Here’s why Walmart still does not accept Apple Pay
Walmart continues to reject Apple Pay and other NFC payment methods in its over 4,600 U.S. stores, firmly standing by its decision as of… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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Apple announces new App Store tool to give developers more In-App Purchase options
Apple’s developer site has shared news of a new API coming for apps that will offer expanded options for managing In-App Purchases. It’s called the Advanced Commerce API, and here’s what we know so far. more…

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Apple TV+ might salvage Dick Turpin despite star Noel Fielding’s illness
Maybe the Apple TV+ historical comedy “Dick Turpin” starring Noel Fielding isn’t completely over after all. (via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)

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Siri Is Super Dumb and Getting Dumber
Siri with Apple Intelligence gives confident but embarrasingly wrong answers to sports trivia questions, both famous (Super Bowls) and obscure (North Dakota high school hoops).

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Apple confirms CarPlay 2’s delay with removal of 2024 date from website
Three weeks into 2025, Apple has now updated its CarPlay website with one small, but noteworthy change: CarPlay 2 is no longer promised to arrive in 2024, thus confirming the delay. more…

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9to5Mac Daily: January 23, 2025 – The latest HomePad rumors, more
Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from 9to5Mac. 9to5Mac Daily is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players. Sponsored by Ulysses: The ultimate writing app for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Learn more and get started today for free. more…

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Epic Games shifts EU app store strategy after missing target by 71 million users
Epic Games is launching an additional 19 games for its third-party app store in the EU, once some bugs are worked out, and it has also promised to pay the Core Technology Fee for apps on its store.Epic Games hopes to bring new developers to its app store by paying Apple's feesAfter the European Union Digital Markets Act mandated that Apple allow third-party app stores, Epic Games jumped on the bandwagon. It launched the store with Fortnite and a slim selection of other titles in July 2024.According to The Verge, Epic Games is making moves to make its alternative app store more appealing with 19 new third-party titles and some financial incentives for developers. The announcement arrives after it failed to meet a goal of 100 million alternative app store users, reaching only 29 million. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Apple’s next-gen CarPlay webpage removes ‘arrive in 2024’ promise
Apple's website previously indicated that the first vehicle models with support for next-generation CarPlay would "arrive in 2024," but… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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Rumor Replay: iPhone 17 Air leaks, Apple’s spring products, and more
This is Rumor Replay, a weekly column at 9to5Mac offering a quick rundown of the most recent Apple product rumors, with analysis and commentary. Today: an iPhone 17 Air leak, Apple’s spring product details, iOS 19 redesigns, and more. Here are this week’s Apple rumors. more…

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Why Walmart still won't accept Apple Pay
Despite widespread adoption, Walmart has doubled down and gone on record saying it will not accept NFC-based payments like Apple Pay — in the U.S., at least.Walmart would much rather you use Walmart PayWalmart has more than 4,500 stores in the United States, and exactly zero of them accept Apple Pay. Or Google Pay. Or even tap-to-pay with your credit or debit card.This is because the big box retailer has decided to eschew NFC-based payments altogether. And it looks like it's going to stay that way, too. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Apple now selling $69 Kensington Security Mount for redesigned M4 Mac mini
Need to lock down your new ? Apple has added a new desktop accessory to its online store just for that purpose. more…

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New beta firmware available for AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4
Apple has released a new developer beta firmware for AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4, but it's not clear what the update contains.Apple has released a new developer beta firmware for AirPods Pro 2 and AIrPods 4.Thursday's developer beta increases the build number to 7E5067b, up from the previous 7B21 and 7B20 updates. This beta software release is available for Air Pods 4 and AirPods Pro 2, both the USB-C and Lightning models. The software won't be released for AirPods Max or other non-H2 devices.Apple periodically releases beta software updates for nearly all its platforms, including AirPods. While beta updates for Apple's mobile and desktop operating systems are released much more frequently, developers still rely on beta software for AirPods to test new features ahead of launch. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Oscar nominations completely snub Apple TV+
Apple TV+ films missed out on Oscar nominations this year. It’s a bit of a black eye for a company that likes to tout previous wins. (via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)

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iOS 18.3 notification summary changes, iPhone 17 design rumors, iOS 19 Camera app
Benjamin and Chance give their thoughts on Apple’s attempts to placate the BBC’s complaints about notification summaries with iOS 18.3. Also, the rumored iPhone 17 Air design has a divisive camera bar on the back, and this week also saw an intriguing leak showing apparent design changes for the iOS 19 Camera app.  And in Happy Hour Plus, Chance struggles to find new things to watch and — much to Benjamin’s delight — brings his own Apple TV app complaints to the table. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join. Sponsored by Shopify: Grow your business no matter what stage you’re in. Sign up for a $1 per month trial at shopify.com/happyhour. more…

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Walmart doubles down on its ’convenient’ alternatives to Apple Pay
Over the last year, we’ve seen multiple long-term holdouts finally cave to the pressure and adopt Apple Pay. At this point, the largest holdout in the United States is Walmart, and the company today indicated that it has absolutely zero plans to change its stance. more…

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AirPods Pro 2 just got new beta firmware from Apple
Apple has just released a new beta firmware update for AirPods Pro 2, bringing revisions for developers ahead of an expected public launch. more…

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President Trump blasts EU regulators for targeting Apple, other Big Tech firms
U.S. President Donald Trump criticized European Union regulators for targeting Apple, Alphabet subsidiary Google, and Meta Platforms… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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Trump blasts EU for targeting Apple and other US tech giants
The EU is not exactly on the best of terms with several US tech giants, including Apple, and now the newly inaugurated President Trump is speaking up about it. more…

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The best and biggest Apple Watch is $60 off right now
Macworld We love the Apple Watch Ultra 2, so we were rather happy to see it on sale for $739 at Amazon. That’s a $60 discount for one of the best-featured smartwatches around. At $739, this isn’t the best price we’ve seen for the Ultra 2, but then again, it’s only $20 away. Unless you want to wait a few months to get it at its all-time low of $719, now’s a good time to add it to your cart. In our review of the Apple Watch Ultra 2, we gave it a four-star rating, appreciating the bright screen and the slick operating system, as well as how great it is for tracking sports and random workouts. “Ultimately, the Watch Ultra 2 is the best smartwatch Apple has made yet,” we wrote. The rugged build will survive any of your outdoorsy activities, even withstanding long swimming sessions and dives. The watch will keep track of your location, help you get to your destination, and tell you how your workout went, whether you’re at the gym, cycling, or hiking. It also comes with advanced sensors that can detect irregular heart rhythms, know when you take a fall, and more. Thankfully, the battery life on this model is vastly better than on the first model, which is obviously something you’ll need when you’re off the grid. So go ahead and order your very own Apple Watch Ultra 2 for $739 while you still can. Go on adventures with the Ultra 2Buy now at Amazon

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Get up to 63% off popular Keychron mechanical keyboards
At bargain site Woot!, you can get huge discounts on Keychron mechanical keyboards, with a choice of six cool models at up to 63% off! (via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)

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Britain signals it is prepared to go easier on Big Tech regulation
Britain's appointment of a former Amazon exec to lead antitrust is seen as an invitation for investment, particularly from Big Tech… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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iPhone 16 vs Samsung Galaxy S25 – Entry-level options compared
Samsung's latest smartphone launch, the Galaxy S25, is the South Korean tech company's latest attempt to win the mobile AI war. Here's how the entry-level model compares against Apple's iPhone 16.iPhone 16 [left], Samsung Galaxy S25 [right]On January 22, Samsung launched an update to its flagship smartphone line. The Samsung Galaxy S25, along with the Galaxy S25+ and Galaxy S25 Ultra, are set to become the biggest smartphones on Android, and possibly in AI.During the Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event, Samsung promoted its smartphones as a way for anyone to quickly use AI while on the move. Promises were made of natural context-aware mobile experiences, an intuitive interface, and high performance. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Apple reveals the two benefits of your iPhone’s new(ish) Thread radio
Apple starting adding Thread radios to its devices in late 2023, but has said very little about it. iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max were the first to debut the new radio, but more iPhones, iPads, and Macs have followed suit. Now, a key Apple director has revealed why. more…

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Samsung blows another chance to adopt the MagSafe-like Qi2 standard
Samsung hurt its customers, iPhone users, accessory makers… just about everyone by not putting Qi2 in the Galaxy S25 series. (via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)

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What matters most for AAPL shares next week
Apple's latest installment of quarterly earnings is on January 30 after market close, and there are five key points that Apple needs to make to satisfy investors.Apple CEO Tim CookMorgan Stanley has proven to be one of the more accurate and reasonable firms that cover Apple. In a new note released on Friday by the firm, analyst Erik Woodring notes that the earnings setup feels very similar to a year ago. Like a year ago, he is expecting a street beat, but a lower than expected second quarter revenue predictions.Specifically, the firm remains bullish on its overweight rating and maintained $273 price target. Woodring expects revenue of $124.0 billion, and $2.31 earnings per share. This all implies a 3.7% revenue growth — which is roughly in line with what Wall Street expects as a whole. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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The 15-inch M3 MacBook Air with 512GB SSD is $250 Off
The M3 MacBook Air is everything you’d want in a portable laptop. Today, the 16GB 512GB storage model is down to just $1,249 from its original price of $1,449 on Amazon. The M3 chip may not be the latest in the M series, but it still packs a serious graphical and computational punch. Apps will […] The post appeared first on iLounge.

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Netflix raises subscription pricing
Streaming service Netflix will have a price hike in several countries, including Argentina, Portugal, Canada, and the US. In the United States, the Standard with ads package will be raised to $7.99 from $6.99 per month. Meanwhile, the Standard package will have a $2.50 increase to $17.99 from $15.49, and the Premium package will jump […] The post appeared first on iLounge.

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UK to launch driver’s license and ID digital Wallet
The UK recently announced a digital wallet that can be used to ‘hold’ driver’s licenses and IDs. Users in the UK will soon have a platform to store driver’s licenses via an iPhone app when it launches. The license can function to verify the age and proof that they can legally drive. The information will […] The post appeared first on iLounge.

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iPhone 17 Air image leaked online
An image of the supposed iPhone 17 Air has been shared online. The leaker with the handle ‘Majin Bu’ showed off an image which he claimed will be the iPhone 17 Air, with text saying ‘iPhone 17, the design seems confirmed’. The image is two iPhone shells with raised camera bars and a mic hole […] The post appeared first on iLounge.

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Best password managers for Mac and iPhone
Macworld Remembering the numerous passwords we use on a daily basis can be a real pain. Whether it’s logging into Amazon to order a new book, checking your online banking or settling down to watch something on Netflix, seeing the log-in box appear can make your heart sink. Then there’s the fact that each site seems to require a different length or combination of certain characters, meaning you need different ones for nearly every site or service (which, sadly, is also a good idea). How are our limited human brains supposed to store all these weird strings of letters, numbers and special characters? All I want to do is stream Star Trek: The Next Generation for the 50th time, not prove my intellectual prowess! Password managers can help you manage all your passwords and login information across your Mac, iPhone, iPad and other Apple devices. Apple offers iCloud Keychain, but is that the best password manager for Mac and iPhone, or is there another password manager for Apple devices that would do a better job. PROMOTIONRoboForm Premium: Just $0.99/Month! Secure your passwords with RoboForm Premium—now only $0.99/month, a massive 60% off! Exclusive to Macworld readers. Offer ends soon. Grab it today! $11.90/yr at RoboForm These carry the burden of remembering everything for you, as you just have to create one master password, after which the app takes care of logging into all other accounts. They even make recommendations for really secure passwords, so you don’t rely on the mixture of your birthday and the name of your first pet. Having only a single login to remember? That sounds good to us. Need some help coming up with a safe and secure password? Read our tips to make your passwords even stronger. Updated with details of Apple’s Password app. How password managers work The idea of password managers is to simplify the way you access your various accounts. Instead of having to memorize multiple complex passwords for each of the services you use you need only recall one password – or provide a fingerprint or Face ID – and the password manager will automatically fill in the required details for you. Just remember this is only as safe as the password you use to unlock access to all your passwords – so don’t lock them all behind an easy-to-guess password, like your pet’s name. The password managers also offer various other features. For example, they can generate random, highly secure passwords for your accounts, they can warn you if your password has been compromised, and some can advise you about existing insecure passwords and support your efforts to update them. Obviously, security is a high priority—as the manager apps have the virtual keys to your kingdom—which is why all of the options listed below use high-grade encryption to protect your details. Many also feature digital wallets so your bank details can be safely stored and used to make purchases online without having to root around in your pocket or bag for the card number and expiry date. A good Password Manager makes it easy to use strong, unique passwords everywhere on the web, no matter what platform or browser you happen to use. But to get the most out of them, you need to pay a subscription fee. Do you need a password manager? Is Apple’s Password app enough? Now that Apple has its own standalone Passwords app (which arrived in iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia) do you need another Password Manager? As you will see from our review below, and our full review of Apple’s Passwords app, most users can replace their paid password manager with Apple’s free solution. Most people don’t use a password manager at all, so getting them in the door this way is a good thing – and Apple Passwords is definitely good enough for most everyday users. The problems arise if you are trying to switching from an existing Password Manager. Indeed, the biggest annoyance we ran into was making the switch and getting everything transferred over, as you can see if you read: Apple’s free Passwords app can replace your paid password manager (kinda). If you just love your current password manager and use it to connect to multiple platforms and browsers, it may well be worth continuing to pay its subscription fee. If you’re thinking of switching to save the fee for your existing password manager, by all means move, just expect it to take a little time. For more ways to keep your data safe, read our iPhone security and Best Mac security tips articles. Best Password Managers for Mac and iPhone Apple Passwords – Best For Basics Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Free View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Free at Apple Apple’s Passwords app works well enough for the basic functions most of us rely on. It stores and fills login passwords, Wi-Fi passwords, 2FA codes, and passkeys. It warns you of easy-to-guess passwords, reused passwords, and passwords that appeared in major data breaches. It’s also relatively easy to securely share passwords with others. Apple also provides its own suggested passwords for new signups. It doesn’t give you much in the way of other features–stored credit card and identification info to autofill in forms, secure document storage or notes, and so on. Apple has other apps that do those things in encrypted ways, but if you use other platforms and browsers, this information is not easily available. Increasing the font size on the 2FA codes by a few points would help. There’s text at the top of the Codes screen that shows you how long until the codes reset, but it scrolls off the top of the screen when you scroll down your list–it should stay anchored at the top of the screen. Apple’s Passwords app gets the job done and is fine for the bulk of Apple users who don’t regularly use other platforms or browsers. If you use the required extrensions it will even work for those who use Chrome, Edge – and even Windows. Read our full Passwords review 1Password – Best Password Manager Price When Reviewed: 14 day trial. From $2.99 per month, $36 a year Best Prices Today: Retailer Price 1Password (annually) $36 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $36 at 1Password (annually) One of our long-standing favorites is 1Password which has a nice, clean layout and is simple to use. As well as storing and autofilling your passwords and Passkeys it can also hold other important information, such as your payment details, address, driver’s licence and passport. All of which can be instantly called up to fill out online forms or checkout from websites and