Russia SMS Carrier Maintenance – MegaFon THIS IS A SCHEDULED EVENT Dec 8, 10:00 - 11:00 PSTDec 5, 05:50 PSTScheduled - The MegaFon network in Russia is conducting a planned maintenance from 08 December 2025 at 10:00 PST until 08 December 2025 at 11:00 PST. During the maintenance window, there could be intermittent delays delivering SMS to MegaFon Russia handsets.
United Kingdom Account Security Carrier Partner Maintenance – Three THIS IS A SCHEDULED EVENT Dec 7, 16:00 - 22:00 PSTDec 5, 05:44 PSTScheduled - Our carrier partner Three United Kingdom is conducting a planned maintenance from 07 December 2025 at 16:00 PST until 07 December 2025 at 22:00 PST. During the maintenance window, there could be intermittent API request failures for Three United Kingdom customers.Impacted Products: Lookup SIM Swap, Lookup Identity Match, Legacy Identity MatchAndAttributes
I vibe-coded a SwiftUI keyboard extension for Pokémon GO: Roast me So… I somehow ended up shipping a fully offline SwiftUI + SwiftData keyboard extension for Pokémon GO despite absolutely not knowing what I’m doing. Like, at all. Some facts that should concern you: I learned half the APIs while building them. The other half I still don’t understand. SwiftData randomly worked, so I left it […]
Netflix to Buy Warner Bros. Discovery in Major Streaming Deal Netflix today announced that it will acquire Warner Bros. Discovery's vast studios and streaming operations for $82.7 billion.
The transaction will see Netflix acquire Warner Bros., HBO, and HBO Max in a cash-and-stock deal valued at $72 billion in equity and $82.7 billion, including debt (via Reuters). The acquisition gives it control of major franchises, including DC, Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, Looney Tunes, and the Warner Bros. film library, dramatically expanding the volume and diversity of content available under one streaming umbrella. The acquisition also gives Netflix the established HBO brand and its library of prestige television series such as The Sopranos, Succession, and The Wire.
Netflix said that it intends to maintain Warner Bros.' theatrical distribution, preserve HBO Max as a discrete service in the near term, and integrate HBO and Warner Bros. content into its own catalog.
Today, Netflix announced our acquisition of Warner Bros. Together, we’ll define the next century of storytelling, creating an extraordinary entertainment offering for audiences everywhere. https://t.co/rXPFMNIs1A pic.twitter.com/0pdsMUEob8— Netflix (@netflix) December 5, 2025
Netflix confirmed that each Warner Bros. Discovery shareholder will receive $23.25 in cash and $4.50 in Netflix stock per share. The deal is contingent on Warner Bros. Discovery completing the previously announced separation of Discovery Global into a standalone company in the third quarter of 2026, as well as regulatory approval. The transaction is expected to take 12 to 18 months to complete.
Reports in October claimed that Apple was interested in acquiring Warner Bros. Discovery's extensive back catalog of content for Apple TV. With that prospect now firmly ruled out, Apple TV is highly likely to face heightened competition from Netflix in the years to come.
Tags: Discovery, Netflix, Warner BrothersThis article, "" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums
Wiselet, the finance management app is now available in iOS! Weeks ago I launched Wiselet for macOS, and it is finally available for iOS. These are the app features: – Manually control accounts, transactions, classify them by categories and see incomes and expenses organised in different charts. – Follow your subscriptions and debts, and know how much you will have to spend in the future. […]
From 14 Pro to 17 base for €600 — worth it just for the AI features (dev perspective)? Hey devs, I can get an iPhone 17 (base, 256GB) for €600 thanks to a promo. I’m currently on a 14 Pro and it still runs fine, but as an iOS developer I’m starting to feel the limitation of having zero access to the new Apple Intelligence features. I mainly use my iPhone for: • […]
iPhone Fold Will Be eSIM-Only, But Chinese Users May Have Other Ideas Apple's first foldable iPhone will reportedly drop the physical SIM card slot in favor of eSIM technology, according to a well-known Chinese leaker posting on Weibo today.
Apple is expected to introduce the device late next year or in early 2027, based on multiple reports. The so-called "iPhone Fold" is rumored to feature a 5.5-inch outer display and a book-style design that opens to reveal a roughly 7.8-inch inner screen reminiscent of an iPad mini.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has described the foldable as "super thin and a design achievement," comparing it to "two titanium iPhone Airs side by side." Internal volume will therefore be tightly constrained.
"It's highly likely that the foldable iPhone will come without a SIM card slot, supporting eSIM only," said leaker Instant Digital, echoing earlier expectations from Gurman and analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
Instant Digital also highlighted the current shortcomings of eSIM in mainland China, where users strongly prefer physical SIM activation and dual-SIM slots. China's fast-moving resale and device-trial culture makes quick SIM transfers essential, meaning an eSIM-only foldable would rely heavily on seamless carrier provisioning.
Apple is aware of the hurdles. The iPhone Air, which adopted an eSIM-only design for similar space-driven reasons, depends on dedicated support from China Mobile, China Telecom, and China Unicom. It allows up to two active eSIMs, but activation still requires an in-store visit.
Globally, iPhone Air sales have undershot expectations, to say the least. Many consumers have focused less on its thin profile and more on the trade-offs it introduced, such as reduced battery life and a single rear camera. In China, the eSIM limitation will have surely added another layer of hesitation.
The foldable iPhone is rumored to introduce several new technologies, including a 24-megapixel under-display camera and a crease-free inner panel. Apple will be banking on these advances to overcome concerns about usability, especially in markets where eSIM adoption lags.
iPhone Fold: Launch, Pricing, and What to Expect From Apple's Foldable
Reports suggest the device could cost between $2,000 and $2,500 in the United States, suggesting it could be the most expensive iPhone to date.Tags: Foldable iPhone, Instant DigitalThis article, "" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums
Alan Dye & John Giannandrea are leaving Apple on this week's AppleInsider Podcast Your AppleInsider Podcast host Wesley Hilliard is joined by guest Tim Chaten to discuss the implications of Apple's latest high-profile departures, plus they get into the future of Apple Vision Pro on AppleInsider+.Liquid Glass is controversial, but it isn't going anywhere. Image source: AppleOpenAI could be working on an integration that ties Apple Health data to ChatGPT, though nothing about it is known so far. It could work by sending user data to OpenAI servers, or it may utilize the private connection via Siri that ensures user data isn't saved or used for training.John Giannandrea is retiring from Apple, but it may not be for the reason you think. Many believe Apple's AI rollout would lead to Giannandrea's ultimate departure, but Apple has chosen to replace him with another just like him. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
Simulator testing for health app Hi devs! Quick Q for those with experience in the Health & Fitness category. Is there a quick way to create and re-use health + workouts data in the xcode simulator? I have been developing an app and so far I had to always run it on my actual device to properly test it. […]
SMS Delivery Delays to Airtel in Zambia Dec 5, 03:42 PSTInvestigating - We are experiencing SMS delivery delays when sending messages to Airtel in Zambia. Our engineers are working with our carrier partner to resolve the issue. We will provide another update in 1 hour or as soon as more information becomes available.
Copying the same codebase to develop multiple iOS apps For those who typically create an app and then reuse that base to develop other different projects, how do you handle the setup process? Whenever we copy the base from another app, we need to adjust screens, colors, components, public keys, RevenueCat settings, and even translations. In the end, it becomes a repetitive and tedious […]
Three iPhone 17 Pro features that continue to surprise me every day Macworld
When announcing the iPhone 17 Pro lineup, Apple highlighted the usual upgrades like design refinements, a faster chip, and, of course, the new Cosmic Orange color. But I bought a silver iPhone 17 Pro Max instead of orange, and after spending two months with it, the obvious things aren’t the ones I appreciate most. Instead, these are three upgrades that still surprise me months later.
Zoom zoom!
Apple surprised the world when it added a second lens to the iPhone 7 Plus for 2x optical zoom. It didn’t take long for smartphones with multiple lenses to become standard in the industry. However, as time went on, competitors ended up introducing phones with much greater zoom range than the iPhone.
The iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max already had a telephoto lens capable of taking photos and filming videos with 5x optical zoom. I particularly love using this lens as it gives photos a more professional look, especially when it comes to portraits. I also like having the best zoom for plane spotting.
The iPhone 17 Pro’s 48MP telephoto lens lets you zoom in up to 8x without losing detail, even in low light.
With the iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max, Apple switched up the telephoto camera. Instead of a 5x 12MP lens, the telephoto camera now has a 48MP sensor with 4x optical zoom. While the drop from 5x to 4x may sound like a downgrade at first, I ended up loving the change.
First, the new sensor is much larger, 56 percent larger, to be exact. A larger sensor captures much more light, resulting in more detail and less noise, especially in low light. Telephoto photos taken at night are noticeably better compared to those taken with the iPhone 16 Pro camera.
At the same time, I feel that the 4x versus 5x zoom makes it possible to use the telephoto lens on more occasions. With the iPhone 16 Pro Max, I had to move much further away from the subject to use the telephoto lens. The 4x camera is more suitable for portraits.
The 4x zoom is powerful enough for most situations, and can get you great angles without you having to get closer to the subject.
Also, because the sensor now has 48 megapixels, Apple has come up with a cool trick. Essentially, the Camera app can crop the image from the sensor to capture photos and videos with 8x zoom at 12 megapixels. The result isn’t perfect, but it’s decent enough to capture things that are far away.
This is probably the camera I use most on my iPhone, and the photos and videos I’ve taken so far are simply stunning. It didn’t seem like much at the time, but Apple made the right upgrades with the iPhone’s telephoto lens.
Super selfies
It had been a while since the iPhone’s front camera had received any major upgrades, but that changed with the iPhone 17. All new models in the lineup got a new square-shaped sensor that takes 18MP photos, versus 12MP on the old one.
The first thing I noticed is that selfies taken with the new camera have a bit more detail, especially when you zoom in. But the real difference comes when night falls. The new sensor performs significantly better in low-light scenarios. That alone makes the upgrade worthwhile for creators.
But there’s something else that made me love the new selfie camera on my iPhone 17 Pro Max.
Apple significantly upgraded the selfie cam on the iPhone 17 this year.Foundry
As I reviewed here previously at Macworld, the new square-shaped selfie camera sensor also enables a new feature that lets users reframe the photo in portrait or landscape orientation without actually having to rotate the phone. Essentially, you can take a photo from four different perspectives from the same angle.
This is also great for vloggers, as the feature works for videos as well. This means you can hold your phone vertically, which is much more comfortable and natural, and still shoot videos horizontally. It’s especially useful on the iPhone 17 Pro Max due to its extra-large screen and body.
Cool under pressure
The iPhone 17 Pro is the first iPhone with a redesigned cooling system that includes a vapor chamber. You can’t see it, but you can definitely feel the difference, especially if you use your phone heavily and are coming from an older iPhone.
In short, a vapor chamber is essentially a thin sheet of metal with a liquid inside. When the phone heats up, the liquid instantly evaporates, helping to spread the heat throughout the chamber.
The first advantage, of course, is the fact that the phone no longer gets extremely hot in your hands. This was something that bothered me in previous generations of the iPhone, and I’m glad Apple has fixed it.
But I also get better sustained performance, as the phone doesn’t need to throttle the speed of the CPU and GPU to prevent overheating. This means I no longer experience any lag on your phone, even when playing 3D games or editing videos.
The iPhone 17 Pro’s new vapor chamber does a remarkable job keeping things cool.Apple
Small upgrades that make a difference
After two months, these are the upgrades that continue to shape my experience with the iPhone 17 Pro Max in ways I didn’t fully expect. The new telephoto lens gives me more flexibility and better zoom, the selfie camera finally feels like a real step forward for creators, and the vapor chamber quietly transforms how fast, cool, and consistent the phone feels during long sessions.
None of these changes sound as exciting as a brand new design or hot new color, but they’re the kinds of upgrades that actually matter when you use your iPhone every day. And in a year when many people say smartphones are becoming “boring,” the iPhone 17 Pro lineup proves there’s still room for improvements that make the experience better in invisible ways.
Norway SMS Carrier Maintenance – ICE THIS IS A SCHEDULED EVENT Dec 8, 23:00 PST - Dec 9, 05:00 PSTDec 5, 03:03 PSTScheduled - The ICE network in Norway is conducting a planned maintenance from 08 December 2025 at 23:00 PST until 09 December 2025 at 05:00 PST. During the maintenance window, there could be intermittent delays delivering SMS to and from ICE Norway handsets.
iPhone Air resale value declines dramatically, according to SellCell study You may love or hate the iPhone Air and think that it’s either a terrific idea or a soon-to-be-discontinued brick, but industry analysts may side with the latter opinion. According to a ten-week analysis published by SellCell, the iPhone Air’s configurations have lost almost 50 percent of their value within ten weeks of launch. SellCell, […]
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Twilio Customer Faced Voice Call Drop, Calls failing to establish and SMS delivery through Ireland gateway from 9:24 to 9:29 UTC. Services are back to Normal. Dec 5, 02:13 PSTResolved - This incident has been resolved.
Apple to expand Apple Watch, AirPods medical features to additional countries A number of medical features, including the Apple Watch hypertension notifications, sleep apnea alerts, as well as the AirPods Hearing Test and Hearing Aid have expanded to a number of new countries. Apple Watch hypertension notifications and sleep apnea alerts, as well as AirPods Hearing Test and Hearing Aid, are now available in these new […]
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Vimeo Site and Player Issues Dec 5, 04:48 ESTResolved - The incident has been resolved.Dec 5, 04:44 ESTUpdate - Vimeo site and player are accessible.Dec 5, 04:32 ESTUpdate - The fix has been implemented and we are monitoringDec 5, 04:12 ESTIdentified - The issue has been identified and a fix is being implemented.Dec 5, 04:07 ESTInvestigating - We are currently investigating this issue.
Support Service Interruption Status: IdentifiedA third-party support platform we depend on is affected by an outage at its hosting provider. This may result in delays to ticket processing and extended response times. We appreciate your understanding and patience.Affected components
Support (Degraded performance)
Issues with Serverless Function Deployment. Dec 5, 01:08 PSTInvestigating - We are seeing issues with Function deployments. Our engineer are investigating and will keep you posted. Next Update expected in 30 Minutes.
Can you decrease the size of the expanded Live Activity configuration on the Dynamic Island? Title. My Live Activity requires less space than the default size presented in the Xcode Preview, but there's no apparent way to decrease the size, leaving a heap of wasted space at the bottom. Is there a way to decrease the size? submitted by /u/DavidGamingHDR [link] [comments]
We're investigating an issue with the Zapier Manager app Status: InvestigatingWe're currently investigating issues affecting the Zapier Manager app. As a precaution, we are temporarily switching off Zaps that use a Zapier Manager trigger. We’ll provide updates as soon as more information is available.
Say goodbye to blurry nighttime pics with the first-ever smartphone telescope Macworld
TL;DR: Get the Vaonis Hestia Smartphone Telescope Ultimate Pack, the first-ever smartphone-based telescope for $239.97 (reg. $299). Hurry, deal ends Jan. 11, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. PT.
If your camera roll is filled with blurry moons and washed-out night shots, this deal on Hestia is an immediate upgrade. The Vaonis Hestia funnels light directly into your smartphone’s camera for increased clarity, contrast, and stability—meaning your phone can finally capture details it was never designed to reach on its own.
Turn your smartphone into a powerful stargazing tool
Pair it with the Vaonis app, and you get guided positioning and target tracking that make it easy to land on celestial objects without guesswork. Say hello to 5x sharper images and up to 25x the magnification — all with no battery needed.
If you’re an explorer or just curious about the universe, this is an easy way to bring crisp stargazing to your pocket.
The Hestia Ultimate Pack adds useful extras, including a sun filter and a carry case, giving you both nighttime and daytime viewing options in a compact, travel-ready setup. It’s a far more approachable entry point than a full telescope, especially for anyone who wants meaningful sky views without lugging around heavy gear or learning complex controls.
For an optical system, app integration, and accessory bundle that elevates a device you already own, the value is clear.
Get the Vaonis Hestia Smartphone Telescope Ultimate Pack for 20% off — just $239.97 (reg. $299) now through Jan. 11, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. PT.
Hestia: First Ever Smartphone-Based Telescope (Ultimate Pack)See Deal
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Apple DEP enrollment fails: “No valid MDM installation found” and “Device registration with DEP failed” I'm implementing an MDM server and I'm trying to enroll a supervised iOS device through Apple DEP (Automated Device Enrollment).
The device is correctly listed in Apple Business Manager and assigned to my MDM server.
