Apple TV subreddit to hold AMA with character ‘Carol Sturka’ from Pluribus
For the second time in a few months, Apple will host a Reddit AMA with someone in character from an Apple TV show. This time, it’s Carol Sturka, played by Rhea Seehorn on Pluribus. Here’s how to join in. more…

Read more »

Apple partners on limited edition iPhone grip tailored for disabled users
Apple is back with another limited edition iPhone accessory, this time a far more reasonably priced ergonomic grip that doubles as a stand for disabled users made by designer Bailey Hikawa.The new accessibility iPhone grip and stand by Bailey Hikawa — image credit: AppleFollowing the collaboration with a Japanese fashion house to make the iPhone Pocket, Apple has now teamed up with Los Angeles artist Bailey Hikawa. She already makes esoteric stands, grips and cases for the iPhone, and now one of them is in the online Apple Store — but this time with more purpose, and less artistic intention.The Hikawa Phone Grip & Stand effectively requires a MagSafe compatible iPhone, and costs $70. It comes in two colors, either Chartreuse — a vibrant lime — or recycled crater, which is vaguely granite-like. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Read more »

Apple partners on limited edition iPhone grip tailored for disabled users
Apple is back with another limited edition iPhone accessory, this time a far more reasonably priced ergonomic grip that doubles as a stand for disabled users made by designer Bailey Hikawa.The new accessibility iPhone grip and stand by Bailey Hikawa — image credit: AppleFollowing the collaboration with a Japanese fashion house to make the iPhone Pocket, Apple has now teamed up with Los Angeles artist Bailey Hikawa. She already makes esoteric stands, grips and cases for the iPhone, and now one of them is in the online Apple Store — but this time with more purpose, and less artistic intention.The Hikawa Phone Grip & Stand effectively requires a MagSafe compatible iPhone, and costs $70. It comes in two colors, either Chartreuse — a vibrant lime — or recycled crater, which is vaguely granite-like. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Read more »

Best AirPods Black Friday deals: Amazon slashes AirPods Pro 3 to $219, AirPods 4 with ANC $109, AirPods Max $120 off
Amazon's AirPods Pro 3 price drop delivers the lowest price to date as Black Friday Deals Week kicks off. Plus, grab AirPods 4 with ANC for $109, a staggering $70 discount.AirPods Pro 3 dip to lowest price ever during Amazon Black Friday Deals Week.Apple AirPods Pro 3 are on sale for $219.99 at Amazon during Black Friday Deals Week, reflecting a $30 discount off MSRP.Save up to $120 on AirPods Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Read more »

Best AirPods Black Friday deals: Amazon slashes AirPods Pro 3 to $219, AirPods 4 with ANC $109, AirPods Max $120 off
Amazon's AirPods Pro 3 price drop delivers the lowest price to date as Black Friday Deals Week kicks off. Plus, grab AirPods 4 with ANC for $109, a staggering $70 discount.AirPods Pro 3 dip to lowest price ever during Amazon Black Friday Deals Week.Apple AirPods Pro 3 are on sale for $219.99 at Amazon during Black Friday Deals Week, reflecting a $30 discount off MSRP.Save up to $120 on AirPods Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Read more »