apps. Security is front and center, with 1Password boasting AES end-to-end encryption so only you will hold the key to your account. It also uses the Secure Remote Password (SRP) protocol, which allows you to authenticate your details to a site without the information being sent to a server which could compromise security. A feature called Watchtower analyzes the overall strength of your online security and warns you if passwords are repeated or vulnerable. There’s also a password generator if you want to replace your tired old attempts with something a bit more secure. A free 14-day trial is available, but after that, you’ll need to move on to a paid subscription that starts at $36 (approx £29) per year. For this, you’ll be able to use the software on as many devices as you like, including macOS, Windows, ChromeOS, and Linux, plus the accompanying iPhone and Android apps. 1Password has won numerous awards and is an easy service to recommend. Read our full 1Password review Dashlane – Best For Features Price When Reviewed: $4.99 per month, $59.99 a year Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Dashlane (annually) $59.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $59.99 at Dashlane (annually) Dashlane is another hugely popular password manager, with a comprehensive suite of tools to make your life a lot easier. The app analyses your current passwords to see how secure they are and gives you an overall rating based on how often you reuse login details for multiple sites. Password monitoring will check if any of your details have been exposed in data breaches or have been reused too many times. There’s also a feature to auto-replace passwords instantly with ones generated by Dashlane. It’s not only your account details that you can store in Dashlane, you can store bank details, your address and important documents like your passport and driving licence. There’s also a section for any secure notes you wish to keep safe. The app also supports Passkeys, which are the latest innovation which seem set to replace passwords in the long run. All your transactions between the app and sites are end-to-end encrypted using 256-bit AES technology. There’s also 2-factor authentication available, with the Dashlane app acting as an authenticator, and you get a VPN service as part of the paid tiers. Dashlane is available on a wide range of platforms, with dedicated apps for iOS/iPadOS and Android, plus extensions for Chrome, Safari, Edge and Firefox. Dashlane costs $59.99 (approx £48) per year for the individual account. There is a free tier available, which acts as a taster for the full package, and you can use it indefinitely, but with a limit of only 25 passwords. Read our full Dashlane review Bitwarden – Best Free Password Manager Price When Reviewed: Free tier; From $1 per month (approx 80p), $10 a year (approx £8) Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Bitwarden Premium (annually) $10 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $10 at Bitwarden Premium (annually) When it comes to technology, we often say that you get what you pay for, but in the case of Bitwarden, this isn’t quite true. The service offers a really impressive range of capabilities on its free tier, so with this app, you get what you don’t pay for!  Without signing up for a premium account you get unlimited storage for passwords, credit cards, notes, and online account IDs, secure text messaging with individuals, a secure password generator, two-factor authentication, plus the ability to either have your data stored on the Bitwarden servers or one you host yourself. Oh, and you can sync all your devices, rather than the single one offered by most other free tiers.  Should you want to expand the features, then the Premium tier costs $10 (approx £8) per year and adds secure file sharing, 1GB of encrypted file attachments, additional two-factor authentication options, password safety analysis, and access to your account by family if you die or become sick. Encryption is high-grade stuff, with Bitwarden deploying end-to-end AES-256 bit encryption, salted hashing, and PBKDF2 SHA-256, all of which are down locally on your machine.  Apps are available on a wide range of platforms, including macOS, Windows, Linux, pretty much every browser you can think of, Android, and iOS, and there’s even a secure web version if you find yourself without your device.  If you’re looking for value when it comes to password managers, it’s very hard to look past Bitwarden.  NordPass – Easy To Use Password Manager Price When Reviewed: Free 30-day trial; $2.99 per month (currently $1.49), $35.88 a year (currently $35.76 for two years) Best Prices Today: Retailer Price NordPass (first two years) $35.76 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $35.76 at NordPass (first two years) One of the newest additions to the password manager arena is NordPass, which is made by the same fine fellows at NordVPN. The latter is one of our favorite VPNs, as you’ll see from our Best VPN for Mac roundup. NordPass offers full desktop apps for macOS, Windows, and Linux, plus the standard iOS and Android offerings. You can also use NordPass through browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Brave, Edge, and Safari.  NordPass has all the features you’d expect from a modern password manager, with quick importing of existing passwords from other services, zero-knowledge architecture, local encryption, 2-factor authentication, password generation, and secure storage for credit details and notes. There’s of course autofill for logging into accounts, folders to store passwords for work, home or other classifications, security monitoring for password hacks, support for biometrics, plus a neat interface to manage all of your various data. NordPass offers a decent free tier, which supports unlimited passwords, stores credit card details, and secure notes, plus has the ability to sync across all your devices. The main drawback is that you can only be logged into one device at a time. But if you can work with that it’s a service you should definitely investigate. The paid tiers start at $35.88/£28.68 p/a for a single Premium account, but there are frequent deals (currently $35.76/£28.56 for two years). Read our full NordPass review Roboform – A solid password manager Price When Reviewed: $29.97 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price RoboForm (annually) $11.90 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $11.90 at RoboForm (annually) RoboForm works across iPhone, iPad and Macs, plus you can use it on Windows and Linux as well as Android. Set up is simple. Download the relevant app or extension, then sign up for an account. There’s a free trial that gives you access to the Premium tier features for 14-days, then you can either continue to use it for free on the limited tier or sign up to a fully-functional paid variety. As well as passwords you can store personal details (e.g. address and phone number), your passport, driving license and other sensitive data. You can import your existing login details from other services or your browser. The Mac interface is a little basic–the desktop client looks like a Finder window. On iPhone, the main page has buttons along the bottom that allow you to navigate between Identity (passport, etc.), the built-in Browser, Authenticator, Tools section, secure share, and Emergency Access feature (for family, should something happen to you). The browser version features Roboform’s one-click login where you select the site from your logins or history that you want to access and Roboform opens the page and automatically log into your account. Most people will probably stick with their normal browser, in which case Roboform acts like any other password manager, prompting you with stored account details when you attempt to login. The password generator does a good job of helping you choose new passwords. You can select the number of characters, numbers, symbols, upper or lower case, and create passphrases. There’s a built-in authenticator and Roboform can handle two-factor authentication. You can also use passkeys instead of passwords. There’s a Security Centre that analyses your password integrity. This includes how many times you’ve used the same ones, how complex they are, and if they’ve been involved in hacks. Everything you do is end-to-end encrypted via AES 256-bit encryption, with PBKDF2 SHA256. Roboform offers a limited free tier (one device with unlimited passwords). The Premium tier (which used to be called Roboform Everywhere), adds the security center, access on all your devices, customer support, and web access to your account. It’s available for $29.98/£29.99 p/a but at the time we reviewed it there was a deal for $11.90 a year. Read our full RoboForm Premium review Keeper – Best Of The Rest Price When Reviewed: Free tier; From $2.29 per month, $34.99 a year Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Keeper Security (annually) $34.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $34.99 at Keeper Security (annually) Keeper can store unlimited passwords, auto-generate strong new ones, and sync passwords across multiple devices, all while holding credit card details and other important payment details in its secure vault. There’s also support for Passkeys, which is good. AES 256-bit encryption is all performed locally, so Keeper can never know your details, but there is the option to securely share folders and passwords with friends and family if they need to access any of your accounts. The included secure messaging service is also useful for communicating these requests There’s also support for Touch ID on the Mac and iPhone, with the latter also working with Face ID, plus Apple Watch compatibility and the option of using two-step authentication. Keeper Unlimited Password Manager is available from $34.99/£24.99 per year, but there is a free tier that is limited to one device and ten passwords. LastPass Price When Reviewed: Free tier (one device); $3 per month, $36 per year Best Prices Today: Retailer Price LastPass (annually) $36 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $36 at LastPass (annually) LastPass is probably one of the best-known password manager, thanks to it being one of the original pioneers in the field, however, in recent years it’s lost its crown after being hit with several hacks, including at least one that stole encrypted customer data. This recent history makes it harder to recommend. Not that security measures aren’t there, the company explains that it uses “AES 256-bit encryption with PBKDF2 SHA-256 and salted hashes to ensure complete security in the cloud.” The app does all of its encryption locally, so LastPass never knows your master password, and the Premium tier also supports a form of two-factor authentication for another layer of security. You can either use LastPass locally on your device via dedicated apps (macOS, iOS and iPadOS), or via the web with plugins and extensions available for Safari, Firefox, Chrome, Opera, and Microsoft Edge all of which allow you to automatically access login details for sites and accounts or have LastPass autofill the login fields on your behalf.  Just like with other managers you have access to a vault where all of your passwords are stored, and these can be changed to more complex alternatives at the touch of a button. LastPass will also advise you on how secure your passwords are for your existing accounts. Getting set up is easy too, as you can import existing passwords from web browsers, email, and other password managers. One drawback is that, at the time of writing, LastPass doesn’t yet support Passkeys, although the company says that the features is on its way. The app offers a digital wallet to store your card details, plus another area for official ID such as passports and driving licenses. The Note section is a place where you can keep Wi-Fi passwords, insurance details and any other important documents that you need to access. It’s also possible to securely share account details and logins with friends and family, even if they don’t have LastPass.  There is a free tier, although this is limited to one device, so if you want to sync across your Mac and iPhone you’ll need to move up to the Premium tier. At the time of writing, this will cost $36/£31.99 per year. Those wanting more scope can opt for the family plan which includes six user accounts and only costs $48/£40.80 per year. One of the advantages of a paid plan is an Emergency backup which means that, should you suffer an accident or even pass away, your family will be given access to your account. Read our full LastPass review Enpass Price When Reviewed: Free tier; From $1.99 per month, $23.99 a year Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Enpass (annually) $23.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $23.99 at Enpass (annually) Those looking for a simple, secure solution that doesn’t break the bank would do well to consider Enpass. The macOS client is completely free, but if you want to add the same features to your iPhone or Android device then you’ll need to move to the Enpass Premium tier that costs $23.99/£19.49 per year. If you prefer to buy a lifetime license, you can pick one up for $99.99/£82.99.  Enpass doesn’t store any of your information on its servers. Instead, everything is encrypted and kept on your personal device so you never lose control of your data. Details can be synced securely via iCloud, Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive, Box, or ownCloud/WebDAV, to keep all of your devices in step. You still have the classic features of other password managers, such as auto-fill forms, security analysis of your passwords and generating complex replacements easily, secure storage for sensitive information, passkey support, and AES 256-bit encryption, plus support for iOS, Android, and Apple Watch devices. There are plenty of fine-tuning options for those who are a little bit more hands-on, but we like the no-nonsense approach and the fact that your data never leaves your device.

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MasterCard DNS Error Went Unnoticed for Years
The payment card giant MasterCard just fixed a glaring error in its domain name server settings that could have allowed anyone to intercept or divert Internet traffic for the company by registering an unused domain name. The misconfiguration persisted for nearly five years until a security researcher spent $300 to register the domain and prevent it from being grabbed by cybercriminals.

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Chinese Innovations Spawn Wave of Toll Phishing Via SMS
Residents across the United States are being inundated with text messages purporting to come from toll road operators like E-ZPass, warning that recipients face fines if a delinquent toll fee remains unpaid. Researchers say the surge in SMS spam coincides with new features added to a popular commercial phishing kit sold in China that makes it simple to set up convincing lures spoofing toll road operators in multiple U.S. states.

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Microsoft: Happy 2025. Here’s 161 Security Updates
Microsoft today unleashed updates to plug a whopping 161 security vulnerabilities in Windows and related software, including three "zero-day" weaknesses that are already under active attack. Redmond's inaugural Patch Tuesday of 2025 bundles more fixes than the company has shipped in one go since 2017.

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A Day in the Life of a Prolific Voice Phishing Crew
Besieged by scammers seeking to phish user accounts over the telephone, Apple and Google frequently caution that they will never reach out unbidden to users this way. However, new details about the internal operations of a prolific voice phishing gang show the group routinely abuses legitimate services at Apple and Google to force a variety of outbound communications to their users, including emails, automated phone calls and system-level messages sent to all signed-in devices.

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U.S. Army Soldier Arrested in AT&T, Verizon Extortions
Federal authorities have arrested and indicted a 20-year-old U.S. Army soldier on suspicion of being Kiberphant0m, a cybercriminal who has been selling and leaking sensitive customer call records stolen earlier this year from AT&T and Verizon. As first reported by KrebsOnSecurity last month, the accused is a communications specialist who was recently stationed in South Korea.

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Happy 15th Anniversary, KrebsOnSecurity!
KrebsOnSecurity.com turns 15 years old today! Maybe it's indelicate to celebrate the birthday of a cybercrime blog that mostly publishes bad news, but happily many of 2024's most engrossing security stories were about bad things happening to bad guys. It's also an occasion to note that despite my publishing fewer stories than ever this past year, we somehow managed to attract near record levels of readership (thank you!).

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Web Hacking Service ‘Araneida’ Tied to Turkish IT Firm
Cybercriminals are selling hundreds of thousands of credential sets stolen with the help of a cracked version of Acunetix, a powerful commercial web app vulnerability scanner, new research finds. The cracked software is being resold as a cloud-based attack tool by at least two different services, one of which KrebsOnSecurity traced to an information technology firm based in Turkey.

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How to Lose a Fortune with Just One Bad Click
Adam Griffin is still in disbelief over how quickly he was robbed of nearly $500,000 in cryptocurrencies. A scammer called using a real Google phone number to warn his Gmail account was being hacked, sent email security alerts directly from google.com, and ultimately seized control over the account by convincing him to click "yes" to a Google prompt on his mobile device.

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How Cryptocurrency Turns to Cash in Russian Banks
A financial firm registered in Canada has emerged as the payment processor for dozens of Russian cryptocurrency exchanges and websites hawking cybercrime services aimed at Russian-speaking customers, new research finds. Meanwhile, an investigation into the Vancouver street address used by this company shows it is home to dozens of foreign currency dealers, money transfer businesses, and cryptocurrency exchanges -- none of which are physically located there.

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Patch Tuesday, December 2024 Edition
Microsoft today released updates to plug at least 70 security holes in Windows and Windows software, including one vulnerability that is already being exploited in active attacks. The zero-day seeing exploitation involves CVE-2024-49138, a security weakness in the Windows Common… Read More »

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U.S. Offered $10M for Hacker Just Arrested by Russia
In January 2022, KrebsOnSecurity identified a Russian man named Mikhail Matveev as "Wazawaka," a cybercriminal who was deeply involved in the formation and operation of multiple ransomware groups. The U.S. government indicted Matveev as a top ransomware purveyor a year later, offering $10 million for information leading to his arrest. Last week, the Russian government reportedly arrested Matveev and charged him with creating malware used to extort companies.

