Tinderbox 11.8
Note-taking assistant improves AI connectivity, prompting, and resources. ($289 new, free update, 37.6 MB, macOS 11+)

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Apple preps pair of redesigned Apple Pencils for iPad
Two new Apple Pencil models are reportedly in development, with refreshed designs expected to debut alongside the 2027 iPad Pro. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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M6 era will last just six months as Apple pushes for AI-focused M7
It takes years to tape out a chip and bring it to market, with overall industry seismic shifts taking much less time. Nothing will demonstrate that better than the rumored six-month gap between the M6 processor debut and the AI-focused M7.With no M6 Pro or M6 Max on the horizon, don't expect much from the Mac Studio. Apple's chip lines have gradually become more AI-centric, and that will be the same in the future too. However, rather than sticking to an established release format, Apple's intending to skip ahead to the bits it wants the public to use.In Sunday's "Power On" newsletter for Bloomberg, Mark Gurman revives a late June report that the M6 Pro and M6 Max chips won't exist. Instead, it is putting the work into the development of AI-first chips for the M7 generation. Rumor Score: 🤔 Possible Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Power of Apple's M7 & M8 chips was born from Apple Car research
We've been telling you this for years — Apple Car research wasn't lit on fire, and the fruits of Apple's labor on it will be seen in artificial intelligence performance in the M7 and M8 processor.16-inch MacBook Pro will be the first to get M7 Pro processorsBefore AI used to be called Apple's biggest failure, that title went to the Apple Car which was cancelled after ten years of development and ten billion dollars of investment. AppleInsider argued at the time that Apple Car research would pay off, but now both of these failures are being recast as positives, with Bloomberg saying this research is being used in designing future AI processors.The report claims that for the future M7 and M8 processors, Apple is concentrating more on AI support than on issues such as overall speed and power efficiency. This reportedly means that these chip designs for the Mac and Apple Intelligence servers are based on the company's efforts toward a self-driving car. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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M7 Ultra to potentially feature up to 1.5TB of RAM, finally matching 2019 Mac Pro: report
According to the latest Power On newsletter from Mark Gurman, Apple is preparing to include up to 1.5TB of RAM in the upcoming M7 Ultra chip. This’ll mean Apple Silicon will finally match the highest RAM configuration available on the highest end 2019 Intel Mac Pro.

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Today in Apple history: ‘Antennagate’ scandal hits its peak
The iPhone 4 suffered a major blow when a "Consumer Reports" review failed to recommend the new smartphone. "Antennagate" was real. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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EU regulations could force an Apple Pencil upgrade in early 2027
The iPad Pro with M6 is expected in early 2027 and Apple may release upgraded Apple Pencil models with easier-to-replace batteries in time for new EU regulations.EU regulations will force Apple to rethink Apple Pencil designThe European Union mandated in 2023 that consumer electronics must have easily replaced batteries by 2027. One of Apple's notoriously impossible-to-repair products is the Apple Pencil, which could see some design changes to meet this mandate.According to the "Power On" newsletter from Bloomberg, Apple is expected to release an updated Apple Pencil Pro and Apple Pencil with USB-C in early 2027. That timing aligns with previous reports of an iPad Pro refresh during the same release window. Rumor Score: 🤯 Likely Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Apple developing new Apple Pencil models for release next year, possibly with replaceable batteries
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman says that Apple is developing a new lineup of Apple Pencil stylus accessories, set for launch next year alongside new iPad Pro models in spring 2027. This would mean new generations of Apple Pencil (USB-C) and the wireless-charging Apple Pencil Pro. Bloomberg suggests that these new stylus could feature new battery systems, which would make them more easily user-replaceable in order to comply with upcoming EU regulation.

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Assess Apple's imminent Back to School sales, before you pull the trigger on a bad deal
Apple is preparing to launch its annual Back to School promotions in the United States. Take a minute after they're revealed to assess before you buy, because they're very rarely blockbuster deals, and other vendors will likely have better ones.MacBook Neo will be a popular item this Back to School sales period. Each summer, Apple joins the rest of retailers by holding Back To School offers. Preparing for the academic year ahead, students and teachers can get some extra money off from their purchases.While the Education Store pricing discount is helpful, the Back to School promotions often sweeten the deal with steeper discounts or free items. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Gurman: Apple’s ‘Back to School’ deal for U.S. students likely launching later this week
Every year, Apple has a ‘Back to School’ promo for students – offering some kind of special incentive if they buy a Mac or iPad during the promotional window. Typically, this has come in the form of free accessories (like AirPods), or a $100-150 Apple gift card. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the offer should be returning later this week.

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iOS 27 public beta arrives soon — prep your iPhone now
The first iOS 27 public beta is almost here. While the launch could come any day, it's more likely to still be weeks away. 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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Crime blotter: Stolen iPad leads to arrest of accused bank robber
A woman is bitten after her iPad is stolen, dozens of iPads are stolen from an elementary school, and a man is arrested for selling fake AirPods to police, all in this week's Apple Crime Blotter.The Lenox Square Apple Store (Apple) The latest in an occasional AppleInsider series examining the world of Apple-related crime. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Make PDF editing on your Mac faster, easier, and subscription-free for a one-time $79.99
Macworld TL;DR: Edit, convert, sign, annotate, and organize PDFs on your Mac with a PDF Expert Premium lifetime license, now $79.99 (MSRP $139.99). Anyone who deals with PDFs knows the frustration of slow, feature-limited editors. PDF Expert for Mac streamlines everything from editing to annotation, making document work far more intuitive — and a lifetime license is currently just $79.99 (MSRP $139.99). 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. For a limited time, 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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ChatGPT is $20/month, but this app gives you ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini for life for $60
Macworld TL;DR: Replace your monthly fees for ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude with a lifetime subscription to ChatPlayground, on sale now for $59.97 — Offer ends 7/19. Subscribing to ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini all at once means three separate monthly bills, each around $20. ChatPlayground bundles the major AI models into one platform, and it’s on sale for $59.97 right now (reg. $619). ChatPlayground runs in your browser and puts more than 20 AI tools in a single window. Type one prompt and see answers from GPT-4o, Claude Sonnet 4, Gemini 1.5 Flash, DeepSeek V3, Llama, Perplexity, and others side by side, then keep whichever result actually answers your question. No more asking the same thing in four different tabs to figure out which model knows what it’s talking about. ChatPlayground does everything Generate images directly in the platform Work through coding problems with model comparisons Upload images or PDFs and get answers based on what’s inside them Use built-in prompt engineering tools to sharpen a vague request Keep saved chat history around for ongoing projects The Unlimited plan means you can use it as much as you want, with no daily or monthly limits on prompts. You’ll also get priority access to new models as they’re added, which matters given how quickly this space moves. Stop paying for three subscriptions just to get your work done. Get a ChatPlayground AI Unlimited Plan lifetime subscription for $59.97 through 7/19. ChatPlayground AI: Lifetime Subscription (Unlimited Plan)See Deal StackSocial prices subject to change.

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iPadOS 27 still needs simpler multitasking, here’s what I’d like to see
Last year, Apple completely reinvented multitasking on the iPad, with the introduction of windowing in iPadOS 26. At first, this meant the removal of the simpler version of multitasking, Split View and Slide Over. Those features did eventually return, but at a cost – they required you to use the clunky new windowing system. I was hoping iPadOS 27 would improve this, but it didn’t.

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Exactly Like Om Malik
Remembrances, tributes, and stories.

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Indie App Spotlight: ‘Route 25’ is an all-in-one social app for Pokémon collectors
Welcome to Indie App Spotlight. This is a weekly 9to5Mac series where we showcase the latest apps in the indie app world. If you’re a developer and would like your app featured, get in contact. Many apps make it easy to track your Pokémon card collection. Route 25 takes that a step further by bringing a social experience into the mix, so you can talk to other collectors about your cards, pulls, and so on.

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SANDISK Phone Drive for iPhone is a great solution to low storage 
Each time we buy a phone, we have to decide which storage tier to go for, and that requires a judgment call – not just about how much storage we need today, but how much we are likely to need for however long we end up keeping the phone.  There are times when we’ll get this wrong, but fortunately there’s a simple solution to your storage woes: the SANDISK® Phone Drive for iPhone. 