Best of 2025-2026: Must-have products for Mac, iPhone & iPad tested by Macworld
Macworld Apple released some great new products in 2025, from the stunning Cosmic Orange iPhone 17 Pro, to the incredible M5 chip, not to mention a new lineup of Apple Watches, the long-overdue AirPods Pro 3 update, and the iPhone 16e. However, Apple’s not the only one innovating. Over the past 12 months various products have passed through our doors that will complement your Apple kit, many of which are leading the way in new technologies that are destined to make our live better and help us work more productively. Below we have rounded up the new hardware and software that caught our eye in 2025. Macworld has pored through 2025’s varied ecosystem of Apple-related hardware accessories and software to pick our favorites of the year. Macworld 2025/2026 Hardware Awards Best Mac Docking Station: CalDigit TS5 Thunderbolt 5 Dock Price When Reviewed: $399.99 Best Prices Today: $399.95 at Amazon$399.95 at Apple$399.99 at CalDigit While the CalDigit TS5 Plus is undoubtedly the ultimate Mac docking station of 2025, it probably hosts more ports than you need and is priced accordingly. The less-armed but notably more affordable CalDigit TS5 model still boasts 15 high-end ports, including four Thunderbolt 5 and 2.5Gb Ethernet. It looks great in the now-iconic CalDigit case and is the premium Thunderbolt dock within most budgets. Connect with our reviews for more of the best Thunderbolt docks for Mac. Read our full CalDigit TS5 Thunderbolt 5 Dock review Best mouse for Mac: Logitech MX Master 4 Price When Reviewed: $119.99 Best Prices Today: $119.99 at Amazon$119.99 at B&H$119.99 at Logitech Apple’s Magic Mouse is a fine pointing device, but it is rather limited with just two buttons and a few tricky gestures. Logitech’s smoothly curved MX Master 4 mouse has eight buttons and boasts new haptic feedback technology, an Action Ring, and longer battery life. A SmartShift feature automatically switches the vertical scroll wheel from line-by-line scrolling to super-fast scrolling when it senses you want to scroll much faster. –Cliff Joseph Scroll through more reviews to find the best mouse for Mac. Read our full Logitech MX Master 4 review Best monitor for Mac: BenQ MA270U/P Price When Reviewed: $549.99 Best Prices Today: $399.99 at Amazon$549 at BenQ The one thing that’s immediately noticeable with our recommended 4K monitor, the BenQ MA270UP, is its impressive image quality that makes it an affordable alternative to Apple’s 5K Studio Display. Colors are full of life, and the detail is excellent. One standout aspect of the image quality is how sharp the text appears. This is great for production and design work, but it can even make it more enjoyable to read and write. You might be able to find a 27-inch 4K display that’s a little cheaper, but it won’t look this good. It’s available with either a matte (MA270U) or glossy screen (MA270UP). –Roman Loyola Read our big-screen reviews for more of the best monitors for Mac. Read our full BenQ MA270UP review Best keyboard for Mac: Keychron Q6 Max Price When Reviewed: $239.99 Best Prices Today: $191.99 at Amazon Prime$239.99 at Amazon$239.99 at Keychron This big, beautiful beast from Keychron is one of the most comfortable mechanical keyboards around. The Keychron Q6 Max is endlessly customizable (both in terms of hot-swapping keys and switches, and using Keychron’s web-based Launcher app), but it’s also incredibly comfortable to type on for long periods. It has a full number pad, and customizable macro keys above it, as well as a full function row and that oh-so-satisfying volume knob. –Lloyd Coombes Tap to about the best keyboards for Mac. Best MacBook Charger: Rolling Square Supertiny 65W Charger Price When Reviewed: $49.99 Best Prices Today: $39.99 at Amazon Prime$49.90 at Rolling Square$49.99 at Amazon We haven’t seen a charger this powerful yet this minuscule before. You really have to see it to believe it. The Rolling Square Supertiny can keep even a MacBook Pro fully charged and can fast-charge a MacBook Air, although not at the same time, as it has just one port. It’s so small you could lose it in your pocket! For higher power scan our reviews of the best MacBook chargers. Best magnetic power bank: EcoFlow RAPID Magnetic Power Bank 5K Price When Reviewed: $69.99 Best Prices Today: $69.99 at EcoFlow This slim 5K battery pack has everything an iPhone power bank should possess: speedy 15W wireless charging, a built-in 30W USB-C cable, a clear battery percentage display, and a pull-out kickstand. You can find magnetic power banks with more battery power and even faster wireless charging, but none in a slim form factor as appealing as the EcoFlow RAPID. For more portable battery pack options see our roundup of the best magnetic power banks for iPhone. Best wireless charger: Belkin UltraCharge Pro 3-in-1 Price When Reviewed: $129.99 Best Prices Today: $129.99 at Amazon$129.99 at B&H$129.99 at Belkin Previously only possible with the latest version of Apple’s own MagSafe Charger, 25W fills a dead iPhone to 50 percent in just 30 minutes for iPhone 16 or 17 owners. The first Qi2 25W charger in the Macworld Labs was the Belkin UltraCharge Pro 3-in-1 Magnetic Charging Dock. Not only is this the fastest 3-in-1 charger out there, but it’s also a striking low-profile design with an adjustable charging pad angling off a chrome-finished metal frame. Ditch the cables and find more of the best wireless chargers for iPhone. Read our full Belkin UltraCharge Pro 3-in-1 Magnetic Charging Dock review Best iPhone charger: Ugreen Nexode 65W Charger with Retractable Cable Price When Reviewed: $49.99 Best Prices Today: $37.99 at Amazon Prime$49.99 at Amazon$49.99 at Ugreen Tiny wall chargers are great for portability, but you must remember to carry a cable around with you. The compact and super-convenient Ugreen Nexode 65W Charger has a retractable USB-C cable built in, so you shouldn’t ever be caught without one. The 65W model has two ports alongside the 65W USB-C cable output, while the 100W model has three. Yes, 65W is more than enough for an iPhone, but this charger doubles up as your MacBook charger, too. Indeed, you can charge both at the same time using it. Power on through the reviews of the best iPhone chargers. Read our full Ugreen Nexode 65W Charger with Retractable USB-C Cable review Best DisplayLink dock for Mac: Plugable 5-Display Dock Price When Reviewed: $279.95 Best Prices Today: $279.60 at Amazon$279.95 at B&H$279.95 at Walmart To run more than two external displays off a single-cable docking station requires third-party DisplayLink software. This wonder can handle the most displays of any DisplayLink dock: even the notoriously limited M1 MacBook can connect five 4K/60Hz monitors. Five! The Plugable TBT-UDT3 is ready for speedy 2.5GbE networks and has powerful 15W USB-C ports, making it more than just a multi-display dock. Multi-monitor our reviews of the best DisplayLink docks. Read our full Plugable 5 Display USB-C Dock (UD-7400PD) review Best iPad keyboard case: ESR 2025 Shift Keyboard Case (Detachable) Price When Reviewed: $99.99 Best Prices Today: $79.99 at Amazon Prime$89.99 at ESR$99.99 at Amazon You don’t have to buy Apple’s pricey Magic Keyboard when this pro-level detachable Bluetooth keyboard and case offers so much: 20 degrees–75 degrees landscape, 70 degrees portrait, and 20 degrees drawing modes; a 65 percent larger multi-touch clickable trackpad; dual Apple Pencil holders; and up to 195 days of battery life. The ESR Shift Keyboard Case stays paired even when removed from the case, so you can type from anywhere (within 33 feet). Find more of the best iPad Keyboards. Best MacBook power bank: INIU Cougar P62-E1 20K (65W) Power Bank Price When Reviewed: $50.99 Best Prices Today: $46.99 at Amazon$50.99 at INIU The INIU Cougar 20K (65W) Power Bank stands out a mile with its colorful looks, smooth finish, and dare-to-be-different compact shape. Not just fun to look at and easy to hold, it performed excellently in our tests and features a removable USB-C cable that creates a handy carrying loop. There are more powerful laptop power banks, but the combination of good looks and handy portability made it one of our favorites of the year. Less fun but higher capacity options can be perused in our reviews of the best MacBook power banks. Read our full INIU Cougar P62-E1 20000mAh (65W) Power Bank review Best portable monitor for Mac: UPerfect Delta Mega Price When Reviewed: $649.99 Best Prices Today: $589.99 at Amazon Prime$649.99 at UPerfect$739.99 at Amazon A vertically stacked dual-screen monitor can be more ergonomic than side-by-side options, reducing frequent rotation of the neck. The super-adjustable UPerfect Delta Mega offers two 23.8-inch HD screens that can be folded up and simply stored out of sight in minutes, making it perfect for home-working environments. You can even bend it right back to offer front and back mirrored screens to share meeting content with people facing you. Cast your eyes on more options in our roundup of the best portable monitors for Mac. Read our full Uperfect Delta Mega Dual Screen Monitor review Best Apple Watch charger: Anker MagGo 3-in-1 Folding Wireless Charging Station Price When Reviewed: $89.99 Best Prices Today: $55.99 at Amazon$89.99 at Anker$99.99 at Walmart The lovely Twelve South Butterfly has been our favorite Apple Watch travel charger for a long time, but now the more snail-shaped Anker MagGo Folding 3-in-1 goes one further—charging not just the Watch but iPhone and AirPods (or another iPhone) at the same time—all in a pocketable, lightweight form. Keep powered up with these best Apple Watch chargers. Read our full Anker MagGo 3-in-1 Folding Wireless Charging Station review Best Car Charger: Anker Prime 25W Wireless Car Charger Price When Reviewed: $89.99 Best Prices Today: $89.99 at Amazon$89.99 at Anker With a magnetic phone mount that includes a wireless charging pad, drivers can power up their iPhone and angle it for simultaneous navigation or notification functionality. Boasting the latest Qi2 25W wireless charging tech, the Anker Prime Car Charger is almost as fast at charging as with a cable—essential if you need as much juice in the phone as your short journey will allow you. Check out the best wireless car chargers for iPhone. Read our full Anker Prime 25W Wireless Car Charger (MagGo, AirCool, Pad) review Best USB-C adapter for Mac: Satechi Stand & Hub Mini M4 Price When Reviewed: $99.99 Best Prices Today: $94.99 at Walmart$99.99 at B&H$99.99 at Satechi We tend to think of USB hubs for port-deficient MacBooks, and you’d imagine that the Mac mini and Mac Studio have an army of ports in comparison to Apple’s laptops. However, the Satechi Stand & Hub for the M4 Mac mini fits neatly under the mini and adds three USB-A ports—two at 10Gbps and one at 480Mbps—at the front, plus an SD card reader. Even better, inside the Hub is an enclosure that enables you to add an NVMe SSD, which will be cheaper than paying Apple’s upgrade prices at purchase. —Peter Müller There is an astonishing range of USB-C hubs, which you can discover in our reviews of the best USB-C hubs and adapters for Mac. Read our full Satechi Stand & Hub Mac Mini M4 review Best MacBook bag: Troubadour Matrix Backpack Price When Reviewed: $279 Best Prices Today: $279 at Troubadour Apple builds its MacBooks to a high spec and premium design, so if you are carrying yours around in a backpack, maybe that should also be top-notch, too. The Troubadour Matrix offers chic styling and a generous selection of storage pockets, including one for your iPhone hidden in one of the straps, which means you can access it—or other valuable items such as your wallet, without having to remove the bag from your shoulders. See more in our reviews of the best backpacks and bags Read our full Troubadour Matrix Backpack review Best Headphones: Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 Price When Reviewed: $799 Best Prices Today: $799 at Amazon$799 at B&H$799 at Bowers & Wilkins The Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 are even more expensive than Apple’s AirPods Max, but the sound quality is the best we’ve heard from any wireless headphones we’ve tested. The design and build quality are luxurious and are backed up by impressive battery life, too. –Cliff Joseph Read more on the best over-ear headphones. Read our full Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 review Best iPhone 17 case: UAG Civilian iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max Case Price When Reviewed: $64.95 Best Prices Today: $49.95 at Amazon Prime$64.95 at Amazon$64.95 at UAG You’ve spent a bundle on your Cosmic Orange iPhone 17 Pro, so do you risk its safety by keeping it bare or cover all that beauty in the name of protection? UAG has a range of orange cases that not only protect the new iPhone but might even make it look even better. The UAG Civilian Case is available in a bright orange, or for further defensive measures, you can choose the UAG Monarch Pro or Pathfinder cases. Discover more of the best cases for iPhone 17, 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max. Macworld 2025/2026 Software Awards Best Mac cleaning software: MacPaw CleanMyMac Price When Reviewed: $47.40/a year for 1 Mac, $119.95 for 1 Mac (one time purchase) Best Prices Today: $47.40 at MacPaw (first year, 1 device)$117.95 at MacPaw (one time purchase) Few Mac cleanup apps are as comprehensive as this updated champ. CleanMyMac simplifies things by displaying the results of its scans as a series of tiles that give you a quick summary of each scan. A new 2025 Purgeable Space option scans your entire hard drive for old files, cache files, or temporary files and downloads that you can delete to save space. A revamped Space Lens provides a visual guide to the use of storage on your Mac, displaying all the folders on your Mac as a series of ‘bubbles’ of different sizes, indicating the amount of storage space taken up by each folder. Tidy! –Cliff Joseph Stay streamlined with the best Mac cleaning tools for Mac Read our full CleanMyMac review Best Mac antivirus: Intego Mac Internet Security X9 Price When Reviewed: From $24.99 for first year, usually $49.99 a year (1 Mac) Using our link Best Prices Today: $24.99 at Intego Some rivals offer more features, but only Intego Mac Internet Security X9 offers such an easy-to-use set of security utilities that help keep your Mac safe and running smoothly. It’s simple to download, install, and configure. It then checks for the latest viral definitions, downloads them, and gets to work setting up real-time scanning features as well as intuitive network monitoring that allows you to see and work with both incoming and outgoing Internet connections on your Mac. –Chris Barylick Keep reading for more advice on the best antivirus software for Mac. Read our full Intego Mac Internet Security X9 review Best disk recovery software for Mac: iBoysoft Data Recovery for Mac Price When Reviewed: $89.95 a month, $99.95 a year Best Prices Today: $89.95 at iBoysoft When you’re stressing over a data emergency, iBoysoft Data Recovery’s familiar interface and features will help you stay calm. Drive searches are speedy, the Disk Image and Unbootable Mac modules are novel and interesting, and the program does well to bring back most files with their original names as opposed to having to sift through thousands of generically named files in your data recovery folder. –Chris Barylick Find more of the best Mac disk-recovery tools. Read our full iBoysoft Data Recovery for Mac review Best Mac Game: Cyberpunk 2077 Price When Reviewed: $82.90 Best Prices Today: $59.99 at Steam (Base edition)$82.90 at Mac App Store (Ultimate Edition) We called it “possibly the biggest ever gaming launch for the Mac,” and there was nothing better than Cyberpunk 2077 in 2025. The Mac version fixes all the technical problems from the PC game, and CD Projekt Red has done an impressive job adapting it for the latest Apple silicon Macs. The first-person viewpoint initially suggests that Cyberpunk is a relatively straightforward FPS shoot ‘em up, but it’s actually a deep and challenging role-playing game, and it’s nice to see an RPG that is bold enough to step into the future rather than just relying on the tired old fantasy clichés of dungeons and dragons. Better late than never. –Cliff Joseph The best Mac games you can buy. Read our full Cyberpunk 2077 (Mac) review Best VPN for Mac: NordVPN Price When Reviewed: Basic plan from $3.09 a month for two years. Usually $12.99. Best Prices Today: $3.09 at NordVPN (Monthly) Nord’s power features, like the online LAN option for gamers, are great, but it’s the ease of use that makes it such a clear recommendation. This fully featured, reliable, and fast VPN offers plenty of servers to connect to in a wide variety of countries, and with a minimum of fuss. NordVPN is our top choice right now because it stands out in so many areas, from speed and privacy to unblocking and ease of use. –Lloyd Coombes There’s a lot to learn about the best VPNs for Mac. Read our full NordVPN review Best Virtual Machine: Parallels Desktop 26 Price When Reviewed: Standard – $99.99 annual subscription or $219.99 perpetual license; Pro – $119.99 annual subscription; Business – $149.99 annual subscription Best Prices Today: $99.99 at Parallels (1 year)$219.99 at Parallels (Perpetual License) Parallels isn’t the only option available for running Windows on a Mac, but its constant cycle of regular updates has ensured that it keeps up with the latest developments on Apple’s silicon Macs to ensure that it remains one of the best options currently available for running Windows on a Mac. With Parallels Desktop, you can create a VM that runs Linux, or even a VM that runs a different version of macOS itself. –Cliff Joseph See our other recommendations for best Mac virtual machines. Read our full Parallels Desktop for Mac review

Read more »

iOS 26.2 is coming: Here are my three favorite new features
iOS 26.2 is launching for all users next month, but I’ve been using the new update for a few weeks already in beta. Here are my three favorite new iOS 26.2 features so far. more…

Read more »

London’s iPhone-loving thieves ‘don’t want no Samsung’ for a reason
In a surprising twist in the smartphone wars, iPhone-craving thieves reject low-value Androids like Samung on the mean streets of London. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

Read more »

Watch out for this clever and dangerous new ‘Apple Support’ hoax
Macworld Most Apple customers have learned to be cautious about messages claiming to come from the company’s support services. It’s vital to check URLs and email addresses for small discrepancies, scan the messages themselves for spelling mistakes, formatting errors, and other giveaway signs of danger, and treat everything as suspect until you know for sure that it came from Apple itself. All of this remains true. But an alarming new scam shows that even authentic Apple messages and alerts can be hijacked to serve attackers’ malicious purposes. As reported this week by AppleInsider, a user named Eric Moret was recently taken in by an attack which attempted to steal his Apple account credentials, and almost succeeded. Unlike most such attempts, it seemed convincing because it began and was punctuated by real Apple messages. The ingenious part of the attack was the way real and fake messages were blended together with precise timing. The first sign that something was wrong was a series of two-factor notifications, all of them genuine, across multiple devices. This was followed by an automated call from Apple reading out another verification code. All of this set off alarm bells, of course, but in precisely the way the attackers wanted; it set up the next phase of the attempt. This is when the attackers entered the fray. Moret received a call from an Atlanta number, claiming to be from Apple Support and warning of an attempt to hijack his account. They spoke calmly, he says, didn’t act aggressively or try to rush him into any particular action, and simply told him to expect a second call with more details. This duly took place, but was accompanied by another clever piece of trickery: a genuine email from Apple indicating that a support case had been opened. Backed up by the real notifications and messages, the call was given the sheen of legitimacy. Moret followed the caller’s instructions to reset his Apple ID password, and once again, the attacker showed reassuring patience in not asking to be told the new password or any verification codes. Instead, the trap was sprung a few moments later when Moret received a text with a link that would supposedly “close the support ticket.” This showed the (real) case number and otherwise looked legitimate. And just at the moment when it asked for a confirmation code to be entered, one arrived from Apple. Understandably, Moret entered the code, instantly giving the attackers access to his account. He was only saved from disaster by a pop-up warning that his Apple ID had signed in on an unknown machine–a pop-up which the caller was prepared enough to anticipate, and which they claimed was nothing to worry about, though Morey’s natural suspicions finally kicked in. He ended the call, immediately changed his password again, and breathed a sigh of relief. There are two lessons here. One is that malicious actors constantly evolve and refine their methods, and users need to stay informed; the same old defensive practices we’ve relied on in the past won’t necessarily work in the future. But the second is that it isn’t enough to verify that one message or alert genuinely comes from Apple–we need to verify them all. If you get an unexpected support call, assume it’s fake until proven otherwise. If in doubt hang up and contact Apple via official means. This story ended happily, but it’s vital to stay wary and skeptical to ensure you don’t end up suffering the disaster Eric Moret narrowly avoided.

