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- Monday December 08
- 03:56 pmApple faces ‘biggest personnel shake-up in decades’ as another top exec eyes exit
Macworld Much talk in Silicon Valley lately has focused on the timing of Apple boss Tim Cook’s retirement. At the age of 65, and having publicly discussed his departure as far back as 2021, he isn’t going to be presenting keynote videos forever. But while the CEO insists he isn’t leaving just yet, it’s striking how many other senior Apple executives are. In his latest report on the comings and goings inside Apple Park, Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman discusses what he describes as the company’s “biggest personnel shake-up in decades,” rattling off an astonishing list of 18 big-name departures that have either happened this year or are expected to happen soon. Apple’s AI team in particular has been decimated, including the retirement (and possible de facto firing) of its chief. But the design and engineering sections of the company have suffered similarly alarming brain drains. It’s hardly surprising that the AI department is facing turmoil, given its struggles to catch up with Apple’s rivals. John Giannandrea, the company’s Senior VP of Machine Learning and AI, was replaced as head of Siri back in March following a series of failures and humiliations related to the beleaguered voice assistant. At the start of December, he announced plans to retire, although he will be kept on in an advisory capacity until the spring. Underperforming teams always experience turnover. But design and engineering have traditionally been Apple’s strengths: under Sir Jonathan Ive, the in-house design shop became legendary in the industry. Then Ive left (officially in 2022 but effectively in 2019) and much of his team followed him through the exit door. Some in the same direction, choosing to join his new company. A similar fate now appears to be facing other departments at Apple Park. The latest exec rumored to leave is Johny Srouji, Apple’s Senior VP of Hardware Technologies, the driving force behind Apple’s in-house chips, and a sufficiently big name that he appears in the top section of Apple’s leadership page. Srouji “recently told Cook that he is seriously considering leaving in the near future,” Gurman reports, citing sources with knowledge of the matter. And other important hardware employees have left, with the J595 device team “bleeding talent,” Gurman says. Turnover isn’t always negative, and Apple has the funds to cherrypick talent to replace those who leave. But it’s hard to shake the feeling that Cupertino is facing a lot more departures than usual, and tempting to wonder why they’re all leaving. What do they know that we don’t?03:54 pm9to5Mac Daily: December 8, 2025 – Apple’s chip exec considers leaving, iPhone rumors
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 Backblaze: Give yourself the gift of peace of mind. Till the end of the month, 9to5Mac listeners get 30% off with code 9to5Xmas. more…03:53 pmAqara Siri integration, Chamberlain goes anti-smart home, and two new reviews on HomeKit Insider | AppleInsiderAqara Siri integration, Chamberlain goes anti-smart home, and two new reviews on HomeKit Insider
On this week's episode of the HomeKit Insider podcast, your host breaks down the week's news and reviews a pair of smart home devices from Anker and SwitchBot.HomeKit Insider PodcastNuki, after recently bringing its smart lock to the U.S., has made some adjustments to its pricing model. Instead of a lower upfront cost with an optional monthly subscription, it is ending the subscription and increasing the initial cost.Honeywell has introduced its first new premium thermostat in years with the X8S. It has a 5-inch touchscreen, optional room sensors, Matter support, and indoor air quality monitoring. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums03:46 pmParamount launches hostile takeover bid of Warner Bros Discovery, says $108.4 billion offer is ‘superior’ to Netflix deal | Mac Daily NewsParamount launches hostile takeover bid of Warner Bros Discovery, says $108.4 billion offer is ‘superior’ to Netflix deal
Paramount Global — backed by Skydance Corporation — unveiled a hostile all-cash tender offer to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) in full… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.03:42 pmAmazon's $299 Apple Watch Series 11 deal delivers lowest price ever
Holiday price drops continue this December on Apple gear, with Amazon slashing the Apple Watch Series 11 to a record-low $299.Pick up an Apple Watch Series 11 for just $299.Amazon's $299 deal beats the previous record-low price on the Apple Watch Series 11 by $30, making it a great time to pick up the wearable as a holiday gift.Buy Apple Watch S11 for $299 Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums03:38 pmICEBlock developer suing DOJ, ICE, & more after Apple App Store removal
Apple removed the ICEBlock app from the App Store after being pressured by the US government, and now the developer is suing the DOJ & others involved for a violation of his First Amendment rights.The US DOJ is being sued by ICEBlock devThe developer of ICEBlock, Joshua Aaron, has lawyered up and is taking his case to court in Washington, DC. He's not suing Apple, as it is a private entity and the First Amendment doesn't apply, but he is suing the US government for their role in the app's removal from the App Store.According to a report from Allison Gill on a Substack newsletter called The Breakdown, with additional information in a podcast interview, Aaron is filing the lawsuit later Monday. He is suing Attorney General Pam Bondi, Secretary of DHS Kristi Noem, Director of ICE Todd Lyons, and White House Border Czar Tom Homan for a violation of his First Amendment rights. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums03:37 pmThe Apple Watch Series 11 is $100 off, cheaper than it was for Black Friday
Macworld If you’re looking for the perfect holiday gift for the person you love, may we recommend the Apple Watch Series 11? Not only is this an excellent smartwatch for staying healthy and getting fit, but today it’s on sale at Amazon for $299, even lower than we saw on Black Friday or Cyber Monday. When we reviewed the Series 11, we gave it a 4-star rating and appreciated its overall performance, as well as its great design. This model delivers great new features and improved health monitoring, including notifications on potential hypertension issues. Alongside the new sleep scoring system and the excellent Vitals app, you’ll get a complete picture of your health and sleep quality. The trusty Crash Detection and Fall Detection features will alert people in the event of an accident, and you’ll also get sleep apnea monitoring along with the usual array of health sensors and alerts. And since the glass display is more scratch-resistant than the previous version, you won’t have to worry about bumps and dings. One of the best things about this new watch is that it now comes with a 24-hour battery life on a single charge, which makes it ideal for long days, especially when you’re training for various sports events and actually putting all those sensors into overdrive. Even better, a quick 15-minute charge can give you an extra eight hours of use, while low-power mode can keep the important bits up and running all weekend. So make that special someone in your life happy and healthy this holiday and get them the $299 Apple Watch Series 11 for its best price yet. Buy now at Amazon03:28 pmApple TV dominates Golden Globes nominations across major categories
Nominations for the 2026 Golden Globes have just been announced, with Apple TV scoring 14 nominations total and looking like an early frontrunner for two of the most prized categories: Best TV Drama and Best TV Musical or Comedy. more…03:25 pmParamount bids to stop Netflix buying Warner Bros
Despite Warner Bros accepting an $82.7 billion offer from Netflix, Paramount is going to the film studio's shareholders to get the deal reversed.HBO Max will now be owned by Netflix if the deal meets regulatory and Warner Bros shareholders' approvalAlongside Apple TV, Paramount was known to be one of the bidders trying to buy the venerable Warner Bros studios and its extensive library. On December 5, 2025, though, Warner Bros announced that the deal had been done and that Netflix would be its new owner.The deal was — and remains — subject to regulatory approval. There were immediate doubts over that approval as President Trump said that the deal "could be a problem." Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums03:00 pmApple Fitness+ expands to 28 new markets in its largest expansion since launch
Apple on Monday announced Apple Fitness+, the award-winning fitness and wellness service, is expanding to 28 new markets — including… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.02:59 pmApple Fitness+ expands to 28 new countries with AI dubbing
Apple Fitness+ is spreading into 28 more countries, with the workout tool doing so thanks to the help of generative AI translation.Apple Fitness+ will soon arrive in more countries - Image Credit: AppleApple is bringing Apple Fitness+ to new territories starting from December 15, it has declared, as part of a wider expansion of the service. Consumers in 28 new markets will be able to carry out the workouts using the Apple Watch-enabled tool.The expansion plans, detailed on Monday, include growing to Chile, Hong Kong, India, the Netherlands, Singapore, Taiwan, and other countries on December 15. There will also be an expansion to Japan early in 2026. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums02:24 pmiPhone 18 leak says Face ID moving under-display next year
This is the time of year when many design details are being finalized for next fall’s flagship iPhones. Now, a new leak on Weibo corroborates what we’ve heard before: under-display Face ID is planned for the iPhone 18 line. more…02:24 pmiPhone 18 leak says Face ID moving under-display next year
This is the time of year when many design details are being finalized for next fall’s flagship iPhones. Now, a new leak on Weibo corroborates what we’ve heard before: under-display Face ID is planned for the iPhone 18 line. more…02:24 pmiPhone 18 leak says Face ID moving under-display next year
This is the time of year when many design details are being finalized for next fall’s flagship iPhones. Now, a new leak on Weibo corroborates what we’ve heard before: under-display Face ID is planned for the iPhone 18 line. more…02:20 pmApple announces Fitness+ expansion to 28 markets with help from AI
Apple has announced that its Fitness+ digital workout service will expand to more than two dozen additional markets next week. The move more than doubles the footprint for Apple Fitness+, and generative AI is helping to make it possible. more…02:11 pmApple’s chip chief Johny Srouji ‘seriously considering leaving in the near future’
In an era of relentless innovation and fierce competition in the tech industry, Apple finds itself grappling with a troubling wave of exec… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.02:00 pmEverything new in iOS 26.2: Great new features (and plenty of bug fixes)
iOS 26.2 is an update that brings some much-needed refinement to the system — hundreds of bug fixes and over 20 new features. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)01:50 pmAirPods Pro 3 return to best-ever price, plus more holiday AirPods deals (from $80)
Well folks, AirPods Pro 3 have returned to their best-ever price this morning. It’s basically Black Friday all over again if you’re in the market for the best-selling truly wireless earbuds. You can snag AirPods Pro 3 for $219.99 shipped on Amazon, down from their usual price of $249. This matches the all-time low we saw on Black Friday last month. Plus, we’re still tracking deals on the cheapest AirPods 4, AirPods 4 with ANC, and AirPods Max. It’s incredibly rare, if not unprecedented, that we have such massive savings on Apple’s newest-generation of products. It doesn’t get much better than this! more…01:40 pmNew leak revives claim of under-display Face ID for iPhone 18 Pro
Continuing the back and forth of rumors over under-display Face ID, a new leak claims that Apple plans to introduce it in the iPhone 18 Pro in 2026.That iPhone notch contains a huge amount of technology — image credit: AppleEver since the notch first appeared in the iPhone X, there have been claims that Apple would remove it by placing a Face ID underneath the display. Most recently, though, rumors have conflicted, with a leak in September 2025 saying it was coming to the iPhone 18 Pro, but one in November 2025 saying it wasn't.Now, leaker "Smart Pikachu" on Chinese social media site Weibo claims that Apple is testing a new process that would enable it. Depending on the machine translation used, the technology is either "stitching" or "spliced" micro-transparent glass. Rumor Score: 🤔 Possible Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums01:13 pmApple Manufacturing Academy expands to include free virtual courses
Earlier this year, Apple launched its first Apple Manufacturing Academy in Detroit. The academy is designed to offer free training in “smart manufacturing” for small and medium businesses from around the country, and was started in partnership with Michigan State University. Today, Apple announced the first-ever virtual programming as part of the Apple Manufacturing Academy. more…