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- Tuesday December 09
- 04:06 pmApple Arcade has four new iPhone games launching next month
Apple has announced its lineup of four new games hitting Apple Arcade in January, here’s what’s coming to the gaming service next month. more…04:05 pm9to5Mac Daily: December 9, 2025 – Fitness+ expansion, Apple and Google team up
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…03:45 pmToday in Apple history: Apple storms New York’s Grand Central Terminal
On December 9, 2011, Apple opened its fifth Manhattan retail store, located in New York's ultra-busy Grand Central Terminal. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)03:42 pmGoogle Maps parking location now automatically saves on iOS, adds custom icons
Google Maps has recently rolled out a change where, at least on iOS, the app will automatically detect that you’ve parked your vehicle and save that location, and it will also now show it with a custom icon. more…03:31 pmApple TV has new star-packed series coming soon based on hit novel
Apple TV’s adaptation of the very popular novel, Margo’s Got Money Troubles, just got a release date. Here are the details and first images. more…03:25 pmiFixit app returns to the App Store with AI guidance and battery warnings
Repair outfit iFixit has released an iOS app providing access to its repair guides and AI-based assistance for fixing your hardware, though it also provides a help tool that already exists in Settings.iFixit's app icon - Image Credit: iFixitWhile known for its regular teardowns of Apple's hardware, iFixit is a major source of repair guides and manuals, as well as tools and components, for various hardware issues its users may have. On Tuesday, it brought out an app to help users more.Introduced on Tuesday, the iFixit app combines multiple parts of the iFixit empire, providing a one-stop shop for users to fix stuff for themselves. The app, a free download from the App Store for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Vision Pro, gives access to those same repair guides available from the website. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums03:14 pmVisionary investor Cathie Wood foresees a 2026 productivity boom after a three-year ‘rolling recession’ | Mac Daily NewsVisionary investor Cathie Wood foresees a 2026 productivity boom after a three-year ‘rolling recession’
Cathie Wood remains unapologetically convinced that the best is yet to come. 2026 could mark the beginning of the golden age of America… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.02:30 pmSetapp AI gives you 260-plus Mac apps and AI tools for just $69 a year
Attention, Mac fans -- don't sleep on this deal. Get a full year of Setapp AI while it’s on sale for just $68.99 (MSRP $107.88). (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)02:23 pmApple’s iPhone 16 tops smartphone sales worldwide in Q3 2025
Apple’s iPhone 16 was the best-selling smartphone globally in Q3 2025, according to Counterpoint Research’s Global Handset Model Sales… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.02:06 pmiFixit launches FixBot AI repair helper, with free and paid versions
iFixit has launched a new AI repair assistant known as FixBot. The company says Fixbot will make it faster and easier than ever before to figure out what’s wrong and how to fix it. There are both free and paid options, although the feature list suggests that the free option is very limited. The subscription tier is free for a limited time … more…02:02 pmiPhone 16e named ‘Bust of the Year’ in MKBHD smartphone awards
Macworld It’s December, and that means we can expect a slew of end-of-year awards features–which is usually good news for big companies like Apple. But not all awards, it turns out, are positive. The hugely popular tech YouTuber Marques Brownlee, also known as MKBHD, this week posted his Smartphone Awards 2025, and Apple topped four out of 10 categories. It’s just that one of those categories is not a category you want to be in. On the plus side, there was plenty of praise for 2025’s iPhone lineup. The iPhone Air picked up the award for Best Design, with Brownlee describing it as “one of the most beautiful and controversial products of the whole year.” The iPhone 17 was a spectacular success, winning Most Improved and the overall Phone of the Year award (“All the iPhone anyone really ever needs”), and even receiving honourable mentions in the Best Value and Best Small Phone categories. And while the iPhone 17 Pro didn’t win any awards, it was also singled out for praise in the Best Small Phone and Best Camera categories, in the latter of which it was referred to as the “undisputed king of video.” Unfortunately, the iPhone 16e received only negative attention, winning the “award” for Bust of the Year and a scathing diatribe about its litany of compromises and insultingly mid-market price tag. “So they made a smaller, less premium iPhone, basically by taking things out of the base phone,” Brownlee explained. “So we have a binned A18 chip in here. Fine. It’s also a smaller, 60Hz display with a notch. Fine. But then they kept going…” Ultimately, he concluded that the iPhone 16e was “just a crazy swing and a miss.” (We’re inclined to agree.) The awards, like all of Brownlee’s videos, are extremely well produced and presented, and well worth a watch. I’ll post a list of winners below, but the real value of the video is the explanations of why each phone was selected, and their significance within wider industry changes. I recommend you give it a watch. Best Big Phone Xiaomi 17 Pro Max Honorable mention: Oppo Find X9 Pro Best Small Phone Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 Honorable mention: OnePlus 13S, iPhone 17 and 17 Pro, Xiaomi 17 Pro Best Camera Oppo Find X9 Pro Honorable mention: iPhone 17 Pro, Vivo X300 Pro Best Value CMF Phone 2 Pro Honorable mention: Moto G Play, Pixel 9a, iPhone 17 Best Battery OnePlus 15 Honorable mention: OnePlus 13, Xiaomi 17 Pro Max, Doogee S200 Ultra Best Design iPhone Air Honorable mention: Xiaomi 17 Pro Max, Galaxy S25 Edge, Fairphone 6 Best Foldable Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 Honorable mention: Pixel 10 Pro Fold, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 Most Improved iPhone 17 Honorable mention: OnePlus 15, Samsung Galazy Z Fold 7 Bust of the Year iPhone 16e Dishonorable mention: Nothing Phone 3 Phone of the Year iPhone 17 Honorable mention: Xiaomi 17 Pro Max02:02 pmIf you've got a 20-year-old Mac mini, you can run a newly discovered MacOS 7.6
Archivists can now try the unreleased and newly rediscovered Mac OS 7.6 and Mac OS 8 for CHRP, if they have the right hardware.CDRs have been found with unreleased CHRP versions of Mac OS 7.6 and 8 - Image Credit: Macintosh GardenApple collectors often uncover hardware prototypes and other physical items from the history of the company. While there may not have been much new software-wise for holders of older Mac desktops, a few now have some new software they may be able to try out.Three CD-R discs were supplied to software repository site Macintosh Garden, containing release candidates for Mac OS 7.6 and Mac OS 8, as well as Outland 1.1B (Mac OS 8). As reported by The Register, the software was all created for CHRP. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums01:55 pmAirPods 4 vs AirPods Pro: Which should you buy this holiday season?
Apple’s AirPods lineup is stronger than it’s ever been, with compelling options at multiple different price points. If you’re exploring which AirPods 4 vs AirPods Pro to buy this holiday season, whether for yourself or someone else, here’s what you need to know. more…01:37 pmReddit making global changes to protect kids after social media ban
Australia will tomorrow become the first democratic country in the world to ban children from using social media. However, it seems unlikely to be the last, as many other legislators around the world have expressed concern about the mental health harms that may be done to teenagers by social media. Reddit is seeking to get ahead of the game by implementing new teen safety features globally instead of only within Australia … more…01:25 pmTap to Pay on iPhone comes to Hong Kong
Apple's slow worldwide rollout of Tap to Pay on iPhone has now seen the feature launch in Hong Kong.Tap to Pay on iPhone — image credit: AppleInitially launched in the US back in May 2022, Tap to Pay on iPhone means vendors no longer have to buy separate card readers, such as Zettle. For smaller businesses in particular, it makes taking payments convenient because it solely requires them to have an iPhone.It's even more convenient for customers because they can have an iPhone or Android smartphone. They can also pay with a credit card using contactless payments. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums01:00 pmGartner Recommends Avoiding AI Browsers — for Now
Gartner is urging organizations to block AI browsers, warning that agentic browsing tools can expose sensitive data, undermine security controls, and create enterprise-wide risks. The post appeared first on TechNewsWorld.12:57 pmEven as a Liquid Glass fan, I’m looking forward to a new Apple design era
You almost have to feel sorry for Alan Dye at this point. It was pretty clear he expected news of his departure from Apple to be something of a bombshell, and Meta clearly thought their acquisition of Apple’s former VP of Human Interface Design would be perceived as a coup. Instead, the prevailing opinion among Apple commenters appears to be succinctly summarized as a collective sigh of relief … more…12:15 pmCarPlay is getting even better with these new iOS 26.2 features
Macworld Earlier this year, CarPlay – Apple’s infotainment system for cars – received a major update with the first release of iOS 26. Not only did it gain the new Liquid Glass interface, but it has also received features such as widgets on the Home Screen, video streaming over AirPlay when the car is parked, Live Activities, and more customizations. With iOS 26.2 rolling out this week to iPhone users, CarPlay is also getting some nice upgrades that make the whole experience even better. More specifically, there are two new features that CarPlay users have been requesting for a long time that are finally on the way. More widgets on the CarPlay Home Screen With iOS 26.2, Apple is further refining some of CarPlay’s new features, starting with Home Screen widgets. Similar to widgets on the iPhone, CarPlay widgets let users see brief information and even access quick interactions right from the Home Screen without having to open an app. This includes options such as a calendar widget to show your upcoming appointments, the weather forecast, or even Home controls. Users can currently place up to two widgets on the CarPlay Home Screen, but that will change with iOS 26.2. The update enables support for more widgets on the CarPlay Home Screen. However, there’s a catch. The ability to add three or more widgets is limited to vehicles with larger built-in screens. Unfortunately, Apple doesn’t specify which car models support more widgets in CarPlay, but if your car has a large built-in screen, you will likely be able to add more widgets to it. You’ll be able to unpin CarPlay coversations in iOS 26.2.Foundry A cleaner interface for the Messages app Also with iOS 26, CarPlay introduced a new interface for the Messages app that shows pinned chats at the top. For users who prefer a cleaner interface, there’s now an option to disable pinned conversations in CarPlay. In the Settings app, you will now find a “Pinned Conversations” toggle. Turn it off, and you’ll no longer see pinned chats in the Messages app, just the regular list of chats. For CarPlay users who didn’t like the new Messages app interface, the update will certainly come in handy. The new CarPlay features are automatically enabled after installing iOS 26.2 on your iPhone. Just go to Settings > General > Software Update and look for the latest version of the operating system.11:57 amiPhone 17 steals the show in MKBHD’s 2025 smartphone awards
