New iPhone Ultra leaks cover release timing, display breakthrough, more
New posts from Weibo leaker Instant Digital offer the latest updates on iPhone Ultra’s production status, release timing, crease-free display breakthrough—and a potential hurdle. more…

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Apple Watch Ultra could get first major redesign for version 4
Sources within the supply chain back up previous reports that the forthcoming Apple Watch Ultra 4 will be a significant update that includes doubling its number of sensors.The sensors on the back of the current Apple Watch Ultra 3 Following reports that the regular Apple Watch Series 12 will not be a major update, there are now reports that the Apple Watch Ultra 4 will be. According to Digitimes, the new model will have a visible redesign that includes the addition of further unspecified sensors.This fits with what the same publication said in August 2025, where it specifically said that the Apple Watch would double its number of sensors. Rumor Score: 🤔 Possible Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Apple launches Apple Card promo offering free AirPods Pro 3
As expected, Apple has officially kicked off its promotion for new Apple Card users. If you sign up for a new Apple Card, you can basically get a pair of AirPods Pro 3 for free (basically). Here’s how it works. more…

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The iPhone and Mac security Apple spent 5 years building? AI broke it in 5 days.
Researchers used Anthropic’s Mythos AI to help crack Apple’s most secure MIE protection system for the M5 MacBook Pro. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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Apple Original Films celebrates premiere of ‘Propeller One-Way Night Coach’ at the Cannes Film Festival
Apple Original Films celebrated the world premiere of the highly anticipated film “Propeller One-Way Night Coach,” written by John Travolta… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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Orbitkey’s new Grid Desk Organizer is a modular upgrade for your desk setup
I have used Orbitkey products for years. They first came onto the scene with their award-winning Nest Organizer, which really put them on the map for many tech enthusiasts like myself. They have continued to make useful, intentional products that I still use to this day, like their Premium XL deskmat, which features a unique magnetic cable-organizing system and a second layer for tucking away loose papers. Orbitkey has consistently focused on simple, useful, and premium products, and they are back with their new Grid Desk Organizer. Here is what you need to know. more…

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Apple Watch could soon gain new high blood pressure feature
watchOS 26 added hypertension alerts to Apple Watch last fall, which you can learn how to enable here. A new report today, however, says Apple has another new high blood pressure feature coming to Apple Watch soon. more…

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Apple’s new M4 iPad Air just dropped to its lowest price ever
Macworld Apple iPad Air M4 View Deal (function () { document.querySelector("#sticky-promo-block a").addEventListener("click", function(e) { const debug = document.location.host.search(/lndo.site|go-vip.net/) !== -1; const text = this.closest("#sticky-promo-block").querySelector("p.promo-title").textContent; const data = { event: "stickyConversionUnitClick", eventCategory: "Sticky Conversion", eventAction: "Click", eventLabel: text }; if(debug)console.log("Sticky Conversion CLick - pushing to dataLayer: ", data); dataLayer.push(data); return true; }); })(); Apple’s newest iPad Air has only been on shelves for about two months, but you can already save a bundle on one: Instead of shelling out $599 for the 11-inch model with 128GB of storage, it can be yours today for $520 at Amazon, a savings of $79 and the best price we’ve seen for this tablet. This is an excellent tablet, packing plenty of speed and processing power. Equipped with an M4 chip and 12GB of RAM, this 11-inch tablet can tackle everything you want to do. From streaming content to gaming to using photo editing apps, you can use this app for everything and anything you want. It’s even a great tool to use when participating in online meetings because that 12MP front camera with Center Stage will keep the focus on you. Oh, and the Liquid Retina display will look gorgeous in any lighting situation, delivering vibrant colors and great contrast. The tablet is ready for all the Apple Intelligence upgrades coming this fall and will handle any tasks you need to get done. Plus, you can add an Apple Pencil or Magic Keyboard to boost your productivity even further. Don’t miss out on the chance to save $80 on an impressively fast tablet that’s at its best discount yet.

