Apple

What’s it like to play Metroid Prime Hunters in an Apple-approved emulator for iOS — Delta, in this case — on a Vision Pro?

Well, since nobody asked, I’ll tell you: it’s unexpectedly playable. Emulated Nintendo DS touchscreen aiming works well if you pinch and hold while looking at the upper screen. Sure, you could use buttons to aim in Hunters, but why would you?

Some lucky early testers are starting to see Live Activities pop up while using Google Maps on iOS. In a few shots posted to X and reddit, Maps navigation appears in Live Activities on the lock screen and in the Dynamic Island. It seems to be in very limited testing and I, for one, can’t wait until I have glanceable transit directions on my lock screen.

Users of the iPad-exclusive illustration app (and its sister animation software Dreams) have been asking for a desktop version for years, and it seems Procreate has been listening.

PC support hasn’t been ruled out, but a Mac port will likely arrive first according to Procreate CEO and co-founder James Cuda. “The unified chip architecture between iPad and Mac makes the development & ongoing support, *very* feasible.”

If Epic’s Tim Sweeney is excited it can only mean bad news for Google or Apple. In this instance, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers has ordered an evidentiary hearing for May 8th to explore whether Apple is “failing to abide by this Court’s injunction, which requires it to implement certain practice changes relative to in- and out-of-app purchases.”

Announced in January, Mophie’s $99 battery cases for the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Pro, and 15 Pro Max (but not the iPhone 15 Plus) are now available.

Ziporah Kaufer of a PR firm representing Mophie told The Verge via email that the 3,000mAh Juice Packs supply 5 watts of power on their own or 27 watts via pass-through when on a phone and plugged in.

Webster already wrote about this, but I’m seriously wowed at how easy it was to turn an iPhone into a retro console for my TV. Once you add a gamepad, everything but joystick-sensitive games (sorry, GoldenEye fans) feels playable!

Delta dev Riley Testut tells me he’s “definitely open” to adding joystick sensitivity adjustment. For now, it uses Apple’s default calibrations.

And Huawei just released its premium Pura 70 series a few days ago as followup to its wildly successful and sanction-skirting Mate 60.

French business magazine Challenges reports that Apple acquired the Paris-based AI startup Datakalab in December. Datakalab specializes in developing “fast” and “cost-effective” computer vision, according to its LinkedIn page.

Last month, a report from Bloomberg revealed Apple acquired the Canadian AI firm DarwinAI, aligning with the company’s goals of bringing AI to the iPhone.

That’s why I’m keen on this rumor from AppleInsider that says macOS 15 will add a sidebar that gives you an overview of previous calculations. The app will supposedly look more like the iOS version and get unit conversions too.

Good! Sign me up for anything that makes math less painful.

While US lawmakers take aim at TikTok, The Wall Street Journal reports that several popular messaging apps were removed by Apple at the request of the Chinese government which will make it harder for people in the country to download the apps for use with a VPN. Reuters notes that Meta apps like Facebook, Messenger, and Instagram are still available.

Here’s Apple’s statement on the matter:

“The Cyberspace Administration of China ordered the removal of these apps from the China storefront based on their national security concerns. We are obligated to follow the laws in the countries where we operate, even when we disagree.”

In 2020, Apple sued a recycling partner after more than 11,000 pounds of gadgets disappeared. But a Bloomberg report reveals that workers pilfering iPhones isn’t the only problem with Apple’s recycling program.

The company regularly ordered the recycling partner to destroy “tens of thousands” of refurbishable devices, legal filings show. Such waste occurs regularly throughout the globe.