New Mac browser Orion is inspired by Apple with speed, privacy, and WebKit
New browsers keep launching, usually with an AI focus. But a new option from the team behind the Kagi search engine takes a different approach. Orion is built on WebKit and emphasizes speed and user privacy—in other words, it’s a browser built primarily to attract Apple users. After a lengthy beta, the Orion Mac app just launched. Here are the details. more…

Read more »

How the pieces are falling into place for Apple to create a truly compelling smart home display
After what seems like years of rumors, delays, and generations of competition, we may only be months away from Apple's smart display as the final pieces finally fall into place for Apple Home.A mockup of Apple's long-rumored smart home displayApple has a tendency to be slow to enter a new product category. Historically, it prefers to wait until it can do something different or better before doing it at all.Hopefully, that is Apple's approach to the smart display market. Amazon and Google have long dominated this space, and as the smart home category grows, Apple's absence has been felt. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Read more »

Apple challenges India’s new antitrust penalty law
Apple has filed a petition at the Delhi High Court challenging India's updated antitrust regulations, which could expose the company to… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

Read more »

iOS 26.1 makes a clever and subtle Clock icon animation change
Starting with iOS 26.1, Apple has updated the Clock app icon to work a lot more like an Apple Watch. more…

Read more »

Apple Watch Series 11 Black Friday deals — get ’em while they’re hot!
Black Friday has arrived early, and the savings on Apple Watch Series 11 are making headlines. The much-talked-about smartwatch is seeing its deepest discounts to date, with GPS models now starting at $339 — $60 off list price — and cellular versions dipping below $440. Series 11 just launched in September, so it’s amazing you […] (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

Read more »

M5 iPad Pro one month later: Future proof in the very best way
Apple’s M5 iPad Pro launched last month, and I upgraded from an M4 iPad Pro. My first impressions of the new model were positive, but here’s how my 13-inch M5 iPad Pro has held up after a full month of use. more…

Read more »

Hands On: Kagi's Orion browser is a surprisingly good alternative to Safari
Kagi's Orion for macOS is a fast and privacy-focused web browser that could be a great browser alternative for some users. Here's how it stacks up to Safari.Orion on macOSAmong web browsers, Safari is considered one of the more privacy-focused options on the market, in part due to Apple's policies in that area. While there are alternatives like the dominant Chrome and Firefox on the market, creating a browser that not only works well but also walks the walk when it comes to privacy is not easy to do.Cue search engine Kagi's attempt, with the multi-platform Orion. The macOS browser is promoted as a fast, native app that does everything to avoid the usual user tracking elements that tends to affect apps in the long run. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Read more »

Amazon drops Apple's iPad 11 to $274, a new record low price
Apple's iPad 11 has received a steeper price drop on Amazon for Black Friday, with the 2025 release discounted to $274. Plus, save up to $259 on iPad Air and iPad Pro models.Black Friday iPad price drops offer prices as low as $274 - Image credit: AppleAmazon's Black Friday deals are live, and iPad markdowns are driving prices down further from previous record lows. Pick up the latest 11-inch iPad with Apple's A16 chip for $274, a $75 discount off MSRP (and $5 cheaper than November's best price on the standard 128GB Wi-Fi configuration).Grab the $274 iPad 11 deal Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Read more »

Hit Apple TV thriller returns soon, new video has Idris Elba react to reviews
Idris Elba is the star of Hijack, a hit Apple TV thriller that’s returning for a new season soon. Ahead of the Hijack season 2 premiere, Apple has shared a fun new video of Elba “reviewing” season 1 reviews. more…

Read more »

Apple’s founding papers head back to auction, could fetch $4 million
It's April 1, 1976 — April Fool's Day, no les — and two Steves, Jobs and Wozniak, along with a third partner named Ron Wayne, are scribbling… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

Read more »