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Don't expect new Macs at WWDC 2026
Despite WWDC being a software conference, there are sometimes Mac releases, and there are always predictions that there will be, but it's very unlikely this time.MacBook Pro with WWDC 2026 wallpaperWhether it's fuelled by wishful thinking or click bait, WWDC coverage invariably includes commentary on new Mac releases. And it invariably goes that before the event, it is rumored or certain or sometimes apparently confirmed, that there will be new Mac hardware.Then almost always, there isn't. And then immediately after the event, the coverage is about how there was never going to be any new Mac hardware, that's coming in the next event. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Apple Watch Ultra 4 getting two major new upgrades, per report
Apple has 15+ new products launching this fall, including the Apple Watch Ultra 4. And a new report highlights two major upgrades coming with Apple Watch Ultra 4. more…

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Indian court orders Apple to fully cooperate in antitrust probe, delays final ruling until mid-July
In a significant development for Apple's ongoing global antitrust battles, India's Delhi High Court has directed the tech giant to… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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Major makeover coming to iPhone Camera app [Cult of Mac podcast No. 20]
This week on the "Cult of Mac" podcast: We break down the latest iOS 27 rumors about the Camera app and Siri. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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Govee TV Backlight 3 brings 4MP camera smarts and Apple Home support
The new Govee TV Backlight 3 brings cinematic reactive lighting to your living room, tracking what happens onscreen. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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Here’s why I won’t be switching on auto-deleting Siri chats
Whenever the new Siri finally launches, it’s going to be the most privacy-respecting AI chatbot out there, with an additional privacy feature reported yesterday. We already knew that Apple’s agreement with Google will mean that Siri is not allowed to be used to train the Gemini model, and Bloomberg is now reporting an option to automatically delete our Siri conversations … more…

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Apple’s all-new Siri chatbot will offer auto-deleting chats
Apple is preparing a major overhaul of Siri for iOS 27, turning it into a full-fledged chatbot with ChatGPT-style conversations… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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How Samsung SmartThings is embracing Matter on Smart Home Insider
On this week's episode of the Smart Home Insider podcast, Daniel Moneta joins to talk about the latest updates to both Samsung SmartThings and Matter.Smart Home Insider PodcastA man of multiple hats, Daniel Moneta pulls double duty as the Chair of the Matter Marketing and Product Subgroup at the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) but also represents Samsung in product and marketing for SmartThings.This gives him a unique perspective on SmartThings, Matter, and how ecosystems are adopting and developing the unifying standard that works across manufacturers. We spend time talking and delving into all of these topics. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Revealed: Siri chatbot’s secret weapon in the privacy wars
Macworld With Apple’s long-awaited Siri revamp set to finally launch as part of iOS 27 this summer, a new report has revealed one of the main issues which has caused the delay, and how the company will spin this into a competitive advantage. In the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman claims that Apple’s focus on user privacy has held back its ability to develop industry-leading AI tech. He cites the company’s self-imposed “more restrictive approach to collecting, analyzing, and using customer information to train models and improve features” as a major factor in its failure to catch up with rivals. “Rather than broadly tapping into real user data, it often relies on techniques such as synthetic data generation,” Gurman explains. “Apple argues that consumers shouldn’t need to give up their personal data to get top-notch AI features. [But] in practice, this hasn’t always worked out.” The result, as well as a slower development cycle, has been an Apple AI platform whose features are shallower and less functional than those of rival companies such as OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic. The company has attempted to solve both problems by patching AI tech made by other companies into its products, principally Google Gemini and ChatGPT, which comes with its own issues. Namely, can other companies be trusted to safeguard user data as carefully as Apple? Apple doesn’t prioritise privacy out of the goodness of its heart. It understands many of its users distrust the way their data is harvested and sold by software companies, and the way their activity online is tracked and used for personalised advertising. Apple identified an underserved demographic (privacy-conscious users) and created a unique selling point for itself. Working with companies that don’t have the same philosophy risks tarnishing Apple’s pro-privacy reputation. According to Gurman, the revamped Siri (which we already understand will exist as a standalone app for the first time) will attempt to maintain its privacy credentials by offering a unique feature: it will automatically delete the history of interactions with the user, much as Messages can be set to delete messages after 30 days or a year. Some other AI chatbots allow the user to delete chat history or temporarily work in an untracked incognito mode, but Apple will reportedly make this the default. “Apple’s position is that such protections should be built into the system itself,” he explains, “rather than treated as an optional setting users have to manually enable.” Like the company’s other pro-privacy policies, this could come at a price. Chatbots use chat histories as a source of context about the user and a shortcut to quicker and more knowledgeable responses to queries. Siri may therefore struggle to keep up with rivals, even in its revamped iOS 27 form–but as Gurman notes, it will be able to point to the system’s superior privacy options as both excuse and compensation for any shortfalls in performance. The revamped version of Siri is expected to be announced as part of iOS 27 at WWDC this coming June. For all the latest news and rumors, bookmark our regularly updated iOS 27 superguide.

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New infostealer malware hides on Mac disguised as official Apple tools
Security researchers say a new macOS infostealer called SHub Reaper disguises itself as Apple security software to steal passwords, cryptocurrency wallets, and sensitive files.HTML source code showing the construction of the malicious AppleScript. Image credit: SentinelOneThe malware abuses AppleScript and legitimate macOS system processes to hide its activity and avoid some traditional malware scanning tools.SentinelOne said Reaper is a more advanced version of the SHub Stealer malware family that has circulated through macOS-focused criminal campaigns for the last two years. Earlier SHub variants relied on fake installers and "ClickFix" social engineering tricks that pushed victims into pasting malicious commands into Terminal.Reaper expands on those tactics by abusing trusted macOS tools and familiar branding to make the malware look legitimate. Attackers now move that process into Script Editor through the `applescript://` URL scheme. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Apple Back to School Deal 2026: Dates, Free AirPods Offers & Student Discounts
Macworld Apple holds what has traditionally been referred to as its “Back to School” promotion every year – although it is now referred to by Apple as the “College Student Offer” or “Higher Education Offer” to avoid confusion, because it is only open to students in higher education, along with qualifying educational staff and teachers, rather than school-age children. As part of the promotion, eligible students can qualify for an incentive when purchasing qualifying Apple products, which are already discounted through Apple’s Education Store. In recent years, these incentives have included free AirPods, a free Apple Pencil and other accessories. Apple’s “Back to School” deal runs in various regions around the world during the summer break for universities and colleges. The promotion typically ends around a month after the first university semester or term begins in each country, so it will be starting in North America very soon. Region2026 Start date2026 End Date2026 DealNorth AmericaMid-June (TBC) Mid-September (TBC)Expected: Free/discounted AirPods, Apple Pencil, Keyboards and MiceU.K. & Europe Mid-July (TBC)Mid-October (TBC)Expected: Free/discounted AirPods, Apple Pencil, Keyboards and MiceAustralia January 7, 2026March 11, 2026Confirmed: Free/discounted AirPods, Apple Pencil, Keyboards and Mice Read on to find out everything you need to know about Apple’s Higher Education promotion this year, including when it is expected to begin in your region, what products and incentives may be included, who qualifies, and how to take advantage of the offer. Apple’s “Back to school” deal: At a glance What is Apple’s “Back to School” deal? The 2026 deal is expected to be free AirPods, Apple Pencil, and other accessories with purchases of qualifying Macs and iPads. When is Apples “Back to School” deal? It is expected to run during June to September in North America, July to October in the U.K. and Europe. Is this the only student saving from Apple? No, Apple offers a discount on Macs and iPads all year round to qualifying students. Who qualifies? Verified students in higher education institutions – and their parents. Who can get Apple’s “Back to School” give-away? Current and newly accepted higher education students – and their parents Apple If you are enrolled at a higher education institution (post-K12 education, such as a university or college), or are the parent of a student who is enrolled, you qualify for Apple’s year-round education pricing as well as the “Back to School” promotion while it is running. You will need to verify your eligibility before you can access the offer. Prior to May 2026, verifying student status in some countries – including the U.S. – only required an .edu email address and the name of a higher education institution. Apple has since tightened its verification requirements. As a result, shoppers now need to verify their student status through UNiDAYS (as was already the case in the U.K.). Students are typically required to provide their name, date of birth, and school email address, then search for their institution and wait for their student status to be confirmed. Apple’s education pricing is not available to parents buying for school-age children, but it is available to parents who are homeschooling their children. When does Apple’s “Back to School” deal start? U.S. & Canada: From mid June – end September 2026. U.K. & Europe: From mid July – mid October, 2026. India: From mid June – end September 2026. Australia, New Zealand, Brazil and South Korea: January 7 to – early March 11 2026. In North America, the “Back to School” deal is expected to run from mid-June through the end of September. Apple has not yet confirmed the official dates, but last year the promotion ran from June 17 to September 30 in the U.S. and Canada, so a mid-June launch is likely again this year. Because the academic summer break begins and ends later in Europe, the promotion is expected to launch in the U.K. and across Europe in mid-July. In 2025, for example, the offer began on July 10 and ended on October 21. The deal ran from January 7 to early March 11 this year in the Southern Hemisphere. Similar timings are expected in 2027. What is Apple’s “Back to School” deal this year? Free AirPods/Apple Pencil/keyboard/mouse were offered with qualifying purchases in the Australian promotion earlier in 2026. The same giveaway is expected to launch later in 2026 in North America, the U.K., and Europe. Foundry During the Australian promotion, which ran from January 7 to March 11, 2026, Apple offered free or discounted accessories – including AirPods, AirPods Pro, Apple Pencil models, and Apple Keyboard, Mouse, or Trackpad products – with the purchase of qualifying Macs and iPads. The following products were offered for free or discounted, earlier in 2026: AirPods 4 AirPods Pro 3 Magic Mouse Magic Trackpad Magic Keyboard Apple Pencil Pro Magic Keyboard (for iPad Air/iPad Pro) Apple also offered similar giveaways during its 2025 promotion, and, previously, Apple also included a discount for the AirPods Max. However, this has not always been the company’s approach. From 2022 to 2024 in the U.S., U.K., and some other regions, Apple instead offered gift cards worth up to $150/£130, depending on the products purchased during the promotional period. While Apple could return to that format, it is not currently expected to do so. As of May 2026, Apple has yet to officially confirm this year’s promotion in North America or Europe, but the company is widely expected to continue offering AirPods and the other accessories listed above as part of the deal. Can students qualify for other savings at Apple? Yes. Apple’s “Back to School” promotion is not the only education-related discount the company offers. Macs and iPads sold through Apple’s Education Store are discounted year-round, so qualifying students and educational institutions can save up to $100/£100 of a Mac or iPad at any time of the year. The summertime Back to School promotion is offered in addition to these ongoing education discounts. We explain everything you need to know about qualifying for Apple’s education pricing – including how much you can save and how to shop through the Apple Education Store – in our Guide to shopping in the Apple Education Store. If you are unsure which device to buy, we also have guides to the Best Mac for Students and the Best iPad for Students. Students can also take advantage of the discounted Apple Music Student Plan, which includes access to Apple TV+ at no extra cost. Read: How to get the student deal for Apple Music and free Apple TV+. How to get Apple’s “Back to School” deal In order to get Apple’s “Back to School” Deal you need to purchase a qualifying Mac or iPad from your local Apple Education Store during the promotional period. You will need to verify your student status via UNiDAYS, as explained above. Visit the Apple Education Store for your region using the links below: U.S. U.K. Canada Australia New Zealand Brazil South Korea India France Germany Logging in from your university network may help simplify the verification process.  When you purchase a qualifying Mac or iPad, you will then be able to claim the promotional freebie or discounted accessory. You can choose which of the giveaway product you want to receive when you make your order. In some cases the freebee comes with an additional cost, we include details of how much more you may need to pay in the tables below. Which products qualify for Apple’s “Back to School” deal this year? Apple’s Back To School deal in 2025.Apple Apple has yet to confirm which products will qualify for the the 2026 promotion in North America, the U.K. and Europe. However, during the Australian promotion earlier in 2026, the following products qualified: MacBook Air MacBook Pro iMac iPad Pro iPad Air Will Apple include the MacBook Neo in the 2026 “Back to School” promotion? Since the Australian promotion ended, Apple has launched the MacBook Neo, a new laptop aimed specifically at students. As for whether Apple will offer free AirPods or other accessories with purchases of the MacBook Neo, we think that is unlikely. While the new MacBook is clearly targeted at students, we do not expect Apple to include it in the promotion because of its already relatively low starting price. Will Apple include the Mac mini in the 2026 “Back to School” promotion? Apple has previously allowed the purchase of a Mac mini to qualify for the promotion, but not in 2025 or, so far, in 2026. In recent times, the Mac mini has surged in popularity, especially among AI developers looking for a relatively inexpensive Apple Silicon machine capable of handling local AI workloads. This popularity, combined with ongoing global component shortages, has left Mac mini supply constrained as of May 2026, so we do not expect Apple to include it in the “Back to School” promotion. Apple could also launch an updated Mac mini in the coming months, but even if it does, we still think it is unlikely to be included in the student deal. Will Apple include the iPad A16 in the 2026 “Back to School” promotion? Apple has previously allowed entry-level iPads to qualify for its Back to School promotion, but that was not the case in 2025 and, so far, it has not been the case in 2026 either. With a new entry-level iPad expected later in 2026 – and the current iPad A16 lacking support for Apple Intelligence — our recommendation would be to choose an iPad Air instead. Will Apple include the iPad mini in the 2026 “Back to School” promotion? Apple has included the iPad mini in some Back to School promotions in the past. A new iPad mini is expected to launch in 2026 and that may affect Apple’s decision to include it in the deal. Will Apple include the iPhone in the 2026 “Back to School” promotion? Apple has never included the iPhone, Apple Watch, or any products other than selected Macs and iPads as qualifying purchases for its “Back to School” promotion. How much can you save in Apple’s student deal? Apple Students can already save up to $200/£220 on Macs and up to $100/£100 on iPads year-round through Apple’s Education Store. Read more here: How to get an Apple student discount at Apple’s Education Store. The additional savings available through Apple’s “Back to School” promotion depend on both the product purchased and the promotional accessory being offered. In previous promotions, students could save up to $199 by choosing a free Magic Keyboard, up to $179 by selecting AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation, or up to $129 by choosing an Apple Pencil Pro. If you select one of the more expensive accessories offered as part of the promotion, you typically need to pay the difference above the promotional discount amount. For example, in 2025, choosing AirPods Pro 3 required an additional payment of $70. Below, you can see the kinds of savings Apple has offered in previous years. Once Apple confirms the 2026 promotion details for North America, the U.K., and Europe, we will update these tables accordingly U.S. “Back to School” giveaway details: 2025 In summer 2025, U.S. students making the following purchases could either get free Mice, TrackPad, Keyboard, Apple Pencil, or AirPods 4, or get a discount on the price of the AirPods Pro 2 and Magic Keyboard cases for iPad. The terms and conditions of the deal are here: U.S. Apple’s education discounts are available all year round. Visit the U.S. Education Store and Canada Education Store for more information. BuyGetSavingAdditional spendMacBook Air or MacBook Pro AirPods 4 with ANC$179AirPods Pro 2 $179$70Magic Mouse $79 or $99Magic TrackPad$129 or $149Magic Keyboard $179 or $199iMacAirPods 4$179AirPods Pro 2 $179$70iPad Air or iPad ProApple Pencil Pro $119AirPods 4$129AirPods 4 with ANC$129$50AirPods Pro 2 $129$120Magic Keyboard for 11-inch iPad Air$119$130Magic Keyboard for 13-inch iPad Air$119$180Magic Keyboard for 11-inch iPad Pro$119$160Magic Keyboard for 13-inch iPad Pro$119$210If you want AirPods Pro you have to pay a little more, but you are still getting $179 off. U.K. “Back to School” giveaway details: 2025 U.K. students making the following purchases could either get free Mice, TrackPad, Keyboard, Apple Pencil, or AirPods 4, or get a discount on the price of the AirPods Pro 2 and Magic Keyboard cases for iPad. The terms and conditions of the deal are here: U.K. Apple’s education discounts are available all year round. Apple’s education discounts are available all year round. Students and educators need to log in via UNiDAYS website to see the offers. Educational Store discounts are usually up to £280 for U.K. students. See Apple’s terms and conditions. BuyGetSavingAdditional spendMacBook Air or MacBook Pro AirPods 4 with ANC£179AirPods Pro 2 £179£100Magic Mouse £79 or £99Magic TrackPad£29 or £149Magic Keyboard $179 or $199iMacAirPods 4£179AirPods Pro 2 £179£100iPad Air or iPad ProApple Pencil Pro £119AirPods 4£129AirPods 4 with ANC£129£50AirPods Pro 2 £129£100Magic Keyboard for 11-inch iPad Air£119£130Magic Keyboard for 13-inch iPad Air£119£180Magic Keyboard for 11-inch iPad Pro£119£160Magic Keyboard for 13-inch iPad Pro£119£210If you want AirPods Pro you have to pay a little more, but you are still getting £179 off. Australian “Back to School” giveaway details: 2026 In summer 2026, Australian students making the following purchases can either get free Mice, TrackPad, Keyboard, Apple Pencil, or AirPods 4, or get a discount on the education price of the AirPods Pro 3 and Magic Keyboard cases for iPad. The terms and conditions of the Australian deal are here. Apple’s education discounts are available all year round. Visit the Australian Education Store. There were similar savings in New Zealand. BuyGetSavingAdditional spendMacBook Air or MacBook Pro AirPods 4 with ANCA$299AirPods Pro 3A$299A$130Magic Mouse A$119 or A$149Magic TrackPadA$179 or A$209Magic Keyboard A$249 or A$279iMacAirPods 4 (with ANC)A$299AirPods Pro 3 A$299A$130iPad Air or iPad ProApple Pencil Pro $199AirPods 4A$219AirPods 4 with ANCA$219A$80AirPods Pro 3A$219A$210Magic Keyboard for 11-inch iPad AirA$199A$220Magic Keyboard for 13-inch iPad AirA$199A$270Magic Keyboard for 11-inch iPad ProA$199A$270Magic Keyboard for 13-inch iPad ProA$199A$350If you want AirPods Pro you have to pay a little more, but you are still getting A$130 off. Europe “Back to School” giveaway details: 2025 European students making the same purchases as those above could either get free Mice, TrackPad, Keyboard, Apple Pencil, or AirPods 4, or get a discount on the price of the AirPods Pro 2 and Magic Keyboard cases for iPad. French details here. German details here. Spanish details here. Italian details here. Netherlands details here. India “Back to School” giveaway details: 2025 The 2025 deal in India the Back to University was the same as in the U.S.: AirPods or Apple Pencil discounts. Details here. T&C here. Brazil and South Korea “Back to School” giveaway details: 2025 In Brazil and South Korea Apple gave away AirPods with Mac purchases and Apple Pencil with iPad purchases from January to March 13, 2024. The deal was the same in 2025. Other ways to save money on a Mac or iPad Even with the arrival or the MacBook Neo, a MacBook Air is still a good choice for students.Foundry If you don’t qualify for an education discount have a look at these round-ups of the best deals on a new Mac and iPad: Best MacBook Pro deals Best MacBook Air deals Best Mac mini deals Best iMac deals Best Mac Studio deals Best iPad deals We also have this advice about the Best Mac and the Best iPad to help you decide which model to buy.

