How AudioBo simplifies converting audio files into M4B audiobooks on macOS
I have been an audiobook fan for decades. I have had an Audible subscription since 2008 (before they were owned by Amazon), and I have listened to hundreds, if not thousands, of books during that time. A few years ago, I wrote about my process of taking cheap CD audiobooks from Amazon and combining them into M4B files to host on my Plex server. Once I discovered it was possible to put these files into Plex on my Mac Mini, it became my go-to audiobook setup for me. Paired with the Prologue app, it creates the ultimate listening experience that you own and control. more…

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Anniversary party at Apple Park will feature a British Invasion performance
Apple will be ending its 50th-anniversary celebrations in the coming week, with an unnamed British performer set to entertain employees at Apple Park.Apple ParkApple's celebration to mark the 50th anniversary of the company has resulted in performances around the world. To go out with a bang, the celebrations will be concluding at its headquarters.Posting to X, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman writes that the world tour will reach its finale sometime this week. The venue will be Apple Park. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Get smarter in 15 minutes: Grab a lifetime Headway sub for bestseller summaries
This book summaries app serves up bite-size bestsellers you can read, listen to or watch. Save on the Headway app. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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Today in Apple history: iPhone 4 owners get Antennagate payout
On March 29, 2012, a settlement ended Apple's "Antennagate" controversy by giving affected iPhone 4 owners the chance to claim a $15 payout. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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Apple Now Requires Device-Level Age Verification in the UK. Could the US Be Next?
Apple unveiled new device-level age restrictions in the UK on Wednesday. "After downloading a new update, users will now have to confirm that they are 18 or older to access unrestricted features," reports Gizmodo. "Users will be able to confirm their age with a credit card or by scanning an ID." For those underage or who have not confirmed their age, Apple will turn on Web Content Filter and Communication Safety, which will not only restrict access to certain apps or websites, but will also monitor messages, shared photo albums, AirDrop, and FaceTime calls for nudity. Apple didn't specify exactly which services and features are banned for under-18 users, but it will likely be in compliance with UK legislation... The British government does not require Apple and other OS providers to institute device-level age checks, but it does restrict minor access to online pornography under the Online Safety Act, which passed in 2023. So far, that restriction has only been implemented at the website level, but UK officials have been worried about easy loopholes to evade the age restrictions, like VPNs. The broader tech industry has been campaigning for some time to use device-level age checks instead in response to the rising tide of under-16 social media and internet bans around the world. Last month, in a landmark social media trial in California, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg also supported this idea, saying that conducting age verification "at the level of the phone is just a lot clearer than having every single app out there have to do this separately." Pornhub-operator Aylo had advocated for device-level restrictions in the UK as well, and even sent out letters to Apple, Google, and Microsoft in November asking for OS-level age verification... The most obvious question: Could this be brought stateside? Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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M5 Pro and M5 Max vs. M4 Pro and M4 Max: How big is the performance jump?
Apple’s M5 Pro and M5 Max chips promise big performance gains over the M4 generation. Here’s how the latest Apple silicon stacks up. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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This platform helps you pick stocks—and it’s now on sale
Macworld TL;DR: Get lifetime access to Sterling Stock Picker for just $55.19 (reg. $486) with code SAVE20 and simplify investing. Getting into the stock market can feel like walking into a room where everyone is already playing a game you don’t know the rules to. Charts, earnings reports, market trends—it’s a lot. Sterling Stock Picker can help, and it’s available for just $55.19 (regularly $486) through April 12. This platform is designed to make investing feel a whole lot less intimidating. Sterling Stock Picker uses AI-driven insights to surface opportunities that actually align with your goals and risk tolerance. One standout feature is Finley, a built-in AI financial coach. You can ask questions, analyze your portfolio, and get real-time guidance without needing a finance degree (or a friend who kind of knows stocks). It also includes a done-for-you portfolio builder that helps you create a diversified setup based on your preferences. Whether you’re just dipping your toe into investing or looking to sharpen your strategy, this tool keeps things simple, structured, and actually usable. Get a lifetime of Sterling Stock Picker access for just $55.19 (regularly $486) through April 12 with code SAVE20. Sterling Stock Picker: Lifetime SubscriptionSee Deal Want to see more deals? Visit the shop and use code MARCH15 to save an extra 15% sitewide through March 29. Exclusions apply. StackSocial prices subject to change.

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Get the latest Microsoft Office for your Mac for under $100 – No Subscription
Macworld TL;DR: Microsoft Office 2024 Home & Business for Mac is available for under $100 as a one-time purchase, giving you the latest Office apps without paying for Microsoft 365 every year. Mac users often assume that Microsoft Office means signing up for Microsoft 365 and paying a yearly fee just to use Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. That subscription can run $70 to $100 per year, which adds up. Bypass that yearly fee, and instead get Microsoft Office 2024 Home & Business for Mac (or PC) for under $100. You’ll save money in the long term while still getting the latest version of the apps you use every day. Office 2024 includes the core apps: Word Excel PowerPoint Outlook OneNote This version also includes performance improvements and newer tools compared to older Office versions. Excel handles larger datasets more smoothly, PowerPoint now supports recording presentations with voice and video, and Word includes AI-assisted writing suggestions and focus mode for distraction-free writing. The interface has also been updated with Microsoft’s Fluent design system, making the apps feel more modern and consistent across Mac and PC. Real-time collaboration, commenting, and version history also make it easier to work on shared documents or projects. For Mac users who want Microsoft Office but don’t want another subscription, a lifetime license is often the cheaper option after just a year or two. Microsoft Office 2024 Home & Business for Mac is available now for $99.97 (MSRP $249.99) as a one-time purchase. Microsoft Office 2024 Home & Business for Mac or PC Lifetime LicenseSee Deal Want to see more deals? Visit the shop and use code MARCH15 to save an extra 15% sitewide through March 29. Exclusions apply. StackSocial prices subject to change.

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MacOS 26.4 Adds Warnings For ClickFix Attacks to Its Terminal App
An anonymous Slashdot reader writes: ClickFix attacks are ramping up. These attacks have users copy and paste a string to something that can execute a command line — like the Windows Run dialog, or a shell prompt. But MacRumors reports that macOS 26.4 Tahoe (updated earlier this week) introduces a new feature to its Terminal app where it will detect ClickFix attempts and stop them by prompting the user if they really wanted to run those commands. According to MacRumors, the warning readers "Possible malware, Paste blocked." "Your Mac has not been harmed. Scammers often encourage pasting text into Terminal to try and harm your Mac or compromise your privacy...." There is also a "Paste Anyway" option if users still wish to proceed. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Security Bite: Apple takes aim at cybercriminals’ more desperate tactic to infect Mac users
9to5Mac Security Bite is exclusively brought to you by Mosyle, the only Apple Unified Platform. Making Apple devices work-ready and enterprise-safe is all we do. Our unique integrated approach to management and security combines state-of-the-art Apple-specific security solutions for fully automated Hardening & Compliance, Next Generation EDR, AI-powered Zero Trust, and exclusive Privilege Management with the most powerful and modern Apple MDM on the market. The result is a totally automated Apple Unified Platform currently trusted by over 45,000 organizations to make millions of Apple devices work-ready with no effort and at an affordable cost. Request your EXTENDED TRIAL today and understand why Mosyle is everything you need to work with Apple. With the release of macOS 26.4, Apple is now warning users who it believes are about to paste malicious code into Terminal. The prompt is the latest blow to cybercriminals’ newest and, honestly, more desperate attack vector of getting unsuspecting Mac users to infect themselves. more…

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BenQ MA monitors display colors to match your MacBook screen – and you can win one
One of the key features of MacBooks is the care Apple takes over color calibration. That’s great when you’re using your MacBook, but things can change as soon as you plug it into an external monitor, when you can see markedly different colors. That’s because most monitor companies don’t tune their colors in the same way Apple does. But BenQ does exactly that with its latest MA series monitors … more…

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Indie App Spotlight: ‘Yogi Breath’ is a guided breathing app that progresses with you
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. If you’re someone looking to add more meditation to your life, Yogi Breath could be the right fit. Yogi Breath is a guided breathwork app that moves at your pace – with a number of helpful features to keep you motivated. more…

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Apple has serious plans for Siri! [Cult of Mac podcast No. 13]
This week on the Cult of Mac podcast: New details emerge about a major upgrade that would transform Siri from a laughingstock to a legitimate AI assistant. Unfortunately, these plans sound mighty familiar. Still, we’re guardedly optimistic that Apple can pull it off this time. Also on the Cult of Mac podcast: Now we know […] (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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Here’s what I’d like to see with the MacBook Air redesign, after seeing MacBook Neo
Apple unveiled the MacBook Neo earlier this month, and in my opinion – it completely breaks the MacBook lineup as we knew it. If you’re someone who previously bought a MacBook Air, and you don’t need 16GB of RAM for heavier multitasking – why wouldn’t you buy the MacBook Neo now? In my eyes, the MacBook Neo is just as good of a general purpose laptop as the MacBook Air was, and besides more RAM, a much faster processor (though still a thermally limited one), and a larger display, it doesn’t feel like MacBook Air has much going for it – at least for now. Here’s how I’d improve it. more…

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The rugged Apple Watch Ultra 2 got a $300 price cut
Macworld Apple Watch Ultra 2 View Deal With the Apple Watch Ultra 2 on your wrist, you can go anywhere you want, and you’ll find your way back home, whether you’re hiking, mountain climbing, or just out for a stroll, as the watch will know your location at all times and show you the right map. Even better, with built-in cellular, you don’t even need to have your phone on you. While the $799 price tag isn’t bad for everything you get, you’ll love knowing that you can get the Apple Watch Ultra 2 for $300 off during Amazon’s Big Spring Sale event. That brings the price down to $499, a spectaculr savings and the best we’ve ever seen for an Ultra 2 that wasn’t refurbished. Back when this model came out, we reviewed it and gave it a 4-star rating, appreciating the bright screen, great operating system, and just how great it was for tracking sports and workouts. This model comes with 36 hours of battery life during normal use, so it’s going to be great during any outdoor trip you want This device comes with a ton of features, including accurate location tracking, advanced health metrics, custom workouts, as well as automated fall detection, emergency SOS, and vital sign monitoring. If anything happens, your watch has your back. There’s a newer model out, but other than better battery life and satellite connectivity, it’s not all that different than this one. And you won’t get it for anywhere near this cheap. So grab the Apple Watch Ultra 2 for $499 before the spring sale ends.

