Apple Car Key Support Rumored to Come to Toyota
A digital key feature was introduced by Toyota a few years back in the package called Remote Connect, letting drivers of Toyota vehicles use a smartphone as their key to drive and unlock their car. Support for Apple’s Car Keys feature may soon be added.  Car Keys were introduced around three years ago, which enabled […] The post appeared first on iLounge.

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9to5Mac Top Stories: iOS 26.3 beta, App Store changes, Apple Music features
Welcome to 9to5Mac’s top stories of the week, where we recap the biggest news in the Apple world every Saturday. This week, we have the first beta of iOS 26.3, new details on the iPhone 18 and iPhone Fold, and more changes to the App Store. Plus, our usual slate of new podcast episodes, opinion pieces, and much more. Read on for all of this week’s top stories. more…

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Review: SwitchBot Wallet Finder is an incredibly useful accessory to track your wallet with iPhone Find My
I have an AirTag on my keychain to keep track of my keys, but obviously an AirTag is too big and bulky to fit inside a wallet. That’s what the SwitchBot Wallet Finder is for. Disguised inside a thin, credit-card form factor, the SwitchBot Wallet Finder connects to the Find My app on your iPhone, so you can follow its location, and it even houses a speaker so you can make it beep to help you find your wallet when it inevitably gets lost somewhere in your home. Read on for my review … more…

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2025 tech gift guide for Apple users — personally tested and recommended
It’s officially time to start checking gifts off your list before it’s too late. For my 2025 tech gift guide, I’m recommending technology products that I’ve actually used all year. Each of these products has been especially useful this year, and they’ll make great gifts for the Apple users in your life. more…

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Best AirPlay speakers for iPhones and Apple Music
Macworld Apple sells two speakers–the HomePod and HomePod mini–but there are lots of different types of speakers that work with iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple TV out there to choose from that could offer better value for money. There’s a lot of choice with the speakers in this round up offering a wide variety of features, specs, designs and price tags. But we’re here to guide you through the complexity and help you find the best speaker for optimal performance with your Mac and iOS devices whether you are playing music from your library or from Apple Music or another music streaming service. We look at a variety of speakers including multi-room speaker systems, which are more popular than ever–especially as mobile devices like the iPhone and iPad allow us to carry our entire music library from room to room, or connect to music streaming services such as Spotify, Apple Music or Amazon Prime Music with a quick tap. Apple users are best off getting a speaker with AirPlay support, and all the speakers in this test offer AirPlay 2 support. AirPlay is useful if you want to stream music from your iPhone to a speaker. We explain what AirPlay is and the features it brings later on in this article. Best speakers for iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple TV 2026 We’ve tested the best speakers you can buy to use with your Apple products below, so read on to find out which AirPlay speakers are best. HomePod mini – Best speaker for Apple Music Price When Reviewed: $99 Best Prices Today: New Refurbished Retailer Price $99 View Deal $99.99 View Deal Check Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Apple HomePod mini Bluetooth speakers – Space gray $80 View Deal Price comparison from Backmarket We’re putting the HomePod mini in the top spot on the basis of its low price tag, excellent sound quality and deep integration with Apple’s software ecosystem – as long as you don’t mind being tied to Siri. The HomePod mini can’t match the bass punch of the full-size HomePod, but the output is still far better than we have any right to expect at this size and price. (Just to reiterate, it’s a third of the price and a seventh of the weight of its larger sibling.) For jazz, rock and classical we were blown away by its clear, rich sound. And while it’s not quite got the welly to deafen your neighbors with house music at 3 am, and you won’t fill a village hall with sound, but it does fill a room beautifully – especially when teamed with a second model as a stereo pair. Read our full Apple HomePod mini review Apple HomePod (2nd generation, 2023) – Best Apple speaker Price When Reviewed: $299 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $299 View Deal $299 View Deal $299.99 View Deal Check Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket If you’re deep in the Apple ecosystem and you appreciate quality audio, this is the smart speaker for you: it will play your music beautifully and make TV watching a delight. As with the HomePod mini, ease of setup is one of its strongest features–plug in the HomePod and wave an iPhone vaguely in its direction and an onscreen popup (on the phone) will invite you to set it up. If there’s another HomePod of the same model in the selected room, you’ll be given the option to join them as a stereo pair. It sounds great whether used as a single unit, or as a stereo pair, and it’s a great accompaniment to your Apple TV as it supports Dolby Atmos and Spatial Audio (the HomePod mini doesn’t). To find out more, about how the HomePod compares to the HomePod mini. The main disadvantages of the 2023 HomePod are the high price (three times that of the HomePod mini) and the frustrations associated with being reliant on Siri to control it. We really want a HomePod with a screen. Read our full Apple HomePod (2nd generation, 2023) review Audio Pro C10 MKII W – Best speaker for sound quality Price When Reviewed: $480 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $289 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket The Audio Pro C10 MKII W has a minimalist design, consisting of a simple rectangular box measuring 166mm high, 320mm wide, and 180mm deep. Despite its small size, it’s sturdy, weighing over 4kg. The front panel features a smart fabric grille that can be removed for a retro look with exposed drivers. Removing the grille reveals a large woofer in the centre for deep, full sound, with smaller tweeters on either side for higher frequencies. The C10 MKII W has a total output of 80W, making it suitable as a main speaker system in the living room. However, it requires mains power and is likely to be used in one room at home due to its weight.  The C10 MKII W supports Bluetooth, Apple’s AAC codec, and dual-band Wi-Fi. The updated Audio Pro app works with various streaming services, including Spotify, Amazon Music, and SoundCloud. It also supports AirPlay 2, allowing audio streaming from Apple devices and integration with multi-room music systems. Android users may be disappointed that there’s no aptX support with Bluetooth, but the C10 MKII W supports Google Cast. The speaker has RCA connectors for wired connections, but no audio cables are included. The C10 MKII W delivers good sound quality. The lossless version of Madonna’s Frozen on Apple Music via AirPlay revealed delicate string touches and gentle electronic chimes, followed by a sharp percussion crack that led into the chorus. The C10 MKII W handles harder rock sounds well. Sing Along by Sturgill Simpson, captured the thick, fuzzy guitar sound and the wailing keyboards, creating a lively atmosphere. The deep bass could be firmer, but an extra RCA connector allows for an external sub-woofer for enhanced bass. While it’s more expensive than Apple’s HomePod, the C10 MKII W excels in clarity and precision, especially with high-res music on Apple Music and other streaming services. It also offers better connectivity. Audio Pro’s model numbers are inconsistent, with some older models still on sale, so make sure to buy the correct model. Read our full Audio Pro C10 MKII W review Audio Pro A28 W – Best dual speaker set up Price When Reviewed: $720 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Audio Pro $720 View Deal Check Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket If you prefer proper stereo speakers the A28 W is a great option. The speaker cabinets are made of MDF, which feels very sturdy and also helps to reduce vibrations that might affect the sound quality. The A28 W is available in black or white, or with a walnut wood finish. There are removable fabric grilles provided with each speaker. Inside each cabinet you’ll find a 4.5-inch woofer for handling the mid-range and lower frequencies, along with a 1-inch tweeter for the higher frequencies. Each speaker provides 75W output – 150W total. The ‘W’ refers to the speakers’ emphasis on wireless connectivity. There’s support for Apple’s AAC codec (but no aptX for Android users). There’s dual-band Wi-Fi for connecting to your home network (2.4GHz and 5.0GHz). And there’s support for AirPlay 2 and Google Cast. Wired inputs include stereo RCA inputs, one digital optical input for use with other Hi-Fi equipment, and an HDMI-ARC interface for a TV. There’s also one more RCA connector that allows you to connect to an external sub-woofer as well. No standard 3.5mm or USB-C connector for wired audio though. There’s a 10-band equaliser, but what really impresses about the A28 W is its ability to create an expansive stereo sound that is far more immersive and atmospheric than one-piece speakers such as Apple’s HomePod. It’s fairly expensive, but the sound quality is excellent. Read our full Audio Pro A28 W review Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Pro Edition – Best speaker for home Price When Reviewed: $799 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $830.04 View Deal $899 View Deal $899 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin range of speakers first appeared back in 2007. The  Zeppelin Pro Edition launched at the end of 2024 and looks almost identical to the Zeppelin introduced, so be careful to check which model you are considering buying.  At $799/£699, it’s one of the more expensive AirPlay speakers currently available, but it really does deliver the goods in terms of sound quality. The Zeppelin Pro Edition measures 210 x 650 x 194mm and weighs 6.6kg. It’s available in a dark ‘space grey’ or ‘solar gold’.  Unlike many one-piece speaker systems – including Apple’s HomePod – the Zeppelin Pro Edition provides a full stereo system, with separate left and right audio channels, as well as a dedicated sub-woofer for handling lower frequencies. That’s a similar set-up to previous Zeppelin models, but Bowers & Wilkins says the woofers and tweeters have been redesigned for the Zeppelin Pro Edition for even better sound quality. Like previous models, the Zeppelin Pro Edition supports Bluetooth with AAC for Apple devices, and aptX Adaptive for Android. There’s also Wi-Fi with support for AirPlay 2, which allows you to stream wireless audio (and Apple Music) over your home network from your Apple device. Using AirPlay with Apple devices provides more bandwidth for high-quality audio files. The Zeppelin Pro also supports Spotify Connect, and Tidal and Amazon Music via an app.  Our only complaint is that the Zeppelin Pro doesn’t offer wired inputs, so you can’t connect it to a CD player or Hi-Fi. The Zeppelin Pro Edition is one of the larger and more expensive AirPlay speakers. If you want a powerful, high-quality stereo speaker that supports AirPlay 2 this is a great option.  Read our full Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Pro Edition review Roku Streambar – Best speaker for TV Price When Reviewed: $129.