Scanners
- Monday May 18
- 04:51 amFoxconn Suffers Ransomware Attack With Important Project Files From Apple Stolen
A confirmed cyberattack on Foxconn and its factories in the United States has been reported, with a ransomware group stating that they have stolen important and confidential project files that belonged to Apple in the attack. This week, the Nitrogen Group has posted a breach on their data leak site, with 11 trillion files and […] The post appeared first on iLounge.04:50 ammacOS Port Notepad++ Has Been Revamped
After being called out by the official developer for an unofficial port of Notepad++ on the Mac for trademark violations, both parties have now solved the issue by rebranding the Mac port. Andrey Letov released a macOS port for Notepad++ with no authorization, resulting in the original creator, Don Ho, calling him out. Don had […] The post appeared first on iLounge.Sunday May 1708:11 pmSunday Reboot: Liquid Glass appreciation, Cook in China, and Cats
In this week's "Sunday Reboot," Liquid Glass gets an award, Tim Cook heads to China once again, and a wish for HomeKit to be more cat-friendly.Sunday Reboot: Liquid Glass, Cats, and CookSunday Reboot is a weekly column covering some of the lighter stories within the Apple reality distortion field from the past seven days. All to get the next week underway with a good first step.This week, Apple's ambitions to expand its F1 coverage got knocked back, hackers attacked supply chain partner Foxconn, and AI has managed to break Apple's security in new ways. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums07:56 pmSpotify confirms disco ball app icon is temporary and regular logo will return
Spotify recently changed the app icon for its mobile app, and not everyone appreciates the celebratory disco ball logo. more…06:54 pmAirPods Max 2 vs Heavys H1H: Heavy metal headphones compared
You've probably seen an ad for the rock-tuned Heavys H1H on the internet, and true to their word, they are in fact tuned for guitar-heavy rock. Here's how they compare to Apple's AirPods Max.AirPods Max 2 [left], Heavys H1H [right]As a major mainstream tech company, Apple has an incentive to design to accommodate as many people as possible.Its products may not necessarily have everything a particular person wants in an item. But even so, it will still be close enough to be acceptable for the majority of customers. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums04:30 pmToday in Apple history: John Sculley brings ‘Pepsi Generation’ marketing to Apple
On May 17, 1983, former Pepsi-Cola boss John Sculley became Apple's third president and CEO. He brought some serious marketing savvy. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)04:06 pmWhy we’re still waiting for next-gen HomePod mini and Apple TV 4K
The HomePod mini 2 and an updated Apple TV 4K are both expected in 2026. Here's why Apple hasn't already launched them. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)04:03 pmGenmoji in iOS 27 will use what you type and what's in Photos for suggestions
Apple wants more people to use Genmoji, by creating suggestions based on phrases that you type into the iOS 27 and iPadOS 27 keyboard, and what you've got stored in Photos.The launch of Genmoji during an Apple event - Image credit: AppleUsers of Messages will be familiar with the occasional appearance of emoji as a suggestion when typing on the software keyboard. For iOS 27 and iPadOS 27, they may get a lot more options to include Genmoji.The underwhelming Apple Intelligence feature hasn't really caught on with consumers since its introduction in 2024, despite executive claims it has. However, with some changes coming to Genmoji in iOS 27 and iPadOS 27, Bloomberg's "Power On" newsletter says that users will be prodded to use it more. Rumor Score: 🤔 Possible Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums03:15 pmPrivacy & data security will remain tantamount for Apple's 2026 AI push
Apple will relaunch Apple Intelligence and Siri platforms with new Apple Foundation Models. Despite Google's involvement, Apple will maintain its privacy stance.Apple's new AI strategy won't sacrifice user privacy for gimmicksWhen Apple Intelligence was revealed during WWDC 2024, Apple had a hybrid system in place that would ultimately fail to deliver. Delays ensued, and it seems that the long wait is over for Apple's true AI strategy to emerge.According to the Power On newsletter, Apple won't be compromising on privacy with its new AI efforts. While the report is colored with suppositions and conjecture about what is coming, it lays out a fairly clear picture. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums02:49 pmReport: Apple to upgrade Genmoji in iOS 27 with new automatic suggestions
According to the Power On newsletter from Mark Gurman, Apple is planning an interesting new Genmoji feature in iOS 27 to bolster its usage: suggested Genmoji’s based on your photo library and keyboard history. more…02:39 pmApple Watch Series 12 probably won't get a major update
A new report claims that Apple intends to make few changes to the current Apple Watch Series 11, beyond a new Watch face.Apple WatchesPrevious reports have said that the Apple Watch Series 12 may get significant software updates, but that the hardware would remain much as it is with the current model. Now Bloomberg is reporting that there won't be many changes to hardware or software at all.Specifically, the report says there will definitely be at least one new Watch face, plus performance improvements, but then probably little more than fixes and presumably also security updates. Beyond that, the report goes no further than alluding to the possibility of small hardware updates. Rumor Score: 🤯 Likely Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums02:33 pmRevamped Siri may launch in beta, despite two year delay
The long-awaited overhaul of Siri is already two years later than planned. Even so, it will still be beta software when it does actually arrive.Current Siri has a colorful animation, but none of the New Siri smarts. Back in WWDC 2024, Apple introduced its new Siri with contextual awareness and other major improvements for the digital assistant. However, while it ultimately didn't arrive later in the year in iOS 18, and didn't even make it to iOS 26, it is now expected to turn up in iOS 27.However, despite Apple having an extra two years to work on the new AI-infused Siri, it won't be a fully completed product release. According to Mark Gurman in Sunday's "Power On" newsletter for Bloomberg, it will be arriving as a "beta" release. Rumor Score: 🤯 Likely Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums02:33 pmStandalone Siri app to offer auto-deleting chat history, launch with beta label: report | 9 to 5 MacStandalone Siri app to offer auto-deleting chat history, launch with beta label: report
Next month at WWDC 2026, Apple is expected to finally live up to its AI Siri promises, and more. The company has long been working on a new standalone Siri app to boost how users interact with Siri and Apple Intelligence – and it should be debuting in beta next month. According to a new report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the new Siri app will come with a privacy feature similar to one on iMessage: auto-deleting chats. He also expects Siri to launch with a beta label even when it’s available publicly in the fall, similar to some previous Apple rollouts. more…11:22 amCrime blotter: How the Long Island truck hijackers were caught
An arrest is made in the Morgan McSweeney stolen iPhone case, a guilty plea in the Beyonce stolen music case, and an AirTag helps recover a stolen Lamborghini, all in this week's Apple Crime Blotter.The Manhasset Apple Store The latest in an occasional AppleInsider series, looking at the world of Apple-related crime. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums08:00 amSavvy tech buyers are getting this HP EliteBook for just $360 while they can
Macworld TL;DR: This Grade A+ refurb HP EliteBook 840 G8 gives you a business-class laptop with 16GB RAM, a 512GB SSD, Wi-Fi 6, and Windows 11 Pro for just $359.99 (reg. $899.98). There’s a reason a lot of IT departments buy business laptops instead of flashy consumer models: they’re built to survive actual work. And that’s what makes this HP EliteBook 840 G8 deal interesting. This Premium Grade A refurbished EliteBook is $359.99 (reg. $899.98), and it’s one of those purchases that feel less like bargain hunting and more like knowing a shopping hack. The specs are legitimately solid for the price. You’re getting an Intel Core i5 processor, 16GB DDR4 RAM, and a fast 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD. The 14-inch Full HD display looks sharp, and the backlit keyboard plus 15.75-hour battery life make this a genuinely good remote-work or travel laptop. It also includes Windows 11 Pro, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, USB-C connectivity, and Intel Iris Xe graphics. A Grade A+ refurbished rating means near-mint condition, and is the highest quality of refurbished electronics. For people who care more about performance-per-dollar than chasing the newest shiny thing, this is a smart pickup. Get this Grade A+ HP EliteBook 840 G8 for $359.99 (reg. $899.98). HP EliteBook 840 G8 Laptop (2021) 14″ 16GB RAM 512GB SSD i5-1145G7 2.6GHz WIN11Pro (Certified Refurbished)See Deal StackSocial prices subject to change.08:00 amMac users can get all Microsoft Office 2024 apps and Windows 11 Pro for life for $135
Macworld TL;DR: Get Windows 11 Pro and Microsoft Office for life for $134.97 (reg. $448.99). Down from $448.99, you can now get lifetime access to Windows 11 Pro and Microsoft Office for $135. Last year, Microsoft ended support for Windows 10 and raised the price for Microsoft 365 to $99.99 per year. If you want a smart way to secure your computer and get out of constant subscription fees, right now, you can get Microsoft Office 2024 and Windows 11 Pro for life on sale for $134.97. This bundle gives you two lifetime licenses, one for Microsoft Office and one for Windows 11 Pro. The Office license works for Mac or PC and includes Word Excel PowerPoint Outlook OneNote These are recently updated versions of the same core apps you get from Microsoft 365, complete with the new AI integrations for data analysis and content creation. PowerPoint even has new ways to record presentations. Windows 11 Pro does a lot more than reintroduce security updates to your machine. You’ll also get access to a refined interface with snap layout, along with new security tools like BitLocker device encryption, Hyper-V, and TPM 2.0. Both of these licenses last for life without any recurring costs, so while they may be more expensive than a single month of Microsoft 365, they cost a lot less than you’d end up paying in the long run. Instead of paying more every year, get Microsoft Office 2024 and Windows 11 Pro for $134.97. Microsoft Office 2024 Home & Business + Windows 11 Pro BundleSee Deal StackSocial prices subject to change.04:10 amThese are the best new MacBook deals right now: May 2026 Buyer’s Guide
In the era of Apple Silicon, MacBooks are more affordable than ever. Nowadays, you can buy a MacBook Air with 512GB of storage and 16GB of memory for $1099 directly from Apple, when such a configuration would’ve cost $1599 just a few years ago. And on top of that, we have MacBook Neo bringing the entry-point down substantially. Even with Apple’s prices coming down though, there’s still a number of deals to be found out there if you look just a little. more…Saturday May 1608:34 pmThe Apple-OpenAI Alliance is Fraying, Setting Up a Possible Legal Fight
Bloomberg reports that Apple's two-year-old partnership with OpenAI "has become strained, according to people familiar with the matter." Bloomberg describes OpenAI as "failing to see the expected benefits from the deal and now preparing possible legal action." OpenAI lawyers are actively working with an outside legal firm on a range of options that could be formally executed in the near future, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the deliberations are private. That could include sending the iPhone maker a notice alleging breach of contract without necessarily filing a full lawsuit at the outset, according to the people... OpenAI believed that the companies' partnership, which wove ChatGPT into Apple software, would coax more users into subscribing to the chatbot. It also expected deeper integration across more Apple apps and prime placement within the Siri assistant. Instead, Apple's use of OpenAI technology across its operating systems remains limited, and features can be hard to find... Apple has had its own concerns about OpenAI, including whether the company does enough to protect user privacy. And a recent push [by OpenAI] to make devices — an effort overseen by former Apple executives — has rankled the iPhone maker. Any legal move by OpenAI likely wouldn't come until after the conclusion of the Musk trial, according to the people. No final decisions have been made, and OpenAI still hopes to resolve its issues with Apple outside of court. The article points out that OpenAI "initially believed the deal could generate billions of dollars per year in subscriptions — something that hasn't come close to happening." An OpenAI executive argues to Bloomberg that from a product perspective Apple hasn't done everything they could, "and worse, they haven't even made an honest effort." Read more of this story at Slashdot.08:32 pmAI Is Technology, Not a Product
It’s not even a feature. It’s just technology.07:30 pmIndie App Spotlight: ‘Cats Lock’ is a fun Mac app that solves cat keyboard spam
Welcome to Indie App Spotlight. This is a weekly 9to5Mac series where we showcase the latest apps in the indie app world. If you’re a developer and would like your app featured, get in contact. If you’re a beloved cat owner, you might often have your cat running across your Mac’s keyboard, causing loads of unnecessary keyboard input, and sometimes even unwanted communications. Cats Lock has a solution for it, and soon your cat will be able to roam your MacBook keyboard freely. more…