Metal is the current generation of low-level graphical API that Apple uses, which powers the hardware accelerated graphics on their OSes, namely macOS. Metal 1.0 was introduced on September 30th, 2015, alongside Mac OS X El Capitan and iOS 8. Before the Apple Silicon transition, the Metal API received regular major updates every 2 years. […]
Category Archives: Tech News
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- WWDC25
This week Apple has announced a flurry of updates for certain versions of their operating systems, most notably macOS 15.6 and iOS 18.6. The iOS update comes with 29 security fixes. There are a total of 81 security fixes included in the latest macOS 15.6 update, some are described as quite serious. . (Above: Banner […]
Precisely as the headline sounds, the Apple Silicon iMac almost ended up having this same design cue as the intel iMacs. First shared by Kosutami on X and first reported by 9to5Mac (as well as MacWorld), are some pictures from before the EVT stage of the M1 iMac. “Fun fact: before the EVT Stage development […]
In continuation of the site updates posted before, we will continue covering changes in the form of periodic posts whether they’re big or small. We want our readers to see the changes done to the site, many small ones can be time consuming and hard to notice. . This article reflects the most recent updates. […]
iOS 26 Developer Beta 4 and Public Beta 1 are out this week, with iterations to the UI and plenty of work going under the hood of the OS. There were two slightly different build numbers that went out, one a day before the public beta and the newer one has a matching build number. […]
On July 22nd 2025, Apple released the 4th Developer Beta of macOS 26 Tahoe, which is shaping up to be the potential Public Beta build anytime soon. It looks like the UI received further refinement, and the glimmer of glass-transparency effects has returned a little. Beta 3 before updating After update, before switching dark mode […]
In continuation of the site updates posted before, we will continue covering changes in the form of periodic posts whether they’re big or small. We want our readers to see the changes done to the site, many small ones can be time consuming and hard to notice. . This article reflects the most recent updates. […]
As of this week, iOS 18.6 is in its 3rd beta, getting closer to being the first major update to iOS 18 post-WWDC. There are other updates to this same wave of Apple OSes, such as macOS 15.6 Beta 3. . . Build Versions macOS 15.6 Beta 3 (Build 24G5074c) . iOS 18.6 Beta 3 […]
Today, Low End Mac gains a new contributor, someone who will write his own articles on our very website – say hello to Janez J. Starc! An avid enthusiast for vintage Macs, Janez has written interesting articles about Twiggy Mac software (and many other things) on the 68kmla forums as well as tinkerdifferent. Along with […]
iOS 26 Developer Beta 3 has now been out for a few days, with a long list of release notes much like this week’s macOS 26 beta. . The new update brings some perceived performance improvements as well as reduced transparency, but I would still wait to put this on my phone if you’re unsure. […]
After what appeared to be a distribution error which delayed the update for Apple Silicon Macs, Developer Beta 3 is out. A workaround quickly sprung up before this error was fixed, but now the conventional method works as it should. . . It’s been posted by users on social media that it has something to […]
In continuation of the site updates posted before, we will continue covering changes in the form of periodic posts whether they’re big or small. We want our readers to see the changes done to the site, many small ones can be time consuming and hard to notice. . This article reflects the most recent updates. […]
macOS 15.6 is the first iteration post-WWDC, with the prior 15.5 update spending roughly 1.5 months in development. Earlier this week, the second beta of macOS 15.6 was seeded to developers, along with other developer betas. It doesn’t look like there’s anything new inside of macOS 15.6, but release notes show a single bug fix. […]
Be on the lookout for any suspicious-seeming zoom links or software update SDK “downloads” via Zoom, too. While DPRK state actors are targeting Web3 startups and crypto, it’s still better to exercise caution. Their tactics rely on social engineering for it to work, but the rest is actually a bit complex. . . An Executive […]
The team over at Dortania have once again begun their yearly endeavor of bringing the latest macOS to many unsupported Macs. It may be possible to install Tahoe on an unsupported Mac using the latest OCLP, although compatibility is not guaranteed. See: GitHub dortania OCLP macOS 26 project . See: Greg Hrutkay’s video on installing […]
iOS 18.6 has been in testing for a few weeks now, with Beta 2 rolling out now. Beta 1 was the first iteration of iOS 18 post-WWDC, after a prior 18.5 update spent roughly a month and a half in a state of development. Individuals can opt-in via the Software Update section of the System […]
iOS 26 Developer Beta 2 has been out for about a week since June 23rd 2025, introducing some changes to the graphical elements and some tweaks. There was a part of me which felt I could trust running this first beta on my daily driver iPhone 14 Pro, and it worked out great. It was […]
