There’s recycled gold in them there iPhones

April 19, 2022

My kids are in their early 20s, and climate change is a source of real anxiety for them.

They rightly fear that the planet is being scorched for future generations.

That's why I think it's important that Apple is making significant progress on its green goals.

If one of the world's biggest manufacturers can go completely green, which Apple is aiming to do within a few years, perhaps there's hope.

Because if every manufacturer follows Apple -- running on clean energy and using 100% recycled materials for new products -- it'll undoubtedly have a big impact.

These are Apple's goals, and the company detailed its progress toward them in its latest Environmental Progress Report, published Tuesday.

The 128-page report outlines the progress Apple made this past year, including big strides in using recycled materials, eliminating plastics in packaging, reducing water usage, and developing new recycling robots, among other things.

Apple's ultimate goal is to use yesterday’s products to help build tomorrow’s, and it's heartening to see the incremental progress the company is making.

-- Leander Kahney, EIC.

For the first time, Apple is putting certified recycled gold in the iPhone. It’s part of the company’s increased use of recycled content across its products. Because of these efforts, nearly 20% of all material used in Apple products in 2021 was recycled, a new high point for the company.

The iPhone 14 will have an autofocus front-facing camera, if a reliable source is correct. Previous iOS handsets used a fixed-focus selfie cam instead. In addition, the front camera will allegedly have a lower f-stop. Both changes will help make the iPhone 14 a better option for selfie fans.

Apple might be about to put down billions to intercept NFL Sunday Ticket, which would allow it to stream out-of-market games every week of future football seasons. The leak comes just weeks after the debut of Friday Night Baseball on Apple TV+.

The Danish audio legend sets off in a new-yet-familiar direction with its latest true wireless earbuds, the Beoplay EX. It’s the company’s first set of earbuds with stems -- and they look a lot like AirPods Pro.

The M1 iPad Pro is down to its lowest price on Amazon, with the 11-inch model now available for $699.99 after a $100 discount. On higher storage variants, you can score a discount of as much as $200.

The SwitchEasy Odyssey 3-in-1 Lanyard Shockproof Case protects an iPhone 13 in two ways. A removable strap helps you keep hold of the device, and the case is designed to absorb the shock if you drop your handset anyway. I put my own iPhone in this hard case to see how it stood up to real-world use. Here’s why there’s a lot to like about it.

Apple made news recently with its apparent plans for a 35W charger with an amazing two USB-C ports (not a new thing, mind you, just new for Cupertino). Now that unfolding scenario seems even later to the party when you consider Nomad’s release Tuesday of its most powerful gallium nitride charger to date, at 65W.

Does charging all your gadgets in one place sound good? Native Union's new MagSafe-compatible 3-in-1 wireless charging station should do the trick.

It's the first Windows version of the software, which connects an iPad wirelessly to a laptop or desktop. With it, artists can mirror their favorite professional drawing or painting apps on the tablet, including using an Apple Pencil with Windows software.

Location sharing is a highly versatile and useful feature of iOS. When you’re trying to meet up with someone, traveling in a new place or spending a day out with friends, you can quickly share where you all are. It proves super-handy in big public spaces like malls, amusement parks and stadiums. Here’s how to use location sharing.

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One more thing ...

"Dr. Land at Polaroid said, 'I want Polaroid to stand at the intersection of art and science,' and I've never forgotten that." -- Steve Jobs

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