Lux, the developers behind popular camera app Halide, today announced the launch of Orion Video System, an app that is designed to turn the iPad into an external HDMI monitor that can be used with computers, gaming consoles, cameras, and other devices.
Using the Orion app requires iOS 17, an iPad that has a USB-C port, and a USB-C Video Capture Card. USB-C Capture Cards can be purchased from websites like Amazon for around $15 to $20.
The app is able to work with any device that supports HDMI, including Macs, PCs, game consoles like the Nintendo Switch, retro consoles, and cameras. According to the developers, Orion Video System will upscale Nintendo Switch gameplay to 4K in realtime. When used with a camera, Orion allows an iPad to be used for checking framing, focus, and color for video capture and stills.
Orion is free to download, and there is a demo mode that allows users to test the app without a Capture Card. There is an optional one-time $5 upgrade purchase to unlock AI-powered 4K upscaling, CRT Emulation, and Picture Adjustment.
Thursday December 11, 2025 8:49 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple seeded the second iOS 26.2 Release Candidate to developers earlier this week, meaning the update will be released to the general public very soon.
Apple confirmed iOS 26.2 would be released in December, but it did not provide a specific date. We expect the update to be released by early next week.
iOS 26.2 includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, such as a new...
Wednesday December 10, 2025 2:52 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Google Maps on iOS quietly gained a new feature recently that automatically recognizes where you've parked your vehicle and saves the location for you.
Announced on LinkedIn by Rio Akasaka, Google Maps' senior product manager, the new feature auto-detects your parked location even if you don't use the parking pin function, saves it for up to 48 hours, and then automatically removes it once...
Apple has ordered 22 million OLED panels from Samsung Display for the first foldable iPhone, signaling a significantly larger production target than the display industry had previously anticipated, ET News reports.
In the now-seemingly deleted report, ET News claimed that Samsung plans to mass-produce 11 million inward-folding OLED displays for Apple next year, as well as 11 million...
Thursday December 11, 2025 11:28 am PST by Juli Clover
Apple today released new firmware designed for the AirPods Pro 3 and the prior-generation AirPods Pro 2. The AirPods Pro 3 firmware is 8B30, up from 8B25, while the AirPods Pro 2 firmware is 8B28, up from 8B21.
There's no word on what's include in the updated firmware, but the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3 are getting expanded support for Live Translation in the European Union in iOS...
Friday December 5, 2025 9:40 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below.
Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...
Thursday December 11, 2025 10:31 am PST by Juli Clover
The AirTag 2 will include a handful of new features that will improve tracking capabilities, according to a new report from Macworld. The site says that it was able to access an internal build of iOS 26, which includes references to multiple unreleased products.
Here's what's supposedly coming:
An improved pairing process, though no details were provided. AirTag pairing is already...
Monday December 8, 2025 10:18 am PST by Juli Clover
Apple today seeded the second release candidate version of iOS 26.2 to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming one week after Apple seeded the first RC. The release candidate represents the final version iOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found.
Registered developers and public beta testers can download the betas from the Settings app on...
Monday December 8, 2025 4:54 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple is actively testing under-screen Face ID for next year's iPhone 18 Pro models using a special "spliced micro-transparent glass" window built into the display, claims a Chinese leaker.
According to "Smart Pikachu," a Weibo account that has previously shared accurate supply-chain details on Chinese Android hardware, Apple is testing the special glass as a way to let the TrueDepth...
Thursday December 11, 2025 4:02 pm PST by Juli Clover
Apple is working on a smart home hub that will rely heavily on the more capable version of Siri that's coming next year. We've heard quite a bit about the hub over the last two years, but a recent iOS 26 code leak provides additional insight into what we can expect and confirms rumored features.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.
Macworld claims to have access to an ...
Thursday December 11, 2025 4:19 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple's next-generation Studio Display is expected to arrive early next year, and a new report allegedly provides a couple more details on the external monitor's capabilities.
According to internal Apple code seen by Macworld, the new external display will feature a variable refresh rate capable of up to 120Hz – aka ProMotion – as well as support for HDR content. The current Studio...
I guess it's cool but, you can get better portable monitors than an ipad for a display.
True (and I have one -- only 1080p and not the most accurate colors, but it works) but that's one more thing to bring with you. If you already own an iPad and a small adapter (or buy one -- they are inexpensive), that's easier and less expensive than bringing yet one more "device" with you.
Am I the only one on the planet that thinks that 4:3 still has plenty of merit, particularly for photos and monitors. Given that most websites, and I've noticed American ones particularly, run down the middle of a 16:9 monitor leaving most of it as blank real estate. 4:3 is beneficial in those situations, and the miles of extra width 16:9 gives is often chasing an elusive use.
This is what I've been waiting for. This is the first step towards plugging your Xbox, Playstation, or anything else into your VisionPro USB-C port so that you have a personal large screen for any video input you might have.