Firehose – News, Alerts, Docs
- Tuesday February 24
- 05:52 pmPOA (Porto Alegre) on 2026-02-25
THIS IS A SCHEDULED EVENT Feb 25, 08:00 - 13:00 UTCFeb 24, 17:46 UTCScheduled - We will be performing scheduled maintenance in POA (Porto Alegre) datacenter on 2026-02-25 between 08:00 and 13:00 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.05:28 pmDitch that clunky MacBook Air charger for this tiny 3-port Anker one (35% off)
Macworld Instead of carrying around that large MacBook charger with a single port, you could get this three-port Anker Nano model for $26, a 35 percent discount, and the best price we’ve seen since it was $24 on Black Friday. This GaN charger is more compact and much better at temperature control. With three ports, this Anker model is a lot more versatile since you can also use it to charge smartphones, tablets, and other gadgets. There are two USB-C and one USB-A, with either of the C-ports having the capacity to reach 65W, while the A-port caps at 22.5W. When all ports are in use, the top one is limited to 40W, but that’s still more than the 30W adapter that came with your MacBook Air. When multiple devices are connected, the charger is great at distributing power to ensure an efficient charge for each. This makes it an ideal companion for any trip you take since you won’t need to pack multiple chargers. It also doesn’t hurt that the Anker Nano has foldable prongs, so your other gadgets won’t get scratched up in your bag. So snag this 3-port Anker Nano charger for $26 and get the compact model you actually need. Buy now at Amazon05:13 pmTim Cook Reflects on Joining Apple and Steve Jobs
In an August 2024 letter published by The Steve Jobs Archive today, Tim Cook reflected on joining Apple and what he learned from working with Steve Jobs. Jobs convinced Cook to join Apple in 1998, to help turn around the company:I'll never forget that first conversation with Steve. At the time, Apple had been struggling and Steve was working to right a ship that had drifted in his absence. Many people doubted the company could survive, and I was warned that accepting a job there would come with risks. But when Steve spoke, any trepidation I harbored instantly dissolved. I had never met someone with so much passion and vision. He spoke with charisma and clarity—about a future where technology could unlock a wellspring of human creativity and potential, connecting us and uplifting us in ways even he had yet to imagine.Cook said joining Apple was the best decision he ever made:In Steve, I found an incredible mentor who inspired me to grow and challenge myself in new and important ways. And in joining Apple, I traded a job for a purpose, one that still drives me to this very day. It truly was the greatest decision I've ever made.The Steve Jobs Archive shared letters from many additional influential leaders today, including Apple's former design chief Jony Ive, Disney CEO Bob Iger, famous designer Dieter Rams, and others. The letters had previously only been shared with The Steve Jobs Archive fellows. There is also a new introductory letter from Laurene Powell Jobs. The Steve Jobs Archive released the letters on what would have been Jobs' 71st birthday. They are available on the web and in the Apple Books app for free. The Steve Jobs Archive was launched by Jobs' friends and family in 2022. The website features a collection of quotes, photos, videos, and emails from Jobs, and offers fellowships to young creators looking to follow in his footsteps.Tags: Steve Jobs, Tim CookThis article, "" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums05:11 pmHands-on: These are my favorite high-power power banks for your MacBook & iPad
Power banks have come a long way in just a few short years. What used to be a way to get a quick top off on your phone has evolved into devices capable of charging multiple laptops at full speed. Thanks to USB-C and fast charging, many modern power banks can now deliver up to 140W, rivaling wall chargers in both power and efficiency while still being portable enough to carry in a bag. There are a few brands that are well respected and known for their high-quality power banks, so I wanted to see who made the best high-powered charger that could charge at least 100W, has a built-in cable, is TSA approved, and also provides some charging stats in real time. Here are the best ones I have tested so far! more…05:01 pmiPhone 18 Pro may get a sharper 24MP front-facing camera
Apple's next pro-level iPhone, the iPhone 18 Pro, could feature a 24 megapixel camera, although what that actually means isn't entirely clear.iPhone 18 Pro rumored to feature 24MP front cameraOn Tuesday, the rumor mill gifted us with a new bit of ephemera to add to the pile. This time, it targeted the iPhone 18 Pro's camera — specifically, what we could expect in terms of resolution.WhyLab, a previously unknown to AppleInsider leaker, speculated on Weibo that the iPhone 18 Pro would gain a 24MP front camera. According to Google Translate, he said: Rumor Score: 🤔 Possible Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums04:59 pmiOS 27’s most fascinating change might stay secret until September
iOS 27 will be unveiled in just a few months at WWDC, but there’s one rumored change that’s likely to stay a secret until close to the September launch: iPhone Fold multitasking. more…04:53 pmSIN (Singapore) on 2026-02-25
THIS IS A SCHEDULED EVENT Feb 25, 16:00 UTC - Feb 26, 01:00 UTCFeb 24, 16:32 UTCScheduled - We will be performing scheduled maintenance in SIN (Singapore) datacenter between 2026-02-25 16:00 and 2026-02-26 01:00 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.04:53 pmFamily and friends commemorate Steve Jobs with inspirational letters
On the Apple founder's 71st birthday, the Steve Jobs Archive has unveiled "Letters to a Young Creator," a gorgeously designed collection with genuinely inspiring advice for anyone starting out in their career.Steve Jobs (left) with the cover of the new book "Letters to a Young Creator" (right) — image credits: Apple, Steve Jobs ArdhiveThe new project has been launched to commemorate what would have been Apple founder Steve Jobs's 71st birthday. It's a collection of over 30 essays, most illustrated with a pen sketch of the writer, which is inspired by one of Jobs's favorite books."Among the books that mattered to Steve was Rilke's Letters to a Young Poet," writes Jobs's widow, Laurene Powell Jobs in her essay. "I'm struck by this line from its pages: 'Live the questions for now. Perhaps then you will gradually, without noticing it, live your way into the answer, one distant day in the future.'" Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums04:47 pmThanks to our Substack subscribers, ads on MacDailyNews now greatly reduced
Just a quick note: Thanks to our MacDailyNews on Substack subscribers, we've significantly reduced ads across MacDailyNews… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.04:44 pmDeals: Most affordable iPhone 16 Pro $300 off, 1TB M5 MacBook Pro $200 off, stainless steel Apple Watch $450 off, more | 9 to 5 MacDeals: Most affordable iPhone 16 Pro $300 off, 1TB M5 MacBook Pro $200 off, stainless steel Apple Watch $450 off, more
Alongside the ongoing $100 price drops on the 46mm Jet Black Apple Watch Series 11, today’s 9to5Toys Lunch Break is starting off with some Amazon iPhone 16 Pro deals. Alongside up to $630 off iPhone 16 Pro Max, we also spotted the most affordable unlocked iPhone 16 Pro you can buy at $300 off via Amazon today (Renewed Premium). Those deals also join the M5 MacBook Pro with 1TB of storage sitting at the best price of the year ($200 off) and, if you don’t care about the latest and greatest, we have a giant price drop on the high-end stainless steel Apple Watch Series 9 – the originally $699 configs are just $249 Prime shipped right now. Scope it all out down below. more…04:41 pmApple shareholders vote down China audit proposal at annual meeting, more
Apple is holding its annual shareholders meeting today, giving shareholders the opportunity to vote on various proposals. This year, shareholders rejected an outside proposal asking for an audit on Apple’s relationship with China and approved all other proposals. more…04:35 pmApple's U.S. Mac mini assembly plant was planned during the Biden administration
Apple's work on a new Mac mini factory in Houston wasn't a quickly-conceived plan to appease President Donald Trump. The reality is that Apple had a plan ready to do this long before the demands started.Construction is ongoing - Image Credit: AppleTuesday's release to the media of images inside Apple's Houston AI server facility, and a confirmation that it will make Mac minis, is certainly a well-timed promotional piece. Arriving the morning of the 2025 U.S. State of the Union address, it will give President Donald Trump some positive talking points about the company.If you read no further in this piece, take this away. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums04:31 pmXiaomi's rumored iOS Bridge shows Apple's ecosystem still sets the standard
A report claims Xiaomi may debut an "iOS Bridge" feature as part of HyperOS 3.1 at Mobile World Congress 2026, showing how Apple's tightly integrated ecosystem remains the benchmark competitors must match and try to be compatible with.iPhone AirThe feature reportedly surfaces iPhone call alerts on Xiaomi tablets and PCs, improves AirPods battery reporting and controls, and enables direct wireless file transfers between iPhones and Xiaomi devices. Xiaomi hasn't confirmed it before Mobile World Congress, which runs from March 2 to 5 in Barcelona.The development suggests Xiaomi is adapting to Apple's ecosystem dominance rather than attempting to displace it. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums04:23 pmCan you track Appeal status? I made an appeal a week ago, but don’t see any status or email about it, curious if I missed a button and didn’t fully click submit or something? | Reddit on iOS ProgrammingCan you track Appeal status? I made an appeal a week ago, but don’t see any status or email about it, curious if I missed a button and didn’t fully click submit or something?
