More than a year ago, WhatsApp began testing a new feature for transcribing audio messages into text. The feature was only available to beta users, but starting today, everyone can benefit from voice message transcripts on WhatsApp.WhatsApp can now transcribe voice messagesWith this feature, the app identifies what is said in voice messages and turns it into text, so that users can read the content of the messages without having to play the audio which is useful in situations where you cant listen to audio messages. According to Meta, all transcriptions are processed on-device after the audio message is downloaded.Sending a voice message makes connecting with friends and family even more personal. Theres something special about hearing your loved ones voice even when youre far away. Though sometimes, youre on the move, in a loud place, or you receive a long voice message that you just cant stop and listen, the company said in a blog post.Its worth noting that only a small number of languages are currently supported. Audio transcripts on WhatsApp are only available in English, Portuguese, Spanish and Russian. Meta says the feature is being rolled out globally and should be available to everyone over the coming weeks.When it comes to Apple, the company added a similar feature to iMessage last year with iOS 17. However, Apples messaging platform is capable of transcribing audio in dozens of languages.WhatsApp for iPhone and Mac isavailable for free on the App Store. Make sure you have the latest version of the app installed in order to get access to the new features.Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Regarding docking solutions for your MacBook, iVANKYs FusionDock lineup is like your tech sidekick, helping you level up your workspace. Whether youre a power user juggling multiple displays or just need a reliable dock to expand your MacBooks capabilities, FusionDock has your back. Known for top-notch compatibility, sleek design, and serious performance, these docks are made to keep your workflow smooth and your desk clutter-free. Lets dive into the lineup and see what each dock can do for your MacBook!Get an additional 10% off by using the code FOR9to5Mac for a limited time. Be sure to check out our hands-on video below on iVANKYs FusionDock Pro 1+ to see what they are all about!FusionDock Pro 1+The FusionDock Pro 1+ takes MacBook docking to the next level, offering seamless integration for M1, M2, and M3 MacBooks. Its designed for professionals who need a boost in productivity and connectivity without compromising on performance.Key HighlightsTriple 4K Display Support: Connect up to three external 4K@60Hz displays for an immersive and expansive workspace.14 Ports: Includes HDMI, USB-C, USB-A, SD card readers, and a 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet port.Fast Data Transfer: Up to 10Gbps for fast file sharing.100W Charging: Provides robust power delivery to keep your MacBook and devices charged all day.The FusionDock Pro 1+ is iVANKYs go-to choice for users who need a powerful and efficient multi-display docking solution for any MacBook. It combines robust features with affordability, making it the perfect companion for professionals looking to enhance their productivity.FusionDock Max 1For those who need top-tier performance, the FusionDock Max 1 is the powerhouse youve been waiting for. As the big brother of the Pro 1+, it offers even more connectivity and speed, making it perfect for professionals who demand the best.Key HighlightsQuad Display Support: Handles up to four external 6K displays for unmatched multitasking.Dual Thunderbolt 4 Chips: First and only dock with this technology, delivering ultra-fast data transfers and seamless performance.20 Ports: Including 2 Thunderbolt 4 ports, 3 HDMI ports, 4 USB-A ports (up to 10Gbps), 2 USB-C ports (up to 10Gbps), 1 USB-C PD (96W Power Delivery), 1 SD card reader, 1 microSD card reader, 1 Gigabit Ethernet port, 1 3.5mm audio jack.96W Charging: Keeps your MacBook and all connected devices charged with ease.With its dual Thunderbolt 4 chips and capability to support four displays, the FusionDock Max 1 is ideal for professionals seeking maximum performance in their workspace.FusionDock 1The FusionDock 1 is iVANKYs entry-level docking station, offering an impressive set of features at a reasonable price. Ideal for users looking to enhance their MacBooks capabilities without breaking the bank, it strikes a perfect balance between performance and affordability.Key HighlightsDual 4K@60Hz Display Support: Enjoy crisp visuals with dual HDMI 2.0 ports for a seamless multi-screen experience.12 Ports: 2 USB-C, 4 USB-A, 2 HDMI 2.0, SD card reader, microSD card reader, Gigabit Ethernet, 3.5mm audio jack.96W Charging: Full-speed charging for your MacBook and an 18W fast-charging port for your iPhone.An economical option for those seeking a highly compatible dock that integrates seamlessly with their MacBook, the FusionDock 1 provides the perfect blend of functionality and value.Pricing and AvailabilityNow its time to save big on these awesome docks. The FusionDock Pro 1+ normally costs $299, but it is on sale for $199.99, offering exceptional multi-display support for professionals. The FusionDock Max 1 is priced at $439 but is also on sale for $373.99, providing the ultimate docking solution with its dual Thunderbolt 4 chips. For those on a budget, the FusionDock 1 normally comes in at $169 but is now on sale for $119.97, delivering reliable performance at an affordable price. All docks are available on iVANKYs official website and on Amazon. Lastly, our readers will get an additional 10% off by using the code FOR9to5Mac at checkout, even with the discounted prices! With options for every user, iVANKYs docks enhance productivity while keeping your workspace sleek and efficient.Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Just a few hours after releasing the latest iOS 18.2 beta for developers, a new public beta is here. iOS 18.2 public beta 3 arrives as one of the last releases before next months full launch. Heres whats new.Todays new public beta is the same software build as the developer beta 4 released earlier this afternoon.This latest build has little to offer in terms of new features or big changes. Just a few small new updates have been discovered:the Photos apps video scrubber now shows millisecondsCamera Controls accessibility settings have been added to the standard Camera Control settings hub, centralizing more options in one placeadded in the last beta but just discovered: you can now set a default Contactless App to replace Wallet inside Settings Appssmall design tweaks to Apple MailOverall, beta 3 is focused on performance improvements and bug fixes. Which makes sense, because were getting very close to Apple shipping the RC (release candidate) version of iOS 18.2.Apple has recently released weekly iOS 18.2 betas, but the company will likely take next week off due to the Thanksgiving holiday, meaning our next chance for a beta will be the week of December 2.Most likely, thats when well get the RC update ahead of a public launch the week of December 9.Highlights of iOS 18.2iOS 18.2 is a huge release for users, largely due to the highly anticipated new Apple Intelligence features. These include:Genmoji:Make your own custom emoji for use in any app.ChatGPT in Siri:Siri can tap into ChatGPTs knowledge, and you can even query ChatGPT directly.Image Playground: Create original AI images in animation, illustration, or sketch styles.Visual intelligence:Use iPhone 16s Camera Control to get relevant info from your physical environment.and moreBut there are also great additions outside of AI, such as a redesigned Mail app, new Find My features, Camera Control upgrades, and even more.If you havent yet joined the public beta program, you can do so now via beta.apple.com to install the pre-release software today.What are your favorite or most anticipated iOS 18.2 features? Let us know in the comments.Best iPhone accessoriesAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Apple has released public beta 3 for macOS Sequoia 15.2 and iPadOS 18.2, bringing refinements and bug fixes to Apples forthcoming software updates. Heres what to expect.What to expect from the new public beta 3Todays new public beta releases arrive just hours after Apple released new builds of macOS Sequoia 15.2 and iPadOS 18.2 to developers.Public beta 3 provides the same exact software as what launched in developer beta 4 earlier today.Unfortunately but also unsurprisingly, so far we havent discovered any new features or noteworthy changes in the latest betas.Apple instead has shipped bug fixes and performance enhancements in these latest betas that help push the software updates closer to being ready for public launch.These updates are expected to release to all users in December, likely the week of December 9.Features coming in macOS 15.2 and iPadOS 18.2There are a lot of new features available in macOS 15.2 and iPadOS 18.2. Heres a sampling of the highlights:ChatGPT integration with Siri and writing toolsGenmoji (currently iPad and iPhone only)Image Wand, an AI-powered Notes app featureWeather widget that can be added to the Menu BarNew AirPlay settings when sharing your Mac screenImage Playground app for creating original imagesFind My option to share a lost items locationOverall, while Apple Intelligence is definitely at the core of these updates, Apple has included several nice quality of life improvements beyond AI too.Have you been using the betas? What are your favorite new features? Let us know in the comments.Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from9to5Mac. 9to5Mac Daily is availableon iTunes and Apples Podcasts app,Stitcher,TuneIn,Google Play, or through ourdedicated RSS feedfor Overcast and other podcast players.Sponsored by CardPointers: The best way to maximize your credit card rewards. 9to5Mac Daily listeners can exclusively save 50%.New episodes of 9to5Mac Daily are recorded every weekday. Subscribe to our podcast in Apple Podcast or your favorite podcast player to guarantee new episodes are delivered as soon as theyre available.Stories discussed in this episode:Listen & Subscribe:Subscribe to support Chance directly with 9to5Mac Daily Plus and unlock:Ad-free versions of every episodeBonus contentCatch up on 9to5Mac Daily episodes!Dont miss out on our other daily podcasts:Share your thoughts!Drop us a line at happyhour@9to5mac.com. You can also rate us in Apple Podcasts or recommend us in Overcast to help more people discover the show.Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

