Apple Watch Series 9 hits official Apple refurbs store at satisfying discounts
Savvy shoppers can now buy Apple Watch Series 9 from Apple's Certified Refurbished store. It's a no-risk way to save. (via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)

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Apple Vision Pro killer app: Sports and concerts, totally immersive
So far, the killer apps for the Apple Vision Pro , besides watching movies and TV series, appear to be sports and concerts… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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WhatsApp now rolling out passkey support for iPhone users
WhatsApp has been internally testing passkey support in its iPhone app for some time. However, the option was still unavailable to most users. But that seems to be changing now, as Meta is slowly rolling out the passkey option to WhatsApp users on the iPhone with the latest version of the app. more…

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Apple Releases OpenELM: Small, Open Source AI Models Designed To Run On-device
Just as Google, Samsung and Microsoft continue to push their efforts with generative AI on PCs and mobile devices, Apple is moving to join the party with OpenELM, a new family of open source large language models (LLMs) that can run entirely on a single device rather than having to connect to cloud servers. From a report: Released a few hours ago on AI code community Hugging Face, OpenELM consists of small models designed to perform efficiently at text generation tasks. There are eight OpenELM models in total -- four pre-trained and four instruction-tuned -- covering different parameter sizes between 270 million and 3 billion parameters (referring to the connections between artificial neurons in an LLM, and more parameters typically denote greater performance and more capabilities, though not always). [...] Apple is offering the weights of its OpenELM models under what it deems a "sample code license," along with different checkpoints from training, stats on how the models perform as well as instructions for pre-training, evaluation, instruction tuning and parameter-efficient fine tuning. The sample code license does not prohibit commercial usage or modification, only mandating that "if you redistribute the Apple Software in its entirety and without modifications, you must retain this notice and the following text and disclaimers in all such redistributions of the Apple Software." The company further notes that the models "are made available without any safety guarantees. Consequently, there exists the possibility of these models producing outputs that are inaccurate, harmful, biased, or objectionable in response to user prompts." Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Apple TV+ debuts trailer for ‘The Big Cigar,’ new limited series starring André Holland as Black Panther leader Huey P. Newton
Apple TV+ on Wednesday revealed the trailer for “The Big Cigar,” the upcoming limited series led by André Holland, who stars alongside… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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Get luxe for less: 60% off Bang & Olufsen-inspired MagSafe charger
SwitchEasy's Portal power bank pops right out of the sleek stand for mobile use with iPhone. Get high-end design at an amazing discount. (via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)

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Spring iPhone sales slip to lowest activation share in years
The iPhone's slice of the smartphone activation pie has shrunk to its smallest size in six years, marking a concerning trend for Apple as it grapples with the longest gap yet between its iPhone releases.iPhone sales slip to lowest activation share in yearsThe latest data reveals that the iPhone now accounts for only one-third of all new smartphone activations in the US, a significant decline from its 40% share over the past year, as noted by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP).Apple's once-dominant position in the smartphone market is now under threat as it faces fierce competition from Android devices, which now hold a commanding two-thirds share of new activations. The shift in market dynamics mirrors the situation six years ago when iOS and Android pushed out competitors like Blackberry and Windows. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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iMazing 3 launches for Mac and PC with all-new design, fresh features, dark mode, more
iMazing has been a go-to tool for Apple power users and IT admins for almost 20 years, now developer DigiDNA is out with iMazing 3. The major release sees a re-engineering of the whole app that brings a new UI and features, and even Vision Pro compatibility to join iPhone, iPad, iPod, and Apple TV support. more…

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Spotify not adopting new App Store terms in the EU, submits app update with pricing info instead
Apple was hit with a $2 billion fine in the European Union last month for “abusive” App Store rules for music streaming services. In addition to the fine, the European Commission also said Apple must relax its anti-steering rules. As reported by TechCrunch, Spotify has submitted a new update to its app that includes pricing information for users in the EU. Spotify also says that it is not planning to opt into Apple’s new business terms in the European Union offered in response to the Digital Markets Act. more…

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Apple releases third beta for iOS 17.5 and more [U: Public betas join]
Update: Apple has released public beta versions of yesterday’s updates. The iOS 17.5 beta train continues today with the third developer release. Apple is also testing macOS Sonoma 14.5, visionOS 1.2, watchOS 10.5, tvOS 17.5, and HomePod 17.5. more…

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Bag bargains on iMacs and Apple accessories while they last
Woot's sale on iMacs and Apple accessories gives you a chance to stock up on items large and small while supplies last. (via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)

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Apple’s forthcoming M4 Mac Studio Sounds like an absolute beast
Apple's current Mac Studio delivers next-generation speed, but the next-gen M4-powered Mac Studio promises to deliver breathtaking power… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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Apple Watch Series X might get new and thinner motherboard material
A new supply chain rumor claims that Apple will switch to thinner resin-coated copper motherboards for a future Apple Watch, echoing previous reports of the same coming to the iPhone 17.Apple Watch Series 9Resin-coated copper (RCC) is exactly what it says it is — a thin film of copper, coated in resin. It replaces the typically green, grey or black nonconductive bonding sheet material on motherboards. In October 2023, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said Apple would adopt it for the iPhone because it is thin, light, and has benefits in manufacturing.And now, according to Digtimes, unspecified sources in the supply chain say that this same RCC technology is to be used in at least one forthcoming Apple Watch model. It's not known whether this will certainly mean the 2024 models, but a major redesign has previously been rumored for the "Apple Watch Series X." Rumor Score: 🤔 Possible Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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The new Snapdragon X chips are faster than an M3, but should we believe it?
Macworld If you follow tech outside the world of Apple, you may have noticed that Qualcomm has been getting a lot of attention lately. That’s because the company is promoting its upcoming Snapdragon X Plus and Elite chips, which aren’t going to be in PC laptops until this summer. As part of its marketing, Qualcomm compares its chips’ performance to Intel (of course), but it also calls out Apple’s latest M3 chip. According to Qualcomm (via PCWorld), its Snapdragon X Elite chip is 28 percent faster and the Snapdragon X Plus chip is 10 percent faster than the Apple M3 in a MacBook Pro in Geekbench testing. Which, for chips that will ship some seven months after the M3 launched, leaves an impression–at least Qualcomm thinks so. However, these are Qualcomm-provided numbers and one major point that is left out of the M3 comparison is power consumption (not to mention memory and price). Apple takes a great deal of pride in the fact that its chips provide top performance while being efficient.   In fact, Qualcomm’s chart below comparing multi-threaded performance based on power consumption conspicuously doesn’t include any Apple chips. For a mobile chip, that’s a notable exclusion—especially since it challenges Apple at every other turn. Qualcomm Qualcomm Qualcomm That are other flags, such as the fact that Qualcomm doesn’t include the M3 Pro or M3 Max. Wouldn’t an X Elite (which has 12 CPU cores) versus a M3 Pro or M3 Max be a better comparison? Seems so. Then there’s the whole issue of whether Qualcomm’s benchmarks are believable at all, which the website SemiAccurate claims isn’t the case, and “the numbers that they are showing to the press and are not achievable with the settings they claim.” In any case, why should Apple users even care what these new Qualcomm chips do? After all, you can’t (officially) run macOS on a PC laptop–even our sister site, PCWorld, says it “doesn’t care as much about how the X Elite and X Plus shape up to Apple’s best.” If anything, it just shows the importance of Apple in the market, and in the very competitive world of PC laptops, you try to find customers wherever you can. Even with a significantly undersized market share, Apple makes a ton of noise with the Mac, and PC makers will do everything they can to convince PC buyers that the devices they sell are just as good. As for whether the X Plus and X Elite really do outperform the M3, we’ll just have to wait and see when PCWorld tests the chips after they become available this summer. They’ll probably match up in some benchmarks with some asterisks and caveats. Also, Apple’s M4 is expected later this year, so this comparison will eventually be moot. CPUs and Processors

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iPhone activation market share hits new low as Android dominates
CIRP is out with a report on how iPhone activations compare to Android in the US. The latest data shows a notable drop over the last year bringing Apple’s US smartphone market share of new activations back in time six years. more…

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Biden signs TikTok bill into law as Chinese firm threatens legal action
President Biden has now formally signed the bill that means TikTok owner ByteDance must sell the platform, or face being banned in the US from 2025.TikTok could be banned in the US from 2025As expected following the Senate's passing of the combination bill regarding funding for Ukraine and the potential ban of TikTok, President Biden has now signed the measure into law. From today, ByteDance has nine months in which to sell or divest itself of TikTok, although there may be a further three-month extension if a deal is being negotiated."The path to my desk was a difficult path," President Biden said in a statement seen by CNBC. "It should have been easier and it should've gotten there sooner." Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Competing rumors cast doubt on mini LED iPad Air debut in May
Supply chain sources apparently vary on when Apple may release a 12.9-inch iPad Air with mini LED, with a new rumor pushing the release much later.Apple's current iPad Air 5Less than two weeks away from Apple's "Let Loose" iPad-centric event in May, it's still not fully clear what Apple is going to release. A previous rumor claimed with certainty that the 12.9-inch iPad Air would get the same mini LED screen that the present M2 iPad Pro has.And now, the same source, Ross Young, isn't so sure based on what he's heard from other suppliers. In a post on X to paid subscribers, he now says that it's not coming at the event. Rumor Score: 🤔 Possible Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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‘Masters of the Air’ star Callum Turner joins new Apple TV+ sci-fi series ‘Neuromancer’
Apple TV+ will expand its acclaimed slate of science fiction offerings with “Neuromancer.” "Masters of the Air" star Callum Turner has… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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Black Panthers tap Hollywood to fake out FBI in The Big Cigar trailer
The new trailer for "The Big Cigar" drama series shows how Huey P. Newton escaped to Cuba under cover of a fake Hollywood production. (via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)

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This deal adds a headphone jack to your Lightning iPhone for just $3
Macworld If you own a recent iPhone before the latest model, two things are true: It has a Lightning port and it doesn’t have a headphone jack. Today’s deal can fix that for very cheap: Best Buy is selling a 2-pack of Insignia Lightning to 3.5 mm Headphone adapters for just $6, a savings of $11.50 and the best price you’re ever going to see. This adapter has one job: One end connects to the Lightning port on your iPhone and the other accepts a 3.5mm jack from your headphones or some other audio device. The cables are braided, so they should stay free from frays and breaks, and since you get two, you can keep one in a bag, use it on another device, or give it to a lucky friend. For comparison, Apple sells a similar adapter for $9, so this deal is quite a bargain. We’re not sure how long stock will remain, so if you want one go grab one now. iPhone

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