Hey all, 1st app here! I submitted my first app (yay) and got a rejection (yay for a learning experience) and made an appeal, and it's been about 7 business days and haven't heard anything since. I tried looking at some type of status and I don't see any email or link that shows my […]04:14 pmMade a free app with interactive breathing scenes — just wanted to share | Reddit on iOS ProgrammingMade a free app with interactive breathing scenes — just wanted to share
Breathing exercises have been a huge part of managing my stress the last few years. I ended up building a small app around it called Scenes. The idea is simple: open it, pick a world, and breathe. Three scenes right now — drifting particles in space, rain on a window, and frost spreading on glass. […]04:00 pmWhy Apple users should care about a ‘looming Taiwan chip disaster’
U.S. officials have warned for years about China causing a Taiwan chip disaster. Apple and Silicon Valley have been slow to respond. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)03:53 pmMSP (Minneapolis) on 2026-02-25
THIS IS A SCHEDULED EVENT Feb 25, 08:00 - 13:00 UTCFeb 24, 15:38 UTCScheduled - We will be performing scheduled maintenance in MSP (Minneapolis) datacenter on 2026-02-25 between 08:00 and 13:00 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.03:43 pmiOS 26.4 release date: Here’s when to expect new iPhone features
iOS 26.4 is a big update with plenty of new features for Apple Music, Podcasts, CarPlay, and more. The software is currently available in beta, here’s when to expect its public launch. more…03:36 pmCIA warned Apple CEO Tim Cook that communist China could move on Taiwan by 2027
Apple CEO Tim Cook was among a select group of Silicon Valley leaders who received a classified briefing from the CIA regarding Taiwan… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.03:34 pmSonos Planning Another App Overhaul With Live Activities Support
Sonos is preparing a major update to its app that aims to simplify navigation and introduce iPhone Lock Screen controls using Live Activities, part of a broader effort to rebuild confidence after the company's troubled 2024 software overhaul, Bloomberg reports. Sonos plans to roll out a series of optional changes to its iPhone and Android app in the coming months, with the company focusing on usability improvements, navigation, and more accessible playback controls. The update is expected to arrive gradually rather than as a sweeping redesign, reflecting a different release strategy following the company's widely criticized 2024 app relaunch. Sonos CEO Tom Conrad recently demonstrated early versions of the revised interface during a meeting at the company's headquarters in Goleta, California. He admitted to Bloomberg that the current version of the app still contains several usability issues despite improvements made over the past year. While the final design is still evolving, the goal is to reduce friction in common tasks such as switching rooms, managing playback, and accessing frequently used controls. A notable change being developed specifically for iOS involves adding Lock Screen playback controls for Sonos speakers. The feature is already available on Android devices, where users can control music without opening the Sonos app. On the iPhone, Sonos plans to implement similar functionality using Apple's Live Activities feature. Live Activities were introduced in iOS 16 as part of the system's Lock Screen and Dynamic Island experience. The framework allows apps to display continuously updated information on the Lock Screen and, on supported devices, within the Dynamic Island area. Live Activities are commonly used for tasks such as tracking sports scores, ride-sharing progress, deliveries, or timers, but they can also provide persistent media controls. Sonos has not yet provided a release date for the updated interface. Further details about the changes may be shared with customers in late March or April once development progresses further. Tags: Bloomberg, SonosThis article, "" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums03:33 pmWhat would you say is the “go-to” architectural pattern today?
Hey. I'm preparing to refactor an app I've worked on, it's an "old" app from early swiftui days with an archaic pattern, it has a RootView + RootViewModel + Combine + ViewModels. I decided to refactor it completely, and I'm stuck between something like a UIKit + hosting controllers to use something like VIPER, which […]03:29 pmAnker and Jackery Kick Off Power Station Sales With Up to 56% Off
Anker and Jackery have introduced big discounts across their most popular portable power stations this week, including up to 56 percent off select models from each company. We're tracking Anker's best deals over at Amazon, while Jackery's discounts can be found on the retailer's own website. Anker SOLIX 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. The majority of Anker's portable power station deals are from the SOLIX brand on Amazon, and all of these deals have been automatically applied on each page. There are plenty of notable discounts, including the popular Anker SOLIX C300 Portable Power Station with Lantern for $179.99, down from $249.99. UP TO 56% OFFAnker SOLIX Sale Anker 521 PowerHouse - $169.98, down from $219.99 SOLIX C300 with Lantern - $179.99, down from $249.99 SOLIX C1000 Gen 2 - $469.99, down from $799.00 SOLIX C1000 Gen 2 with Solar Panel - $739.99, down from $1,598.00 SOLIX F2000 - $899.99, down from $1,999.00 SOLIX C2000 Gen 2 - $778.99, down from $1,499.00 SOLIX C2000 Gen 2 with Solar Panel - $1,019.98, down from $1,998.00 SOLIX E10 Whole-Home Backup System - $4,299.00, down from $5,799.00 Jackery Over at Jackery's website, you'll find up to 54 percent off a wide array of portable power stations, solar generators, add-on batteries, and more. This sale is aimed at anyone preparing for winter power outages and is set to last for another few days, ending the night of Thursday, February 26. UP TO 54% OFFJackery Backup Power Sale Explorer 500 - $359.00, down from $499.00 Explorer 2000 v2 - $799.00, 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 - $1,299.00, 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 - $1,699.00, down from $2,999.00 HomePower 3600 Plus Solar Generator - $2,199.00, down from $3,699.00 Explorer 5000 Plus - $4,099.00, down from $5,699.00 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 in 2026? 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 forums03:22 pmSteve Jobs Archive releases ‘Letters to a Young Creator’ featuring Tim Cook, Jony Ive, and more | 9 to 5 MacSteve Jobs Archive releases ‘Letters to a Young Creator’ featuring Tim Cook, Jony Ive, and more
The Steve Jobs Archive has published a project online called Letters to a Young Creator. Timed with what would be the late Apple co-founder’s 71st birthday, the collection of notes includes submissions by Tim Cook, Jony Ive, and more. more…03:16 pmToday in Apple history: Happy birthday, Steve Jobs!
On February 24, 1955, Steven Paul Jobs was born. He went on to start Apple and change tech forever. A Steve Jobs birthday recollection. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)03:00 pmApple Studio Display 2: Everything we know so far
There's little doubt the Apple Studio Display 2 will be out soon. Here are all enhancements that rumors say we should expect. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)03:00 pmLAS (Las Vegas) on 2026-02-24
Feb 24, 15:00 UTCCompleted - The scheduled maintenance has been completed.Feb 24, 10:45 UTCIn progress - Scheduled maintenance is currently in progress. We will provide updates as necessary.Feb 24, 10:28 UTCScheduled - We will be performing scheduled maintenance in LAS (Las Vegas) datacenter on 2026-02-24 between 10:45 and 15:00 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.02:59 pmMacRumors Turns 26: Here's What Our Readers Thought About the iPod, iPhone, and More
MacRumors turns 26 today, and we want to take the opportunity to thank everyone who has read and supported our website over the years. MacRumors was founded by Arnold Kim on February 24, 2000, while he was a medical student, and it has since become one of the world's most popular Apple news websites. Kim was profiled in The New York Times in 2008. Coincidentally, we share our birthday with Steve Jobs, who would have turned 71 years old today. Our website has been around for many major Apple product announcements, including the iPod, MacBook Pro, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. Here are the forum threads for each product:iPod on October 23, 2001 Mac mini on January 11, 2005 iPod shuffle on January 11, 2005 iPod nano on September 7, 2005 MacBook Pro on January 10, 2006 Mac Pro on August 7, 2006 Apple TV on January 9, 2007 iPhone on January 9, 2007 iPod touch on September 5, 2007 MacBook Air on January 15, 2008 iPad on January 27, 2010 iPhone 4 on June 7, 2010 Apple Watch on September 9, 2014 AirPods on September 7, 2016 HomePod on June 5, 2017 iPhone X on September 12, 2017 AirPods Pro on October 28, 2019 HomePod mini on October 13, 2020 AirPods Max on December 8, 2020 AirTag on April 20, 2021 Mac Studio on March 8, 2022 Apple Vision Pro on June 5, 2023Tag: MacRumorsThis article, "" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums02:59 pmApple TV’s next big sci-fi premiere is coming this week, first reviews here
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, the sci-fi series with Godzilla and Kong, returns to Apple TV this Friday for season 2. Reviews for the new season just dropped, here’s what they say. more…02:50 pmHomeKit Weekly: Hands on with Level Lock Pro and why it sets a new standard for HomeKit and Matter smart locks | 9 to 5 MacHomeKit Weekly: Hands on with Level Lock Pro and why it sets a new standard for HomeKit and Matter smart locks
Level has been building smart locks that feel like they were made for Apple users since the very beginning, and the new Level Lock Pro (affiliate link) might be its most exciting upgrade yet. I have been testing it ahead of my full hands-on review, and it is clear that this is the direction smart locks need to go. Home key support is still the gold standard for Apple users, and Matter over Thread brings the speed and reliability that make it work extremely well with your daily schedule. The only thing it’s missing is UWB support. more…02:49 pmWhat Apple product colors would you like to see offered in future? [Poll]
After mostly very muted iPhone Pro colors in the past, Apple struck out in a bold new direction with Cosmic Orange for the current model. That decision was credited with helping the company hit record iPhone sales last year. We’re expecting to see the upcoming low-cost MacBook offered in several bright colors, and there’s also talk of a deep red option for the iPhone 18 Pro, so this seems a good time to talk about colors … more…02:37 pmSonos plans to fix its biggest iOS hurdle with a new Live Activities feature
Sonos has a plan to bring a highly requested audio control feature to iOS, but don’t expect the company to rush it before it’s ready. more…02:20 pmToday is the 71st anniversary of Steve Jobs’ birth
Today marks the 71st anniversary of Steve Jobs’ birth. The legendary co-founder of Apple Inc. was born on February 24, 1955… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.02:20 pmCut the cable from your CarPlay life with this tiny wireless adapter
Plug in this Mini Wireless CarPlay/Android Auto Adapter and your phone wirelessly connects automatically, every time you start the car. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)02:12 pmApple brings Mac mini production to America from Asia
Apple announced a significant expansion of factory operations in Houston, bringing the future production of Mac mini to America… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.02:07 pmAmerica's spymasters terrified Tim Cook with Taiwan invasion timeline
Apple CEO Tim Cook lost sleep after the CIA briefed him four years ago that China would move on Taiwan by 2027. With that day approaching, not enough has been done about it.Tim Cook reportedly said he has slept "with one eye open" after his CIA briefing — image credit: AppleApple has been reshoring some manufacturing to the US, in initiatives that have been known for years. But now according to The New York Times, Apple and others also had a classified CIA briefing that warned how precarious chip manufacturing is in Taiwan, but have failed to heed it.Tim Cook from Apple, Jensen Huang of Nvidia, Lisa Su of Advanced Micro Devices, and Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon were briefed in July 2023. Following the briefing, Apple's Tim Cook is reported to have said that he slept "with one eye open." Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums01:50 pmThis secret iPhone gesture will come in handy everywhere [Pro Tip]
A hidden gesture on the iPhone and iPad lets you quickly select a bunch of items in a list — kind of like Command-A (⌘A) on a Mac. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)01:31 pmMac mini is a tiny step toward Trump's Made-in-USA dream
It's not the iPhone, but Apple has further detailed its latest effort in Houston, Texas to move Mac mini production to the US. On the morning of the State of the Union address, this will make some lawmakers very happy.Apple's AI factory in Houston will soon make the Mac mini - Image Credit: AppleThe Trump administration has long preached about increasing U.S. manufacturing, with President Donald Trump repeatedly demanding iPhone production on U.S. soil. In photos released on Tuesday morning, Apple shows it is making progress, if not necessarily with iPhones.Following the Wall Street Journal's special access to Apple's facilities, the images and video show factory operations at Houston. The facility, which is currently used to assemble AI servers used for Apple's data centers, is being fitted out to make the Mac mini. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums01:29 pmEverything we know about the new M5 MacBook Air before its 2026 launch
Macworld The MacBook Air M5 is expected to be a significant update in Apple’s consumer laptop lineup, primarily focusing on a transition to the next-generation M5 silicon. While the MacBook Pro and iPad Pro have already moved to the M5 chip as of late 2025, the MacBook Air currently remains on the M4 platform. It’s long been expected that the new MacBook Air M5 will arrive early in 2026, and with Apple inviting some members of the media to “Special Experiences” at various locations on March 4, 2026, it may be that the new MacBook Air will appear before, or during, that “event”. This article keeps track of what’s being reported and rumored about the upcoming MacBook Air and offers a perspective based on Apple’s current lineup. M5 MacBook Air: Processor and performance expectations CPU Speed: An incremental boost of approximately 15% to 25% in CPU speed compared to the M4. Graphics: Substantial improvements, with Apple claiming the M5’s GPU architecture can deliver up to 45% higher graphics performance than the M4. Memory Bandwidth: A nearly 30% improvement in unified memory bandwidth, reaching 153GB/s compared to the M4’s 120GB/s . AI Capabilities: The M5 chip is being heralded as a “next big leap” for Apple Silicon’s AI performance, specifically designed to power on-device Apple Intelligence features. The M5 MacBook Air is expected to see gains in CPU, GPU and AI performance compared to the M4 MacBook Air. We can get a good picture of what to expect because the M5 chip arrived with the MacBook Pro and iPad Pro in late 2025 and our own review and benchmarking of the M5 MacBook Pro showed consistent gains in both single-core and multi-core processing. In our M5 MacBook Pro review we found that the M5’s single-core and multi-core results were 14 and 22 percent faster than the M4, respectively. The M5’s 10-core GPU architecture includes a new Neural Accelerator in each core, which Apple claims provides over four times the peak GPU compute performance of the M4. In our real-world gaming tests using 3DMark Solar Bay Extreme the M5 maintained approximately 100 fps, a 50% improvement over the M4’s 70 fps. At the time of launch, Apple described the M5 as offering a “big leap” in AI performance, with the chip reportedly delivering up to 3.5 times the AI performance of the previous generation. In practical creative workflows, these improvements translate to tangible time savings. For instance, exporting a complex audio project in GarageBand was roughly 10 seconds faster on the M5 compared to the M4 in our tests. The M5 also offers a new 10-core GPU architecture with a Neural Accelerator in each core, which Apple says means it can provide “over 4x the peak GPU compute performance compared to M4”. M5 MacBook Air: Specs, Storage, RAM Foundry M5 with a 10-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 16GB unified memory, 256GB SSD, Thunderbolt 4 M5 with a 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 16GB unified memory, 256GB SSD, Thunderbolt 4 M5 with a 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 24GB unified memory, 512GB SSD, Thunderbolt 4 The specs of the entry-level MacBook Air are likely to include a GPU with fewer cores, and the mid-range MacBook Air is likely to match the spec of the entry-level MacBook Pro, but with half the storage. That is one specification that we’d like to see change: the 256GB SSD is on the small side, however the M5 MacBook Air is likely to offer the same base storage. There are rumors that the new storage might be faster. The memory options may expand, with higher RAM configurations. All models will start with the 16GB RAM configuration, as has been the case since Apple introduced it mid-way through the M3 cycle (October 2024). There will continue to be the option to add 