The passwordless future is rapidly becoming a reality as more than 200 companies have now added passkey support to their websites and apps. This significant milestone, revealed by the company behind 1Password, signals a growing shift towards more secure and convenient authentication methods.The list of companies implementing passkeys has doubled since last year, now including names such as Walmart, Amazon, Target, Playstation, Discord, and Canva. For 1Password, this range of adopters shows the versatility and appeal of passkey technology across various segments.For those unfamiliar, passkeys were introduced two years ago, and they replace traditional passwords with more secure authentication using a security key or biometrics. The technology was developed by FIDO Alliance in partnership with companies such as Apple, Google, and Microsoft.1Password is also a member of the FIDO Alliance, and the company has also revealed some interesting data on the adoption of passkeys among its users.For instance, more than 4.2 million passkeys have already been saved in 1Password, and there are an average of 2.1 million passkey authentications per month. 1 in 3.4 1Password customers have at least one passkey stored, and 73% of users with passkeys are consumer accounts.These adoption metrics arent just a major milestone for 1Password because were at the forefront of passwordless advocacy. Its a testament to the trust our customers place in 1Password to provide secure and reliable passkey support.As members of the FIDO Alliance, were committed to help even more individuals and businesses move away from passwords and embrace a safer and simpler future without them.Earlier this year, 1Password introduced a new Passkey Ready tool that helps web developers easily check whether their users are able to upgrade from conventional passwords to a passkey.The FIDO Alliance recently announced new specifications for passkeys that include support for easy import and export of keys between different password managers. When it comes to iOS, the feature has been available in Safari since iOS 16 and was expanded to third-party apps with iOS 17.You can find more details about the adoption of passkeys on the 1Password website.Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

As we reported on Monday, Apple has published a new support document confirming that iCloud backup will stop working on iPhones and iPads running iOS 8 or older versions of the operating system. Now weve also learned that there will be restrictions on syncing Safari bookmarks as well.Safari sync to stop working on some iOS versionsAccording to another support article published on Apples website, devices running versions prior to iOS 11 will no longer sync Safari bookmarks via iCloud. Users with affected devices wont lose their current bookmarks, but new bookmarks wont sync with other devices and vice versa. The change will also affect Macs running versions prior to macOS Sierra 10.12.5.Apple says users will have to update their devices to iOS 11 or later or macOS Sierra 10.12.6 or later to keep syncing their Safari bookmarks via iCloud. For those who dont have a compatible device, the company will make Safari bookmarks available on iCloud.com.Moving forward, iCloud Bookmarks can keep your Safari bookmarks up to date across all your devices just make sure that all of your devices are updated to iOS 11 or later and your Mac is updated to macOS Sierra 10.12.6 or later. You can also sync bookmarks to a Windows PC using iCloud for Windows and the iCloud Bookmarks browser extension.iOS 11 was the first version of Apples operating system to run exclusively on 64-bit devices, which made it incompatible with devices such as the iPhone 5, iPhone 5c and iPad 4 which are stuck on iOS 10. When it comes to macOS, Macs released in 2012 and later can be upgraded to macOS Sierra at least to keep Safari bookmark synchronization working.The news comes after Apple also announced that iCloud backup will stop working on devices running versions between iOS 5 and iOS 8. According to Apple, current backups on unsupported devices will also be deleted from the cloud. Both changes will come into effect on December 18, 2024.Apple has a webpage with the minimum system requirements for each of its online services, which you can check out here.Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

pCloud is a Switzerland-based cloud storage company with a security specialty. It offers lifetime options for its storage plans, and in an early Black Friday special its bundling cloud storage with client-side encryption and a truly encrypted password manager at a heavy discount.Features of the security-focused pCloud file storage, encryption, and password managerAmong cloud storage providers, pCloud has built a base of more than 20 million users with its high focus on security and ease of use.Every cloud storage plan includes 256-bit AES encryption for all files, plus TLS/SSL channel protection. pCloud runs two data centers, one in the US and the other in Luxembourg.Fortunately, you dont have to sacrifice convenience for the sake of security with pCloud. pCloud includes key features with its file storage service like:dedicated desktop apps for Mac, Windows, and Linuxmobile apps for iOS and Android with automatic upload featuresweb accessautomatic backupsrobust collaboration and file sharing optionsinstant sync across all platformsFor users who want an extra layer of protection, the add-on pCloud Encryption offers client-side encryption that locks your files right on your device. That means even pCloud itself cant access them.To test its client-side encryption software, pCloud held a hacking challenge with a $100,000 prize. The challenge ran six months, involved nearly 3,000 participants, and resulted in zero hacks.pClouds expertise in security also lends itself well to pCloud Pass, the companys dedicated password manager. pCloud Pass comes with autofill, browser extensions, a military-grade encryption algorithm, and easy access across all devices and platforms.Limited time Black Friday deals on lifetime plansBlack Friday is coming up, and from November 13-30 pCloud is running an extended offer on its services lifetime plans.The best offer is a 3-in-1 bundle of pClouds 5TB storage plan plus pCloud Encryption and pCloud Pass. You can get a lifetime package of all three for just $599, a massive 60% off.Alternately, these lifetime pCloud storage plans are also on sale:1TB: $199 (-54%)2TB: $279 (-53%)10TB: $799 (-58%)You can learn more about pClouds products and access these special offers via the companys website.Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Compared to the iPhone and iPad, Apple Vision Pro has a limited number of apps available in the App Store. Even so, developers have been exploring the devices capabilities with different projects, one of which is the Formula 1 app Lapz. Unfortunately, the app may not even make it to the App Store.Developers create F1 app for Vision Pro, butFor those unfamiliar, Lapz is an app that lets Apple Vision Pro users watch F1 races on a virtual big screen while also being able to see the position of the drivers on a floating 3D model. The app was based on a concept video made by VFX artist John LePore to show what Vision Pro is capable of.Lapz has been distributed via TestFlight, as the developers still want to improve the app before making it available to everyone. Even so, the app has gotten a lot of attention since the beta version was released. However, as reported by UploadVR, the dream seems to be over or at least put on hold.Thats because the developers have been asked to pull the app from TestFlight. Not by Apple, but by Formula One Group. The most likely reason is the unlicensed use of F1 content and branding even though the app uses web views to let users log in to the official F1TV stream.The team behind Lapz say theyre working on securing a digital license to get the app working again. But for now, Lapz has been removed from TestFlight and current users will no longer have access to the app after February 8 when the current build will expire. The developers say they plan to license the app to other motorsport groups if they dont reach a deal with Formula One Group.Although Formula One Group has the right to ask for the app to be removed, its unfortunate that Vision Pro owners will lose another option for streaming content on the headset. Last month, the popular YouTube client Juno for Vision Pro was removed from the App Store after a request from Google.Its worth noting that neither F1 nor YouTube have official apps for visionOS.Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Microsoft on Tuesday announced a new product called Windows 365 Link, which is essentially a desktop PC similar in size to Apples M4 Mac mini launched a few weeks ago. However, while the Mac mini is a full computer, Microsofts alternative runs exclusively in the cloud.Microsoft now has a Mac mini competitor sort ofThe device was announced at Microsoft Ignite 2024, a conference focused on developers and IT professionals. From the outside, it kind of looks like the latest Mac mini, at least in terms of size. Its a small black box with a few ports on the back. However, both computers differ significantly on the inside.Despite being almost as small as an Apple TV, Mac mini is a proper computer powered by the M4 or M4 Pro chips. Windows 365 Link, on the other hand, has very light specifications. Thats because the device streams Windows through the cloud instead of running a local operating system.Microsoft sees Windows 365 Link as an ideal device for corporate customers. Rather than spending on large, expensive hardware, the idea is to have a super-small, much cheaper device that is connected to the internet to stream Windows with the power of a much better computer. Essentially, a computer for running cloud virtual machines.There arent many details about the technical specifications. All we know so far is that the internal hardware has 8GB of RAM, 64GB of storage and an undisclosed Intel processor. Again, the specifications dont matter much, as the built-in hardware is only used to stream whats in the cloud.On the back, the Windows 365 Link has a USB-C port along with two USB-A ports, DisplayPort, HDMI, and Ethernet. Its also equipped with Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 for wireless connectivity.As explained by The Verge, Microsoft believes that the new device brings security benefits to IT consumers, as all data is encrypted in the cloud and theres nothing stored offline that can be stolen or hacked. Of course, this also means that the PC becomes useless when theres no internet connection.Windows 365 Link will be available next year, and it will cost $349. It also requires a Windows 365 subscription, which starts at $28 per month.Although the idea sounds interesting, its hard not to compare it to the Mac mini, which costs only $250 more but has much better hardware (and runs a local operating system). As I recently wrote here on 9to5Mac, the latest Mac mini is an unbeatable desktop computer for most people. Its powerful, sleek, compact, and its at a great price.Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

If you just picked up a new M4 Mac or plan on performing a fresh install of macOS, youll need to change and configure many settings to meet your needs. In this updated Mac getting started guide, I walk through 60 different tips and tricks to help optimize your setup.Even if youre an experienced macOS user, chances are youll find a handful of new tips. Watch our video walkthrough, and subscribe to 9to5Mac on YouTube for more.In this written post, Im including just a few of the items I cover in the video, but it will give you a good idea of what type of content you can expect to find in the full video. Here are a few of my favorite Mac tips:Configure App Store to install large apps to external diskThis is a new feature for macOS Sequoia and one thats a massive win for users looking to get by with minimal disk space. After all, the base Mac mini, although an incredible value, only comes with 256GB of flash storage. The good news? You can add storage via external USB-C and Thunderbolt drives, and then install large apps from the App Store to an external drive.Step 1: Open the App Store.Step 2: Open App Store settings via the menu bar.Step 3: Click the check box next to Download and install large apps to a separate disk.Step 4: Select your external drive.Any app that you download from the App Store greater than 1GB in size will now automatically be downloaded and installed to external storage. But make sure its fast external storage I recommend Samsungs speedy T9 drive, which provides a great bang for the buck otherwise, it could affect the apps performance.Video: 60 Mac Tips for new setups (2024 Sequoia edition)Sponsor: Download Orka Desktop today the best modern Apple app development solution!Subscribe to 9to5Mac on YouTube for more videosAdd web apps to the DockmacOS Sequoia lets you easily add web apps to the Dock via Safari, which is handy for adding Threads or BlueSky links directly to the Dock.Step 1: Open Safari and open the website you wish to convert to a web app.Step 2: Click File in the menu bar and select Add to Dock.Web apps are stored permanently in the dock and act as standalone applications apart from Safari with separate cookies. They feature their own app icons, appear in LaunchPad, can receive notifications, and customize preferences.Remove window tiling marginsSequoia added a much-needed native window tiling feature that lets you quickly create tiled layouts by dragging your windows to the side of the screen or using keyboard shortcuts. By default, tiled windows feature margins that result in small gaps between each window. Heres how to get rid of the window tiling margins.Step 1: Open System Settings.Step 2: Click Desktop & Dock.Step 3: Scroll down and disable the Tiled windows have margins setting under the Windows heading.Double-click the title bar to maximize a windowAnother macOS Sequoia first: you can now double-click a windows title bar, and instead of performing the weird zoom feature, you can make it maximize the window to fill the screen.Step 1: Open System Settings.Step 2: Click Desktop and Dock.Step 3: Under the Dock heading, click the drop-down box next to double-click a windows title bar to and select Fill.Stop showing desktop when clicking wallpaperIts one of the most annoying recent features added to macOS: you click the wallpaper, and the desktop automatically shows, hiding everything else. Its a cool feature, but it has bad implementation. Instead, its better to use a Hot Corner shortcut to do that. At any rate, heres how to stop this.Step 1: Open System Settings.Step 2: Click Desktop and Dock.Step 3: Under the Desktop & Stage Manager heading, click the drop-down box next to Click wallpaper to reveal desktop, and select Only in Stage Manager.9to5Macs TakeAgain, thats a look at just five tips that help improve macOS overall. If youre just getting started with a new Mac, or youre reinstalling macOS Sequoia, then be sure to watch the video for a walkthrough of an additional 55 handy tips and tricks.What do you think? Sound off in the comments below with your thoughts.Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from9to5Mac. 9to5Mac Daily is availableon iTunes and Apples Podcasts app,Stitcher,TuneIn,Google Play, or through ourdedicated RSS feedfor Overcast and other podcast players.Sponsored by CardPointers: The best way to maximize your credit card rewards. 9to5Mac Daily listeners can exclusively save 50%.New episodes of 9to5Mac Daily are recorded every weekday. Subscribe to our podcast in Apple Podcast or your favorite podcast player to guarantee new episodes are delivered as soon as theyre available.Stories discussed in this episode:Listen & Subscribe:Subscribe to support Chance directly with 9to5Mac Daily Plus and unlock:Ad-free versions of every episodeBonus contentCatch up on 9to5Mac Daily episodes!Dont miss out on our other daily podcasts:Share your thoughts!Drop us a line at happyhour@9to5mac.com. You can also rate us in Apple Podcasts or recommend us in Overcast to help more people discover the show.Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Its a little-known fact that before emails reach your inbox, they pass through a buffer designed to scan and block malicious content. However, over time, email providersespecially Gmailhave shifted their focus to just adding warning labels to those with suspicious links or attachments. This approach, best described as beating around the bush hasnt reduced threats much at all. Shockingly, 91% of all cyberattacks still originate from emails. So, what gives?9to5Mac Security Bite is exclusively brought to you by Mosyle,the only Apple Unified Platform. Making Apple devices work-ready and enterprise-safe is all we do. Our unique integrated approach to management and security combines state-of-the-art Apple-specific security solutions for fully automated Hardening & Compliance, Next Generation EDR, AI-powered Zero Trust, and exclusive Privilege Management with the most powerful and modern Apple MDM on the market. The result is a totally automated Apple Unified Platform currently trusted by over 45,000 organizations to make millions of Apple devices work-ready with no effort and at an affordable cost. Request your EXTENDED TRIAL today and understand why Mosyle is everything you need to work with Apple.First, lets look at how bad things currently are.In an earlier Security Bite, I discussed a study by web browser security startup SquareX that revealed just how little companies are doing to block malicious attachments and protect users.The team of researchers took several different types of malware samples, attached them to emails, and sent them through Proton Mail to addresses on iCloud Mail, Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo! Mail, and AOL, part of the Yahoo! group. Notably, if the emails were delivered successfully to the users, they might be vulnerable to any potential threat contained within those attachments.The table below summarizes the results of sending 7 of the 100 malicious samples to the various email providers, indicating whether the malicious attachment was delivered. If an email was undelivered, it is a sign that malware was detected when the email was being processed by the server, according to the study from SquareX.Table showing what malware samples passed which email providers scanners and were delivered successfully.Image: SquareXThe dilemmaInvesting in robust email security features may seem like the obvious critical part of protecting users. However, Ian Thornton-Trump, CISO with threat intelligence solutions firm Cyjax, told Forbes, this is akin to asking the free Wi-Fi at a Starbucks why are they not blocking more or all cyber attacks. He further explained that its tough to balance free and secure in the same sentence.Thornton-Trump argues that adding advanced email security features can be deeply problematic with false positives, which may involve the use of technical support resources to help or fixthat expense across millions of users on a free platform may be commercially untenable.Moreover, others argue that email providers are dragging their feet on something that could cost substantial resources and impact their bottom line. While not specifically framed as for blocking spam, iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS 15 offer better categorization and summaries of emails, thanks to Apple Intelligence, making it easier to reduce clutter and identify whats important.Ill be interested to see if Apple ever integrates any other AI security features into the Mail app. Using Apple Intelligence to better warn users or outright remove malicious attachments and URLs from emails in real-time could be killer.Im curious to hear your thoughts. Please tell me you are not still using AOLAbout Security Bite: Security Bite is a weekly security-focused column on 9to5Mac. Every week, Arin Waichulis delivers insights on data privacy, uncovers vulnerabilities, or sheds light on emerging threats within Apples vast ecosystem of over 2 billion active devices to help you still safe.Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

A recent report by 404 Media revealed that law enforcement agents have been concerned about iPhones automatically rebooting themselves, which makes it very difficult to hack these devices. Security researcher Jiska Classen later discovered that this behavior is caused by a new feature called Inactivity Reboot, which has now been reverse-engineered by Classen.Reverse engineering iPhones Inactivity Reboot featureThe researcher detailed in a blog post how exactly Inactivity Reboot was implemented by Apple which did everything quietly without publicly announcing the new security feature. Based on iOS code, it was possible to confirm that Inactivity Reboot was implemented in iOS 18.1, although iOS 18.2 beta code suggests that Apple is still making improvements to how it works.Contrary to what was previously thought, the security feature has no relation to wireless connectivity. Instead, it uses the Secure Enclave Processor (SEP) to track when the iPhone was last unlocked. If the last time unlocked exceeds three days, SEP notifies a kernel that kills Springboard (which is the core of iOS) and initiates a reboot.Unsurprisingly, according to Classen, Apple has implemented ways to prevent hackers from bypassing this process. For example, if something prevents the kernel from rebooting the iPhone, the system will automatically cause a kernel panic to crash and reboot the device. The system also sends analytical data to Apple when a device enters the aks-inactivity state.Since everything related to Inactivity Reboot happens in SEP and not in the main iOS kernel, its much more challenging to bypass it even if the main kernel is compromised (like with a jailbreak tool). As Classen explained, little is known about the SEP as Apple keeps everything, including its firmware, under wraps.When rebooted, the iPhone enters a Before First Unlock (BFU) mode, which encrypts all the files on the device until the user enters the devices passcode. Even Cellebrite, a cybersecurity company that specializes in extracting data from locked iPhones, acknowledges that getting data from a device in BFU mode is quite challenging.Cellebrite tool used to hack iPhonesApple doesnt say why it implemented Inactivity Reboot on the iPhone with iOS 18, but the reasons seem pretty clear. The company certainly wants to crack down on tools like Cellebrite and Pegasus spyware, which are often used by law enforcement agents. Of course, this also protects regular users who may have their data extracted after being the victim of a theft or robbery.More details on reverse engineering the Inactivity Reboot feature can be found on Jiska Classens blog.Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Apple recently launched new MacBook Pro, iMac and Mac mini with the M4 chip, which brings a lot of performance improvements especially when it comes to AI tasks. However, users are facing issues when trying to run virtual machines with some older versions of macOS on the new machines.M4 Macs and virtual machinesAs noted by researcher Csaba Fitzl (via Eclectic Light Company), it seems that the latest Macs with the M4 chip are unable to run virtual machines with macOS versions prior to Ventura 13.4. The problem affects any virtualization software available for the Mac.According to the website, trying to run a virtual machine on M4 Macs with macOS 13.3 or earlier results in a black screen with the VM failing to boot. Many users have tried changing the settings in the virtualizer or even booting the VM in Recovery mode, but the result is the same. Everything works just fine on Macs with M1, M2 or M3 chips.The bad news is, no one has a concrete clue as to what exactly is causing the bug or incompatibility.Unfortunately, as this bug prevents the VM from booting, theres no reliable way to access its log to discover whats going wrong there. Theres no sign of the failure in the hosts log either: the host appears to initialise its Virtio and other support normally, without errors or faults. After those, virtualisation processes on the host fall silent as they wait for the VM to start, which never happens.According to the researcher, it seems most likely that the bug affects an early part of the kernel boot, which would require Apple to release new IPSW files for older versions of macOS so that they work with M4 Macs. However, this is highly unlikely to happen.Anyone working with VMs running macOS versions earlier than 13.4 must be aware before upgrading to a new M4 Mac. Apple has yet to acknowledge the issue. As for other Apple Silicon Macs, they can run VMs with macOS 12 Monterey or later (the minimum recommended version for these Macs is 12.4).On a related note, macOS Sequoia has added multiple enhancements for virtual machines, including full support for logging into iCloud accounts, which wasnt possible on Mac VMs before.Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

A new report today suggests that porch pirates thieves who steal packages left on doorsteps shortly after delivery have accessed tracking data from AT&T systems to follow iPhone deliveries.There has been a marked uptick in iPhones being stolen from doorsteps after being ordered from AT&T and delivered by Fedex, apparently with the help of real-time delivery updates CNET reports.A new rash of 2024 package thefts has uncovered a disturbing technique with thieves seizing private tracking data so they know exactly when packages are delivered, particularly iPhones. That allows these prescient porch pirates to jump in and steal the phones right when theyre delivered []Thieves are somehow getting tracking numbers or similar tracking information for iPhone deliveries, so they get real-time updates about when and where packages are delivered, allowing them to swoop in the moment the package status changes.AT&T is one of the few telecom companies that in many cases doesnt require signatures for high-value deliveries like iPhones. That allows thieves to steal packages when they are left unattended.Neither company has commented, and law enforcement is still investigating, but one theory is that the data is being accessed internally by rogue AT&T employees and then sold to thieves.The site recommends buying from companies and carriers who require a signature for high-value deliveries, as this should ensure packages are not left unattended on doorsteps.Photo byDan DennisonUnsplashAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Today DoorDash announced a variety of new features and improvements timed for the holiday season. One such change: a new integration with Apples Reminders app.Import Reminders lists into DoorDash, or copy/paste a listThe Reminders app is used in a variety of ways by different users, but one of the most common use cases is grocery lists. Apple has even added grocery-specific features in the last couple years.Now, as DoorDash tries to make a bigger push into being used not just for restaurant deliveries but also groceries, the company is rolling out a new Reminders integration.DoorDash is adding the ability to import a Reminders list to get a quicker start on your grocery order.You can choose which list to import, and each item on the list will trigger a search so you can find the exact products youre looking for from DoorDashs various partners.If you keep your grocery lists in Apple Notes or some other app instead, the same functionality is extended to lists you paste into the DoorDash app.All of this makes it quicker to get your shopping done within DoorDash.Do you plan to use this new Reminders integration? Let us know in the comments.Best iPhone accessoriesAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Originally introduced in 2016, it now seems like Apples Lightning to 3.5mm headphone jack adapter may soon be discontinued (via MacRumors).Apple started selling this product alongside the iPhone 7, which was the first iPhone to no longer include a 3.5mm headphone jack. If you wanted to use wired headphones (aside from the Lightning EarPods that came in the box), you would need this adapter.Apple included it in the box with the iPhone 7, 8, and X, but starting with the iPhone XS and XR, they stopped including it, requiring customers to buy it separately for $9.Obviously, iPhones use USB-C now, and Apple does still make a USB-C to headphone jack adapter for use with iPhone 15 and later. However, if you use an iPhone 14 or prior, time may be running out.Its currently sold out on Apples online store, which doesnt necessarily mean its gone but its a strong sign. As mentioned in MacRumors reporting, this same situation played out with Apples USB SuperDrive, where it sold out a few months prior, and then silently got discontinued.While it is out of stock online in the US and in most countries, it is still available in France, Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden.Therell likely continue to be MFi options on the market, but if you specifically want the Apple one time is running out. Amazon seems to be out of stock, but you can still buy it from Best Buy, for slightly under the original $9 price tag.Follow Michael:X/Twitter,Threads,InstagramAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

According to Bloombergs Mark Gurman, Apple is preparing the release of AirTag 2 around the middle of next year. The design will stay pretty similar but will improve on the original model in three key ways.Although this isnt the first time were hearing of AirTag 2, this is the first time were getting a clear look at Apples plans for it.Apple originally released AirTag in early 2021, after nearly 2 years of long-lasting leaks that made everyone question whether or not the product was even gonna happen. All the way back in 2019 we knew of the B389 codename, and there were numerous references within iOS 13, and leaks to support it.The new AirTag model is codenamed B589, and according to Bloomberg, its progressed in manufacturing tests. This means the product will soon be coming to market, with three decent improvements:Better rangeImproved wireless chipImproved privacyBetter range and an improved wireless chip make sense, and were likely givens. However, its good to see that Apple will be focusing on privacy. Gurman makes reference to the fact that a number of people have used the device for stalking, and some have even modified AirTags to completely disable the speaker. Hopefully, Apple will be addressing those concerns head-on in a new model.Wrap upAre you excited for the release of AirTag 2? Let us know in the comments.If youre considering buying the current generation of AirTag, theyre currently on sale, with a single AirTag available for $19, and a 4-pack for $79.98.Follow Michael:X/Twitter,Threads,InstagramAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Apple released its new MacBook Pros with M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max chipsets last week and early CPU benchmarks (via Geekbench) painted a very promising picture for Apples highest end M4 Max chipset. Now were taking a look at some GPU benchmarks, and the M4 Max continues to hold quite strong.These GPU benchmark scores come from Blender Open Data, a test where users can benchmark Blender performance on their device, both in CPU and GPU. Unlike synthetic benchmarks like Geekbench, the Blender benchmark can provide an idea of real world performance, if this suits your workflow.M4 Max vs comparable Nvidia offeringsAccording to Blender Open Data, the M4 Max averaged a score of 5208 across 28 tests, putting it just below the laptop version of Nvidias RTX 4080, and just above the last generation desktop RTX 3080 Ti, as well as the current generation desktop RTX 4070.Thats quite impressive, considering Apples graphics are entirely on-chip, unlike the discrete RTX 3080 Ti and RTX 4070, which occupy significant space inside a desktop PC.M4 Max vs best Nvidia offeringsThat being said, its not all sunshine and rainbows. If you compare it to the highest end comparable Nvidia offering, the RTX 4090 Laptop its still a fair bit behind. The laptop 4090 scores 6863 on average, making it around 30% faster than the highest end M4 Max.Obviously, theres the efficiency argument Apples M4 Max uses far less power than anything in the high end Windows laptop space. However, for those looking to maximize performance on the go, at all costs, M4 Max is not the best way to go, though it does still perform impressively given its efficiency.Wrap upOne interesting highlight is that the desktop RTX 4090 averages a score of 10880. Hypothetically, an M4 Ultra chip that doubled up on the M4 Max could beat that score, which would make the next generation Mac Studio a lot more interesting.What do you think of the latest Apple Silicon? Let us know in the comments.Follow Michael:X/Twitter,Threads,InstagramAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

