Posts by Noel S. / Mac Nerd
OpenAI Acquires Jony Ive’s AI Hardware Startup
Breaking news today for Apple enthusiasts of a potentially groundbreaking collaboration between OpenAI and legendary industrial designer Jony Ive. Jony is best known as the former Chief Design Officer at Apple, where he played a pivotal role in shaping the design of iconic products such as the iMac, iPod, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. He…
Read MoreBattle: Spotify vs Apple Music
Selecting between Apple Music and Spotify in 2025 presents a common dilemma for music enthusiasts. But if you’re an Apple enthusiast, the obvious choice is Apple Music, right? Not so fast, as both platforms provide extensive music libraries and comparable foundational features such as streaming, offline listening, and synchronized lyrics. However, as another tech reviewer…
Read MoreApple SoC Energy Efficiency Overview
Performance scores above are our Normalized Combined Geekbench Scores that combine scores for single + multicore CPU and a normalized GPU Metal metrics into an overall indicator of Mac system performance. Apple Silicon SoC Power Draw Estimates This table summarizes estimated idle and peak SoC (chip-only) power draw values for Apple Silicon chips across all…
Read MoreApple Weekly Deals – Mid May 2025
Product Category Specific Model / Config. Retailer Original Price Discounted Price Savings Caveats MacBook MacBook Pro (Select Models) Amazon — Up to $370 off — — MacBook M4 MacBook Air MacRumors — From $849 — — iPad iPad mini (A17 Pro) Target $499.99 – $799.99 $399.99 – $699.99 Sale — iPad iPad Pro (M4) Target…
Read MoreApple teams up for Brain Control for iPhone and Vision Pro
Apple is venturing into brain-computer interface (BCI) technology through a collaboration with Synchron, a neurotechnology company. This partnership aims to enable users to control Apple devices—such as iPhones, iPads, and the Vision Pro headset—using only their thoughts, marking a significant advancement in accessibility and human-computer interaction. Synchron’s Stentrode: A Minimally Invasive Brain Implant Synchron has…
Read MoreApple’s New CarPlay Ultra – What’s so Ultra about it?
Apple’s long-teased “next-gen” CarPlay, now officially called CarPlay Ultra, is beginning to roll out — starting with high end manufacturer, Aston Martin. While it doesn’t reinvent in-car tech entirely, it marks a significant shift in how Apple wants your iPhone to become the central brain of your vehicle. Unlike the older version of CarPlay, which…
Read MoreFor AI Nerds: Apple Silicon Hack Unlocks AMD eGPU for Local LLM Compute
Apple Silicon eGPU “support” isn’t what most people expect—it’s a clever community hack that wires an AMD card into your Mac via USB, not a native Thunderbolt/PCIe eGPU solution. It only unlocks raw GPU compute (for tasks like LLM inference), not Metal-powered graphics or external-monitor gaming. Because it tunnels GPU commands through libusb at USB…
Read MoreMid-May Apple News & Rumors
Apple fans, buckle up—May has been a whirlwind of leaks, rumors, and official teases. From futuristic iPhones to AI-powered upgrades, here are the five most exciting Apple stories from the last two weeks that you need to know about. Yes, there’s not much Mac news right now but as usual, many new features from iPhones…
Read MoreInside Apple’s Cork Campus: Behind the Scenes for Durability Testing
Many Apple users observe that their devices often have a longer lifespan compared to other brands. Personal experiences with HPs, Dells, and even Sony laptops (back when they were in the market) support this observation. This durability isn’t coincidental. We ran across Spanish-speaking YouTuber Verownika (auto-dubbed in English) who recently provided a behind-the-scenes tour of…
Read MoreNew to MacOS User’s Guide – Spring 2025
Unlock Your Mac’s Potential: 5 Essential Tips for New Users Welcome to the world of Mac! Getting a new M4 Mac mini or MacBook Air is exciting, but navigating a new operating system can feel a bit overwhelming at first. With a few key adjustments and by mastering core features, you’ll make your Mac experience…
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