I’m disappointed Apple will charge for AI security camera features in the Home app
One of the things tucked away in the small print of macOS 27 beta 3 is the news that you’ll need a 2TB iCloud+ subscription in order to use the new AI features for home security cameras in the Apple Home app. While some are suggesting that we shouldn’t be too surprised by this, I do find it a somewhat disappointing move by Apple …

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Apple to spend more than $30 billion with Broadcom to produce billions more American chips
Apple today announced a new multiyear commitment with Broadcom to design and produce custom silicon components and cutting-edge… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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3 reasons why the iPhone 18 won’t launch this fall
Expect September to bring the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max release date, but not the standard iPhone 18. Here's why. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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Apple Watch has a useful hidden feature for tracking a great healthy habit
My new favorite Apple Watch and Apple Health metric is one that has been quietly working in the background for years. Specifically, it’s a bit of a hidden Apple Watch feature for tracking a great healthy habit: Time in Daylight.

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Cheaper Vision Pro takes another hit as Apple reportedly scaps key component
Macworld The prospect of Apple launching a cheaper version of its Vision Pro mixed-reality headset grows ever more remote, with the news that the company has halted work on a new OLED screen for the rumored product. Citing sources in the display industry, Korean site The Elec claims (via Google Translate) that Samsung Display “has finalized an internal decision to terminate the development project for displays for the Apple XR [extended reality] device early this coming September.” It’s not clear from the report what the impetus behind the decision was, but presumably it’s because Apple has moved on from its cheaper headset project. That timeframe, by the way, appears to refer to when Samsung Display will completely stop working on the project, having (in the words of one industry official) “entered the winding-up phase early this year.” It certainly doesn’t refer to when the Apple budget headset will or would have come out, which wasn’t expected to happen until after 2028. The Vision Pro headset, which just received a $200 price hike, features two very high-res internal micro-OLED displays, and these contribute heavily to its brutal price tag. Samsung Display has been working on a method for constructing OLEDs on a glass substrate that can, in The Elec’s words, “drastically lower” manufacturing costs and would therefore have been perfect for a budget successor to the Vision Pro. But Apple’s appetite for that project, for various reasons, has diminished. As long ago as last October, it was reported that the cheaper (and hopefully lighter) Vision Pro had been shelved in order to accelerate the company’s work on smart glasses. Those glasses are now expected to arrive next year.

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John Ternus takes his place at the Sun Valley billionaire camp
Apple's incoming CEO John Ternus has joined Tim Cook and Eddy Cue at the invitation-only Sun Valley retreat where deals worth billions can be agreed on a handshake.John Ternus (left) with Tim Cook - image credit: AppleTim Cook and Eddy Cue are both regulars at the annual event, held in Sun Valley, Idaho, by investment firm Allen & Company. This year they arrived as usual over the weekend, but as spotted by Forbes, they were joined on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, by John Ternus.It's not clear whether this is Ternus's first time attending the camp, but if it isn't, it's certainly his first since being announced as the next Apple CEO. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Siri AI can now talk to your iPhone apps — starting with your car
Siri AI in iOS 27 beta 3 can now pull data from select third-party apps, hinting at a much bigger shift for Apple’s assistant. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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No delay to iPhone Ultra, says supply-chain report
More supply chain sources have rejected claims of delays to iPhone Ultra production, reporting that it appears to be on track for a September release. However, the latest report doesn’t rule out limited initial supplies of Apple’s most expensive ever iPhone …

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$30 billion Broadcom chip deal is Apple biggest AMP fund investment
Apple's deal with Broadcom for custom chips and radio components is worth $30 billion. It will be Apple's American Manufacturing Program's largest single-company commitment.iPhone connectivity iconsOn Monday, chip maker Broadcom declared that it had agreed to extend its working relationship with Apple, with it developing and supplying custom chips up to 2031. Two days later, Apple confirmed the deal was made, and gave some details on the specifics.In a July 8 newsroom post, Apple calls it a "new multi-year commitment" with Broadcom. The aim is to design and produce custom silicon components and "cutting-edge" wireless connectivity technologies for Apple's products. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Report Urges States to Lead Data Center Water Oversight
Rather than imposing national mandates, states should oversee data center water use through standardized reporting, watershed-based reviews, and performance standards, according to a new policy report. The post appeared first on TechNewsWorld.