According to this weekends Power On newsletter from Mark Gurman, Apple is evaluating the idea of releasing an Apple-branded TV set, once again.Gurman says that this would happen after Apple releases their upcoming smart display products, so its likely a couple years out. Apple is expected to release a lower end smart display, which a lot of people are referring to as HomePad, early next year.Afterwards, were anticipating some kind of higher end product with a larger display and a robotic arm.However, Gurman says that if the first device fails, referring to the smart displays, Apple may have to rethink its smart home ambitions once again meaning theres decent odds that this Apple-branded TV set rumor may never come to fruition.Personally, I cant really see this happening. Apple TV boxes are enough of a contribution to the market, but perhaps Apple could contribute to the high-end TV market, as much of a niche as it is.On the other hand, Apple likely really wants to push the idea of customers using Apple Vision Pro as their home theater, which this would go against.I guess well see.Follow Michael:X/Twitter,Threads,InstagramAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Its long been rumored that Apple will be partnering with other AI chatbot companies in the future, to support Apple Intelligence features. Apple already partnered with OpenAI to bring ChatGPT to iOS, and that integration is now here in the iOS 18.2 beta, which is expected to release in December.We havent yet heard any announcements about other integrations, such as Googles Gemini and Anthropics Claude, which Bloomberg previously reported would be coming. Apple software exec Craig Federighi even stated in an interview that hed like to see Gemini integration within Apple Intelligence, all the way back in June.However, according to a recent tidbit from Mark Gurmans Power On newsletter, we may now have a better idea of Apples timeline:Other future improvements include anintegration withGoogle Gemini. But Apple will probably give OpenAI a nice window of exclusivity, especially since it isntexactly payingfor thetechnology.So I wouldnt expect the Gemini chatbot to arrive in iOS until next year.So, at least according to Gurman, we likely wont see Google Gemini integration until next year though it isnt quite clear whether that means sometime in the spring (like iOS 18.4), or later in the year, sometime during the iOS 19 release cycle.Either way, we probably wont be seeing Gemini integration this year like some had hoped.If you still really want to use Gemini on your iPhone though, youre in luck! Google released a standalone Gemini app on the App Store earlier this week, allowing iOS users to tap into Googles latest AI developments from their pocket.Follow Michael:X/Twitter,Threads,InstagramAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Apple has updated its lists of vintage and obsolete products today, adding the iPhone XS Max, several Apple Watch models, and more. Heres what that means.Two new vintage products and four obsoleteTodays additions were spotted by Joe Rossignol at MacRumors and come after Apple marked a variety of Macs and iPads vintage just last month.Heres whats been added in the most recent update:Newly VintageiPhone XS MaxiPhone 6s PlusNewly ObsoleteApple Watch Series 2, Aluminum (2nd generation), 38mmApple Watch Series 2, Aluminum (2nd generation), 42mmApple Watch Series 2, Stainless Steel (2nd generation), 38mmApple Watch Series 2, Stainless Steel (2nd generation), 42mmIts interesting that the iPhone XS Max and iPhone 6s Plus are joining the vintage list at the same time, since they debuted three years apart. The 6s Plus arrived in 2015 and the XS Max not until 2018.Apples vintage and obsolete designations, though, are based on when a product stops being sold rather than when it starts. Clearly, the iPhone 6s Plus had an especially long run in the market compared to the XS Max.Apples definitions for vintage and obsolete productsHere are Apples definitions of these two terms:Vintage: Products are considered vintage when Apple stopped distributing them for sale more than 5 and less than 7 years ago.Obsolete: Products are considered obsolete when Apple stopped distributing them for sale more than 7 years ago. Monster-branded Beats products are considered obsolete regardless of when they were purchased. Apple discontinues all hardware service for obsolete products, and service providers cannot order parts for obsolete products. Mac laptops may be eligible for an extended battery-only repair period for up to 10 years from when the product was last distributed for sale, subject to parts availability.In short, the designations are entirely tied to the passage of time, no other factor.What they mean, though, determines a devices repairability prospects. Vintage products can perhaps still be repaired by Apple, assuming parts are available, but obsolete products cannot.Anything you find surprising from todays vintage and obsolete additions? Let us know in the comments.Best iPhone accessoriesAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Apple Pay is celebrating 10 years since launching, and a new video ad highlights something about Apple Pay that has been true since day one. Apple Pay makes it really easy to spend money on the internet.Even on copperplateantiques.com, which doesnt appear to be real: But seriously, Apple Pay on the web truly makes online shopping so incredibly convenient. How many thousands of dollars have you spent online thanks to the simplicity of shopping with Apple Pay?MoreFollow Zac: X, Threads, Instagram / Shop Apple on Amazon to support my work Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Apple @ Work is exclusively brought to you by Mosyle, the only Apple Unified Platform. Mosyle is the only solution that integrates in a single professional-grade platform all the solutions necessary to seamlessly and automatically deploy, manage & protect Apple devices at work. Over 45,000 organizations trust Mosyle to make millions of Apple devices work-ready with no effort and at an affordable cost.Request your EXTENDED TRIALtoday and understand why Mosyle is everything you need to work with Apple.As Apple has shifted to a rolling thunder of new features for iOS 18 where it brings out new features and functionality over time, so has it done the same for its enterprise tools. iOS 18.1 brings some important features to Apple IT admins with their device management solution.About Apple @ Work:Bradley Chambers managed an enterprise IT network from 2009 to 2021. Through his experience deploying and managing firewalls, switches, a mobile device management system, enterprise grade Wi-Fi, 1000s of Macs, and 1000s of iPads, Bradley will highlight ways in which Apple IT managers deploy Apple devices, build networks to support them, train users, stories from the trenches of IT management, and ways Apple could improve its products for IT departments.MDM can disable RCS messagesWith iOS 18.1, Apple IT admins can now prevent users from sending or receiving Rich Communication Services (RCS) messages. This adds another layer of communication control for enterprise environments that rely on tighter messaging restrictions.MDM can manage writing tools and mail summarizationAdministrators can now manage access to Writing Tools and Mail summarization features introduced in iOS 18.1. This ensures that users have consistent access to these productivity tools, or it can restrict them as necessary, depending on company policy.Messages app restriction can no longer be bypassed using ShareSheetIn response to previous workarounds, iOS 18.1 has closed a loophole where the Messages app restriction could be bypassed using the ShareSheet. Now, when Messages is restricted, users cannot share content via this app, ensuring more robust compliance with company policies.Users can no longer deactivate per-app VPNThe update restricts users from deactivating per-app VPN connections, ensuring that all app-specific traffic is routed through the VPN as mandated by the organizations device management configuration. This enhances security by maintaining consistent VPN use.MDM can disable the ability to record phone callsiOS 18.1 allows Apple IT admins to prevent users from recording phone calls, whether for privacy, legal, or compliance reasons. This feature helps enforce stricter call recording policies across managed devices.MDM can disable the ability to hide appsAdministrators can now prevent users from hiding apps, which is useful in scenarios where visibility of all installed apps is required for compliance. In addition, this update allows blocking of apps from being locked by users, reinforcing app visibility and access.Wrap upWith iOS 18.1, Apple has expanded its approach to introducing new features over time, delivering notable updates for both users and enterprise IT admins. The added MDM capabilities underscore Apples focus on refining device management and security within enterprise environments. These updates, like controlling RCS messages, restricting call recording, and managing per-app VPN usage, offer IT teams more granular control over devices.As Apple continues its rolling thunder strategy for iOS and macOS updates, IT administrators can expect further improvements that align with evolving enterprise needs. iOS 18.1s advancements mark a step forward in empowering admins to secure and streamline device management.Apple @ Work is exclusively brought to you by Mosyle, the only Apple Unified Platform. Mosyle is the only solution that integrates in a single professional-grade platform all the solutions necessary to seamlessly and automatically deploy, manage & protect Apple devices at work. Over 45,000 organizations trust Mosyle to make millions of Apple devices work-ready with no effort and at an affordable cost.Request your EXTENDED TRIALtoday and understand why Mosyle is everything you need to work with Apple.Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Apple users across the globe have been reporting that theyre receiving refunds for AppleCare+ on iPhones they purchased and traded in years ago. Seemingly, there isnt anything specific triggering the refund, but there are a number of varying cases.AppleCare+ refund emailApple is refunding AppleCare+ on a wide variety of recently traded-in iPhone models, ranging from the iPhone 11 Pro to the iPhone 14 Pro. The email to affected customers states the following:Dear Customer,Our records indicate that you are eligible for a refund associated with your AppleCare+ agreement (number) for the iPhone 12 Pro Max you returned or traded in.We have issued a refund for $201.47 to the payment method associated with your Apple Account. Please allow 30 days for the refund to process.If you have questions or need help, contact Apple Support.Sincerely,Apple SupportVarying refund amountsInterestingly, some people are seemingly getting refunds in excess of what their unused portion of AppleCare+ wouldve been worth. AppleCare+ costs $199 for two years of coverage on iPhone Pro models, and $269 for theft and loss coverage. A refund of $201.47 seems a bit high, presuming that this customer used their iPhone for a reasonable amount of time.On top of that, Dylan McDonald on X reported that he received a refund of $181.36 for AppleCare+ on his iPhone 12 Pro Max, despite only subscribing to the monthly plan. He does note that he forgot to cancel his subscription for a few months after trading in, but even then the refund shouldve been closer to $40, not $200.It hasnt been so positive for everyone though, and multiple customers are receiving refunds as small as a couple dollars.Wrap upIf Apple isnt able to automatically refund you, youre advised to contact Apple Support, who can provide a form for issuing your Repair Extension Program Refund.It still isnt quite clear whats going on, but customers in both the US and UK are receiving such refunds. Users are also showing that theyve already received refunds in their bank accounts, so the emails dont seem to be an error.It is worth noting that customers were always able to call in and ask for partial refunds on 2 year AppleCare+ plans, though Apple is seemingly creating an automated process for it now.Well update this story if we learn any clarifying details. Have you personally received such an email? Let us know in the comments.Follow Michael:X/Twitter,Threads,InstagramAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

