We got a nice surprise from Apple this morning with some new Macs. Those of you waiting for that M5 Ultra Mac Studio are finally going to get your wish. You can get the M5 Ultra with up to 36 CPU cores and up to 80 GPU cores. Interestingly, memory tops out at 512 GB. That’s the same ceiling the M3 Ultra had, and it’s the configuration Apple dropped back in March. There’s no mystery why. The M5 Ultra starts at $5,500, up from the $4,000 entry price for the M3 when it launched. Again, no surprise.

If your needs are more modest, the Mac mini also got updated to M6 and M5 Pro variants. That’s right, we can now buy an M6 Mac.

The mini also took a price hike. The base model is $899 now, up from $599 last fall and $699 since June. I’m glad Apple released these things. I expect the AI gang will buy them like hotcakes.

The post New M5 Mac Studio and M6 Mac mini appeared first on MacSparky.

Four members of the SwiftUI team at Apple left the company, and now they’ve started a company that writes SwiftUI for you.

The product is Bitrig. You describe an app in plain English, and it generates real Swift and SwiftUI code. What comes out the other end is a project you can open in Xcode, read, and edit by hand. The pipeline runs all the way to TestFlight and the App Store, provisioning profiles and all.

It started as an iPhone-only app last October and now it’s on the Mac. I’ve only poked around the edges so far, but it seems like a good idea if you want some help with native app development.

I’m putting the Mac app on my machine this week to find out.

The post Bitrig, An AI Development Assistant from SwiftUl Team Members appeared first on MacSparky.

Portable travel monitors can transform productivity on the road by adding valuable screen space without much cost or bulk. Chuck’s Briefing compares 1080p and 4K options, discusses USB-C and HDMI connections, and power and battery considerations. Built-in audio, protective covers and stands, and why these minimalist monitors might not be just for travel are all part of why an inexpensive second display can make working with multiple apps far easier. 

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Apple’s latest financial results drive a discussion about record iPhone, Mac, Services, subscription, and R&D numbers, along with the market’s negative reaction and stock volatility. The MacVoices Live! panel also examines leadership changes under new CEO John Ternus, including the return of a retired engineering executive, before debating Apple’s planned clipboard sharing between iPhones and Windows PCs, its implications for users, and whether it introduces meaningful security concerns. 

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The panel explores Samsung’s entry into the credit card market, why iPhone owners continue to resist switching to Android, and the growing influence of AI across technology and society. Discussion ranges from AI escaping coding sandboxes and solving long-standing mathematical problems to AI-generated music and the impact of European Union regulations on innovation, competition, consumer […]

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At Macstock 2026, Max Mellman showed off his his iPhone app, I Love a Piano. Max explains how the app stands out through realistic haptic feedback, intuitive navigation, portrait and landscape support, and a design that encourages exploration instead of intimidation. Chuck and Max also discuss his inspiration, teaching carrer, future iPad support, and broader […]

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Apple leaks and rumor-driven reporting take center stage as the panel examines how constant predictions have diminished the excitement of new iPhone releases. The discussion with Chuck Joiner, David Ginsburg, Eric Bolden, Jim Rea, and Marty Jencius also covers premature Siri-versus-Gemini comparisons, Apple’s legal battles with Epic Games and John Prosser, Bending Spoons’ growing technology portfolio, prediction-market manipulation, Spotify streaming fraud, and musicians’ dissatisfaction with the service.

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The MacVoices Live! panel starts with a discussion about Apple'’s new AI-powered creative tools, including possible benefits for Final Cut users and the subscription value question. Chuck Joiner, David Ginsburg, Brian Flanigan-Arthurs, Ben Roethig, Eric Bolden, Marty Jencius, Jeff Gamet, Norbert Frassa, Jim Rea, and Web Bixby also examine Apple’s Supreme Court appeal in the Epic case, then digs into urgent security patches, AI-assisted vulnerability discovery, automatic updates, enterprise risk, and how users should rethink update habits. 

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The Road to Macstock wraps up with organizer Mike Potter providing last-minute updates for attendees, including his Creator Camp session on why the Mac still matters and a weekend talk about giving old Macs new life. He explains the event’s themed schedule, hotel room situation, late registration options, and what to bring. Mike also teases this year's T-shirt design details, talks about Macstock swag advice, and the value of curiosity, community, and conversation as a highlight of the event. 

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The June 2026 update, preview Chuck's upcoming trip to MacStock, encouraging attendees to introduce themselves. The also outlines the last of the  NAB interviews, recaps participation in MacPaw’s Flip the Script event during WWDC and announces the launch of the new MacVoices Merch Store. The update wraps by encouraging YouTube subscriptions and thanking Patreon supporters. 

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Our next stop on the Road to Macstock is with Marty Jencius, who  previews his workshop on troubleshooting Apple devices through a highly interactive “open space” format. Rather than a lecture, Marty explains how attendees will form small groups around real questions, share expertise, move between discussions using the “law of two feet,” and create organic conversations. The result will be a flexible, collaborative experience that encourages learning, problem-solving, and new connections among the participants. 

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The launch of a new MacVoices merch store kicks off this session, including product choices, embroidery options, and listener-requested items. Chuck Joiner, David Ginsburg, Eric Bolden, Ben Roethig, Marty Jencius, Jim Rea, Jeff Gamet, and Guy Serle discussion then turn to Apple’s lawsuit involving Jon Prosser, the default judgment being set aside, and what Apple may hope to gain through discovery. The group closes by reacting to Apple Music’s most-streamed artists list and how streaming reflects changing musical demographics.

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At NAB in Las Vegas, Alex Mavlios of Epidemic Sound explains how the company licenses music by acquiring full rights from artists, then offering secure usage across podcasts, video, social media, broadcast, and film. He addresses copyright risks, monetized content, artist royalties, pricing from creator plans to enterprise licenses, and why perpetual licensing helps creators avoid future rights disputes. 

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The MacVoices Live! panel discusses Apple’s updated App Store review guidelines, the challenge of filtering low-quality or AI-generated apps, and whether trusted developers should receive faster review. Chuck Joiner, David Ginsburg, Jim Rea, Marty Jencius, Web Bixby, Jeff Gamet, and Eric Bolden also debate Apple’s Passwords app gaining automatic password-changing abilities, weighing convenience against account-lockout risk. They also provide reactions to Snap’s new Specs and the uncertain future of smart glasses. 

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This time, the Road to Macstock takes us to Katie Fawkes, Director of Marketing and Doc Rock, Director of Strategic Partnerships for Ecamm, who talk about both their Creator Camp the day before Macstock, as well as their session during Macstock. They discuss how the hands-on event will help users of all experience levels build confidence with video production. They also cover Ecamm’s broader role beyond live streaming, practical uses for creators and businesses, the value of experimenting with gear, and why Macstock's welcoming community makes it a special gathering.

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Charlotte Henry and Chuck Joiner explore how Apple TV connects sports, entertainment, and corporate strategy, from World Cup coverage and the After the Whistle podcast to Slow Horses and global storytelling. They debate Tim Cook’s visible Hollywood presence, his role in the service’s growth, and how future leadership could shape Apple’s streaming ambitions. 

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The MacVoices Live! panel reviews WWDC week from both developer and user perspectives, including on-site activities, and the Flip the Script event. Chuck Joiner, David Ginsburg, Jim Rea, Marty Jencius, Web Bixby, Jeff Gamet, and Eric Bolden  react to Apple’s keynote versus the State of the Union, AI and Siri expectations, Vision Pro’s apparent future, developer access to Apple Intelligence, and private cloud compute limits. 

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Mike Schmitz previews his Road to Macstock session on starting a YouTube channel in 90 minutes, emphasizing creativity, repetition, audience connection, and practical tools over perfection. Mike discusses handling harsh comments, finding personal value in publishing, and using AI thoughtfully as a creative partner. His goal is to help get anyone on YouTube that wants to be there. 

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Only a few hours after Apple’s WWDC keynote, members of the   MacPaw leadership team sat down for a conversation about Apple Intelligence, and Siri’s renewed promise. Topics touched on included privacy, developer access to user context, hybrid AI processing, Setapp’s role, and how AI is reshaping app creation, customer support, and software strategy. Participants included Oleksandr Kosovan, Founder and CEO?, Sergii Kryvoblotskyi, Director of AI and Research, Dmytro Melnyk, Chief Product Officer and Grant Belaire, Chief Marketing Officer.

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A video tour of  the AGI House in San Francisco as  MacPaw’s Flip the Script event at WWDC 2026 highlights the venue’s AI-focused mission  and MacPaw’s emphasis on connecting with developers around its AI initiatives. 

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