32GB memory. It’s not known if the 4TB SSD option that is now available on the M5 MacBook Pro will be available, we don’t expect it to be though. With the M4 MacBook Air, Apple upgraded the built-in camera to a 12MP Center Stage camera and the ports from Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 4. We don’t expect any change here, however, in the U.K. and Europe Apple has left the power adapter out of the box, so it is likely that this will be the case for the MacBook Air when it launches. M5 MacBook Air: Design Apple introduced Sky Blue as a color option with the M4 MacBook Air.Eugen Wegmann The current design for the MacBook Air was introduced in 2022. Since it’s only a few years old, we don’t expect it to change with the M5 release. The M5 MacBook Air is expected to retain the same thin chassis that it is famous for. With the M4 MacBook Air, Apple introduced a Sky Blue color to replace Space Gray, but it is unlikely that we will see any new colors for this generation. M5 MacBook Air: Display Comparing the MacBook Pro with Nano-text and MacBook Air with glossy display.Foundry No changes are expected for the M5 MacBook Air display. As before it will have a standard Liquid Retina display. ProMotion technology, as found on the MacBook Pro, is not expected to arrive on the M5 MacBook Air. It’s also likely Apple will continue to offer the standard Liquid Retina display to keep the pro lines separate, as with the iPhone and iPad. The rumor mill has reported on plans for the company to implement OLED displays in its MacBooks, however this is unlikely to happen until 2027, with the MacBook Pro getting OLED first, perhaps before the end of 2026 in the rumored touchscreen MacBook Pro. M5 MacBook Air: Thermal performance The increased power of the M5 chip has been found to have an impact on thermals – which is likely to impact on the MacBook Air due to the lack of fan for internal cooling. As noted in The M5 MacBook Pro runs hotter than the M4 it replaces: “During more intensive tasks, such as during Cinebench’s 3D rendering test, the M5 has to throttle its performance to manage its temperature. The fan–both laptops have only one fan– runs much faster on the M5, too.” If the peak performance of the M5 is limited by the single-fan cooling system, it will be limited even more in the MacBook Air. M5 MacBook Air: Release date By March 4, 2026 Apple has confirmed a spring product event (or Experience) on March 4, 2026 and it’s expected that the MacBook Air M5 will launch in that timeframe. The MacBook Air typically follows a different release cycle than the MacBook Pro, usually arriving in the first half of the year following the Pro’s update. Current expectations point toward a launch in spring 2026. This timeline aligns with Apple’s established cadence, where the MacBook Pro is often update in November, followed by the MacBook Air in March. A gap of a few months between the launch of the M5 MacBook Pro and M5 MacBook Air is likely, so we anticipate that we will see the M5 MacBook Air in the first half of 2026. On October 16, Gurman reported that the M5 MacBook Air is scheduled for a spring 2026 release. On February 8, Gurman reported that the M5 MacBook Air is “coming shortly.” And, on February 22, Gurman again suggested the MacBook will be one of “at least five new products” arriving by March 4. M5 MacBook Air: Price Most supply-chain and analyst reports expect prices to stay similar to the current M4 Air lineup. Apple could keep the M4 around as a lower-cost alternative, but rumors suggest that the company may be preparing to launch a low-cost MacBook alongside the MacBook Air, which could mean that the entry-level price of $999 is raised. Apple could start the M5 Airs at $1,099 as was the case a few years ago. The threat of tariffs by the U.S. government is also a looming issue, which could affect prices. However, we don’t expect the pricing to change, as the MacBook Pro pricing hasn’t changed. Here are the prices for the current standard configurations of the M4 MacBook Air. MacBook Air modelU.S.U.K.CanadaAustralia13in, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD$999£999$1,399$1,69913in, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD$1,199£1,199$1,699$1,99913in, 24GB RAM, 512GB SSD$1,399£1,399$1,999$2,29915in, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD$1,199£1,199$1,699$2,09915in, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD$1,399£1,399$1,999$2,39915in, 24GB RAM, 512GB SSD$1,599£1,599$2,299$2,69901:25 pmiPhone 18 Pro ‘leak’ claims everything is going well
Macworld We’re in the dying days of February, and Apple’s flagship phone launches are still more than six months away. But according to a new report, the company is making solid progress towards the iPhone 18 Pro’s launch, with the device having just entered test production. The leaker Fixed Focus Digital, who has a mixed record but a few solid predictions under their belt, claims in a Weibo post this week (spotted by MacRumors) that the 18-series handsets are “already in mass production testing,” adding that the “iPhone 18 Pro production line has also started operation.” (Both quotes via Google Translate.) The leaker does not specify a source for these claims, referring only and vaguely to “current information.” One would assume they have access to sources in Apple’s supply chain, which is so large and complex that a few leaks are almost inevitable. But it also wouldn’t be impossible to guess and have a fair chance of being right. Because, while this might seem early (after all, we haven’t even got the iPhone 17e yet), this is pretty standard timing. Apple’s road to a shipped hardware product has numerous stops along the way, going through Engineering Validation Test (EVT), Design Validation Test (DVT), and Production Validation Test (PVT) before actual mass production begins. February is roughly when we would expect DVT to transition into PVT. A more interesting question is how the standard iPhone 18 fits into all of this. Fixed Focus’s initial reference to the “iPhone 18 series,” rather than the iPhone 18 Pro specifically, as it does in the second part, appears to imply that the iPhone 18 is included in the mass production testing. Indeed, every Apple news site I’ve seen covering this story has taken that to be the leaker’s meaning, which would leave us in a situation where Apple is already production-testing the iPhone 18 even though it isn’t expected to come out until spring 2027. That’s not impossible–the iPhone 18 could be in an earlier validation stage, such as EVT–but the vagueness of the prediction, combined with potential for confusion introduced by having to translate the post from Chinese, makes me wonder if that might not be what is meant. Could it be that Fixed Focus is instead including the iPhone Fold in the “18 series” of iPhones, given that it’ll launch alongside them and is effectively part of that generation? Is it even possible that the leaker thinks the device will be called the iPhone 18 Fold? Regardless, we’ll get plenty more opportunities to observe the new phones’ progress as we head towards the big launch. For all the latest news and rumors, bookmark our regularly updated iPhone 18 superguide. And of course, if you can’t wait until September, check our roundup of the best iPhone deals to make sure you’re paying the lowest possible price on the current range. Just wait until we’ve seen the iPhone 17e before making that purchase.01:19 pmReddit and Discord are both in trouble over controversial age verification service
Both Reddit and Discord have got themselves into trouble over the use of a controversial third-party age verification service. Reddit has been fined £14.5 ($19.5M) million for the unlawful use of children’s personal information, while Discord has experienced a user backlash … more…01:11 pmWhatsApp prepares to add this useful iMessage feature
WhatsApp's latest beta hints at the messaging app gaining a long-overdue iMessage feature: the ability to schedule messages. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)01:11 pmXiaomi's Rumored 'iOS Bridge' to Bring Better Apple Device Connectivity
Xiaomi will introduce a new software update at this year's Mobile World Congress (MWC) that will reportedly improve connectivity between its own devices and Apple products. Alongside the debut of the Xiaomi 17 series, its HyperOS 3.1 update is said to include a new "iOS Bridge" for smoother connectivity between the two platforms. According to GizChina, the features tipped include the following: iPhone call alerts: Incoming calls on an iPhone that appear on connected Xiaomi tablets and PCs, allowing users to answer or manage calls without having the iPhone in their hand. Enhanced AirPods integration: AirPods to integrate better with Xiaomi devices, showing battery levels and offering enhanced controls, similar to how they work with Apple devices. Direct file sharing between iPhone and Xiaomi: A fast, wireless transfer feature enabling file sharing between iPhones and Xiaomi devices without relying on third-party apps. If the features do drop in Barcelona during MWC, which runs from March 2 to March 5, it'll be another notable win for people who own an iPhone and AirPods as well as a Xiaomi phone, laptop or tablet. In 2025, Xiaomi held a 16% share of the European smartphone market, according to Omdia.Tags: MWC 2026, XiaomiThis article, "" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums01:00 pmData Centers in Space: Pi in the Sky or AI Hallucination?
As AI energy demands grow, technologists are eyeing orbital data centers powered by solar energy — but analysts say major technical and economic hurdles remain. The post appeared first on TechNewsWorld.12:54 pmSteve Jobs Would Have Celebrated His 71st Birthday Today
Apple co-founder and former CEO Steve Jobs was born on February 24, 1955, so today would have marked his 71st birthday if he hadn't passed away in 2011 at the age of 56. In 1976, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak co-founded Apple Computer Company to market Wozniak's Apple I, a pioneering personal computer. Their collaboration led to the introduction of the Apple II in 1977, which significantly influenced the personal computing industry. In 1984, Apple launched the Macintosh, notable for its graphical user interface and the iconic "1984" Super Bowl commercial directed by Ridley Scott. However, internal conflicts led to Jobs' departure from Apple in 1985. He then founded NeXT Inc., focusing on advanced computer platforms. In 1997, Apple acquired NeXT, bringing Jobs back to the company as interim CEO. Under his leadership, Apple revitalized its product line and introduced groundbreaking products like the iMac, iPod, and iPhone. Apple Computer Company was renamed Apple Inc. in 2007 as the company expanded its focus from computers to consumer electronics. Jobs remained at the helm until his death in 2011, during which time Apple transformed into one of the world's leading technology companies. We miss you, Steve!Tag: Steve JobsThis article, "" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums12:47 pmRemembering Steve Jobs on his 71st birthday