Here’s what I’ve done so far:
Generated the APNs push certificate using the Apple Push Certificates Portal
Extracted the Topic from the certificate and placed it in the MDM enrollment profile
The device successfully calls my /enroll endpoint
After that, the device logs multiple errors and the enrollment never completes
These are the logs shown on the device:
errore 17:47:47.116441+0100 mdmd No valid MDM installation found.
MDM will not listen to push messages. Error: (null)
errore 17:47:47.425765+0100 mdmd MDMDEPPushTokenManager:
Push token is not available.
errore 17:47:49.690339+0100 mdmd MDMDEPPushTokenManager: Failed to upload push token
with reponse: (null), error: Error Domain=DEPCloudConfigErrorDomain Code=33024
"La registrazione del dispositivo con DEP non è riuscita."
UserInfo={NSUnderlyingError=0xb03041e90 {Error Domain=MCCloudConfigurationErrorDomain
Code=34000 "The device failed to request configuration from the cloud."
UserInfo={NSLocalizedDescription=The device failed to request configuration
from the cloud., CloudConfigurationErrorType=CloudConfigurationFatalError}},
USEnglishDescription=Device registration with DEP failed.,
NSLocalizedRecoverySuggestion=The device failed to request configuration
from the cloud., DEPErrorType=DEPFatalError,
NSLocalizedDescription=La registrazione del dispositivo con DEP non è riuscita.}
errore 17:49:49.008349+0100 mdmd MDMDEPPushTokenManager: Failed to upload push token
with reponse: (null), error: Error Domain=DEPCloudConfigErrorDomain Code=33024 ...
So far I can’t understand why the push token never becomes available and why the device says:
No valid MDM installation found. MDM will not listen to push messages.
Has anyone seen these exact error messages during DEP enrollment, or knows what usually causes this failure?
Any help would be appreciated!
Apple Developer Ownership Hi, I recently transferred the ownership of my Apple developer account from individual to ownership, but my App Store Connect account doesn’t seem to have updated and in the App Store the “Developer” shows my name instead of my org. Has anybody been through this? How did you fix it? Thanks! submitted by […]
Outbound Call Quality issue from a Subset of Twilio Phone Numbers in Malaysia Dec 4, 21:10 PSTInvestigating - We are observing an Outbound Call Quality issue from a subset of Twilio Phone Numbers in Malaysia. We are currently working with our carrier partner to resolve the issue. We expect to provide another update in 1 hours or as soon as more information becomes available.
How to buy a used Mac and not get ripped off Buying a used Mac can be a great deal. But, if you don't check carefully, you might inherit someone else's issues or just get ripped off. Here's what to look for.There are a few things to know about buying a used MacThe secondhand market offers great deals, but it may have machines still linked to an Apple ID or managed by a company. Additionally, some might be hiding expensive hardware issues.Apple designs its computers to be durable, making them great for resale. Even a five-year-old MacBook Air can still feel fast, and older Intel models often support modern macOS versions. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
Hookup Review – An App Where You Meet New People or Go On a Date Dating apps have evolved from swiping left or right, and it’s now easier than ever to find like-minded people. HookUp.com is one of the newest apps that offer several options to go with the modern times. In this HookUp review, we’ll find out if it’s worth downloading and trying out. HookUp.com Dating App – First […]
The post appeared first on iLounge.
United States SMS Carrier Partner Maintenance THIS IS A SCHEDULED EVENT Dec 9, 22:00 PST - Dec 10, 03:00 PSTDec 4, 18:31 PSTScheduled - Our SMS carrier partner in the United States is conducting a planned maintenance from 09 December 2025 at 22:00 PST until 10 December 2025 at 03:00 PST. During the maintenance window, there could be intermittent delays delivering SMS to and from United States handsets.
United States SMS Carrier Partner Maintenance THIS IS A SCHEDULED EVENT Dec 14, 22:00 PST - Dec 15, 01:00 PSTDec 4, 18:32 PSTScheduled - Our SMS carrier partner in the United States is conducting a planned maintenance from 14 December 2025 at 22:00 PST until 15 December 2025 at 01:00 PST. During the maintenance window, there could be intermittent delays delivering SMS to and from United States handsets.
SMS Delivery Delays to DiGi Network in Malaysia Dec 4, 18:51 PSTInvestigating - We are experiencing SMS delivery delays when sending messages to DiGi Network in Malaysia. Our engineers are working with our carrier partner to resolve the issue. We will provide another update in 1 hour or as soon as more information becomes available.
Alan Dye Was in Tim Cook’s Blind Spot How could someone who would even *consider* leaving Apple for Meta rise to a level of such prominence at Apple, including as one of the few public faces of the company?
Russia SMS Carrier Maintenance – Beeline THIS IS A SCHEDULED EVENT Dec 8, 13:00 - 16:00 PSTDec 4, 17:13 PSTScheduled - The Beeline network in Russia is conducting a planned maintenance from 08 December 2025 at 13:00 PST until 08 December 2025 at 16:00 PST. During the maintenance window, there could be intermittent delays delivering SMS to Beeline Russia handsets.
Mexico SMS Carrier Maintenance – Telcel THIS IS A SCHEDULED EVENT Dec 4, 20:00 - 23:00 PSTDec 4, 17:12 PSTScheduled - The Telcel network in Mexico is conducting a planned maintenance from 04 December 2025 at 20:00 PST until 04 December 2025 at 23:00 PST. During the maintenance window, there could be intermittent delays delivering SMS to and from Telcel Mexico handsets.We are aware of the short notice and are working with our Carrier Partners to provide earlier notification where possible.
Screen Protectors Without AR Coating Cancel Out iPhone 17's Anti-Reflective Display The Ceramic Shield 2 material that Apple uses for the iPhone 17 display includes an anti-reflective coating that's designed to cut down on glare. It's a coating that prior-generation iPhone models didn't have, and it can make a difference in bright lighting conditions.
If you're someone who likes to use a screen protector with your iPhone, you might be nullifying the anti-reflective property of the iPhone 17 display, based on testing done by Astropad.
Compared to the iPhone 17, Astropad found that the anti-reflective coating reduces reflections by approximately 50 percent when compared to the iPhone 16, but applying a screen protector without an anti-reflective coating of its own makes the anti-reflective Ceramic Shield 2 coating less effective. According to Astropad, this is because AR coatings are created for direct contact with air, and covering them with an extra layer of material cancels the effect.
Astropad did screen protector testing because it sells Fresh Coat, a screen protector with an anti-reflective coating, and it is promoting Fresh Coat through its testing and report. Astropad says that Fresh Coat and other screen protectors with an anti-reflective coating can replace or even outperform the anti-reflective properties of the iPhone 17's display.
Fresh Coat by Astropad enhances AR clarity on any iPhone, creating a surface nearly 4x less reflective than the display on an iPhone 16 and 2x less reflective than iPhone 17's Ceramic Shield 2.
Astropad did controlled testing with a light meter, and full testing results can be found on the Astropad website.This article, "" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums
SMS Delivery Delays to XPhone Network in Israel Dec 4, 16:01 PSTInvestigating - We are experiencing SMS delivery delays when sending messages to XPhone network in Israel. Our engineers are working with our carrier partner to resolve the issue. We will provide another update in 1 hour or as soon as more information becomes available.
SpongeBob and PowerWash Simulator headline today’s six additions to Apple Arcade As announced a few weeks ago, Apple Arcade added multiple new titles today, including SpongeBob: Patty Pursuit 2 and PowerWash Simulator. Here’s the full list.
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Slide this slim Find My tracker in your wallet for just $24 MagTag functions similarly to AirTag, but the wallet tracker's credit card-size design is a massive improvement for sliding into tight slots.