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Apple sues OpenAI exec for theft of trade secrets
Macworld As first reported by Bloomberg, Apple has filed suit against OpenAI, accusing the AI developer of running a coordinated campaign to steal information about upcoming Apple products. OpenAI is Apple’s partner in some ways. Since iOS 18 was released two years ago, Apple has incorporated ChatGPT features into Apple Intelligence, allowing users to optionally ask ChatGPT for more detailed information than Apple’s own AI can provide, or to write longer-form text. But in recent years, OpenAI has set its sights on more than just providing AI services to consumers and businesses. The company is reportedly working on more than one hardware device, and while the rumors vary about the form it will take (a pin? a pendant? a pen? a little desk accessory?), it will almost certainly compete with one or more of the AI-powered accessories Apple is said to be working on. OpenAI has also enlisted the help of Jony Ive, the celebrated Apple designer who left the company seven years ago, to help it design products. OpenAI has poached numerous Apple employees—according to the lawsuit, over 400 former Apple employees now work at OpenAI. Apple’s lawsuit claims OpenAI “encouraged Apple employees to share information, components, drawings, and other materials related to upcoming products.” The lawsuit also names Tang Tan, OpenAI’s chief hardware officer, who previously was VP of product design at Apple, charging Tan ” exploited a rare, previously unknown authentication bug to access Apple’s shared network folders” and “surreptitiously accessed and downloaded dozens of Apple’s confidential hardware-related files, including voluminous, detailed information about unreleased products, engineering presentations, technical specifications, and proprietary project data.” Apple is seeking a jury trial and demands that OpenAI cease its practices, destroy any proprietary materials, and redesign its products so they don’t use any of Apple’s technology. According to Apple’s suit, it attempted to resolve this matter months ago out of court and only filed the suit when it received no response. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that Tan and incoming Apple CEO John Ternus have “had a rocky relationship for years.” Tan was reportedly is the running for the head of hardware engineering role that Ternus got, and Gurman says the “vast majority” of the employees poached by OpenAI came from Ternus’s division. You can read the entire lawsuit, which also requests “Damages sufficient to compensate for the actual loss caused by Defendants’ trade secret misappropriation and breach of contract,” here.

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OS 27 betas for all and everything else coming from Apple this month
Macworld For the last several years, July has been the same, in the Apple calendar. WWDC is long over, and the rush of hardware for the fall is still a couple of months away. That doesn’t mean there’s nothing exciting, though. After several weeks of beta releases meant only for developers, July is when the new operating systems announced at WWDC and releasing in the fall are deemed stable and feature complete enough for the general public to test out. The Public Beta of iOS 27, iPadOS 27, watchOS 27, visionOS 27, and macOS 27 will begin in July. If you want to participate, read our article on how to sign up for and download the public betas. New hardware releases We’re pretty confident that July will pass without any new Apple hardware. For one, you’d have to go back to 2019 to find the last time Apple released anything new in July (an update to the 13-inch MacBook Pro). For another, Apple just raised prices on all of the products that might have been released, including the Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini. That probably means there won’t be anything new until the iPhone event in September. Software releases Apple starts releasing beta versions of the new updates at WWDC, and after three or four beta releases intended only for developers, it starts releasing them to anyone in the public who wants to test them out and provide feedback. Apple announced at WWDC that the public beta would arrive this month, so we expect it by mid-July. If you want to sign up, see our article on how to join the Apple beta program. Fortunately, Apple has now unified all its operating system version numbers, referring to them by the year in which they will mostly be in use—the releases for this fall are “27” because they will be in use and updated primarily in 2027. It’s like model years for cars, so it’s easy to know what your device is running and whether the newest version has been installed. We recommend you don’t install the beta on any device that you rely on every day. If you need it for work, and if it’s your only authenticator for critical applications, you should really wait for a full release. Having said that, the iOS 27 and macOS 27 betas have been remarkably stable for most testers so far. There are bugs, but they are mostly of the “annoyance” variety and not of the “this mission-critical app no longer works” variety. Note that battery life is often worse on beta releases than it will be with the final release in September. Services Apple TV+ Here are the shows, series, and movies we expect to release on Apple TV+ in TK. If you want to know what’s coming later, check our full guide to upcoming Apple TV+ content. Silo (season 3): Season three of Silo continues the saga of a dystopian society of 10,000 people living underground under mysterious circumstances, while revealing an origin story set centuries earlier. July 3 Trying (season 5): Season five finds Nikki and Jason dealing with the consequences of Princess and Tyler’s biological mother turning up at their doorstep. July 8 Lucky: A young woman (Anya Taylor-Joy) leaves behind the life of crime she was raised in years ago, but must now embrace her darker criminal side one final time in a desperate attempt to escape her past. July 15 The Dink: Washed-up tennis prodigy Dusty Boyd gets involved in the world of pickleball in this sports comedy. July 24 Apple Arcade Apple releases most Apple Arcade games on the first Friday of each month. Check our Apple Arcade FAQ for a full list of Apple Arcade games and more details on the service. Occasionally, games are released with no forewarning, but you’ll usually see next month’s releases listed in the Coming Soon section. Creatures of the Deep+: A detailed 3D fishing adventure game. July 2 Draw It+: Draw as fast as you can before time runs out and try to earn a high score. July 2 Dungeon Clawler+: A claw machine deck-building roguelike. Yes, you read that correctly. July 2 Pocket City 2+: You’re the mayor and city planner in this cartoonish 3D city building game. July 2

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