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Europe throws out Apple's attempt to free App Store & iMessage from regulations
Apple has lost another round in its legal challenges to the European Union and its Digital Markets Act, this time over whether iMessage and its App Store should even be subject to that regulation.Apple is challenging the DMA in ever higher courts in the EU - image credit: EUBack in 2023, Apple acknowledged that it qualified under the then-new definition of being what the EU called a gatekeeper service. But key to that is the size of the operation, and since 2024, Apple has been claiming it runs five smaller App Stores rather than one large one.Instead, Apple says that there are different App Stores for the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and the Apple Watch. Now according to Reuters, the EU General Court in Luxembourg has ruled that is irrelevant. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Apple loses major antitrust appeal in Europe, remains a ‘gatekeeper’
Apple has today lost a major antitrust appeal in Europe, with all three of its claims being rejected. The company has long been fighting its requirement to comply with the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), but a court has dismissed all of its claims …

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Apple announces its largest US manufacturing investment: a $30B Broadcom chip contract
A little under a year ago, Apple promised to invest $600 billion in the U.S. over a four-year period through an American Manufacturing Program (AMP). The company has today announced its largest single AMP commitment to date: a $30 billion Broadcom chip contract. The iPhone maker says that the deal will help Broadcom expand its Colorado plant, and lead to the production of more than 15 billion US-made chips …

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I closed my rings for 500 days by cracking the Apple Watch code
Macworld Last year, I shared how a single Apple Watch alert pushed me to become more active and transformed my life. A lot has changed since then, yet one constant has persisted: closing my Activity rings every single day. Despite moving between countries and going through a wide range of ups and downs, I remain committed to at least 30 minutes of exercise and burning over 500 active calories daily. I didn’t miss a day, and now that my streak has crossed the 500-day mark, it got me thinking: What makes the Apple Watch’s fitness system so effective? By design, Apple has incorporated multiple pillars that keep everything in place. Each feature plays a role in supporting my fitness journey, and removing any of them could cause it to fall apart. Find your sweet spot It all starts with the daily goals you set in watchOS. For the feature to work constructively, I had to pick numbers that are challenging, yet not too challenging. You wouldn’t want to close your Activity rings without breaking a sweat, but neither should you set goals that mean you have to push beyond your limits on a daily basis. As such, I’ve long opted for 30 minutes of exercise, 500 active calories, and 12 stand points. That’s my sweet spot. Setting up the daily goals, however, is evidently insufficient on its own. After all, I enabled them when I got my first Apple Watch around a decade ago, but I didn’t fully commit to them until recently. For the Activity ring system to be helpful, one must make a conscious decision to take it seriously. Fortunately, the Apple Watch offers optional reminders to make sure you close your rings before midnight. I’ve customized the notifications to minimize unwanted alerts since, at this point, I don’t need all of them to hit my goals before nightfall. The daily Activity rings act as the main foundation for the Apple Watch’s fitness system, but committing to them without other forms of support can be challenging. There’s something irresistibly compelling about a streak.Mahmoud Itani / Foundry Pursue your streak This brings us to the second pillar, the Longest Move Streak award. The Apple Watch calculates how many days in a row you’ve closed your Move ring and gives you a daily award when you extend your longest streak. This gamification has discouraged me from neglecting my Activity rings, particularly after maintaining a streak for several months. However, like the daily goals, you must commit to the streak for it to actually work. When you do that it stops being a worthless digital badge and becomes representative of your dedication. There have been days when I didn’t want to exercise due to international travel, low energy, mild illness, and the like. But I didn’t want to lose my streak, either, and that drive was stronger every time. Learn to deal with bad days Nevertheless, emergencies occur, and sometimes it’s physically impossible for us to close our Activity rings on a certain day for one reason or another. Luckily, the Apple Watch recently added support for rest days, letting you pause rings or tweak your goals temporarily. While I’ve never paused my rings, I did lower my Move goal from 500 to 400 active calories a single time due to sickness. That day, I had managed to exercise lightly for 30 minutes, but burning 500 active calories proved too much. Had I not been able to tweak my goal, I would have lost my streak, potentially discouraging me from caring about my rings for a very long time. Sometimes you can’t hit a goal for reasons beyond your control. Don’t beat yourself up.Mahmoud Itani / Foundry Explore guided workouts I’ve been running 5Ks casually for over a year. That workout type on its own, however, is not sustainable for closing your daily Activity rings. Some days your legs need a break, while others are too warm or stormy to go outside. I’ve always prioritized achieving a functional, lean physique, focusing on cardiovascular fitness and flexibility rather than bodybuilding through traditional weightlifting at a gym. Apple Fitness+ caters to my exact needs, as it offers a growing library of diverse guided workout videos. At first, I was primarily doing High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), but then I pivoted to kickboxing, as it feels more balanced and still incorporates HIIT-like conditioning rounds. At this point, I shadowbox for 30 minutes on most weekdays, which closes the Activity rings from the comfort of my home. I occasionally go for core, yoga, and HIIT workouts, too. Had it not been for Fitness+, I would’ve lost my streak a long time ago, as exercising indoors without guidance is tedious, and I can’t get myself to leave the house daily.  I also appreciate how the Apple Watch works independently when recording workouts. I often leave my iPhone at home when I run, as the watch can collect metrics and play music via AirPods. The Activity rings also support other workout apps in case you prefer third-party services. Apple Fitness+’s guided workouts are a great source of motivation.Mahmoud Itani / Foundry Enter the friend zone While the features above have been my core motivators, the friend system in the Apple Fitness app has also played a role in keeping me committed. The app lets me add my friends to share our daily progress, send supportive messages, and compete against each other. Engaging with likeminded folks certainly makes the active lifestyle feel less isolated. Speaking of competitions, the Fitness app also notifies you about personalized monthly challenges that vary depending on your existing goals and habits. That’s in addition to limited-edition awards that you can claim by completing a certain task on a specific day. It’s always fun to earn these digital badges and share them with other fitness enthusiasts. How to tweak the Apple Watch formula While Fitness, as we’ve established, gets most things right, there are a few annoyances that I hope Apple addresses in the near future. Overall, the algorithm is too pushy, frequently prompting you to increase your goals if you meet them every day. Some people, myself included, are on weight-gain diets and aren’t supposed to burn calories beyond a certain point. The Fitness app should let users decide whether they’re aiming to lose or gain weight when setting up daily goals, as the one-size-fits-all approach can do more harm than good for certain users. The way stand points are calculated could also be tweaked, as detection can be off. For example, carrying a box across the room with my arms steady won’t always register that I’ve stood up. Meanwhile, shaking my arm for a bit while seated will earn me a stand point. Overall, the Activity rings system could use an overhaul, as it has remained largely unchanged since its initial debut over a decade ago. While it’s undoubtedly effective, it can get boring after several years of use. A refresh may also entice lapsed users to give it another shot. Maybe this iconic interface could do with a slight redesign after all these years.Mahmoud Itani / Foundry An aid to willpower, not a replacement The Apple Watch and Fitness app have made a real difference in my life. Thanks in part to their promptings, working out is no longer an optional activity for me; it has become part of my subconscious daily routine. I wake up, have my coffee, shadowbox without thinking twice, then proceed with my day. During the past year, I have gained over 20lbs (9kg) of healthy weight, upgrading from a slim build to a toned one. I also ran my fastest 5K yet in just 26 minutes. More importantly, more than three years after quitting drinking and smoking, I find it easier than ever to reject alcohol and cigarettes in social gatherings. I finally feel at peace with—and fully in control of—my body and mind. It turns out there’s nothing more liberating than disciplining oneself. The Apple Watch offers all the tools you need to foster an active lifestyle. For the system to be productive, however, you must follow its directions religiously. Ultimately, only your willpower can fuel dramatic changes and build new habits. Good luck.

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Apple published a new Press Release
Apple just published a new Press Release:Apple to increase spend with Broadcom to produce billions more U.S. chips

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Orico MiniLink review: Dual SSD hub for Mac mini
Macworld At a glanceExpert's Rating Pros Dual SSD slots (M47P) Mac mini design UHS-II card readers (M47P) Dedicated power supply Cons Noisy fan Placement can affect Wi-Fi performance External power supply required Our Verdict The 40Gbps USB4 M47P MiniLink offers the most in terms of faster and flexible storage, but even the slower 10Gbps M49P hub is a good choice for basic backups and archiving. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Price When Reviewed$159.99 Best Prices Today: Orico MiniLink 40Gbps One-Stop Storage and Dock Retailer Price Orico $119.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket What is it? The Mac mini-like Orico MiniLink is a USB-C hub that adds two 8TB SSD slots, plus USB-A ports and card readers missing from the Apple Mac mini M4. Who is it for? Mac mini M4 users who want the most flexible storage option without spoiling the mini’s good looks or compact footprint. The 40Gbps M47P is our favorite with its dual SSD slots, but you can save money with the slower 10Gbps one-slot model. Who shouldn’t buy it? This Orico hub works only with the M4 Mac mini. If you want faster data-transfer rates, look to an 80Gbps Thunderbolt 5 dock such as Satechi’s CubeDock. We love the dinky size and compact shape of Apple’s Mac mini M4, but the compromise is a lack of handy ports to expand connectivity. Yes, it has a couple of 10Gbps USB-C ports at the front with the headphone jack, and either three speedy and versatile Thunderbolt 4 or Thunderbolt 5 ports at the back (depending on your Mac mini model) alongside the Gigabit Ethernet and HDMI port. But there’s no legacy USB-A port or portable storage card reader slots. It’s also not possible for the user to install their own internal storage upgrades in the Mac mini, leaving you at the mercy of whatever you could afford at the time of purchase—and Apple fleeces royally you at this stage of the custom purchase. Other manufacturers have started releasing new expansion docks and hubs for the Mac mini M4, adding missing ports and SSD slots that give the flexibility we crave and Apple rarely offers. You have always been able to pair the mini with a USB-C or Thunderbolt dock, but few get into the small-footprint vibe as nicely as the dedicated Mac mini docks. The Orico MiniLink 40Gbps One-Stop Storage and Dock is a mid-range Mac mini M4 expansion hub that offers a lot in a body even slimmer than the mini. In its other dimensions (length and width) it mimics the Apple computer, and you can sit it above or below the mini. Orico M47P MiniLink front ports, sitting on Mac mini M4.Simon Jary Specs and features The MiniLink has nine ports to add to the Mac mini’s own eight. It comes in two models: one (M47P) with a fast 40Gbps USB4 interface and dual SSD slots, and another (M49P) at 10Gbps that has just the one SSD slot and slower card readers but other ports missing from the 40Gbps model. We tested the M47P. M47P One upstream USB-C port (40Gbps) 3x USB-A (10Gbps) 2x M.2 SSD Enclosure (up to 16TB capacity) UHS-II SD card reader (312MBps) UHS-II microSD card reader (312MBps) 36W power supply Orico M47P MiniLink back ports, sitting on Mac mini M4.Simon Jary M49P One upstream USB-C port (10Gbps) 2x USB-A (10Gbps) 2x USB-A (480Mbps) 1x M.2 SSD Enclosure (up to 8TB capacity) UHS-I SD card reader (104MBps) UHS-I microSD card reader (104MBps) 3.5mm mic jack (back) 3.5mm headphone jack (back) 36W power supply The M49P has just the one SSD slot and has slower card readers at the front but does boast a few more ports at the back.Orico The Mac mini itself has either 40Gbps (M4) or 80Gbps (M4 Pro) Thunderbolt compared to the MiniLink’s 40Gbps USB4 or 10Gbps USB-C. Both USB4 and Thunderbolt 4 use the same Type-C connector and share the same underlying protocol, but Thunderbolt 4 enforces stricter minimum hardware requirements for speed, displays, and security, whereas USB4 allows manufacturers more flexibility and optional features. For the purposes of this dock, USB4 will work seamlessly with the Mac mini at 40Gbps. If you need the fastest data-transfer rates you should stick with 80Gbps Thunderbolt 5, but as the MiniLink has only USB-A ports this is less vital than if it offered spare USB-C or Thunderbolt ports. The $399 Satechi CubeDock marries Mac mini looks with an NVMe slot and Thunderbolt 5 connectivity. USB-A is getting rather long in the tooth for anything but older or cheaper memory sticks, so its usefulness is diminished. Our preferred port package would be some decent USB-C ports with at least one offering over 20W for iPhone or iPad fast charging. As it is the USB ports can output some power, of either 5W (enough for an Apple Watch or AirPods case) or 10W that will slowly recharge an iPhone. The Orico M47P MiniLink boasts two NVMe SSD slots twice the industry average. The base cover is magnetic and twists off—it was secure during our testing.Simon Jary How much storage can the MiniLink add? The advantage of the MiniLink is not its old-school USB-A ports but its storage options, with both models offering at least one SSD card storage in a bay underneath. It supports NVMe M.2 2280 SSDs, up to PCIe Gen 4.0. One slot is rated at around 3,000MB/s and the other around 1,300MB/s because the faster slot has more USB4 bandwidth available. Install your primary applications, photo libraries or video-editing projects on the faster drive, while using the slower slot for backups, archives and less performance-sensitive files. The MiniLink M47P has two SSD slots, and the M49P just the one. The second SSD slot is about flexibility rather than simply doubling capacity. Start with an affordable drive today and add another later without replacing it, or dedicate one SSD to active projects and the other to backups, media libraries or archived files. Most Mac mini M4 hubs have just the one slot with an 8TB maximum. The MiniLink’s two slots mean you could add up to 16TB of storage. That amount of storage would be expensive—between $2,600 and $3,000 at today’s SSD prices. The real advantage isn’t simply doubling maximum capacity to 16TB. The second SSD slot gives you far more flexibility: start with an affordable 1TB or 2TB drive today, then add a second SSD later instead of replacing the original. You can also dedicate one drive to fast working files and the other to backups, media libraries or archived projects. Installing the SSD cards is easy, with the base cover magnetically attached. The small and short user manual covers several products, so you’ll have to work out which you have and fetch your magnifying glass. You’ll get noticeably faster disk access with the 40Gbps M47P due to its faster USB4 interface with the Mac mini. It’s not full Thunderbolt but works at the speedy 40Gbps data-transfer rate. At the front are SD and MicroSD card reader slots. The M47P’s are fast at 312MBps and the M49P’s slower at 104MBps. Such portable storage cards are an affordable way of adding storage, with cards transferable to others or you can keep a bank of them to hand when you need the extra storage capacity. The MiniLink can sit either under or on top of the Mac mini M4, but when underneath it can significantly degrade the mini’s wireless speeds.Orico What’s it like to use every day? The silvery Orico MiniLInk looks in its right place with the Mac mini M4, and won’t take up any further desk space when sitting under or on top of the mini. It mirrors the mini’s length and width and measures 25.3mm in height, just over half the depth of the mini itself. To keep it cool, the MiniLink has an internal fan and a ring of air holes to maximize heat dissipation. Note that the fan isn’t quiet, so if you need silence a fanless or external enclosure should be considered. The MiniLink does include a handy front power button if you can do without the SSD when requiring total silence. General use in a standard environment means the MiniLink’s fan noise is not disturbing, but is noticeable in quiet situations. One problem with Mac mini docks and hubs is the effect on WiFi speeds. Apple didn’t design the M4 Mac mini with third-party accessories in mind, and placing the hub below the mini significantly affected wireless speeds. The MiniLink comes with its own external power supply, which is required to drive the two SSDs. Orico MiniLink 40Gbps One-Stop Storage and Dock Read our review Price When Reviewed: $159.99 Best Prices Today: $119.99 at Orico Orico MiniLink 40Gbps One-Stop Storage and Dock Read our review Price When Reviewed: $159.99 Best Prices Today: $119.99 at Orico Price: Is the M47P worth paying extra for? The 40Gbps M47P costs $159.99 / £119.10. If all you need is an SSD enclosure you can pick up a speedy 40Gbps solution for under $100. The benefit of the MiniLink is its extra ports, plus the fact that two SSD slots give you more flexibility than one. The 10Gbps M49P costs $89.99 / £67.50. On its own, a 10Gbps SSD enclosure costs about $30 at the budget end. As you get the extra ports with the Orico MiniLInk, this justifies the $89 price point if you need the other ports. We’re not sure many people need four USB-A ports, but the storage card readers are helpful. I must admit to finding the direct pricing on Orico’s online store confusing. For the M47P the $159 list price was (at the time of writing) discounted to $119, but a highlighted box stated $69.99 although that much lower price in fact referred to the discounted price of the M49P. The products’ Amazon listings are also all over the place, stating a 4TB per slot maximum rather than the 8TB promised on the direct site. I alerted Orico to these offputting shortcomings so I hope they have been fixed by the time you read this—if not, it’s up to you to believe what you read here vs what’s on the buying pages. Despite this, we find the M47P a winner with its more flexible and faster dual-SSD enclosure. Most Mac mini owners should choose the 40Gbps M47P. It offers faster transfers, quicker UHS-II card readers and, most importantly, a second SSD slot that makes future storage expansion much easier. The cheaper M49P is still a worthwhile option if your needs are limited to backups, archiving and occasional file transfers. Which MiniLink should you buy? ModelBest forM47P (40Gbps)Users wanting maximum performance, dual SSD flexibility, faster card readers, and room to expand storage over time.M49P (10Gbps)Users who mainly need inexpensive backup, archive storage, and don’t require high transfer speeds or a second SSD. Should you buy the Orico MiniLink One-Stop Storage Hub? Adding flexible storage to the Mac Mini M4 is desirable given that Apple doesn’t allow for user upgrading within the computer itself. The Orico MiniLink models offer an affordable SSD enclosure plus SD card reader slots and USB-A. With dual SSD slots, this Mac mini hub offers the greatest extra storage capacity of all the dedicated mini M4 hubs we’ve tested, doubling the standard 8TB to 16TB—although that much storage will cost you a lot, having two slots gives you greater flexibility even if you need much less. The inclusion of legacy USB-A ports is less interesting, and we’d have preferred USB-C ports with higher power output. The 40Gbps USB4 M47P MiniLink offers the most in terms of faster and flexible storage, but even the slower 10Gbps M49P hub is a good choice for basic backups and archiving.

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watchOS 27’s new Siri finally fixed my dumb timer problem
Macworld I cook, I bake bread, I do plenty of stuff in the kitchen. And when I do, I like to use my Apple Watch as a cooking timer. It’s convenient in that it’s on my wrist, taps me when it’s done, and I don’t have to shout out across the room to stop a timer. But for years now, I’ve had one annoying problem that is so simple, and yet Apple refused to solve it: Siri just doesn’t want to add time to a running timer. Here’s the situation: I set a timer for 15 minutes. After 10 minutes or so, I look in the oven and can plainly tell that my rolls will need a little longer. “Siri, add two minutes to the timer” simply would not work. Every time I would say that, Siri would respond with, “What do you want to set the timer to?” Siri would happily change the time on my timer, but that requires me to look and see how much time is left, add it up in my head to give it some new time. Foundry Up through the latest iOS 26 release, Siri would behave this way on every platform, every time. On iPhone, Mac, Apple Watch, HomePod… this isn’t a “sometimes it works” thing, it just didn’t understand adding time to a running timer. With the new Siri in the iOS 27 beta, that’s fixed. I tell Siri to add time to a timer, and it just does it! If there are 4 minutes and 42 seconds left, and I say “Add two minutes to the timer,” it just becomes 6 minutes and 42 seconds and keeps on running. But that’s on iPhone… watchOS 27 still ran the old Siri, with the old behavior. Until watchOS 27 beta 3, released this week. It adds the new Siri and Siri app, and I’m happy to say, my dumb little timer problem is fully resolved. I’m pretty sure the timer isn’t supposed to look like that.Foundry That’s not to say it’s perfect. The timer screen has a weird formatting problem (see above). And Siri is unusually slow on my watch (and, oddly enough, much faster on iPhone in beta 3 than it was in the first two beta releases). But it’s a beta, and there’s plenty of time to get better. And now I can simply add time to a timer on my wrist, so I can bake in peace again. Finally.

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9to5Mac Daily: July 8, 2026 – iOS 27 and watchOS 27 beta 3
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 Backblaze: Backup you can rely on. Save 20% with code 9to5daily.

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Ugreen Mac mini SSD Dock review: More storage, more ports
Macworld At a glanceExpert's Rating Pros Built-in NVMe SSD slot Matches Mac mini M4 Adds USB-A and card readers Cons Slow card readers Five USB-A overkill Our Verdict While five USB-A ports might be Considered too many, this dock adds what the Mac mini M4 is missing, and the built-in SSD enclosure enables you to affordably add up to 8TB of fast internal storage to your Mac mini setup. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Price When Reviewed$89.99 Best Prices Today: Ugreen Mac mini 11-in-1 Docking Station with SSD Expansion Retailer Price Ugreen $89.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket What is it? The Ugreen 11-in-1 Dock with SSD Expansion is a docking station that adds ports otherwise missing from the Apple Mac mini M4, while matching it in looks and compact footprint. Who is it for? Mac mini M4 users who need a flexible way to neatly expand their system’s storage plus get card readers and USB ports not offered by Apple’s mini. Who shouldn’t buy it? This Ugreen dock works only with the M4 Mac mini. If you want faster data-transfer rates, look to a Thunderbolt dock as this unit connects via 10Gbps USB-C that is fast but not peak 80Gbps Thunderbolt 5 or 40Gbps TB4. Apple’s Mac mini M4 is remarkably compact, but one thing it definitely isn’t is easy or affordable to upgrade. Once you’ve chosen your storage at checkout, you’re locked into it – and Apple’s SSD upgrade prices quickly become eye-watering, rising to thousands of dollars for higher capacities. That’s why the Ugreen 11-in-1 Docking Station with SSD Expansion is more compelling as a storage upgrade than as a dock. Its biggest selling point isn’t the extra USB ports or card readers, but the built-in M.2 NVMe SSD enclosure that lets you add up to 8TB of fast storage using a standard SSD at a fraction of Apple’s upgrade prices. It transforms the Mac mini into a system with storage you can expand whenever your needs change. The additional ports are almost a bonus. The dock restores USB-A connectivity and adds SD and microSD card readers, all while matching the Mac mini’s footprint so neatly that it looks like part of the computer rather than an accessory. Apple’s Mac mini is such an elegant design that placing it on top of a conventional dock feels aesthetically criminal, while also taking up unnecessary desk space. The Mac mini itself offers the essentials – two USB-C ports on the front, three Thunderbolt ports on the back, Gigabit Ethernet and HDMI – but little else. There’s no USB-A, and while many users won’t miss it, photographers and videographers may miss having built-in SD and microSD card readers. Ugreen’s Mac mini-matching dock solves both shortcomings while discreetly hiding an SSD enclosure underneath, making it the neatest and most affordable way to expand a Mac mini’s storage without compromising its compact design. Simon Jary Specs and features: What ports and features does it add? One upstream built-in USB-C cable (10Gbps) 1x USB-C (power input) 2x USB-C (10Gbps) 3x USB-A (10Gbps) 2x USB-A (5Gbps) M.2 SSD Enclosure (up to 8TB capacity) UHS-I SD card reader (104MBps) UHS-I microSD card reader (104MBps) USB-C power supply required Ugreen calls this an 11-port dock, but there’s really only 10 to play with as the eleventh is required to connect upstream to the Mac mini. None of these USB ports can output power to external devices, which is a missed opportunity, as hubs and docks are often convenient for charging other devices such as iPhones, iPads and even MacBooks. However, as the USB-C and Thunderbolt ports on the Mac mini itself can charge at 15W this is less of an issue, although iPhone fast charging requires at least 18W. Two of the dock’s USB-C ports are for attaching devices such as storage drives at 10Gbps. Ugreen does sell a $299 Thunderbolt 5 Mac mini M4 dock that pushes data transfer bandwidth to 80Gbps. We’ll review that when we’ve got confirmation that it will be available in the U.S. We’ve seen it in the U.K. but strangely not on the other side of the pond. A third brings power into the dock itself, which provides power in for the SSD when connected to an external USB-C charger. Alternatively, the dock can draw power from your Mac mini. Simon Jary The dock has five USB-A ports, which is surely overkill these days. Who has five legacy USB-A devices? If you are forever swapping in and out older thumb drives, then this might be useful. Otherwise, we’d have preferred more USB-C ports, and one with decent charging potential. None of the USB ports can be used to connect a monitor. The Mac mini itself can simultaneously support up to three displays—two up to 6K over Thunderbolt and one up to 5K Thunderbolt or a 4K over HDMI—so this is not really an issue. However, if one of the USB-C ports was powerful enough to connect to a display, it might free up one of the Mac mini’s Thunderbolts. The company also sells a model with a DisplayPort instead of two of the USB-C ports if you want to use it to add a monitor