The HDMI forum just announced a brand new update to the HDMI specification. This includes major upgrades in available bandwidth, screen resolutions, as well as a new HDMI cable feature name called Ultra96. HDMI is now up to version 2.2, up from the previous 2.1b specification from August 2023. Download: HDMI-2-2-Specification-Overview-20250625.pdf.zip (1.8MB) . (Above: Illustration […]
The first Developer Beta of macOS Tahoe dropped on the first day of WWDC, after much internal testing for macOS 26. As with any developer beta before the GM (Golden Master) build, things are subject to change.. including the Finder icon (again). . . macOS Tahoe development timeline Up until June 9th WWDC: Internal Testing […]
Yesterday on X, Mykola Grymalyuk announced his departure from the Open Core Legacy Patcher team, saying he will be joining Apple’s Bug Bounty team over in Seattle this coming week. “Unfortunately I will have to step down from my role with OpenCore Legacy Patcher, but super excited for what’s to come. Thank you everyone who’ve […]
If you tried to plug in a FireWire device like a first-gen iPod to any Mac running the macOS 26 developer beta, you may be surprised to find nothing happens. That’s because there’s no more FireWire support. Apple could do a 180 and not do this, but that’s unlikely. Take a fine comb and look […]
While the week of WWDC is over, there are other tidbits worth mentioning but may not necessarily receive an entire article all on their own. . . App Store promo codes for in-app purchases Later this year, Apple is going to open the door for developers to create and distribute promo codes for any sort […]
This is the first iteration on macOS and iOS post-WWDC, after a recent May 14th update spent roughly a month and a half in a development state. Individuals can opt-in via the Software Update section of the System Settings app, as long as your Apple ID is associated with an Apple Developer account. Key […]
For those who want to add a little flare to their desktop and wanted the new wallpapers in particular – here they are! Due to the compression which happens on WordPress, a larger wallpaper is provided in the link below. You may also click on the images, which will enlarge to 2560 x 1657.The images […]
The tagline on Apple’s website reads “New Look. Even more magic.”, with an OS release date set to arrive this fall. Although you can download the developer beta right now, it is still far from being a completed consumer OS update. . . The last major iOS redesign was with version 7 – Apple says […]
Does the new style look familiar to you? Even though they talk about a “Glass UI”, there are many Aqua-themed visual cues in WWDC this year, especially to the intro for the new macOS. This year the transition in the presentation started as a Sequoia wallpaper, with a water droplet morphing the visuals before ultimately […]
Low End Mac is gearing up for WWDC25 – get ready for some new articles! Clear your browser cache to see the new site banner for this week. Low End Mac WWDC25-Inspired Icons (Free Download)
First covered yesterday by Marko Zivkovic of AppleInsider.com, it appears as though some Intel Macs will be dropped from the list of supported models while the absolute latest generation of intel Macs will continue onto this new update. The report cites “anonymous people familiar with the matter.” This topic was also covered on 9to5Mac just […]
With the annual World Wide Developer Conference (WWDC) ’25 less than a month away, we anticipate the release of multiple new versions of existing Apple OSes including the successor to Sequoia, macOS 16. While much is still under wraps, there are some known additions coming to this new macOS which are noteworthy in and of […]
We’re halfway through may and this year’s World Wide Developer Conference at Apple is set to kick off in roughly a month, and the latest update dropped for the Apple Developer app contains new WWDC ’25 stickers. As rumors circulate online about what’s potentially on the horizon between devices and operating systems, one thing has […]
After spending roughly a month and a half in beta, iOS 18.5 and iPadOS 18.5 is now available for everyone to download who is currently already on iOS 18, or those who are eligible on a supported device. Looking at the OS update patterns over the last few years, we can anticipate a few more […]
After spending roughly a month and a half in beta, macOS 15.5 Sequoia is now available for everyone to download who is currently already on macOS 15 as well as anyone wishing up upgrade with a supported or OCLP capable Mac. Keep in mind if you’re running an unsupported Mac with Sequoia on OCLP, the […]
This was an incredibly busy week despite lesser articles being written, as much of the time was spent restoring the Tech Spec index to its prior form. We announced this issue at the beginning of the week, and went into detail in a later article. This article reflects the updates to the site within the […]
It’s been almost 2 months since I picked up an M4 MacBook Air 15″ on the day of it’s availability, having replaced the M1 Pro MacBook Pro 16″ as my day-to-day mobile workstation away from the desk. Once I realized I wasn’t locked-into retina mode, it was a game-changer. On PowerBooks and older MacBook Pros, […]
Everyone, thank you for your continued patience as this matter is being sorted out. There will be 2 more milestone updates on this specific topic after this post to keep our readers informed of the progress being made. 2 Days ago, a website plugin meant to clear out any participant bot accounts inadvertently wiped out […]