Macworld

Macworld Its one of the more persistently annoying aspects of owning an iPhone, and one of those dumb little things where Apple was overzealous in making things simple and left us with a frustration that most Android users havent had to deal with for years: Independent volume controls for various kinds of system sounds. Sure, youve been able to adjust the volume for media (videos or music) separately from system sounds for ages. But theres been one Ringtone and Alerts volume setting that control

Macworld Apple just announced the new M6 / M5 Pro Mac mini and M5 Max/Ultra Mac Studio , both of which are shipping on September 22. On the surface, these look like just the same Macs we have today with faster processors inside. But theres more to them if you dig a little deeper. Apple promotes these machines with nonspecific performance incremental values: 4.3x faster AI performance, 2x faster graphics, 4.8x faster LLM prompt performance, and so on. All of those claims will have to wait until w

Macworld If youre planning on investing in a new M6 Mac mini or M5 Ultra Mac Studio , you might be buying a new Apple Magic Keyboard along with it. Apple has updated its keyboards, too: Certain keys have had their labels changed to symbols instead of names. Apple introduced these changes with the MacBook Neo and M5 MacBook Air, so the company is basically catching up on normalizing the keys. The Tab, Caps Lock, Shift, Delete, and Return keys no longer have their respective word labels. Instead,

Macworld On a day of high-priced product announcements, Apple has offered a crumb of comfort to its more cash-strapped customers: the beloved Polishing Cloth has dropped in price by a whopping 53 percent. Relentlessly memed on for charging a faintly absurd $19 for the square cloth at launch three years ago, the company is now happy to accept just $9 for seemingly the same product. The common thread uniting Tuesdays two big Mac updates was prices going up. The M6 Mac mini starts at $899, up from

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Macworld While all eyes are on the upcoming iPhone event, Apple threw us a curveball Tuesday morning with a rare August launch of an updated Mac Studio with the all-new M5 Ultra processor. The new Mac Studio is visually identical to the previous model but has major upgrades inside. Instead of the M4 Max and M3 Ultra, you can now buy a Mac Studio with an M5 Max or M5 Ultra processor, with up to a whopping 512GB of RAM. Here are the specs Apple is offering for the two chips: Mac Studio (M5 Max) Ma

Macworld As predicted on this site earlier today, Apple has announced the launch of a new Mac mini model with M5 and M6 chip options. It doesnt feature any design changes or external upgrades, but it does offer a two-generation bump in processors compared to the previous model. Slightly confusingly, the version of the Mac mini with a chip from the M5 generation is the more powerful of the two, because its the M5 Pro . This spec starts at $1,699 for a 15-core CPU and 16-core GPU, but customers ha

Macworld Apple has launched the new Mac Studio for 2026. It features either an M5 Max chip or an M5 Ultra chip. It will be available from 22 September and is available for pre-order now. We are updating this story with the latest news. The Mac Studio, originally released in 2022 , has become Apples premier desktop for professional users, effectively replacing the now- discontinued Mac Pro for the vast majority of workflows. Designed for high-end workloads, the Mac Studio has emerged as a popular

Macworld The Mac mini remains one of Apples most compelling Macs, combining strong performance, a compact design, and an attractive starting price. Following its major redesign in late 2024, the desktop became smaller, faster, and more versatile than ever, featuring a dramatically reduced 5-by-5-inch footprint alongside Apples M4 and M4 Pro chips. If youre considering buying a Mac mini , you may be wondering whether a new model is on the horizon, what upgrades it could bring, and whether Apple w

Macworld TL;DR: Microsoft Office 2024 Professional Plus is on sale for $54.99 (reg. $249.99), a one-time payment for a lifetime license on one Windows PC. Subscriptions add up fast, and if you are tired of Microsoft 365 quietly charging your card every month, this deal is worth a look. Microsoft Office 2024 Professional Plus gives you a full, perpetual license to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, and Access for a single Windows PC, no recurring fees involved. You can get Microsoft Offi