This weekend is Indie Charity Weekend a new initiative started by notable app developer Will Bishop! Starting today, 100% of this weekends proceeds from the 23 participating apps will go to the charity of the developers choice.In the past, Will has held app fundraisers for the early 2020 Australian wildfires, where he raised over $3000 and provided proof of donation. This time around, hes gathered nearly two dozen apps to participate in a charity weekend, with a pretty nice lineup:As mentioned earlier, each developer is donating to a varying charity, and you can learn more by checking out the website for Indie Charity Weekend. Proof of donation will be provided within a few days of the weekend ending.Some of the supported charities include Make A Wish, St. Jude, and American Cancer Society.If any of these apps sound interesting to you, and youre interested in supporting charity, feel free to check out any of these apps this weekend! Its a great concept, and Id love to see more of this in the community.As a reminder, 100% of proceeds (earnings after Apples 15-30% cut) will go to charity for purchases made in these apps this weekend (November 16-17).Follow Michael:X/Twitter,Threads,InstagramAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Welcome toIndie App Spotlight. This is a weekly 9to5Mac series where we showcase the latest apps in the indie app world. If youre a developer and would like your app featured, getin contact.Pinningis a unique calendar countdown app for iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision. It offers a visually appealing way of keeping track of birthdays, calendar events, anniversaries, and more! It also includes a number of native-feeling design elements.Top featuresFirst and foremost, Pinning is a calendar app at heart. You can sync your iPhones Calendar app to Pinning, allowing you to keep track of all of your important upcoming events through a quick scroll.Pinning also supports a number of great Apple ecosystem features, including iCloud Sync, support for Siri Shortcuts, Spotlight, and interactive widgets. You can also collaborate on event lists through iCloud, making it easy to share a brief schedule with a friend or colleague.The app also puts a huge emphasis on birthdays and anniversaries, making it easy to keep track of those important dates in your life.You can also organize events with tags, or sort them into different notebooks. Pinning also makes it easy to set up recurring events.Obviously, there have been a number of countdown apps on the App Store, but Pinning aims to be different by focusing on the more novel features, while also being a simple to use app that fits in your ecosystem. And honestly, in my eyes, it feels like the right way to handle calendars.Pinning also prioritizes user privacy, and doesnt serve any in-app advertising, even for free users. It also has a number of fun app icons and customization options.Pinning is available for free on the App Store for iPhone/iPad running iOS 17 or later, Apple Watch running watchOS 10 or later, and Apple Vision Pro on all visionOS versions.For all of Pinnings premium features, such as the ability to sync your devices calendar, you can purchase Pinning Pro, for $1.49/month, $11.99/year, or $29.99 lifetime.Follow Michael:X/Twitter,Threads,InstagramAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

One of the Messages apps most-used features, Tapbacks, got a big upgrade in iOS 18. The standard tapbacks were redesigned, and you can now use any emoji as a tapback. But theres one tapback fix thats become more needed than ever, and I hope Apple addresses it soon.The expansive growth of tapbacks in MessagesI dont know about you, but some of my Messages conversations are absolutely overrun by tapbacks.Certain group chats tend to be the worst offenders.Im on some group threads where practically every message sent gets several tapback reactions from others.Now that any emoji can be a tapback in iOS 18, any message someone sends can be paired with a relevant and/or humorous tapbackexacerbating the problem.Fortunately, the fix could be very easy for Apple.New setting could enable muting tapback alertsiOS already lets you mute any thread of your choosing. It offers two convenient options:You can swipe left on the conversation and hit the bell iconOr open the thread, tap the name/number at the top, and hit the Hide Alerts toggleWhat Id like is for a new toggle to be added.Just one little toggle: Hide Alerts for TapbacksThat way, I can still get notified when actual messages are sent inside a group chat, but tapbacks wont alert me.I wouldnt want to disable tapback alerts everywhere, just for several group chats where constant alerts make it hard to keep up with the conversation.This small addition to Messages info screen would do the trick.Do you have the same problem? Want Apple to add a new toggle for tapback alerts? Let us know in the comments.Best iPhone accessoriesAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Brought to you by Uniq: Crafted with 28 bidirectional magnets, the Uniq Revix Apple Watch band collection features exceptional durability in a range of materials from premium leather to ultra-soft silicone. Learn more. The new Apple Watch is the thinnest and lightest version of the wearable to date. But how much thinner is Series 10 compared to Series 9 and earlier? And will you notice a difference? Read on for all the details.Apple Watch Series 10features new sizes with the biggest displays in combination with the thinnest design.Interestingly, Apple increased the displays bezel slightly with Series 10. But youre getting more rounded corners that give a softer and sleeker feel.Heres how much thinner Apple Watch Series 10 vs Series 9 and earlierSeries 10 is almost 10% thinner than Series 7-9. Series 10 is an impressive ~50% thinner than Apple Watch Ultra/2Will you notice the difference? You likely will between the thinness, larger screen, and lighter weight. But the best way to know is to try one on at an Apple Store or other retailer.Series 10987Ultra 2Case size46/42mm45/41mm45/41mm45/41mm49mmThickness9.7mm10.7mm10.7mm10.7mm14.4mmWeight35-41 grams for 46mm, 29-34 grams for 42mm (depending on model)39-51 grams for 45mm, 32-42 grams for 41mm (depending on model)39-51 grams for 45mm, 32-42 grams for 41mm (depending on model)39-51 grams for 45mm, 32-42 grams for 41mm (depending on model)61 grams (2.15 oz)Display size416 x 496 pixels, 1220 sq mm (46mm model)396 x 484 pixels, 1143 sq mm (45mm model)396 x 484 pixels, 1143 sq mm (45mm model)396 x 484 pixels, 1143 sq mm (45mm model)410 x 502 pixels, 1185 sq mm display areaApple Watch Series 10 models are also lighter with the thinner design and titanium for the high-end versions instead of steel. However, even the aluminum Series 10 models are lighter than Series 9 and earlier.For the displays, the 46 and 42mm cases offer what Apple says is up to 30% more screen area compared to Series 6. That means you get an additional line of text on the display and for the 46mm Series 10, a display that is ever-so-slightly larger than even the 49mm Apple Watch Ultra/2.Another new feature is the wide-angle OLED display that delivers up to a 40% brighter screen when looking from an angle.What do you think? Does the thinnest and lightest Apple Watch design matter to you? Share your thoughts in the comments!Brought to you by Uniq: Crafted with 28 bidirectional magnets, the Uniq Revix Apple Watch band collection features exceptional durability in a range of materials from premium leather to ultra-soft silicone. Learn more. Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Vimeo recently launched its visionOS app that Apple announced during WWDC 2024. As part of bringing Vimeo to the Apple Vision Pro, filmmaker Jake Oleson has published a short film dubbed currents. If you can get your hands on an Apple Vision Pro, give the spatial short film a watch.My favorite part? The cinematography style that resembles photographs coming to life to me. currents is also an easy viewing with wonderful music and a thoughtful story. Do give it a watch on Vision Pro if you can.Accompanying the short film is a very cool director interview blog post on Vimeo that shares more about the process:As part of the launch of Vimeosnew appfor Apple Vision Pro, we asked him to create an original short film for us that was shot entirely in spatial format. Armed with a single Canon camera with a dual fisheye lens, Jake and his team flew out to Vietnam to create currents, the story of a young Vietnamese woman named Lynn, and her experience traveling to and arriving in Ho Chi Minh City for the first time.Meanwhile, theres plenty of great spatial and 3D content AVP users should have queued up and ready to view. See Apple Vision Pro proves best home theater as 2024 top grossing films arrive in 3D and Apple Immersive Concert for One arrives next week on Vision Pro for suggestions.Follow Zac: X, Threads, Instagram / Shop Apple on Amazon to support my work Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Recent rumors have strongly suggested that Apple is working on an ultra-slim version of the iPhone for next year that could be called the iPhone 17 Slim or even the iPhone 17 Air. While we are almost a year away from this product, it seems that Samsung is pushing ahead with its plans to launch a Galaxy S25 Slim.Samsung wants a Slim phone to compete with iPhone AirSmartPrix has obtained details of SM-S937, a mysterious variant of Samsungs Galaxy S25. The website explains that the model numbers of the successors to the Galaxy S24, S24+ and S24 Ultra had already been leaked, and the fourth identifier suggests that the lineup will gain another version in addition to the three existing versions.A report last month revealed that Samsung is building a Slim version of the Galaxy S25 that will be launched next year along with the other phones in the S25 series. Its still unclear how much thinner this new Galaxy phone will be, but it seems that Samsung wants to get ahead of Apple in the race for the thinnest smartphone of 2025.According to multiple sources, Apple is expected to replace the Plus variant of the iPhone with this super slim version next year. The device is rumored to have a single rear camera and a smaller cut-out for the front camera and sensors behind the Dynamic Island. The so-called iPhone 17 Air would be promoted as a version between the regular iPhone 17 and the iPhone 17 Pro.The iPhone 17 Air should also be one of the first iPhone models to feature Apples new custom 5G modem, along with the iPhone SE 4. However, a recent report suggested that Apple is facing difficulties in making a super slim design, and it may not be as thin as initially expected.As of right now, the iPhone 17 lineup is expected to be announced and released in September of 2025. As always, this timeline can shift based on production and supply chain issues.Its also important to remember that because were still months away from the announcement of the iPhone 17 lineup, its possible that Apples plans change.Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from9to5Mac. 9to5Mac Daily is availableon iTunes and Apples Podcasts app,Stitcher,TuneIn,Google Play, or through ourdedicated RSS feedfor Overcast and other podcast players.Sponsored by 9to5Mac Daily Plus: Get ad-free versions of every episode by visiting 9to5mac.com/join.New episodes of 9to5Mac Daily are recorded every weekday. Subscribe to our podcast in Apple Podcast or your favorite podcast player to guarantee new episodes are delivered as soon as theyre available.Stories discussed in this episode:Listen & Subscribe:Subscribe to support Chance directly with 9to5Mac Daily Plus and unlock:Ad-free versions of every episodeBonus contentCatch up on 9to5Mac Daily episodes!Dont miss out on our other daily podcasts:Share your thoughts!Drop us a line at happyhour@9to5mac.com. You can also rate us in Apple Podcasts or recommend us in Overcast to help more people discover the show.Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Brought to you by Uniq: Uniqs new FlexGrip band for iPhone offers a secure, one-handed hold for ultimate convenience while freeing up your other hand for multitasking with ease. Learn more. The iPhone 16 Pro devices offer Apples largest smartphone screens ever while making them lighter than their smaller steel predecessors. Heres how much lighter the titanium iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max are compared to the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max.To accommodate the 6.3 and 6.9-inch displays, the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max are slightly larger than the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max which have 6.1 and 6.7-inch screens.But thanks to the titanium builds, the new, larger pro iPhones weigh less.Titanium iPhone vs steel weight differenceThe 6.3-inch iPhone 16 Pro weighs 0.24 ounces less than the 6.1-inch iPhone 14 Pro.The 6.9-inch iPhone 16 Pro Max weighs 0.48 ounces less than the 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Pro Max.While those differences may not sound like much, it may feel surprisingly lighter in hand since its less weight across a larger device footprint.iPhone 16 ProiPhone 14 ProiPhone 16 Pro MaxiPhone 14 Pro MaxWeight7.03-ounces(199 grams)7.27 ounces (206 grams)7.99-ounces(227 grams)8.47 ounces (240 grams)And heres a look at the iPhone 16 Pro vs 13 Pro:iPhone 16 ProiPhone 13 ProiPhone 16 Pro MaxiPhone 13 Pro MaxWeight7.03-ounces(199 grams)7.19 ounces (203 grams)7.99-ounces(227 grams)8.47 ounces (240 grams)Dimensions and materialsHow do all the dimensions and materials specs compare between the 16 Pro and 14 Pro? Here are all the details (similar to 13 Pro and 12 Pro):iPhone 16 ProiPhone 14 ProiPhone 16 Pro MaxiPhone 14 Pro MaxHeight5.89-inches (149.6 mm)5.81 inches (147.5 mm6.42-inches (163 mm)6.33 inches (160.7 mm)Width2.81-inches (71.5 mm)2.81 inches (71.5 mm)3.06-inches (77.6 mm)3.05 inches (77.6 mm)Thickness0.32-inches(8.25 mm)0.31 inch (7.85 mm)0.32-inches(8.25 mm)0.31 inch (7.85 mm)DurabilityIP68 (splash, dust, 6 meters of water up to 30 minutesIP68 (splash, dust, 6 meters of water up to 30 minutesIP68 (splash, dust, 6 meters of water up to 30 minutesIP68 (splash, dust, 6 meters of water up to 30 minutesCeramic Shield frontBack materialTextured matte glassTextured matte glassTextured matte glassTextured matte glassFrame/edgesGrade 5 titaniumStainless steelGrade 5 titaniumStainless steelIs iPhone weight and a titanium build important to you? Share your thoughts in the comments!Thanks for reading our titanium iPhone vs steel weight guide!Brought to you by Uniq: Uniqs new FlexGrip band for iPhone offers a secure, one-handed hold for ultimate convenience while freeing up your other hand for multitasking with ease. Learn more. Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

iOS 18.2 is just a few weeks away. Its a huge software update that includes some of the best, most powerful Apple Intelligence features yet. Heres the full list of AI features coming soon.Second wave of Apple Intelligence features in iOS 18.2Apple Intelligences debut in iOS 18.1 offered lots of new capabilities, but whats coming next is even better. Some of the most highly anticipated AI features will arrive on compatible devices with iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS Sequoia 15.2.Heres everything thats coming:Genmoji:Make your own custom emoji for use in any app.ChatGPT in Siri:Siri can tap into ChatGPTs knowledge, and you can even query ChatGPT directly.Image Playground: Create original AI images in animation, illustration, or sketch styles.Visual intelligence:Use iPhone 16s Camera Control to get relevant info from your physical environment.Image Wand: Turn your sketches or notes into beautiful illustrations in the Notes app.Compose with ChatGPT: OpenAIs assistant can draft original text from scratch inside any app.Custom rewrites: Apples writing tools let you Describe your change for custom AI rewrites.Language expansion: Localized Englishsupportin Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, and the UK.Special waitlist for image generation accessWhen Apple Intelligence first launched in iOS 18.1, it arrived with a waitlist for users. The company is doing something similar with its second set of AI features in iOS 18.2, but only for image generation.After installing iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, or macOS Sequoia 15.2, youll need to request explicit access to use the image features like Genmoji, Image Playground, and Image Wand.This special waitlist is due to ApplesResponsible AI principleto Design with care. As the company describes it:We take precautions at every stage of our process, including design, model training, feature development, and quality evaluation to identify how our AI tools may be misused or lead to potential harm. We will continuously and proactively improve our AI tools with the help of user feedback.Essentially, Apple doesnt want its AI tools to be used for harmwhether intentionally or by accident. So its rolling out image generation access slowly, over a period of time.iOS 18.2 release wrap-upiOS 18.2 is currently in public beta and its full launch will happen in early-to-mid December. After it debuts, nearly all of the currently announced Apple Intelligence features will have arrived.Which iOS 18.2 AI features are you most excited for? Let us know in the comments.Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Ouras smart ring has led many to wonder if Apple would ever create its own competing ring product. Ouras CEO apparently doesnt think so, and his reasons include some clear bait for the tech giant.Apples wearables line may not need a smart ringTom Hale, Ouras CEO, recently gave an interview where he was asked about any concerns of Apple introducing a smart ring in the future (via MacRumors).Arjun Kharpal has the story for CNBC:I think they [Apple] are unconvinced about the value of having a ring and a watch together and theyre not interested in undercutting the Apple Watch as a business, Hale told CNBC in an interview on Tuesday at the Web Summit in Lisbon, Portugal. I think theyre probably keeping a close eye on Samsung and a close eye on us, but its hard to do this product category right.Hales point about not wanting to undercut the Apple Watch business is a good one. Almost 10 years into its life, Apple has continued finding tremendous success with the Apple Watch.The company also has another extremely successful wearable product: AirPods. And with iOS 18.1 Apple shipped some major new health features on AirPods Pro 2. More health features are reportedly in the works for future AirPods models.But the line about it being hard to do this product category right? Yeah, thats all bait.Im sure the Oura Ring was a complicated product to create, but Apple absolutely has all the know-how it needs to create a competitor if it wants to. At this point though, it doesnt seem to have much reason to.What do you think? Should Apple create a smart ring? Let us know in the comments.Best Apple wearables and accessoriesAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Apple on Wednesday released a major update to Logic Pro, its professional audio workstation software. Both Mac and iPad versions of Logic Pro are getting multiple new features, including a Quantec Room Simulator and improvements to Sound Browser on iPadOS. Read on as we detail everything thats new with the latest Logic Pro update.Whats new with the latest Logic Pro update: Quantec Simulator and moreBoth Logic Pro for Mac and iPad now have a Quantec Room Simulator, which is available as a plug-in built using the original schematics and algorithms of Wolfgang Buchleitner, founder and inventor of Quantec. Users can:Access the only authentic hardware recreation available as a plug-in, built using the original schematics, algorithms and code from the Quantec founder and inventor, Wolfgang Buchleitner.Add the legendary sound of the Quantec QRS and Quantec Yardstick hardware reverb, the most acoustically accurate room simulation ever created.Select the vintage Quantec QRS to add naturalistic acoustic space to your music while preserving its sonic character.Choose the Quantec Yardstick with enhanced room simulation algorithms for more accurate modelling of acoustic spaces with improved clarity and detail.When it comes to the Mac version, Apple has made improvements to the plug-in search:Find and add any plug-in directly from the plug-in menu.Use the Search and Add Plug-in key command to quickly find and add plug-ins without ever clicking a channel strip insert.Easily search by categories, company name or even part of a plug-in name.The iPad app update brings improvements to the Sound Browser and Sound Library:Access your personal collection of samples directly from Logics built-in sound BrowserAdd Sample Folders from your iPad, external storage, and iCloud DriveUse multiple folders to provide an organized view of your favorite samplesFlatten complex nested folders of samples into a single, easy to navigate listPreview samples and then drag and drop to build drum kits, sampler instruments or add directly to a trackThere are also some other improvements, including:Download the new Modular Melodies sound pack and discover hundreds of loops crafted from patchable hardware synths and a collection of meticulously designed Alchemy synth patchesDrag channel strips to organise your mixer layout.Send your mix directly to Voice Memos and preview on iPhone, iPad or Apple Watch.Click any plug-in slot while holding the Command key to quickly remove plug-ins.Quickly set input, output, side chain source or bus routings using in-menu search.Use key commands to move Marquee selections in all directions to speed up editing.Logic Pro for iPadis available for $4.99/month or $49/year after a one-month free trial. It requires withiPad Air or iPad Pro with M1 or higher. Logic Pro for Mac is available for a one-time purchase of $199.99 after a90-day free trial.Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