Read more »

You don’t need coding skills to build websites with this all-in-one solution
This lifetime subscription to no-code website builder We.inc lets you build a site visually with drag-and-drop tools and 280+ templates. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

Read more »

I used Google Gemini to design the next iPhone. Here are the hilarious results
Macworld AI is everywhere. Whether we’re talking about Apple Intelligence, Genmoji, Siri, Gemini, or ChatGPT, it’s hard to avoid the sudden infusion of bots on our iPhones, Macs, and just about every other device we use. And it’s not about to stop anytime soon. Apple Intelligence is set to have a huge year in 2026, with the new and improved Siri finally getting its moment in the spotlight. In fact, Apple is rumored to be partnering with Google as the foundation for the new Siri, with a custom large language model with a reported 1.2 trillion parameters. That’s a lot of Gemini. With that in mind, I recently turned to Google’s chatbot to see what it knows about the iPhone, specifically the upcoming foldable iPhone. While the results were impressive and fantastical, it’s a far cry from anything Apple will release next year. But it gives a good glimpse into what Gemini can do and how it thinks. Let’s dive in. The Gemini iPhone: Features and specifications Before I cover the prompts I used to design a foldable iPhone, it’s important to point out that the process is usually much more elaborate. Designers hold focus groups, make “mood boards” to capture colors, text, and formatting ideas, and then develop detailed design specs. It’s not an easy process and can often take weeks or even months. I remember visiting Frog Design — the design lab famous for working with Apple in the early days — and talking about the highly technical process they use to determine user intent. I mention all of that because Google Gemini seems blissfully unaware of what it actually takes to design a product. The bot was happy to take my basic design concepts and dive right into creating an AI-generated mock-up. That said, Gemini is helpful for quick images to help you see what the final product might look like. I started by listing a few basic specs and asked Gemini to include a holographic display that emits from a tiny projector. Here are the prompts I used:Design a foldable iPhoneMake it thinner than the iPhone AirUse two displays that fold — about eight inches diagonallyProject a holographic display onto a tableUsing a tiny projector lens Of course, you can elaborate even further and write an entire page of instructions. Next, I asked Gemini to take my feature list and flesh it out more. I was impressed with the level of detail and excited to see my first design mock-up. Here’s part of the specs: FeatureSpecificationRationaleHolographic ProjectorMicro-LED or DLP Projector with a tiny, integrated lens.The core innovation, allowing for shared, interactive, and spatial computing experiences.Projected DisplayProjects a holographic image onto a flat surface (e.g., a table).Allows users to interact with a 3D or 2D interface (e.g., a full-size virtual keyboard, shared game board, or large-scale document) beyond the physical screen size.Camera (Internal)Under-Display Camera (UDC), likely 24MP resolution.Eliminates the notch/hole-punch for a truly seamless main screen experience.Biometric SecurityTouch ID integrated into the power button.A reliable and space-efficient solution compared to implementing Face ID on a foldable screen. The Gemini iPhone: First design mock-ups Gemini had listed the design specs and even named the device the Helios, which has a nice ring to it, though I prefer iPhone Fold myself. I then asked Gemini to show me the initial design mock-up. The first design iteration was not quite right, though — which is par for the course with modern chatbots. The design was far too thick, the projection didn’t look remotely possible, and in many ways, the device didn’t even look like an iPhone at all. And it didn’t actually fold. Google Gemini made some educated guesses about the next iPhone at first.Google Gemini/Foundry Yet, I only had to type in a few more prompts to adjust the mock-up. For example, I asked Gemini to make the phone thinner than the current iPhone Air, and that worked wonders. I also had to tell Gemini to make the projector lens much smaller. Chatbots respond to specific commands. “Make the design thinner” doesn’t work as well as “make the design thinner than the iPhone Air” because there’s a reference point. The next design looked better: Google Gemini made a valiant second attempt at this design, showing a foldable phone.Google Gemini/Foundry I wasn’t quite ready to accept the mock-up, and this is where you can really benefit from the instant gratification aspects I mentioned. I asked Gemini to start over with a new design, taking all of my previous comments into consideration. Lo and behold, Gemini created a mock-up that was quite impressive. It “felt” much more like an Apple product as well. I finally could live with the basic design for the holographic display, even if it wasn’t perfect. The iPhone Fold design by Google Gemini, a third attempt.Google Gemini/Foundry The Gemini iPhone: Tweaking the design and the mock-ups Once you have a design you like, it’s possible to then make minor adjustments — as long as you are specific about the prompts. For example, I asked Gemini to make the design “just a hair thinner” and that worked because Gemini understood my intent. It was also easy to change the color. I used this prompt: “Don’t change anything about the design except the color of the phone. Make it all white not black or silver.” Amazingly, that worked instantly and I felt like the design was starting to take shape. I decided to have some fun with my design and asked Gemini to put the phone in a coffeeshop instead so I could envision what it would look like in a familiar setting. I asked Gemini to put people in the background as well. Here’s what that mock-up looked like: Google Gemini can change the color of a mock-up very quickly.Google Gemini/Foundry Gemini surprised me with my next request. I asked the bot to add Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, to the photo. I was shocked because I didn’t think a Google product would take a recognizable person (even though he is a public figure) and add him to an iPhone mock-up image. However, Gemini was happy to oblige even if the result looked a bit comical. The phone was way too big, and the person in the photo didn’t really look completely like Tim Cook (who wears glasses). Google Gemini mock-up of someone who kind of looks like Tim Cook holding an iPhone Fold.Google Gemini/Foundry What’s wrong with this process Designing the next iPhone took me about 30 minutes, including all of the back-and-forth with Gemini asking for design tweaks. Anything worth doing and worth doing well takes time, though. Think of building a business. You can’t come up with an idea and launch a company in five minutes. You have to study your demographic audience, understand their motivations and desires, tap into their felt needs.  Creative work is the same. While I loved seeing instant results, I didn’t feel the final design relayed a working prototype of a legitimate product that could exist in the real world. Icons were too small, speaker holes were everywhere, the selfie camera is impractical, and the whole thing is just way too big. And none of the images showed a phone with an actual folding screen. Yet, it all seemed like an illusion. What was missing was the full design process — what are the user expectations, how does it compare to other devices, and who will actually use it? My main takeaway is that Gemini is a fine way to envision initial sketches, almost like the napkin phase of design, where you are roughing out an idea. When I asked Gemini to list all of the design specs and features first, eventually, things started to take shape a bit more.  It’s hard to say how this will translate to a Gemini LLM on the iPhone, but it’s a look into why Apple has taken such a long time to deliver its next-gen Siri. AI doesn’t live in the real world — it is a figment of our imagination. And the Gemini-powered Siri will need to have a much firmer grasp of reality.

Read more »

Real Madrid working with Apple to create 2026 immersive documentary
Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez has confirmed that the club is collaborating with Apple on an immersive documentary set for release… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

Read more »

Amazon slashes iPad 11 to just $279 for Black Friday Deals Week
Apple's 2025 iPad 11 is discounted to $279.99 as Amazon's Black Friday Deals Week kicks off. Plus, save up to $293 on iPad Air and iPad Pro models.Amazon's iPad deals start at just $279.Amazon's Black Friday Deals Week runs November 20-28, and includes fresh price drops on numerous Apple products, including the iPad 11 for $279.99. This special price reflects a $70 discount off retail on the standard 128GB Wi-Fi configuration.Grab the $279 iPad 11 deal Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Read more »

Black Friday sale slashes the better-than-AirPods Beats Studio Pro to an insane $150
Macworld We listen to music while working, commuting, traveling, cleaning, shopping, and so on, and we know you do too. So why not do it in style? The gorgeous Beats Studio Pro just got an insane 57 percent discount at Amazon this Black Friday. That means you can get a pair for $150, the best price we’ve ever seen and $50 under the previous all-time low. The Beats Studio Pro are some of the best headphones out there, delivering rich sound whether you’re listening to your favorite tracks or taking calls. If you connect them to your device via USB-C, you can even enjoy lossless audio for an even better listening experience. You can either go with the fully-adaptive Active Noise Cancelling, or pick the Transparency mode to actually listen in on the world around you. The Beats Studio Pro have an impressive battery life, with up to 40 hours of listening time on a single charge, while a quick 10-minute recharge provides an extra four hours of playback. When we reviewed these headphones, we gave them a 4.5-star rating and their coveted Editors’ Choice award, praising the Beats Studio Pro for how lightweight they are and how clean and balanced the audio is. So go treat yourself and grab a pair of Beats Studio Pro for $150, the very best price we’ve ever seen. Get the Beats Studio Pro for 57% offBuy now at Amazon

Read more »

Apple TV's 'The Hunt' has disappeared days before its premiere
"The Hunt" was set to debut on December 3, 2025, but it's been removed from the Apple TV app and elsewhere with no explanation as to why."The Hunt," or "A l'ombre des forets," has disappeared from Apple TV listingsThis comes just weeks after Apple TV also postponed the premiere of "Savant" shortly before it was set to air. At the time, it was rumored that the decision was made following the assassination of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk.Now, it appears that another Apple TV show has been canned at the final hurdle. Although this time, Apple TV has yet to comment on the move. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Read more »

Matter 1.5 adds security cameras and much more for the first time
The latest update to the Matter smart home standard has launched today: Matter 1.5. The headline news is that smart cameras get support for the very first time. This effectively brings HomeKit compatibility to a much wider range of cameras, and this is not the only new product category included in today’s launch … more…

Read more »

CSA's Chris LaPre gets candid about camera support in Matter 1.5
The Connectivity Standards Alliance has made Matter 1.5 official, including the adoption of cameras. Chris LaPre from the CSA joins for a special episode of HomeKit Insider to discuss the milestone update.Matter 1.5 with cameras is officialChris LaPre previously served as the Chief Technology Officer for the CSA and now is the Alliance Technology Strategist. As a key member of the organization, he provides an inside look at the development of its latest update.The 1.5 release is the third update for Matter in 2025 and will could see rapid adoption in the smart home space. Devices have already been announced, including the Ulticam V2 from Xthings that will ship with Matter support. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Read more »

Major Matter 1.5 update official, finally delivering camera support & more
After a run of minor updates, the Connectivity Standards Alliance has officially announced Matter 1.5, bringing long-awaited support for cameras and much more.The Matter 1.5 update has been long awaitedMatter, the unifying smart home standard, has only been around since 2022. Developed by the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA), a member-driver organization, it has seen at least two updates each year.Earlier in 2025, it released minor spec bumps, bringing primarily quality of life improvements. Now, Matter 1.5 is being rolled out with new device types and other improvements that will potentially come to supported platforms — including Apple Home. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Read more »

Apple generates $2.4 million per employee but is only third in tech ranking
Given Apple’s profitability, it won’t come as any surprise to learn that the company generates a huge amount of revenue per employee. The figure itself is a little more eye-opening, at $2,413,171 – but it’s still not enough to give Apple first place in the tech giant rankings … more…

Read more »

DoorDash confirms user data theft for an unknown number of customers
Popular iPhone app and delivery service DoorDash, has confirmed that hackers have stolen personal information, and is informing those affected now. DoorDash has confirmed a "recent cybersecurity incident." Image credit: Marques ThomasDoorDash confirmed the intrusion in a support document hidden in the "Manage Your Account" section of its website.The company says that no sensitive information was accessed. However, it also confirmed that data such as people's home addresses could have been accessed by an unauthorized entity — data that we'd call sensitive. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Read more »

iPhone assembly is shifting to India, but Chinese workers still face long hours for low pay
A new report into iPhone manufacturer Foxconn's operations in China claims it is still using more temporary staff than the law allows — but also that the Chinese efforts are losing out to India.Crowds of workers at the end of their Foxconn shift in Zhengzhou — image credit: Gilles Sabrie for Le MondeApple launches its new iPhones every September — although that may be changing — and consequently manufacturers are at their busiest in the summer. Without fail, Foxconn has for years hired very many temporary staff, such as 50,000 more in August 2024 for the iPhone 16 range.Once the iPhones have launched and demand has been met, Foxconn lets those workers go. As Le Monde describes in a new report, it makes iPhone assembly seasonal work. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Read more »

Amazon Black Friday Deals Week starts now, Apple gear on sale from $9.98
From blowout prices on Apple Watches to savings of up to $500 off Macs, Amazon's Black Friday Deals Week is off to an aggressive start, and we've rounded up the deals worth buying.Amazon's Black Friday Deals Week slashes prices on Apple - Image credit Amazon, AppleSave up to 51%: Amazon's Black Friday Deals Week offers holiday discounts on Apple products, third-party electronics, and more. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Read more »

AirPods Pro 3 Black Friday deal now live at $220 all-time low
The official AirPods Pro 3 Black Friday deal is now live at Amazon. Amazon’s 2025 Black Friday week sale is now live and offering Apple’s brand new AirPods Pro 3 at $219.99 shipped. more…

Read more »

AirPods Pro 3 Black Friday deal now live at $220 all-time low
The official AirPods Pro 3 Black Friday deal is now live at Amazon. Amazon’s 2025 Black Friday week sale is now live and offering Apple’s brand new AirPods Pro 3 at $219.99 shipped alongside AirPods 4 with ANC at the $109.99 all-time low. more…

Read more »

M5 Vision Pro goes on sale in two more countries as gradual global rollout continues
Like its predecessor, the M5 Vision Pro is currently only available in a limited number of countries. Apple just added two more to the roster as it opened pre-orders in Korea and Taiwan. Potential customers in both countries can also book Apple Store appointments from today for a personalized trial of the spatial computer … more…

Read more »

Doordash data breach exposes names, addresses, phone numbers, and more
A Doordash data breach has exposed the personal data of an unspecified number of customers, including name, phone number, email address, and physical address. The food delivery company says that it has implemented a number of security measures in response, including reporting the attack to law enforcement … more…

Read more »

Another Apple TV show has been pulled from the release schedule at the last minute
In September, Apple controversially cancelled the launch of new series The Savant, seemingly in the wake of the murder of political activist Charlie Kirk. The company said it looks forward to releasing the show at a later time, but two months on, there’s still no release date in sight. It’s listed as “coming at a later date” in the TV app. Meanwhile, Apple TV has perhaps just repeated the same fiasco for a second time. The service was set to premiere French-language series The Hunt on December 3, having released a trailer earlier this month. But now, all references to The Hunt have been scrubbed, including removal of the press release from the Apple TV PR newsroom and the YouTube trailer is now marked private. more…

Read more »

6 reasons why your new Mac needs a second storage drive
Macworld Black Friday season is upon us, and that means it’s a great time to find a bargain or two on one of the best Macs around. Whether you’ve just pulled the trigger or simply have your eye on a new computer, though, there’s one thing you should really consider: pairing it up with a capacious external storage drive. Why? Well, there are plenty of reasons, from freeing up precious internal space to saving you wads of cash. And with SSD prices getting lower all the time, there’s no need to opt for a slower hard disk drive (HDD). Pick up an external drive and you can elevate your Mac experience, particularly if you don’t travel with your device a lot. Here are six reasons why you should consider getting an external storage drive for your Mac. Save money We all know that Apple’s Macs are pricey machines, but there are a few areas where this is starker than with their internal storage. Upgrade a drive in the M5 MacBook Pro from 512GB to 1TB, for example, and you’ll have to pay $200. For a 4TB drive, meanwhile, the upgrade cost is an enormous $1,200. That’s a pricey decision for anyone who wants a built-to-order Mac. Thankfully, external storage is nowhere near that expensive. A 1TB external SSD can be yours for under $100, while you can snag a 4TB drive for well under $300. There’s no need to pay Apple’s extortionate prices. Granted, there are some caveats. Apple’s SSDs are incredibly fast and are likely to be much zippier than any external drive you pick up (even if you get an SSD instead of an HDD). There’s also the hassle of having a loose storage device cabled up to your Mac. But for the massive savings you can make on an external drive, that’s often all worth it. Storing large files and apps Add a few oversized files and apps to your Mac, and its internal storage can quickly become overloaded. That’s especially true if you opted for one of the smaller storage options, but it can happen to anyone who has used a Mac for long enough and built up a sprawling library of files. That’s where an external drive can come in handy. Instead of constantly performing organizational gymnastics and deleting old files just to free up a few scraps of space, buy a spacious external storage drive and use that instead. As we saw earlier, it’s much cheaper to purchase an external SSD than to pay for one of Apple’s own internal upgrades, and it has the added benefit that you can take your drive anywhere and connect it to a different Mac and still have access to your files. You can even install apps on connected drives and use them that way. Just make sure the storage device is connected to your Mac whenever you want to run the app. Using an external storage device with your Mac provides the user with a lot of flexibility.Thomas Bergbold Time Machine backups Backing up your Mac is incredibly important if you don’t want to lose all your important documents should the worst happen and your Mac dies. But if you’re intimidated by the various options at your disposal and how you actually go about backing up your files, getting an external drive could be the ideal solution. All you need to do is connect it to your Mac and set it up as a Time Machine drive using our simple instructions, and you’re good to go. Keep it hooked up and your Mac will back up on its own schedule, without you needing to lift a finger. Considering how affordable spacious external disks can be, that’s a great way to ensure your files are safely protected should your Mac kick the bucket. And for an extra layer of protection, you might want to harness the powers of a cloud backup app to keep your files sequestered offsite. That’ll keep them safe if both your Mac and external drive are taken out of action. Easy replacements There was a time when you could open up a Mac and swap out its internal storage. Unfortunately, those days are long gone now, meaning that once you’ve made your choice and bought your Mac, you’re stuck with whatever internal storage capacity you opted for. That’s not the case when it comes to external disks, however. They’re far easier to chop and change–just connect a different drive up to your Mac and away you go (provided it’s formatted for macOS, that is). If your external drive dies, there’s no need to worry about a costly trip to the Apple Store for a laborious replacement, either, as you merely need to get a cheap replacement drive to step into the breach. That means that substituting an external storage disk isn’t as much of a problem as swapping out a dead or insufficient internal SSD. Versatility We’ve alluded to it a little in previous sections, but a key advantage of using a peripheral storage drive is its versatility. You can connect and disconnect it whenever you need, put whatever you want on it, hook it up to a different Mac, format it for Windows and other operating systems, and more. And when you’re done with your current Mac, you can keep your external drive and use it with whatever device you buy next. It can keep up with your evolving needs, giving it a degree of flexibility that you don’t get if you stick with the drives already inside your Mac. With those, you lose them as soon as you sell or recycle your Mac. Not so with a separate SSD. Safer beta testing Software betas are a good way to try out new macOS features before they’re released to the public, but they’re also a good way to render your Mac inoperable if something goes wrong. Betas tend to be full of bugs and glitches, and while many will be fairly harmless, there’s a chance you could encounter one that causes damage and requires you to factory reset your Mac, potentially erasing your files in the process. Many companies have the option to buy an empty case so you can use an SSD module you already have.Thomas Bergbold That’s why it’s a great idea to not only back up your Mac, but to install macOS betas to an external disk drive. If you must run beta software, doing so this way creates a degree of separation between your important documents and the beta. It means that if you run into a serious bug and need to reinstall macOS, you only need to do so on the connected drive, not on your Mac itself. That way, you shouldn’t need to erase your primary disk drive and lose any files stored on there, enabling you to continue testing out the beta without as much of the risk attached to it.

Read more »

Apple Black Friday deal: up to $250 gift card with purchase of Mac, iPhone, iPad and more
The Apple Store today announced its Black Friday shopping event, which runs November 28 through December 1. Shoppers can get up to a $250 gift card when buying eligible Mac, iPhone, iPad, Watch and more. Apple’s gift card promotions don’t generally represent the best value for money. For instance, you can buy AirPods 4 on Amazon right now discounted more than the $25 gift card value Apple is offering in this promotion. Similarly, the 15-inch MacBook Air is discounted by $250 right now on Amazon, exceeding the $200 gift card Apple is offering … As always, for the best deals around, check out 9to5Toys. more…

Read more »

MacBook Air Black Friday deals: Prices slashed to $749 at Amazon
Official Amazon Black Friday MacBook Air deals are in full swing, with $250 price cuts on both 13-inch and 15-inch models.Amazon's Black Friday MacBook Air deals are live - Image credit: AppleAmazon's Black Friday Deals Week offers heavily discounted prices on MacBook Air and Apple Watch models. On the MacBook Air side, you can grab a $250 discount on both 13-inch and 15-inch retail models, with prices dipping to as low as $749.Amazon's best Black Friday MacBook Air deals Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Read more »