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- Thursday March 12
- 03:45 pmDeals: First cash discounts on M5 MacBook Air or $320 off M4 model, M5 MacBook Pro $200 off, AirPods 4, more | 9 to 5 MacDeals: First cash discounts on M5 MacBook Air or $320 off M4 model, M5 MacBook Pro $200 off, AirPods 4, more
In today’s 9to5toys Lunch Break we have the first cash discounts across the new M5 MacBook Air lineup at $50 off, alongside a giant deal on this M4 model at $320 off the original list price courtesy of Amazon. We also have $50 discounts on the M5 Pro MacBook lineup joined by $200 off several M5 MacBook Pro configurations as well as the ongoing discount on AirPods 4 with ANC, and more. Scope it all out below. more…03:31 pmToday in Apple history: Apple market cap breezes by Walmart
On March 12, 2010, Apple moved into third place among publicly listed U.S. companies. Soon the Apple market cap would hit the top. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)03:31 pmMacBook Neo is more repairable than any Apple laptop made in the last decade
Apple's new MacBook Neo design makes it startlingly quick and simple to repair, with Self Service Repair program instructions proving the point.MacBook Neo's keyboard is now easier to repairApple first announced its Self Service Repair program back in 2021, and it was really a case of doing it before being forced to by law. It's slowly expanded out, launching first for the iPhone in April 2022, and later expanding to Macs.Throughout, it's been criticized for being expensive and for making users go through hoops to get the work done. Now, though, Apple appears to be embracing the Right to Repair pressures it has faced, and do so both with the program, and with its designs. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums03:11 pmAsus exec: Apple’s MacBook Neo is a ‘shock to the entire market,’ tries tagging it as a ‘content consumption’ device | Mac Daily NewsAsus exec: Apple’s MacBook Neo is a ‘shock to the entire market,’ tries tagging it as a ‘content consumption’ device
Apple's $599 MacBook Neo has stunned lower-priced competitors, including Asus, peddler of plastic junk laptops. Priced $500 below… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.03:07 pm‘Immersive Navigation’ is the biggest Google Maps driving update in a decade
Google Maps is giving its driving experience the “biggest update in over a decade” with Immersive Navigation that redesigns visuals and offers “more intuitive guidance.” more…02:59 pmDisney+ is launching vertical video today, here’s how it works
Disney+ has announced it is rolling out vertical video to subscribers in the US today, with global rollouts to follow. Here are the details on Disney’s new ‘Verts’ feature. more…02:54 pmParallels shares update on MacBook Neo and running a Windows virtual machine
Last week, Parallels cautioned that its Parallels Desktop for Mac software was not yet tested for MacBook Neo. Following the release of Apple’s $599 laptop, Parallels is back with an update on virtual machine compatibility. more…02:53 pmApple turns 50: Tim Cook thanks users in heartfelt anniversary letter
As the company plans celebrations, Tim Cook posted an Apple 50th anniversary letter looking back with gratitude and ahead with excitement. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)02:27 pmScore a deal on the just-launched M4 iPad Air — while it lasts!
You can already get a deal on the 2026 M4 iPad Air with savings on both 13-inch and 11-inch versions in a range of specs and colors. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)02:17 pmApple launches new ‘Hello Apple’ Instagram account
Apple has just started a new @helloapple account on Instagram, joining its existing @apple account. Here are the details. more…02:15 pmIndia is considering more incentives to capture a larger share of iPhone production
India is considering new manufacturing incentives in an effort to shift production of the iPhone and other smartphones out of China, and to stall any move to move it to the US.iPhone Air internal componentsOfficials in New Delhi are working on a new version of India's production-linked incentive program. The subsidy program, which has been crucial in attracting smartphone manufacturing, will expire in March 2026.The program helped attract major manufacturers, and the next phase could tie incentives more closely to export performance. The policy reflects India's growing role in Apple's supply chain as the company steadily increases iPhone production outside China. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums02:11 pmApple’s folding iPhone ‘Ultra’ could cost under $2,000
Macworld With the (somewhat) budget-focused iPhone 17e out of the way, leakers are free to focus on the more premium handsets which Apple will launch later in the year. And the most premium of these is the iPhone Fold, which has been the subject of several leaks this week. The most useful of the new revelations, assuming the information is accurate this far from launch, comes from the prolific albeit somewhat unproven leaker Instant Digital. They claim to have details of the iPhone Fold’s storage tiers, plus Chinese pricing for each. According to a post on Weibo, the models will look like this: 256GB: RMB 15,999 512GB: RMB 17,999 1TB: RMB 19,999 Based on current conversion rates between the Chinese yuan and the U.S. dollar, that would equate to the following approximate price tags: 256GB: $2,330 512GB: $2,621 1TB: $2,913 But of course, Apple rarely uses strict currency conversion rates when selling products in overseas territories, as U.K. fans have discovered to their cost. A 256GB iPhone 17 Pro, for example, costs $1,099 in the U.S., which ought to translate to RMB 7,546; instead, that device currently costs RMB 8,999. And if we use that conversion rate (dividing the cost in yuan by 8.188 and adjusting for Apple’s usual pricing tiers), we’d end up with the following more palatable U.S. matrix: 256GB: $1,999 512GB: $2,199 1TB: $2,399 A starting price close to $2,000 might sound like a lot, but that’s actually a fair bit lower than we’ve been expecting. Sources had previously pointed to a whopping $2,399. Elsewhere, the Korean-language site The Bell (via MacRumors) reports that the RAM in the iPhone Fold will be supplied by Samsung, and that there will be 12GB of it. That’s the same as the RAM allocation in the iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro, but perhaps we should be grateful if it even stays the same, given how much the price of that commodity has risen. Finally, a new leaker, so take this with a big pinch of salt, has claimed the name of Apple’s first foldable will not be the iPhone Fold at all. An individual going by the handle WayLabs has claimed on Weibo that it will instead be called the iPhone Ultra. That isn’t an entirely absurd idea, given that Apple already uses that suffix on top-end products such as the Apple Watch Ultra and the Ultra versions of its M-class chips, so it’s not unprecedented. And a report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman earlier this week floated the idea of a line of “Ultra” devices. Far less conventional is WayLabs’ prediction of the device’s starting price. Whereas Instant Digital predicted an entry point of RMB 15,999, WayLabs says only that it “may exceed 10,000,” a far lower threshold. For comparison, RMB 10,000 would translate to $1,456 using the current exchange rate, or just $1,221 using our more practical ratio. That’s barely any higher than the iPhone 17 Pro Max, which starts at $1,199. A bargain! The iPhone Fold… sorry, iPhone Ultra is expected to launch in September. For all the latest news and rumors as we head towards the announcement, bookmark our regularly updated iPhone Fold superguide. If you can’t wait that long, check out our roundup of the best iPhone deals to get the lowest possible prices on the current range.02:02 pmApple continues to renovate its social media presence with new @helloapple Instagram account | AppleInsiderApple continues to renovate its social media presence with new @helloapple Instagram account
Apple is continuing to up its social game, with the brand launching a new Instagram handle to help highlight the creator community, and show what it's like inside the company.A glass "hello" sculpture inside Apple ParkThe new Instagram account, @helloapple, is where Apple will share a variety of news and information in one place that is easily accessible. This is alongside the official Apple newsroom and other accounts it operates on various social platforms.Users can expect to see stories from creators around the world, highlighting how Apple products change their lives. It sounds like a mini, social media version of Apple's inspiring videos that play before its major events. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums01:56 pmPerplexity’s Personal Computer is a Mac mini running an AI OS
Macworld While AI companies turn to powerful Nvidia GPUs for high-end AI workloads, at-home enthusiasts are consistently turning to an unlikely PC maker for their AI needs. On Wednesday, Perplexity announced Personal Computer, an AI agent that “runs continuously, merging your local applications with Perplexity Computer.” The system runs on Perplexity’s “secure servers,” but what hardware does it all run on? An M4 Mac mini. Perplexity explains that its Personal Computer “works in a secure environment with clear safeguards. Sensitive actions require approval, and every session includes a full audit trail. A kill switch gives users immediate control.” The platform was built on Perplexity’s existing foundation and ensures that every query runs in its own “secure sandbox.” It’s not the first time Apple’s tiny PC made headlines as an AI tool. In January, social media was overrun with people running the free, open-source AI assistant Clawdbot on stacks of Mac minis before Anthropic killed the buzz. Perplexity calls Personal Computer “more powerful than any AI system ever launched.” We don’t know yet which Mac mini it will be running on, but we assume it has the maximum RAM (64GB on the M4 Pro) model and a giant hard drive. It’s also unclear whether Apple is supplying the company with Mac minis or whether Perplexity is simply using off-the-shelf units. It’s also not clear how Perplexity is selling this system, as there’s simply a waitlist with no pricing information. It’s worth noting that there have been strong rumors that Apple will be launching a new M5 Mac mini imminently, and the announcement doesn’t mention the chip or configuration of the machine. Apple was rumored to be in talks to acquire Perplexity before it partnered with Google to use Gemini as the foundation for the new Siri.01:46 pmGrammarly wisely killed off feature that plagiarized top writers' voices
Even the folks behind generative AI writing are embarrassed at how bad it is, but Grammarly ripping off the voices of well-known modern writers is indicative of a much larger problem.Grammarly turned people — both living and dead — into ghost editorsApparently, Grammarly had a feature that encouraged users to rip off other well-known writers' styles. TechCrunch has a great piece on it, in which you find out that Grammarly would offer "expert review" — sans experts.It seems that, as you wrote, the tool would pop in and suggest revisions from the perspective of experts. Of course, the experts in question, like Platformer's Casey Newton didn't know this was happening. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums01:34 pmApple CEO Tim Cook posts open letter to customers: ’50 Years of Thinking Different’ | Mac Daily NewsApple CEO Tim Cook posts open letter to customers: ’50 Years of Thinking Different’
Fifty years ago in a small garage, a big idea was born. Apple was founded on the simple notion that technology should be personal… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.01:26 pmApple announces 50th anniversary celebration is coming
Today alongside Apple CEO Tim Cook’s new letter, the company has announced a proper celebration of its 50th anniversary will happen “in the coming weeks.” more…01:26 pmWhy my new M4 iPad Air is such a meaningful upgrade [Review]
Our M4 iPad Air review shows how the midrange tablet can be a very worthwhile upgrade for many users, especially when bumping up screen size. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)01:24 pmApple published a new Press Release
Apple just published a new Press Release:Apple to celebrate 50 years of thinking different01:20 pmTim Cook kicks off Apple's 50th anniversary celebration
Apple rarely looks back, but fifty years since its founding is a milestone not to be missed and CEO Tim Cook has begun by publishing a letter celebrating it.Apple starts off its 50th anniversary celebrations — image credit: AppleCook has already been speaking about Apple's 50th, but he's published a letter in which he directly speaks about the company's origins and ambitions. It's also, though, a letter replete with nods to the Apple of the 1970s and the Steve Jobs eras.April 1st marks 50 years of Apple. Thank you to everyone who's been a part of our journey. https://t.co/ZeB68ok859#Apple50 pic.twitter.com/7cXA0rnM9X— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) March 12, 2026 Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums