Justin Bieber threatens Apple with 'rear naked choke hold' over Messages UI
Canadian pop star Justin Bieber has threatened to put Apple employees into a "rear naked choke hold" over a relatively minor iPhone UI issue.Justin Bieber hates the dictation button's placement in MessagesApple's design choices are frequently questioned by users, especially after introducing big changes like Liquid Glass. However, in the case of one well-known Canadian singer, the littlest UI problems can bring out the biggest reactions.Posting to X on Sunday, Justin Bieber gave his input on what he perceives is a Messages UI flaw. "If I hit this dictation button after sending a text and it beeps and stops my music one more time," he starts his post. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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A lifetime license for Microsoft Office costs less than 2 years of Microsoft 365
Macworld TL;DR: A lifetime license for Microsoft Office now only costs $150. Microsoft 365 costs you more every year, and that’s not even considering the periodic price hikes. It already jumped to $99.99/year. If you want a way to get the same apps without paying for them forever, check out this lifetime license for Microsoft Office. It comes with recent versions of the same apps, but you only have to pay for it once. It also just went on sale for $149.97 (reg. $249.99). How it works Office 2024 Home & Business includes: Word Excel PowerPoint Outlook You install everything directly on your Mac or PC, so you can work offline and avoid problems tied to cloud-only tools. Performance is faster than previous versions, particularly in Excel, and Outlook includes updated security protections that help block unsafe add-ins and suspicious content. Microsoft also refreshed the entire design with a cleaner interface, better touch support, and more accessible templates. You can collaborate in real time on shared documents, leave comments, and use version history to check previous edits. AI tools throughout the suite help with writing, formatting, and data organization, so you can move faster without needing extra plugins or separate subscriptions. If you want the stability of Microsoft Office without paying for Microsoft 365 every month, this lifetime license gives you the essential apps for a much better price. Get Microsoft Office 2024 Home and Business for Mac or PC for just $149.97 today. Microsoft Office 2024 Home & Business for Mac or PC Lifetime LicenseSee Deal StackSocial prices subject to change.

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Apple's new M5 MacBook Pro with 32GB RAM falls to $1,749
Exclusive savings are in effect on two upgraded 14-inch MacBook Pro configurations with Apple's latest M5 chip and a bump up to 32GB of memory.Grab an exclusive discount on two M5 MacBook Pro 32GB configs - Image credit: AppleSave $250 on two 14-inch MacBook Pro configurations with an upgrade to 32GB of memory when you shop through the pricing links in this post or in our M5 MacBook Pro Price Guide using a laptop or desktop computer (the offers cannot be activated in B&H's mobile app at this time).Exclusive M5 14-inch MacBook Pro deals Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Samsung's Cyber Week deals deliver up to $5,000 in savings, but the sale ends soon
Samsung's Cyber Week deals of up to $5,000 off are coming to an end, with The Frame TVs, OLED sets, Bespoke appliances, monitors, and more all on sale.Last chance to save up to $5,000 on Samsung products during Cyber Week - Image credit: SamsungNow through Dec. 7, save up to $5,000 on a variety of Samsung products, ranging from 2025 TV releases to Bespoke appliances. You can shop the entirety of the sale at Samsung direct, but we've also rounded up highlights from the holiday savings event below.Save up to $5,000 on Samsung Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Indie App Spotlight: ‘Vector’ is a Spotlight replacement for Mac that’s smart and snappy
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. Spotlight on the Mac has been far from perfect, especially in recent years. If you want a great, drop-in replacement that offers speedy app launches, file searches, a clipboard manager, and much, much more – you should check out Vector. more…

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Shakeup in Apple’s C-suite! [The CultCast]
This week on Cult of Mac's podcast: The departure of Apple UI design chief Alan Dye gives us hope for the future o iPhone and Mac software. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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Apple chip chief Johny Srouji rumored to consider his own exit
Another change could happen to Apple's leadership soon, with rumors that chip chief Johny Srouji is considering leaving the iPhone maker.Apple's Johny Srouji during a hardware presentation - Image Credit: AppleApple's managerial tier has seen many changes in a short space of time. If a new report is to be believed, then another change could be right around the corner.According to sources of Bloomberg, SVP of hardware technologies Johny Srouji informed CEO Tim Cook that he is considering leaving Apple in the near future. Srouji has also reportedly told colleagues that he wants to join another company if he does leave, though it is unknown what company that would be. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Report: Johny Srouji contemplating leaving Apple, considering career elsewhere
According to a new report from Bloomberg, Apple’s hardware technologies SVP Johny Srouji is ‘seriously’ considering leaving the company. He’s most known for leading the charge on Apple Silicon. If he does end up leaving, he’ll reportedly take his talents to another company. more…

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You can still grab AirPods 4 with ANC for just $99
Discover incredible Black Friday AirPods deals that save you nearly 50% on Apple earbuds, making them much more affordable than ever. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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Rare pre-Liquid Glass 'iOS 19' prototype provides tiny hint at iOS 27 plans
A newly discovered iPhone prototype offers a rare glimpse of the unreleased iOS 19, which was a precursor to iOS 26 sans Liquid Glass, and it may provide a hint of what's coming in iOS 27.'iOS 19' never saw the light of day — until now.At WWDC 2025, we witnessed the introduction of Apple's controversial Liquid Glass design language. iOS 26 brought glass-like elements, replacing the long-standing flat aesthetic. Apple also jumped from iOS 18 to iOS 26, leaving iOS 19 nowhere to be found — until now.Courtesy of collector Kyolet, AppleInsider was provided with exclusive imagery of an EVT-stage iPhone prototype, running an early InternalUI build of iOS 19.0. Unlike the final version of iOS 26, this unreleased variant of iOS 19 doesn't feature a working implementation of Liquid Glass, even with the "Sensitive UI" setting enabled. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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This simple fix finally stopped macOS Tahoe from freezing and crashing my MacBook
Macworld Back in September, when macOS 26 Tahoe arrived for download on my MacBook, I installed it along with millions of other people. I didn’t give it a second thought—I have an M3 Max MacBook Pro with 36GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. Running Tahoe shouldn’t be an issue. But it was. Almost immediately from the first day I installed it, I experienced intermittent freezes lasting a second or two that would interrupt whatever I was doing. I couldn’t tie it down to a single app, and it was difficult to predict. Some days it would happen numerous times each hour, but other days it wouldn’t happen much at all. I tried all the usual tricks—closing apps, restarting, shutting down—and of course I immediately updated to macOS 26.0.1, all to no avail. Since I don’t run betas on my main machine, I chalked it up to an initial release bug that would be smoothed out in 26.1. Alas, when I installed that update as soon as it arrived, the problem persisted. Back when I had an M1 MacBook Pro, I had issues with memory slowing down my machine, so I checked Activity Monitor throughout the day. Memory pressure was consistently in the green safe zone. There was one instance where my computer completely seized up due to an application memory allotment issue, but again, I couldn’t find a specific cause. I have plenty of storage, plenty of RAM, and haven’t had any issues with a specific app. Yet my machine continued to freeze randomly, some days dozens of times an hour. Shining a Spotlight on the problem So after macOS 26.1 didn’t clear up the issue, I decided to investigate further. Everything seemed okay in Activity Monitor, but I noticed an abnormality in the CPU tab. While the CPU LOAD chart didn’t appear to show any persistent issues, two processes—corespotlightd and kernel_task–were regularly using over 100 percent of the CPU.  The corespotlightd process was using a ton of my available CPU percentage.Foundry I learned that each core counts as 100 percent, so technically, my MacBook could use 1,400 percent of the CPU. Still, it seemed high for a background task, so I kept an eye on it. Sure enough, corespotlightd was consistently using well over 100% of the CPU load and sometimes reaching near 200 percent. I assumed that was bad, so I went over to System Settings to check out the Spotlight tab. I don’t use Spotlight all that often, but when I did, it loaded quickly and didn’t show any obvious signs of slowing my system down.  But this particular task’s name was obviously related to Spotlight, so I headed over to the Spotlight tab in the Settings app. Inside, there are a series of toggles for each of Apple’s apps, system content, and the Clipboard. But what stood out to me was the two at the top: “Show Related Content” and “Help Apple Improve Search.”  In particular, the second one, which allows Apple to “store your Safari, Siri, Spotlight, Lookup, and #images search queries.” So I turned them off. And almost instantly, my CPU load dropped. I watched the corespotlightd process drop off my list of CPU percentage drainers, and the intermittent pauses stopped. I waited an hour or so, and it didn’t return, so I turned both toggles back on out of curiosity. It’s been about a week, and the issue hasn’t returned. I’m not sure if my issue was specific to my machine, but if it’s something you’re experiencing, try flipping those two toggles in the Spotlight settings. If that doesn’t work, try flipping the toggles for the individual apps, particularly Pages, since some readers have indicated they have issues with that particular app. It might just return your MacBook to normal.

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India's request for satellite-aided iPhone location data is a privacy nightmare
While India's government pulled its demand for a preinstalled iPhone app, it's now accused of previously considering a more privacy-eroding move for always-on satellite location tracking.A graphic Apple created for the launch of its online Apple Store in India in 2020 - Image credit: AppleAt the start of December, India's government backed down from an order for Apple and other smartphone manufacturers to preinstall a state-owned cybersecurity app. While it faced intense scrutiny and claims that it was a bad move for citizen privacy, it seems a far more intrusive plan has also been under consideration.According to sources of Reuters, India has thought about a telecom industry proposal to require smartphone producers to enable satellite location tracking. It is to be kept active, so as to better improve surveillance efforts. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Designers sound positively giddy about Apple’s new UI chief
His fellow designers are buzzing about Steve Lemay's appointment as head of user interface design at Apple and what it means for the future. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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Today in Apple history: Lousy quarter proves Steve Jobs isn’t invincible
On December 6, 2000, Apple Computer's stock price fell dramatically after lousy quarterly results. However, the best was yet to come in 2001. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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The US really doesn't want more ICEBlock apps in the App Store
Lawmakers in the United States are continuing to apply pressure on Apple to keep more ICEBlock-style apps from appearing in the App Store.How ICEBlock appeared in the App Store before being pulledIn October, after facing demands from U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, Apple removed the ICEBlock app from the App Store. Two months later, and there are still calls for Apple to do more.The House Committee on Homeland Security sent letters to Apple CEO Tim Cook and Google CEO Sundar Pichai, requesting detail about the ways the companies are preventing more ICEBlock-style apps from appearing in their respective app storefronts. There is a demand for more detail about what each firm is doing to crack down on the apps, used to monitor the movements of immigration officers. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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The real reason Meta poached Apple’s UI design chief
The real reason Meta hired Alan Dye away from Apple is his work on the pioneering Vision Pro headset and visionOS. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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Apple @ Work: Apple brings built-in recovery intelligence to macOS 26
Apple @ Work is exclusively brought to you by Mosyle, the only Apple Unified Platform. Mosyle is the only solution that integrates in a single professional-grade platform all the solutions necessary to seamlessly and automatically deploy, manage & protect Apple devices at work. Over 45,000 organizations trust Mosyle to make millions of Apple devices work-ready with no effort and at an affordable cost. Request your EXTENDED TRIAL today and understand why Mosyle is everything you need to work with Apple. In my time with managing Apple devices in the enterprise, macOS has always been known for its reliability in terms of not getting to a state where it can’t boot, but even the most stable systems have the occasional bad day due to a software update issue, etc. With macOS 26, Apple introduced Recovery Assistant, a built-in utility designed to help when that happens. Instead of forcing users to boot into recovery mode and guess at what went wrong, Recovery Assistant automatically launches when the Mac fails to start, diagnoses the problem, and tries to fix it. more…

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Right now, you can get a MacBook Pro and a Microsoft Office lifetime license for $440
Macworld TL;DR: Get a MacBook Pro and Microsoft Office for only $440. Black Friday wasn’t your only chance to get one of the best deals of the year. Right now, you can get a MacBook Pro plus a lifetime license for Microsoft Office for only $439.97 (usually costs $1,799). Take a look. This is a two-part bundle. The MacBook Pro has a 10th Gen Intel Core i5 processor, 16GB of RAM, and a fast 512GB SSD, so apps open quickly, and multitasking feels smooth. The 13.3-inch Retina display shows crisp text and bright color, and True Tone adjusts the screen to whatever room you’re in. The Magic Keyboard and Touch Bar add small conveniences you notice throughout the day, and four Thunderbolt 3 ports give you flexible charging and accessory options. Since it’s Grade A refurbished, it arrives in clean, near-mint condition with only minimal signs of use. The bundle also includes a lifetime license for Microsoft Office Home and Business 2021, which gives you Word Excel PowerPoint Outlook Teams (basic version) OneNote (free version) You can download the full suite onto your Mac, and then it’s yours for life with no ongoing fees or strings attached. Right now, it’s only $440 to get a MacBook Pro and Microsoft Office for life, but this sale ends soon. MSO Home & Business for Mac 2021 Lifetime License + MacBook Pro 13” (2020)See Deal StackSocial prices subject to change.

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Unlock 1,200+ hidden Mac powers for just $40 this Cyber Week
Macworld TL;DR: MacPilot gives you lifetime access to 1,200+ Mac tweaks, tools, and customizations for just $39.99—no terminal commands needed. Your Mac is capable of way more than Apple lets on—and MacPilot proves it. Right now, you can score a lifetime license for just $39.99 (MSRP $99) during this Cyber Week sale, unlocking over 1,200 advanced features without ever touching a command line. MacPilot combines the power of UNIX with the friendly macOS interface you already know. The result? A control panel that lets you tweak everything: reveal hidden Finder files, disable the startup chime, customize your Dock with spacers and stacks, change screenshot formats, and even run deep maintenance tools that keep your system running like new. It’s like popping open the hood of your Mac without the need for any special training. You also get access to a detailed system profile with information you usually need third-party utilities to see—graphics details, RAM speeds, serial numbers, and more. And because this lifetime license includes all future updates, your Mac-tweaking powers only grow over time. If you love a Mac that feels faster, cleaner, and truly yours, this is the easiest upgrade you’ll ever buy Now’s the optimal time to hack your Mac to perfection. Get a lifetime license to MacPilot while it’s on sale for just $39.99 (MSRP $99) for a limited time. MacPilot Lifetime LicenseSee Deal StackSocial prices subject to change.

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Amazon is blowing out M4 iPad Pro inventory with discounts up to $600 off
The lowest M4 iPad Pro prices are available at Amazon this weekend, with closeout deals delivering up to $600 off.Save up to $600 with blowout M4 iPad Pro savings.These closeout M4 specials offer significant savings compared to buying the latest M5 release, with large storage capacities available, making it a great time to pick up a holiday gift for the content creator in your life. Here are the top picks from the sale:M4 11-inch iPad Pro deals Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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