(via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)
RCS Messages Delivery Failures towards AT&T US network Dec 4, 15:24 PSTResolved - An issue has been resolved and RCS messages towards AT&T US network is operating normally at this time.Dec 4, 15:21 PSTUpdate - Issue where RCS messages towards AT&T US network may be experiencing delivery failures are now operating normally. We will continue to monitor for system stability. We'll provide another update in 2 hours or as soon as more information becomes available.Dec 4, 14:28 PSTUpdate - Issue where RCS messages towards AT&T US network may be experiencing delivery failures are now operating normally. We will continue to monitor for system stability. We'll provide another update in 2 hours or as soon as more information becomes available.Dec 4, 11:40 PSTUpdate - Issue where RCS messages towards AT&T US network may be experiencing delivery failures are now operating normally. We will continue to monitor for system stability. We'll provide another update in 2 hours or as soon as more information becomes available.Dec 4, 09:48 PSTMonitoring - Issue where RCS messages towards AT&T US network may be experiencing delivery failures are now operating normally. We will continue to monitor for system stability. We'll provide another update in 2 hours or as soon as more information becomes available.Dec 4, 03:36 PSTUpdate - We continue to experience an intermittent issue where RCS messages towards AT&T US network may be experiencing delivery failures. Our engineers are working with our carrier partner to resolve the issue. We expect to provide another update in 24 hours or as soon as more information becomes available.Dec 3, 11:00 PSTUpdate - We continue to experience an intermittent issue where RCS messages towards AT&T US network may be experiencing delivery failures. Our engineers are working with our carrier partner to resolve the issue. We expect to provide another update in 16 hours or as soon as more information becomes available.Dec 3, 02:55 PSTUpdate - We continue to experience an intermittent issue where RCS messages towards AT&T US network may be experiencing delivery failures. Our engineers are working with our carrier partner to resolve the issue. We expect to provide another update in 8 hours or as soon as more information becomes available.Dec 2, 23:13 PSTUpdate - We continue to experience an intermittent issue where RCS messages towards AT&T US network may be experiencing delivery failures. Our engineers are working with our carrier partner to resolve the issue. We expect to provide another update in 4 hours or as soon as more information becomes available.Dec 2, 21:13 PSTUpdate - We continue to experience an issue where RCS messages towards AT&T US network may be experiencing delivery failures. Our engineers are working with our carrier partner to resolve the issue. We expect to provide another update in 2 hours or as soon as more information becomes available.Dec 2, 20:23 PSTInvestigating - We are experiencing an issue where RCS messages towards AT&T US network may be experiencing delivery failures. Our engineers are working with our carrier partner to resolve the issue. We expect to provide another update in 1 hour or as soon as more information becomes available.
SMS Phishers Pivot to Points, Taxes, Fake Retailers China-based phishing groups blamed for non-stop scam SMS messages about a supposed wayward package or unpaid toll fee are promoting a new offering, just in time for the holiday shopping season: Phishing kits for mass-creating fake but convincing e-commerce websites that convert customer payment card data into mobile wallets from Apple and Google. Experts say these same phishing groups also are now using SMS lures that promise unclaimed tax refunds and mobile rewards points.
Sam Altman and Jony Ive lose appeal over ‘io’ name The legal fight between OpenAI and iyO took another turn, following a decision by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. Here are the details.
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SMS Delivery Delays and Failures to China Unicom in China Dec 4, 14:54 PSTInvestigating - We are experiencing SMS delivery delays and failures when sending messages to China Unicom in China. Our engineers are working with our carrier partner to resolve the issue. We will provide another update in 1 hour or as soon as more information becomes available.
tvOS 26.2 receives second release candidate build only a day after the first Apple has issued a second release candidate update for tvOS 26.2, following the first release candidate deployed on Wednesday.tvOS 26.2 has received a second release candidate build.On December 3, release candidates for most of Apple's major operating systems were made available to registered developers. Release candidates represent the final stage of beta testing, and it looks like tvOS 26.2 needed a few last-minute fixes from Apple.On Thursday, only a day after the initial batch of release candidates was sent out, tvOS 26.2 received a second RC build. Thursday's software update changes the build number to 23K53, from the previous 23K51. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
Woah! Two more high-profile execs set to leave Apple. Right after UI chief Alan Dye quit Apple, two more executives are poised to leave the company. Next out the door are Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president of environment, policy and social initiatives, and Kate Adams, Apple’s general counsel. Kate Adams and Lisa Jackson retiring from Apple Jackson will retire in late January 2026, according […]
(via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)
Does Apple provide guidelines on prorated refunds? I may be removing my app from the App Store shortly. With many users on annual subscriptions I’d be looking at offering them the option to a prorated refund. The paid apps agreement makes no mention of prorated refunds. The only thing I could find was this on the contact form for removing apps: If […]
Messi and Müller renew rivalry in MLS Cup final on Apple TV this Saturday Inter Miami and the Vancouver Whitecaps face off in a showdown supercharged by the blockbuster renewed rivalry between Lionel Messi and…
The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.
Apple General Counsel Kate Adams and Environment Chief Lisa Jackson Retiring in 2026 Two senior Apple executives are leaving the company, Apple announced today. Apple's Senior Vice President and General Counsel Kate Adams and Lisa Jackson, Vice President of Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives, are both retiring in 2026.
Adams will be replaced with Jennifer Newstead, who will join Apple as a senior vice president on January 1, and will become Apple's general counsel on March 1, 2026. Newstead is currently Meta's chief legal officer, and she was previously the Legal Adviser to the United States Department of State.
When Newstead takes over as general counsel, Adams will not immediately leave. She will instead oversee the Government Affairs organization after Jackson retires in late January 2026. Adams will remain at Apple until late 2026, at which point Newstead will take over. Newstead will ultimately oversee both Apple's Legal and Government Affairs organizations as Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Government Affairs.
In a statement, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that he is pleased to merge Legal and Government Affairs because of increasing overlap between the two teams.
We couldn't be more pleased to have Jennifer join our team," said Cook. "She brings an extraordinary depth of experience and skill to the role, and will advance Apple's important work all over the world. We are also pleased that Jennifer will be overseeing both the Legal and Government Affairs organizations, given the increasing overlap between the work of both teams and her substantial background in international affairs. I know she will be an excellent leader going forward.
Jackson's other responsibilities, which include Environment and Social Initiatives, will be taken over by Chief Operating Officer Sabih Khan. Cook said that Jackson played an important role in helping Apple achieve its environmental goals.
I am deeply appreciative of Lisa's contributions. She has been instrumental in helping us reduce our global greenhouse emissions by more than 60 percent compared to 2015 levels," said Cook. "She has also been a critical strategic partner in engaging governments around the world, advocating for the best interests of our users on a myriad of topics, as well as advancing our values, from education and accessibility to privacy and security.
Adams has been with Apple since 2017, and before that, she worked for Honeywell. Jackson joined Apple in 2013 after serving as Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and she has been the face of Apple's environmental messaging since then.
Apple's announcement comes shortly after lead interface designer Alan Dye left the company, and after AI chief John Giannandrea's retirement announcement. Earlier this year, Apple lost Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams, who is retiring, and Chief Financial Officer Luca Maestri. There have also been rumors about Apple CEO Tim Cook retiring, with rumors suggesting he is preparing to leave his role as soon as 2026.This article, "" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums
Apple executive shuffle continues with Lisa Jackson and Kate Adams retiring Both Lisa Jackson, VP for Environment, Policy, and Social Initiatives, and Kate Adams, Apple's general counsel, will retire in 2026, with roles moving to Jennifer Newstead in the new SVP General Counsel and Government Affairs role.Lisa Jackson will no longer have to stand on the roof of Apple Park. Image source: AppleIt's been a busy week for Apple executive moves. First, it was revealed that John Giannandrea is retiring, then Alan Dye is moving to Meta and taking his core design team with him.Now, Apple has shared that general counsel Kate Adams and VP for Environment, Policy, and Social Initiatives Lisa Jackson are both retiring in 2026. The transition will result in a new role called SVP of General Counsel and Government Affairs under Jennifer Newstead. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
9to5Mac Daily: December 4, 2025 – Apple’s design VP leaves for Meta 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 Narwal:Narwal is officially launching their Black Friday discounts, offering the record-low prices of its entire lineup up to 49% off.
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Apple announces departure of two more top executives Apple’s leadership shakeup continues. Apple has announced that two more executives are departing the company: Katherine Adams, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, and Lisa Jackson, vice president of Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives.
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tvOS 26.2 gets new RC for Apple TV 4K ahead of launch Yesterday Apple shipped RC (release candidate) versions of its upcoming 26.2 software updates. But now just one day later, Apple has debuted a revised RC build for tvOS 26.2.
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Apple announces executive transitions Apple today announced that Jennifer Newstead will become Apple’s general counsel on March 1, 2026, following a transition of duties from Kate Adams.
Apple TV’s ‘Born to be Wild’ gets an official trailer Apple released today the first trailer for its upcoming series “Born to be Wild,” which premieres next Friday, December 19. Watch it below.
