MacworldApple has launched a new in-house iPhone app designed to help users organize social gatherings. Its called Apple Invites, and its out now.As the name suggests, the first duty of the app is to create custom event invitations. You can use one of your own images as the main illustration, or choose one from a curated library themed around various occasions. You can also, inevitably, get Apple Intelligence involved, using Image Playground to generate original images tailored to the event and the people in attendance or Apple Intelligences writing tools to craft the perfect text.The invites feature directions and a weather forecast (thanks to integration with Apple Maps and Weather) and allow invitees to RSVP and view attendees based on RSVPs already submitted. Apple says you need to be an iCloud+ subscriber to create invitations using the app, but anyone, even those without an Apple device or account, can RSVP to one.However, the app has a larger scope than just creating and sending out the invitation. Guests can also upload photos and videos of the event to a Shared Album contained within the invite, and (if they subscribe to Apple Music) contribute to collaborative playlists. It isnt clear if there will be any ability to upload playlists from Spotify or other services in the future but for now, at least the app directs you to Apple Music only.David Price / FoundryGiven that its a software-only release with no hardware supply chain to leak out details ahead of the launch, Apple may have hoped that Invites would come as a surprise. But details were spotted in beta code in January and last Sunday Bloombergs Mark Gurman said the app could arrive as early as this week. The only thing he seems to have got wrong is that he persistently and pointedly referred to it as a service, not the app it has turned out to be (though its linked to iCloud+).Good news for Gurman, then, and seemingly good news for Apple and its customers. But as is often the case with a new Apple app, there are losers too, because Invites appears to fill a niche previously occupied by third-party app developers. Apple is notorious for Sherlocking its software partners in this way, bringing features they previously offered as independent apps within its own ecosystem and thereby putting them out of a job. Developers of apps such as Evite will have received the news of this launch with dismay.Apple Invites is available right now (for the iPhone only; theres no sign of an iPad version) on the App Store. App Store search, never the most efficient, didnt seem to have gotten the memo when I started writing this article, but after updating to iOS 18.3 and waiting half an hour Im finding that its showing up fine. Im not sure if the update or the wait made the crucial difference.

MacworldMalwarebytes has released its 2025 State of Malware report, which reveals that AI has also captured the attention of threat agents and will become a key tool in future malware attacks. The AI implementation that has gained a wide audience is generative AI, which can create content based on a users inquiry. For example, Apple Intelligence tools such as the Image Playground app or Writing Tools create content based on input the user provides. According to Malwarebytes, generative AI has not had a significant impact on malware.However, the next iteration of AI is what experts call agentic AI, which can act autonomously to solve complex, multi-tiered problems. According to Malwarebytes, Big game ransomware requires a lot of human labor, and a lot of that labor can be addressed with agentic AI by threat agents. Agentic AI could be used to scale up the number and speed of attacks, according to the report. Agentic AI can also be used to defend against malware attacks through autonomous agents that can proactively check for vulnerabilities, monitor systems, and ensure that security patches are put into place.Malwarebytes recommends that organizations operate their security as efficiently as possible to protect against attacks, which includes active monitoring of security consoles and acting on alerts immediately. Automated tools can be used to install security patches quickly and efficiently.Malwarebytes report is targeted at IT professionals and the big game attacks the report covers involve corporations. The report also states that 2024 was the worst year ever for known ransomware attacks, which rose 13 percent. The U.S. saw a majority of the reported attacks, and two-thirds of the attacks were targeted at the manufacturing sector.macOS StealersThe Malwarebytes report also includes information on the increase in macOS Stealers, malware that is designed to find information such as authentication cookies, credit card numbers, passwords, and more. Atomic Stealer, malware that emerged in 2023, continues to be updated by its creators and has been used several times in different attacks. Other malware that uses Atomic Stealer as its base have been created, as well.The easiest way to protect yourself as an individual user from malware is to avoid downloading software from repositories such as GitHub and other download sites. Apple has vetted software in the Mac App Store and is the safest way to get apps. If you prefer not to patronize the Mac App Store, then buy software directly from the developer and their website. If you insist on using cracked software, you will always risk malware exposure.Apple releases security patches through OS updates, so installing them as soon as possible is important. Macworld has several guides to help, including a guide onwhether or not you need antivirus software, alist of Mac viruses, malware, and trojans, and acomparison of Mac security software.