Fifteen years after his death, Steve Jobs is still continually quoted, sometimes criticized, but always seen as creating the ethos of Apple. On what would have been his 71st birthday, this is how he shaped Apple — and the world.Steve JobsApple co-founder Steve Jobs was born on February 24, 1955, and brought up by his adoptive parents, Paul and Clara Jobs. While he would later dismiss the idea that the circumstances of his adoption had any influence on him, he was born straight into a dispute over a deal, and startling signs of his later strengths and weaknesses were there from his early years. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums12:47 pmTim Cook ‘slept with one eye open’ after classified CIA briefing on Taiwan
Apple CEO Tim Cook reportedly told officials that he slept “with one eye open” after he attended a classified CIA briefing on Taiwan, home to the company’s chipmaker TSMC. US intelligence agencies have been worried for years that China may plan to invade the island, and the briefing warned that this could happen as early as next year … more…12:40 pmIf iPhone Fold is truly coming in 2026, expect big leaks very soon
Apple's supply chain is big, so new product launches get leaked in their entirety as they enter mass production. If the iPhone Fold is coming, we should get our first peek at it soon.iPhone Fold should be leaked in its final form. Any day now.I'm on the record as being an iPhone Fold skeptic. Even as the iPhone 18 Pro has begun leaking components, nothing of the sort has happened for the upcoming foldable iPhone.There's something odd about that. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums12:16 pmiPhone set all-time European sale record in 2025, even as market declines
Analytics firm Omdia claims that in 2025, Apple set an all-time sales record for the iPhone in Europe, with a 6% year over year growth.The iPhone 16e helped Apple to a record year in EuropeBack in June 2025, Apple's lower-cost iPhone 16e was reportedly selling well in Europe but not as well as the even lower-cost iPhone SE that preceded it. Now, however, figures for the whole of 2025 show that altogether, the whole iPhone range scored Apple a record year in the region.According to analytics firm Omdia, Apple's 6% year-over-year growth means it shipped 36.9 million iPhones. That gave it a record 27% share of Europe's smartphone market. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums12:15 pmDrab Fold, bright Pro predicted for fall iPhone event
Macworld For reasons known only to itself, Apple has historically followed a strategy of releasing inexpensive smartphones in bright and vibrant colors, while limiting its premium handsets to a more muted palette. But this changed last year with the launch of the Cosmic Orange iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max, and Apple was promptly rewarded with huge commercial success driven especially by the popularity of that color in China. With this in mind, all eyes will be on Apple’s color selections this coming September, when the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Fold are unveiled. It’s highly unlikely that we’ll get exactly the same choices for the second year in a row; Apple loves to add a new color with each generation (while usually removing one or more that might not have sold so well), so buyers can advertise the fact they’ve got a new model. But surely Apple will have learned the lesson and make sure it includes at least one bright finish. One analyst who agrees is Mark Gurman, who discusses the likely colors in the latest edition of his Power On newsletter. He isn’t 100 percent certain about what we’ll see in September–which isn’t unreasonable when predicting a cosmetic detail nearly seven months from launch–but he thinks this year’s new finish will be red. It’s worth noting that this probably won’t be as conspicuous as Cosmic Orange: Gurman describes it as a “deep red”, and the Deep Blue option for the iPhone 17 Pro is a dark navy that’s closer to black than to the oceanic mid-blue that was available for the iPhone 13. (A non-Pro phone, of course.) So we’ll probably be looking at a rich burgundy rather than the bright scarlet of Apple’s many (Product) Red devices. That’s Deep Blue on the right.Apple But that doesn’t necessarily mean there won’t be any bright colors at all, because Gurman thinks one option that’s currently on the table is to offer both Cosmic Orange and Deep Red. “Given the success of orange, I wouldn’t be surprised if the company keeps that option around and just adds the red as an additional choice,” Gurman explains. “But red and orange might be a little too close on the color wheel to have both. We’ll see how this plays out.” Whereas the structural and internal details of Apple’s yearly phone refreshes need to be decided long in advance (and then ideally, but not always, kept secret), colors are tested and pondered until quite close to launch. As Gurman notes, there have been rumors that we might see purple and/or brown iPhones in late 2026, and he believes these might just be variants of the same red tone Apple has been testing. In conclusion, then, it looks like the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro will be sold in three or four color finishes: Silver, Deep Blue, Deep Red, and possibly Cosmic Orange. We just won’t know the exact shade of red until nearer the time because Apple probably hasn’t decided yet. As for the iPhone Fold, Gurman thinks Apple will return to its earlier philosophy and punish wealthy customers for buying its most expensive handset. The Fold may cost $2,399, but it won’t come in either orange or red. Just “some sort of dark gray or black and a variation of a white or light silver,” similar to how Apple delivered the iPhone X. For all the latest news and rumors leading up to the launches in September, bookmark our regularly updated iPhone 18 superguide.12:03 pmTim Cook Warned by CIA That China Could Move on Taiwan by 2027
Apple CEO Tim Cook was among a handful of top tech executives who attended a classified CIA briefing warning that China could attack Taiwan by 2027, according to a sweeping investigative report by The New York Times ($). The previously unreported briefing was apparently held in a secure room in Silicon Valley in July 2023. The meeting is said to have been arranged at the request of the then-commerce secretary Gina Raimondo, who had grown frustrated with the tech industry's reluctance to move chip production away from Taiwan. CIA director William Burns and director of national intelligence Avril Haines reportedly presented the latest intelligence on China's military plans to Cook, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, AMD CEO Lisa Su, and Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon. Cook reportedly told officials afterward that he slept "with one eye open." A similar classified session was said to have been held at the White House in late 2021, but executives left skeptical because much of the intelligence had already been reported publicly. Earlier that same year, a senior U.S. military official had told Congress that the armed services believed President Xi Jinping of China wanted his army to be ready to take Taiwan by 2027. From the report: Jake Sullivan, Mr. Biden's national security adviser, ranked the U.S. reliance on Taiwan for semiconductors as one of America's greatest vulnerabilities. He wanted the industry to recognize the risk and support construction of U.S. manufacturing plants. Mr. Biden also wanted to provide $50 billion in government subsidies to build semiconductor plants domestically [resulting in the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022]. "We were saying: 'This is crazy. We have to do something about it,'" Mr. Sullivan said in an interview.The investigation reveals Silicon Valley's stubborn dependence on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), which produces around 90 percent of the world's most advanced chips, including all of Apple's custom silicon for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. A confidential 2022 report commissioned by the Semiconductor Industry Association and reviewed by NYT concluded that losing access to Taiwan's chip supply would trigger the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, with U.S. GDP falling 11 percent. Another report by Bloomberg from January 2024 estimated a conflict would cost the global economy more than $10 trillion. Despite the warnings, the NYT investigation found that companies including Apple were initially slow to commit to buying more expensive chips from U.S. factories. Chips made domestically cost more than 25 percent above those produced in Taiwan because of higher material, labor and permitting costs, and TSMC's Arizona plants currently run technology a generation behind what's available on the island. Apple has since taken steps, however. Last summer, Cook visited the Oval Office and committed to investing $100 billion in the United States, with the money being used to support TSMC and other chip manufacturers. Apple has reportedly also begun holding all-day engineering meetings with Intel to evaluate its manufacturing capabilities. TSMC has now committed to roughly $165 billion in U.S. investment, including land for at least five additional plants in Phoenix. The company's Arizona facility recently produced Nvidia's first U.S.-made AI chip, although the report notes that even those chips still need to be shipped back to Taiwan for advanced packaging. Meanwhile, Taiwan's government maintains an unofficial policy requiring TSMC to keep its most advanced manufacturing technology on the island. This "silicon shield" is designed to make the country too economically important to attack – yet Russia's invasion of Ukraine has shown that economic self-interest does not necessarily prevent military aggression. TSMC's CFO said earlier this year that its most advanced processes will remain in Taiwan for the foreseeable future.Tags: China, New York Times, Taiwan, Tim Cook, TSMCThis article, "" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums11:57 amApple shares more details, photos, and video of US Mac mini plant
Apple yesterday announced plans to start manufacturing the Mac mini in the US and has now shared more details of the initiative, alongside photos and video footage. Apple CEO Tim Cook said the company is also accelerating production of AI servers made in the Houston plant where the Mac mini models will be assembled … more…11:30 amApple’s AI products are all doomed. Wanna guess why?
Macworld It is time for another edition of Old Man Macalope Explains How Things Used to Be Better. No, don’t get up. Back in the early 2000s, there were three big Apple rumors: the tablet, the set-top box, and the phone. We speculated about them endlessly. Mostly because, since we didn’t have smartphones to look at, we had so little to do. But the point is, we were excited about them. These days, getting excited about Apple rumors is not as much of a given, and the reason is two simple letters: AI. Let’s look at some rumors that are going around right now. The first is the rumor that Apple is working on a series of home products. As the Macalope has noted, this is an area he’s wanted the company to get into because it’s a real mixed bag of reliability and privacy, things that Apple generally–not always, but most times–is pretty good at. The rumored product the horny one is most excited for is a doorbell camera that uses Face ID. Compare that to Ring, which recently had to walk back (again) its cozy relationship with law enforcement, and you can see the benefit of Apple entering this market. This is a place where Apple can solve real problems that people have and make things work better with more privacy. And then there’s… whatever this is: Apple is working on AI smartglasses, an AI pendant, and AirPods. All of these are AI wearable devices that will depend on the supposedly smarter Siri that seems to be taking longer than expected. You know, Apple, we went to a lot of trouble to mock Google Glass into the dust bin of technology so it seems a little rude to expect us to turn around and get excited about these things. “Glassholes”? That was some quality work. C’mon. If you’d like to receive regular news and updates to your inbox, sign up for our newsletters, including The Macalope and Apple Breakfast, David Price’s weekly, bite-sized roundup of all the latest Apple news and rumors.Foundry Turn out that AI is causing a lot of heavy sighing about the future The New York Times notes that people aren’t so much into the AI boom. Silicon Valley executives promise that artificial intelligence is going to radically change everyone’s life for the better, starting just a few minutes from now. The New Tork TImes, Feb. 21, 2026 Hey, hey, Elon Musk patented saying an AI feature is just months away for years on end. Any other executives saying that have to give him a quarter. He doesn’t need it, of course, it’s just the principle of the thing. In a YouGov survey last year, more than a third of respondents said they were concerned that A.I. would end human life on earth. Okay, so, yeah, AI has a bit of a public relations problem. Just a global extermination-level public relations problem. That’s… you can get over… that. Even those with a more hopeful attitude overwhelmingly said in another poll that they would not pay extra to put A.I. on their devices. Is paying extra to get it out of our devices on the table? Why can’t people see the utility? …80 percent of firms reported that A.I. was having no impact on their productivity or employment. Other than that, the Macalope means. (He is going to drop in the standard caveat, however: AI does have utility in various applications, it’s just that Silicon Valley executives are trying to jam it into everything, whether it’s warranted or not, and instead of giving it to employees to boost their productivity, they’re cutting staff based on assumed productivity gains that don’t materialize.) The real tragedy of all this is that by not being 100 percent jazzed about AI, we’re hurting the feelings of the billionaire CEO of Nvidia. “It’s extremely hurtful, frankly,” Mr. [Jensen] Huang said… Word is he can barely muster up the excitement to buy more black jackets made of increasingly bizarre types of leather. “Ant leather? Handmade from 10 million ants? I didn’t know that was a thing. Sigh. Okay. I’ll take twenty.” Huang’s fee-fees notwithstanding, when AI is routinely used as an excuse to make layoffs, who can blame people for not being super enthused about the technology? All of this before we even ask the question: will it work? Apple has, to date, struggled to deliver on its AI promises. And maybe that’s a good thing? Because other companies seem content to ship AI products that just don’t work right, often with some catastrophic, if hilarious, results: Meta Director of AI Safety Allows AI Agent to Accidentally Delete Her Inbox An AI coding bot took down Amazon Web Services Microsoft says bug causes Copilot to summarize confidential emails And all of that before we ask the question, what impact does it have on the environment? Apple used to be good at avoiding tech trends and focusing on making products people really wanted. Maybe these devices aren’t exactly what the rumors make them out to be, chatbot-enable wearables that’ll annoy you and everyone else in the waiting room at your doctor’s office. Maybe we’ll be pleasantly surprised. In the mean time, the Macalope’s going to look forward to the more concrete products Apple might ship.11:23 amApple published a new Press Release
Apple just published a new Press Release:Apple accelerates U.S. manufacturing with Mac mini production11:11 amApple Set a European iPhone Sales Record Last Year
Apple shipped 36.9 million iPhones in Europe in 2025, a 6% year-over-year growth which allowed the company to claim a record 27% share of the region's smartphone market, according to new research from analytics firm Omdia. The gains came even as the broader European smartphone market declined by 1% to 134.2 million units, which Omdia says was weighed down by softer demand and new regulations around eco-design requirements and mandatory USB-C ports. Apple's performance was driven by the iPhone 16, the Pro Max versions of both the iPhone 16 and iPhone 17, and the more affordable iPhone 16e. The latter device in particular apparently helped Apple capture demand that shifted away from older non-USB-C models, which were being phased out under the new rules. Samsung held onto the top spot in Europe with 46.6 million units shipped, while Xiaomi came third with 21.8 million units at 16% share. Elsewhere, HONOR broke into Europe's top five for the first time. Apple's record European performance was clearly a factor in its strong global showing in 2025, when the company became the world's largest smartphone vendor by annual shipments.Tag: OmdiaThis article, "" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums11:00 amApple @ Work Podcast: The rise of the autonomous AI SOC
Apple @ Work is exclusively brought to you by Mosyle, the only Apple Unified Platform. Mosyle is the only solution that integrates in a single professional-grade platform all the solutions necessary to seamlessly and automatically deploy, manage & protect Apple devices at work. Over 45,000 organizations trust Mosyle to make millions of Apple devices work-ready with no effort and at an affordable cost. Request your EXTENDED TRIAL today and understand why Mosyle is everything you need to work with Apple. In this episode of Apple @ Work, Monzy Merza from Crogl joins the show to talk about how AI is going to evolve the work that security analysts do. more…10:20 amMicrosoft Sovereign Cloud adds governance, productivity, and support for large AI models securely running even when completely disconnected | Office for MacMicrosoft Sovereign Cloud adds governance, productivity, and support for large AI models securely running even when completely disconnected
Microsoft Sovereign Cloud's expansion of capabilities includes Azure Local disconnected operations, Microsoft 365 Local disconnected, and Microsoft Foundry addition of large model and modern infrastructure capabilities. The post appeared first on Microsoft 365 Blog.09:53 amCAN (Guangzhou) on 2026-03-04
THIS IS A SCHEDULED EVENT Mar 4, 08:00 - 18:00 UTCFeb 24, 09:48 UTCScheduled - We will be performing scheduled maintenance in CAN (Guangzhou) datacenter on 2026-03-04 between 08:00 and 18:00 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.09:53 amSCL (Santiago) on 2026-03-04
THIS IS A SCHEDULED EVENT Mar 4, 08:00 - 18:00 UTCFeb 24, 09:48 UTCScheduled - We will be performing scheduled maintenance in SCL (Santiago) datacenter on 2026-03-04 between 08:00 and 18:00 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.09:53 amWhatsApp Working on Scheduled Messages Feature
WhatsApp developers are working to bring scheduled messages to the Meta-owned platform, reports WABetaInfo. A scheduled message allows users to type a message and choose a specific date and time for it to be sent automatically. Telegram already has the feature, while Apple has offered a similar Send Later option in its Messages app since iOS 18. While the feature is yet to be functioning in the latest WhatsApp beta on TestFlight, WABetaInfo shared an image showing a new Scheduled Messages option in a group chat info page. The feature is expected to work for both individual chats and groups. The ability to schedule messages is one of the app's most requested features, so this should come as welcome news to users. Currently, the only way to schedule a WhatsApp message is to use a shortcut workaround in Apple's Shortcuts app. Tag: WhatsAppThis article, "" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums09:53 amSCL (Santiago) on 2026-03-02
THIS IS A SCHEDULED EVENT Mar 2, 08:00 - 18:00 UTCFeb 24, 09:28 UTCScheduled - We will be performing scheduled maintenance in SCL (Santiago) datacenter on 2026-03-02 between 08:00 and 18:00 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.09:52 amCAN (Guangzhou) on 2026-03-02
THIS IS A SCHEDULED EVENT Mar 2, 08:00 - 18:00 UTCFeb 24, 09:28 UTCScheduled - We will be performing scheduled maintenance in CAN (Guangzhou) datacenter on 2026-03-02 between 08:00 and 18:00 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.09:07 amiOS26 Resizable iPad App
Hi there – I noticed that on iOS 26, when I make the app window smaller, the UI doesn’t resize properly and does not change. Could you share how this should be done? Also, does this mean I need to fix constraints across the whole app, or there is some easy way? submitted by […]08:00 amMagSafe fans need to see this foldable charging station
