2026-03-13 08:18:06
Mahdi Bchatnia:
Accents is an app that lets you use the iMac/MacBook Neo accent colors on any Mac.
It’s a fun idea from Apple to have default accent colors that are, by default, exclusive to specific Mac hardware. But what exemplifies the Mac is that a clever developer like Bchatnia can make these accent colors available to any user on any Mac via a simple utility like Accents. (Via Michael Tsai.)
2026-03-13 07:48:59
Apple Platform Security Guide:
MacBook Neo combines system software and dedicated silicon elements within A18 Pro to provide additional security for the camera feed. The architecture is designed to prevent any untrusted software — even with root or kernel privileges in macOS — from engaging the camera without also visibly lighting the on-screen camera indicator light.
That’s the whole note, I believe. There aren’t any technical details regarding how exactly this is achieved. Until reading this new note in the Platform Security Guide, I thought the only visible indication of camera usage was the green camera icon in the menu bar. But on the Neo, there’s also a green dot in the upper right corner of the display. That green dot is the secure camera-use indicator, and it’s visible next to the time in the menu bar, and still visible when the menu bar is hidden, like in this screenshot I just took from Photo Booth in full-screen mode. What Apple is stating in this note in the Platform Security Guide is that if the Neo’s camera is being used, that corner of the display is guaranteed to light up with the green dot.
One of the reasons I failed to notice this green dot until today is that with Tahoe’s transparent menu bar and the default green-and-yellow desktop wallpaper for the citrus Neo I’m reviewing, a green dot doesn’t stand out. It’s much more prominent if you enable “Reduce transparency” in System Settings → Accessibility → Display, which gives the menu bar a traditional solid appearance.
2026-03-13 07:41:07
Alex Weprin, reporting for The Hollywood Reporter:
In a sign of strength for the streaming platform, Apple’s senior VP of services Eddy Cue tells The Hollywood Reporter that viewership for last week’s Australian Grand Prix was up year over year compared to the 2025 race, which aired on ESPN.
“The 2026 Formula 1 season on Apple TV is off to a strong start, with fans responding positively and viewership up year over year for the first weekend, exceeding both F1 and Apple expectations,” Cue says.
As is typical for Apple, the company declined to give any specific numbers, though last year’s Australian GP averaged 1.1 million viewers for ESPN.
So we don’t know the viewership number, but we know it’s higher than 1.1 million. That’s like a semi-Bezos number.
2026-03-13 02:51:48
Tech Re-Nu, on YouTube:
That leaves us with a fully disassembled laptop. We’ve done this in less than 10 minutes, which is absolutely amazing for an Apple laptop. I can’t say we’ve ever had a Mac that looks as repairable and as modular as this one. No sticky tape, no tricky adhesives, modular parts, minimal parts as well, no hinge covers or anything like that. It’s just super straightforward, elegant design.
The aspects of the Neo that make it less expensive also make it simpler, and thus easier to service. Apple’s iPhones, iPads, and higher-end MacBooks that use a lot of glue and tape and pack components together in hard-to-disassemble ways aren’t designed that way out of spite or carelessness. They’re like that because that’s what it takes to make devices ever smaller, and ever more lightweight. By allowing the Neo to be a bit thicker and heavier, it’s also a lot simpler.
2026-03-12 23:32:04
Marcin Wichary:
There are fun things you can do in software when it is aware of the dimensions and features of its hardware. [...]
The rule here would be, perhaps, a version of “show, don’t tell.” We could call it “point to, don’t describe.” (Describing what to do means cognitive effort to read the words and understand them. An arrow pointing to something should be easier to process.)
I just learned the word proprioception a few weeks ago, in the context of how you can close your eyes and put your fingertip on the tip of your nose. Perfect word for this sort of hardware/software integration too.
2026-03-12 08:46:59
Jason Snell:
So here we are: Six Colors now has three Jeopardy! players as contributors.
Come on, Moltz, get your shit together.
