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- Thursday February 26
- 08:00 amThis $24 slim tracker pulls off the things an AirTag can’t
Macworld TL;DR: The MagTag SmartCard has the same Apple Find My tracking ability — just flat enough to forget it’s there. Once upon a time, AirTags were revolutionary, until you put one in a wallet and suddenly feel like you’re carrying a stack of poker chips. The problem was never tracking — it was shape. The MagTag Ultra Slim Tracker Card fixes that by ditching the puck design entirely. It’s basically a credit card with a GPS-style safety net built in. And it’s now on sale for just $23.99 (MSRP $59.99). Slide it into a wallet, passport holder, backpack sleeve, or luggage pocket, and it disappears until you need it. It connects directly to Apple’s Find My network, so you can see your item on a map, trigger a loud beep nearby, or get alerts if you leave it behind somewhere. It also recharges wirelessly (no coin batteries to hunt down) and lasts months between charges. The waterproof build means rain, travel, or everyday chaos won’t bother it. The best part is behavioral: you stop doing the pocket-pat dance before leaving a café because the notification tells you first. Same peace of mind, just without the weird bulge. Get this MagTag Ultra Slim Tracker Card while it’s just $23.99 (MSRP $59.99). MagTag Ultra Slim Tracker Card – Works with Apple Find My AppSee Deal StackSocial prices subject to change.07:57 amMacworld Podcast: What to expect from the Apple Experience on March 4
Macworld The Apple Experience event is next week, on March 4. On this week’s episode of the Macworld Podcast, we talk about what we expect: new MacBooks, new iPads, a new iPhone 17e, and a lot more. This is episode 972 with Michael Simon, Jason Cross, and Roman Loyola. Watch episode 972 on YouTube Listen to episode 972 on Apple Podcasts01:44 amExperience F1 tracks with 3D art in Apple Maps ahead of each race
Apple Maps has been updated with a new "2026 Formula 1 Tracks Around the World" guide that showcases each racing location. Updated 3D art will be added throughout the season, starting now with Albert Park in Australia.Apple Maps gets F1 guideIt's almost time for the first F1 season distributed by Apple TV to begin. Apple is known for its vertical integration and brand synergy, and it hasn't wasted any time with F1 either.As first discovered by 9to5Mac, Apple is promoting the F1 season in Apple Maps with a new guide. It is titled "2026 Formula 1 Tracks Around the World." Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums12:42 amApple Maps adds detailed F1 experience ahead of 2026 season
The 2026 F1 season begins next month, and it’s Apple’s first season with exclusive streaming rights in the United States on Apple TV. In celebration of the kickoff, Apple has added a gorgeous new Apple Maps experience for the Formula 1 Qatar Airways Australian Grand Prix 2026 — with more to come. more…12:09 amApple Vision Pro users will get to see Disney's 'Muppet*Vision 3D' in all its glory
"The Muppet Show" rebirth has brought Jim Henson's creations back into the spotlight, and fans are awaiting news of the virtual return of the fan-favorite "Muppet*Vision 3D" via Apple Vision Pro.'Muppet*Vision 3D' may have closed, but it's being kept alive in VRJim Henson was responsible for a lot of the world's most popular entertainment, and even Apple has some in their studio. We're not here to talk about Fraggle Rock, but instead, a green guy and his friends that are a little more popular.It's a great time to be a Muppets fan, as Seth Rogen's new special seems to have successfully revived the brand. Long-time fans recently packed the theater for the first time in forever, and mourned the loss of the popular Muppet*Vision 3D attraction at Hollywood Studios in Orlando. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our ForumsWednesday February 2511:27 pmGrab Apple's M5 MacBook Pro for $1,449 before the month-end deals expire
Grab a triple-digit discount on Apple's M5 14-inch MacBook Pro, as retailers engage in a month-end price war.Save $150 on numerous M5 MacBook Pro configurations - Image credit: AppleApple's standard 14-inch M5 MacBook Pro with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage is on sale for $1,449 at both B&H and Amazon, as the retailers participate in a month-end price war.Buy M5 MacBook Pro for $1,449 Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums11:22 pm9to5Mac Daily: February 25, 2026 – Touchscreen MacBook Pro rumors, Apple Card latest
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 BenQ: Check out BenQ’s smarter displays made for how Mac users actually work and sign up for the giveaway here. more…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.