with that connection. Simon Jary Is the SSD expansion worth it? Adding internal storage to the Mac mini is inflexible and expensive. It must be customized at the point of purchase, and then it’s set. You can add external storage via the Thunderbolt ports but that is a messy solution when you consider the mini’s compact footprint and good looks. It’s also ruinously expensive compared to storage you can buy outside of the Apple Store. The base Mac mini M4 comes with 256GB of internal SSD storage. Doubling this via Apple to 512GB will cost you $200, $500 to 1TB, $1,000 to 2TB, $1,800 to 4TB, and $3,800 to 8TB. A dock such as this is much cheaper and more flexible. Underneath the dock is a screw-off panel that reveals an SSD slot that can take M.2 NVMe SSDs of types 2230, 2242, 2260 and 2280. Maximum capacity is 8TB. Installing an SSD card is pretty easy unless you have giant hands. It comes with a thermal gel strip to help manage temperatures that might otherwise lead to speed throttling. Where Apple would charge you nearly $4,000 for 8TB, you can buy an SSD card with the same for under $1,500 or more for the very fastest speeds. An extra 1TB might cost you around $180, and 2TB for under $300. Storage prices are volatile, so may be higher or lower when you purchase. The flexibility lies in the fact that you can upgrade this to a higher-capacity SSD when required. Note that there is no SSD pre-installed and you’ll need to buy this as an extra. The two card readers at the front of the dock support ultra-portable SD and MicroSD cards. You could just use these for backup storage, but at 104MBps UHS-I they are probably too slow to work directly from while the dock’s internal SSD supports up to 10Gbps. Simon Jary How well does it fit the Mac mini M4? The dock is designed and engineered to match the Mac mini M4, and blends seamlessly while adding the port and slot functionality. It sits underneath the mini. It connects to the Mac mini via its integrated short 4cm cable, keeping your desk neat and not detracting from the mini’s compact footprint. If you find the Mac mini’s power button tricky to reach, the dock’s clever cutout means you can turn it on without lifting it. Anti-slip silicone pads on the bottom add stability on the desk. Simon Jary Is it good value? The Ugreen Mac mini 11-in-1 Docking Station with SSD Expansion is priced at $89.99 / £89.99, although there were some discounts available at the time of writing. It’s also available from Amazon and Amazon U.K. Check our price comparison table in this review for live pricing. For alternative solutions, see our reviews of the best Mac docking stations. Should you buy the Ugreen Mac mini 11-in-1 Docking Station? The principal reason to consider this dock is its built-in SSD enclosure that enables you to flexibly and more affordably add up to 8TB of fast internal storage to your Mac mini setup. The storage card readers are also potentially useful to mini owners as Apple added one of these only to the pro-level Mac Studio. Five legacy USB-A ports is overkill but the two downstream 10Gbps USB-C ports will prove useful.

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Ditch subscription fees with PDF Reader Pro lifetime access for $39.99 for Mac users
Macworld TL;DR: Handle PDFs like a pro — edit, convert, annotate, sign, and organize files without adding another monthly charge. PDF Reader Pro bundles a complete toolkit with a lifetime license for $39.99 (MSRP $79.99). PDFs have become the default format for just about everything — job applications, contracts, invoices, reports, forms, and beyond. The real friction isn’t the files themselves, but the growing number of tools that lock basic editing behind ongoing subscriptions. PDF Reader Pro sidesteps that model entirely, offering a one-time purchase that unlocks editing, conversion, annotation, organization, and signing features in a single workspace for $39.99 (MSRP $79.99). PDF Reader Pro can edit text and images directly in a document, insert or replace content, and use bookmarks, search, and night mode to make long reading sessions easier. Markup tools let you highlight, strike out, underline, and comment right on the page. The app also lets you rearrange pages, merge or split files, rotate, crop, or delete pages, and batch add watermarks, headers, and footers. A batch compressor and encryptor help shrink and protect groups of files at once, and password protection keeps sensitive documents locked down. For more advanced work, there are tools to create fillable forms with text fields, buttons, radio buttons, and combo boxes. OCR support lets you extract text and turn scanned pages into editable, searchable PDFs, which cuts down on manual typing. You can fill and sign forms, use redaction to permanently block sensitive text, and apply a digital signature that verifies identity and intent. Right now, it’s only $39.99 to get a PDF Reader Pro lifetime license for Macs. PDF Reader Pro Premium License For Mac: Lifetime SubscriptionSee Deal StackSocial prices subject to change.

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