AirPods to get new controls?

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Over the weekend, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo published a post on Medium saying that the next generation of AirPods will get special infrared “cameras” to help them improve spatial experiences with the Vision Pro headset.

The new IR sensors may enable new “in-air gestures,” Kuo said — raising the possibility that you might be able to wave your hand around to raise or lower the volume, or to skip or rewind a track.

“In-air gestures” makes me think of playing air guitar: Will the new AirPods detect you wailing on your invisible ax and raise the volume to 11?

Details are light, but Kuo raises a pretty fascinating set of possibilities.

Also in today’s newsletter:

• I never used parental controls on my kids’ devices, preferring to educate rather than restrict them, but some parents may like the new parental controls coming in iOS 18.

• You can stop spam calls, texts and emails at their source by scrubbing the internet of your personal info. Incogni’s plan makes it super-easy and it’s more than half off right now with code APPLE55.

• Apple just put the original AirPods and HomePod on its "vintage" list, which means the company will stop servicing them soon.

• There’s a bunch of good stuff coming to Apple TV+ this summer: Here’s the full list.

• If you’re a soccer fan, heads up: Apple just slashed the cost of an MLS Season Pass.

  — Leander Kahney, EIC.

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