MKBHD’s Smartphone Awards 2025 delivered a surprise: the iPhone 17 beat the Pro Max to win Phone of the Year. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)11:30 amDid you hear about all those Apple execs who keep leaving? Good riddance
Macworld It’s been a big week in Apple executive movements. Let’s see if the Macalope can recap for you if you were unconscious for seven days (that sounds nice, can the Macalope get some of that?). After the unsurprising news that defacto former Apple executive John Giannandrea would infacto be leaving the company, we learned that Apple’s head of user interface design Alan Dye would also be leaving for greener pastures at Meta (the green is all cash). Breaking the news on Mastodon, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said: Apple’s top design executive Alan Dye is leaving the iPhone maker to become the Chief Design Officer at Meta in a blockbuster coup for the social networking giant and big loss for Apple. Mark Gurman This is such Dye-friendly framing that one might be excused for thinking it was written by Alan Dye’s mom. It wasn’t. Or probably wasn’t, anyway. Wouldn’t that be wild if Mark Gurman’s source this whole time has been Alan Dye’s mom? That would be an unexpected turn of events. In reality, few people in the Apple community–other than Dye’s mom–think much of his work, which includes Liquid Glass and a number of horrible icons for macOS Tahoe. People not really seeing this as a “big loss” for Apple include, but are not limited to, Louie Mantia, John Gruber, Jason Snell, Nick Heer, Macworld contributor Alex Blake, and this furry observer. Apple usually has good people waiting in the wings, and, in this instance at least, we have good reason to think the replacement will not only be good but a real upgrade. …everyone I’ve spoken to is happy — if not downright giddy — at the news that Lemay is replacing Dye. Lemay is well-liked personally and deeply respected talent-wise. Said one source, in a position to know the choices, “I don’t think there was a better choice than Lemay.” John Gruber Later in the week, Apple also announced several other executives changes, including the retirements of general counsel Kate Adams and VP of Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives Lisa Jackson. Adams will be replaced by ex-Meta chief legal officer Jennifer Newstead, and Jackson by a line on the org chart that is more often used on football locker room whiteboards to represent an end-run. If you’d like to receive regular news and updates to your inbox, sign up for our newsletters, including The Macalope and Apple Breakfast, David Price’s weekly, bite-sized roundup of all the latest Apple news and rumors.Foundry While many people were leaving Apple, at least one was trying to get back in. This news, that a man would like power and command the likes of which he has never wielded before, is huge, if true. Who, exactly, is saying this, you may wonder. …Tony Fadell, a former Apple hardware executive who co-invented the iPod, has told associates recently… Aaron Tilley and Wayne Ma, The Information Someone told The Information that Tony Fadell said he would graciously accept the position of Apple CEO. Okay. Just, for a second here, entertain the following: would it not be absolutely wild if The Information’s source here is Tony Fadell’s mom? Wilder still, Fadell and Dye were at Apple at the same time, so it’s theoretically possible the source is again Dye’s mom, but let’s not get crazy here and go with the single mother theory. The two-moms hypothesis seems more reasonable. Sadly for Fadell, no matter who the sources are and how many times he writes “Mr. Apple CEO Tony Fadell” on the cover of his Trapper Keeper, he is not going to get the gig. Even The Information says he was “a polarizing figure” when he worked at Apple, and his time at Nest doesn’t seem to have burnished his reputation much as he rubbed his co-founder and employees equally the wrong way. Well, at least we can settle down now that all the Apple executive news is- “Apple Rocked by Executive Departures, With Chip Chief at Risk of Leaving Next” Oh, come on. How is breaking news able to interrupt the Macalope mid-sentence in his own column? It makes no sense! Yes, over the weekend, Mark Gurman brought a tin of cookies over to some Apple executive’s mom’s house, where she was heard to remark, “Ooh, yah, I hear that nice Johny Srouji fella is thinkin’ of leavin’, him what made the chips and all.” The Macalope’s not sure whose mom this is, but he’s thinking upper midwestern accent. She’s serving Gurman a casserole out of a baking dish and pouring him some RC Cola out of a 2-liter bottle. Unlike Dye’s departure, Srouji’s would truly be bad for Apple. Fortunately, this breaking news was re-broken on Monday morning when Gurman reported that Srouji sent out a memo to his staff saying he didn’t know what they may have heard from any of the various chatty parents of Apple executives, but he doesn’t “plan on leaving anytime soon”. Here’s hoping all the remaining Apple executives take time off in the coming weeks to be with their families and don’t have bandwidth to think about leaving.