The iPhone 17 Pro lost a key feature in the Camera app, and users are upset
Macworld If you’ve tried to take a portrait shot with your new iPhone 17 Pro, you might have noticed that a feature is missing. Portrait Mode was first introduced with the iPhone 7 Plus, and it uses depth data to create an artificial bokeh effect in the background of a photo. Since the iPhone 12 Pro, thanks to the LiDAR scanner, Portrait Mode also works in combination with Night Mode – but that seems to have changed with the iPhone 17 Pro. As noted by many users on Reddit and Apple’s own discussion forums and confirmed in this support document, the feature has quietly disappeared from the latest iPhone models. How Night Mode on iPhone works For those unfamiliar with it, Night Mode essentially enables a longer exposure on the camera, which can range from 1 second to 30 seconds, depending on the lighting conditions in the environment. With a longer exposure, the sensor captures more light, resulting in better photos in the dark. Starting with the iPhone 15 Pro, most regular photos can be converted to Portrait mode – that’s because the Camera app automatically stores depth data in the background. However, on the iPhone 17 Pro, photos taken at night with Night Mode turned on don’t have the depth data needed to be converted to Portrait mode. Night mode has been a staple of portrait shots for years.Apple When users try to manually take a photo at night with Portrait Mode turned on, the option to use Night Mode disappears. Macworld confirmed this behavior by comparing the iPhone 17 Pro Max to previous iPhone models. In older models, combining Night Mode and Portrait Mode is entirely possible, even on iOS 26. Although some users thought this might be caused by a bug, Apple’s website confirms that Night Mode support when taking Portrait photos is not available for iPhone 17 Pro models. Why Apple might have made this change There’s no word from Apple on why they made this decision, but we have a few theories. Because Night Mode takes longer to take photos, some users who don’t fully understand how the feature works end up getting annoyed when they have to wait a few seconds for the iPhone to take the photo. In some cases, Night Mode is triggered automatically, but the longer exposure can cause users to miss an important moment by moving their phone too quickly. Combine Night Mode with Portrait Mode, and the delay for taking a photo becomes even longer. And that delay can be the difference between quickly capturing a moment and missing the shot. But did Night Mode really make a difference for Portrait photos? Are the photos better without it? Here’s what I found out. The photo taken with Night Mode is brighter, but the iPhone 17’s portrait shot is crisper.Foundry While a Portrait photo taken with Night Mode on does indeed look brighter, it also has more noise and more artifacts caused by post-processing. The photo taken with the iPhone 17 Pro Max, on the other hand, looks darker, but also has less noise and more detail. Another thing to keep in mind is that photos taken with Night Mode are always limited to 12 megapixels, while Portrait photos without it can be captured at 24 megapixels. Is Apple quietly killing Night Mode? For now, I don’t think Apple is killing Night Mode. The feature is still available for those who want to use it in regular camera mode. Still, it’s intriguing when a feature that has been available for years simply disappears without explanation. If you have an iPhone 17 Pro or 17 Pro Max, you’ll have to decide between taking brighter photos at night or using the fancy Portrait effect. At least until Apple decides to bring the feature back, if that ever happens.

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New low-cost iPhone 17 model now rumored to get two design changes
Rumors about Apple’s upcoming iPhone 17e keep coming, with the latest indicating the low-cost model will pack not one, but two changes to its design: a Dynamic Island and thinner bezels. more…

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MLS puts Apple's iPhone 17 Pro to work as a broadcast camera
A new MLS Cup broadcast will use four iPhone 17 Pro units alongside professional cameras, making Apple's slogan a reality in live sports.iPhone 17 ProThe phones will feed directly into the league's 30-plus camera production during the Inter Miami vs. Vancouver Whitecaps final. The setup shows how far iPhone imaging has come and why Major League Soccer (MLS) is willing to treat a consumer device as a broadcast-grade tool.Professional sports broadcasts rely on large-sensor cameras that handle motion, low light, and color consistency under pressure. Phones rarely appear in these environments because latency, thermal limits, and dynamic range can break a live show. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Apple Watch scores first place for Strava users
Strava just shared its 12th Annual Year in Sport Trend Report, and Apple Watch takes the gold medal in an important category. more…

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Your Friends & Neighbors season 2 gets release date on Apple TV
Jon Hamm’s Your Friends & Neighbors was one of Apple TV’s biggest hits this year, and Apple has just announced the release date for season 2. more…

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After Apple refusal, Indian government completes U-turn on mandatory iPhone app
The saga of a mandatory government security app which Apple and Google had to preinstall on their phones didn’t last long after Apple refused to play ball. The Indian government had already backed down on preventing iPhone owners from deleting the “security” app, and has now made a complete U-turn in the space of just 48 hours … more…

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German Antitrust watchdog puts Apple’s redesigned iPhone app tracking pop-ups to the ultimate test
Germany's Federal Cartel Office (Bundeskartellamt) announced on Tuesday that it has launched a market test of Apple's proposed… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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These hidden iOS 26 features are actually useful [Video]
iOS 26 is easily the most significant visual overhaul we’ve seen on the iPhone in years. We got the new Liquid Glass UI, better Files systems, and a complete Camera app change. All the things that Apple showed off and highlighted. However, after using iOS 26 and iOS 26.1 for a few months, it seemed like Apple decided not to inform us about some of the best functional features, such as default audio input, camera enhancements, and even an update to the Alarm, which had remained unchanged for 20 years. So here are the best hidden iOS 26 features that Apple didn’t tell us about. more…

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India blinks: won't require Apple to preinstall a state app on iPhone
India's government has backtracked on its demand for Apple to preinstall a state-backed app onto the iPhone, after facing a predictable public backlash.A graphic Apple created for the launch of its online Apple Store in India in 2020 - Image credit: AppleOn November 28, the India Ministry of Communication issued a secret directive to Apple and other smartphone manufacturers, requiring the preinstallation of a government-backed app. Less than a week later, the order has been rescinded.The withdrawal on Wednesday means Apple doesn't have to preload the Sanchar Saathi app onto iPhones sold in the country, in a way that couldn't be "disabled or restricted." Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Apple Books launches Year in Review, plus best books of 2025
It’s the season for year-end recaps. Apple Music Replay debuted yesterday and Apple Books’ Year in Review is now available too, alongside Apple’s picks for best books of 2025. more…

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Amazon's top $1,349 M5 MacBook Pro deal is still in stock for the holidays
Black Friday pricing is still in effect this week on Apple's M5 14-inch MacBook Pro, with the October 2025 release marked down to $1,349. Save $250 on upgraded models as well.Save $250 on Apple's brand-new M5 MacBook Pro.Apple's latest 14-inch MacBook Pro M5 is on sale now at Amazon, with the standard model marked down to $1,349. This reflects a $250 discount off MSRP, despite the laptop being a new release, having launched in October 2025.Save $250 on M5 MacBook Pro Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Your calendar just got smarter: Grab this AI upgrade for just $30
This smart calendar app uses AI to organize and schedule your days. Grab a three-year subscription to Smart Calendars AI for just $29.99. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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Four iPhones will provide live footage of Saturday’s MLS Cup match
Saturday’s Major League Soccer championship match between Inter Miami and the Whitecaps will incorporate footage from four iPhones. Apple previously used iPhones to capture live game footage during two Friday Night Baseball broadcasts. MLS said that the weekend telecast will involve the league’s largest ever set of cameras, giving fans access to an unprecedented range of angles … more…

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AVG Internet Security for Mac review: Solid protection, but the free version could be enough
Macworld At a glanceExpert's Rating Pros Strong antivirus and anti-malware detection and protection Speedy performance and a good level of customization/whitelist file creation Network Inspector and Ransomware Shield add some useful elements as well as an extra layer of security in case of hacking Cons Anti-phishing and anti-fake website protection tools underperform despite catching occasional malware Occasional hiccups when removing detected malware The paid features feel only marginally better than the free version Our Verdict AVG Internet Security for Mac is a solid, competent security suite, and definitely worth Considering — but its uneven web protection and anti-spam/anti-phishing features make it a tougher sell over the free version. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Price When Reviewed$3.89 a month for 1 Mac ($46.68 for the first year, then $77.99 a year), or $4.99 a month for 10 devices ($59.88 for the first year, then $99.99 a year). Best Prices Today: AVG Internet Security for Mac Retailer Price AVG $46.68 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket First year, 1 Mac$46.68First year, 10 devices$59.8860 Day TrialFreeSee all plans & pricing at AVG There’s always the question of what you get with the full/paid version of a software application, especially if the free/demo version already provides a respectable feature set. Following up on my review of AVG AntiVirus Free for Mac comes AVG Internet Security for Mac, the full-fledged, if somewhat confusingly named, version of AVG’s antiviral/anti-malware protection. Another of the solutions we are looking at in our round up of the best Mac antivirus apps for Mac users. The paid version offers purported hacker and payment protection tools in addition to the core antiviral/anti-malware feature set found in the free version. Like the free version, AVG Internet Security requires macOS 10.13 (High Sierra) or later to run, and downloads and installs easily, requesting access to your Mac’s entire disk as well as permission to set up networking tools as needed. Unlike the free version, AVG Internet Security asks for your payment credentials, whereupon you can either start a one- to three-year subscription or begin a 60-day trial period; AVG then emails an activation code to unlock the application’s full feature set and removes reminders to upgrade. Everything that excels in the free version stands just as well in the paid version. AVG’s antivirus and malware protection remains sharpened. The application syncs nicely with macOS’s built-in Gatekeeper and XProtect elements to catch just about all the malware samples thrown at it. Foundry Yes, occasional malware can still slip through the cracks, but you’ll have to bypass multiple warning screens to install and execute them. Like the free version, it’s easy to use AVG Internet Security to schedule and execute the scan types (Smart Scan, Deep Scan, Targeted Scan, External Storage Scan), though the user-interface quibble remains: you’ll have to dig through menus to monitor scheduled scans after they begin. AVG’s paid feature set comes under four core modules: Computer Protection, Web & Email Protection, Hacker Attacks, and Payment Protection. The Hacker Attacks module offers a Network Inspector and a Ransomware Shield. The Payments module offers a Fake Website Shield (and related phishing protections). The Network Inspector is nifty for checking exactly how many and which types of devices are on your network; it can alert you when a new device joins, which is handy for spotting intruders or unexpected devices on your home Wi-Fi. The Ransomware Shield acts as an encryption-layer safeguard, preventing ransomware (or malicious software) from changing, deleting or locking protected folders like Documents or Pictures. You can customize which folders are protected, which is a nice touch. Foundry Fake Website / Web & Payment Protection is designed to help stop you from visiting phishing or scam websites, prevent inadvertent downloads of malware, and stop your payment credentials from being sent to shady sites. In testing, AVG generally warns when we were about to click into suspicious links — which is a useful first line of defense. Furthermore, AVG Internet Security handles external drives, .zip or .dmg archives, Time Machine backups, and offers customisable whitelists/exclusions. This is handy if you deal with many archives, external media, or backup volumes. Scans tend to be fast: a quick scan only takes a few minutes, while a full scan of a large NVMe drive may take several hours — reasonable for what you get. All that said, the software isn’t perfect. Even though AVG blocks the vast majority of tested malware, it’s not bulletproof. In our testing, a fake copy of Adobe Flash Player slipped through initially (though it was later removed via Gatekeeper). It’s possible, as with any security suite, to override protection if you insist on installing something malicious. Also, scheduled scans, while reliable, don’t trigger obvious UI notifications by default, so you might not realize when a scan is happening unless you check manually. Foundry Most importantly, while the additional tools (Network Inspector, Ransomware Shield, Fake Website Shield) sound great in theory and are welcome in practice, they don’t guarantee complete protection. The “Web & Payment Protection” module can guard against many phishing or scam sites, but occasionally questionable websites, spam links, or shady adverts may still slip through without warning. Foundry This undermines part of the value proposition for paying for the full version. (In my own testing, I noticed this gap: some suspicious spam-related links in an email spam folder still allowed access to dubious websites; while AVG sometimes stopped accompanying malware, the lack of warnings undermines user confidence.) Should you buy AVG Internet Security for Mac If you’re a fan of AVG Antivirus Free for Mac, then migrating to AVG Internet Security (via the 60-day trial or a paid subscription) will feel familiar and comfortable. The core antivirus and anti-malware protection remain strong, the software’s performance is responsive and quick, and features like Network Inspector and Ransomware Shield are genuinely useful and worth their weight. However, whether the paid features are head and shoulders above what the free version already offers is debatable. The Payments/Fake Website protections sometimes feel lacklustre, and the occasional gaps in web-threat blocking make it harder to unreservedly recommend the subscription, especially if the main motivator is web/payment security. Unless you’re particularly concerned about ransomware, want external-drive scanning, or need extra network-level protection, the free version (or at least a thorough try-out of the 60-day trial) remains a reasonable, low-cost way to see whether the extras justify the cost.

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These go to 11: Rock out to a dozen killer audio setups
In the world of workstation audio, many computer setups go for bigger sound -- but only some do it in smarter ways. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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After Apple says no way, India revokes order to preload state-run ‘cybersecurity’ app on smartphones
India's government on Wednesday withdrew a mandate requiring smartphone manufacturers to preload a state-run "cybersecurity" app… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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Spotify Wrapped arrives after Apple Music Replay – with a new party feature
Most of the major streaming music services now offer their own version of the annual Spotify Wrapped feature, providing insights into our most listened to songs and artists. Yesterday saw the unveiling of Apple Music Replay 2025, after YouTube Music rolled out its own take, and now Spotify Wrapped 2025 has landed – this year with a new party feature … more…

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Adobe Premiere Elements review: 360º edits & everything else new for 2026
Macworld At a GlanceExpert's Rating Pros Extensive range of video-editing tools Quick mode and Guided Edits for beginners Powerful colour correction tools Good tools for creating text and titles Cons Even Quick mode is pretty complex Now sold with only three-year license Dense, unhelpful documentation Our Verdict It’s certainly a powerful video-editing tool, with advanced features for creating titles and artistic effects. However, Premiere Elements isn’t easy to master, and may be too complex for people who just want to post on Instagram. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Retailer Price Adobe (three year license) $99.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Price When Reviewed$99.99 Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Adobe (three year license) $99.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Premiere Elements is the companion product to Photoshop Elements (see our review), and is designed to provide powerful video-editing tools at a competitive price. There are less expensive video-editing apps available for the Mac, but many of these simply focus on relatively simple tools for trimming video clips and applying filters and effects for use on social media. In contrast, Premiere Elements provides powerful and precise editing tools that allow you to create complex video projects using multiple video and audio clips. It also includes a variety of text tools for creating titles, and a very wide range of creative filters and effects that can create just the right look and mood for your videos. However, that extra power means that Premiere Elements is more complex than some of its rivals – and also more complex than Photoshop Elements too, despite the similarities between the two programs. Premiere Elements – Editing Tools Like Photoshop Elements, Premiere Elements provides three different editing modes, with three tabs at the top of the main editing window – Quick, Guided and Advanced – which are designed to cater to users with different levels of experience. The Quick mode is designed for beginners, and provides a simple workspace with a horizontal sceneline running across the bottom of the screen where you can drag and drop video clips and quickly arrange them in the required sequence. Above the sceneline is the Program Monitor window, which provides a larger view of individual video clips so that you can view each clip with frame-by-frame precision and decide where to make cuts or other changes. There’s also a palette on the right of the window that provides several additional tools, including a series of artistic effects, such as oil paintings, lens flare and black-and-white effects. However, even in Quick mode some of these tools are quite complex, with multiple slider controls for adjusting settings and timings that may confuse less experienced users. Fortunately, like Photoshop Elements, Premiere Elements also has a Guided mode that provides step-by-step help with some of these more complex tools. There are Guided Edits that show you how to create time-lapse effects, lighting adjustments, titles and other effects. And, for real beginners, there are two options that can do all the work for you and automatically create a Highlight Reel, or a Video Collage. All you have to do here is import a few video clips and Premiere Elements will edit the clips together, add transitions, and even offer a selection of music clips for the soundtrack. Premiere Elements 2026 – What is new Premiere Elements can download free photos, sounds and video clips from Adobe Stock. The 2026 update for Premiere Elements kicks off with one really eye-catching new feature, with the ability to import and edit 360º panoramic video files, which you can use on social media, or even to create professional-level interactive VR scenes for headsets such as Apple’s Vision Pro. The editing process is relatively easy, as Premiere Elements provides a Hand tool that allows you to click on a point within the 3D scene and then rotate and tilt your viewpoint within the scene. You can then use Premiere Elements’ filters, titling tools and other effects to edit your 360º scene just like any other video clip. The problem, though, is that the initial process of creating and importing these 360º video files is no easy task. Adobe’s Help files are rather vague, but they do explain that you require specialised dual-lens cameras manufactured by companies such as Kodak or Ricoh (with no mention as yet of the iPhone or Apple’s Immersive Video format for the Vision Pro). You’ll need a fair degree of technical knowledge in order to work with these cameras in the first place, so while this is an impressive and powerful new tool it’s one that will most likely appeal to professional film-makers or content creators who have the time, money and equipment needed to create suitable 360º videos. Premiere Elements 2026 does have some new features for more humble video hobbyists, though. The program’s text and titling tools have been improved, with new style templates and a new browser to help you find just the right style for your projects. There are new templates for creating motion titles, and new colour fonts and emojis to liven things up. The app also provides access to Adobe Stock, which is a huge library of video clips, photos and sound effects that you can use in your video projects, or just use to experiment while you’re getting to grips with the program. And, like Photoshop Elements, Premiere Elements has updated its Crop tool, with a new Freehand Crop option, and improved tool tips that provide helpful information when you hover the mouse over the toolbar. Premiere Elements 2025 – What was new Foundry Many of the new features introduced for the 2025 edition are found in the Advanced Mode, which provides full access to the program’s extensive range of editing tools, audio features, filters and effects. At first glance, Advanced Mode looks similar to Quick Mode – although the sceneline of Quick Mode is now called the timeline, indicating that more advanced features are available in this mode. The timeline has been modified for this 2025 version, with audio and video tracks grouped together for greater clarity, and the ability to lock tracks to prevent any accidental changes. There’s a new Quick Tools palette to the left of the timeline, which provides instant access to features such as the Scissor tool for splitting clips, and the Text tool for adding titles. The program’s text tools have been improved as well, with controls for quickly adjusting text size, alignment, and direction of movement. You can also download some new templates to help you create slick animated titles as well. There are improved tools for colour correction and adjusting white balance, which controls the brightness of white areas within an image, such as clouds or snow. However, some of these colour tools will challenge even more advanced users, and we found ourselves wading through the not-very-helpful Help files on Adobe’s web site to learn the differences between colour grading and colour correction. There are also changes to the program’s options for importing and exporting files, which should be useful for all users regardless of their level of experience. When you start a new project you’ll see the redesigned Media panel that opens on the left of the screen and makes it quicker and easier to import files into your projects. There are also new export options that help you to prepare your video files for social media and other platforms, starting with the Quick Export button that provides preset options covering a variety of different quality settings and resolutions. The updated Export tool now opens up a large window that provides more detailed settings for audio and video files. And one big time-saver here is the ability to simultaneously export multiple versions of the same file that can be tailored for use on different social media sites, such as Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Foundry Photoshop Elements – How much does it cost? Both Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements have traditionally been sold for a one-time fee of $99.99/£86.99, which allowed you to use the programs for as long as you wanted (although you did have to pay an extra fee if you wanted to purchase their annual upgrades as well). The 2026 editions of both programs still cost the same amount, but the purchase price now only grants you a three-year term license, which means that you’ll have to purchase another license in three years’ time. That’s the bad news – but the good news is that you’ll get future upgrades, such as the 2027 and 2028 editions, for free as they are likely to be released within that three-year license period. It’s also possible to buy both Elements programs together for $149.99/£130.49 (which again is for a three-year license). There’s also a seven-day free trial available, so that you can see if Premiere Elements is suitable for your own level of expertise. Purchasing Premiere Elements for the Mac also gives you access to the mobile version of the app – although this has been in beta for quite a few years now, so you should probably make sure you back-up any video files that you record on your mobile devices to keep them safe. Adobe launched a free Adobe Premiere: Video Editor mobile app for iPhone and iPad in late 2025, you can get that on the App Store. Should you buy Premiere Elements? There’s no doubt that Premiere Elements is an impressively powerful program for video-editing work, and it’s great value for more advanced amateurs and semi-professional users such as podcasters and vloggers. Even so, it’s still a pretty complex piece of software, even when using Quick mode, so newcomers will have to be prepared to roll up their sleeves and do a bit of work in order to really get to grips with the program’s undeniably powerful editing tools. For more video editing apps see our round up of the best free and cheap Mac video editors, we also have a guide to the best Mac for video editing.

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Make your holidays smarter with this 50% off Nanoleaf Matter string lights
Macworld The holidays will be here in a blink, and if you’re thinking of upgrading your Christmas lights, we’ve got just the deal for you: Nanoleaf’s absolutely gorgeous Apple Home-ready Smart String Lights are half off at Amazon, which means you can grab a set for $75. This light string is so great, you’ll want to use it all year long. There are 300 addressable LEDs, split into 60 areas that you can customize from your app. If you don’t want to get creative, you can just use one of the many presets available. Another really cool thing is that the Nanoleaf smart string lights can react to sound and music, so they’ll dance along with you to Mariah Carey singing, “All I Want for Christmas is You,” over and over again. These smart string lights are rated for indoor use, but Nanoleaf says they are water-resistant, so a few splashes should be OK. The best part is they’ll work just fine with the Apple Home app automations thanks to Matter support. So grab this fabulous holiday lights string for $75 before this deal runs out. Buy now at Amazon

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Samsung Raises Foldable Ante With Galaxy Z TriFold
Samsung’s Galaxy Z TriFold debuts as the company’s most advanced foldable yet, pairing a redesigned dual-hinge system with upgraded materials and a 10-inch display that unfolds from a pocketable frame. The post appeared first on TechNewsWorld.

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