Audio Pro A28 W review: Classy stereo speakers with AirPlay 2 for Apple devices
Macworld At a glanceExpert's Rating Pros Excellent sound quality Good build quality Bluetooth and AirPlay 2 for wireless audio Cons Expensive No 3.5mm or USB-C connectors Our Verdict These stereo speakers are more expensive than their one-piece rivals, but they product a powerful, expansive sound that is ideal for listening to music or upgrading the sound on your TV. They’re well connected too, with both Bluetooth and AirPlay 2 for wireless audio. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Price When Reviewed$720 Best Prices Today: Audio Pro A28 W Retailer Price $720 View Deal Audio Pro $720 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Audio Pro recently updated its entire range of speakers with a new ‘W Generation’ that puts the emphasis on wireless connectivity and streaming. We liked its C10 MKII W, which provides Hi-Fi sound quality in a compact, one-piece design that makes it a good rival for Apple’s HomePod. But, of course, many people still prefer proper stereo speakers, and Audio Pro’s new range does include a number of stereo speakers of different sizes, starting with the new A28 W at $720/£500. The A28 W is described as a set of ‘bookshelf’ speakers but they’re fairly large, with each speaker standing 238mm high, 150mm wide and 200mm deep. The two speakers just about fit onto my desk, sitting on either side of my trusty 27-inch iMac, but they’ll probably be more at home on a larger bookshelf or on a stand when connected to a TV. The speaker cabinets are made of MDF, which feels very sturdy and also helps to reduce vibrations that might affect the sound quality. The A28 W is available in black or white, or with a walnut wood finish (although for some reason the walnut finish costs a little more in the UK, at £540).  You can remove the front grilles for a retro look, or leave them on for a cleaner, more minimalist style.Audio Pro Inside each cabinet you’ll find a 4.5-inch woofer for handling the mid-range and lower frequencies, along with a 1-inch tweeter for the higher frequencies. There are removable fabric grilles provided with each speaker, so you can decide whether you prefer a minimalist look with the grille covering the speaker drivers, or perhaps remove the grille for a more retro look with the drivers exposed. The A28 W requires mains power, with a power socket on the left-hand speaker, which then uses a single cable to provide power and audio to the right-hand speaker. Each speaker provides 75W output – 150W total – so there’s more than enough power for the A28 W to act as your main music system or to beef up the sound on your TV. As mentioned, the ‘W’ refers to the speakers’ emphasis on wireless connectivity, and the A28 W provides Bluetooth for a quick and easy connection to your mobile devices, with support for Apple’s AAC codec (although there’s no aptX for Android users). However, the speakers also provide dual-band Wi-Fi for connecting to your home network (2.4GHz and 5.0GHz), with support for AirPlay 2 for Apple devices, along with Google Cast. Despite that focus on wireless audio, the A28 W provides some useful wired inputs too. The back panel of the left-hand speaker provides stereo RCA inputs and one digital optical input for use with other hi-fi equipment, and an HDMI-ARC interface for a TV. And, for Hi-Fi buffs who like to build their own system, there’s also one more RCA connector that allows you to connect to an external sub-woofer as well. It’s a shame, though, that such an expensive speaker doesn’t include a standard 3.5mm or USB-C connector for wired audio too. There are no audio cables included either, so you’ll need to provide those for yourself if you want to use a wired connection. However, Audio Pro does include a handheld remote control for controlling playback and switching between different input options. We have more AirPlay speakers in our round up, see Best AirPlay speakers for iPhones and Apple Music. As well as Bluetooth and wi-fi, the speakrs include a number of wired connections for use with a TV or hi-fi equipment. Audio Pro You can also control the various audio settings using the Audio Pro app, which includes a 10-band equaliser for fine-tuning the sound, along with a variety of presets, such as ‘bass booster’ and ‘gaming’. Support for AirPlay means that you can play audio from any apps or streaming services on your Apple devices, but the Audio Pro app also includes direct support for Amazon Music and Spotify, as well as services such as SoundCloud and BBC Radio in the UK. But, of course, the main selling point for the A28 W is its ability to create an expansive stereo sound that is far more immersive and atmospheric than one-piece speakers such as Apple’s HomePod. It creates an airy cloud of sound when streaming Enya’s Orinoco Flow from Apple Music. Her multi-tracked vocals are silky smooth as they float through the air, and the A28 W is powerful enough to fill the room around me even on just 40% of maximum volume. The A28 W anchors the hazy sound with the weighty bass drum, but is still able to pick out lighter details such as the gentle cymbals and synth keyboards. The A28 W has no trouble handling a change of mood as I turn the volume up a little and switch to the sinister dance groove of Prime Evil by The Orb. It digs deep for the track’s slinky bass riff, and there’s a nervous jangling energy to the ticking percussion that sounds like someone pulling their hair out. The percussion piles up as the song progresses, but the A28 W keeps the sound clear and precise as it builds into a kind of musical maelstrom that could fill the dance-floor at a house party.  Should You Buy The A28 W? Some people will prefer the more compact design of one-piece speakers such as the HomePod or Audio Pro’s C10 MKII W. But, if you want the more expansive, spacious sound provided by true stereo speakers then the A28 W is hard to beat. It’s fairly expensive, but the sound quality is excellent, with more than enough power to act as your main music system, or as part of a home cinema set-up. And, of course, its support for AirPlay 2 makes it ideal for use with Apple devices.