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Meta’s creative studio led by former Apple UI design chief Alan Dye to ‘treat intelligence as a new design material’ This week, Meta landed a major talent coup by hiring away Apple’s top UI design executive, Alan Dye, in a move that highlights the social…
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Apple Seeds Second tvOS 26.2 Release Candidate Apple today provided developers and public beta testers with a second release candidate version of tvOS 26.2 and HomePod Software 26.2, which is based on tvOS. The second RC comes one day after the first RC and has a build number of 23K53, up from 23K51.
tvOS 26.2 can be downloaded through the Software Update section of the Apple TV settings app.
With tvOS 26.2, Apple is adding support for creating a profile without an Apple Account, and there is a dedicated Apple TV app kids mode that's available for children's profiles.
Apple doesn't provide beta release notes, so it's not clear what's changed between the first RC and the second RC. Typically, release candidates are updated if there is a major bug discovered during the testing period. RCs represent the final version of the software that will be released to the public.
We're expecting tvOS 26.2 and HomePod Software 26.2 to come out next week.This article, "" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums
Bluetti Elite 30 V2 Review: A Lightweight Portable Power Station for Camping and Backup Power Bluetti's Elite 30 V2 that came out earlier this year is a portable power station that's ideal for short trips, plus it works well as a temporary backup for powering small electronics in a power outage.
The Elite 30 V2 is one of many power stations that Bluetti offers, and it is on the smaller, more compact side with a 288-watt-hour capacity. This is the first Bluetti power station that I've reviewed, but I have experience with larger power banks from Jackery, DJI, Anker, and other companies. The Elite 30 V2 has a LiFePO4 battery, which Bluetti says will last for over 3,000 charging cycles and 10 years. There's a five-year warranty, which is solid.
Most power stations are utilitarian, with a black or gray plastic design, but the Elite 30 V2 comes in several fun colors. There's nothing wrong with a simple design for battery equipment, but colors make Bluetti's little power station stand out. The model I tested is green, but it also comes in blue, purple, pink, light gray, and dark gray.
Appearance isn't going to matter to most, but if you're going to have a battery out for people to use at the beach, on a camping trip, at the park, or during some other activity, it might as well have some pizazz. The power station is just about 9.5 pounds, and it measures 9.8 inches long, 7 inches wide and 6.6 inches tall. There's a handle for carrying it, and an LCD display shows you input, output, charge level, and an estimate of how long the power will last based on what's plugged in.
The Elite 30 V2 supports 600W charging, though it can handle up to 1500W temporarily as part of a Power Lifting mode. The Elite 30 V2 has more ports than you might even need on a power station this size, and it can charge up multiple devices at a time. There's a 140W USB-C port, a 100W USB-C port, two 15W USB-A ports, and two AC outlets. There are also AC and DC inputs for charging, a cigarette lighter port, a grounding terminal, and a pair of 12V/8A barrel ports. Both USB-C ports can be used at full power at the same time.
There's a power button, a button to turn on DC power to the USB-C/USB-A ports, and an AC button to turn on power to the AC outlets. When you plug something in, you have to turn on power to the appropriate port before charging will begin. It's also a good idea to turn it off when you're done to ensure there's no power drain when you're not charging anything. The power stations that I've tested in the past haven't had separate buttons for DC power (just AC power), but that's the way Bluetti's power stations are designed.
I've been using the Elite 30 V2 to charge my Apple devices for the last several weeks to get an idea of what it's useful for. Charging my iPhone 17 Pro Max from 0 to 80 percent drains the power station from 100 percent to 90 percent, and it's about the same for an iPhone 16 Pro Max and an iPhone 15 Pro Max.
I can charge my iPhone's battery between 9 and 10 times, though I do limit my charging to 80 percent. The variation is because the power station's battery level can drop slightly with nothing plugged in unless it's turned off. Over a four-hour period, the battery dropped around 10 percent with DC power on.
It charges my MacBook Air three and a half times. It was able to run my MacBook Pro, Studio Display, and two lights (my desk setup) for half of my work day (12:51 p.m. to right around 5:00 p.m.). It ranged from 60W to 110W depending on workload. Charging takes around an hour and 20 minutes to get to full, though it can get to an 85 percent charge in around 50 minutes. It can charge through a cigarette lighter port in a car, or with solar panels for off-grid connectivity.
The Elite 30 V2 isn't the power station you want to get to run something that's power hungry like an electric heater, but it's good for smaller things like computers, lights, speakers, and consoles. You could run a mini refrigerator for a few hours, a hair dryer or flat iron long enough to do your hair, or a lower power electric kettle or coffee maker. It is able to run my entire computer setup, plus it can power my Wi-Fi for a full work day. Some people use power stations as backups for medical devices. The Elite 30 V2 may be able to run a CPAP machine for a night's sleep, but that will depend on the individual machine. I wouldn't recommend this one for other devices like an oxygen concentrator, which would draw too much power and require a much larger battery for an extended power outage.
You can use the Elite 30 V2 as a backup in case of a power outage, plugging a device into it and then plugging the power station into an outlet. In that situation, the power station will kick on automatically in a power outage with no interruption in function (Bluetti says there's a super fast 10ms response time). It actually supports up to 980W of passthrough power.
Since the Elite 30 V2 is a smaller power station, it runs and charges quietly. It is nearly silent when charging and when powering things like iPhones and Macs. The fan inside will kick on under higher loads, but it's still not unreasonably loud. I can hear it, but it's a noise I could sleep through.
There is a Bluetti app, and you can connect to the power station via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi to monitor it remotely. The app tells you what's drawing power and how much, how long the battery will last under the current load, and your energy usage statistics. You can also remotely turn the AC/DC power on or off, choose power modes, and enable the 1500W Power Lifting feature. You should also be able to upgrade the firmware, but it wasn't working properly for me in the app (the button to actually install firmware was blank).
Bottom Line
I'm a fan of the Elite 30 V2. It provides enough power to charge multiple phones, tablets, portable gaming systems, or computers, but it's not too heavy to carry around. For an active use power station that you're using for day or weekend trips where portability is an issue, this is one of the better power stations that you can get.
I am petite and can struggle to haul around some of the bigger power 20lb+ stations that I've tested, but this one is the perfect size. I'm more likely to use a power station that is convenient for me to carry and take places.
This would be ideal as a backup battery if you just wanted to power smaller devices like smartphones and your router in a power outage. For medical devices or appliances that draw a lot of power, a bigger battery would be better.
Some power stations can cost over $1,000, but the Elite 30 V2 is much more affordable. The MSRP is $304, but it's often on sale.
How to Buy
The Bluetti Elite 30 V2 Portable Power Station can be purchased from the Bluetti website for $209 at the current time.This article, "" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums
iOS 26 made Live Activities even better on iPhone, here’s what’s new Live Activities have become one of my favorite iPhone features, and they recently got even better thanks to upgrades and expansions in iOS 26. Here’s everything new.
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Some users are unable to retrieve deleted Zap from Trash. Status: InvestigatingWe are aware of an issue where deleted Zaps are not loading when attempting to access their Trash. This causes Zaps that were deleted to be unretrievable if they need to be recovered from Trash. All other Zap functionality is working as expected.
Our Engineering team is working towards a fix but please reach out to our support team at http://zapier.com/app/contact-us if you're unable to retrieved deleted Zaps.
Apple now projecting iPad-designed Christmas trees onto Battersea Power Station Last month, Apple announced a Christmas tree drawing competition for British iPad users, with winning designs to be exhibited “alongside trees drawn by established artists and notable figures”. Now, the selected trees will light up Battersea Power Station’s wash towers until December 24.
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Apple’s podcast of the year makes stuffy history fascinating Find out why "The Rest Is History" won the prestigious Apple Podcasts Show of the Year award for its blend of history and humor.
(via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)
Russia blocks FaceTime in ongoing crackdown of foreign tech platforms Macworld
Reuters reports that Russia has blocked usage of Apple’s FaceTime app at the network level, leaving users in the country who try to connect via Apple’s encrypted video platform with a “User unavailable” message.
According to the report, Russian communications agency Roskomnadzor justified blocking it by saying, “According to law enforcement agencies, FaceTime is being used to organise and carry out terrorist attacks in the country, recruit perpetrators, and commit fraud and other crimes against Russian citizens.” The report notes that no evidence has been presented to support the allegations.
Russia has been cracking down on foreign platforms that do not willingly track their users on behalf of the Russian government, of late. Communications on platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram have been restricted, and Roskomnadzor has also threatened to block WhatsApp entirely. The game Roblox was blocked on Wednesday for distributing “LGBT propaganda.”
