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- Tuesday December 16
- 12:33 pmNew UK lawsuit takes another shot at Amazon's and Apple's alleged price fixing
Despite both UK and US courts previously dismissing cases about Apple and Amazon allegedly colluding over prices, a new lawsuit has been filed to see if it can do any better.Apple and Amazon have been accused of price-fixingThe accusation in each case is that Amazon and Apple made a secret deal that placed unfair restrictions on independent retailers selling Apple devices on Amazon. Consequently the suit claims that consumers suffered harm as the two firms were able to maintain higher prices than they would.This case was filed in the US in 2022 and was ultimately dismissed in September 2025. Similarly, Professor Christine Riefa later brought a mass lawsuit — the British equivalent of a class action — to the UK's Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT). Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums12:28 pmiPhone sales predicted to fall next year, with far higher manufacturing costs
Market intelligence company Counterpoint Research has predicted that iPhone sales will fall next year compared to this – and that Apple’s manufacturing costs will increase substantially. Global smartphone shipments as a whole are expected to fall in 2026, with Apple being among the worst hit … more…12:15 pmChinese rumor account claims to have more details about the folding iPhone
Macworld Chinese tech rumor Weibo account Digital Chat Station has some fresh details of the upcoming folding iPhone. According the the post (translated from Chinese), the current engineering prototypes have the following features: Side-button Touch ID rather than Face ID. A very strong hinge. A 7.58-inch display with an under-display front camera. A 5.25-inch outer display with a punch-hole camera. Dual 48MP cameras. These are all similar to prior rumors, with some small differences (we’ve seen 7.8-inch and 5.5-inch displays mentioned), but the under-display and hole-punch camera details are new. For comparison, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 has an 8-inch inside display and a 6.5-inch outer display, while the Pixel 10 Pro Fold has an 8-inch inner display and a 5.4-inch outer display. So if this rumor is true, Apple’s folding iPhone would be slightly and likely have a wide aspect ratio. Digital Chat Station doesn’t say where this information comes from (suppliers, internal leakers, hidden in code, etc.) and the Weibo account has been hit-and-miss with rumors in the past. So perhaps the most interesting thing about this rumor is that it lends weight to the idea that we’ll actually really get a folding iPhone in 2026, after years of disappointment.11:59 amGeneral Motors confirms Apple Wallet car key plans after code spotted
Backend code spotted a couple of months ago showed that General Motors was preparing to support Apple Wallet digital car keys, and the company has now confirmed those plans. The news follows the discovery yesterday that Toyota was also making its own preparations for car key support … more…11:30 amLocked out of your Apple account? Good luck
Macworld A few months back, the Macalope was locked out of iMessage. Yeah! “The nerve” is right! It was annoying, of course, but far from the worst thing that could happen to someone, but it highlighted a frustrating blind spot in Apple’s vaunted user experience story, on which someone else has now run afoul of, with far worse consequences. For reasons the Macalope never did learn, his iMessage account was locked by Apple. In order to be reinstated to a club he’s been an upstanding member of for 14 years, he had to submit a request and wait 24 to 48 hours (it was closer to 48). For secret reasons. Apparently. All this despite the fact that the Macalope has conducted very little fraud using the iMessage protocol. Shockingly little, honestly, considering how many other people are apparently out there using it for fraud. The Macalope is starting to think he’s missing out on his fair share of that sweet fraud money. Joking aside (note to self: look into fraud, W slash R slash T getting into), it is a shame that a confluence of scale, reliance on complicated server infrastructure, and the need to account for bad actors means that Apple, the company that famously cares so much about user experience, lets some people just fall through the cracks. This brings us to the honestly pretty terrifying story of Dr. Paris Butterfield-Addison, an author of books on Objective-C and Swift, who was, through no fault of his own, pushed into a bottomless one of these cracks. Which he details in a post: 20 Years of Digital Life, Gone in an Instant, thanks to Apple. Too long, can’t read because I was raised by a pack of weasels living under the O’Malleys’ barn, and only discovered when I wandered out looking for opportunity and love in the big city (Wetumpka, Alabama), Butterfield-Addison appears to have purchased a $500 Apple gift card that was tampered with. When activated, it failed (possibly sending the funds to other parties), the retailer issued a new code, and then Butterfield-Addison was locked out of his iCloud account. All of it. If you’d like to receive regular news and updates to your inbox, sign up for our newsletters, including The Macalope and Apple Breakfast, David Price’s weekly, bite-sized roundup of all the latest Apple news and rumors.Foundry It happens? Again, apparently. As in the Macalope’s case, no one could or would tell him why he was locked out. Unlike the Macalope’s case, Butterfield-Addison was given no recourse (not that the Macalope’s recourse of filling out a form to get back a staple service of Apple platforms was all that reassuring). He was locked out. Apple’s response (summarized by meat-based intelligence on Sarcastic mode): “Sucks to be you, Dr. Paris Butterfield-Addison, author of numerous books on programming for our own platforms.” While Apple has famously told developers that running to the press never helps, it turns out that A) sometimes that’s all you can do, and B) actually, it often really does help, thank you very much. As Butterfield-Addison notes in his post, his story is now getting some attention, has now been taken to Executive Relations, and his situation may end up getting resolved. But it makes the Macalope wonder how many people this has happened to who haven’t written programming books and don’t have their own blogs. You shouldn’t have to be a noted member of the Apple community who also happens to be articulate and have a positive online presence to get this fixed. It shouldn’t have to get escalated to Tim freaking Apple. Despite our rose-colored hindsight glasses, Apple’s systems have never worked perfectly. (They didn’t always hold so much of our critical data: photos, entertainment, credit cards, and now even identification.) The way Apple gets its rep, though, is by making things that work so well when they work that you forgive the times when they don’t. It’s hard to forgive them, though, when they stop working for good. The good news is, this is not a technical problem; it’s a process problem. Sure, Apple may have an exploit in its gift card process that it needs to fix, but locking out victims is not, in any way, part of a viable solution. The company just has to care enough about the people who are getting shoved into these cracks to create a procedure that gets them back in. It remains to be seen if it does or if it prefers to continue to help those who can make a real fuss about it.11:00 amApple @ Work Podcast: AI workflows and the Mac Mini
Apple @ Work is exclusively brought to you by Mosyle, the only Apple Unified Platform. Mosyle is the only solution that integrates in a single professional-grade platform all the solutions necessary to seamlessly and automatically deploy, manage & protect Apple devices at work. Over 45,000 organizations trust Mosyle to make millions of Apple devices work-ready with no effort and at an affordable cost. Request your EXTENDED TRIAL today and understand why Mosyle is everything you need to work with Apple. In this episode of Apple @ Work, Eric Bickford from MacWeb joins the show to talk about their new US-East rollout, Apple’s hardware for AI workloads, and much more. more…08:00 amRun Microsoft’s best OS on any compatible PC without breaking the bank — just $9.97
Macworld TL;DR: Get a lifetime Windows 11 Pro license for $9.97 (MSRP $199) and unlock advanced security, pro tools, and AI features for your PC. Need an upgrade on your extra PC? Whether you use a Windows computer for work, school, or random tasks you don’t want to do on your Mac, this Microsoft Windows 11 Pro deal delivers serious value at just $9.97. This isn’t a stripped-down version. You’re getting the full Windows 11 Pro operating system with advanced features like enhanced security through biometric login and TPM 2.0, improved multitasking with snap layouts and virtual desktops, and professional-grade tools including Hyper-V and BitLocker encryption. Not to mention, Copilot, the AI assistant designed to answer questions, generate code while you type, and more. The lifetime license means you won’t face recurring subscription fees, and you’ll receive ongoing updates to keep your system secure and current. This operating system is rated an impressive 4/5 stars on PC Magazine and TechRadar. Discover why with this limited-time deal. For a limited time, you can get Microsoft Windows 11 Pro on sale for $9.97 (MSRP $199). Microsoft Windows 11 ProSee Deal StackSocial prices subject to change.07:46 amiOS 26.3 beta 1: All the new features and changes
Apple’s first iOS 26.3 beta is here, and it brings two notable platform changes worth paying attention to. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)01:59 amThere’s a big Pluribus spoiler on Google Earth, if you know where to look
If you’ve already watched “The Gap”, which is the seventh episode of the first season of Pluribus, you can probably guess what it is. more…12:20 amiOS 26 leak details multiple unreleased Apple products
An unreleased build of iOS 26 has revealed details about more than a dozen Apple hardware projects currently in development.An iOS 26 code leak confirmed the existence of multiple unreleased iPhone models, including the iPhone 17e.Following a series of reports last week, which provided insight into unreleased products like the next-generation AirTag, iPad Air, and Apple Studio Display, we now have additional information about the source of the leak.A prototype iPhone running an early build of iOS 26 was recently sold, and the operating system on the device has since been made publicly available. This allowed researchers to dig through the code in an effort to uncover more about the devices and projects Apple is currently working on. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our ForumsMonday December 1510:27 pmUK government to ‘encourage’ Apple and Google to include nudity-blocking software in OSes | Mac Daily NewsUK government to ‘encourage’ Apple and Google to include nudity-blocking software in OSes
The UK government is set to urge Apple and Google to embed advanced nudity-detection software directly into device operating systems… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.10:21 pmApple specialists to participate in White House’s ‘Tech Force’ initiative
The White House announced plans to recruit “an elite group of ~1,000 technology specialists” from companies such as Apple to serve two-year terms across federal agencies. Here are the details. more…10:15 pmGet Microsoft Office 2024 for Mac or PC for less than $150
This discounted Microsoft Office for Mac lifetime license is a great alternative to pricey monthly fees and subscriptions. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)09:55 pmGame development diary: Sound, music, and schedule speed bumps
After wrestling with Welsh for my iPhone game "Character Limit," there were two changes of pace in the last month. Both in terms of the work being carried out and when the game will actually ship.A build of my game 'Character Limit' running on an iPhoneIt's fair to say that, in my last development log, my implementation of Welsh was not one that was kind to the development schedule. Retrofitting multiple languages into a game that previously worked in one is hard, but necessary if I want to add more to the game.Indeed, the work on Welsh has taken so long that, while it technically works almost like it did before, there are still small elements that need fixing. There's enough crossover with things I want to change and update that they can be rolled up as part of the same item on the whiteboard to-do list. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums09:52 pmNew in iOS 26.3: Android transfer settings, third-party notification forwarding
The first developer beta of iOS 26.3 is here, and with it, settings that make transferring to Android easier and notification forwarding for third-party wearables.iOS 26.3 delivers new settings for notification forwarding, and makes moving to Android easier.On Monday, just days after iOS 26.2 made its way to the general public, Apple started the iOS 26.3 beta testing cycle. The iPhone software update has the build number 23D5089e, up from 23C55 on the public release of iOS 26.2As a whole, iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 brought about a multitude of changes, the most visible being Apple's controversial "Liquid Glass" design language. The following update, iOS 26.1, delivered new toggles for existing system features, along with additional customization settings for Liquid Glass. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums09:43 pm9to5Mac Daily: December 15, 2025 – iOS 26.2 now available
Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from 9to5Mac. 9to5Mac Daily is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players. Sponsored by Backblaze: Give yourself the gift of peace of mind. Till the end of the month, 9to5Mac listeners get 30% off with code 9to5Xmas. more…09:40 pmDevelopers get first look at iOS 26.3 and macOS Tahoe 26.3
There are new iOS 26.3 and macOS 26.3 betas from Apple. Developers can now begin testing and discovering new features. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)09:21 pmTidBITS 2025 Holiday Hiatus—See You in 2026!
We will be taking a few weeks off to spend time with family and friends over the holidays. You can expect the next email issue of TidBITS on 5 January 2026. Thank you for reading TidBITS, and we hope our articles have enriched your year!09:20 pmHow the Music App’s “Skip When Shuffling” Option Can Help (or Hinder) Holiday Playlists
After 30 frustrating minutes trying to fix a broken holiday playlist, Adam Engst finally found the culprit: a “Skip when shuffling” option he had enabled last year and forgotten about. Is there a better way to silence seasonal music when the holidays end?09:19 pmTelegram finally adds passkeys support
With the latest update, Telegram users can now create a passkey to instantly log in to their accounts without needing an SMS code or password. Here’s how to activate it. more…