Read more »

Apple faces new lawsuit over alleged use of conflict minerals
An advocacy group is taking another crack at Apple in court, again accusing the company of using conflict minerals tied to violence and human rights abuses in Central Africa.Mine with acid lake | Credit: dimitrisvetsikas1969 on PixabayInternational Rights Advocates (IRAdvocates) has filed a lawsuit against Apple over its use of conflict minerals in its devices. The group alleges that Apple uses minerals connected to human rights abuses and conflicts in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda.The Washington-based advocacy group is asking the courts to verify that Apple's use of conflict minerals violates consumer protection law. The lawsuit, spotted by Reuters, alleges that three Chinese smelters, Ningxia Orient, JiuJiang JinXin, and Jiujiang Tanbre, processed coltan that was smuggled through Rwanda after armed groups seized mines in Eastern DRC. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Read more »

Vision Pro M5 review: It’s time for Apple to make some tough choices
A state of the union from someone who actually sort of uses the thing.

Read more »

This hidden iOS 26 setting lets you turn off Apple Wallet ads
Macworld Perhaps you noticed that over the past several months, Apple has been placing ads throughout its iPhone apps and alerts. It’s most prominent when you visit the App Store, but another place ads have recently appeared is in the Wallet app. The most prominent Wallet ad I can remember was for Apple’s F1 movie this past summer, but other ads have appeared more recently. Generally, I get disgusted by the idea of an ad appearing in my Wallet and close them immediately. Apple foisting ads on us is a bad look, but the company just did something to sort of remedy the situation. In iOS 26, you now have the option to deactivate ads from appearing in Apple Wallet. Here’s how: Open Apple Wallet and tap the ellipsis icon (…) at the upper right corner. In the pop-up menu, tap Notifications. In the list of settings, look for Offers & Promotions and tap the switch to the off position. There are other notifications here you might want to deactivate, as well. Click to enlarge.Foundry Check out our iOS 26 superguide for more information about Apple’s iPhone operating system.

Read more »

Black Friday Week deals: AirPods Max $149 off, M5 MacBook Pro $230 off, Series 11, official cables from $5, more
The Black Friday Week deals just keep coming folks. While in year’s past the early deals were just the early deals and they remained largely stagnant until Thanksgiving rolled around…not this year. Alongside the ongoing all-time low pricing on AirPods Pro 3 at $220, AirPods 4 at $69, and AirPods 4 with ANC $100, Apple’s AirPods Max dropped again late yesterday and you’ll now find all five colorways marked down to $399.99 shipped, or $149 off the list price – one of the best deals we have ever tracked. Those offers also join straight up $200 price drops on the new M5 MacBook Pro lineup as well as this particularly notable $230 discount on the 24GB/512GB model. All of that sits alongside even lower prices across most Apple Watch Series 11 models, and a load big-time official Apple accessory deals starting from just $5. Scope it all out below.  more…

Read more »

Rolling Square inCharge XL 6-in-1 charging cable review: One cable to rule them all
Macworld At a glance Pros Up to 100W Fast charges nearly everything Travel pouch with longer models Three color options Cons Slow data speed Our Verdict The inCharge XL a well-built cable that charges nearly everything as fast as is possible, is simple to use, and easy to keep protected with its tied cap and travel pouch. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Price When ReviewedFrom $34.90 Best Prices Today: Rolling Square inCharge XL 6-in-1 charging cable Retailer Price $34.90 View Deal Rolling Square $34.90 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket We all have too many cables in the house… until you suddenly need one, and then they all mysteriously morph into the ones you don’t need: why did I even keep a USB-A to USB-A cable?? The Rolling Square inCharge XL might be all you need, and it shouldn’t be easy to lose. Charge them all This is a 6-in-1 cable claims to have it all: two inputs (USB-C and USB-A) and three outputs (USB-C, Lightning and MicroUSB), giving you the following charging solutions: USB-C to USB-C (100W) USB-C to Lightning (27W) USB-C to MicroUSB (10W) USB-A to USB-C (18W) USB-A to Lightning (18W) USB-A to Micro USB (10W) E.U. law and common sense means we should all soon do all our wired connections via USB-C, but while older devices remain on older connection standards such as USB-A and Apple’s Lightning plus the hated but cockroach-like MicroUSB, we must reply on multiple cables or a catch-all such as this. Rolling Square The older adapters slide from the USB-C connectors, and are protected when not in use by a protective tied cap. The custom nylon cable itself is braided with reinforced. The 6.6ft and 10ft cables come with a rubber travel pouch and a desk support that is the most likely thing to go missing, unless your colleagues are known cable thieves in which case watch out as they’ll seek out the InCharge XL in numbers. The clever part is that the Lightning connector also works as the MicroUSB adapter. Remarkably, it stays reversible unlike the ultra-fiddly MicroUSB.0 It can charge to 100W using the base USB-C to USB-C configuration, which is enough to fast-charge all but the 16-inch MacBook Pro. 100W is fine for the 16-inch but you need 140W (PD 3.1) for fast charging that particular model. This config is also recommended for charging any version 15 or later iPhone or recent iPad, and can fast-charge those models. Older iPhones and iPads should be charged with USB-C at the charger end and Lightning to the iPhone. At 27W this can fast-charge all those iPhones, too. If you still own a USB-A wall charger, (1) use the USB-A to Lightning, or (2) dispose of it and buy a USB-C wall charger or (3) suffer slower charging times. USB-A to Lightning will never fast-charge anything, and here is pegged to 18W max. USB-A to USB-C is an unlikely configuration, but it’s there if you need it. Indeed, the inCharge XL should celebrate its own redundancy when no one needs USB-A, Lightning or MicroUSB ever again. Sadly, unless you have forked out on all new gear, many of have at least a Lightning AirPods case. There are even some MicroUSB LED lights in use in my house, because I haven’t yet found a suitable USB-C solution. Rolling Square Data less able Thunderbolt and some USB-C cables can carry a high charge and speedily transfer data too. The InCharge XL is a charging master to 100W, but has a USB 2.0 data-transfer speed of 480Mbps, which is 92% slower than Gen 1 USB’s 5Gbps and 166 times slower than Thunderbolt 5’s 80Gbps. It will work but make sure you have something to read while it’s doing it. Rolling Square Price There are three cable lengths available (1ft/30cm, 6.6ft/2m and 10ft/3m) each in three colors: Urban Black, Glacier White, and Summit Yellow. You can also buy a pocketable version, the 0.5ft (15cm) InCharge XL Pocket, which is aptly named except for the XL part. InCharge XL 1ft (30cm): $29.99 / £29.99 InCharge XL 6.6ft (2m): $34.90 / £34.90 InCharge XL 10ft (3m): $39.99 / £39.99 InCharge XL Pocket 0.5ft (15cm): $29.99 / £29.99 The pouch and desk support are for the 6.6ft and 10ft cables only. The inCharge XL Pocket is one for your bag, while the others can replace the snake from your cable drawer. Should you buy the Rolling Square inCharge XL 6-in-1 charging cable? The inCharge XL a well-built cable that charges nearly everything as fast as is possible, is simple to use, and easy to keep protected with its tied cap and travel pouch. Unless you are fortunate enough to own only products that charge via USB-C, having one cable that charges everything is very convenient, and may allow you the pleasure of retiring a bunch of your older cables or at least banishing them to the bottom of a rarely used cupboard.

Read more »

iOS 26.2 adds new features in six iPhone apps, here’s what’s coming
iOS 26.2 is launching soon, and it’s packed with a bunch of new features. Many of those features are additions to Apple’s built-in iPhone apps. Here’s everything new across six Apple apps in iOS 26.2. more…

Read more »

Apple Set To Become World's Top Phone Maker, Overtaking Samsung
Apple will retake its crown as the world's largest smartphone maker for the first time in more than a decade, lifted by the successful debut of a new iPhone series and a rush of consumers upgrading devices, according to Counterpoint Research. From a report: The iPhone 17 models introduced in September have been a hit both domestically in the US and in Apple's other critical market, China. They've enticed more people to upgrade, leading to double-digit year-over-year sales growth in both markets, according to the researchers. The US company also is benefiting from a cooling of US-China trade tensions and a depreciating dollar that has boosted purchases in emerging markets, they added. The growth will propel Apple past longtime rival Samsung this year, according to Counterpoint's figures. Shipments of the iPhone are set to grow at 10% in 2025, compared with 4.6% for Samsung. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Read more »

Top 5 Black Friday deals on Thunderbolt 5, 4 docks knock up to $145 off
Expand your Mac's connectivity during Black Friday sales by taking advantage of steep discounts on Thunderbolt 4 and Thunderbolt 5 docks.CalDigit TS4 Thunderbolt 4 HubThe traditional Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales period is nearly here, making it a great opportunity to upgrade your Mac setup. One way to do that for a Mac mini or a MacBook Pro is to acquire a Thunderbolt 4 or Thunderbolt 5 dock.View full Thunderbolt dock sale Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Read more »

Price drop: Make marvelous diagrams with Microsoft Visio Pro, now less than $10
Create easy-to-understand visuals with confidence when you get Microsoft Visio Professional 2021 for just $9.97. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

Read more »