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Dell Home $129.99 View Deal Roku $129.99 View Deal Check Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Roku is well-known for its range of streaming media devices, which offer an affordable alternative to Apple’s own Apple TV box. However, the Roku Streambar goes a step further by combining streaming features with a compact soundbar speaker and support for Apple’s AirPlay 2 – and all for a highly competitive $129.99/£129.99. The AirPlay support and built-in dual-band Wi-Fi mean that you can simply use the Streambar as a conventional AirPlay speaker, using AirPlay to stream music via Wi-Fi from any Apple device. It’s surprisingly powerful for such a compact speaker, and more than loud enough for playing music at home or watching a few Hollywood blockbusters. It even provides pretty good bass too, landing the bass guitar and crashing drums on Kate Bush’s The Big Sky with real impact (and Roku has recently announced a new range of wireless speakers that also support AirPlay 2, although we’ve not had the chance to test these yet). Going beyond basic speaker mode, you can also use the HDMI port on the back of the Streambar to connect it to a TV or computer display, and this allows you to stream video at up to 4K resolution from your Apple devices as well. You can even get rid of your Apple devices altogether, and just use the Streambar’s built-in streaming features to connect your TV or computer monitor to a wide range of video services–including Apple TV+, Netflix, Disney+ and so on. It also supports a number of music streaming services too, such as Apple Music and Spotify. Admittedly, the low cost of the Streambar means that it does lack a few advanced features, such as support for Dolby Atmos, which you can get from Apple’s HomePod and also the Apple TV 4K. But, of course, the Apple TV box doesn’t include a speaker, and the Streambar’s low-cost combination of AirPlay speaker and music and video streaming features makes it an absolute bargain at this price. In 2024 Roku introduced the Streambar SE, which is a cheaper version of the Streambar reviewed here. The larger Streambar Pro has been discontinued, but for now Roku seems to be continuing to sell the Streambar. Sonos Era 100 – Best multiroom speaker Price When Reviewed: $249.00 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $169 View Deal $169 View Deal $195 View Deal $199 View Deal Sonos $199 View Deal $199.99 View Deal Check Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket When Sonos first introduced the Era 100 it was positioned as a mid-range option that sat between the entry-level Sonos One and the imposing Era 300 with Dolby Atmos at the top of the range. However, the veteran Sonos One quietly faded away a few months ago and the Era 100 has taken over as the new entry point for the Sonos range of multi-room speakers, with a $249/£249 price tag that makes it a good alternative to the Apple HomePod at £299/$299. At first glance, the Era 100 does look very similar to the original Sonos One, with an upright cylindrical design that is available in black or white. It’s slightly larger than the Sonos One, though, standing 182.5mm high, 120mm wide and 130mm deep. This allows the Era 100 to squeeze in an additional high-frequency tweeter, so that it now houses two tweeters that are angled out to the right and left to spread sound more widely than the Sonos One. It also includes a larger woofer than the Sonos One, to handle the mid-range and bass and add a little extra power as well. This new design works a treat and the Era 100 provides very good sound quality for a relatively compact speaker. The atmospheric harmonies of Enya’s Orinoco Flow have a light, shimmering sound, but the compact speaker has got some muscle too, and is easily able to fill the room around me with Enya’s swirling cloud of sound. The twin tweeters provide a crisp, clear sound for the electronic loops that fly through the air, but that larger woofer can also reach down and embrace the slow bass pulse and rumbling drums that enter as Enya’s multi-tracked vocals chant – “turn it up, turn it up”. The only minor disappointment is that the Era 100 doesn’t support Dolby Atmos or spatial audio. If you’re a home cinema fan who really wants Atmos then you’ll need to pay a little more for alternatives such as the Apple HomePod or the high-end Era 300. But, if you’re just looking for a compact, high-quality speaker with wi-fi and support for AirPlay, then the Era 100 delivers the goods at a lower price than most of its AirPlay rivals. Sonos Roam 2 – Best portable speaker Price When Reviewed: $179 (reduced to $143) Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $139 View Deal $139 View Deal $139 View Deal Sonos $139 View Deal $139 View Deal $179 View Deal $179 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Sonos’ Roam has to be the smallest and most portable AirPlay 2 speaker we’ve seen so far. Sonos’s original Roam smart speaker was released back in 2021, and it was one of the best portable speakers we’ve ever seen, providing very good sound quality in a highly compact design that also managed to squeeze in useful features such as wireless charging and even support for Wi-Fi and AirPlay for Apple devices. The Roam 2 fine-tunes a number of features such as its set-up and tuning process, and provides more straightforward controls. Available in a variety of colors–including red, green, blue and plain old black and white–the Roam 2 looks identical to its predecessor. It is 168mm tall, 62mm wide and 60mm deep, and weighs 0.43kg. It’s not pocket-size, but it will fit into a backpack. It has a IP67 rating water and dust resistance, so it’s suited to the outdoors. There’s no room for a large battery in the compact design, but it should last for up to 10 hours with music at 50% volume. It needs to stand upright for wireless charging and the volume, playback and microphone controls sit on the top, but you can turn the speaker onto its side and lay it flat. A USB-C port on the back can be used for charging too.  Roam 2 supports Bluetooth 5.2 and now has separate buttons for Power and Bluetooth pairing, which are easier to use than the fiddly multi-function button on the original Roam. You can press the Bluetooth button to pair via Bluetooth, but you need to download the Sonos app for iOS in order to set the speaker up properly. We encountered problems getting the speaker connected to our Wi-Fi network and had to spend time changing the Wi-Fi settings. But, once that was done, the Roam 2 worked really well. Lucky its support for AirPlay made connecting it to additional Apple devices straightforward. The Roam 2 offers great sound quality for such a compact speaker, especially over a Wi-Fi connection. It did a good job with Sturgill Simpson’s Sing Along, laying down the grinding, fuzzy guitars that form the bedrock of the sound. On Billie Eilish’s Bad Guy it achieved a pretty respectable bass beat for such a small speaker. Switching to Bluetooth caused the sound to lose a little clarity–but that’s a limitation of Bluetooth rather than the speaker itself, and the Roam 2 can go head-to-head with any portable speaker of this size and weight. The Roam 2 really punches above its weight when it comes to sound quality and its sturdy and lightweight design is great for outdoor use.  Read our full Sonos Roam 2 review Sonos Era 300 Price When Reviewed: $449.00 each Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $379 View Deal $379 View Deal $449 View Deal $449 View Deal Sonos $449 View Deal $459.99 View Deal Check Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Apple has been banging the drum for spatial audio for a few years now, but Sonos really took a step forward with that technology when it launched the Era 300 in 2023. Appropriately enough, it also marked a new era for the Sonos range of multi-room speakers, with an entirely new design that was at least eye-catching even if it wasn’t perhaps as elegant as Sonos claimed. Available in black or white, the bulky, hourglass design of the Era 300 is very much designed for spatial audio, housing no less than six separate speaker drivers, with support for Dolby Atmos when watching films and video, or listening to spatial audio on Apple Music. There’s one woofer and one tweeter on each side of the unit, which provide a wide stereo soundstage, while another tweeter on the front highlights vocals and dialogue, or lead instruments. There’s one more tweeter on the top, which is designed to fire sound off the ceiling to help create a sense of height and space when listening to music or video that uses Atmos. Like most Sonos speakers, the Era 300 uses dual-band Wi-Fi (2.4GHz/5.0GHz) to connect to your home network, and also supports AirPlay 2 for use with Apple devices and other AirPlay-compatible speakers. But, unlike previous Sonos speakers, the Era now supports Bluetooth as well, so that it can provide a quick and easy wireless connection for mobile devices and computers when required. You can also buy an adaptor that provides a wired connection (although it’s annoying that this costs an extra $19/£19, given the speaker’s hefty $449/£449 price tag). The Era 300 can earn its keep, though. The Dolby Atmos support works really well on the opening scene of Blade Runner, creating a real sense of movement as the hovercar flies over the Los Angeles skyline, and there’s a satisfying bass rumble to the bursts of steam and flame that erupts into the air. It does a good job with spatial audio on Apple Music too, especially with Ringo’s deft percussion on the Atmos mix of Come Together by the Beatles. The bongos skip lightly through the air and the bass guitar glides forward with a swaying, sinuous rhythm. There’s real weight behind the guitar riff that leads into the chorus, but the Era 300 can still pick out gentler details such as the shimmering cymbals and rhythmic keyboards. Admittedly, it’s one of the more expensive AirPlay speakers currently available, but the powerful and atmospheric sound of the Era 300, and support for Dolby Atmos, make it a good alternative to more expensive soundbar systems for music and watching video. Beats Pill Price When Reviewed: $149.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $99.95 View Deal $99.95 View Deal $99.99 View Deal $99.99 View Deal $99.99 View Deal $129.95 View Deal $129.95 View Deal $149.99 View Deal $149.99 View Deal Beats $149.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide View more prices Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket It sounds better than most portable speakers this size, but still sounds clipped at high volumes and some controls are a little opaque. The Beats Pill is much improved over previous versions, but it has a few faults that we’d love to see addressed in the next revision. Beats’ iconic “pill” shape is handy to carry around, fits anywhere a water bottle would go, and sits well on a table or similarly flat surface. You can get one in classic Beats colors—black, red, or champagne. When at rest the speakers are tilted 20 degrees upward, which is a great way to project the sound more directly at you.  The Pill is IP67-rated, so is should be safe on the beach, beside a pool, or in the rain. A silicone outer wrap helps prevent bumps and dings, while adding weatherproofing. Along the top, you’ll find volume buttons, a center multi-function button, and a power button. They’re far enough apart and labeled clearly enough that it’s easy to hit the right one without paying close attention. In the back is a single USB-C port that can be used for charging or as an audio input, with support for lossless audio (not that the Pill has the sound quality to do it justice). It even reverse-charges with a triple-tap of the power button so it can be a sort of power bank for your phone. Beats says the battery will last 24 hours. We can confirm it can easily run all day without recharging. With a single woofer capable of 90 percent more air displacement than the woofer in the Beats Pill+ and a paired tweeter, the new Beats Pill sounds OK. Like all portable speakers with a cylindrical design it lacks low-end oomph. There’s more bass than you’d expect, but still less than you need. It does get pretty loud, but at high volumes, there’s a clipped or limited feel. There’s a microphone to enable speakerphone or voice assistants, but it doesn’t have much in the way of noise reduction to protect from strong wind or nearby highway noise. The weatherproofing, relatively loud volume, and fantastic battery life all make this a really great affordable speaker for hanging out by the pool. The $149.99/£149.99price is reasonable, too. You just need to manage your expectations for getting great sound quality out of a little portable speaker like this. Read our full Beats Pill review JBL Authentics 300 Price When Reviewed: $449.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $299.95 View Deal $299.95 View Deal $333.95 View Deal JBL $449.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket We’ve looked at the JBL Flip 7, which launched in spring 2025, and they are good, but they lack AirPlay. Tucked away in a quiet corner of the JBL website the company has a range of smart speakers, called Authentics, which include both Wi-Fi and support for Apple’s AirPlay. There are three speakers in the range, starting at $349.99/£238.99 for the entry-level Authentics 200, going up to $699.99/£529.99 for the top-of-the-range Authentics 500. However, the sweet spot for us is the mid-range Authentics 300, which has the most versatile design and costs $449.99/£249.99, although you can find them cheaper. The Authentics 300 is attractively designed, with a sturdy wooden cabinet and a big, chunky grille on the front that gives it an intentionally retro look. It’s fairly large, standing 195mm high, 342mm wide and 180mm deep, and it weighs in at a hefty 4.9kg. Even so, it’s still intended to be a portable speaker and – unlike the other Authentics speakers – it includes a rechargeable battery that lasts for around eight hours. There’s also a sturdy metal carrying handle, so it’s easy to pick the speaker up and carry it from room to room at home, or out into the garden when the summer eventually arrives. Inside the speaker are two 25mm tweeters, and a beefy 133mm woofer, along with a large passive bass radiator on the underside of the speaker to help give the bass a bit of a boost. There’s a volume dial on the top panel, along with separate controls for adjusting Treble and Bass, but the inclusion of wi-fi and support for AirPlay means that you can also easily control the speaker from any Apple devices, and the JBL One app also includes an eight-band Equalizer that provides more precise control over the sound. Getting started is a piece of cake, as the JBL One app initially uses Bluetooth to connect to the speaker and then guides you through the process of connecting to your home network, using either wi-fi or the Ethernet port located on the back of the speaker. There are two microphones built into the speaker, although these only work with Alexa and the Google Assistant, but there’s a Mute button that lets you turn the mics off if you prefer to keep things private. Sound quality is great, and the Authentics 300 lets the bass guitar on Blondie’s Rapture bounce along with a relaxed, infectious energy. There’s a bright, clear tone on the chopping rhythm guitar, and the drums and percussion of the late, great Clem Burke are as taut and precise as ever. And, with 100W output, the speaker has more than enough power to get things going at a BBQ or house-party. Our only minor complaint is that the USB-C port on the back of the speaker doesn’t provide a wired audio input – although there is a 3.5mm connector on the back of the speaker if you need a wired connection. How to choose an AirPlay speaker There’s a lot to think about when buying an AirPlay speaker so make sure you read this buying advice before splashing the cash. Music streaming & compatibility Having your favorite music follow you around your home is great, but conventional multi-room speakers often have significant limitations. Many, for example, will only work with a limited number of streaming services that are built into the apps provided by each manufacturer. As you might expect, most will work with Spotify, while Tidal and Deezer also get a lot of support. But for some reason, Sonos is one of the few manufacturers of multi-room speakers that also supports Apple Music. In fact, some speakers only provide apps for iOS or Android mobile devices, which means that you can’t even play music from a Mac. The other big problem with conventional speakers in the past was that you have generally had to buy them all from one manufacturer when assembling a multi-room setup because rival speakers were incompatible and wouldn’t work together. AirPlay vs AirPlay 2 The speaker market changed dramatically in 2018 with the release of Apple’s updated AirPlay 2 software. Released to coincide with the original HomePod launch, AirPlay 2 has also been licensed to a number of well-known manufacturers, which means there’s now a wide range of compatible speakers available. In fact, every model in our top 10 works with AirPlay 2. The first version of AirPlay, released back in 2010, was like a souped-up version of Bluetooth, allowing you to stream audio from any app on your Mac or iOS devices to any AirPlay-compatible speaker and freeing you from reliance on the manufacturer’s apps. AirPlay also uses a Wi-Fi connection, which means a higher bandwidth than Bluetooth and better sound quality – not to mention longer range. The simplicity and versatility of AirPlay is great, but – like Bluetooth – its original version was only designed to work with one speaker at a time. AirPlay 2 takes Apple into the multi-room market, with the ability to stream music to several speakers in different rooms. (Alternatively, you can create a HomePods stereo pair in the same room.) But the real game-changer with AirPlay 2 was interoperability, the ability to link together speakers from different manufacturers for the very first time. This means you can mix and match speakers around your home – picking, for instance, a HomePod as your main living-room speaker, a Sonos in the bedroom, and a portable speaker for drinks in the garden – and have them all linked up to play music simultaneously. Which version of AirPlay is supported? The important thing to remember is that there are now two types of AirPlay speaker. Some older models will use the original version of AirPlay – which is limited to streaming music to one speaker at a time – but new speakers (and certainly all the speakers in this article) focus on AirPlay 2. Some will have the AirPlay logo on the packaging, but this doesn’t specify whether it’s AirPlay or AirPlay 2. It’s therefore important to check which version is supported by any speaker before buying. Given that AirPlay 2 has been around for three years, it would be surprising to see a manufacturer release an AirPlay 1 speaker right now, but it doesn’t hurt to check. You don’t want to get caught out. It’s also worth mentioning that some older AirPlay speakers can be upgraded to work with AirPlay 2 as well. Libratone’s new Zipp 2 uses AirPlay 2, but it’s possible to download a software update for the older first-generation Zipp speakers that adds support for AirPlay 2. Unfortunately, that’s not the case with all AirPlay speakers, and some models are stuck with basic AirPlay. Sound Quality vs Price The fact that Apple licenses both AirPlay and AirPlay 2 to other manufacturers has other advantages too. Namely, the option to choose from a wide range of (often lower-cost) third-party speakers from companies like Sonos and Ikea. At the other extreme, some really expensive hi-fi systems in the pipeline offer AirPlay 2 support for audiophiles and home cinema buffs. These options give you flexibility: you can spend heavily on a really high-quality speaker for your living room, for example, while opting for a less expensive model in the kitchen. Indoors vs Outdoors Some manufacturers provide more specialised speakers too, such as soundbars that you can use with your TV, or sub-woofers that can provide a bass boost for parties, or for sound effects when watching films. Some even include rechargeable batteries and lightweight, portable designs so you can pick them up and carry them from room to room – which is certainly cheaper than buying a new speaker for each room – or take them out into the garden for a barbecue. Connectivity Connectivity is another key issue. The HomePod has been criticised for relying on Wi-Fi for streaming, with no option for quick and easy Bluetooth streaming for Android and other non-Apple devices. It doesn’t have a 3.5mm audio connector either, which would allow you to use it with a CD player or other audio devices. Fortunately, many AirPlay and AirPlay 2 speakers provide a greater range of connectivity, allowing you to play music from a wider range of devices than the HomePod. Sonos has even announced it will be releasing an AirPlay 2 amplifier soon that can form the centrepiece of a serious home entertainment system. In other words, AirPlay 2 is here to stay. Bluetooth only options We’ve reviewed a few Bluetooth only speakers that don’t offer AirPlay, but are still good options these include the following: Bang & Olufsen Beosound A1 (3rd Gen) Read our review Price When Reviewed: $399 Best Prices Today: $399 at Bang & Olufsen

