Month: May 2022

Warcraft has gone mobile with Warcraft Arclight Rumble , Blizzard Entertainment’s announcement Tuesday. The game, a fast-paced, free-to-play mobile action strategy game built for Android and iOS devices, will be released later this year.

In Warcraft Arclight Rumble, players will battle with “collectible Warcraft Minis,” according to the game’s Google Play Store description and its official website. The Warcraft mobile game will feature a “massive single-player campaign” across 70 missions and head-to-head PvP battles, Blizzard says. The game’s website promises multiple modes including Conquest and Dungeons as well as Raids and Co-Op.

Players will have control over an army of miniatures that look just like tabletop miniatures. This includes hero characters such as Jaina Proudmoore or Grommash Hellscream. Blizzard promises over 65 Warcraft minis and characters from five playable families: Alliance, Horde, Beast, Undead, and Blackrock. Players will be able to level up their heroes and unlock special abilities, and they’ll be able to take part in weekly and monthly challenges in Warcraft Arclight Rumble, Blizzard says.

Grid View

Interested players can pre-register for Warcraft Arclight Rumble through the game’s website and Battle.net.

Prior to the announcement of Warcraft Arclight Rumble, the only mobile presence for Warcraft, a franchise more than 25 years old, has been in in Hearthstone. That free-to-play game arrived on iOS devices in April 2014, and for Android devices at the end of that year. But Hearthstone is a card-collection game, altogether different from the action-RPG experience of World of Warcraft or the real-time strategy of the first three Warcraft titles.

Apple Fitness+ launched in December of 2020. Ever since then, the company expanded the service to more countries, added new workouts, and kept adding value to this fitness service. Now, on a rare tour, YouTuber iJustine makes a tour of Apple Fitness+ studio alongside an interview with Apple exec Jay Blahnik.

Apple has one big Fitness+ studio in Los Angeles where all its 27 trainers record classes in a room with 13 robotic cameras. According to the YouTuber, trainers are not allowed to be alone in the studio without a large team.

Justine was also able to interview some coaches and Apple Fitness+ VP Jay Blahnik. He talks about the commitment to helping people to stay active:

We’ve had a really great time innovating and we’re just going to keep pushing. This idea of welcoming everyone, no matter their level of fitness or age is what we are committed to.

In another story by British GQ, the magazine was also able to visit Apple Fitness+ studio, in which they share some interesting tidbits in an interview with the company’s COO Jeff Williams, where he praises the service and says how well it worked during the pandemic:

“People are returning from home to work and the gym, but we created Fitness+ well before there was any notion of a pandemic,” says Williams. “One of the things we’re most excited about is that we can meet the user anywhere, anytime – we see this as an opportunity as opposed to a challenge.”

Williams also believes Apple has a moral responsibility to help people be more active, he says:

We not only have an opportunity, but maybe even a moral responsibility to help people be more active and help them with their health.

You can watch iJustine’s full video below:

Graduation is here. Whether graduating from high school, college, or trade school, Apple surely has a gift for everyone. This is a great gift for students who are continuing their education. However, it may also be beneficial to those starting work. While there may be new items unveiled at WWDC 2022 next month, these are products you can buy right away for your favorite graduate.

MacBook Air

While rumors continue about a redesigned MacBook Air being announced next month, the current model is still a beast. This laptop packs the power of Apple’s M1 chip into a sleek, thin design and is perfect to bring with you on the go. The best thing about the MacBook is its ability to write. Not to mention, this computer is also fan-less and therefore silent. As Apple’s entry-level laptop, it works great for most users. If you are unsure whether you will need the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro or both, Michael’s guide is a great resource.

iPad

Usually, the iPad Air is the tablet I’d recommend most to students. I love the laminated display and Apple Pencil (2nd generation) support. It’s not only beautiful in bright colors but also multitasking-friendly. However, after owning an iPad Air (4th generation) for a couple of weeks last year, I found myself highly disappointed with its battery life.

Months later, after trying out the iPad (9th generation) for a while, it’s easy to recommend for students. The iPad is a great value for money and has a longer battery life than other tablets. It’s still a great tool for sketching and note-taking, despite its older design. I use the XIRON Stylus Pen instead of the Apple Pencil (1st generation) and find it works just as good and doesn’t lag.

Beats Studio Buds

The Beats Studio Buds arrived last summer and are lightweight earbuds with high-quality sound. They work well with Android and Apple devices. Beats Studio Buds are compatible with both Apple’s Find My App and Siri, just like AirPods. There is also Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and Transparency mode. The Transparency mode works in the same way as noise cancellation but allows you to hear all noises around you.

I must admit, ANC is a crucial feature for professionals and students who want to block out background noise. With Beats Studio Buds, you get an affordable alternative to AirPods Pro without sacrificing important features.

AirTag

Revealed last year, the AirTag is a coin-shaped item tracker that integrates with Apple’s ecosystem. It’s designed to track your items through Apple’s Find My app and is popularly used with backpacks, keys, bicycles, and even dogs. If you’re really struggling to find an item, you can use precision tracking to gain a more accurate location for the lost item. You can even get step-by-step instructions to locate the AirTag with precision tracking. It’s a common accessory for students, and is almost essential if you worry about losing or stealing anything.

Accessories for Apple devices

ZAGG InvisibleShield Glass Privacy Screen for iPhone: The idea for a privacy screen came from one of my friends. This privacy screen is great to keep your private information secure while on the go. No one will be able to see your phone if you look at them. It’s great for people who travel or work in urban areas such as campuses and public transport. Tip: Make sure the privacy screen you are buying is compatible with the receiver’s iPhone model.

USB-C Hub: A USB-C hub is a much-needed accessory for those with a MacBook Air. With only two USB-C ports, there’s a chance you may need some additional adapters and a port is an easy way to go. This hub features an HDMI port, two USB-A, an SD card slot, and an additional USB-C port. Its small size makes it portable and easy to bring with you. A hub is often cheaper than buying separate adapters.

Apple MagSafe Battery Pack: The Apple MagSafe Battery Pack works with the iPhone 12 and 13 lineups. This external battery connects to your phone via MagSafe. It’s helpful in juicing up your phone for those long days where you may not have access to a charger. Recent firmware updates made it faster to charge your iPhone while on-the-go.

Your thoughts on Apple gifts for graduates?

Are there any other gifts you would recommend? As a graduate or student, what has been your experience? Let’s start a conversation in the comments.

Follow my other guides for students

• Best iPhone and Apple Watch features for students in 2022
• My top five favorite apps I use as a student

WWDC 2022 will take place in a month. The event will mark the launch of macOS 13, the next major release of Apple’s software platform for the Mac, as also the first new operating system after the complete transition from Intel to its own silicon. Head below as we recap all of the latest rumors and expectations for macOS 13 this year, including new features, release info, and more.

When will macOS 13 be announced?

As precedent indicates, macOS 13 will be announced at Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference. This year, WWDC will take place as a virtual event running from June 6 through June 10. Apple will hold a keynote address on June 6 to kick off the event, and it’s during this keynote that we expect to receive our first look at macOS 13, alongside iOS 16, iPadOS 16, watchOS 9, and tvOS 16.

Apple will continue to test and refine the OS for several months before it is released for everyone. This follows the pattern of the past year. Different from iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and tvOS, Apple usually takes a little longer to release macOS updates to all users.

Expect all of these upcoming software to be released in September, while macOS 13 will likely be available by October or November.

What macOS 13 will be called?

As of now, internally, macOS 13 is called Rome, but it doesn’t mean much for us outsiders. Apple’s Mac operating system names have been associated with California parks for the past several years. In December, Parker Ortolani wrote about why the company is likely to call macOS 13 Mammoth:

We previously reported [2021] that Apple owned the trademark for Mammoth. That report suggested that Apple planned to use “Monterey,” the name Apple gave to its new Mac OS. So with Mammoth being the seemingly last remaining trademark of a location in California, it’s highly likely that it is in the running for macOS 13.

macOS 13 supported devices

As Apple finished its two year-transition from Intel to its own chips, it’s likely that more Intel Macs will lose support for macOS 13.

Most likely, Macs from 2013, 2014, and 2015 could be ripped off. As of now, here are the Macs that currently support macOS 12 Monterey:

• 2015 and later MacBook
• Early 2015 and later MacBook Air
• Early 2015 and later MacBook Pro
• Late 2014 and later Mac mini
• Late 2015 and later iMac
• 2017 and later iMac Pro
• Late 2013 and later Mac Pro
• 2022 Mac Studio

New features

macOS 13 will likely focus more than ever on Apple Silicon Macs. With deeper integration between hardware and software, macOS 13 could see notifications revamped, widgets anywhere on the home screen, and improvements for Universal Control.

9to5Mac’s Take

Although rumors regarding macOS 13 are almost inexistent, Apple is certainly preparing a big announcement for this operating system. After years of neglect, the company has never been on such good terms with its Mac lineup.

But more than releasing new features, I hope Apple will be able to launch them as soon as possible since macOS 12 Monterey had a lot of delayed features. Universal Control was launched several weeks ago but is still in beta.

What do you want to see in macOS 10.1? Is there anything you’d like to see in the new macOS? Please share your thoughts with us in the comments section!

Related:

• iOS 16: Here’s what we know so far about new features, supported devices, and more
• iPadOS 16: Here’s what we know so far about new features, supported devices, and more
• watchOS 9: Here’s what we know so far about new features, supported devices, and more

Blizzard Entertainment will reveal a brand-new mobile game set in the Warcraft franchise on Tuesday, May 3. Blizzard Entertainment will announce the game via livestream, however it will not be streamed on other platforms like YouTube and Twitch.

To watch, you’ll have to head to reveal.blizzard.com at 10 a.m. PDT/1 p.m. EDT.

Parent company Activision Blizzard has said to expect the new Warcraft mobile game sometime in 2022. It will be Blizzard’s second mobile launch this year, following the release of Diablo Immortal — which is also coming to PC — in June.

To date, the only mobile presence for Warcraft, a franchise more than 25 years old, has been in in Hearthstone. This free-to-play mobile game was released on iOS in April 2014,, and Android at the close of 2015. But Hearthstone is a card-collection game, altogether different from the action-RPG experience of World of Warcraft or the real-time strategy of the first three Warcraft titles.

But Diablo and Warcraft aren’t the only Blizzard franchises that could come to mobile. Back in 2018, Blizzard co-founder and senior VP Allen Adham said, “We have many of our best developers now working on new mobile titles across all of our IPs. Some of them are with external partners like Diablo Immortal. Some of these are currently being created internally, but we will have more information in the near future.

“We have more new products in development today at Blizzard than we’ve ever had in our history, and our future is very bright.”

It’s already been a busy year of announcements from Blizzard. In January, the company announced a “brand-new survival game for PC and console,” which was followed by the reveal of a beta test for Overwatch 2 in March and a new expansion for World of Warcraft, Dragonflight, in April.