One of a handful of independent iOS app stores in Europe has begun the distribution of a porn app, advertising it as Apple Approved. The app isnt approved by Apple, and the biggest app available on the AltStore is Epics child-focused Fortnite game. Fortnite publisher Epic Games also invested in the AltStore, which now seems on track to become Europes place for iOS porn.What an achievement.Its all thanks to theDigital Markets Act(DMA).Tempers boil in Europes Hot TubThe app (Hot Tub) is nowavailable on the AltStore in Europe. The AltStore is one of the handful of independent stores to have appeared in the EU since implementation of the DMA.Originally a subscription-based service, the store became freely available once it received major funding from Epic Games, which has been a noisy critic of Apples App Store model. One thing the company hasnt done with that funding is build an age-verification process, which means the porn app it provides is now easily available to young people in the region.Apple has no way to prevent this because the DMA both forces Apple to open up its app store ecosystem to third-party developers and removed its power to curate apps sold outside its store. And while the porn app is the first manifestation of the kind of content youll have to avoid when using third-party stores, or the kind of content youll want your kids to avoid, it wont be the last such threat.Apple has warned for years that enabling app side-loading on iOS willopen the gates to dangerous, deceptive, and dubious apps. Despite these warnings, the European Commission made this threat a reality. You should see this as a sign of whats to come, thanks to the actions of former European competition chief Margrethe Vestager, whoseems pleasedto have forced Apple to open up.Features of the app include a teen channel and content from PornHub, whichrecently admitted to unlawful monetary transactions involving sex trafficking proceeds. Shortly after the app appeared, Alt Store alsosaid it would donate its February Patreon earnings to organizations supporting sex workers and the LGBTQ community, which seems incongruous, givenPornHubs recent admissionA regulation for decayEurope seems to think that forcing Apples platforms to become worse will in some way promote competition and enable innovative European businesses to thrive. But it seems to do so at the cost of platform security and the acceleration of what author Cory Doctorow describes as enshittification. In other words, its regulation-forced platform decay.In a statement provided toComputerworld, Apple said: We are deeply concerned about the safety risks that hardcore porn apps of this type create for EU users, especially kids. This app and others like it will undermine consumer trust and confidence in our ecosystem that we have worked for more than a decade to make the best in the world.Apple has alwaysargued that the DMA damages the company in preventing such content being published on its platforms. While theres an app notarization process, thats about tech verification and security rather than content. An app being notarized does not mean Apple has approved it, as is explicitly stated in theApp Store guidelines.Silence is complicityWhat makes matters worse is that the AltStore claims the app has been approved by Apple.Contrary to the false statements made by the marketplace developer, we certainly do not approve of this app and would never offer it in our App Store, Apple said. The truth is that we are required by the European Commission to allow it to be distributed by marketplace operators like AltStore and Epic who may not share our concerns for user safety.Apple was concerned about the app before it hit the store and approached the European Commission in December to express its concerns. The Commission expressed no opposition to the app, Im told. In other words, the people behind the app would be more truthful if they said their app was approved by Vestager, rather than Apple. Im not convinced that would be how she sees it, but actions speak louder than words, and by not taking any action the Commission she leads gives tacit approval.While perhaps some European millionaires willmake a couple of bucksoff this platform decay, it is doubtful the participants in the adult videos now easily available to European schoolchildren will see much of that largesse.How to protect you and your kidsDespite the EUs efforts, parents do have some choice. Apple has built Parental Controls to forbid access to third-party stores.First you must set up Parental Controls on your childs device, after which you should follow these steps:OpenSettings>Screen Time>Content & Privacy Restrictions.TapApp Installations & Purchases.TapApp Marketplacesto change this toDont Allow.You can also tapWebto change this toDont Allow.While this is likely to lead to your children protesting that they can no longer access Fortnite in order to spend your money on digital game items (for the benefit of Epic Games), this does at least mean you can restrict your children to a curated and trusted marketplace.While the DMAs goal is to foster competition, its impact on platform security remains contentious, and incidents like this one absolutely illustrate the risks.You can follow me on social media! Join me onBlueSky, LinkedIn,Mastodon, andMeWe.

You have a fair share of choices when it comes to USB-C cables, but you've never seen anything like Nomad's new Universal Cable for Apple Watch. It's truly the first of its kind.Nomad Universal Apple Watch cable review: A new go-to travel accessoryFor year's, Nomad has had some of the most highly-rated cables on the market. But they're fairly standard, coming in USB-C to USB-C, USB-C to Lightning, and a universal with swappable tips all in different lengths.Its new Universal Cable for Apple Watch bucks that trend by integrating an Apple Watch puck directly into the cable. Ideal for compact storage and travel. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

AirPods Pro 2 are $80 off today, with the wireless earbuds dropping to the best price of 2025 as Amazon and Best Buy compete in a price war.AirPods Pro 2 have dropped to the best price of 2025 - Image credit: AppleSteeper discounts on Apple products continue to launch at Amazon, with the retailer slashing the price of Apple AirPods Pro 2 to $169 in a price war with Best Buy. This reflects an $80 discount off retail, providing shoppers with the lowest price we've seen on the earbuds in 2025.Grab the $169 price Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Believe it or not, the console war is over, which may surprise some to know that its still going. No, it isnt because Microsoft has finally shut down and ceded victory to the mighty Sony or vice versa.The house of PlayStation has swapped places with Nintendo a few times to have the highest-selling console of a particular month, sure. Xbox hardware sales continue to fall, a fact that Microsoft is not concealing. Yet none of these companies have ceased their efforts, be it in console manufacturing, first-party game development or exclusive benefits.So whats going on exactly? Well, Forza Horizon 5, Playground Games exceptional open-world racer, is finally coming to PS5 this Spring. Suddenly, rumors have emerged of various Microsoft titles making the jump, like the upcoming Fable, Halo: The Master Chief Collection, Starfield, and even the long-rumored yet unannounced Gears of War Trilogy Collection. Several of these are also allegedly coming to the Nintendo Switch 2. Even something as simple as a job listing for The Initiatives Perfect Dark stating multi-platform optimization could very well mean a release on non-Xbox consoles.The proverbial floodgates are open. Chaos and pandemonium, etc. However, it actually appears to be the second stage of Microsofts plan one that began a year ago with key releases. These were Hi-Fi Rush and Sea of Thieves. At the time, rumors circulated about all kinds of properties Hellblade 2, Indiana Jonesand the Great Circle, etc. but Microsoft announced that it would only be these titles. Testing the waters and whatnot.Outside of Sea of Thieves, we dont know how well the titles performed, but it was enough to confirm other titles as multi-platform releases like The Outer Worlds 2 and Indiana Jones. So why is Forza Horizon 5 so special?Probably because its remained exclusive all this time, and now its finally launching for another platform. What was a big selling point of Game Pass leading to the biggest first week for the service at one point will now be on a rival platform. If there were rumors before of nothing being off the table, theyre pretty much a given now. The question isnt how or why Microsofts exclusives will arrive on PS5 (and maybe the Switch 2) but when.Dont get me wrong it would be a big deal for the likes of Halo, Gears of War, and Forza on rival platforms. At one point, there was fierce competition between Microsoft and Sony to one-up each other see the Halo Killers, the ad lambasting the Xbox Ones original digital games policy, etc.The fact that well likely never see the likes of Horizon, God of War, The Legend of Zelda, or even Mario on Microsofts consoles is also worth noting. For some, the fact that Microsoft finally caved is important. You might think its finally acknowledged the futility of Xbox hardware that no matter how good its games are, no one wants to buy an Xbox Series X/S when they could get a PS5 or even a Switch.And yet, that sentiment also goes against what the company is actually saying or doing. Hardware sales are down, but Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer has already said the company will continue to make Xbox consoles in the future. Its still pouring resources into Game Pass, a service exclusive to Xbox consoles and PC, but its also been branching out into other platforms for a while now.Cloud gaming continues to perform well, and its even available on LG Smart TVs, which isnt surprising since Amazon Fire TV devices and Samsung 2020 and preceding Smart TVs have been supported. Believe it or not, you can even play titles on the Meta Quest 2, 3, and Pro from December 2023.All of this should make an Xbox even less essential than before, but thats seemingly the point. As Spencer told Gamertag Radio, In the position that Im in, I look at hardware as a critical part of what we do, but were not trying to gate keep the games off of other places for the benefit of it. Lets go build innovative hardware that people want to use to play, whether thats in their hands or its on the television, or even other places.Its seemingly working as a strategy outside of Xbox Cloud Gaming, even PC Game Pass subscriptions have gone up by 30 percent in the second quarter of 2025. You could lay the success of the division on Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, resulting in Microsoft becoming the biggest publisher of December, but Indiana Jones is no slouch, garnering over four million players. And even if you could point to Game Pass as the reason for both titles succeeding, thats likely what the company wants.Microsofts resulting position is thus very interesting. This isnt like Sega back when it reeled from the disastrous performance of the Saturn and Dreamcast, going multi-platform simply because it had to survive. Instead, the Xbox brand is going beyond the original hardware (without the console necessarily being abandoned), while it accrues more revenue from competing platforms and sustains arguably the best game catalogue service currently available.Theres plenty that could still go wrong, of course. Maybe Microsoft higher-ups will decide that the console business isnt worth the losses and decide to axe it. Perhaps the all-in approach on Game Pass isnt providing the requisite returns, but its too late to back out now. Even as it changes gears (literally and figuratively), there have still been layoffs across various departments.However, the brand will likely continue perpetuating beyond into other spaces, perhaps even the handheld PC business (which Game Pass is performing well in). Weve seen teases of the company potentially releasing its own handheld, thus catering to a market share unique from its console competitors.For now, Xbox is still very much alive its just transcending what a console should mean in todays space. Sony continues to sell consoles without shipping as many triple-A first-party titles as last year showcased. Nintendo will still earn billions off the Switch 2 despite not competing with the PS5 or Xbox Series X in terms of graphical prowess (with reports indicating its closer to a PS4). Microsofts approach is still experimental, and things could shift on a dime like it did last year when it decided to go multi-platform.The so-called glory days of the console wars are doubtless far behind. Whether it makes business sense in the long run or not for Microsoft, its approach is beneficial for gaming as a whole. However, theres never been a wider amount of choice for games than now, regardless of which side you stand on.Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

The new Premium Warbond for Arrowheads Helldivers 2 arrives on February 6th with Servants of Freedom. Themed around fanatical loyalty, it adds new weapons, armor sets and a heavy helping of explosive firepower. Check out the first trailer below.The most notable new addition is the B-100 Portable Hellbomb, similar to those used when destroying specific buildings. Upon dropping and arming it, you have ten seconds to clear out. As for primary weapons, the LAS-17 Double-Edge Sickle is a souped-up version of the original, causing self-damage as you fire continuously.Those who prefer explosive sidearms will enjoy the GP-20 Ultimatum, and though its for close encounters, you can still die if shot at point-blank range. Theres also the G-50 Seeker drone, which self-destructs on detecting enemies, and the IE-3 Martyr and IE-12 Righteous armor sets. As Medium armor, they include the Integrated Explosives passive, where youll explode upon death.Check out the full range of cosmetics, including a new emote, player banners, and capes in the Premium Warbond below.

Cool FindsThis 120-Year-Old Police Docket Documented Crimes Like Reckless Horse RidingDiscovered in a thrift store, the historic docket lists incidents that occurred in the town of Casper, Wyoming, in 1904including reckless riding [of a horse] and keeping a house of prostitution The 315-page police docket from 1904 is bound in red leather with gold accents. Wyoming Rescue MissionStaff at a Wyoming thrift shop were sifting through donations when they came across a large 315-page book bound in red leather. When they opened it up and began flipping through the pages, they realized they had stumbled upon something special.The book was a 120-year-old police docket from the town of Casper. In 1904, police officers had filled its empty pages with details of various crimesfrom riding a horse recklessly (which resulted in a $4 fine) to running a house of prostitution (a $100 fine).Recently, someone donated the book to Caspers Rescued Treasures Thrift Store. The shops leaders returned it to the Casper Police Department during a ceremony in late January, per astatement from Wyoming Rescue Mission.It was definitely amusing to read some of those descriptions of crimes back in the day, Scauti Hillman, the thrift stores assistant manager, tells Wyoming News Nows John Habershaw.The docket is filled with oral incident reports, which were short speeches that police officers made before a judge when they suspected a crime had been committed, reportsYour Wyoming Links Duncan Cowan.Each record included the date, the suspects name, the alleged crime and other relevant information, such as whether the suspect pleaded guilty to the crime or paid a fine. Some suspects names appear multiple times throughout the book.The short narratives offer a glimpse of the untold stories from the towns history, says Keith McPheeters, Caspers chief of police.It would be interesting to be a fly on the wall back then, he tells Your Wyoming Link.Despite its age, the book is in good conditionthough it does have some water damage and mold spots on the back cover and a few pages. The red leather is decorated with gold stitching and symmetrical ridges, while the pages inside are well-preserved, with very few rips or tears. The book appears to have all of its original