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Block ads for life on 9 devices for just $19 (was $169.99)
Macworld TL;DR: Block ads on nine devices for life with an AdGuard Family Plan Lifetime Subscription on sale for $19. Ads are one of the most frustrating parts of being online, but you aren’t stuck with them. AdGuard is a comprehensive ad blocker tool that can get rid of pop-ups, banners, and so many other frustrating ads. Right now, a lifetime family plan is also on sale for $18.97 (reg. $169.99). AdGuard works across your devices to clean up your browsing so pages load cleaner and faster. Once it is installed, it filters out a wide range of ads and prevents tracking tools from collecting your data. If you spend a lot of time online for work or school, the difference can be noticeable right away, since pages feel less cluttered and more readable. The Family Plan supports up to nine devices, which makes it easy to cover everyone in the household. You can install it on Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS, and each device gets the same protections. The parental control settings also let you block adult content and other categories you don’t want kids to access, and it works quietly in the background without requiring constant adjustments. AdGuard also checks the websites you visit so you avoid known phishing links and malware pages. It is not a VPN, but it adds another level of protection by keeping your information private from trackers that follow your activity across sites. Until December 21 at 11:59 p.m. PT, you can get an AdGuard Lifetime Family Plan for $18.97 when you use code FAMPLAN. AdGuard Family Plan: Lifetime SubscriptionSee Deal StackSocial prices subject to change.

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This refurbished 2017 MacBook Pro is 80% off right now
Macworld TL;DR: Get a Grade A refurbished 2017 MacBook Pro with Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, and 512GB SSD for just $299.97, down from $1,499. Looking for a reliable MacBook without the premium price tag? This refurbished 2017 MacBook Pro delivers pro-level performance at a fraction of the original cost. Right now, you can snag the 13-inch model with a 3.1GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 processor for just $299.97, a massive 80% discount off the $1,499 retail price. This isn’t some beaten-up hand-me-down. The Grade A refurbished MacBook Pro arrives in near-mint condition with minimal to zero scuffing. Under the hood, you get 8GB of RAM for smooth multitasking and a speedy 512GB SSD for quick app launches and ample storage. The Intel Core i5 can turbo boost up to 3.5GHz, making it more than capable of handling demanding tasks like video editing, coding, and creative work. The 13.3-inch Retina display with True Tone technology adjusts screen color automatically for better visibility and reduced eye strain, perfect for long work sessions. You also get the Touch Bar, Touch ID for secure login, and four Thunderbolt 3 ports for maximum connectivity. Battery life clocks in at up to 10 hours, so you can stay productive without constantly hunting for an outlet. Get this refurbished Apple MacBook Pro (2017) for $299.97 (reg. $1,499). Apple Macbook Pro (2017) 13″ i5 3.1GHz Touchbar 8GB RAM 512GB SSD Space Grey (Refurbished)See Deal StackSocial prices subject to change.