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Here are the iOS 26.4 features to try after installing the new iPhone update
Macworld Apple has officially released iOS 26.4 to the public, and unlike the previous update, this one brings a more noticeable set of new features. While the long-awaited AI-powered Siri is still nowhere to be seen, iOS 26.4 brings several new features and improvements to Apple Music, Podcasts, and Reminders, as well as overall system enhancements and new emoji. Read on as we break down all the major new features and changes coming with iOS 26.4. Apple Music With iOS 26.4, Apple Music subscribers are getting an important new feature called Playlist Playground. Essentially, it lets users quickly create playlists using AI. Users can simply describe what they want to listen to, whether it’s specific songs, artists, or genres, and Apple’s AI will create a playlist based on that prompt. The feature can also edit existing playlists. It’s worth noting that this feature is available only in the U.S. and works on any iOS 26.4 iPhone, even ones that don’t support Apple Intelligence. Apple Music has new full-screen artwork in iOS 26.4.Foundry Apple Music is also getting a new Concerts feature, which helps users discover nearby shows from artists in their library, while also recommending live shows from new artists based on listening habits. Another notable addition is Offline Music Recognition, now available through Control Center. This lets users identify songs with Shazam even without an internet connection. The result shows up as soon as the device is back online. Rounding out the Apple Music changes, iOS 26.4 introduces an Ambient Music widget for quick access to curated playlists focused on Sleep, Chill, Productivity, and Wellbeing, as well as full-screen backgrounds for album and playlist pages, making the interface more immersive. Podcasts In addition to Apple Music, Apple Podcasts is also getting some improvements with iOS 26.4. More specifically, Apple has revamped the experience for video podcasts. The update introduces support for Apple’s HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) technology, which automatically adjusts the video bitrate during playback. This means the app will always choose the best quality based on your internet connection without you having to change any settings. Thanks to this technology, users can also seamlessly switch between audio and video while playing a podcast. iOS 26.4 includes several new Accessiblity settings.Foundry Accessibility Updating to iOS 26.4 also brings some welcome accessibility improvements.  For instance, the system now includes a new “Reduce Bright Effects” toggle that minimizes intense flashes when interacting with certain interface elements. Apple has also made it easier to access and customize subtitles and captions directly from the media player interface. Moreover, the “Reduce Motion” setting has been improved to more consistently limit animations across the system, particularly with the Liquid Glass interface. Emoji For emoji fans, iOS 26.4 adds eight new characters to the keyboard. As previously announced, they include an orca, a trombone, a landslide, a ballet dancer, and a distorted face emoji. Keep in mind that only people who have also updated their devices will see the new emojis in conversations or social media posts. You can use several new emojis once you update to iOS 26.4.Foundry Freeform When Apple announced the Creator Studio subscription, the company revealed that the Freeform app would also gain certain features exclusive to subscribers. These features are now available with iOS 26.4. Creator Studio subscribers can now access the Content Hub right from Freeform, which offers a wide variety of photos, illustrations, and graphics that can be used royalty-free. Users will also notice a new icon for the Freeform app that matches the style of other Creator Studio apps. Urgent reminders are getting an upgrade in iOS 26.4.Foundry Urgent reminders With iOS 26.2, Apple introduced a new option for creating urgent reminders, which show up as full-screen alerts at the scheduled date and time. Now, iOS 26.4 makes it easier to mark a reminder as urgent. Users can mark tasks as urgent in the Reminders app right from the Quick Toolbar or with a long press. Urgent reminders can also be filtered using Smart Lists. Family Sharing Apple is also making a major change for users who rely on Family Sharing. While the entire family currently relies on a single payment method, iOS 26.4 will allow each family member to pay for their own online purchases. “Purchase Sharing lets adult members in Family Sharing groups use their own payment method when making purchases, without relying on the family organizer,” Apple explained in the release notes. This is certainly great news for those who use Family Sharing to share their iCloud and App Store purchases. The Freeform app got its Creator Studio update in iOS 26.4.Foundry Keyboard accuracy As we reported last year, many iPhone users had been complaining that iOS 26 had reduced the accuracy of the on-screen keyboard, resulting in more typos. Although Apple never acknowledged the issue at the time, it has made changes to the iOS 26.4 keyboard that essentially admit there was a problem. The iOS 26.4 release notes mention “improved keyboard accuracy when typing quickly” as part of the changes included in the update. It’s unclear exactly what Apple changed to improve the virtual keyboard, but users will certainly be pleased that Apple is working on the issue. Age verification One of the most notable changes in iOS 26.4 is related to compliance with local laws. The update introduces age verification requirements in multiple regions, including Australia, Brazil, Singapore, and specific U.S. states such as Utah and Louisiana. These measures are tied to regional legislation and are designed to ensure that users meet minimum age requirements for certain features and services. In these locations, Apple may require additional information about the user to verify their age. This includes details such as how long the Apple Account has been active or credit card information. The company has also created a new API that will anonymously inform apps whether a user meets the minimum age requirements without sharing their age, date of birth, or any other personal information. Update your iPhone now In addition to all these new features, iOS 26.4 also includes bug fixes, performance improvements, and enhanced security. That’s why it’s always important to keep your devices updated with the latest software. You can install iOS 26.4 by going to Settings > General > Software Update and tapping Update Now. The update is available for the iPhone 11 and later.

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This is what a fan is supposed to be — bladeless, sleek and customizable
The Shark TurboBlade Fan is a sleek, quiet, highly customizable bladeless fan that cools efficiently without the noise, and it’s more than half off. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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This tax season is a key time to delete your personal data from the internet
It’s never been easier for spammers and scammers to get access to your personal data, and this is particularly dangerous during tax season. With data brokers providing easy access to your phone number, email address, physical address – and even sensitive data like your social security number – tax season can be peak time for fraud. Fortunately, there’s a simple way to reduce the risk. more…

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Today in Apple history: Apple racks up staggering $700 million loss
On March 28, 1996, Apple warned Wall Street that it would report a $700 million quarterly loss. It was Apple's worst quarter ever. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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5 times Apple turned failed products into huge successes
Apple's greatest talent is turning niche products into mainstream hits. Here are five brilliant examples of trash into triumph. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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