Macworld TL;DR: The $86.99 Mag 3 Ultra Qi2 25W 3-in-1 Foldable Charger powers your iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods simultaneously with faster Qi2 charging (MSRP $109). When you’re deep in the Apple ecosystem, your nightstand tells the story: MagSafe puck, Watch charger, and a stray cable for your AirPods that just won’t stay put. It’s not pretty, and things get even more horrific when you’re on the move or—*gasp*—traveling. That’s why every Apple fanatic needs the Mag 3 Ultra. Three devices, one charger The design folds flat while in use on your nightstand or desk, and into a stack while in your bag. But the standout here is next-gen 25W Qi2 charging, which delivers up to 70% faster charging than previous generations, taking your iPhone from 0 to 50% in about 30 minutes. For anyone with a recent iPhone who cares about minimizing downtime before heading out, that’s a meaningful jump. A dedicated watch charger obviously supports Apple Watch (and even Galaxy Watch), and the base wirelessly powers AirPods with a MagSafe case. Built-in protections like foreign object detection and over-current safeguards add peace of mind to overnight charging. Order yourself one of these foldable Mag 3 Ultra chargers at $86.99 to simplify your Apple lifestyle even more (MSRP $109). Mag 3 Ultra Qi2 25W 3-in-1 Foldable ChargerSee Deal StackSocial prices subject to change.07:22 amMaintenance for Linode API
THIS IS A SCHEDULED EVENT Feb 25, 13:30 - 15:00 UTCFeb 24, 06:59 UTCScheduled - On Wednesday, February 25, 2026, starting at 1:30 PM UTC, We will be performing planned maintenance on the Linode API Platform. There is no expected downtime.06:03 amApple is bringing Mac mini production home
Apple is begin limited Mac mini assembly in the US later in 2026 to meet local demand, expanding its manufacturing footprint beyond Asia. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)03:44 amApple Announces Plans to Begin Assembling Mac Mini in U.S. This Year
Apple today announced that Foxconn will begin assembling some Mac mini computers at a factory in Houston, Texas later this year. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Apple's operations chief Sabih Khan said U.S. assembly of some Mac mini units is part of the company's previously-announced commitment to invest $600 billion in the U.S. by August 2029. Mac mini units assembled in the U.S. will primarily serve the U.S. market, while production will continue in Asia for orders abroad, according to Khan. As the report notes, the Mac mini is a niche product for Apple, with research firm Consumer Intelligence Research Partners estimating that the desktop computer accounted for only 5% of Apple's global Mac sales last year. In 2024, the Mac mini received its first major redesign since 2010, along with M4 and M4 Pro chips. In the U.S., the Mac mini starts at just $599, but customers must supply their own display, keyboard, and trackpad or mouse. Apple began assembling its latest Mac Pro desktop computer in Texas in 2019, during U.S. President Donald Trump's first term, and the company's plan to begin assembling some Mac mini units in the U.S. comes during Trump's second term.Related Roundup: Mac miniTag: The Wall Street JournalBuyer's Guide: Mac Mini (Neutral)Related Forum: Mac miniThis article, "" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums03:18 amAI by Zapier steps in Zaps with transcribe action running into an error
Status: MonitoringBetween approximately 10:00PM UTC on Feb 23 and 3:20 AM UTC on February 24, users experienced errors when using the Transcribe action in AI by Zapier. The action returned the error "Failed to process document with AI: fetch failed" in both test and live runs. A fix has been implemented, and this action is running successfully again. We're now attempting to replay the errored runs that happened during this period. We will continue monitoring and post a final update within 24 hours. If anything seems off, contact Support by clicking above or go to: https://zapier.com/app/get-help03:15 amTake a peek into Apple's efforts to bring Mac mini assembly and chip fabrication stateside | AppleInsiderTake a peek into Apple's efforts to bring Mac mini assembly and chip fabrication stateside
Apple is working to bring more manufacturing to the United States, including chip fabrication and Mac mini assembly, but it's a slow-moving project.TSMC is building several fabs near Phoenix, ArizonaThere is increasing pressure to bring more of Apple's manufacturing and assembly stateside. However, even with $600 billion in investments, what can be done in the US is insignificant compared to the global supply chain.The Wall Street Journal got special access to various facilities in the United States to examine how Apple is repatriating its supply chain. Executives like COO Sabih Khan joined tours of the TSMC Arizona plant, the Foxconn Houston facility, and others. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums02:55 amApple announces plans to manufacture some new Macs in the United States this year
Apple has announced that it plans to start manufacturing one of its Mac computers, the Mac mini, in the United States starting this year. more…02:43 amAI coding tools may be the end of freemium utility apps
With the recent launch of tools like OpenAI’s Codex, Anthropic’s Claude Agent, and the upcoming support for these tools right in Xcode, the market for single-purpose apps might not be long for this world. Here’s why. more…12:24 amApple’s new ‘Sales Coach’ app is now live on the App Store, replacing ‘SEED’
Following last week’s report that Apple was preparing to replace its “SEED” app with “Sales Coach,” the new app is now available. Here are the details. more…12:24 amPDX (Portland) on 2026-03-16
THIS IS A SCHEDULED EVENT Mar 16, 14:00 - 23:59 UTCFeb 24, 00:08 UTCScheduled - We will be performing scheduled maintenance in PDX (Portland) datacenter on 2026-03-16 between 14:00 and 23:59 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.12:23 amPDX (Portland) on 2026-03-12
THIS IS A SCHEDULED EVENT Mar 12, 14:00 - 23:59 UTCFeb 24, 00:08 UTCScheduled - We will be performing scheduled maintenance in PDX (Portland) datacenter on 2026-03-12 between 14:00 and 23:59 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.12:23 amPDX (Portland) on 2026-03-11
THIS IS A SCHEDULED EVENT Mar 11, 14:00 - 23:59 UTCFeb 24, 00:08 UTCScheduled - We will be performing scheduled maintenance in PDX (Portland) datacenter on 2026-03-11 between 14:00 and 23:59 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.12:23 amPDX (Portland) on 2026-03-10
THIS IS A SCHEDULED EVENT Mar 10, 14:00 - 23:59 UTCFeb 24, 00:06 UTCScheduled - We will be performing scheduled maintenance in PDX (Portland) datacenter on 2026-03-10 between 14:00 and 23:59 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.12:23 amPDX (Portland) on 2026-03-09
THIS IS A SCHEDULED EVENT Mar 9, 14:00 - 23:59 UTCFeb 24, 00:06 UTCScheduled - We will be performing scheduled maintenance in PDX (Portland) datacenter on 2026-03-09 between 14:00 and 23:59 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.12:23 amPDX (Portland) on 2026-03-05
THIS IS A SCHEDULED EVENT Mar 5, 14:00 - 23:59 UTCFeb 24, 00:04 UTCScheduled - We will be performing scheduled maintenance in PDX (Portland) datacenter on 2026-03-05 between 14:00 and 23:59 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.12:23 amPDX (Portland) on 2026-03-04
THIS IS A SCHEDULED EVENT Mar 4, 14:00 - 23:59 UTCFeb 24, 00:00 UTCScheduled - We will be performing scheduled maintenance in PDX (Portland) datacenter on 2026-03-04 between 14:00 and 23:59 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.12:11 amWhat to Expect From the iPhone 17e Launching in March 2026
We've got just over a week to go until Apple's "Special Experience" on March 4, and we're expecting to see the iPhone 17e announced during the week of the event. The iPhone 17e will be the first update to the new low-cost iPhone 16e that Apple unveiled in February 2025. Design The iPhone 17e will look a lot like the iPhone 16e, featuring the same 6.1-inch display size, single-lens rear camera, and black and white color options. Display The iPhone 17e is expected to feature the same display panel as the iPhone 16e, which means it will be limited to a 60Hz refresh rate. Apple brought 120Hz ProMotion refresh rates to the standard iPhone 17 in 2025, but the same technology is not expected for the more affordable iPhone 17e. The iPhone 17e will continue to be Apple's only new release iPhone without 120Hz support. 120Hz refresh rates provide video improvements and smoother scrolling when viewing webpages. The iPhone 16e does not have always-on display technology, and that's not likely to change with the iPhone 17e. To support always-on, the iPhone 17e would need an OLED display with 1-nit minimum brightness, which is limited to Apple's more expensive iPhones. HDR and brightness are also lacking compared to Apple's flagship lineup. Dynamic Island The iPhone 16e uses the notch that Apple has eliminated in its newer flagship iPhones, but the iPhone 17e could eliminate it. Some rumors suggest that the iPhone 17e will have a Dynamic Island instead of a notch, giving it an updated look. The Dynamic Island is a pill-shaped cutout on the iPhone's display that houses the TrueDepth camera system and the front-facing camera. It takes up less display area than the notch, and it is better integrated into the iPhone. While some rumors indicate we could get a Dynamic Island, other rumors suggest the iPhone 17e will continue to use a notch, so the Dynamic Island upgrade isn't a guarantee. A19 Chip The iPhone 17e will use Apple's A19 chip, which is the same chip that's in the iPhone 17. The A19 chip is built on an upgraded N3P 3-nanometer process, offering a 5 to 10 percent performance improvement over the A18 chip. Apple could be planning to use a downclocked version of the A19 chip in the iPhone 17e, and if that's the case, its performance won't quite match the iPhone 17's performance. The A18 chip that Apple used in the iPhone 16e had a 4-core GPU instead of a 5-core GPU like the version from the iPhone 16, so the iPhone 17e could get a similar GPU downgrade. Aside from the improved CPU and GPU, the A19 has an updated display engine, image signal processor, and Neural Engine for improved AI performance. Every GPU core features a Neural Accelerator to boost the performance of local AI models. We are expecting the iPhone 17e to continue to include 8GB RAM like the iPhone 16e. Apple's other models have 12GB. MagSafe Compatibility The iPhone 16e does not have a magnetic ring for MagSafe charging, but the iPhone 17e is expected to get a MagSafe upgrade. Apple's iPhones have used MagSafe since the iPhone 12, so there are a wide array of MagSafe cases and accessories. The iPhone 16e is not compatible with these accessories, which is a major limitation. Since it doesn't have MagSafe, the iPhone 16e is limited to 7.5W wireless charging speeds. MagSafe would upgrade that to at least 15W. The current iPhone 17 models can charge at 25W over MagSafe, though the iPhone Air is limited to 20W. Camera The iPhone 17e is expected to have a single 48-megapixel Wide Angle camera at the back, with no upgrade rumored. The iPhone 16e doesn't have a Camera Control button, and there's no sign that Apple plans to bring it to the iPhone 17e, either. The iPhone 17 models got an upgraded 18-megapixel Center Stage front-facing camera, but rumors suggest the iPhone 17e will continue to use the same 12-megapixel front-facing camera as the iPhone 16e. Modem The iPhone 17e will adopt Apple's C1X modem, the modem chip that Apple first debuted in the iPhone Air. The C1X modem is faster and more efficient than the C1 modem that Apple used in the iPhone 16e. Apple says the C1X modem is up to 2x faster than the C1, and it is far more energy efficient than Qualcomm modems. N1 Chip Apple could update the iPhone 17 models with Apple's Wi-Fi and Bluetooth "N1" networking chip, bringing speed and efficiency improvements, plus Thread support. Leaked Apple code suggests the chip will not be included in the iPhone 17e in order to keep costs down, but recent rumors indicate Apple plans to include it. Pricing The iPhone 16e is priced starting at $599, and no price changes are expected for the iPhone 17e. Launch Date Apple is holding a "Special Experience" event on March 4, and we are expecting the iPhone 17e to launch during that same week.This article, "" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forumsMonday February 2311:53 pmPDX (Portland) on 2026-03-03