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Apple cancels ‘The Last Frontier’ after just one season
Apple has decided to cancel “The Last Frontier” after one season. Here are the details. more…

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ChatGPT has a Sora-powered Holiday easter egg
As Sam Altman teaser on X, you can prompt ChatGPT with a single emoji, and get a personalized Christmas-themed video made by Sora in return. Here’s how to do it. more…

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Apple TV’s newest nature docuseries is now available
‘Born to be Wild’ is narrated by Hugh Bonneville (Notting Hill, Paddington), and adds to Apple TV’s ever-increasing catalogue of natural world content. Watch the trailer below. more…

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Apple study shows how an AI-powered ISP could dramatically improve low-light iPhone photos
Apple researchers have developed an AI model that dramatically improves extremely dark photos by integrating a diffusion-based image model directly into the camera’s image processing pipeline, allowing it to recover detail from raw sensor data that would normally be lost. Here’s how they did it. more…

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New Powerbeats Fit ad starring Travis Scott features a new unreleased track and an old tweet
Beats’ new campaign, “Dare to Dream,” recreates Travis Scott’s childhood bedroom and the moment he manifested his path to becoming a global superstar. Watch it below. more…

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ESET Home Security Premium Review: Excellent protection, but there are bugs
Macworld At a glanceExpert's Rating Pros Excellent antiviral and malware protection, that caught everything Spam/phishing protection that caught 100% of the questionable websites during testing Simple, reliable VPN client Cons Installation and setup issue The Settings pane feels buried Assorted bugs, including the Scheduler function failing during testing Our Verdict ESET Home Security Premium offers genuinely excellent core protection features that caught nearly everything that was thrown at it, along with the most impressive spam and phishing filters we’ve seen to date on macOS, which is also accompanied by a reliable VPN client. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Retailer Price ESET (first year, 1 device) $49.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Price When ReviewedEssential: $49.99 a year for one device; Premium: $79.99 a year for one device Best Prices Today: Eset Home Security Retailer Price ESET (first year, 1 device) $49.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket 1 year, 1 Mac (Premium) $79.991 year, 1 Mac (Essential)$49.99 There’s intent, and there’s execution, and sometimes the two don’t always mesh perfectly, but still yield an impressive result. This is the case with ESET Home Security Premium, the latest offering from Slovakian security firm ESET. ESET, which is continuing its foray into the Mac marketplace, has subtly updated its offerings for 2025. The new version, which retails for $39.99/£27.99 and up for one device for one year at an introductory price point, requires macOS 10.12 (Sierra) or later to install and run, and a free 30-day trial period is in place that doesn’t require a credit or debit card to be entered, albeit you’ll have to set up an ESET account. The software is centered on its antiviral/anti-malware core and also features a VPN client that’s designed to get you up and running quickly without battling with the settings VPN users sometimes find themselves tied up with. If there’s a poignant obstacle to ESET Home Security Premium, it came early, and while it was easy enough to download the software from the ESET website, installation turned into a struggle. (And it was confusing that the software name switched to ESET Cyber Security). The software installs a number of extensions, proxies, and modules into macOS, which have to be granted permission, making the setup a bit more manual than might be expected, as opposed to a typical software installation. Once permission was granted for everything involved, the software hit a strange bug in installing its SSL certificate, which required troubleshooting, a Terminal command workaround, and reinstallation to allow the certificate to pass through and for normal web traffic to resume. This took some finagling, and perhaps it’s a unique case or something more widespread; it’s something for the developers to take a look at should it surface again. Where its core elements are concerned, ESET Home Security Premium knocks it out of the park. The antiviral/anti-malware function offers a typical scan mode, a custom scan mode, and allows you to submit viral samples to ESET to help identify viruses and offer updates to protect against them. [Find out how ESET compares to the best Mac Antivirus apps in our group test]. Scanning the computerFoundry The scanning module is capable of multiple simultaneous scans (such as a typical scan and a custom scan on a specific folder or external volume), and the feature offers both .zip and .dmg file format scan support, but has to be configured within a deeper scan.  As for the scan results themselves, these are impressive, and next to nothing out of an extensive sample library was in a position to get through outside of a few instances where you’d have to go through multiple warning screens and bypass macOS-level system protections to execute virus and malware samples. The software itself meshes well with the macOS’ Gatekeeper and Xprotect functions, pinning down just about everything before it has a chance to install itself and upend your system functionality. In addition to this, the scan essentially nukes the vast majority of the sample malware after it was decompressed, offering little to work with in the way of potential viral and malware infections, which proved impressive.  Foundry ESET seems to have heard the clarion call where its Protections module was concerned, and amidst the multitude of extensions the software installs, the software offers Computer, Network Access, and Web and Email protections, which, for the first time I’ve ever seen, were able to bat 1,000 on spam and phishing emails from my Gmail’s Spam folder. Here, the software provided adequate warnings as to links from questionable spam and phishing websites, but still allowed you to travel to the site if you wanted to. The sites offering free power tools that I’d won? There was a warning about this. The sites telling me I had a $17,000 Cash App payment that I didn’t know about? There was a warning. Websites offering questionable medical and casino access? The warning was there, and this proved genuinely impressive. ESET’s VPN client may be somewhat bare-bones compared to a dedicated client, but it excels in terms of reliability and ease of use. The proxy settings are useful; there’s an overall internet kill switch if needed, as well as easy geolocation options to choose the country and region you’re logging in from. This may not appease the hardcore VPN user who needs more extensive options, but it’s impressive for everyday use. VPN functionFoundry ESET’s settings feel a bit tucked away, but what’s there is actually remarkably impressive and gives you a huge amount of control over the modules, their performance, how strict the blocking and filters are, firewall settings, what kind of exception/whitelist can be built, and how external volumes are recognized and handled on your Mac. The settings are well-categorized, and there’s a remarkable amount of control to be had here should you decide to take a few minutes and play with things. This is coupled with a readily accessible Help and Support module, which adds quick access to ESET’s help page, technical support, and Knowledgebase, and acts as a useful jumping-off point to get to the section of the ESET website that you need.  Outside of the installation foibles and the issue of sorting out the SSL certificate, ESET Home Security Premium installed easily and performed well, albeit there are a few things that could use some attention. The .dmg and .zip scanning and removal feel a little strange, as the scan located these, but seemed to vary in how it handled them, which can arguably be adjusted in the settings. The settings themselves are a powerful chunk of the program, but feel buried, and a quick introduction/tutorial could readily point them out and encourage the user to adjust them as needed. A Scheduler function buried within the settings supposedly allows for scans and other functions to be programmed in and executed, but failed to activate after two tests, which raises an eyebrow and could stand some debugging. If there’s a motif with ESET Home Security Premium, it’s that this is a powerful set of tools, but without quite the polish that it requires to be a must-buy utility. The settings felt buried under layers with little drawing attention to them and what they were capable of, the installer offered a semi-battle royale to get the SSL certificate up and running, the application’s Scheduler feature felt tucked away and didn’t execute during testing, and despite an incredibly powerful element of protection where viruses, malware, spam, and phishing efforts were concerned, the application needs some debugging while ESET itself needs to decide which tools to present to the user instead of opting for minimal simplicity in its home screen interface.  In the end, ESET Home Security Premium is impressive and worth trying out, and some of its features are as impressive as I’ve ever seen, but it needs some debugging and polishing to get it over the final hurdle. Still, with a free 30-day trial in place and no credit or debit card needing to be entered, this may be worth trying out to see how it fits into your everyday Mac lifestyle.  Should you buy ESET Home Security Premium Some bugs and rough edges aside, ESET Home Security Premium offers an impressive value via its raw protection features. Elements such as antivirus and malware detection, email filtering, and commendable integration with macOS’ own security frameworks offer excellent performance, and the simple but powerful VPN client offers what’s needed for day-to-day users. This, combined with a 30-day trial, allows for a good evaluation period without having to surrender payment information.

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The Tim Cook era at Apple looks to be winding down
As we step into 2026, a historic leadership transition is unfolding at three of America's most pivotal corporate giants. We're talking… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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This smartpen automatically digitizes anything you write
Enjoy the timeless feel of writing by hand with the perks of modern technology with the SyncPen 4 smartpen set. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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Apple stops signing iOS 26.1, here’s what that means
If you’re running iOS 26.2 and had been thinking about downgrading, you missed your chance. Here are the details. more…

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You’ll soon lose access to ChatGPT’s Voice feature on macOS
If you rely heavily on ChatGPT’s Voice feature on the Mac app, be warned: the feature is going away early next year. Here are the details. more…

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iPhone 18 Pro rumors: Under-display Face ID, variable aperture cameras, more
The iPhone 18 Pro is nowhere near release, but plenty of claims have already been made about Apple's next flagship. Here's what the rumor mill thinks is coming.The iPhone 18 Pro is expected to deliver a multitude of improvements.With its 2025 iPhone lineup, Apple's high-end models underwent significant changes, both visually and functionally. Titanium was replaced with aluminum as the case material, and the familiar rear camera bump expanded into a rectangular camera plateau.Its planned successor, the iPhone 18 Pro, more than likely won't deliver significant design alterations. In many ways, we expect an iterative upgrade, but that doesn't mean it won't include major performance enhancements. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Apple TV drops ‘Pluribus’ season finale early: Stream the epic conclusion on Christmas Eve!
Fans of "Pluribus" get a holiday treat: no agonizing seven-day wait for the season one finale. Apple TV typically rolls out fresh episodes… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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You can now watch Stanford’s 2025 SwiftUI development lectures for free
All 16 videos and supporting material from the Spring 2025 version of Stanford’s CS193p (Developing Applications for iOS using SwiftUI) course are now online, for free. more…

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9to5Mac Daily: December 19, 2025 – iPhone Fold, Apple Music news
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: Give yourself the gift of peace of mind. Till the end of the month, 9to5Mac listeners get 30% off with code 9to5Xmas.  more…

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This Mac superpower lets you copy text from any PDF [Pro Tip]
Trying to copy text from a PDF can be a nightmare. But the Mac has Live Text, a secret trick up its sleeve to make it dead simple. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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HomeKit Weekly: Aqara Hub M200 brings Matter support and new automation options to HomeKit
The smart home world is continually moving toward Matter, and Aqara is one of the companies driving this transition forward at a steady pace with its new products this year. Their latest hub, the Aqara Hub M200, replaces their older hubs and features a cleaner design, along with support for Matter. For HomeKit users, this means another step toward a future where more Aqara accessories can integrate seamlessly with the Home app, while still leveraging the benefits of Zigbee behind the scenes. more…

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A Request Regarding ‘Magic Link’ Sign-Ins and Apple’s Passwords App
I despise this design pattern, because it’s inherently slower than signing in using an email/password combination that was saved to my passwords app (which is Apple Passwords) and autofilled by my web browser. It’s not just a little slower but *a lot* slower.

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Gift guide: Last-minute HomeKit recommendations
Crafting a smart home ecosystem can be tricky. There are a lot of product categories, and it can be hard to know which ones to prioritize. Here are some of my go-to smart home recommendations for outfitting a smart home — and they all make great gifts this holiday season. more…

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Missing Safari’s full Toolbar? Here’s how to bring it back to your iPhone.
Hate the compact Safari browser controls in iOS 26? You can easily switch the iPhone Safari toolbar back to the full-featured design. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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Holiday Deal Alert: $100 off Apple Watch Series 11; hits all-time low of $299
As of December 19th, select colors of the Apple Watch Series 11 (GPS, 42mm) are back down to their record-low price of $299, or $100 off… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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iMessage is full of features you’re probably not using (but should) [Video]
It feels like every year, Apple quietly adds dozens of small features and improvements to the Messages app, but most of them fly under the radar. These aren’t flashy or eye-grabbing features, but they are the type of features that really help the quality of life and experience of the Messages app. If you are like most people, then you have probably been using the Messages app the same way for years, meaning you are barely scratching the surface of what the app can do. Here are some of the best Messages features that you need to know. more…

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Last call for Christmas: These $199 AirPods Pro 3 are the perfect gift
Macworld If you’re still doing some last-minute gift shopping and have no idea what to get, you really can’t go wrong with a pair of Apple AirPods Pro 3, especially since you can get them for $199, a $50 discount, and still get them in time to wrap and put under the tree. The AirPods Pro 3 are easily one of our favorite earbuds of the year. When we reviewed them, we gave them a 4.5-star rating and our Editors’ Choice award, and loved the sound quality and long battery life. And the new foam-infused tips solved one of the main issues we had with the AirPods Pro 2. These earbuds deliver better noise cancellation and a much-improved Transparency mode that will make having conversations while wearing them so much better. The Live Translation feature is also pretty awesome when you’re traveling. One really cool thing with these earbuds, however, is the fact that they come with heart rate monitoring, so they can keep track of your health while you’re exercising./ So there you go: The AirPods Pro 3 are under $200 — a pleasant surprise just in time for last-minute holiday shopping, so grab a pair before Santa shows up. The AirPods Pro 3 are down to $199 againBuy now at Amazon

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∞ The Dalrymple Report: Holiday returns, Apple account lockout, and iOS
It's holiday time and Dave and I both purchased Apple gifts for loved ones. We talk about our desicsion process and Apple's holiday return policy in case you need to return something. We also talk more about changes to iOS in JApan and if theose types of changes could happen in other parts of the world. Dave tells the story of someone who was completely locked out of his Apple account for no apparent reason and can't get anything back. Follow this podcast Brought to you by: Notion Agent: Go to https://notion.com/tdr to try your new AI teammate, Notion Agent, today. Copilot Money: For a limited-time: Get 26% off your first year when you sign up at copilot.money (new users only, web only). Get two months free with code DALRYMPLE. Start the new year with clarity. Your money, beautifully organized, now across every device. Show Notes: Apple’s holiday return/refund policy Rob Reiner Dick Van Dyke turned 100 Apple announces changes to iOS in Japan Shows and movies we're watching The Victim, BritBox F1, Apple TV Pluribus Becomes Apple TV’s Most Watched Show Ever

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