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Today in Apple history: Apple shows off its amazing Fifth Avenue store in NYC
On May 18, 2006, a press showcase gave the world its first glimpse of the swanky new Apple store on Fifth Avenue in New York City. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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Pet Robots Edge Closer to Reality
Advances in AI, robotics, and emotional design are pushing pet robots beyond novelty status and closer to becoming interactive household companions. The post appeared first on TechNewsWorld.

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Govee TV Backlight 3 brings cinema-grade reactive lighting with Matter support
Govee is launching its new TV Backlight 3 product, bringing cinema-grade reactive lighting with Matter support to your home theater. more…

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AI is making smartphones verifiably worse by design
Smartphone manufacturers are overloading their devices with AI features in an effort to control how you interface with both the device and information at large. That's not good.Is Apple Intelligence something the iPhone even needs?On Friday, Wes had asked me if I wanted to write a piece on what I thought AI was good for, versus what it is decidedly not good for. Yes, he knows exactly what he was doing with that "harmless pitch."He is, after all, someone who routinely tags me in Slack with some sort of very, very stupid AI innovation just to get my reaction. And who can blame him: I take the bait every time. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Apple’s faulty chips are big business for the company, and not just in the MacBook Neo
Apple has for years been using a procedure known as chip binning to reuse faulty chips in other models of a product, or even entirely different products. A new report gives further examples of cases where Apple has been able to take chips which failed quality control for one product and subsequently use them in another – and says that the practice dates all the way back to the original iPad and iPhone 4 … more…

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India's Apple antitrust case gets minor reprieve as fears of $38 billion fine continue
Apple has been given two more months to comply with India's antitrust investigation, even as it is being ordered to "fully cooperate" with orders to submit financial statements.Tim Cook in a previous visit to India — image credit: AppleIn its antitrust investigation against Apple, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) has been trying to get the company to submit audited statements for 2022 to 2024. Apple has so far refused to do so while it separately argues against details of the very law it is said to have broken.Now according to The Next Web, the Delhi High Court has ordered Apple to hand over the financial information. However, as well as ordering Apple to "fully cooperate," the court also told the CCI not to issue its ruling before July 15, 2026. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Apple gift card scam cost buyers hundreds of millions of dollars
An Apple gift card scam saw buyers lose hundreds of millions of dollars. One raid alone recovered 4,000 iPhones worth between $8M and $9M, with the New Hampshire-based operation even involving a murder. The sophisticated operation started with the theft of Apple gift cards from retail outlets before they were tampered with and then replaced in the stores. The moral of the story is only to ever buy the cards direct from Apple stores … more…

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Apple’s AI-powered Siri may forget your chats by design
Apple will reportedly take a stricter privacy-first approach with its AI-powered Siri chatbot by limiting how long conversations and memory data can persist. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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MacBook Neo is living rent-free in PC rivals’ heads
Macworld Apple, for all its stagecraft and marketing savvy, often seems to get the best PR when it’s not in the spotlight. Attention brings criticism, and the afterglow of an Apple event, tech columnists and TikTok trolls alike line up to dunk on the iPhone Air’s plateau, say, or the Mac Pro’s wheels. But watch the vibe change when another company takes its turn on the stage. The critics and memers gave the MacBook Neo a comparatively easy ride when it turned up at the start of March. But last week, a week in which Apple made no announcements about the product and implemented no special marketing efforts, was perhaps its best yet, thanks to Google and Microsoft’s clumsy efforts to take it down. We’re not owned, they both insisted, while slowly shrinking and turning into a corncob. Google started things off by unveiling the Googlebook, a Gemini-pushing device which my colleague on PC World astutely calls the world’s first anti-personal computer. The software philosophy behind the Googlebook is AI-first, but its design and hardware approach are clearly Neo-second: an obvious attempt to recapture the lightning which Apple bottled so successfully a couple of months ago. We don’t yet know any tech specs, and Google promises something “premium” to sit above the Chromebook. But such terms are relative, and we should remember that Chromebooks can be had for less than $200. Given the new device’s role as an AI delivery system and Android emulator, it seems unlikely that Acer, Dell, and the rest will cram it with top-tier componentry. Expect something sleek, lightweight, but affordable; $599 has a nice ring to it. While Google was flattering Apple with imitation, Microsoft was performatively insisting that the MacBook Neo isn’t a big deal at all. Hilariously, the company went to the trouble of commissioning a super-serious and definitely unbiased whitepaper on the subject. It turns out that we were all sadly mistaken, and the Neo isn’t an excellent budget laptop after all. Much better, our researchers explain, to plump for (checks notes) laptops which are way more expensive, made of plastic, stuffed with bloatware, or all of the above. I could spend a whole column talking about the silliness of the whitepaper–indeed, I strongly recommend that you read Roman Loyola’s polite demolition of its claims–but the real problem is not so much that the study is wrong. It’s that Microsoft thought commissioning and publishing the study would help. If you have to commission whitepapers to tell people not to buy your rival’s laptops, you’ve already lost. And paying researchers to prove something isn’t a big deal, rather shows that you think it is. But perhaps all this foolishness shouldn’t have come as a surprise. The MacBook Neo has done a good job of selling itself to budget laptop buyers, but it’s done a far better job of getting under the skin of rival tech companies. Right from the start, comparisons showed that the machine was performing better at a role traditionally filled by Windows machines, and PC makers have been panicking ever since. The funniest part is that the industry can’t decide whether the Neo is good, and therefore worth copying, or bad, and therefore not a threat. Sometimes you’ll find a PC maker unable to decide between these two mutually exclusive positions. Shortly after the Neo launch, Asus CEO S.Y. Hsu admitted it was “a shock to the entire industry” and that the whole PC ecosystem had been talking about how to compete with it. But a few sentences later, he was insisting that, actually, the Neo is just a content consumption device that won’t have much of an impact. You can’t have it both ways, I’m afraid. Ultimately, the response of PC makers (and PC operating system makers) to the launch of the MacBook Neo reflects a difference in philosophy at the most fundamental level. Apple’s rivals find it fascinating. They don’t quite understand how it works or how it has achieved what it has, which is why no other company has been able to replicate the Apple formula. But they can’t stop watching. And again and again, they find themselves unable to resist the temptation of making Apple the subject of their own marketing. Apple, on the other hand, spends its time focusing on itself. It’s aware of other companies and their products, and of course, like all tech companies, it uses the developments and innovations of others to spur on its own work. It acquires other companies and hires their staff. But it views rival products as a starting point: something to surpass, not to imitate. And that’s why the company makes products that are worth imitating, and which customers want to buy without the influence of silly whitepapers. Foundry Welcome to our weekly Apple Breakfast column, which includes all the Apple news you missed last week in a handy bite-sized roundup. We call it Apple Breakfast because we think it goes great with a Monday morning cup of coffee or tea, but it’s cool if you want to give it a read during lunch or dinner hours too. Trending: Top stories Good news: Google didn’t copy Liquid Glass. Bad news: It did something even worse. Uh-oh! Google just helped Apple sell a million more MacBook Neos. While Microsoft commissioned a special MacBook Neo study because it’s totally not worried. The so-called iPhone Neo should be an instant ‘no’ from Apple. Better go for a screen-less Apple Watch Neo instead. 35 years ago, the Mac got an era-defining upgrade, and we’re all still using many of its innovations. iOS 26 broke Felipe Esposito’s iPhone. But a fix is coming… we hope. Apple is missing the thing that once made it great, argues the Macalope. It’s up to John Ternus to bring some fun to the halls of Apple Park. Podcast of the week xOS 26.5 is now available. What are the new features? Plus, we talk about Apple Watch rumors in the latest episode of the Macworld Podcast. You can catch every episode of the Macworld Podcast on YouTube, Spotify, Soundcloud, the Podcasts app, or our own site. The rumor mill AI could make iOS 27 much bigger than the rumors suggest. We might not get another new Mac till 2027. And you can blame AI for that one, too. Apple isn’t bringing Touch ID to the Apple Watch, leaker insists. Sorry haters, Liquid Glass on the Mac isn’t going anywhere. Video of the week @macworld.com What’s in the iOS 26.5 update? #apple #iphone #ios ♬ original sound – Macworld – Macworld What’s in the iOS 26.5 update? Three major things, as you’ll discover in our latest short video. Follow us on TikTok and Instagram. Software updates, bugs, and problems Big Camera and Siri design changes are reportedly coming with iOS 27. iOS 26.5 may be small, but it hides some incredible new features. Plus an amazing new iPhone wallpaper you need to see. macOS 26.5 has a new way to turn on your Mac. Apple just pushed dozens of critical security updates, going all the way back to 2015 iPhones. And with that, we’re done for this week’s Apple Breakfast. If you’d like to get regular roundups, sign up for our newsletters, including our new email from The Macalope–an irreverent, humorous take on the latest news and rumors from a half-man, half-mythical Mac beast. You can also follow us on Facebook, Threads, Bluesky, or X for discussion of breaking Apple news stories. See you next Monday, and stay Appley.

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This $30 Office for Mac deal beats wrestling with those free alternatives
Macworld TL;DR: This Microsoft Office Home & Business 2019 deal gets Mac users lifetime access to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and more for just $29.97 (reg. $229). There’s a point where “good enough” free productivity apps start becoming annoying. Formatting breaks. Excel files possessed. PowerPoint presentations suddenly look different on someone else’s computer. This Microsoft Office Home & Business 2019 for Mac deal can help restore order to your digital life. It’s on sale for a one-time $29.97 payment (reg. $229), which gets you lifetime access to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, and Teams Classic on one Mac device. Instead of adding another subscription to the monthly pile, you pay once and keep using the apps you already know. No recurring fees. No “your subscription has expired” jump scare six months from now. This version was redesigned specifically for Mac users, too, with Retina display optimization, full-screen support, and smoother macOS integration. So it still feels modern despite being Office 2019. It’s also ideal for people who regularly work with Microsoft file formats for school, remote work, business, freelancing, or side projects. Because while free alternatives exist, they don’t usually work as well as the real deal. For smart buyers who want familiar tools without subscription fatigue, $29.97 for lifetime access to Microsoft Office 2019 (reg. $229) is super reasonable. Microsoft Office Home & Business 2019 for MacSee Deal StackSocial prices subject to change.

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M5 MacBook Pro 16GB/1TB is $199 Off
The latest M5 MacBook Pro features a faster CPU, Unified memory, and the M5 chip for next-generation speed, power, and performance. Each core features a Neural Accelerator built-into them. The device is made for Apple Intelligence, the personal AI system that helps keep you organized and zoom through your workload and provides you with groundbreaking […] The post appeared first on iLounge.

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