THIS IS A SCHEDULED EVENT Mar 3, 14:00 - 23:59 UTCFeb 23, 23:52 UTCScheduled - We will be performing scheduled maintenance in PDX (Portland) datacenter on 2026-03-03 between 14:00 and 23:59 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.11:52 pmUS SMS and MMS Carrier Maintenance – Small US Carriers
THIS IS A SCHEDULED EVENT Feb 26, 19:00 - 21:00 PSTFeb 23, 15:30 PSTScheduled - A subset of small networks in the US are conducting an emergency maintenance from 26 February 2026 at 19:00 PST until 26 February 2026 at 21:00 PST. During the maintenance window, there could be intermittent delays delivering SMS and MMS to small US carriers handsets when sending via long codes, short codes and toll free numbers.11:50 pmThis $40 AI tool is your secret weapon for landing a job faster
Automate your resumes and cover letters, then track your opportunities and ace your interview prep, with AI job search tool FirstResume. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)11:45 pmApple Launches New 'Sales Coach' App
Apple today debuted a new Sales Coach app for the iPhone and the iPad, replacing the former SEED app. Designed for Apple Store and Apple Authorized Service Provider (AASP) employees, Sales Coach provides training resources and information useful for Apple device sales. Sales Coach is available for Apple Store and AASP employees worldwide, and Apple has released it as an update to the former SEED app. Those who have the SEED app will see it change to Sales Coach when installing the latest update. Sales Coach is not a publicly available app. Compared to the SEED app, Sales Coach adopts Apple's updated Liquid Glass design, and it will include a new AI chatbot that will answer product-related questions. The chatbot can be accessed through an upcoming "Ask" tab, and it is similar to the chatbot in the Apple Support app. Employees will be able to get instant information on specific iPhone capabilities, details on how different software features work, and more, across all of Apple's products. Apple doesn't appear to have rolled out the chatbot just yet, but we learned about it when we we first shared details about the Sales Coach app earlier this month. Sales Coach is also available on the web at salescoach.apple.com.This article, "" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums10:20 pmWhy Gen Z and young adults are embracing iPods again
Young adults are eschewing all-in-one devices like the iPhone and moving more towards purpose-built technology, renewing interest in "vintage tech" like the classic iPod. Here's why.A veritable pile of 'PodsAt one point, I think everyone collectively thought that smartphones were pretty great. However, in the last few years, younger generations have started to reject their glowing pocket rectangles in favor of older tech.This isn't anything new. I know that when I was in my mid-20s, I felt a weird, inexorable urge to start collecting vinyl, despite not having anything to play them on. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums10:05 pmRespectASO – Free, open-source, self-hosted ASO keyword research tool
I built a free, open-source ASO keyword research tool that runs locally via Docker. You don't need any API keys or accounts; and no data leaves your machine. WHY FREE & WHY OPEN-SOURCE? What any ASO tool gives you are just algorithmically calculated estimations. I have tried many and often ended up being disappointed. And […]09:49 pm9to5Mac Daily: February 23, 2026 – iPhone 18 Pro colors, 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 BenQ: Check out BenQ’s smarter displays made for how Mac users actually work and sign up for the giveaway here. more…09:47 pmAirPods as Apple’s first AI wearable product makes so much sense
Apple reportedly has several different AI wearable products in the works, with a new AirPods Pro 3 model with IR cameras expected to be the first. Here’s why AirPods as Apple’s first AI wearable makes a lot of sense. more…09:43 pmEverything New in iOS 26.4 Beta 2
Testing on the iOS 26.4 update is continuing, and Apple released the second beta today. The main new feature is an expansion of RCS encryption testing, but there are a few other small tweaks. End-to-End Encryption RCS Testing With the second beta of iOS 26.4, Apple is testing end-to-end encryption for text messages sent between iPhones and Android devices. End-to-end encrypted messages can now be sent to an Android user, and if encryption is enabled, there will be a lock icon on the message. Encrypted conversations are not available for all devices or carriers during the texting period. iOS users will need to have iOS 26.4, and Android users need the latest version of Google Messages. Apple does not plan to implement end-to-end RCS encryption in iOS 26.4, but it will come later this year. Home Screen The "Edit" menu on the Home Screen uses more transparent Liquid Glass. Games App In the Games app, the search bar has moved from the bottom of the display to the top of the display. App Store and Apple Music For the account hub options for the App Store and Apple Music, the "Apple Account" wording is now left aligned and has the same rainbow logo as the Apple Account in the Settings app Accessibility Under the Display and Text size section of Accessibility, there's a new "Reduce Highlighting Effects" option. Software Build Numbers When you're updating to a new iOS update in iOS 26.4, you can tap on the name to see the build number. Beta Updates Apple made a change to how betas work in iOS 26.4. If you are have betas toggled on but don't install any betas for a four month period, Apple will automatically switch you to the public release audience. No Emoji There are still no new emoji characters, despite signs of them found in the code in the first beta of iOS 26.4. Playlist Playground Playlist Playground is still limited to the U.S. and not available in Europe and other countries. More New Features We have a list of all the new features that were found in the first beta in our iOS 26.4 feature guide.Related Roundups: iOS 26, iPadOS 26Related Forum: iOS 26This article, "" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums09:43 pmDavid Pogue shares first look at upcoming ‘Apple: The First 50 Years’ book
Veteran journalist David Pogue has posted a short video offering a quick preview of his upcoming book celebrating Apple’s first 50 years. Here are the details. more…09:11 pmiOS 26.4 beta 2: Here’s what’s new
One week after the release of the first beta, iOS 26.4 beta 2 is now available. The update continues to refine new features and changes for iPhone users. There are updates to RCS encryption, the Games app, and more. more…09:06 pmCamo Studio 2.6
Introduces the Retouch digital appearance enhancement and adds more USB camera support. ($49.99 annual subscription, free update, 89.2 MB, macOS 12.3+)09:03 pmApple in 2025: The Six Colors Report Card
Jason Snell’s annual Apple Report Card shows Hardware Reliability topping the list again, but the controversial Liquid Glass design dragged software scores to new lows, and Tim Cook’s relationship with the Trump administration caused Apple’s Impact on the World category to crater.Read original article09:02 pmApple tests ‘deep red’ color for iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max
Apple is currently testing and seriously considering a striking new deep red finish for its upcoming iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.08:54 pmIssues with Dashboard Sessions
Feb 23, 20:54 UTCResolved - An issue in the Dashboard's Session Management systems resulted in a subset of users not being able to log into the Dashboard or being unexpectedly logged out.08:50 pmiBoot to mBoot — Apple's iPhone bootloader has a mysterious new name
The iOS bootloader just got its first name change, from 'iBoot' to 'mBoot.' As to why, nobody outside of Apple Park knows yet.The second iOS 26.4 developer beta renames the iOS bootloader.While the second iOS 26.4 developer beta makes it possible to test end-to-end encrypted RCS texting with Android devices, the software contains another, more mysterious change.Apple has altered the long-standing name of the iOS bootloader. This is the first change since when the operating system debuted nearly two decades ago. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums08:37 pmAnyone here attending this event in person?
submitted by /u/ThePantsThief [link] [comments]08:36 pmWhatsApp is finally working on scheduled messages
Meta is at last bringing scheduled messages to WhatsApp, delivering on one of the app’s most-requested features. Here’s how it is going to work. more…08:04 pmNew research: Apple stock could be safe harbor from AI bubble fears
Apple is taking a distinct path from many other tech stocks. The major risks tied to the AI boom appear largely irrelevant to the company… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.08:00 pmR2 degraded performance in APAC buckets
Feb 23, 20:00 UTCResolved - Between 20:00 and 20:36 UTC, R2 buckets in the APAC region experienced elevated latency and timeouts.07:51 pmApple releases videos from its 2025 AI Reasoning and Planning Workshop
The newly published videos from Apple’s two-day event focus on three key areas related to AI: Reasoning and Planning, Applications to Agents, and Model Development. Here are the details. more…Firehose II – Jobs, Deals, Apps
No feed items found.