This week, I launched my new podcast on MacStories. First, Last, Everything is a series of conversations with guests about their relationships with technology told via their first loves, last obsessions, and the tech that meant everything to them. I’ve been popping up on various MacStories podcasts for a while now (including for interviews), so...
Sound Designer Dallas Taylor on the Audio Enhancements to AirPods Pro 3→
.](https://cdn.macstories.net/dallas-taylor-1757510864489.png)
Source: Dallas Taylor.
While the highlights of Apple’s AirPods Pro 3 reveal seemed to be the addition of heart rate sensors, increased battery life, and improved Active Noise Cancellation, Dallas Taylor on YouTube went a bit deeper on the actual listening experience.
Taylor is a sound designer and the host of the excellent Twenty Thousand Hertz podcast. (I can highly recommend this episode about the famous sounds of Apple and this one about the iconic sound of HBO.) He also runs a YouTube channel and was invited to Apple Park yesterday to try out the new AirPods Pro for himself.
He came away very impressed with the improved ANC, but what stood out to me was the significant upgrade in sound quality he mentioned, especially the bass. You can watch Taylor give his thoughts below, but it’s interesting to hear about a notable improvement in what people use AirPods for the most: listening to music.
You can follow all of our September 2025 Apple event coverage through our September 2025 Apple event hub or subscribe to the dedicated September 2025 Apple event RSS feed.
Jess Weatherbed Breaks Down Why Apple’s Crossbody Strap is a Great Idea→
In the run-up to yesterday’s Apple Event, there were increasingly loud rumblings that Apple would introduce a crossbody strap or lanyard that could be attached to new iPhone cases.
What followed was a noticeable amount of confusion from those in the tech sphere as to why Apple was entering this market. Now that the Crossbody Strap has been released, Jess Weatherbed at The Verge has a great explainer on why crossbody straps are an increasingly popular trend and why Apple’s take on them is so good. (Spoiler: it’s magnets. It’s always magnets.)
This trend seems to be more popular in Europe and Asia, but it’s picking up steam in the United States, too. I personally see them all the time in London, both as fashion accessories and practical ways for people to carry their most important device. In fact, as a quick experiment, I counted almost 20 of them on my five-minute walk back from this morning’s school drop-off.
The Apple Crossbody Strap is available to order now and is only compatible with Apple’s cases for iPhone 17, Air, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max. For more on all the accessories Apple released this week, check out Niléane’s overview.
You can follow all of our September 2025 Apple event coverage through our September 2025 Apple event hub or subscribe to the dedicated September 2025 Apple event RSS feed.
Apple Announces Final Cut Camera 2.0 with Support for ProRes RAW and Genlock
Today, in tandem with new video recording capabilities and lenses in the iPhone 17 Pro line, Apple announced version 2.0 of Final Cut Camera, its pro video recording app for the iPhone.
The update introduces support for ProRes RAW and genlock, which the new iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max are able to record in. ProRes RAW is an industry-standard way to record video, allowing the capture of RAW data, which unlocks incredible control of recorded video in post-production. In upcoming releases of Final Cut Pro for Mac and Final Cut Pro for iPad, exposure, color temperature, tint, and demosaicing can all be adjusted on ProRes RAW footage.
Genlock, a process of synchronizing multiple video sources by having them lock onto an external reference signal, will allow filmmakers to make frame-accurate edits in a fraction of the time it would take when doing so manually.
As part of the recording process, version 2.0 supports open gate recording, allowing the use of the whole camera sensor to capture video, instead of the current cropped version. This opens up possibilities for reframing shots, stabilizing footage, and setting final aspect ratios without reducing the quality of the image.
As well as these announcements, Final Cut Camera introduces the following new functionalities:
- Support for recording in portrait and landscape using the new square sensor-equipped front-facing camera. The new camera can shoot portrait or landscape video without the need to rotate the device
- Manual adjustment of the new front-facing camera on the iPhone 17 Pro
- Support for Apple Log 2, which features a wider color gamut
- New Timecode options like Time of Day or other external timecodes.
- Support for recording ProRes up to 4K60 fps with the new 200mm telephoto lens on the iPhone 17 Pro
Final Cut Camera will be available later this month.
Apple’s September 2025 Event: All the Small Things (Bento Box Version)
Several things are ubiquitous with Apple Events. Tim Cook’s “Good Morning!”, Craig Federighi being, well, Craig Federighi, and the keynote bento boxes. Offering up a summary to each keynote section, these bento box slides provide a great way to recap a new product.
So, after today’s bumper announcements, let’s take a look at today’s bento box slides.
iPhone 17
iPhone Air
iPhone 17 Pro
Tom Hitchins of Byte Review
In this premiere episode, YouTuber Tom Hitchins, aka Byte Review, discusses his creative life that led to the creation of one of the most aesthetically pleasing tech channels on the site. From teaching Photoshop at a college to a lifelong love of Nintendo and Japanese design and entertainment, Tom’s passion for technology touches every aspect of his life.
Welcome to First, Last, Everything
First, Last, Everything is a podcast exploring people’s personal relationships with technology. In each episode, host Jonathan Reed gets to know a guest through three pieces of tech: their first inspiration, their last obsession, and the one that meant everything to them. From some software or a computer to a weird gadget or a first camera. Pretty much anything goes.
In addition, the episode features the ‘Something’ segment, a small dive into the past to talk about a piece of technology that you may not have heard of. Weird, ahead of its time, an abject failure or success, whatever it was, it was certainly… something.
A New Event Channel, Obsidian Frustrations, and More
Among the highlights on the Club MacStories+ Discord: The new #awe-dropping-event channel was busy with predictions and wishes. I’m looking forward to chatting with members there during the event this Tuesday at 10:00 AM Pacific Time. (Link) Member tommertron started a conversation about the frustrating lack of AI options in Obsidian. (Link) Antonio reported the...