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14-inch M3 Pro/M3 Max MacBook Pros available at Apple for $400-$570 off original MSRP, prices start at $1599
Apple has clearance 14" M3 Pro and M3 Max MacBook Pros available, Certified Refurbished, starting at $1599 and ranging up to $570 off original MSRP. Each model features a new outer case, shipping is free, and an Apple 1-year warranty is standard. These models are the cheapest M3 Pro and M3 Max MacBook Pros currently available for sale at Apple: - 14" M3 Pro MacBook Pro (18GB/512GB/Black): $1599 $400 off MSRP - 14" M3 Pro MacBook Pro (18GB/1TB/Black): $1949 $450 off MSRP - 14" M3 Max MacBook Pro (36GB/1TB/Black): $2629 $570 off MSRP - 14" M3 Pro MacBook Pro (18GB/512GB/Silver): $1599 $400 off MSRP - 14" M3 Pro MacBook Pro (18GB/1TB/Silver): $1949 $450 off MSRP - 14" M3 Max MacBook Pro (36GB/1TB/Silver): $2629 $570 off MSRP See our 14" MacBook Pro Price Tracker for the latest prices & deals from Apple's retailers, updated daily.

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16-inch M3 Pro and M3 Max MacBook Pros available at Apple, Certified Refurbished, starting at only $2039
Apple has a full line of clearance 16" M3 Pro and M3 Max MacBook Pros available, Certified Refurbished, starting at $2039 and ranging up to $700 off MSRP. Each model features a new outer case, shipping is free, and an Apple 1-year warranty is standard. These models are the cheapest 16-inch M3 Pro and M3 Max MacBook Pros currently available for sale at Apple: - 16" M3 Pro MacBook Pro (18GB/512GB/Black): $2039 was $2119 - 16" M3 Pro MacBook Pro (36GB/512GB/Black): $2379 was $2459 - 16" M3 Pro MacBook Pro (18GB/512GB/Silver): $2039 was $2119 - 16" M3 Pro MacBook Pro (36GB/512GB/Silver): $2379 was $2459 - 16" M3 Max MacBook Pro (14-Core/36GB/1TB/Black): $2889 was $2969 - 16" M3 Max MacBook Pro (16-Core/48GB/1TB/Black): $3299 was $3399 - 16" M3 Max MacBook Pro (14-Core/36GB/1TB/Silver): $2889 was $2969 - 16" M3 Max MacBook Pro (16-Core/48GB/1TB/Silver): $3299 was $3399 See our 16" MacBook Pro Price Tracker for the latest prices & deals from Apple's retailers, updated daily.

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13-inch 8GB M3 MacBook Airs available starting at only $829 at Apple, Certified Refurbished
Apple has clearance 13" 8GB M3 MacBook Airs available, Certified Refurbished, starting at only $829. These are the cheapest M3-powered MacBooks for sale at Apple. Apple's one-year warranty is included, shipping is free, and each MacBook has a new outer shell: - 13" M3 MacBook Air/8-Core M3 CPU, 8-Core GPU/8GB RAM/256GB SSD: $829, $170 off MSRP - 13" M3 MacBook Air/8-Core M3 CPU, 10-Core GPU/8GB RAM/512GB SSD: $999, $200 off MSRP According the Apple, “You will receive a 'like new' device with genuine Apple replacement parts (as needed) that has been thoroughly cleaned and inspected. Every device will come with all accessories, cables and operating systems. All Apple Certified Refurbished products are packaged in a brand new white box and will be sent to you with free shipping and returns.” Note that stock status may vary, check Apple's site for availability. For the latest sales & prices, see our 13" MacBook Air Price Tracker, updated daily.

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16-inch MacBook Pros with M4 Pro CPUs are on sale for $250-$270 off MSRP
B&H Photo is offering a $250-$270 discount on new 16-inch MacBook Pros with M4 Pro CPUs right now. B&H offers free 1-2 day shipping to most US addresses: - 16" M4 Pro MacBook Pro (24GB/512GB/Black): $2249, $250 off MSRP - 16" M4 Pro MacBook Pro (24GB/512GB/Silver): $2249, $250 off MSRP - 16" M4 Pro MacBook Pro (48GB/512GB/Black): $2629, $270 off MSRP - 16" M4 Pro MacBook Pro (48GB/512GB/Silver): $2629, $270 off MSRP Their prices are the lowest available today for new 16" M4 Pro MacBook Pros among the Apple retailers we track. For the latest sales and prices, keep an eye on our 16-inch MacBook Pro Price Tracker, updated daily.

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Here are the latest iPhone trade-in values at Apple
Get up to $630 on the purchase of new or refurbished iPhone at Apple using their official Trade In program. Trade in your old iPhone, and Apple will apply its appraised value toward the purchase of any new iPhone. According to Apple, "Answer a few questions to find out your device’s trade-in value. Then give us your device and we’ll put the value on an Apple gift card (or e-credit) you can use anytime. If it’s ready to recycle, we’ll do it for free. Trading in your device is as easy as buying a new one. We’ll give you a prepaid trade-in kit or shipping label to send it off. Or you can bring it to an Apple Store. We’ll either give you instant credit toward the purchase of a new product or send your device on to our recyclers." Current max trade in values (January 2025) are as follows...

