why they are requesting it. There are, of course, limitations. Anything that would weaken security will be rejected. This request is limited to EU developers.

You can read more information at MacRumors

Third-Party App Stores in the EU

The biggest requirement for the DMA is that Apple will be required to allow side-loading of apps from third-party app stores. These companies will be required to comply with. One requirement is that the companies must have a 1 million euro line of credit with an A-Plus rating. This is to be able to make sure they can pay some fees, but more on that in a bit.

Apps that are made available on these marketplaces will be required to be notarized through Apple, which will ensure safety and security checks, but they will not be checked for content.

More details are available at 9to5Mac.

Reduced Commissions in the EU

The third item announced is that there will be a reduced commission structure for EU developers. The new structure will drop down to 10% for Small Developers, down from 15%. For larger developers, it will be 17%. Apps that are within third-party app marketplaces can use any payment processor that they want. Including Apple’s. If they opt to use Apple’s, they will pay an additional 3% fee.

For developers who have more than 1 million installs per year, they will need to pay a Core Technology Fee, or CTF. This is €0.50 per install. This fee will need to be paid regardless of where the app is installed, via Apple or via a third-party marketplace.

Third-party Marketplaces will need to pay the Core Technology Fee for apps downloaded through the marketplace. There is no threshold for marketplaces.

You can read additional details via target="_new">9to5Mac.

Web Browsers and Near Field Communications

Apple will be opening up iOS to allow apps to access the Near Field Communication, or NFC, chip. This will allow apps to offer non-Apple "Tap to Pay" options. Details are available at MacRumors.

For the entire lifetime of iOS, there has only been a single browser engine, WebKit. To date, third-party browsers, like Chrome, Firefox, and Edge, have all had to use the WebKit engine on iOS and iPadOS. This will change. They will now be able to use their own browser engine. Users will even be prompted to choose a default. This is similar to the Browser Ballet that Microsoft had to implement on Windows in the European Union.

Additional details are available on 9to5Mac.

New Gaming Streaming Options

The gaming landscape has changed significantly since iOS was initially released in 2007. When it was released, physical games were prominent. iOS has contributed to digital games being even more prevalent. One of the downsides to modern games is that they can be rather large in size. Along with this, internet speeds have become much faster. In order to limit the needs to constant updates, as well as be able to game on anything, streaming games have become more commonplace.

To date, Apple has required developers to submit every game as a discrete app. This was an untenable solution for streaming games. This will no longer be the case. This change will allow services like Xbox Game Pass and GeForce Now to be viable options via an App on the App Store. Previously these were only available via a web browser. This will apply to the App Store world wide, not just in the EU.

More details can be found on MacRumors.

New Developer Reports

The last item that was announced is that developers will be getting access to 50 new additional reporting metrics. Four of the new metrics will be engagement of users, additional details with in-app purchases, improved app usage, like crashes and deletions. The one that might be the most interesting is framework usage. This will allow developers to see how their app interacts with frameworks like Widgets, CarPlay, and PhotoPicker.

There will be more information available in March about the new metrics and reports that will be available.

Additional information can be found on MacRumors.

Closing Thoughts

Apple has clearly indicated that they will not be brining any of the EU-specific changes to any other markets, unless required to by law, so do not expect these changes to come to other markets without changes in laws.

Many of the changes announced are specific to the European Union. However, I think the new streaming game option could be a big boon to the Apple TV. This is possibly a boon because more people might opt to purchase an Apple TV and game controller and use that with Xbox Game Pass instead of purchasing an Xbox Console. Beyond this, having access to Xbox Game Pass available natively on an iPad can improve the experience overall.