Tim Cook quietly taps John Ternus to oversee Apple’s design teams: report
A new Bloomberg report says that Tim Cook has tapped John Ternus to manage Apple’s design teams. Here are the details. more…

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Apple published a new Press Release
Apple just published a new Press Release:Apple scores six Academy Award nominations

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Apple bets big that AI models will become commodities; may offer hot-swappable Siri
As Apple integrates more AI features across its ecosystem (like Apple Intelligence), the company appears to be positioning itself around… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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Apple’s next-gen Apple TV 4K may be coming soon
Apple's next-gen Apple TV 4K may be imminent. Rumors point to an early 2026 launch (possibly spring), featuring major upgrades like… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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Utah senator has nothing better to do than officially troll iPhone users
Macworld In case you haven’t been paying attention, a lot of stuff is happening politically and socially here in the U.S. A lot of stuff. I’m not here to share how I feel about it all, but I think we can all agree, in a broad sense, that a lot of issues need to be worked out. It’s times like these where we all need proper leadership. For example, take Utah State Senator Kirk Cullimore. In these turbulent times, Cullimore is showing he’s a man of the people–if you’re an Android user. You see, Cullimore (who is also the Utah State Majority Leader, so you know he’s a boss!) has introduced a bill to make Android the state’s official mobile operating system. SB138 points out that Android needs to join the Rocky Mountain Elk, Dubhe, Quaking Aspen, dutch oven, and square dancing as a state symbol. Why? KSL.com reports that “Cullimore joked that his Android bill is about ‘discrimination’ from iPhone users who complain that text messages from him appear in green bubbles rather than blue.” “Someday, everybody with an iPhone will realize that the technology is better on Android,” said Cullimore. Mark his words, dear readers. But what do Utahians (Utahites? Utes?) think? According to KSL.com, when Cullimore talked about the bill to the media, “The other senators nearby just laughed.” You know, I’m sure a lot of the opposition laughed when Abraham Lincoln proposed the 13th Amendment. Great men and adversity go hand in hand. Seriously, though, Cullimore said that he doesn’t “expect this to really get out of committee.” This, from the guy who wants to move the day of Halloween from October 31. Seriously. As if he has absolutely nothing important to do. But what if the Utah Congress is sold on SB138 and actually passes it? Well, great! Enjoy your green bubbles, Utah. And keep up the good work, Senator Cullimore! You’ve taken platform trolling to a whole new level that it didn’t need to go to. You sure showed us! 🙄

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Apple's AI pin has a Siri-shaped problem, and that's just the start
Apple is said to be working on a new Siri-powered AI pin, but what that will do and whether anyone wants such a thing is still very much unknown.Apple's AI pin is expected to look similar to an AirTag, except with two cameras and more includedCiting unnamed people familiar with the AI pin project, The Information claims that it's still in its early stages. It also goes on to explain what the AI pin actually looks like. But what it will do is another thing entirely.They say that beauty isn't skin deep, but nobody wants to wear a big, ugly AI device. Thankfully, Apple has the perfect form factor — an AirTag. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Apple’s upcoming smart home hub may feature a robotic swiveling base
Apple's long-rumored smart home hub, featuring a small display, speakers, and heavy AI integration, may include a novel robotic swiveling… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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Stay juiced up with my favorite portable power station at $250 off
This awesome Anker Solix C800 X Portable Power Station deal gets you $250 off -- and power to burn for Apple gadgets, appliances and more. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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Craig Federighi rejected feature that would use AI to design your iPhone’s home screen: report
A new report from The Information today dives into the current structure of Apple’s AI organization, now overseen by Craig Federighi. According to the story, Federighi is responsible for Apple’s decision to start using models from outside companies like Google. The report also corroborates previous reporting in saying that Federighi was an “AI skeptic” until trying OpenAI’s ChatGPT in late 2022. more…

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Do You Use It? Audit Your Subscriptions
Subscriptions have become an inescapable part of digital life, but how many do you pay for? Take our five-question poll to audit your subscriptions, tally your spending, and see how you compare with other TidBITS readers.

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Apple's 13-inch M5 iPad Pro falls to record low $1,149 in today's top sale
The latest 13-inch iPad Pro is on sale for the all-time best price of $1,149 today, with discounts of up to $368 across iPad models.Grab the best price on Apple's 13-inch iPad Pro M5 - Image credit: AppleThe 13-inch iPad Pro is equipped with Apple's M5 chip and can serve as a helpful tool for content creation — and even as a desktop replacement in certain environments.Amazon is knocking $150 off the standard 256GB Wi-Fi model in Space Black, bringing the price down to $1,149.99, which matches the record low price since the tablet was released in 2025. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Acorn 8.4
Brings a couple of handy editing improvements to the image editor. ($29.99 new, free update, 87.4 MB, macOS 14+)

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iOS 27 chatbot, Apple AI pin, iPhone 18 Dynamic Island rumors 
Benjamin and Chance get excited for the upcoming Siri roadmap, with Bloomberg reporting that the delayed features will arrive with 26.4 and a full chatbot experience is due before the end of the year. The Information says Apple is developing an AI pin, the iPhone 18 Pro cutout positioning situation is seemingly clarified, and Apple makes App Store ads even less noticeable.  And in Happy Hour Plus, Chance talks about the best parts of his new Oura Ring, and how Apple can learn from its software experience. Join now and save 26% on annual plans with code HAPPY26. Sponsored by Shopify: In 2026, stop waiting and start selling with Shopify. Sign up for a $1 per month trial at shopify.com/happyhour. Sponsored by Gusto: The online payroll and benefits software built for small businesses. Get three months free when you run your first payroll at gusto.com/happyhour. Sponsored by Framer: The only free design tool that brings your ideas to the web. Visit framer.com/design and use code HAPPYHOUR for a free month. more…

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Apple shares trailer for new Top Dogs immersive ‘doguseries’ coming to Vision Pro
Apple this week shared a trailer for a new Immersive Video release coming to Apple Vision Pro later this month: Top Dogs. The company describes it as a behind-the-scenes look at the “biggest dog show on Earth.” more…

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Price drop: This AI speech-to-text tool for Mac and PC hits 99.7% accuracy
This dictation tool for Mac and PCs turns spoken words into text with 99.7 percent accuracy. Save on AI speech-to-text tool VoiceType AI. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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9to5Mac Daily: January 22, 2026 – Siri AI chatbot, Apple AI pin
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 Stuff: Stuff helps you get everything out of your head and into a simple, elegant system—closing open loops and reducing mental stress. Use code 9TO5 at checkout for 50% off your first year. more…

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Deals: M3 MacBook Air $500 less than M4 model, official Apple Watch Ultra bands up to 30% off, more
Today’s 9to5Toys Lunch Break is ready to roll down below. Alongside the ongoing price drops on M4 Mac mini at up to $110 off, we are starting off with some solid deals on the M3 MacBook Air for folks looking to save a ton – you’ll find a couple configurations at as much as $500 less than the comparable M4 variants right now. We also have a host of official Apple Watch Ultra and Series bands at up to 30% off starting from $31, this Milanese model at a new all-time low, and some details on the Best Buy Prep for Playoffs Super Bowl sale. Head below for a closer look.  more…

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F1 with Brad Pitt takes pole position on Apple TV Oscar hopes
Brad Pitt's "F1" earns Best Picture Oscar nomination in a very competitive field. It's more likely to win any of three other awards. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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Android should be Utah's state phone, says senator who has better things to do
This is actually true: a Utah senator is sponsoring a bill that would see Android adopted as an official state mobile operating system for absolutely no reason at all. In the history of dumb ideas, this is pretty high on the list.Presumably if it passes, the bill could even see Utah's flag updatedRoughly half of the US likes Android, half like the iPhone, and from time to time people try out each. You do you. And if Senate Majority Leader Kirk Cullimore (R-Sandy) is an Android fan, that's a fact of totally no interest to anyone whatsoever.But it apparently matters a lot to Cullimore, so given his position, he is taking time in the Utah 2026 legislative session to try to get it done. According to KSL local news, Cullimore said it was also about the green and blue bubbles complaint. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Today in Apple history: Super Bowl Mac ad airs against the odds
On January 22, 1984, the Apple commercial for the Macintosh 128K aired during the Super Bowl. The "1984" Mac ad became Apple's greatest ever. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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This 15-inch M3 MacBook Air with extra RAM and storage is just $1,099 right now
Macworld We may prefer the M4 MacBook Air these days, but the 2024 M3 model is an absolute beast on its own. And, more importantly, it’s a fraction of the price you’d pay for last year’s model, because the 15-inch m3 MacBook Air is only $1,099 at Amazon right now. How much is the same configuration with an M4 chip, 24GB memory, and 512GB of storage? Even on sale, you’ll still pay over $1,500 at Amazon, which means you’re saving hundreds of dollars. And while the M4 chip is certainly an upgrade over its predecessor, it doesn’t necessarily justify such a massive price gap. So, let’s talk about the M3 MacBook Air. This is a laptop that we gave a 4.5-star rating when we reviewed it, naming it “simply the best, but better.” We loved its performance and the excellent battery life, as well as the great combination of features. I mean, 18 hours of battery life? Yes, please! Plus you’ll get plenty of RAM and twice the storage of the entry level model, more than enough to keep it running smoothly for years and years. The MacBook features the larger 15.3-inch Liquid Retina display with a gorgeous 2880×1864 resolution, so absolutely everything you look at will look full of color and crisp. And you’ll get everything else you expect from a MacBook AIr: lots of ports, MagSafe charging, an excellent keyboard, and a high-quality webcam. So stop wasting time and get yourself one of these M3 MacBook Air laptops for $1,099 at Amazon before it’s gone forever. Buy now at Amazon

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Apple & Google's AI deal clears biggest hurdle blocking smart home accessory release
Apple's smart home peripheral been a "releases next year" rumored product for about three years, but Apple's decision to pair Google's Gemini models with Siri may finally be the key to shipping.Software chief Craig FederighiApple has been working on a tabletop smart home display with a rotating base for years, but Siri's limitations repeatedly slowed progress. Those delays have not only pushed back the display itself, but also stalled broader Apple Home-focused hardware plans tied to ambient voice interaction.Reports have described the device. The missing piece has consistently been a Siri capable of handling shared, always-on environments reliably. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Apple Intelligence will see sweeping changes as Craig Federighi takes control
Apple software chief Craig Federighi has taken control of Apple's AI teams, and the move to using Google's Gemini tech is a preview of bigger Apple Intelligence changes to come.Craig Federighi at WWDC 2025 promoting F1Confirmation that Google's Gemini will be used to bolster Apple Intelligence features to help Siri move forward was damning for Apple's internal models team. Now, a new report by The Information tells the story of a floundering AI focus within Apple that's now under the stewardship of a noted AI skeptic.The report also hints at strained relations between Federighi and the AI models team he now controls. It's said that the software exec took a dig at the team during a recent meeting. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Apple urges Indian court to block demand for global financials in App Store probe
Apple has petitioned India's Delhi High Court to block the Competition Commission of India (CCI) from accessing its global financial records… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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'F1' driving Apple's Oscar awards ambitions in 2026
"F1: The Movie" is Apple TV's latest film to be nominated for an Oscar as Best Picture, alongside three other nominations, though it failed to get any nominations for acting and directing.Brad Pitt in "F1"Apple TV is famously the first streamer to win a Best Picture Oscar, having won in 2022 with "CODA." It was then nominated for Best Picture in 2024 for "Killers of the Flower Moon," and now in 2026 for "F1: The Movie."In all, "F1" has been nominated in four categories for the 98th Academy Awards: Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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If you’re not running iOS 26 yet, here’s why you need to update right now
Macworld iOS 26 has been a controversial release, primarily due to the Liquid Glass UI spread across the entire system. While Apple has yet to share official figures, third-party reports suggest adoption is significantly lower than usual. If you’ve been avoiding iOS 26, you may want to reconsider. The OS has already received multiple updates that address early bugs, improve battery life, and give users more control over the Liquid Glass aesthetic. More importantly, it includes critical security fixes that you otherwise can’t apply. Flexible Liquid Glass People generally tend to be averse to change, especially when it impacts their everyday devices. While, arguably, there’s nothing fundamentally wrong with how Liquid Glass looks and behaves, there’s no denying that it can be a jarring experience at first. Fortunately, your eyes eventually adapt, and it should become your new norm in no time. If you find Liquid Glass too transparent, you can adjust its opacity by heading to Settings > Display & Brightness > Liquid Glass. You’ve got the default Clear look that emphasizes the new design language and an alternative Tinted option that adds more contrast to improve readability. Liquid Glass isn’t as bad as you’ve heard, but if you hate it, you can basically turn it off.Foundry Picking the Tinted option won’t completely kill the system’s Liquid Glassiness, however. To further increase the opacity and contrast, you can go to Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size, and toggle Increase Contrast. This will give the glassy elements a more solid look that, to an extent, resembles iOS 18. Stable performance and battery life It is widely believed that new iOS versions cause iPhone battery drain and slowdowns. While that can be true at first, it doesn’t tell the whole story. When you install a major release, your iPhone reindexes data and runs relevant processes in the background that consume battery power. However, these tasks typically conclude within a few days, after which your battery life will return to normal. So, while you may experience some atypical battery drain right after updating, it’s rarely irreversible. If you’re concerned about battery life when upgrading to iOS 26, fear not.Foundry That’s not to mention that certain people use their iPhones more than usual after a feature update to explore all of the fresh additions and tools. This also contributes to the power drain and perception of a shorter battery life. As for the performance, it shouldn’t see a significant, long-term hit, either. Apple restricts power-hungry features that require fast processors to newer iPhones. This minimizes lags and ensures that older models running the latest OS version still perform fluidly. Fresh features While Liquid Glass is iOS 26’s most prominent introduction, the OS update adds plenty of other non-cosmetic features that elevate the mobile computing experience. You’ve got tools that pick up the phone on your behalf, get answers from callers, translate live speech, and filter out spam. Messaging has also been upgraded with conversation backgrounds, polls, inline translations, and more. Beyond communication, you’ve got preferred routes in Apple Maps, an all-new Games app that makes discovering new titles and in-app events easier, lyric translations and the AI-powered AutoMix transitions in Apple Music, and much more. By staying on iOS 18, you’re missing out on a ton of smart features that are only increasing with each new update. Siri is finally getting its Apple Intelligence upgrade—but you’ll only get it with iOS 26.Foundry Upcoming AI perks If those upgrades don’t mean much to you, this one might. With the upcoming iOS 26.4 update, Apple will reportedly finally introduce Siri 2.0. The virtual assistant will utilize Google Gemini’s superior infrastructure to deliver detailed information and perform tasks more reliably. It will also allow you to control supported first- and third-party apps using your voice and effortlessly pull data from old conversations. Given that the present Siri constantly struggles to process basic commands, you won’t want to skip its most remarkable upgrade later this year. Security patches Beyond the user-facing changes, iOS updates tend to patch security vulnerabilities that prevent hackers from accessing or monitoring your iPhone’s data. Historically, Apple would issue security fixes to all users, including those sticking to an older OS release. That’s no longer the case, however. New features are nice, but security updates are the real reason to upgrade to iOS 26.Foundry For example, iOS 18.7.3 launched exclusively on the iPhone XR, XS, and XS Max, as they’re the only models to support iOS 18 but not iOS 26. Users with newer iPhone models may not be able to get their hands on the crucial security patches unless they install iOS 26.2 (although Apple is likely to continue to support iOS 18 for a little longer in terms of security patches). Keeping your iPhone on iOS 18 will prevent it from receiving some timely security updates, making it more susceptible to exploitation. To update your iPhone to iOS 26, go to Settings > General > Software Update, and hit the Update Now button. Agree to the terms of service after reading them and ensure that your iPhone is connected to a power source until the installation concludes. For more information on how iOS 18 compares to iOS 26 read our comparison: iOS 26 vs iOS 18: What’s different, what’s new, and should you update?

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Despite everything, a Siri chatbot does seem the right way to go
A report yesterday said that we will see a Siri chatbot as part of iOS 27, despite the company previously dismissing this idea. If accurate, this will see the company adopt a two-stage strategy to finally giving the new Siri the smarts it has long lacked … more…

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Why I’m waiting for iPhone 18 Pro instead of upgrading to iPhone 17 Pro
The iPhone 17 Pro is good, but the iPhone 18 Pro might bring some long overdue upgrades, making it worth holding off. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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Hackers threaten to release ‘exact’ details of unreleased Apple products
Macworld This is set to be a big year for Apple product launches, but the announcements may appear rather sooner than the company would like. Following a data breach affecting one of Apple’s manufacturing suppliers, hackers are boasting on the dark web that they have obtained confidential data about Apple products, projects, and personnel. According to Cybernews, Luxshare was successfully attacked last month by a ransomware cartel named RansomHub, which is now threatening to leak data from Luxshare clients Apple, nVidia, and LG unless it pays a ransom. “We were waiting for you for quite some time, but it seems that your IT department decided to conceal the incident that took place in your company,” the attackers write. (They claim the data breach took place on December 15, and Luxshare has not reported anything of that nature.) “We strongly recommend that you contact us to prevent your confidential data and project documents from being leaked.” RansomHub claims to have a raft of confidential information, including 2D CAD drawings, 3D CAD models, engineering drawings, printed circuit board designs, and layout architecture data. It includes a data sample with the forum post, and Cybernews reports that this contains “what appear to be confidential projects regarding device repair and shipping between Apple and Luxshare, including timelines, detailed processes, and information about other Luxshare clients.” It also contains names, roles, and email addresses for staff working on specific projects. The leak looks genuine, in other words. Luxshare is a huge company and a critical part of Apple’s supply chain. It has assembled iPhones since 2020, and also builds Apple Watches, AirPods, MacBook accessories, and the Vision Pro. The company therefore has access to data which would be of enormous interest to Apple’s rivals. AppleInsider‘s sources say the 3D CAD files (.prt files) are the most significant part of the cache. “In essence,” the site writes, “if the RansomHub attackers really obtained .prt files, that means they have the exact details and dimensions of every screw, bracket, spacer, and everything else in between needed for a prototype iPhone.” Neither Apple nor Luxshare has yet commented on the alleged incident.

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Apple unleashes up to ¥1,000 Lunar New Year discounts in China
Apple is ramping up promotions in mainland China ahead of Lunar New Year, offering discounts of up to 1,000 yuan (about US$144) on select… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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