As expected, Apple today took the wraps off the next big version of Final Cut Pro, and it comes with a whole host of new features that will surely make video editors happy. Included in Final Cut Pro 11 is support for spatial video editing, transcribe to captions, magnetic mask, and more. Its noteworthy that Final Cut Pro 11 is the first release that isnt a 10.x release since Apple dropped the X from its name back in 2020. Apple also released an update to Final Cut Pro for iPad, version 2.1, and an update for Final Cut Camera. These updates come hot on the heels of Logic Pro 11.1, which also released today, and features several significant enhancements for pro creatives.Spatial video editingOne of the most noteworthy enhancements found in Final Cut Pro 11 is a feature that was previewed during WWDC this past summer. Apple is finally bringing spatial import, edit, and delivery support to Final Cut Pro users, allowing them to import spatial video shot on iPhones to the Mac, edit, and then deliver to view in Apple Vision Pro.Spatial videos can be taken with Apple Vision Pro, iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, or any iPhone 16-era device. Theres also Canons new RF-S7.8mm F4 STM DUAL lens, an APS-C lens that pairs nicely with the Canon R7.Once captured, its just a matter of dropping the spatial video in a Final Cut Pro project timeline, editing, and then delivering. Editing spatial videos works largely the same way as editing regular 2D videos, but there are new export controls to help facilitate final delivery.Spatial video clips can be captured directly with Apple Vision Pro, or on iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro, and Canons new RF-S7.8mm F4 STM DUAL lens paired with Canon R7.Users can export spatial content directly to their Photos App Library, view them immediately on the Vision Pro, or share with others via the recently launched Vimeo app for Apple Vision Pro.Recently Blackmagic Design, creator of Final Cut Pro competitor, DaVinci Resolve, released an update to its NLE to include both spatial video encoding and spatial photo decoding support. I found the process there to be simple and straightforward as well.Transcribe to CaptionsTeased during its Mac mini video presentation, Apple has natively integrated AI-assisted transcription directly within Final Cut Pro. The new feature will benefit from the companys new M4-era hardware, with speech to text processing up to 13x faster than Intel Macs.The new Transcribe to Captions option can be found within the color correction and audio enhancements options, which looks like a little magic wand directly beneath the viewer. Users simply select the audio source from which to derive the captions, click Transcribe to Captions, and Final Cut Pro will handle the rest. Apple notes that an Apple-trained large language model is used to transcribe spoken audio.Needless to say, this new feature will be a boon to creators, especially those invested in short-form content. As I mentioned in a previous post, caption transcription is far from a new feature, and several companies, such as MotionVFX, offer excellent transcription solutions that work extremely well. The big difference here, of course, is that Apples transcription feature is natively built inside of Final Cut Pro, and is free to existing users via the version 11 update.Magnetic MaskMagnetic Mask was another AI-feature revealed during Apples Mac mini event, and its the one we knew the least about going into todays release. Apple didnt actually mention the Magnetic Mask during the event, but the option was shown during the Final Cut Pro portion of the video. At the time, we presumed that the Magnetic Mask would make deploying masks much easier with the help of snapping to high contrast areas. In its press release today, Apple notes that Magnetic Mask will make it so that editors can easily isolate people and objects in a clips without needing a green screen or utilizing more time-consuming rotoscoping. Magnetic Mask can be combined with other color correction tools and effects for custom and precise stylization of footage. Final Cut Pro is quickly becoming a centerpiece of Apples AI efforts on the Mac. The new Transcribe to Captions and Magnetic Mask features join other AI-assisted tools like Smart Conform, Enhance Light and Color, Smooth Slo-Mo, and Voice Isolation. Final Cut Pro 11 release notesExpand your creative freedom with the revolutionary AI-powered Magnetic Mask, and isolate people, objects and shapes in any footage without a green screen or time-consuming manual rotoscoping. Use Transcribe to Captions to automatically create captions from spoken audio in the timeline with a powerful AI language model built for speed and accuracy. (Requires a Mac with Apple silicon and macOS Sequoia or later.) Import and edit spatial video clips from Apple Vision Pro or iPhone 15 Pro or later; add titles, color correction, and effects; and share captivating spatial projects that can be viewed on Apple Vision Pro. (Requires a Mac with Apple silicon.) Reduce clutter in the browser by automatically hiding original clips when creating synced clips or multicam clips. Use Vertical Zoom to Fit to scale clip heights to fit in the timeline. Speed up your creative flow with new Picture in Picture and Callout effects. Create amazing visual reveals with new Modular transitions. Increase efficiency with new keyboard shortcuts for common tasks in the browser and timeline. Install third-party Media Extensions to support playback and editing of more video formats. (Requires macOS Sequoia or later.)Final Cut for iPad 2.1Not to be forgotten, Apple also released the next version of Final Cut Pro for iPad, version 2.1. It includes several additions geared towards streamlining the editing experience on iPad, including:Enhance Light and Color.Haptic feedback for Apple Pencil Pro and Magic Keyboard.New vertical pinch gesture that can expand or minimize clip height in the timeline.Dynamically adjust the size and position of the viewer in Picture in Picture mode.Timeline support for recordings at 90 fps, 100 fps, and 120 fps on iPhone 16 Pro.New inks for Live Drawing: watercolor, crayon, fountain pen, and monoline pen.New modular transitions, color-grading presets, and dynamic soundtracks.Easily highlight and overlay visuals with Picture in Picture and Callout effects.New keyboard shortcuts!Final Cut Camera also received a major update, bringing the ability to capture Log-encoded HEVC video in standalone of Live Multicam sessions a huge workflow improvement! Theres also the ability to enable a LUT preview while recording Log footage and support for 4K120fps recording with iPhone 16 Pro.9to5Macs TakeFinal Cut Pro 11 brings several key new features to the table, with one such feature, Transcribe to Captions, among one of the most-wanted new features. Needless to say this is a pretty massive update across the board, and most certainly worth its 11 badge. Its available as a free update to existing users, while new users can purchase it for $299, or download a free 90-day trial to test drive it.What do you think about Final Cut Pro 11? Sound off in the comments below with your thoughts.Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Following the release of updates for Logic Pro and Final Cut Pro, Apple has also updated its Final Cut Camera app for iPhone. With the new version of the app, users can finally capture Log videos using the HEVC codec, as well as preview Log videos with the Apple Log LUT and more. Read on as we detail whats new in Final Cut Camera.Whats new with Final Cut Camera for iPhoneOne of the biggest changes coming to Final Cut Camera is the ability to capture Log-encoded HEVC video. Previously, Log was only available for ProRes videos, which take up a lot more space. Now users can benefit from the increased flexibility and dynamic range of Log combined with smaller HEVC files.In addition, the update also adds the option to enable LUT preview while recording in Log, so that users can see the vibrancy of the original scene in SDR or HDR with Apple Log LUT. For iPhone 16 Pro users, the Final Cut Camera update also enables 4K video capture at 120fps for cinematic slow motion.Moreover, Apple is also bringing advanced tilt and and roll indicators to help users compose their shots.For those unfamiliar, Final Cut Camera is an app from Apple that lets creators wirelessly connect and remotely direct each video angle with powerful pro controls. Although the app was first presented as a companion tool for controlling the iPhone camera from the iPad, it also works on the iPhone as a standalone app.With the app, users can adjust things like white balance and manual focus while monitoring zebras and measuring audio. It also provides ISO and shutter speed controls, as well as making it easy to switch between resolutions and video formats. The interface is very straightforward and also highlights the iPhones battery level and remaining storage.With Final Cut Camera, you can also easily transfer media to a Final Cut project on the iPad or save footage directly to connected external storage. The app isavailable for free on the App Storeand requires an iPhone running iOS 17.6 or later (while some features require the latest iPhones).Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Bluesky, one of the many microblogging platforms, has now officially reached the milestone of 15 million registered users. A month ago, Bluesky still had 13 million followers, which shows that the social network is growing rapidly as more people look for alternatives to X.Bluesky continues to grow, but is still far behind its competitorsThe figure was first shared by Stats for Bluesky, a website that uses the platforms API to obtain statistics about the social network (via The Verge). According to the website, there are now more than 15.2 million registered users on Bluesky. For comparison, Bluesky had just 2 million users in November 2023.Bluesky is still far behind the competition, especially X, which has more than 500 million active users worldwide. Metas Threads is also more popular, with 275 million monthly active users and growing at a rate of over a million sign-ups a day. Even so, Bluesky is attracting more and more attention from users who are unhappy with both X and Threads.A recent episode in Brazil that resulted in the temporary banning of X led hundreds of thousands of Brazilians to try Bluesky. More recently, Elon Musks political involvement with Donald Trump has also motivated more people to look for alternatives to X. Blueskys app is now the most downloaded in the US App Store, with Threads following close behind.Bluesky emerged in 2021 as a proof of concept for the decentralized AT Protocol. In 2019, Twitters then CEO Jack Dorsey announced that the company would fund the initiative that would result in Bluesky. The platform no longer has a relationship with X and they ended up becoming competitors after Elon Musk bought Twitter.A few weeks ago, Bluesky announced its plans to introduce a paid subscription with extra features, similar to X Premium (formerly Twitter Blue). The platform assures that it wont put the social network behind a paywall.Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel