Mac Potpourri
About the Column
“Mac Potpourri” is a column periodically published on MacPrices (generally on a monthly basis throughout the year) that primarily aims to take an assortment of previously published stories from around the web (e.g., Business Insider, Macworld, and Wired) containing different angles on the same subject matter with Apple, Inc. at its core — the company whose products’ prices are tracked daily on this website — which are then, in turn, combined into one single article in order to provide readers with a better sense of the main idea and/or topic of discussion being presented: hence, the word potpourri in this column’s name. (Note: sources are always cited within the article as embedded links, however, may be updated by their respective publishers and/or deleted over time).
In addition to those types of stories, “Mac Potpourri” also features original content such as a special series called People Profiles which focuses on individuals who use Apple products in their daily lives (or how those items are used to help others). Additional stories also include commentaries, editorials, and product reviews (as well as an exclusive story from time to time).
Latest Stories:
Homing In On A Fix For a Brand New iPhone Without A Home Button
FEATURE - If home is where the heart is, why was mine not in it with my latest Apple smartphone? For my birthday — which happens to fall on this very day (August 30) — as a gift to myself, I decided to take the plunge and upgrade to an ...
Could A Smarter Siri Infused With AI (‘Apple Intelligence’) Turn Apple’s Smartphones Into Intelliphones?
FEATURE - The iPhone is already smart, but it's about to become more intelligent. AI — short for artificial intelligence — is widely expected to be the main topic of discussion at this year's WWDC (Apple Worldwide Developerrs Conference). According to a report from Bloomberg, the Cupertino, California-based company will ...
Department Of Justice Sets Sights On Apple In Suit Over Unlawful Business Practices
NEWS - The ball has finally dropped on the big Apple. The ball (metaphorically speaking) — an antitrust lawsuit filed in the U.S. on March 21 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) — came down following the DOJ's allegations that Apple engaged in anticompetitive behavior with the iPhone. The Cupertino, ...
Using AI (No… Not Apple, Inc.) To Reimagine A New Ride For Jolly Old St. Nick
FEATURE - If the man in the big red suit needed to upgrade his sleigh, what would it look like? Velotric — a manufacturer and seller of electric bicycles (or, e-bikes) — decided to explore that very thought. From vehicles that travel on land and in the sea to ones ...
Mac Musings: Did Apple Totally Misfire With Its Release Of A Bigger MacBook Air?
COMMENTARY - Sometimes, bigger is not always better. The latest addition into the MacBook family of computers with the Air branding — a model featuring a display measuring 15.3" — doesn't exactly fall under the category of small and super-thin ultraportable laptops but, with an enclosure that (when closed) is ...
People Profiles: How One iMac Snowballed Into A Collection Of iMacs In Every Color
FEATURE - When the original iMac in Bondi blue was released on this day 25 years ago, there was an individual named Steve (no, not that one) who didn't yet know what role that iconic computer would play in the grand scheme of things, mainly, for Apple, but also for… ...
Apple’s ‘Vision’ For The Future Of Computing Will Augment The Mac, Not Replace It
FEATURE - The next big thing from Apple is finally here… (well… almost). Apple's new AR / VR headset — the Apple Vision Pro — is described by the Cupertino, California-based company as, "a revolutionary spatial computer that seamlessly blends digital content with the physical world, while allowing users to ...
Mac Musings: iMac Turns 25 (Plus? The ‘Mac Potpourri’ Column Celebrates Five Years On MacPrices)
COMMENTARY - The month of May marks two milestones, one for Apple and the other for this writer. The iMac — Apple's all-in-one desktop computer — is now a quarter of a century old. Not even the original Macintosh lasted for that long! While there have been many different iMacs ...
Once You Use A Mac, You’ll Never Go Back…Until? You’ve Used An iPad
FEATURE - The computer of choice for me always has been a Mac but I've since chosen an iPad as my go-to device for computing. The iPad — Apple's tablet computer — has come a long way since it was released back in 2010. It's gone from merely being a ...
Apple’s Dominance In Smartphone Product Category Attributed To Members Of ‘Gen Z’
NEWS - The popularity of a phone sold by a certain company is partially due to a generation seeing green. Apple's iPhone — in particular, the Cupertino, California-based company’s top-tier iPhones (e.g., iPhone 14 Pro Max) — topped the list of high-end handsets purchased by consumers last year. A report ...
Prepare To Pay More For Out Of Warranty Battery Replacements From Apple Starting This Spring
NEWS - The cost of replacement batteries on certain Apple products is about to get costlier. The service fees — specifically, for requests made out of warranty — that Apple charges for battery replacements are set to change beginning next month. A recently updated Apple Support document with regard to ...
Next Gen Apple TV 4K A Steal But Are Previous Generation Models A Better Deal?
FEATURE - Those of you who have been holding off on getting an Apple set top box can now buy one for much less. A new Apple TV — described as, "the next generation Apple TV 4K" — was announced by Apple in October via a press release posted to ...
AR Glasses That Work With Apple’s Hardware? They’re Already Here (Except… It Isn’t From Apple)
NEWS - Lenovo has created quite the spectacle(s) with its latest product. "Apple Glass" — the purported name of Apple's forthcoming AR glasses — is not expected to be released until 2025 (at the earliest). However, Lenovo has beat Apple to the punch with the announcement of a new wearable ...
Can Being An iPhone User Really Determine Whether One Is A Good (Or, Bad) Driver?
FEATURE - If you're traveling on the road this summer, you might want to keep your Apple smartphone locked up inside the car's glove compartment for your (and, everyone else's) safety. Summer is here — for some, it unofficially started back in May on Memorial Day — and today, the ...
Now Is The Right Time For Apple’s Mobile Operating System To Be Rebranded As ‘iPhoneOS’
COMMENTARY - Apple should really consider changing the game with the name of one of its software platforms: iOS. "realityOS" — the purported name of the new operating system that will run on Apple's forthcoming AR / VR headset — is high on the list of announcements that Apple is ...
New Set Of Accessible Tools Designed To Help Users With Disabilities Coming Soon From Apple
NEWS - Apple's software platforms are about to get even more useful for persons who are disabled. Earlier this week — days ahead of Global Accessibility Awareness Day (and weeks in advance of Apple's annual worldwide developers conference in June) — Apple (via a press release) gave a preview of ...
Apple Discontinues iPod touch, Promotes Company’s Other Products As Means Of Listening To Music Digitally
NEWS - The "gadget of the century" is history. The iPod touch — the only model of the iPod that is still sold — is no more. The device is being discontinued by Apple in favor of listening to music on its other products via Apple Music, the company's subscription-based ...
Apple Acknowledges Blank Screen Issue With Apple Watch, Implements Worldwide Service Program For Affected Devices
NEWS - Some models of the Apple Watch Series 6 exhibiting a certain display defect now have an option to get it repaired free of charge. Apple — in a support topic posted to its website — has issued a warning to customers about a problem with the always-on Retina ...
The iPhone SE (Third Generation) Is Not Only Budget-Friendly, It’s Very Eco-Friendly, Too
FEATURE - The "SE" branding in Apple's low-cost iPhone may unofficially stand for "special edition" but it might as well translate to "saving [the] environment" (or, better yet, the Earth). The iPhone SE (third generation) — the latest version of Apple's cheap and compact smartphone — isn't just light on ...
How To Tell If A Product With The Speck Logo Is Actually The Real Thing
FEATURE - When searching for the perfect case to protect your Apple smartphone, once in awhile, you're going to (unfortunately) be fooled by Knock-offs that look and feel authentic. Speck Products — a San Mateo, California-based company which manufactures cases, covers, and bags for various gadgets from smartphones to tablets ...
Apple’s Apps, Services Experience Brief Outage Amid White House Warning Of Russian Cyber Attack Threat
NEWS - Earlier this week, numerous customers around the world inexplicably encountered issues when attempting to access or use a specific Apple app or service on their device. Apple's apps and services — from Apple Arcade and Apple Music to iMessage and Maps — briefly experienced an outage on Monday ...
Apple Should’ve Called Its All-New Mac Desktop Computer ‘Mac mini Pro’ (Instead Of… Mac Studio)
COMMENTARY - Apple, at times, leaves the "average Joe" (in particular, this one) scratching their heads when it comes to the branding of its products. Mac Studio — an all-new Mac desktop computer offered by Apple — was unveiled by the Cupertino, California-based company earlier this month at its "Peak ...
People Profiles: An Aspiring Artist That ‘Draws’ Creativity From An Apple Pencil And iPad Pro
FEATURE - The ability to express oneself creatively, whether through words or art, can be especially difficult at times for a person that identifies as an introvert. Meet Carrie McClish, 59, a long-time journalist from Oakland, California who in her spare time takes not a pen to reporter's notebook in ...
Apple Product Sales Halted, Company’s Services Limited In Russia Amid Vladimir Putin’s Invasion Of Ukraine
NEWS - Apple will be announcing new products today, however, those items will not be making their way overseas to its customers in a certain country anytime soon. Last Tuesday — in response to the "special military operation" being conducted by Russia's troops (at the behest of its president, Vladimir ...
Why EVs And Autonomous Automobile Technology Are A Logical Space For Apple To Innovate Next
FEATURE - Unless you've been living on another planet for the past year, you've most certainly come across all of the news and rumors surrounding Apple's plans for an Electric Vehicle (EV) which can drive itself (a.k.a., the "Apple Car") but when will it finally materialize? For the casual observer ...
The Original Motorola RAZR, One Of This Century’s ‘Most Influential’ And Must Have Mobile Phones
FEATURE - As commonplace as the smartphone is today, in particular, the iPhone, before Apple ever changed the world with its iconic device, there was another popular phone in the hands of consumers which was setting the trend for its day. The iPhone — which turns 15 years old today ...
Featured Stories:
Stories written in this column that are a must read.
- 2021 – The Company Store, The Apple Retail Store That Was Like Heaven For An Apple Fan
- 2020 – Recalling When I Met Apple Co-Founder, Steve Wozniak, On Heels Of Woz’s 70th Birthday Celebration
- 2019 – A Lesser Known Visit By Dilbert To The Apple Campus At 1 Infinite Loop
- 2018 – A Very Memorable Visit To ‘The Mothership’ At 1 Infinite Loop In Cupertino
All stories ever written in this column since its inception (including the author’s previous one from the sister site of MacPrices)
- “Mac Potpourri” Archives | 2018 to 2021
- “The Press Box” Archives | 2006 to 2009 (from PowerBook Central)
About the Author:
Raves & Rants:
To comment on any of the stories that you’ve read here, visit the author’s profile page on LinkedIn where you can find recently published stories in this column posted and shared to the public (please be advised that your publicly posted comments may be shared for publication in a Reader Reactions article).
— Are you a fellow writer, journalist, or other member of the media? Reach out via a private message and/or connect with Joe Leo on LinkedIn.