Coincidentally, the Russian government launched a competing messaging app earlier this year named Max, and plans to develop it into a “superapp” similar to WeChat in China. Max is required to be preinstalled on smartphones sold in Russia, including iPhones.
Rumor Replay: iPhone 17e design changes, Mac chips via Intel, 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: iPhone 17e design changes, Intel producing M-class chips, and ChatGPT integrating with Apple Health. Here are this week’s Apple rumors.
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Best way to analyze thousands of photos on iOS??? (relatively quickly) Question Does anyone know anything about approaches to quickly process thousands of photos on a user’s device? Essentially I do it this way: check if the photo is a duplicate (by seeing if the local identifier exists in the database) if not a dupe, upload photo to a storage bucket (to be deleted later) kick […]
Rivian to add Apple Wallet car keys support with upcoming R1T and R1S software update Rivian’s Chief Software Officer Wassym Bensaid confirmed today that the .46 OTA update will bring Digital Key support to the second-generation R1S and R1T. Here’s what that means.
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M5 MacBook Pro with 24GB RAM drops to record-low $1,499 ($300 off) Apple's new M5 MacBook Pro with 24GB of RAM is back for $1,499, a discount of $300 off MSRP. Plus, save $250 on two 32GB RAM models for a limited time only.Get the best price ever on Apple's M5 MacBook Pro 24GB - Image credit: AppleThe exclusive deals can be activated through the pricing links in this post or via our M5 MacBook Pro Price Guide. Kicking off the sale is the M5 14-inch MacBook Pro with an upgrade to 24GB of RAM for $1,499.Buy M5 MacBook Pro 24GB for $1,499 Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
Apple software has been bad for years, but now there’s finally hope for the future Macworld
For a few years now, something has felt off with Apple’s software design. There’s been too much emphasis on showy effects and eye-catching animations, and not enough on creating intuitive experiences that actually work for the user. But now that Apple’s design chief Alan Dye is leaving the company for new pastures at Meta, I’m hoping for a radical improvement to iPhone and Mac software–one that’s long overdue.
I’m not pinning all of Apple’s software woes on Dye. But as the company’s Vice President of Human Interface Design, he set the tone for Apple’s entire software ecosystem, and ultimately, the design decisions flow back to him. With him on the way out, a lot of users (myself included) will be hoping for a return to the design glory days of Apple’s past. Here’s what I think went wrong, and what I hope we could see change.
Apple lost its way
People like to complain that Apple’s design has been going downhill, so much so that “what would Steve Jobs do?” has become a meme of sorts. But for long-time Apple fans, it really does feel that something has been amiss at the company in terms of design.
That doesn’t mean that everything is wrong. Apple still pumps out incredible designs that are instantly and shamelessly copied by its rivals, the true sign that you’re a class-leading act. The indication of a good design is one that instantly feels familiar, even if you’ve never used it before, and Apple is still capable of doing that. I vividly recall feeling that way about the iPhone X’s swipe-based gesture system, which Dye helped to implement.
Dynamic Island doesn’t feel like the revelation it was touted to be.Apple
Yet for every design hit, it feels like Apple has been putting out just as many misses. Think about the Dynamic Island. Sure, it looks amazing, and its animations are beautiful, but can you say that it genuinely elevates your iPhone experience? I’m not sure I can. While I like it, I can’t help feeling that that’s simply because it’s more functional than the dumb notch that came before it.
The clear app icons in iOS 26 are another worrying indicator. Icons are meant to instantly tell you what they represent, even from a split-second look or a glance from the corner of your eye. When every icon looks identical and completely transparent, you lose that vital functionality, and the entire purpose of an icon is undermined. That is a move done purely because someone at Apple thought it looked cool, and the user experience suffers as a result. Implementing it was an excuse to make something visually stunning without there being a pressing need to do so.
But by far the worst example of this “let’s do it because we can” approach, in my mind, is the new animation that plays when you use a Liquid Glass toggle in iOS 26. A toggle’s purpose is to enable or disable something else–in other words, it’s ephemeral, something you use quickly and then move on. That’s its design purpose.
In iOS 26, the toggles are anything but ephemeral. Tap a toggle, and it jumps up as it moves, slowing down the animation and distracting your eye. It transforms the toggle from a fleeting tool that is entirely functional to an off-putting centerpiece. There is no purpose to that change other than to make it look pretty, and in doing so, Apple has created a sluggish, more annoying experience. That is not “design is how it works,” that’s “design is how it looks.” It may seem like a small thing, but sweating the small stuff is what design is all about. At the end of the day, getting that right was Dye’s responsibility. Getting it wrong is symbolic of his legacy.
Only Apple could make a toggle switch more complicated than it should be.Foundry
Jobs versus Dye
That cuts to the heart of the matter. For years, Apple’s design team has been led by someone who, it seems, does not understand the central philosophy that underpinned Apple’s greatest design triumphs. How else can we explain the confusing design choices, frustrating changes, and new features that seem to be at least partly motivated by superficial reasoning?
To be clear, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with making things that are pretty. Recall Steve Jobs’ quote on Mac OS X’s Aqua interface: “One of the design goals was when you saw it, you wanted to lick it.” But also recall another Steve Jobs quote about design: “People think it’s this veneer, that the designers are handed this box and told, ‘Make it look good!’ That’s not what we think design is. It’s not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.”
In the view that Jobs was criticizing, good design meant making something that was all looks and glamour but no heart and soul. That seems to be the way Apple’s design has been going under Dye.
A real warning sign was the Liquid Glass introduction video that Dye presented at WWDC in June 2025. The segment was heavy on how Liquid Glass would supposedly make you feel; Dye talked about it sparking a sense of joy and delight on multiple occasions. But he was very light on why exactly the new design system was a functional improvement on what came before. The impression I got (I’m sure I’m not alone) was that this was being done because Apple was bored with how iOS looked and wanted a visual overhaul. The company seemed less driven by the need to improve the user experience and more by an internal desire to create a new look for the sake of it. For veteran Apple watchers, it was concerning.
Liquid Glass lacks any practical value and strays from Apple’s design philosophy.Apple
Liquid Glass has continued to be incredibly divisive months after its debut. Text is illegible when glass panels overlap each other or when writing is superimposed on top of an image. Animations feel excessive and overwrought. Controls are confusing and obscured. All this seems to stem from the focus being put squarely on how something looks and feels. “Design is how it works” is not just some empty adage. Liquid Glass is an example of what happens when Apple forgets what it means.
Turning the ship around
Some of this can feel a little inside baseball. But I think we should care about the ideas that go into the way our devices work because most of us use them every day. If we are given products that look visually stunning but are frustrating to use, we’re going to go elsewhere for something better.
Alan Dye was an odd choice to head up Apple’s human interface team because he had no background in software design. His past work experience includes fashion house Kate Spade and ad agency Ogilvy, hardly the kind of resumé that indicates someone obsessed over user interface and experience.
Apple has already given users the option to tone down Liquid Glass in iOS 18.1.Foundry
His successor, Stephen Lemay, seems to be cut from a very different cloth. An old hand at Apple, he’s seen as someone who understands both Apple’s culture and good software design principles far more than Dye ever did.
Many designers inside Apple are happy at Lemay’s appointment, “if not downright giddy,” according to longtime Apple pundit John Gruber. He’s “deeply respected talent-wise,” and strong praise has been given to his “attention to detail and craftsmanship,” the exact things that have been neglected under Dye.
I hope that means we see a return to the ideas that made Apple software great in years gone by. A stronger emphasis on user experience, an obsession over small details, and a renewed passion for interfaces and controls. An appreciation of the foundational ideas that helped Apple’s products reach the pinnacle of software design.
The change probably won’t happen quickly. Apple is a big beast that turns slowly, and it put too much effort into Liquid Glass to quickly abandon it. But with a designer at the helm who is rooted in solid principles–it seems that that’s the view of Lemay internally at Apple–there’s a chance Apple’s software can get back on track.
If that results in a swift death for the accursed Liquid Glass toggle, I’m all for it.
Maybe a design blow-up is just what Apple needed With Alan Dye departing for Meta and leaving a hollowed-out design division behind him, his replacement, Stephen Lemay, will have a rare opportunity to rebuild the company’s design culture from the inside out.
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Apple Podcasts’ 2025 Show of the Year: ‘The Rest Is History’ Apple is celebrating "The Rest Is History" with the Apple Podcasts Award for Show of the Year, a recognition that "honors a show that…
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Russia shutters FaceTime as it tightens control over apps & communication Russia has cut off FaceTime over unproven terrorism support claims, and the move reflects a trend shared by governments worldwide that push for access to encrypted communication.FaceTimeRussian authorities said FaceTime helped criminals plan attacks and commit fraud across the country. Of course, they didn't publish case data or examples that could support those claims.Users saw the announcement as another attempt to restrict tools the government can't easily monitor. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
Russia Blocks Apple's FaceTime Amid Crackdown on Encrypted Apps Russia has blocked Apple's FaceTime video calling app in an ongoing effort to eliminate private communication methods, reports Reuters. Russia claims FaceTime is being used for criminal activity, and that blocking the app is a legitimate law enforcement measure. Social network Snapchat and multiplayer gaming platform Roblox were also banned this week.
Multiple other apps and services have been blocked in Russia previously. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Discord, and LinkedIn are unavailable and can't be accessed without a VPN. Russia throttles YouTube heavily to make it almost unusable, and since 2022, TikTok has had a Russia-only feed that does not include content from other countries.
Viber and Signal are banned in the country, and Russians are not able to make calls through WhatsApp or Telegram as of earlier this year. Messaging on those apps is also restricted.
In a statement to Reuters, Russia's media regulator Roskomnadzor said the following:
According to law enforcement agencies, FaceTime is being used to organise and carry out terrorist attacks in the country, recruit perpetrators, and commit fraud and other crimes against Russian citizens.
FaceTime is now restricted nationwide, and has likely been blocked at the network level, so it may still be accessible through a VPN. Moscow residents are seeing a "User unavailable" message when attempting to use FaceTime, which is the error displayed when a FaceTime call is unable to connect. The app still opens and activates, so Apple hasn't removed it.
Russia claims that the app is used for coordinating illegal activity, with no option for the Federal Security Service (FSB) to monitor calls. Apple has declined to allow the FSB to access FaceTime traffic, and the company has not budged on end-to-end encryption.
FaceTime likely wasn't banned earlier because Russia initially focused on more widely used apps like WhatsApp and Telegram. When voice and video calling were banned in those apps, Russians transitioned to FaceTime as an alternative, making it a government target.Tags: FaceTime, RussiaThis article, "" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums
Degraded analytics processing Dec 4, 13:14 ESTUpdate - A processing issue is delaying analytics data. Previously processed data is still available through the analytics reports. No data loss is projected.Dec 4, 13:02 ESTIdentified - The issue has been identified and a fix is being implemented.
Apple Podcasts names ‘The Rest Is History’ its show of the year Apple Podcasts has announced its 2025 Show of the Year, the UK-based The Rest Is History. Here are the details.
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There's still time to grab AirPods 4 ANC for $99, the lowest price ever Amazon's $99 AirPods 4 ANC deal is still in stock at the lowest price on record for holiday gift-giving.This AirPods 4 ANC deal delivers the lowest price ever at $99.The $80 discount on AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation matches the lowest price on record at $99. Pick up a pair for yourself or as a holiday gift at Black Friday pricing, which is 44% off MSRP.Buy AirPods 4 ANC for $99 Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
GRU (São Paulo) on 2025-12-15 THIS IS A SCHEDULED EVENT Dec 15, 05:00 - 09:00 UTCDec 4, 17:24 UTCScheduled - We will be performing scheduled maintenance in GRU (São Paulo) datacenter on 2025-12-15 between 05:00 and 09:00 UTC.Traffic might be re-routed from this location, hence there is a possibility of a slight increase in latency during this maintenance window for end-users in the affected region. For PNI / CNI customers connecting with us in this location, please make sure you are expecting this traffic to fail over elsewhere during this maintenance window as network interfaces in this datacentre may become temporarily unavailable.You can now subscribe to these notifications via Cloudflare dashboard and receive these updates directly via email, PagerDuty and webhooks (based on your plan): https://developers.cloudflare.com/notifications/notification-available/#cloudflare-status.
IAD (Ashburn) on 2025-12-12 THIS IS A SCHEDULED EVENT Dec 12, 07:00 - 11:00 UTCDec 4, 17:28 UTCScheduled - We will be performing scheduled maintenance in IAD (Ashburn) datacenter on 2025-12-12 between 07:00 and 11:00 UTC.Traffic might be re-routed from this location, hence there is a possibility of a slight increase in latency during this maintenance window for end-users in the affected region. For PNI / CNI customers connecting with us in this location, please make sure you are expecting this traffic to fail over elsewhere during this maintenance window as network interfaces in this datacentre may become temporarily unavailable.You can now subscribe to these notifications via Cloudflare dashboard and receive these updates directly via email, PagerDuty and webhooks (based on your plan): https://developers.cloudflare.com/notifications/notification-available/#cloudflare-status.
IAD (Ashburn) on 2025-12-11 THIS IS A SCHEDULED EVENT Dec 11, 07:00 - 11:00 UTCDec 4, 17:32 UTCScheduled - We will be performing scheduled maintenance in IAD (Ashburn) datacenter on 2025-12-11 between 07:00 and 11:00 UTC.Traffic might be re-routed from this location, hence there is a possibility of a slight increase in latency during this maintenance window for end-users in the affected region. For PNI / CNI customers connecting with us in this location, please make sure you are expecting this traffic to fail over elsewhere during this maintenance window as network interfaces in this datacentre may become temporarily unavailable.You can now subscribe to these notifications via Cloudflare dashboard and receive these updates directly via email, PagerDuty and webhooks (based on your plan): https://developers.cloudflare.com/notifications/notification-available/#cloudflare-status.
Two key Apple executives depart, App Store dealings, and Apple Music Replay 2025 Benjamin and Chance react to the departure of not one, but two, key Apple executives this week with the news that John Giannandrea is retiring as SVP of AI, and design VP Alan Dye is leaving for a new job at Meta. Also, Apple finally agrees a deal with Tencent over commission for mini apps in WeChat, India tries to pre-install a state security app on iPhones, and the new Apple Music Replay launches.
And in Happy Hour Plus, an analytics report claims baseball games drive more subscribers to Apple TV than its original series. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join.
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Service Issue – Managed Databases Dec 4, 17:43 UTCInvestigating - Our team is investigating a service issue affecting the Managed Databases service. During this time, users may experience issues when attempting to configure, update, provision, and view Managed Databases via the Cloud Manager or Linode API. Existing Managed Database cluster operations are not affected.We will share additional updates as we have more information.
Get the Apple Watch Series 11 46mm GPS at $70 Off! Amazon has the Apple Watch Series 11 in 46mm size with accurate GPS capabilities marked $70 off. The Series 11 smartwatch is a strong fitness partner with features like Heart Rate Zones, Pacer, Workout Buddy, and training load, which gives you insight into your workout and helpful metrics like intensity. The watch can detect potential […]
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Demand for iPhone 17 Is Breaking Sales Records At Apple Demand for the iPhone 17 has been good, and Apple is on track to distribute over 247.4 million units this year, with forecasts indicating that shipments are to grow by 6.1 percent YoY. This can be attributed to the increased demand and sales for the iPhone 17 in China, which is a big market of […]
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Etsy Users Eligible for $15 Off on Transactions Above $75 When Using Apple Pay There is a new promo in Apple Pay for this year’s holidays. They are collaborating with Etsy to give customers a $15 discount for transactions above $75 when using Apple Pay and using the ‘APPLEPAY’ promo code when checking out within the Etsy app. The discount is available once per person, with the promo excluding […]
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Alan Dye Parts Ways With Apple To Join Meta Alan Dye, head of the Apple UI design team, is leaving Apple to join Meta. He has been part of the company since 2006, when he joined the communication and marketing team as creative director. Dye took control of the UI design team in 2015 when Jony Ive, former Apple designer, moved to Chief Design […]
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John Gruber Shares Scathing Commentary About Apple's Departing Software Design Chief In a statement shared with Bloomberg on Wednesday, Apple confirmed that its software design chief Alan Dye will be leaving. Apple said Dye will be succeeded by Stephen Lemay, who has been a software designer at the company since 1999.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Dye will lead a new creative studio within the company's AR/VR division Reality Labs.
On his blog Daring Fireball, longtime Apple commentator John Gruber has since reacted to the news with some scathing commentary about Dye.
Specifically, Gruber said Dye does not care about design.
