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- Friday December 19
- 06:00 pmiMessage is full of features you’re probably not using (but should) [Video]
It feels like every year, Apple quietly adds dozens of small features and improvements to the Messages app, but most of them fly under the radar. These aren’t flashy or eye-grabbing features, but they are the type of features that really help the quality of life and experience of the Messages app. If you are like most people, then you have probably been using the Messages app the same way for years, meaning you are barely scratching the surface of what the app can do. Here are some of the best Messages features that you need to know. more…05:59 pmLast call for Christmas: These $199 AirPods Pro 3 are the perfect gift
Macworld If you’re still doing some last-minute gift shopping and have no idea what to get, you really can’t go wrong with a pair of Apple AirPods Pro 3, especially since you can get them for $199, a $50 discount, and still get them in time to wrap and put under the tree. The AirPods Pro 3 are easily one of our favorite earbuds of the year. When we reviewed them, we gave them a 4.5-star rating and our Editors’ Choice award, and loved the sound quality and long battery life. And the new foam-infused tips solved one of the main issues we had with the AirPods Pro 2. These earbuds deliver better noise cancellation and a much-improved Transparency mode that will make having conversations while wearing them so much better. The Live Translation feature is also pretty awesome when you’re traveling. One really cool thing with these earbuds, however, is the fact that they come with heart rate monitoring, so they can keep track of your health while you’re exercising./ So there you go: The AirPods Pro 3 are under $200 — a pleasant surprise just in time for last-minute holiday shopping, so grab a pair before Santa shows up. The AirPods Pro 3 are down to $199 againBuy now at Amazon05:41 pm∞ The Dalrymple Report: Holiday returns, Apple account lockout, and iOS
It's holiday time and Dave and I both purchased Apple gifts for loved ones. We talk about our desicsion process and Apple's holiday return policy in case you need to return something. We also talk more about changes to iOS in JApan and if theose types of changes could happen in other parts of the world. Dave tells the story of someone who was completely locked out of his Apple account for no apparent reason and can't get anything back. Follow this podcast Brought to you by: Notion Agent: Go to https://notion.com/tdr to try your new AI teammate, Notion Agent, today. Copilot Money: For a limited-time: Get 26% off your first year when you sign up at copilot.money (new users only, web only). Get two months free with code DALRYMPLE. Start the new year with clarity. Your money, beautifully organized, now across every device. Show Notes: Apple’s holiday return/refund policy Rob Reiner Dick Van Dyke turned 100 Apple announces changes to iOS in Japan Shows and movies we're watching The Victim, BritBox F1, Apple TV Pluribus Becomes Apple TV’s Most Watched Show Ever05:40 pmmacOS 26.2 adds one of the smartest video calling features I’ve seen in years
While it was somewhat overshadowed by the release of iOS 26.2, Apple also released macOS 26.2 last week. This update introduces one of the most clever video calling features I’ve seen in years: Edge Light. Here’s how it works. more…05:18 pmAustralians will be soon able to use their Apple Watch hypertension notifications
Following approval by Australian medical regulators, Apple is now allowed to enable its Apple Watch hypertension feature in the country, though no specific date has been revealed yet.While it's an Apple Watch feature, hypertension alerts have to first be enabled on an iPhoneFirst introduced in September 2025, Apple Watch can check for hypertension and alert users to seek treatment. It's been rolling out across the world as countries put it through their medical testing features.Now according to Information Age, the feature is coming to Australia. The country's medical regulator, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has formally approved the feature. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums05:13 pmMicrosoft Office 2024 Home & Business for Mac or PC plunges to $99.97
Microsoft Office 2024 Home & Business is $150 off thanks to an exclusive coupon stacked with an instant rebate.This Microsoft Office Home & Business deal saves you $140 - Image credit: MicrosoftRetailing for $249.99, AppleInsider readers can save $150 with stacked instant and coupon savings with promo code MSO24. This brings the cost down to $99.97 for the suite of Office tools at Stack Social.Buy with code MSO24 Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums05:01 pmLarger tax refunds from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act could boost Apple’s U.S. sales in 2026 | Mac Daily NewsLarger tax refunds from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act could boost Apple’s U.S. sales in 2026
In December 2025, President Trump touted the "largest tax refund season of all time," thanks to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act enacted… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.05:00 pmPrice drop: This iPad and MacBook stand stashes a USB-C hub in its aluminum arm
The Casa Hub 360 is an iPad and MacBook dock stand with a USB-C hub in the sturdy arm. Turn your device into a sunflower iMac G4! (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)04:43 pmDeals: iPad $274, 24GB M5 MacBook $250 off, Apple Pencil Pro, Magic Mouse, more
Alongside the ongoing Amazon all-time low on AirPods Pro 3 at $199, today’s 9to5Toys Lunch Break has a series of new price drops to scope out. Apple’s iPad 11 has returned to the $274 Black Friday price alongside a shot at Apple Pencil Pro at $78 shipped. We also have the most affordable 24GB M5 MacBook Pro you can buy at $250 off joined by Apple Watch Ultra 2 at $250 off (just about every config) and another chance at the rare Magic Mouse (USB-C) holiday price. Scope it all out down below. more…04:02 pmHow to disable the ‘who’s watching’ user profile selection screen on Apple TV
Starting with tvOS 26 (and enhanced in tvOS 26.2, released in December 2025), Apple TV devices display a profile selection screen… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.03:56 pmGet Apple's 15-inch MacBook Air M4 for just $949 with delivery by Christmas
There's still time to grab Amazon's best 15-inch MacBook Air price at $949, with delivery by Christmas to select locations.Save $250 on a variety of MacBook Air models - Image credit: AppleThe M4 15-inch MacBook Air delivers robust battery life at up to 18 hours, making it a great choice for those seeking MacBook Pro-style screen space without the high cost. And numerous models are $250 off at Amazon, with prices starting at $949.Buy 15" MacBook Air for $949 Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums03:45 pmA macOS Tahoe bug is causing some Apple Studio Displays to flicker
A small number of Apple Studio display owners are reporting that macOS Tahoe is causing their monitors to flicker, but it might affect other monitors too.Apple Studio DisplayEver since macOS Tahoe was released in September 2025, a small number of people have reported a flickering issue with their Studio Display. Reports on social media and elsewhere suggest the bug has gotten worse, rather than better, with subsequent macOS updates.While difficult to describe in text, the flicker is said to sometimes happen repeatedly. Othertimes, users experience a single flicker with little sign of a discernible pattern to the behavior. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums03:20 pmToday in Apple history: Apple crushes Think Secret rumors site
On December 19, 2007, Apple settled a lawsuit with Nick Ciarelli that shuttered “Think Secret,” his popular Apple rumors site. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)03:03 pmApple TV picks up Will Poulter dramedy series ‘Beat the Reaper’
Apple TV has picked up “Beat the Reaper,” a new dramedy starring BAFTA Award winner and Emmy Award nominee Will Poulter… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.02:42 pmApple Becomes a Debt Collector With Its New Developer Agreement
Apple released an updated developer license agreement this week that gives the company permission to recoup unpaid funds, such as commissions or any other fees, by deducting them from in-app purchases it processes on developers' behalf, among other methods. From a report: The change will impact developers in regions where local law allows them to link to external payment systems. In these cases, developers must report those payments back to Apple to pay the required commissions or fees. The changed agreement seemingly gives Apple a way to collect what it believes is the correct fee if the company determines a developer has underreported their earnings. [...] In its new developer agreement, Apple states it will "offset or recoup" what it believes it is owed, including "any amounts collected by Apple on your behalf from end-users." This means Apple could recoup funds from developers' in-app purchases -- like those for digital goods, services, and subscriptions -- or from one-time fees for paid applications. Read more of this story at Slashdot.02:29 pmApple age verification with a privacy focus would solve two problems
While Apple is currently lobbying against being given a legal responsibility for age verification when it comes to downloading apps, I think the company’s customers would very much benefit from it taking on this role. Given the company’s track record in finding privacy-respecting approaches to personal data, I would like to see it go even further than the proposals we’ve seen to date … more…02:04 pmU.S. appeals court considers reviving Apple App Store class action lawsuit
A U.S. appeals court will review a lower court's decision to decertify a massive class-action lawsuit against Apple involving App Store… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.01:51 pmSix or seven iPhones a year, new iMac Pro, and low-cost MacBooks on the AppleInsider Podcast | AppleInsiderSix or seven iPhones a year, new iMac Pro, and low-cost MacBooks on the AppleInsider Podcast
By 2027, Apple may be releasing six or seven iPhones every year — and new rumors say there could be two low-cost MacBooks, plus maybe the return of the iMac Pro, on the AppleInsider Podcast.The days of a single iPhone being released each year are long, long gone.Join us as we count on our fingers to work out exactly how many iPhones — and what types — Apple is now expected to release every year from 2027. It's surprisingly hard to keep straight just what's coming, which does make us tip our hats to people who stay on top of Android releases.Also in 2027, it's now rumored that the iMac will get an OLED screen, meaning better contrast, richer blacks, brighter images — and reduced power consumption. At the same time, a separate rumor says Apple is testing an iMac Pro with M6 Max processor. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums01:35 pmApple might be requiring iPhone users to install iOS 26 for security fixes
Apple released iOS 26.2 last week with important security fixes. At the same time, it also shipped iOS 18.7.3 for users who haven’t upgraded yet — at least in theory. In practice, Jason Snell at Six Colors reports that some iPhone owners aren’t being offered the iOS 18 security update at all, and are instead being pushed straight to iOS 26. more…01:22 pmI used my AirPods to talk to someone in another language, and it actually worked
Macworld This fall, Apple gave its new iOS 26 Live Translation feature an instant upgrade: AirPods support. Like a real-life version of the Babel fish, compatible AirPods paired with an up-to-date iPhone can now be inserted in the ear to provide instant fluency across nine languages. The earbuds listen to conversation in Spanish, for example, use AI to translate it in real time, and speak the English equivalent directly into your ear. You then reply in English, and your iPhone will translate this back to Spanish. (The translation is displayed on screen, but there’s a button to make it read it out loud.) It’s a beguiling concept. But it’s not a new one. Earbuds paired with Google Translate, such as the Pixel Buds, were capable of this function way back in 2017. They just weren’t all that great at it. As so often in the past, Apple is trying to take something that other companies have done before, and do it better. Has it succeeded? Now that Live Translation has expanded to the EU with iOS 26.2, I set up a video call with a German-speaking colleague from Macwelt and popped in my AirPods Pro 3 to test the Live Translation feature (which is still officially in beta, I should note) for myself. I was pleasantly surprised. Setup: Better in person Let’s get started. First things first. Before doing any translating, you need to download your choice of language. This takes a few minutes, so try to plan ahead rather than waiting until you’re mid-conversation with an angry French policeman. Open the Settings app on your connected iPhone and open the AirPods menu. Scroll down to the Translation (Beta) section and tap on Languages. At the top, you’ll see any you’ve already downloaded, while those that are available will be listed below. Pick one (or more) and tap to download. Once this is sorted, activating translation is relatively easy. Press and hold on both earbud stems at once, and they’ll automatically switch to Live Translation mode. The only potential hiccup is if you’ve got several languages downloaded, particularly if your last translation was to or from a different language than the one you want now. You can change these in the Translate app by going to Live and then selecting either Their Language or Your Language to switch languages. (There isn’t yet an option, as there is for the written and visual–but not conversational–functions of Google Translate, to say “Detect language” and thereby cover all bases.) David Price / Foundry So far, so good–and for face-to-face translation, activating the feature is simple and intuitive. You may, however, run into issues when trying to use the feature over an online video chat, as I did. The problem was that the AirPods were desperately keen to auto-pair with whichever device they thought I was using. I needed them connected to the iPhone for the translation. But as soon as I started up a FaceTime call on my Mac, they jumped to that. As soon as I opened Notes on my iPad to check the script, they jumped to that. So I was constantly having to apologise and fiddle with Bluetooth settings to make sure the AirPods stayed on point. It should be said, in Apple’s defence, that the company has given Live Translation direct integration with the FaceTime and Phone apps, as well as providing APIs that will let third parties do the same for Zoom, Teams and the like. So this sort of multi-device juggling shouldn’t be necessary–you can just open FaceTime on the iPhone and manage the whole thing, conversation and translation alike, from there. I simply found this integration unintuitive–and besides, wanted to recreate the experience of talking to someone on the street, which seemed best simulated by holding up my phone to words coming from a different source. Which is a long-winded way of saying that, if you really are just speaking to someone on the street, and if you’ve taken the time to set things up and test them out in advance, it should be a breeze. Just anticipate a few tech hiccups when you involve multiple devices. Understanding what was said to me With the setup finally sorted, we were able to begin our conversation. This was more exhausting than I had expected. I had prepared four scenarios: at a hotel, in a restaurant, on a plane, and in a bar, with a secret bonus round where we were going to spontaneously talk politics. But the conversations took longer than I anticipated—so long that we ran out of time and energy for the restaurant and politics chats. Why were the conversations so slow and tiring? Because of the delays. My colleague would say a sentence in German, and the AirPods would generally wait until well into the sentence, often to the end, before starting to give me the translation. In written form, we are encouraged to be punchy, but conversational sentences can have numerous subclauses, so the delay can be substantial. AirPods Pro 3’s Live translation is like having a little dictionary in your ear.Foundry I wondered if this delay might have something to do with the grammatical character of the German language and its habit of shunting crucial verbs to the end of the sentence. But a similar test with a Spanish speaker confirmed that the feature simply cannot turn around a translation in true real time, so there will be no fluency in your conversation, regardless of the language. The good news is that Live Translation’s accuracy, at least from German to English, is astonishingly good. In his role as hotelier, my colleague told me about rooms and breakfast arrangements and a special event involving 237 Christmas tree sellers, and it all came through clear and comprehensible. As a flight steward, he explained landing times and delays and a situation with a man in my seat; and, finally switching careers to bartending, he told me all the ingredients in a delicious local cocktail and named the total I would need to pay for a selection of drinks. In every scenario, I understood the overall gist with ease and virtually all the specifics. That’s not to say that the translation was flawless. The software was confused by the German term for a boarding pass, which it translated as simply a “card.” The name of a cocktail, my colleague told me, was mangled. But these were very minor quibbles that never derailed the conversation in any serious way. Apple AirPods Pro 3 Read our review Price When Reviewed: $249 Best Prices Today: $199 at Amazon | $199 at Walmart | $209.99 at Target Making myself understood Ideally, both you and your conversational partner would be wearing compatible AirPods so that your English is translated live by their Babel fish just as their non-English is translated by yours. For planned business meetings this may be possible. But it’s unlikely to be the case in the average tourist context, so we stuck to the asymmetric approach. Having waited for a translation of my colleague’s words, I replied in English, and a German translation appeared on my iPhone’s screen. When speaking face to face, it’s probably easiest to simply show this to the doctor/barber/policeman you’re speaking to. There’s another small delay while your words are translated, but it appears quickly enough. And again, my colleague confirmed that the accuracy was excellent. Next to each chunk of translated text you’ll see a little play button, and if you tap this it’ll be read out loud. This is a nice option, and the accent was convincing in our test, but it adds yet another delay to what is already a long-winded process. Foundry Having said his piece, my colleague had to wait for this to be translated, for me to reply, for this to be translated, for me to press the button, and for the words to be read out. Understandably, he several times began replying before my official translated response had been read out, although this should only be an issue when your partner actually does speak English, in which case you could just dispense with the AirPods altogether. Again, the translation, while sometimes slow, was very reliable. I was able to reserve rooms, request a sea view (and be denied, on the flimsy pretext that Munich isn’t anywhere near the sea), order a wide range of drinks, navigate a variety of social situations and never really have to repeat myself. My colleague was in the position to hear both English and German renditions of each comment I made, and professed himself impressed by the accuracy. Conclusion: Far better than I expected, flaws and all Okay, final quibbles. The translations are split into little chunks, and sometimes these seem quite arbitrary. I found myself tapping play on one bit, and it spat out the end of one thing and the beginning of another, rather than a coherent remark. It also annoyed me that the software deleted the chat history the second I took out my headphones. That’s particularly annoying for a journalist who would like screenshots to post in this feature, but also takes away a potentially useful note of details you may subsequently forget. (Could this be a privacy-based decision? I’m not sure.) Add in those delays, and I’m the first to concede that my tests with Live Translation weren’t painless by any means. In fact, I found the whole thing draining. But it was thoroughly impressive nonetheless. I was astounded by the software’s ability to translate with a very high degree of accuracy and comprehensibility in nearly real time. While you shouldn’t expect a fluent or socially comfortable conversation while using your AirPods, you can expect an extremely functional one. That’s a win, in my book.