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- Thursday March 19
- 01:00 pmYou can now teach Adobe Firefly to generate images in your own visual style
With the new Firefly custom models, rolling out today in public beta, creators can train a model on their own aesthetic to consistently generate images that match their style. Here are the details. more…12:46 pmTrademark application suggests AppleCare One could soon be coming to Europe
Apple added yet another subscription service to its roster last summer in the form of AppleCare One, and it now appears that the company is preparing to launch it in Europe. A European trademark application has been accepted for “AppleCare One,” and it is now pending approval by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) … more…12:11 pmCould Apple’s London Marathon deal signal new Apple Watch features?
We learned this week that Apple has become an official partner of this year’s London Marathon, which takes place next month. The Apple Watch has of course helped a great many runners prepare for their own marathons and other long-distance races, but one of them wonders whether the sponsorship indicates plans to go further … more…11:47 amFrance goes for conversation, fashion and a fictitious radio station in its celebration of Apple's anniversary | AppleInsiderFrance goes for conversation, fashion and a fictitious radio station in its celebration of Apple's anniversary
So far Apple has celebrated its 50th year with one-off events in the US, China, and South Korea, but France is having four — all as Today at Apple special events.All of France's anniversary celebrations are at its Apple Champs-Elysees store in Paris — image credit: AppleFollowing South Korea's lead with K-Pop band Cortis performing and talking at a special Today at Apple session, Apple France has announced four new events. All four are to be held at the Apple Store on Paris's Champs-Elysees, over March 25, 2026, and March 26.There are two evening events, starting at 6:00 PM local time on Wednesday, March 25, with So Me, a graphic artist being interviewed by music journalist Naomi Clement. Apple says, in translation, that the designer will "present some of his emblematic projects and explain his transversal approach to music and visual arts." Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums11:36 amWhy Apple hasn’t gone all-in on keyboard glyphs in the new MacBooks
The US has long been an outlier when it comes to Apple’s keyboards, using text labels for things like the tab, return and delete keys. The company has long been using glyphs instead of text for all of its keyboards in the rest of the world. That has now changed, with Apple switching from text to glyphs in the latest US versions of the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, and matching this in the new MacBook Neo. There are some exceptions, however, and a likely practical reason for this … more…11:15 amStudio Display (2026) review: A great monitor if you can get it for half-price
Macworld At a glanceExpert's Rating Pros Webcam is no longer terrible Dual Thunderbolt 5 ports Cons The same panel tech from 2017 (or earlier) Webcam and speakers are just serviceable Included stand is tilt-only and upgrades are expensive Our Verdict The new Studio Display is a serviceable everyday monitor for 2026, but it is priced like a premium high-end HDR display. Its speakers and webcam get the job done but not much more, and while dual Thunderbolt 5 ports are nice, the ability to plug in other products via HDMI or DisplayPort would be even nicer. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Price When Reviewed$1499 Best Prices Today: Apple Studio Display (2026) Retailer Price $1,499 View Deal $1499 View Deal $1599 View Deal $1677.01 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket When we reviewed the original Studio Display back in 2022, we found it to be overpriced. For $1,600, you got the exact same panel with the exact same stats and performance as the 2020 Intel-based iMac (coincidentally discontinued at the same time). That iMac started at $1,799 for an entire computer, while the Studio Display was just the screen, with integrated webcam and speakers, at nearly the same price. Now four years later, Apple has doubled down on this bad value with the updated 2026 Studio Display. The ports, camera, and speakers are better, but crucially, the display itself is not. And the price hasn’t changed. It’s not a bad monitor, it’s just a bad deal. Studio Display (2026): A good, old, screen The display panel on the 2026 Studio Display is identical to the display panel on the 2022 Studio Display. Same specs, brightness, and performance. 5K, DCI-P3 wide color, and a fixed 60Hz refresh rate. No HDR, no adaptive refresh rate, no high refresh rate. As previously mentioned, it’s the same panel you’d find in the 27-inch Intel-based iMac that was discontinued in 2022. Apple has been selling some version of this exact panel since at least 2017, when you could get it in an iMac for $1,799—that’s $1,799 for the whole computer, including a mouse and keyboard. There’s nothing wrong with this display. Brightness uniformity is good, and color accuracy is excellent. It’s just old, with poor motion clarity from a slow pixel response and a complete lack of modern expected display properties. It’s 2026, and all but the very cheapest monitors have refresh rates over 60Hz, adaptive refresh, HDR, or all of the above. For a monitor being sold new in 2026, the Studio Display looks like what a nice $699 5K display should. But it costs $1,000 more than that, and the addition of the webcam, speakers, and Thunderbolt ports doesn’t make up the difference. Studio Display (2026): What’s actually improved If the display is the same as 2022’s, which was the same one Apple shipped in similarly-priced iMacs for years prior, then exactly what is new? To start with, the six-speaker array has improved bass response, according to Apple. I could hear a difference, but it’s small. The Studio Display’s speakers are a lot better than what you find in most monitors with built-in speakers, but that’s a very low bar to clear. If you really care about audio quality, you’ll want to get a pair of external speakers. The USB-C hub on the back is also updated. Instead of one Thunderbolt 3 port and three USB ports, there are two Thunderbolt 5 ports and two USB-C ports. One of the Thunderbolt ports is an upstream port to daisy-chain other monitors together, and the main port supplies up to 96W of power to charge your MacBook. There are two Thunderbolt 5 ports and two USB, but no HDMI or DisplayPort.Foundry The biggest upgrade is with the webcam. It’s still a 12MP camera with Center Stage, but now it includes Desk View. And the quality has taken a big step up. While the old Studio Display’s webcam was simply bad, the new model is now perfectly serviceable for Zoom meetings and FaceTime calls. @macworld.com Studio Display old vs. new webcam quality. The new model looks a LOT better! #apple #mac #studiodisplay ♬ original sound – Macworld – Macworld Still, it’s not up to the same quality we expect from iPhones. Apple should use the same front camera from the iPhone 17 line, with an 18MP square sensor that can shoot landscape or portrait (an increasingly popular format) and supports 4K video up to 60fps. For a monitor this expensive and thick, that’s the quality level Apple should aim for. Should you buy a 2nd-gen Studio Display? The Studio Display is made exclusively for Macs, so if you have a PC, keep moving. The only input is Thunderbolt, and the only way to adjust display properties is with macOS. But that’s not really the problem. The 5K SDR display gets plenty bright and has good accuracy and uniformity, but is lacking nearly all modern monitor features. That’s not really the problem either. The speakers are serviceable, and the webcam is good, if not exceptional. It’s a big improvement over the poor webcam in the earlier model, at least. Even that’s not the problem. This thing costs $1,599. That is the problem. For that price, you get a stand that only tilts—it’s $400 more if you want it to tilt and go up and down like nearly every thousand-dollar monitor for the past 20 years. Don’t like the glossy finish? It’s $300 more for the nano-texture display. Apple was asking too much for the Studio Display four years ago, and the new model, which doesn’t even update the display part, is an even worse value. The Studio Display isn’t bad, it’s just overpriced for what it is—and not in a little “Apple tax” way. The new Studio Display needs to be better, cheaper, or both, but it’s hard to be anything but underwhelmed by what $1,599+ gets you.11:13 amM5 Max 16-inch MacBook Pro review: Portable Mac Studio power
Months after it launched the first M5 chip, Apple has released its top-of-the-line 16-inch MacBook Pro with the M5 Max. Visually, it looks the same, but Apple Silicon performance continues to shine.M5 Max 16-inch MacBook Pro review: Apple's top-tier portable MacThe MacBook Air has always been one of my favorite machines. It's so thin, light — perfect for hauling anywhere you need to go.Most of my work, though, is in video production and image editing. The MacBook Air is extremely challenged when I need to export an hour-long 4K video podcast. I Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums11:09 amThere's so much more we can do with iPhone, says Tim Cook
Continuing his promotion of Apple's 50th anniversary, Tim Cook has now talked about how the iPhone will be important to people for the next 50 years — but should take a back seat to art and culture.Tim Cook (right) with YouTuber Nikias Molina — image credit: Nikias MolinaCook has most recently been seen promoting the anniversary in China, but his tour began back on March 13, 2026, when he attended the Alicia Keys concert at Apple Grand Central in New York. Now an interview recorded there has been released, focusing on Apple's future."The greatest invention that Steve [Jobs] ever had was Apple itself," Cook told YouTuber Nikias Molina, "and Apple is about people and culture." Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums11:04 amFBI and DIA are buying location data of US citizens from data brokers
Both the Federal Bureau of Intelligence (FBI) and the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) have confirmed that they’re buying location data of US citizens from data brokers without warrants. Senator Ron Wyden has described this as both “dangerous” and an “outrageous” privacy abuse of the Fourth Amendment … more…11:00 amiPhone Exploit DarkSword Steals Data In Minutes With No Trace
BrianFagioli writes: A new iOS exploit chain called DarkSword shows how attackers can break into certain iPhones, grab sensitive data like messages, credentials, and even crypto wallets, and then disappear without leaving obvious traces. It targets older iOS 18 builds using Safari and WebGPU flaws to escape Apple's sandbox, which is pretty wild on its own, but what really stands out is how fast it works and how financially motivated these attacks have become. The takeaway is simple but important, update your iPhone ASAP and don't assume mobile devices are somehow safer than desktops anymore. Read more of this story at Slashdot.10:30 amMacBook Neo is classic Apple: Moving fast and breaking stuff
Macworld What a funny coincidence that celebrations of Apple’s 50th anniversary would hit the same month that the company introduced the MacBook Neo, a $599 laptop that has the potential to take the Mac to new heights. The facts that Apple was founded in 1976 and the MacBook Neo exists in 2026 shouldn’t have anything in common but that they both involve a corporation called Apple. But that’s not right: Apple’s product philosophy is more continuous than you might imagine, and that string that starts with the Apple I ends, 50 years later, in a colorful new MacBook Neo. Apple was born in a chaotic world. Dozens of personal computer companies were building early devices, and each of them was its own island with its own software running on custom hardware. New chips and new hardware innovations like floppy disk drives (did you know that the earliest Apple computers could only read data from audio cassettes?!) meant that as a computer company, you evolved rapidly or you died. Most of them died, of course. But Apple didn’t, in part because it was always adopting the next big thing in order to survive. It was a mindset that I always connect to Steve Jobs, a man with absolutely zero sentimentality. Apple has always been a company that knows that it needs to move forward rapidly to survive. Steve Jobs believed in always moving forward and not getting sentimental about the past. That philosophy has served Apple well.Apple This has been a factor that has remained in the corporate culture, to varying degrees of strength, for 50 years. It’s not that Apple doesn’t care about taking care of its customers–it’s managed three chip transitions and one operating system transition on the Mac while providing solid support over a transitional period. One reason this culture got reinforced is that Apple has never been the dominant ecosystem player in any market it’s competed in. (The iPod was dominant, but not really much of an ecosystem.) When you’re dominant, like PCs driven by Microsoft’s DOS and Windows operating systems, the name of the game is compatibility. Once you’ve got the bulk of the market, it’s all about consolidation. Over time, stability and compatibility became a major reason why Microsoft was so successful. Old Windows apps just kept running. Microsoft built an entire culture about supporting its enormous base of customers, many of whom were using ancient hardware and software. The problem with that strategy is that it’s a really bad fit for times of great opportunity. As former Microsoft executive Steven Sinofsky wrote recently, Microsoft’s greatest strength suddenly became its greatest weakness. “The pull and push of forever compatibility was not just ‘Windows DNA,’ but it was the soul of what made Windows successful and was sacred.” Apple has the freedom to make game-changing moves to make better products.Apple The funny thing is that Sinofsky wrote that in the context of praising the MacBook Neo, of all things. Here’s why: Apple has constantly upgraded its operating system and ecosystem, from drivers to APIs to apps to the chips that run them. It’s been able to drag its technology forward in ways Microsoft never could. Part of that was embracing touch interfaces with the iPhone and iPad. It’s not that Microsoft didn’t have some great ideas about touch interfaces–some of the stuff it did was really cool!–but that in the end, its loyal customers pulled it backward into the abyss. The first touch-savvy version of Microsoft Office ran on the iPad. Microsoft’s own touch-friendly devices backslid to the old mouse-driven versions. The crowning achievement of all this was Apple’s embrace of its own, ARM-based chip architecture. Again, it’s not as if Microsoft and its chip partners didn’t see the strength that an Apple-style chip strategy might have. It’s that Microsoft’s customers just weren’t interested in losing compatibility with their enormous investment in Intel PCs, and Microsoft’s commitment to “run everything forever,” as Sinofsky calls it, hampered all attempts to see things differently. In the other corner: Apple, which for the last five-plus years has been shipping Macs running ARM processors, on top of a version of macOS that spent the years running up to that transition by killing off compatbility with a lot of old software that would’ve made that transition a challenge. Apple’s ability to advance its technology allows it to create a budget laptop that offers quality that its competitors can’t match.Eugen Wegmann This brings us to the MacBook Neo. It is the result of Apple being unafraid to break compatibility with 32-bit apps, with the old Carbon APIs, with Intel processors, the works. Part of the magic is that, as Mac users, we often don’t even notice when Apple does this, because it’s gotten pretty good at making it easy for us to migrate. (Software developers have had a harder time, often spending summers modifying their apps so that they still work when the new OS versions ship in the fall.) 50 years on, this is still Apple’s core approach: Don’t be afraid to change. Don’t be afraid to leave some old things behind. Not because change isn’t painful, because it often is. But because without change, without the ability to move forward, you’ll never be able to take advantage of new opportunities. And if you’re Apple, you’ll never be able to make a MacBook Neo.08:00 amOne payment, endless productivity — MS Office 2024 Home & Business for 60% off
Macworld TL;DR: A lifetime license to Microsoft Office 2024 Home & Business is available for $99.97 until April 12 (MSRP $249.99), offering Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote for a one-time payment. If you’re tired of juggling multiple subscriptions, paying recurring fees, or dealing with outdated Office apps, Microsoft Office 2024 Home & Business is the solution. This suite gives you all the tools you need to stay productive, collaborate with ease, and create professional-quality work — without a monthly payment. Right now, it’s available for a lifetime license at just $99.97 until April 12 (MSRP $249.99). A full suite of essential apps with powerful new features: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote installed directly on your Mac or PC Real-time collaboration with co-authoring, chat, and comments AI-powered suggestions for smarter writing, data insights, and design improvements Faster performance for handling large datasets and complex workbooks The ability to record presentations with voice, video, and captions in PowerPoint Modernized, intuitive interface with touch and pen support Offline access and robust security to work anytime, anywhere Stop wasting time toggling between apps or paying monthly for productivity. One purchase gives you lifelong access to the suite you rely on, keeping your workflow smooth and professional. Get Microsoft Office 2024 Home & Business for $99.97 until April 12 and unlock lifetime access to essential apps for Mac or PC. Microsoft Office 2024 Home & Business for Mac or PC Lifetime LicenseSee Deal Want to see more deals? Visit the shop and use code MARCH15 to save an extra 15% sitewide through March 29. Exclusions apply. StackSocial prices subject to change.07:55 amMacworld Podcast: Reviews of the M5 Max MacBook Pro and M5 MacBook Air
Macworld On this week’s episode, we review the new M5 MacBook Air and M5 Max MacBook Pro. Tune in and get all the details. This is episode 975 with Michael Simon, Jason Cross, and Roman Loyola. Watch episode 975 on YouTube Listen to episode 975 on Apple Podcasts05:31 amThis new iPhone browser uses AI to answer questions from your tabs
Perplexity’s Comet browser lands on iOS, bringing its AI-powered browsing experience and voice mode to your iPhone. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)02:39 amApple TV: Grey’s Anatomy alum joins The Morning Show’s season 5
Following the recent news that Jeff Daniels (The Newsroom) will join The Morning Show’s upcoming season, Deadline reports that Jesse Williams (Grey’s Anatomy) will also be added to the show’s lineup. Here are the details. more…02:39 amApple TV: Grey’s Anatomy alum joins The Morning Show’s season 5
Following the recent news that Jeff Daniels (The Newsroom) will join The Morning Show’s upcoming season, Deadline reports that Jesse Williams (Grey’s Anatomy) will also be added to the show’s lineup. Here are the details. more…01:49 amViwoods AiPaper e-reader review: a damn fine digital notebook
Viwoods wants you to embrace artificial intelligence with its AiPaper e-reader — but I think it's actually banking on the wrong features.Viwoods AiPaperThe e-book reader market is growing, with plenty of companies offering their own takes on the genre.Some, like most of Boox's lineup, offer an option that lies somewhere between a Kindle and an iPad. Others, like Durobo's Krono, want you to focus on portability over all else. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums01:33 amBrazil’s competition watchdog inquires Apple over iPhone NFC restrictions
Apple has until the end of the month to respond to a set of technical and legal issues from CADE, Brazil’s competition watchdog over alleged anticompetitive rules tied to the iPhone’s NFC. Here are the details. more…Wednesday March 1811:39 pm‘Your Frustration Is the Product’
The people making these decisions for these websites are like ocean liner captains who are *trying* to hit icebergs.11:13 pm9to5Mac Daily: March 18, 2026 – App Store vibe coding, more
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: Backup you can rely on. Save 20% with code 9to5daily. more…