When I think about technology, I normally don’t think of the Pope. But Pope Leo is different. For example, he is the first Pope to wear an Apple Watch. So unsurprisingly, he thinks very carefully about technology. Earlier this week, the Pope released an encyclical letter addressing the societal implications of AI called Magnifica Humanitas. As Mia Sato of The Verge reports, the document notes some of the positive aspects of AI, but also warns about dehumanization. I’m increasingly using AI in my law practice because it allows me to create better documents when I work for my clients. But I agree that it needs to be used with caution. Not only do you need to watch out for hallucinations, but you need it to enhance your work product—not as a substitute for a lawyer’s careful analysis. And now, the news of note from the past week:
- With WWDC around the corner, many of us are thinking about our wishlist of announcements. Riley Hill of Slate Pad shares some interesting items from his iPad wishlist, including removing the app limit in Command-Tab on the iPad. Amen.
- Chance Miller of 9to5Mac reports that folks with an Arkansas driver’s license can now add their license to the Apple Wallet app.
- I love using Apple’s MagSafe Battery Pack, released in 2021, and it is a shame that Apple currently only sells a model for the iPhone Air. But third parties have worked to fill the void. Michael Burkhardt of 9to5Mac reviews the Belkin BoostCharge Slim, which looks to be a worthy competitor that adds one feature missing from Apple’s product: a kickstand.
- This past weekend, Apple filmed an MLS soccer game using only iPhones. As John Gruber of Daring Fireball notes, the quality was quite good. Impressive that the iPhone in your pocket is powerful enough to replace an expensive video camera.
- Ankur Thakur of iDownloadBlog shares 14 iPhone tips.
- Jason Cross of Macworld reports that Apple has increased the trade-in values for many devices, including iPhones, iPads, and Macs.
- Glenn Fleishman of Six Colors shares tips for typing emoji with your iPhone.
- As noted by Guille Lomener of the Spanish website AppleSefera, Apple redesigned its Passeig de Gràcia Apple Store in Barcelona, Spain. One feature of the renovated store is a dedicated area for picking up items ordered online. This makes a lot of sense. Whenever I go to my local Apple Store, I always see lots of people there to simply pick up items. And one of them is often me.
- Juli Clover of MacRumors reports that on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, you can earn a special Apple Watch Activity Award if you run a 5K.
- Fans of the fantastic Apple TV show For All Mankind have a big weekend. First, Apple is releasing the season finale of Season 5. Second, the spin-off show Star City debuts today. Ryan Christoffel of 9to5Mac notes that the early buzz for the show is good, although it does appear to be a darker show—perhaps unsurprising for a show set in the Soviet Union around 50 years ago.
- Matt Grobar of Deadline reports that a new comedy series from Mike Judge is coming to Apple TV. It stars Ben Stiller and will be called Protective Custody.
- And finally, last week, I mentioned some of Apple’s new accessibility announcements. One of them was the availability of new versions of the Hikawa Grip & Stand for iPhone: a $55 device that makes it easier for many people to hold an iPhone. Apple released a short and interesting video to show how this product was designed: