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- Wednesday February 25
- 11:02 pmU.S. lawmakers request briefing on the UK's iCloud encryption backdoor plans
The UK government's continued attempts to gain access to iCloud users' private data have prompted U.S. lawmakers to request a briefing about the issue.Apple's iPhone is encrypted to ensure no one can get in, good guys or badApple is a company widely known and often praised for its privacy-first approach, but sometimes that very same philosophy is at odds with the goals of world governments. The iPhone maker famously fought against an FBI request for an encryption backdoor, and it did the same when the UK came up with similar demands of its own.The drama surrounding the UK's seemingly never-ending pursuit of iCloud user data continues. On Wednesday, two U.S. lawmakers, U.S. House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan and Foreign Affairs Chair Brian Mast, requested that the UK government hold a briefing about its planned iCloud encryption backdoor. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums10:42 pmShould 1Password’s Price Hike Push You to Apple’s Passwords?
1Password is raising prices for the first time in ten years. With Apple’s free Passwords app maturing into a capable alternative, is it finally time to consider switching—or do 1Password’s features still justify its cost?09:51 pmiOS 26 has made Apple Passwords the only password manager I need
iOS 26 is packed with big and small changes, three of which have enabled me to make Apple’s Passwords app my one and only password manager. more…09:42 pmApple TV just added three new movies to expanding future lineup
Apple TV has been on a hot streak with new movies, and the streamer keeps strengthening its future lineup too. Here are three new movies that, per reporting today, are now part of Apple’s upcoming film plans. more…09:16 pmSpain’s CNMC rules Apple and Amazon delayed removal of anti-competitive clauses, risking further fines | Mac Daily NewsSpain’s CNMC rules Apple and Amazon delayed removal of anti-competitive clauses, risking further fines
Spain's competition regulator has ruled that Apple and Amazon took too long to remove anti-competitive clauses from their distribution… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.08:15 pmThe Mac is about to get a new AAA game in rare day-one launch
Next week will be a big one for the Mac, with several new MacBooks launching. But another big moment is around the corner: Crimson Desert, a AAA game debuts next month with a day-one macOS release. more…08:04 pmiPhone 17 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra compared
Samsung's latest high-powered flagship launched on Wednesday, with the Galaxy S26 Ultra taking aim at the iPhone 17 Pro Max. Here's the tale of the tape for the two smartphone heavyweights.iPhone 17 Pro Max [left[ vs Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra [right]Samsung Unpacked took place on February 25, and saw the South Korean electronics giant introduce its latest smartphone lineup. As usual, this included a lot under the Galaxy S26 brand, covering a wide range of performance levels and price points.The highlight model is the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, its highest-specification model and largest device on the roster. One that everyone will be comparing with Apple's similarly-framed model, the iPhone 17 Pro Max. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums07:18 pmSamsung copies Apple’s Search button from iOS for One UI 8.5, shamelessly names it ‘Finder’ | 9 to 5 MacSamsung copies Apple’s Search button from iOS for One UI 8.5, shamelessly names it ‘Finder’
The Galaxy S26 trio is finally here, and with it comes One UI 8.5. Samsung might be waiting until the summer to roll out its next big shake-up for its version of Android, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t seeing some new visual elements in this mid-cycle release. As we’ve come to expect, at least one element on the S26’s software is ripped right from Samsung’s closest rival. more…07:09 pmAdvanced Apple Silicon remains tied to Taiwan despite Arizona fab expansion
A walk-through of Apple partners' chip fabrication lines practically demonstrates how the company's push to expand semiconductor manufacturing in Arizona and Texas is mainly aimed at reducing geopolitical risk, and less about bringing back large-scale U.S. factory jobs.TSMC workersA February 25 report outlines how Apple and its suppliers are rebuilding parts of the U.S. chip supply chain, from silicon wafers in Texas to final assembly in Houston. The strategy centers on strengthening supply resilience after pandemic shortages and rising tension around Taiwan.Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook has appeared alongside President Donald Trump to spotlight domestic investment. Chip fabrication plants today are highly automated operations powered by robotics and precision machinery. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums07:03 pmApple’s ‘budget’ MacBook may start at $699
Apple is reportedly planning a product launch event in March 2026, where a more affordable MacBook is expected to be the main highlight… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.07:01 pmApple and Amazon accused of ignoring Spanish antitrust order for nearly two years
Following a 2023 decision that fined Apple and Amazon over anti-competitive distribution clauses, Spain’s competition regulator now says the companies took too long to comply and may issue a new fine. Here are the details. more…06:16 pmApple’s low-cost MacBook might lack these key features
Apple’s new low-cost MacBook is set to have a number of compromises to help bring the cost of the machine down. A new rumor today outlines at least some of those compromises in detail … more…06:03 pmTim Cook sums up Steve Jobs in just four words
Macworld Apple boss Tim Cook joined the company in 1998, and has achieved an extraordinary amount in the years since: he has pushed Apple’s profits into the stratosphere, and become a billionaire in the process. But it turns out that the decision to take the job wasn’t as obvious at the time as it now seems in retrospect. In a 2024 letter which the Steve Jobs Archive has this week published for the first time, Cook describes the mixed feelings with which he weighed up the prospects of working at Cupertino. In those days the company wasn’t the dependable corporate behemoth of 2026. “At the time,” he writes, “Apple had been struggling and Steve was working to right a ship that had drifted in his absence. Many people doubted the company could survive, and I was warned that accepting a job there would come with risks.” That “Steve,” of course, refers to the Apple founder who only the year before had returned from exile to be Apple’s sixth CEO. Cook describes his first meeting with Steve Jobs as a fateful day when “my desire to be part of something truly inspiring would finally meet its moment.” What follows is a fascinating glimpse of the first encounter between Apple’s two great leaders. “When Steve spoke,” Cook recalls, “any trepidation I harbored instantly dissolved. I had never met someone with so much passion and vision. “He spoke with charisma and clarity—about a future where technology could unlock a wellspring of human creativity and potential, connecting us and uplifting us in ways even he had yet to imagine. In Steve, I found an incredible mentor who inspired me to grow and challenge myself in new and important ways.” And the rest is history. Jobs invited Cook to join his group of “deeply curious individuals willing to work hard for something greater than themselves” (those are the latter’s words, not the former’s), and he accepted. Some 13 years later, Cook followed in Jobs’ footsteps and became Apple’s seventh CEO. Cook’s letter, along with others by various leaders and creators with a connection to Apple, was originally shared only with fellows of the Steve Jobs Archive. They are released this week as part of a celebration of what would have been Jobs’ 71st birthday.06:01 pmNew app warns of hidden smart glasses cameras nearby
A new Android app called Nearby Glasses alerts users if someone nearby is likely wearing camera-equipped smart glasses, such as… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.05:59 pmApple reveals US chipmaking behind-the-scenes process
This week Apple announced an acceleration of its US manufacturing efforts, including some Mac mini production coming stateside. Now today via The Wall Street Journal, the company has offered a behind-the-scenes look at its US chipmaking process. more…05:48 pmCompromises for affordability ahead: Code leak spills details on new MacBook
Nobody claimed it was going to be equivalent to a MacBook Pro or even a MacBook Air. A code leak details the budget MacBook having an A18 Pro chip, limits on charging, no True Tone, and more.Apple's new MacBook in an explosion of colorwaysApple is preparing a new low-cost MacBook model for launch, switching out Apple Silicon's M-series chips for an A-series from the iPhone. While the rumor mill has settled on some core specifications, other measures will help bring the cost of production down for the company.In a technical analysis of an internal test build of macOS shared with AppleInsider, there will be quite a few smaller changes in the smaller MacBook compared to the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums05:46 pmHow age verification works in iOS 26.4
The latest iOS 26.4 developer beta has introduced age verification, although so far only for the UK. You can postpone setting it up, but the whole process is absurdly fast to do.Apple has added age verification to the UK iOS 26.4 betaAmongst features such as improved RCS messaging encryption, the latest iOS 26.4 beta has added age verification for the first time. For now, it's present in the UK beta because the country's Online Safety Act requires it.Apple's implementation is not part of how the UK uses the act to mandate that adult sites verify users' ages. It's instead another aspect of how parents can already limit their children to age-appropriate apps on the iPhone. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums05:41 pmApp Store gaming revenue hit $52.5B in 2025, topping Google Play and Steam combined: report | 9 to 5 MacApp Store gaming revenue hit $52.5B in 2025, topping Google Play and Steam combined: report
Sensor Tower has published a new report with a comprehensive review of how mobile gaming performed in 2025, and its outlook for the year to come. Here are the details. more…05:11 pmBlizzard's 'Overwatch Rush' reminagines legendary shooter for iPhone
Blizzard's "Overwatch Rush" will bring the franchise to the iPhone, but gamers are getting something different instead of the original first-person-shooter action.Overwatch Rush - Image Credit: BlizzardDespite Blizzard's history with Apple's platforms, Overwatch has frustratingly steered clear of the Mac. However, Blizzard is now planning a return via an iPhone game, that takes things in a different direction.Overwatch Rush is an in-development title that Blizzard describes as an entirely new game made for mobile. Instead of being a first-person shooter, it's a "top-down hero shooter." Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums05:08 pmSpain antitrust dispute intensifies over late Apple & Amazon compliance
Spanish antitrust authorities believe that Apple and Google took to long to comply with orders despite ongoing appeals, opening the door to millions more in fines.Facade of the CNMC corporate headquarters in Barcelona. Image credit: Grupo CastellviSpain's National Commission on Markets and Competition (CNMC), said Apple and Amazon didn't eliminate the disputed contractual provisions until May 2025, nearly two years after regulators ordered their removal. The finding opens the door to additional penalties if upheld.The original $194.1 million fine imposed in July 2023 remains under appeal. Spain's High Court has suspended enforcement while it reviews the case. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums