Sunday Reboot: Apple's gameshow phobia won't change anytime soon
In this week's "Sunday Reboot," Malcolm ponders why Apple TV doesn't do game shows, and if it ever will properly work competition-based shows into its streaming service.Planet of the Apps, Apple's first attempt to make a proper game show. Image Credit: AppleAnyone paying a subscription expects to get their money's worth from their monthly outlay, especially when it comes to streaming services. I occasionally look at the collection that I pay for each month, and if I haven't watched it enough in the last few months, it gets cancelled for a while.This does help save a bit of money, but the one that I simply cannot do this to is Apple TV. That's primarily because it's in my Apple One subscription and I use everything else in the package a lot. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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This might be the last place to get a $599 MacBook Neo
Macworld If you’re just finding out that Apple raised the price of the MacBook Neo to $699 and you’re scrambling to find it for $599, you’re running out of time. Amazon no longer has it in stock, which means the next time you see it there, it will be $699. The Apple Certified Refurbished Store is sold out, and there’s no telling when it will get new inventory. (The refurb store does have MacBook Airs and Pros in stock.) Best Buy is selling the Neo at the new prices, and B&H doesn’t carry it. It looks like your last resort is Walmart, which has the $599 MacBook Neo in Blush, Citrus, and Indigo in stock. The Silver model is gone. This is the model with a 256GB SSD and without Touch ID. If you want the MacBook Neo with a 512GB SSD and Touch ID, Walmart has it in Citrus, Indigo, and Silver for the old price of $699. Apple raised the price of this model to $799. Act now, because this laptop is sure to sell out soon, and when Walmart gets new inventory, it’ll be at the new $699/$799 prices. Get the $599 MacBook Neo at Walmart Get the $699 MacBook Neo at Walmart

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Today in Apple history: Mac LC 520 sets its sights on the classroom
On June 28, 1993, Apple shipped the Macintosh LC 520, an all-in-one Mac targeted at the education market and schools' multimedia needs. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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This homebrew Apple II skips emulation, does it all in hardware
A project has cloned the Apple II Plus, but instead of using emulation, it goes the harder route by rebuilding Apple's classic computer in hardware.A homebrew Apple II Clone - Image Credit: Simon Boak/Unimplementedtrap.comIf someone wants to get the experience of using Apple's vintage products, they often turn to a software emulator. However, as one project proves, it's possible to get the same effect by focusing on the hardware side.Posted on Sunday by Simon Boak, the SB Mini II is referred to as a "Homebrew Apple II Clone." It is a rebuild of the Apple II Plus from a hardware standpoint, but using modern components. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Why Apple silicon Macs aren’t immune to RAM price hikes
Despite what's sometimes claimed on social media, Apple cannot escape memory prices that have doubled in recent months. 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 working on M7 Ultra Mac Studio for 2028 with potential major upgrade: report
Later this year, Apple will be debuting an updated version of the Mac Studio with M5 Max and M5 Ultra chips – a long awaited refresh. The current Mac Studio, released in early 2025, includes an M4 Max and M3 Ultra chip, so at least on the high end, it’s pretty behind. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the M5-based Mac Studio, which should just be a chip upgrade, is still on track to launch this year. Looking ahead to 2028, there may be more interesting changes in the pipeline.

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M5 Ultra Mac Studio still due in 2026, M7 Ultra in 2028
Apple is still expected to update the Mac Studio with the M5 Ultra in 2026 and an M7 Ultra version in 2028, but don't expect major changes to the form.Mac StudioThe Apple Silicon chip series consists of four tiers, with the standard base model, Pro, and Max variants appearing in every generation. The fourth, the Ultra chip, hasn't seen a release since the M3 Ultra, with the M4 Ultra skipped entirely.The Mac Studio is the model of Mac to get if you want the massive number of cores that the Ultra model provides. If Mark Gurman's "Power On" newsletter for Bloomberg on Sunday is accurate, you won't have to wait long for the next release. Rumor Score: 🤯 Likely Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Your iPhone could soon be spotted by license plate cameras
SignalTrace adds Bluetooth and Wi-Fi tracking to license plate cameras, letting police link your iPhone to your car without a warrant. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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How to create a macOS Golden Gate USB install drive [Video]
In this hands-on guide, I’ll show you how to transform a USB drive into a macOS Golden Gate USB installer. Having access to a macOS Golden Gate USB installer is useful for upgrading from macOS Tahoe or earlier versions of macOS across multiple Macs, among other use cases. Have a look at my full hands-on video walkthrough, and be sure to subscribe to 9to5Mac on YouTube for more Mac guides and tutorials.

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How to watch the Formula 1 race for free right now
This weekend, Apple TV is running a special promotion where all of its Formula 1 streaming is available for anyone in the United States to watch for free, no Apple TV subscription required. The Austrian Grand Prix race is about to start, and if you want to tune, simply open the Apple TV app on your preferred device.

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Crime blotter: School board vice president accused of having illicit images on iPhone
Signals from AirPods solved two crimes: a woman was arrested for refusing to leave an Apple Store, and a Bangladeshi presenter's iPhone was stolen, all in this week's Apple Crime Blotter.Apple Orland Square Mall - Image Credit: AppleThe latest from an occasional AppleInsider feature, looking at the world of Apple-related crime. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Normally over $500, this Intuit QuickBooks is now only $299.99
Macworld TL;DR: Get a full year of Intuit QuickBooks on sale for $299.99. Small businesses pay a steady drip of monthly fees for tools that used to live on a single computer, and accounting software is one of the worst offenders. Intuit QuickBooks Desktop Pro Plus 2024 for Mac is a simpler alternative without the monthly fee, and right now, you can get a full year subscription on sale for $299.99 (reg. $536). QuickBooks runs natively on macOS Monterey or newer, on both Intel and Apple Silicon Macs, so the app sits on your hard drive instead of behind a browser login. Day-to-day work covers what most small businesses spend their time on. Send invoices, log expenses against the right project, manage purchase and sales orders, and pull reports whenever tax season or a slow Tuesday calls for a closer look at the numbers. Job costing tracks profitability project by project, useful for contractors or agencies billing multiple clients at once. A landscaper running three jobs at once can see which one is actually paying and which one is quietly bleeding into a loss. Inventory tracking handles stock and costs for product businesses, and fixed asset management runs depreciation on equipment without anyone needing to open a spreadsheet. Right now, it’s only $299.99 to get an Intuit QuickBooks Desktop Pro Plus 1-year subscription. Intuit QuickBooks Desktop Pro Plus 2024 for Mac (1 User): 1-Year SubscriptionSee Deal StackSocial prices subject to change.

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PDF editing on Mac just got a lot less painful with this lifetime $79.99 tool
Macworld TL;DR: PDF Expert is a Mac PDF editor that lets you edit, sign, annotate, convert, and manage documents with ease. It’s now $79.99 for a lifetime license (MSRP $139.99), with no subscription required. If you deal with PDFs at all, you’ve probably run into how annoying and limited many editors can feel. PDF Expert is a Mac-only app that makes handling PDFs far more seamless and natural, and it’s currently just $79.99 (MSRP $139.99) for a lifetime subscription. With a lifetime subscription, you can edit PDFs without restrictions. Need to fix a typo, drop in a new logo, or update a paragraph? It’s all easy to do. You can even add links, fill out forms, and sign documents in just a few clicks. The layout is clean and intuitive, which makes a big difference if you’re used to complicated or slow PDF tools. For reviewing files, PDF Expert gives you everything from highlights and pop-up notes to custom stamps. You can combine multiple PDFs into one, rearrange pages, or split out just the parts you need. It also handles file conversions, so you can turn PDFs into Word docs, Excel spreadsheets, images, or PowerPoint slides. One of the best features is the built-in OCR. If you’ve ever scanned a document and realized you couldn’t search or copy the text, this fixes that. It even enhances scan quality and lets you crop pages or remove extra margins. PDF Expert works on macOS 12 or later and is yours for life. It includes ongoing support and bug fixes. If you’re tired of clunky PDF editors or subscription models that never end, this may be the move. Right now, it’s only $79.99 to get a PDF Expert Premium lifetime plan. PDF Expert Premium Plan: Lifetime Subscription (Mac)See Deal StackSocial prices subject to change.

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MagSafe battery banks: Best picks for your iPhone 17, iPhone Air, and more
With iPhone Air, Apple reintroduced the MagSafe battery pack. It’s $99, and optimized specifically for iPhone Air. It’s rather slim, though it’s rather weak in capacity – making Qi2 alternatives all the more interesting. We’ll be delving into the top options on the market, just in case you want a higher capacity MagSafe battery for your iPhone, or aren’t buying the iPhone Air.

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