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Here are the latest iPhone trade-in values at Apple
Get up to $630 on the purchase of new or refurbished iPhone at Apple using their official Trade In program. Trade in your old iPhone, and Apple will apply its appraised value toward the purchase of any new iPhone. According to Apple, "Answer a few questions to find out your device’s trade-in value. Then give us your device and we’ll put the value on an Apple gift card (or e-credit) you can use anytime. If it’s ready to recycle, we’ll do it for free. Trading in your device is as easy as buying a new one. We’ll give you a prepaid trade-in kit or shipping label to send it off. Or you can bring it to an Apple Store. We’ll either give you instant credit toward the purchase of a new product or send your device on to our recyclers." Current max trade in values (January 2025) are as follows...

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Here are the latest iPhone trade-in values at Apple
Get up to $630 on the purchase of new or refurbished iPhone at Apple using their official Trade In program. Trade in your old iPhone, and Apple will apply its appraised value toward the purchase of any new iPhone. According to Apple, "Answer a few questions to find out your device’s trade-in value. Then give us your device and we’ll put the value on an Apple gift card (or e-credit) you can use anytime. If it’s ready to recycle, we’ll do it for free. Trading in your device is as easy as buying a new one. We’ll give you a prepaid trade-in kit or shipping label to send it off. Or you can bring it to an Apple Store. We’ll either give you instant credit toward the purchase of a new product or send your device on to our recyclers." Current max trade in values (January 2025) are as follows...

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Amazon is offering slight discount, ranging up to 6% off MSRP, on new M4 Mac minis
Amazon has the new M4 and M4 Pro Mac minis discounted up to 6% off MSRP right now. Shipping is free. Their prices are the lowest currently available for these popular new minis: - Mac mini M4 (16GB/256GB): $569, $30 off MSRP - Mac mini M4 (16GB/512GB): $744, $54 off MSRP - Mac mini M4 (24GB/512GB): $939, $60 off MSRP - Mac mini M4 Pro (24GB/512GB): $1369.99, $30 off MSRP For the latest prices and sales, keep an eye on our Mac mini Price Tracker, updated daily.

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Unreal Mobile is offering a $100 instant discount on any new iPhone
Unreal Mobile, an MVNO using AT&T and T-Mobile's networks, is offering a $100 discount on any new iPhone with service. This includes new iPhone 16 models as well as iPhone 15, 14, 13, and SE phones. New phones come with their Unlimited 20GB high-speed plan for $30 per month, billed at $90 every 3 months. Slower speeds apply after 20GB per month. Phones are locked to Unreal Mobile for 12 months of service. This deal is live today at Unreal Mobile. For the latest prices & sales, keep an eye on our iPhone Price Tracker, updated daily.

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New sale at B&H: 14-inch M4 Max MacBook Pros for $300 off MSRP
B&H Photo is offering a $300 discount on new 14-inch MacBook Pros with M4 Max CPUs right now, both Silver and Black colors. B&H offers free 1-2 day shipping to most US addresses: - 14" M4 Max MacBook Pro (36GB/1TB): $2899, $300 off MSRP Their price is among the lowest available today for a new 14" M4 Max MacBook Pro among the Apple retailers we track. For the latest sales and prices, keep an eye on our 14-inch MacBook Pro Price Tracker, updated daily.

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Clearance 14-inch M3 Pro MacBook Pros available today for $1599, $400 off original MSRP
B&H Photo has clearance 14" M3 Pro MacBook Pros on sale for $400 off original MSRP with prices available starting at $1599. B&H offers free 1-2 day delivery to most US addresses: - 14" 11-Core M3 Pro MacBook Pro (18GB RAM/512GB SSD): $1599 $400 off MSRP - 14" 12-Core M3 Pro MacBook Pro (18GB RAM/1TB SSD): $1999 $400 off MSRP These are the lowest available prices for last-generation 14" M3 Pro MacBook Pros. For the latest prices and sales, see our 14" MacBook Pro Price Tracker, updated daily.

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Save $200 on 13-inch 16GB MacBook Airs with the latest sales at Apple retailers
Amazon and Best have Apple's 13-inch M3 MacBook Airs with 16GB of memory on sale right now for $200 off MSRP, with prices available starting at only $899. Sale prices below apply to all colors. (1): Amazon has new 13" 16GB M3 MacBook Airs on sale for $200 off MSRP, each including free shipping: - 13" M3 MacBook Air (16GB/256GB): $899, $200 off MSRP - 13" M3 MacBook Air (16GB/512GB): $1099, $200 off MSRP - 13" M3 MacBook Air (24GB/512GB): $1299, $200 off MSRP Note that stock at Amazon varies, and be sure to select Amazon as the seller rather than choosing a third-party retailer. (2): Best Buy has new 13" 16GB M3 MacBook Airs on sale for $200 off MSRP as well. Sale prices for online orders only, in-store prices may vary. Order online, and choose free shipping or free local store pickup (if available): - 13" M3 MacBook Air (16GB/256GB): $899, $200 off MSRP - 13" M3 MacBook Air (16GB/512GB): $1099, $200 off MSRP - 13" M3 MacBook Air (24GB/512GB): $1299, $200 off MSRP For the latest sales & prices, see our 13" MacBook Air Price Tracker, updated daily.

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