"If you care about design, there's nowhere to go but down after leaving Apple," said Gruber, in a lengthy post citing conversations with Apple employees. "What people overlooked is the obvious: Alan Dye doesn't actually care about design."
Gruber said that everyone he spoke to inside and outside of Apple was "happy" — if not downright "giddy" — to learn that Lemay is replacing Dye.
"Lemay is well-liked personally and deeply respected talent-wise," he said.
"He has always set an extraordinarily high bar for excellence and embodies Apple's culture of collaboration and creativity," Apple CEO Tim Cook said of Lemay, in his statement to Bloomberg that confirmed Dye is leaving the company.
Dye was promoted to Vice President of Human Interface Design at Apple in 2015, at the same time as Jony Ive became Chief Design Officer at the company. Gruber said this was a "big mistake," as Dye had no background in user interface design.
Lemay, on the other hand, is described as being a "career" interface designer with a particular "attention to detail and craftsmanship."
The move from Dye to Lemay could be the best thing to happen to Apple's human interface design "in the entire stretch since Steve Jobs's passing and Scott Forstall's ouster," according to Gruber. At the very least, he expects the move to "stop the bleeding" at Apple, both in terms of quality of work and talent retention.
Dye is expected to begin his role at Meta at the end of December.
Gruber's full post on Daring Fireball: "Bad Dye Job"Tags: Alan Dye, John GruberThis article, "" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums
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The best apps and games of 2025, according to Apple Discover the 2025 App Store Award winners that Apple showcased for the apps and games' innovation and cultural impact.
(via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)
'The Rest is History' crowned Apple Podcasts show of the year "The Rest is History" has been named Apple Podcasts 2025 Show of the Year, a testament to the hosts' ability to make complex history feel accessible, engaging, and genuinely fun.Image Credit: AppleThe Rest is History is, as the name would imply, a history-centric podcast. But, somehow, it's more than that.Historians-turned-hosts Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook have made it their mission to cover stories listeners know from angles they may not have considered. Topics can be nearly anything, from the sinking of the Titanic to Watergate and anything in between. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
Russia blocks FaceTime in the country, citing use in ‘terrorist attacks’ A new report from Reuters says Russia has blocked FaceTime access in the country, with users unable to connect via Apple’s platform as of today. Here are the details.
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Hello Developer: December 2025 In this edition:
Meet the 2025 App Store Award winners.
Sign up for new design and Liquid Glass activities in the new year.
Check out the latest additions to our ever-expanding video library.
Meet the team behind the sticker-centric language-learning app CapWords.
Browse new documentation and HIG updates.
Read the full story
LAX (Los Angeles) on 2025-12-15 THIS IS A SCHEDULED EVENT Dec 15, 10:00 - 14:00 UTCDec 4, 16:28 UTCScheduled - We will be performing scheduled maintenance in LAX (Los Angeles) datacenter on 2025-12-15 between 10:00 and 14:00 UTC.Traffic might be re-routed from this location, hence there is a possibility of a slight increase in latency during this maintenance window for end-users in the affected region. For PNI / CNI customers connecting with us in this location, please make sure you are expecting this traffic to fail over elsewhere during this maintenance window as network interfaces in this datacentre may become temporarily unavailable.You can now subscribe to these notifications via Cloudflare dashboard and receive these updates directly via email, PagerDuty and webhooks (based on your plan): https://developers.cloudflare.com/notifications/notification-available/#cloudflare-status.
Score big deals on Apple’s M3 iPad Air — while they last! Save a welcome $100 on the 2025 M3 iPad Air with deals on both 13-inch and 11-inch versions in a range of specs and colors.
(via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)
Deals: AirPods 4 w/ AppleCare+ $90 off, Apple iPhone 17 cases 49% off, Find My SmartLock, black Alpine Loop, more Today’s 9to5Toys Lunch Break is loaded with some notable accessory deals alongside the ongoing AirPods 4 all-time low at 45% off – but you can also now land that same deal with a discounted 2-year of AppleCare+ as well. The entire slate of Apple’s iPhone 17 Silicone cases are down at $25 right now (49% off) and we also spotted the first chance to save on the 2025 edition black Alpine Loop. Ongoing lows on Apple Watch Series 11, the Find My SmartLock, and more are also waiting for you below.
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Jackery and Anker Hosting Last Chance Black Friday/Cyber Monday Sales With Up to 65% Off Black Friday and Cyber Monday may be over, but you can still find up to 65 percent off Anker and Jackery's best portable power stations this week. Each retailer is hosting a last call sale for its most popular charging accessories, with major savings on these high-priced power stations.
Jackery
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Jackery and Anker. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Jackery's "Black Friday Encore" event has up to 65 percent off select portable power stations this week. This includes everything from the smaller Explorer 500 to Jackery's line of HomePower Solar Generators that can power essential home electronics for as long as 30 days.
UP TO 65% OFFJackery Black Friday Encore Sale
Explorer 500 - $359.00, down from $499.00
Explorer 2000 v2 - $749.00, down from $1,499.00
Battery Pack 2000 Plus - $799.00, down from $1,399.00
Battery Pack 3600 - $999.00, down from $2,099.00
HomePower 3000 Solar Generator - $1,199.00, down from $2,499.00
Explorer 2000 v2 + Dual 200W Solar Panels - $1,299.00, down from $2,499.00
HomePower 3000 Solar Generator + Dual 200W Solar Panels - $1,499.00, down from $2,999.00
HomePower 3600 Plus Solar Generator - $1,899.00, down from $3,699.00
Explorer 5000 Plus - $3,999.00, down from $5,699.00
Anker SOLIX
Similar to Jackery, Anker SOLIX is hosting a "Cyber Monday Last Call" sale that has up to 65 percent off select portable power stations. Overall, Anker SOLIX has a few more affordable options coming in under $500, as well as numerous high-end stations with various accessories like solar panels and expandable batteries.
UP TO 65% OFFAnker SOLIX Cyber Monday Last Call
Anker 521 PowerHouse (300W) - $149.99, down from $249.99
Anker 535 PowerHouse (500W) - $249.00, down from $649.99
SOLIX C1000 Gen 2 Portable Power Station - $429.00, down from $799.00
SOLIX C1000 Gen 2 + Solar Panel - $609.00, down from $1,298.00
SOLIX C2000 Gen 2 Portable Power Station - $739.00, down from $1,498.00
SOLIX F3000 Portable Power Station - $1,199.00, down from $2,599.00
SOLIX F3800 Portable Power Station - $1,999.00, down from $3,999.00
SOLIX F3000 + Expansion Battery + Solar Panel - $2,299.00, down from $5,397.00
SOLIX F3800 Plus Smart Home Power Kit - $4,599.00, down from $8,897.00
If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.
Deals Newsletter
Interested in hearing more about the best deals you can find this holiday season? Sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we'll keep you updated so you don't miss the biggest deals of the season!
Related Roundup: Apple DealsThis article, "" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums
Is a full screen sheet control possible in iOS 26+? How do I do a full-screen sheet (going under Dynamic Island and status bar), like Apple Podcasts and Apple Music do for their Now Playing screens? https://imgur.com/a/MxeFYKY submitted by /u/CharlesWiltgen [link] [comments]
Severance season 3 just got a big release timing update The recent hit season of Severance has been landing on lots of ‘Best TV of 2025’ lists, and today a big update has arrived for release timing of Apple’s upcoming season 3.
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Apple Announces 2025 Podcast of the Year Apple today announced that The Rest Is History has received the 2025 Apple Podcasts Award for Show of the Year for its high quality and cultural impact.
Launched in 2020, The Rest Is History is a history podcast hosted by witty British historians Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook. It explores historical events, ranging from the rise and fall of the Roman Empire to the sinking of the Titanic.
"The Rest Is History does a phenomenal job in taking a subject as vast as human history and captivating a global audience," said Oliver Schusser, vice president of Apple Podcasts, Apple Music, Apple Sports, and Beats. "Tom and Dominic have created something special that represents the very best of what's possible with podcasting — it's educational, it's hilarious, and it has fostered a true sense of community."
"We don't moralize, we don't judge the past, and we approach it in a spirit of real enthusiasm," said Sandbrook. "We don't look down on people in the past. We just try to enjoy it, to relish the madness, the bonkers-ness of people."
Tag: Apple PodcastsThis article, "" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums
Russia blocks Apple’s FaceTime Russia's state communications regulator announced on Thursday that it has blocked Apple's FaceTime video-calling service, citing its alleged…
The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.
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