pages, which are covered with tidy penmanship.Eventually, the police department hopes to restore the binding and put the book on display alongside other pieces of the citys law enforcement history.Located in east-central Wyoming on the North Platte River, Casper was officially established in the 1880s. But white settlers had begun arriving decades earlier, after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Free Homestead Act in 1862. Designed to encourage Americans to move west, the law allowed settlers to claim 160 acres of land. Caspar is located near the intersection of several pioneer trails, as well as along the Pony Express route.During its first years, Casper was a rough-and-tumble town, historian Rebecca A. Hunt wrote for WyoHistory.org in 2014. The west side of Center Street featured numerous saloons and the raucous culture that went with them. Early law enforcement tried to keep order among rowdy cowboys.Some of Caspers earliest settlers were cattle ranchers and sheepherders. In the late 19th century and early 20th centuries, oil became Caspers main industrygiving rise to the Oil City nickname that persists today.Casper has evolved since 1904. But as the police chief points out, familiar themes can be found throughout the docket.When you open it up and you read itdrunk [and] disorderly, crimes of that natureits the same thing that our officers are responding to today, so not much changes in the world, McPheeters tells Wyoming News Now. But it is an interesting snapshot of a period of time during a colorful part of Caspers history.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Filed Under: American History, Cool Finds, Crime, Historical Documents, History, Horses, Law, Oil, Westward Expansion, Wyoming

Residents of Summerville have reported sightings of a mysterious glowing light over the town's old railroad tracks. The pictured tracks, while not the "haunted" site, were studied in an effort to determine the source of the 1886 Charleston earthquake. Susan Hough via Seismological Society of AmericaIn Summerville, South Carolina, a mysterious light has been seen hovering over old railroad tracks. Legend has it, its the glow of a lantern lighting the path of a ghost searching for her decapitated husband.Now, a seismologist has offered a scientific explanation for the floating orb: earthquakes. Susan Hough at the United States Geological Survey (USGS) published her idea in a research article late last month in Seismological Research Letters.Hough was studying the areas seismology, scouring old records with references to the Summerville Light, while trying to pinpoint the source of the destructive 1886 earthquake in Charleston. Then, she read a Halloween-themed USGS newsletter on spooky science.That sparkedso to speakan idea that had been in the back of my mind, working on Charleston, that I had never really even thought too much about, says Hough in a statement from the Seismological Society of America. What about those ghost stories from Summerville?Hough suggests the towns paranormal legends actually point to earthquakes. She noticed that many of the local ghost sightings coincided with periods of seismic activity.People said their cars would shak violently. Well, thats an earthquake, Hough says to Sciences Richard Stone. They heard noises upstairs, whispers. Or doors would swing. Seismic events we may not perceive as earthquakes fit some of these accounts. And glowing orbs that would hang in the air along a former railroad track. Well, that makes you think earthquake lights.Earthquake lights are mysterious phenomena that have been observed around the world, but scientists still dont have a clear idea of what causes them. Some have proposed that seismic activity deforms minerals in the Earth, creating an electrical charge that can lead air molecules to glow. Another theory is that theyre related to the release of gases like radon or methane, which can ignite when theyre exposed to a spark of static electricity. Hough believes the railroad tracks, in particular, are the key to Summervilles ghosts.Historically, when [rail companies] replaced tracks, they didnt always haul the old track away. So, youve got heaps of steel out there. Sparks might be part of the story, Hough says to Science. And maybe the railroads are important for another reason. They may naturally follow fault lines that have carved corridors through the landscape.That could explain why so many ghost storieseven beyond Summervilleinvolve lights over railways, she adds. When you start looking around, it turns out theres any number of ghosts wandering around railroad tracks with lanterns looking for severed heads, says Hough to Jonah Chester at the Post and Courier. Theres kind of an epidemic of them.Recognizing this connection could help scientists find seismic zones that have gone unrecognized so far. Following similar ghost stories in other regions could point to areas with a low level of earthquake activity that had only been noticed through earthquake lights, per the statement.Earthquakes are an appealing explanation for these ghost stories, says Will Levandowski, a geophysicist with the consulting company Tetra Tech who was not involved in the study, to Carolyn Wilke at the New York Times.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Filed Under: American South, Chemistry, Earth Science, Earthquakes, Geology, Mysteries, New Research, Trains

ESL FaceIt Group and Intel renewed their long-standing partnership to support premier Counter-Strike esports competition worldwide.Read More