Run smarter AI prompts with this all-in-one Mac-friendly workspace — 87% off lifetime access
Macworld TL;DR: ChatPlayground AI’s Unlimited Lifetime Plan gives you access to 25+ leading AI models in one streamlined workspace for $79.97. The streaming wars barely cooled off, and somehow we’ve already landed in the middle of the AI wars. Dozens of models launch every year, each promising smarter answers, faster performance, or more “human-like” reasoning. ChatPlayground AI takes that chaos and turns it into a single, organized, and easy-to-navigate workspace. Instead of hopping between platforms, you enter a single prompt and instantly compare responses from 25+ top models, including GPT-4o, Claude Sonnet 4, Gemini 1.5 Flash, and DeepSeek V3, all displayed side by side. It’s a dramatically faster way to pinpoint which output matches your tone, style, or technical needs. The interface is clean, polished, and designed for people who prefer their tools to work quietly in the background while they focus. Whether you’re writing, coding, researching, brainstorming, or generating visuals, everything happens in one hub. If you’re tired of bouncing between AI apps and want a single workspace that keeps pace with evolving technology, this platform brings everything together under one roof. Get lifetime access to ChatPlayground AI for $79.97 (MSRP $619). ChatPlayground AI: Lifetime Subscription (Unlimited Plan)See Deal StackSocial prices subject to change.

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iPad vs iPad Air: With a $170 price gap, is the Air still worth the premium?
Apple has two great, affordable iPads that most people consider: the base iPad, and the iPad Air. Over time, these iPads have always been relatively similar, making it a rather interesting debate. With current deals, theres only $150 between these two iPads, which really begs the question: should you pay more for the iPad Air, or save some money with the base iPad? more…

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How to use the Apple Maps Library feature
Apple added an Apple Maps Library feature for all of your saved and pinned locations to live, making them easier to find later. Here's how to use it on your iPhone.iOS 18 adds a new Library feature to the iPhone's Apple Maps app.Adding new locations to the Apple Maps Library is easy and iPhone owners will be able to do so in a couple of different ways. We're going to run you through both so that you can make the most out of an Apple Maps feature that will make it easier and quicker than ever to get to where you want to go. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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‘The Family Plan 2’ premieres on Apple TV
The sequel to one of Apple’s most-watched comedies is now available to Apple TV subscribers. more…

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‘The Family Plan 2’ premieres on Apple TV
The sequel to one of Apple’s most-watched comedies is now available to Apple TV subscribers. more…

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‘The Family Plan 2’ premieres on Apple TV
The sequel to one of Apple’s most-watched comedies is now available to Apple TV subscribers. more…

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Roborock’s Qrevo CurvX vacuum delivers powerful performance at a competitive price [Sponsored]
Holiday shopping season is here, and if you’re thinking about a great gift for someone special (or let’s be honest, yourself), Roborock’s Qrevo CurvX should be at the top of your list. Robot vacuums have always had this problem: you either get something powerful that looks like a sci-fi reject, or something sleek that can’t really clean. Qrevo CurvX doesn’t make you choose. It solves real frustrations while actually looking nice in your home. With Black Friday around the corner, it’s getting an incredible $650 discount, down to $849.99 from $1,499.99. more…

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Here’s the one Microsoft PowerToys feature I really hope Apple copies soon
macOS Tahoe 26 brought clipboard history to Spotlight, which is great. However, there’s much more that Apple can do, particularly with the help of Apple Intelligence and third-party models. Here’s how. more…

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Apple’s second limited-edition iPhone accessory in a month is all about accessibility
Following the introduction of iPhone Pocket, Apple announced today the Hikawa Phone Grip & Stand, celebrating the 40th anniversary of accessibility at Apple. Here are the details. more…

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Pluribus is Apple TV’s biggest drama series launch ever
Apple TV today revealed that Pluribus has become its most successful new drama series debut ever, topping the viewership set by Severance season two earlier in the year. Via Deadline, Apple says Vince Gilligan’s mysterious new show has captivated audiences and set a new viewership record for biggest global drama series launch for the streamer. Pluribus was most popular in US, UK, Canada, Brazil, Australia, Germany, Mexico, India and France. New episodes of the show are rolling out each Friday, with episode four dropping in a couple of hours. more…

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Apple AirPods 4 fall to record low $79.99 during Amazon's Black Friday sale
Price wars continue to erupt for Black Friday Deals Week, and holiday shoppers can snag the lowest price ever on AirPods 4.AirPods 4 hit lowest price ever during Amazon's Black Friday Deals Week event - Image credit: AppleSave $50 on Apple AirPods 4 at Amazon, bringing the price down to just $79.99. This is the lowest AirPods 4 price to date on the earbuds, making it a great time to pick up a holiday gift for someone special or a treat for yourself.Buy AirPods 4 for $79.99 Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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9to5Mac readers get the lowest ever prices on Narwal’s entire robot cleaner range
Smart cleaning pioneer Narwal is officially launching its Black Friday discounts, and 9to5Mac readers get priority access to additional saving, allowing you to save up to 49% across the company’s entire lineup. It even extends to non-robocleaners like wet/dry vacuums. It’s unusual for a discount to apply to every single product a company offers, from its most affordable models right the way up to its latest and most sophisticated ones – but that’s exactly what you get here. more…

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TidBITS Memberships Now Support PayPal
Thanks to a reader request, PayPal is now available for TidBITS memberships. It’s a convenient alternative to using a credit card for renewals or new sign-ups. Stripe keeps things simpler for our administrative operations, but if you prefer PayPal, you’re welcome to use it.

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What’s new in macOS 26.2? Three new features coming to your Mac
Apple is gearing up to release macOS Tahoe 26.2 next month, bringing three new features to the Mac. From a clever video call enhancement that lights up your face in low-light conditions, to powerful Thunderbolt 5 clustering for building AI supercomputers at home, and smarter “Urgent” alarms in Reminders that won’t let you snooze critical […] The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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watchOS 26 added a new Apple Watch trick that I’ve been loving
watchOS 26 brought a variety of big and small updates to the Apple Watch, but one I’ve been increasingly loving is the new wrist flick gesture. Here’s how it works and what I’ve been using it for. more…

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Apple shows how much faster the M5 runs local LLMs compared to the M4
A new post on Apple’s Machine Learning Research blog shows how much the M5 Apple silicon improved over the M4 when it comes to running a local LLM. Here are the details. more…

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Apple TV announces new culinary adventure series ‘The Unlikely Cook with Awkwafina’
Apple TV on Thursday announced “The Unlikely Cook with Awkwafina,” a new eight-episode unscripted food series starring… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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Apple's F1 streaming partner is excited about the future and benefits for fans
The CEO of Apple's streaming partner and F1 owner Liberty Media says that Apple's partnership is already energizing fans and reshaping how the sport reaches viewers.Formula 1 on Apple TVIn a new CNBC interview, Liberty Media's CEO, Derek Chang, sat down to talk about Apple's role in the F1 broadcast ecosystem. Chang seemed excited to discuss Liberty Media's nascent partnership with Apple."We have a great relationship with Apple," Chang said enthusiastically. "As you know, they came out with "F1 The Movie" this summer, which did $650 million at the gate... I think it brought in new fans, and ... continued the energy for existing fans." Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Apple's F1 streaming partner is excited about the future and benefits for fans
The CEO of Apple's streaming partner and F1 owner Liberty Media says that Apple's partnership is already energizing fans and reshaping how the sport reaches viewers.Formula 1 on Apple TVIn a new CNBC interview, Liberty Media's CEO, Derek Chang, sat down to talk about Apple's role in the F1 broadcast ecosystem. Chang seemed excited to discuss Liberty Media's nascent partnership with Apple."We have a great relationship with Apple," Chang said enthusiastically. "As you know, they came out with "F1 The Movie" this summer, which did $650 million at the gate... I think it brought in new fans, and ... continued the energy for existing fans." Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Rumor Replay: Mac Pro’s future, iPhone Fold battery, and more
This is Rumor Replay, a weekly column at 9to5Mac offering a quick rundown of the most recent Apple product rumors, with analysis and commentary. Today: the possible end of the Mac Pro, iPhone Fold’s battery capacity, and more powerful iPhone cases. Here are this week’s Apple rumors. more…

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AirDrop comes to Google’s Pixel 10 family (sort of)
Macworld Back in early 2024, Google sort of merged its AirDrop-like “Nearby Share” with Samsung’s own AirDrop clone “Quick Share.” It gives Android phones the ability to directly share photos, videos, links, contacts, and other info on a direct peer-to-peer connection, just like AirDrop does. But it only works with Android phones. Until now. Google has announced that Quick Share will now work with AirDrop, and is rolling the feature out to Pixel 10 devices. The post makes it clear that Google is “looking forward to improving the experience and expanding it to more Android devices.” Google Google has an entire page devoted to the security of this feature, where it notes that this is not a hack or workaround: your data is sent directly peer-to-peer and never goes through a server. This new capability relies on AirDrop’s more open “Everyone for 10 minutes” mode, which means if you want to share between your iPhone and a Pixel 10 device, you’ll need to first open Settings > General > AirDrop and select Everyone for 10 Minutes. Of this limitation, the page says, “We welcome the opportunity to work with Apple to enable “Contacts Only” mode in the future.” While I think that would be great, I wouldn’t hold your breath waiting for it to happen. In fact, it wouldn’t surprise me if Apple found a way to shut down this current compatibility in a software update until eventually forced by some regulatory body into enabling broadly capable direct transfers. So enjoy it while it lasts.

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Nvidia’s strong results show AI bubble fears are unfounded
Bubbles rarely pop gradually, they tend to burst. Yet the recent cooling of AI hype has, paradoxically, delivered a reprieve for Nvidia… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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Apple and F1 already discussing more ways to partner, Liberty Media CEO says
In an interview on CNBC’s “Money Movers” earlier today, Liberty Media CEO Derek Chang discussed what the newly announced partnership with Apple may mean for F1, as well as Apple’s possible plans for the future. Here’s what he said. more…

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Audio Pro C10 MKII W review: compact yet powerful AirPlay speaker with great sound quality
Macworld At a glanceExpert's Rating Pros Excellent sound quality Compact, minimalist design Versatile app Good connectivity  Cons Expensive No USB-C audio input Deep bass could be stronger  Our Verdict It’s slightly more expensive than Apple’s HomePod, but the C10 MKII W scores better on sound quality and connectivity. Despite its compact design, it’s powerful enough to act as your main music system at home, and its support for AirPlay 2 is ideal for use with Apple devices. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Price When Reviewed$480 Best Prices Today: Audio Pro C10 MKII W Retailer Price $480 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Audio Pro’s A10 held a spot on our list of best AirPlay speakers a couple of years ago, but after a bit of a quiet period the Swedish company recently came back with a bang and updated its entire range of speakers all at once. The A10 is still around – at a reduced price if you’re looking for a bargain – but for this new generation of speakers we prefer the slightly larger, one-piece C10 MKII W, which costs $480/£350. Audio Pro’s model numbers are a bit untidy – the latest models all have that ‘W’ suffix but, as mentioned, some of its older models are still on sale online, so make sure you buy the correct model. But, thankfully, the Swedish company takes a more elegant and minimalist approach to its product designs, with the C10 MKII W consisting of little more than a simple rectangular box that measures 166mm high, 320mm wide and 180mm deep. It’s sturdily built though, weighing in at just over 4kg, and it packs a lot into that unassuming design. You can remove the fabric grille on the front of the speaker for a more retro look. Audio Pro There’s a smart fabric grille on the front panel of the speaker, but you can easily remove this if you prefer a more retro look with the speaker drivers exposed. Audio Pro’s attention to detail even allows you to fine-tune the sound depending on whether you prefer to remove the grille or keep it on. Removing the grille reveals a large woofer in the centre of the speaker to provide a deep, full sound for mid-range and lower frequencies, with smaller tweeters located on either side to handle the higher frequencies. This combination provides a total output of 80W, so the C10 MKII W has enough power to function as your main speaker system in your front room or lounge. It does require mains power supply, though, and the weight of the speaker means that it’s probably going to spend most of its time just sitting in one room at home.  It’s well connected, though, with support for Bluetooth and Apple’s AAC codec, as well as dual-band Wi-Fi (2.4GHz and 5.0GHz). The Audio Pro app has been updated too, and now works with a wide variety of streaming services, including Spotify, Amazon Music, and SoundCloud. It also supports AirPlay 2, allowing you to stream audio from any apps on your Apple devices, and allowing the C10 MKII W to work as part of a multi-room music system with Apple’s HomePods or any AirPlay 2 speakers from other manufacturers. Android users may be disappointed that there’s no support for aptX with Bluetooth, but that’s not a problem for Apple devices, and the C10 MKII W does support Google Cast for Android devices. Finally, there’s a set of RCA connectors on the back of the speaker to provide a good old-fashioned wired connection for devices such as a CD player or vinyl turntable. There are no audio cables included though, so you’ll need to provide those for yourself. And, at this price, we’d have liked to have seen a USB-C interface to provide a wired audio connection for computers and mobile devices as well. There’s a manual control panel on top of the speaker, but you can also control it via Bluetooth or AirPlay with wi-fi. Audio Pro The C10 MKII W delivers the good when it comes to sound quality, though, and it works a treat listening to the lossless version of Madonna’s Frozen on Apple Music via AirPlay on my iPad. It shows a delicate touch on the strings and gentle electronic chimes that open the track, but then wakes you up with the sharp crack of percussion that leads into the chorus. Madonna’s multi-tracked vocals are silky smooth, but the C10 MKII W handles the contrast well as the jangling guitar and percussion add a sharper tone that drives the song forward. It handles harder rock sounds well too, as I turn to Sing Along by Sturgill Simpson. It’s a dense track, with a mash-up of heavy rock guitar and fizzing electronic keyboards, but the C10 MKII W is able to pull all the detail out of the high-res version of the song on Apple Music. It finds room for the thick, fuzzy sound of the guitars that form the bedrock of the song, while the keyboards wail like sirens and get you dancing. My only minor complaint is that, as with many compact one-piece speakers, the deep bass could be a little firmer, and the bass drop towards the end of the track doesn’t quite have the impact that I’m used to. However, one last feature is the inclusion of an extra RCA connector on the back of the speaker that will allow you to add an external sub-woofer if you really want to pump up the bass. Should You Buy The C10 MKII W? It’s a little more expensive than one-piece rivals such as Apple’s HomePod at $299/£299, but the C10 MKII W wins hands-down on the clarity and precision of its sound, especially when playing high-res music on Apple Music and other streaming services. It provides better connectivity than the HomePod too, with support for a wide range of computers, mobile devices and streaming services, while its support for AirPlay makes it a great option for use with Apple devices.

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Awkwafina's new Apple TV series joins a growing wave of food storytelling
Nora Lum's new series, "The Unlikely Cook with Awkwafina," uses cooking and travel as a way to bridge the gap between her childhood memories and the culture that shaped them.Nora Lum, known as AwkwafinaAwkwafina, whose real name is Nora Lum, is stepping into the kitchen for a new Apple TV series that blends humor, family history, and modern Asian American cooking. Called The Unlikely Cook with Awkwafina, the eight episode show follows her across the country as she tries to reconnect with her family's restaurant roots and learn skills she never picked up at home.Lum is an actor and comedian known for movies like Crazy Rich Asians, The Farewell, and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. She first gained attention through comedy rap videos but built her career through sharp, character driven performances in film and television. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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9to5Mac Daily: November 20, 2025 – iPhone accessory rumors, Friday Night Baseball
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 CardPointers: The best way to maximize your credit card rewards. 9to5Mac Daily listeners can exclusively save 50% and get a $100 Savings Card.   more…

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Study: Apple’s N1 networking chip delivers a big Wi-Fi upgrade
Macworld Ookla, the company that makes the ubiquitous Speedtest.net Internet speed test, has issued a new report comparing Wi-Fi performance of Apple’s new N1 networking chip in the iPhone 17 against other Wi-Fi 7-capable phones, including the iPhone 16 and several top Android phones. The new chip is a clear winner. Not only does it make an obvious improvement in Wi-Fi performance over the Broadcom-based solution in the iPhone 16, but it catapults the iPhone 17 family to near the top of the pack for Wi-Fi 7 compatible smartphones. The results are impressive. Apple used a Broadcom chip for Wi-Fi networking, and while it offered Wi-Fi 7 support, it wasn’t really one of the fastest on the market. The N1 changes all that. Ookla In every region, Wi-Fi performance on the iPhone 17 family exceeds the iPhone 16 family. This is especially notable since both chips share the same 160 MHz channel width limitation—Apple didn’t get higher speeds by suddenly supporting the full 320 MHz bandwidth capability of Wi-Fi 7. Ookla notes that the biggest improvements over last year’s iPhones comes in the 10th percentile—the slowest connections. Similar to the C1 cellular chip, Apple seems most concerned with lifting the floor for the worst connections than with chasing the absolute top possible speeds. Ookla Apple’s improvements make it compare far more favorably to the best Android phones, globally. It doesn’t provide the fastest download speeds, but it’s in second place now, just a hair behind the Pixel 10 Pro family. It’s a big jump over the iPhone 16 family. Ookla But the iPhone 17 line beats the Pixel 10 Pro in uplink performance. It’s still not top of the pack—that honor goes to the Xiaomi 15T Pro—but it’s once again in second place and, once again, well ahead of the iPhone 16 line. Ookla While the Wi-Fi capabilities of the N1 processor in the iPhone 17 seem nearly identical to the Broadcom chip in the iPhone 16 family, it’s clear that Apple has produced a superior product. That could come down to changes in internal structure, antennas, better hardware-software integration, or a dozen other things; wireless networking is complicated. Apple still has room to grow. Use of 320 MHz channels is still quite rare, as are Wi-Fi 7 routers in general. Many countries have limited adoption of the 6GHz frequency for Wi-Fi, too. A theoretical N2 chip can implement more of the Wi-Fi 7 spec and see further improvements, in addition to maintaining better connections on slower and legacy networks. You’ll find further analysis of Wi-Fi 7 capable smartphones, and a lot more charts, on Ookla’s report.

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Stop texting passwords! There’s a safe, easy way to share them on iPhone.
You can share passwords on iPhone automatically with your entire family, so you don’t have to let everyone know when a password is changed. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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Slide Over improvements in iPadOS 26.2, Tesla CarPlay, Tim Cook retiring rumors
Benjamin and Chance discuss the week in Apple news, including the suggestion that Tim Cook’s retirement announced could come early in 2026. Also, Apple responds to user feedback on the multitasking changes with the latest iPadOS 26.2 beta 3, Tesla is rumored to be adding CarPlay to its vehicles, and MLS becomes part of the base Apple TV subscription starting next season. And in Happy Hour Plus, they discuss the future of the Mac Pro and why Apple should stop selling it. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join.  Sponsored by Roborock: Save up to 50% on Roborock’s flagship vacuums during their Black Friday event — but hurry, these deals won’t last long! Sponsored by Square: Get up to $200 off Square hardware when you sign up at square.com/go/happyhour. Sponsored by HelloFresh: America’s #1 meal kit! Get 10 Free Meals with free Breakfast For Life at HelloFresh.com/happyhour10fm. Sponsored by NordStellar: Protect your business today at nordstellar.com/happyhourand use code blackfriday20 to save 20%. more…

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ChatGPT gaining group chat feature in four regions [U]
Update: OpenAI has expanded the rollout globally after just one week. More details follow the original post. OpenAI is piloting a pretty big ChatGPT feature in select markets. The company is rolling out the ability to have group chats with ChatGPT for the first time. more…

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