Ring toss: Why the Apple Watch activity goals need an update
Macworld Right from the start, the Apple Watch eschewed the popularly recommended target of clocking 10,000 steps a day — and for good reason. For one thing, the 10,000 steps goal is entirely arbitrary: there’s no science behind it, and it was first chosen largely because it’s an easy number to remember. The thought was that it would make a good round number that could motivate people to become more active. But as Apple’s former vice president of fitness technologies Jay Blahnik said back in 2017, most people walk around 2,500 to 3,500 steps a day.  That’s where the rings come in. Apple’s Fitness app measures your daily progress using three metrics: movement, exercise and standing. These are represented as rings: the more progress you make towards each daily objective, the closer each ring comes to being closed. But a decade after Apple Watch blew up the 10,000 step objective , are rings still the best way to understand your current health and fitness? We asked the experts what they had to say, from fitness app developers to academics studying the impact of wearable tech on human health. And what we learned might end up surprising you. A good starting point Kriss Smolka has always loved the Apple Watch. The iOS developer and creator of wellbeing apps such as FitnessView and WaterMinder told Macworld that he has used the Apple Watch “since day one.” Despite trying other fitness devices, Smolka explained that “none was up to Apple’s quality.” Part of that loyalty comes down to the Watch’s ring system, Smolka contends. He describes it as his “partner in keeping me accountable” and says its metrics are “very useful in my personal life.” Apple gamified exercise with its system of visual daily goals—but are they still the best way to measure activity?Foundry Smolka adds that that feeling extends to the users of his apps, too. “We receive feedback from our FitnessView app that [people] use the ring calendar to view monthly progress,” he told us. “People love seeing closed rings.” That resonates with researchers. According to Yang Wei, Professor of Wearable Technology at Nottingham Trent University in the U.K., the idea of “closing your rings” is a good one. As Wei put it, Apple’s approach works “because it turns behavior change into a simple daily goal system and gives frequent feedback about progress.” However, that might not be true in all cases. Wei told us that while Apple’s ring system works for many people, that won’t be true for everyone. “People respond differently, as those already active may not need it,” Wei argued. “Those strongly disengaged might ignore it, but people in the middle often benefit most from nudges and clear targets.” Wei has the data to back up his assertions. “From an evidence perspective,” he says, “wearables and activity trackers can increase physical activity on average but typically with modest-to-moderate effects and wide variation by person and context. One major review reported effects roughly equivalent to [approximately] 1,800 extra steps [per] day and [approximately] 40 minutes [per] day more walking on average, plus small improvements in weight and fitness.” While it might not change your world completely, a feature like the Apple Watch rings can help to push people in the right direction. Because as Wei points out, while self-motivation matters, “it is rarely sufficient on its own.” Indeed, even something like an on-device motivator such as the ‘close your rings’ system might not be enough. “Wearables tend to be more effective when combined with additional components like goal setting, coaching, counseling or structured prompts, rather than being used alone,” Wei contends, adding that, “Most people do better with a support system that makes the desired behavior easier and more rewarding.” That can mean personalized goals, accountability, social motivation and reducing friction through making exercise the ‘default.’ In other words, closing your rings is a good starting point for a lot of people, but it works best as part of a broader package of fitness work and support. The Apple Watch’s Activity Rings have become a centerpiece of the fitness tracker’s utility.Foundry Sound design Like everything Apple does, design has played a key role in the use of rings to quantify your day on the Apple Watch. As Blahnik described, “Typical activity trackers also measure metrics but they tend to do them in numbers. We’ve built our entire design around a visual. Well, what’s interesting about a visual is numbers continue to get bigger. No matter how big they are, they can always be bigger. But a ring is either closed or not closed. So we’ve found there’s a real addictive behavior in making sure that final ring gets closed.” For Brandon Ballinger, co-founder of heart wellness company Empirical Health, separating health goals into three rings makes sense; after all, “Health is multidimensional, so the concept of a multidimensional score is sound,” he told us. However, Ballinger noted that “the specific visual representation matters less than the specific dimensions you choose.” To illustrate the point, Ballinger explains that Empirical Health displays your progress as rainbows rather than rings. The Apple Watch’s Activity Rings could use a modern update.Foundry Still, Ballinger believes Apple could improve the data it presents by replacing calories, exercise minutes and stand hours with nutrition, exercise and sleep. If we were to restrict the choices purely to physical activity, Apple could choose “total minutes of cardiovascular activity, minutes spent in zone five (high intensity cardio), and strength,” which all have strong support in the medical literature, Ballinger adds. But Apple could take things even further, Wei says, by allowing users to set a custom ring with their own choice of metric. Or the company could “Shift emphasis from daily streaks to weekly consistency,” which is “often more realistic and less guilt-inducing.” And while calories make for an “intuitive” metric, Wei says they can be “noisy and sometimes demotivating.” A better alternative might be frequency or consistency of activity. Food for thought Ultimately, all three experts we spoke to believed that Apple’s idea of closing your rings is a good one, albeit one where improvements can be made. For Ballinger, whose own app is centered on strengthening users’ heart health, a greater focus on nutrition would go a long way to improving people’s health and tackling heart disease. Wei, meanwhile, says that closing your rings is a good motivator for people who are ready for change, but might not be the most effective way to get healthier if you’re totally disengaged from your own wellbeing. Still, closing your rings provides the incentive to get up and move for millions of people around the world. As Smolka put it, the Apple Watch is “a great tool and motivator to stay healthy.” Much of that is thanks to its now-iconic ring design.  But while Wei feels that while Apple’s selection of metrics is good, “it can be improved.” While “the three rings target three meaningful drivers of health,” other options would be “strength, mobility, recovery, sleep, and long-term sustainability.”

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9to5Mac Daily: July 3, 2026 – Apple Creator Studio updates, 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 Backblaze: Backup you can rely on. Save 20% with code 9to5daily.

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Leaker Jon Prosser denies Apple's charges and blames everything on his co-defendant
Jon Prosser has formally responded to Apple's lawsuit over alleged iOS leaks, claiming that he is entirely innocent and that colleague Michael Ramacciotti is solely responsible for any alleged trade secret theft.Jon Prosser in a still from one of his Front Page Tech videos — image credit: ProsserApple's now year-long case against Prosser had initially seen the YouTuber repeatedly ignoring court deadlines. He began responding in April 2026, and his lawyers have now formally filed his rebuttal to Apple's accusations that he and Ramacciotti conspired to steal trade secrets from Apple employee Ethan Lipnik."Ramacciotti's is [sic] responsible for all harm caused to Prosser and should indemnify him for all harm caused," says the filing. "Ramacciotti's act of displaying the features was not induced by Prosser and, as such, Ramacciotti is completely responsible for the disclosure of Apple's alleged trade secrets, if any." Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Mophie StealthCharge 4-in-1 Wireless Charge Stand review: Smart solution to wireless charging’s heat problem
Macworld At a glanceExpert's Rating Pros 3-in-1 for iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods 60W retractable USB-C cable (4-in-1) Fast 25W for iPhone (16 and later) Apple Watch fast charge Adjustable viewing angles Includes 40W/100W charger Cons Expensive compared with rivals 25W limited to iPhone 16+ Our Verdict Mophie’s clever StealthCharge technology enables this multi-device charger to deliver a cooler, faster, and quieter charging experience than found in most other Apple device chargers. The retractable cable in the 4-in-1 model means you shouldn’t need another charger even for your MacBook. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Price When Reviewed$179.95 Best Prices Today: Mophie 4-in-1 Wireless Charge Stand Retailer Price $179.95 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket What is it? Mophie’s StealthCharge is a new wireless charging design that moves heat-generating electronics from the charging pad into the stand’s base, keeping your iPhone cooler while maintaining full charging speeds. Unlike most MagSafe chargers, it reduces heat without noisy cooling fans, resulting in faster, quieter and more consistent wireless charging. Who is it for? Apple users wanting fast, cooler multi-device charging with minimal desk clutter, especially iPhone 16 owners and anyone charging a MacBook too. Mophie’s StealthCharge is a new wireless charging design that moves heat-generating electronics from the charging pad into the stand’s base, keeping your iPhone cooler while maintaining full charging speeds. Unlike most MagSafe chargers, it reduces heat without noisy cooling fans, resulting in faster, quieter and more consistent wireless charging. Wireless charging is so fast these days that it’s catching up with wired cable charging. The only thing holding wireless charging back from truly catching up with wired cable power is the inefficiency of heat that can force the device being charged to slow the charger down when it gets too hot for the phone’s good. Mophie, a pioneer in phone charging since the beginning, has come up with a novel solution that’s so simple it seems strange that it’s not commonplace. It calls its new technology StealthCharge, and its first products are a range of multi-device chargers: the 3-in-1 and 4-in-1 Wireless Charge Stands and another folding travel charger called Roam. Why wireless charging usually generates heat Wireless charging is convenient because it eliminates the need to find the right cable when your phone needs a boost of power. It has improved rapidly with Apple’s MagSafe technology that corrected charging coil misalignment between phone and charger. MagSafe and its third-party Qi2 and Qi 2.2 offspring have progressed the coil alignment to reduce the magnetic field not transferring energy (electromagnetic induction) efficiently, which otherwise can generate heat. Temperature is a battery’s nemesis. To protect its battery, your phone’s thermal management system automatically throttles charging speeds when the heat risks damaging it. This throttling slows down charging. To reduce this heat problem and maintain a steady charge, some manufacturers install fans near the charging pads, but this can create unwanted noise as the fans struggle to reduce the heat. Simon Jary How StealthCharge reduces heat Mophie’s solution is clever because, like many of the best challenge beaters, it’s simple. I’m sure the engineering isn’t simple, but the idea is. StealthCharge moves the hottest components from the charging pad itself (in direct contact with the phone) to the product’s base. In effect, the base now serves as a heat sink to dissipate heat more efficiently. The power is then sent to the charging pad via the stand’s stem. StealthCharge relocates the following components: Integrated controller circuitry, including the 25W Qi2.2 controller integrated circuit Power Delivery (PD) negotiation integrated circuit DC-to-DC buck-boost integrated circuit: a power management chip that can both step-down (buck) and step-up (boost) input voltage to provide a stable, perfectly matched output Supporting MOSFETs (Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistors) that act as microscopic, high-speed electronic regulators. Inductors that temporarily store energy in a magnetic field and resist sudden changes in current to convert high-voltage wall electricity into a safe, steady flow for the battery A remaining source of heat is the charging coil itself. To address that, Mophie’s engineers also designed a dedicated heat sink around the wireless coil that helps transfer heat away from the charging area where it can be passively dissipated through the integrated cooling vents. The net effect is a charging architecture that promotes cooler operation by design rather than relying on fans or reducing charging speed after heat has already accumulated. This enables the chargers to maintain full 25W Qi2.2 charging performance while operating silently. During testing the phone never exceeded what might be described as a mildly warm temperature. I told you it’s not simple engineering to move this clever stuff around, but we don’t need to worry about that. We can just benefit from the enhanced energy transfer efficiency. Other 25W Qi2.2 wireless chargers will power up your iPhone at the same speed but a fan or StealthCharge makes it more likely that the 25W is passing without interruption. Simon Jary What does the Mophie Charge Stand include? There are two versions of Mophie’s StealthCharge Charge Stands: a 3-in-1 model that wirelessly charges iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods; and a 4-in-1 model that adds a retractable USB-C cable for charging iPads and MacBooks. All three or four devices can be charged at the same time, and Mophie includes a wall charger to cope with all the power: 40W for the 3-in-1 and a 100W charger for the 4-in-1. Output: Phone: 25W AirPods: 5W Apple Watch: 5W Cable: 60W The 4-in-1 Charge Stand can charge an iPad, MacBook or a second iPhone (iPhone 15 or later) using its integrated retractable USB-C cable.Simon Jary The 25W iPhone-charging pad works with all iPhones from the iPhone 12 onwards, but only the iPhone 16 and later support the full 25W. iPhone 15 and earlier are limited to 15W charging. In a stable charging environment 15W wireless charging should power an iPhone from 0% to 50% in around 45 minutes. 25W charging can do the same job in 30 minutes or so. The saved 15 minutes might not sound much and matters not at all if you are charging overnight but when you need power in a hurry it can make a noticeable difference. The 5W Apple Watch charger is compliant with Apple’s Watch fast charge rules, and you can’t charge your AirPods any faster without inserting a cable. The 4-in-1 Charge Stand’s retractable 2-foot (700mm) USB-C cable can supply up to 60W to a connected device, be that a second phone, an iPad, MacBook or other USB-C device. The 4-in-1 Mophie Charging Stand tucks a retractable 60W USB-C charging cable at the back of its base.Simon Jary 60W will keep even the 16-inch MacBook Pro charged to a reasonable level and is not far off Apple’s fast-charge input (70W) for the MacBook Air and offers three times the power as the charger that Apple includes with its MacBook Neo (unless you are based in the U.K. or E.U. where Apple doesn’t include a charger at all!). What’s it like to use every day? The Mophie Charge Stand is a classic desk or nightstand elevated stand with the iPhone-charging pad at the front with a recessed AirPods case charging module below in the sturdy weighted base. The Apple Watch charger sticks out the back. You can tilt the iPhone charging surface to your preferred viewing angle or flatten it straight for video chats. Simon Jary It has a small footprint, measuring 3.15 x 4.05 x 5.6 inches (80 x 103 x 142mm), and like most multi-device chargers will reduce messy and inconvenient cable clutter. It weighs 13.5oz (384g). The lack of a fan makes this an appealing nightstand charger as you wouldn’t want a fan blaring away while you try to sleep. To be fair to charger manufacturers such as ESR (CryoBoost) and Belkin (ChillBoost), these fans are near whisper quiet. Read our reviews of the ESR CryoBoost 3-in-1 Magnetic 25W Charging Station and the Belkin UltraCharge Pro 3-in-1 Magnetic Charging Dock. Each model is available in three colors: Black, White (silver with white charging areas) and Gold (closer to a champagne). Simon Jary How much does it cost? The Mophie 3-in-1 Wireless Charge Stand is priced at $149.95 / £119.95. The 4-in-1 costs $179.95 / £139.95. Mophie 3-in-1 Wireless Charge Stand Price When Reviewed: $149.95 Best Prices Today: $149.95 at Apple Mophie 4-in-1 Wireless Charge Stand Read our review Price When Reviewed: $179.95 Best Prices Today: $179.95 at Apple Both Charge Stands include a 1.5m USB-C cable. The 4-in-1 Charge Stand ships with a 100W wall charger, and the 3-in-1 a 40W charger. Check out our reviews of the best wireless charging stations for alternatives, although if you admire this form factor there’s nothing really to stop you ordering one right away. Simon Jary Should you buy the Mophie Charge Stand? The stand itself is a classic shape with the fastest-available wireless outputs in a choice of colors, and with a tilting iPhone charging pad. But the real benefit is in Mophie’s clever StealthCharge technology that promotes cooler charging by efficiently moving heat away from the device, delivering a cooler, faster, and quieter charging experience than found in most other Apple device chargers. The retractable cable in the 4-in-1 model means you shouldn’t need another charger even for your MacBook.

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Grab OWC Thunderbolt docks, cables, enclosures from just $19.99 with exclusive deals
Exclusive 4th of July deals are in effect at OWC, dropping prices for enclosures, docks, and Thunderbolt 5 cables to as low as $19.99.Save on OWC Thunderbolt 5 docks, cables, enclosures - Image credit: OWCThe sale includes a variety of accessories for your Mac or iPad, with OWC's 11-Port Thunderbolt 5 Dock especially enticing at $229.99 after a $69 discount.You can also pick up a Thunderbolt 5 cable for $19.99 and a ThunderBay 4 Enclosure for $309.99. The four-bay Thunderbolt (40Gb/s) external storage enclosure for 2.5-inch and 3.5-inch SATA drives is a great way to expand your storage, especially if you're a content creator needing an abundance of space. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Your Mac has over 1,200 hidden features— this $40 app unlocks them
Macworld TL;DR: MacPilot lets you customize, optimize, and maintain your Mac with more than 1,200 hidden settings—all for a one-time $39.99 lifetime license. Your Mac is powerful — but most of that power stays locked behind complicated command lines and hidden menus you’ll probably never see. Unless, of course, you’ve got MacPilot. Right now, you can grab a lifetime license for just $39.99 and unlock over 1,200 features you didn’t even know your Mac had. With MacPilot, you can: Show hidden files in Finder Disable that infamous startup chime Add spacers and stacks to the Dock Change screenshot formats on the fly Run maintenance tools to optimize speed Access detailed system profiles and error codes It’s like going from passenger to pilot of your Mac — complete control without having to type a single line of code. Whether you want to streamline your workflow, clean up performance, or just geek out customizing your desktop, MacPilot has you covered. And since it comes with lifetime access and upgrades, it’s the kind of tool that will pay for itself every time you use it. Your Mac has always had more to give — MacPilot just hands you the keys. Get lifetime access to MacPilot while it’s just $39.99 (MSRP: $99). MacPilot Lifetime LicenseSee Deal StackSocial prices subject to change.

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Never worry about running out of space again — 6TB of cloud storage for a flat $140
Macworld TL;DR: Get 6TB of lifetime encrypted cloud storage for $139.95 (MSRP $432) with Scramble Cloud, featuring end-to-end encryption, private sharing, and secure access across your devices. Running out of storage is frustrating. Handing your files over to a service that can access them isn’t much better. If you’re looking for a cloud storage solution that puts privacy on equal footing with convenience, Scramble Cloud is worth a closer look. Scramble Cloud’s lifetime 6TB plan is available for $139.95 (MSRP $432), giving you a massive amount of storage without another recurring bill. More importantly, every file is encrypted on your device before it’s uploaded, so only you — and the people you choose to share with — can access your data. It’s more than just a place to stash files, too. Scramble Cloud includes features that make it practical for everyday use: End-to-end encryption with zero-knowledge architecture Secure file sharing through encrypted links and groups WebDAV support to mount your cloud storage like a local drive Browser, desktop, and command line access across devices Encrypted video streaming plus document previews for Word and Excel files Two-factor authentication and GDPR-compliant infrastructure Whether you’re backing up years of photos, storing large work projects, or simply trying to keep everything in one secure place, Scramble Cloud offers plenty of room to grow without sacrificing privacy. Take cloud storage off your monthly budget and secure 6TB for life with Scramble Cloud for just $139.95 (MSRP $432). Scramble Cloud Storage Lifetime Subscription (6TB)See Deal StackSocial prices subject to change.

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Apple says public YouTube videos can be used in AI lawsuit defense
Apple is asking a federal court to dismiss the YouTuber AI training lawsuit, on the grounds that publicly available YouTube videos are lawfully accessible under both the DMCA and YouTube's Terms of Service.Apple seeks dismissal of YouTube AI training lawsuitIn April 2026, a collection of YouTube channels sued Apple, claiming the company had scraped videos from YouTube to train internal AI models.The class-action lawsuit was headed up by Ted Entertainment, owners of the h3h3Productions channels and podcast. Two golf channels, MrShortGameGolf and Golfholics, were also involved. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Prosser denies conspiring to steal Apple secrets in lawsuit response, blames Ramacciotti
After getting a second chance to formally respond to Apple’s lawsuit, Jon Prosser filed his answer today, disputing the company’s account of how he obtained and published details about the Liquid Glass revamp. Here are the details.

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Silo season three is streaming today on Apple TV
The hit sci-fi series Silo is back today for a third season, streaming exclusively on Apple TV. Based on the book series by Hugh Howey, the acclaimed series sees the human population living in a vast underground bunker, but no one really knows how it came to be. In the third season, a split timeline narrative begins to reveal some of the show’s biggest mysteries. In the present timeline, Juliette (star Rebecca Ferguson) struggles with amnesia, while in the past timeline, flashbacks show who, how and why the silos were built in the first place.

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Anker Solix E10 review: Whole home battery backups finally come within reach
The Anker Solix E10 whole-home battery backup system is a modular setup that can keep your home powered and save you money with multiple forms of power input.Anker Solix E10 review: The E10 Power Module connected to the Power Dock.In rural Ohio, my partner and I have struggled with power outages since we bought our house. The first weekend we moved in, we were hit with a power outage, and as we walked outside, we heard all of our neighbors turning on loud, gas-powered generators.We knew this was common and had to find a solution. Until the Solix E10, we've relied primarily on multiple battery backups in the house to keep the internet running, devices charged, and appliances going during these outages. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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iOS 27 helps apps detect when a user may be getting scammed in real time
A new iOS 27 framework will help apps fight back against social engineering scams as they unfold via voice calls, text messages, emails, and more. Here are the details.

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What to expect from Apple's Q3 2026 results on July 30
Apple has confirmed that its financials for the third quarter of 2026 will be reported on July 30. It certainly will be an event with a lot of talking points from the quarter, and it might be the last one with Tim Cook in attendance.The Q3 results will be Cook's last as CEOEvery three months, Apple issues a quarterly report revealing how well it's performed during the period. The third quarter results arrive at the end of July.In a notification to investors and analysts, Apple states that it will be bringing out the third quarter results on July 30. The results will be followed by Apple's usual conference call at 5 p.m. EDT, featuring both current CEO Tim Cook and CFO Kevan Parekh to talk about the numbers. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Apple sets Q3 2026 earnings release for July 30
Apple will announce the results of its fiscal third quarter of 2026 on Thursday, July 30. Here’s what to expect.

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9to5Mac Daily: July 2, 2026 – Apple Watch rumors, Apple Pay update
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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Explore every iPad ever released in this interactive timeline
After releasing an interactive timeline of every iPhone ever made, sheets.works is back with a similar project covering every iPad Apple has released since 2010. Here are the details.

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M7 chip coming sooner than expected, visionOS 27 features, Ask9to5Mac
Benjamin and Chance react to the news from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman that Apple is accelerating the roadmap for the M7 series of Apple Silicon chips, somewhat at the expense of the as-yet-unreleased M6 line. Also, we break down what’s new in visionOS 27 and do some summer Ask9to5Mac questions.  And in Happy Hour Plus, Benjamin and Chance pick their favorite grab-bag features from the iOS 27 WWDC cloud side. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join. Sponsored by Square: Get up to $200 off Square hardware when you sign up at square.com/go/happyhour. Sponsored by Shopify: All you need is the idea. Shopify handles the rest. Start your free trial at shopify.com/happyhour. Sponsored by Cash App: Download Cash App Today: https://click.cash.app/ui6m/i4d1b1x2 #CashAppPod

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iPhone Fold could help raise average foldable phone prices by 18%, per report
According to Counterpoint Research, Apple’s entry into the foldable smartphone market will be one of the factors driving an 18% increase in average sale prices in the category in 2026. Here are the details.

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Volkswagen to add Apple Wallet Car Keys for iPhone and Apple Watch
Apple enthusiasts who drive Volkswagens have reason to get excited. New server-side code discovered in Apple’s systems shows that VW… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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Apple’s stock recovers after hit from unprecedented price hikes on products
Last week, Apple announced dramatic price increases on Macs, iPads, and other products due to rising component costs. As a result, Apple’s stock price took a dive. As we head into the holiday weekend, however, $AAPL has rebounded with a 5% gain today.

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