Macworld TL;DR: This compact refurbished iPhone SE brings back the Home button and costs $104.99 instead of $359. Some people moved on from the iPhone Home button. Others were dragged away from it by the relentless march of technology. This refurbished 2nd Gen iPhone SE brings Touch ID back in a compact package for $104.99. Its 4.7-inch Retina HD display is smaller than those on many recent iPhones, making the device easier to hold and fit into a pocket. True Tone and wide color keep the display

Macworld TL;DR : Get these Warm White (Open Box) Beats Solo 4 On-Ear Headphones for just $89.99 (reg. $199.99). What is modern life without a good set of headphones? Theyre a lifesaver for long commutes, working out at the gym, doing chores around the house, and even when you want to make a quick call without everyone around you getting involved. With these Beats Solo 4, you can do it all. Were talking 50-hour battery life, spatial audio, and Bluetooth 5.3 connection for just $89.99 (reg. $199.9

Macworld Apple has officially unveiled macOS 27 Golden Gate, the next major update for the Mac, bringing Apples next-generation Apple Intelligence platform to compatible devices. The update introduces an all-new Siri AI assistant, major upgrades to apps including Safari, Photos, Messages, Mail and Calendar, as well as expanded child safety features, design refinements and performance improvements throughout the operating system. Golden Gate continues Apples tradition of naming macOS releases aft

Macworld Thanks to a video accidentally included in the macOS 26.7 beta , we got our first real confirmation that Apple is, as rumored, working on AirPods with cameras in them. Despite the video and references being found in such a recent beta, were assured that this product isnt actually shipping until next year. Now, thanks to an eagle-eyed member of the MacRumors forums , we have some idea of the capabilities of the in-development AirPods with cameras. The user found a framework called Access

Macworld According to a report by Bloomberg, Apple is laying off and realigning several employees in multiple departments in order to focus on new devices and artificial intelligence. About 200 employees are affected. The Vision Pro team has eliminated 100 jobs, with most of the cuts happening in teams focused on gaming and immersive video, according to the report. Bloomberg says employees were told that the changes are being made to better address how the Vision Pro is being used by its custome

Macworld Apples list of currently available content for Apple TV continues to grow, and so does the list of upcoming projects in the works. Some of these projects have been officially announced and acknowledged by Apple, while others have been reported by the Hollywood press. Weve divided this list in two: Coming Soon is a list of shows and films for which Apple has given an official release date or release window, and Further Out compiles content that is still in production or perhaps havent ev

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Macworld Active-moisture rescue insurance for your tech This might just save the day (and your MacBook) Learn More (function () { document.querySelector(#sticky-promo-block a).addEventListener(click, function(e) { const debug = document.location.host.search(/lndo.site|go-vip.net/) !== -1; const text = this.closest(#sticky-promo-block).querySelector(p.promo-title).textContent; const data = { event: stickyConversionUnitClick, eventCategory: Sticky Conversion, eventAction: Click, eventLabel: text }

Macworld At a glance Expert's Rating Pros 6 powerful USB-C PD ports Intelligent voltage adjustment Compact for small footprint Cons No legacy USB-A if you still need it Our Verdict When wall chargers get unwieldy a desktop charger offers a more stable solution in multiple-device charging environments. With a choice of four or six smart ports and up to 240W total output plus an informative display, the Satechi ChargeView is a compact desktop charger that can keep a bank of desks fully charged in

Macworld According to reports, Apple is going to expand its presence in the wearable market with a new product: smart glasses. The Apple smart glasses that have been reported are a departure from the spatial computing platform of the Apple Vision Pro . They wont be a headset and they wont offer AR or spatial computing. They arent going to be a computing device in any way. Instead, they will be glasses like those from Meta AI and other companies. They will be designed like typical eyeglasses, not

Macworld TL;DR: Just one $99.99 payment gets you lifetime access to 1min.AIs multi-model business and creative toolkit . Theres productive multitasking, and then theres keeping six AI tabs open while trying to remember which one was editing your image. 1min.AI simplifies that setup by bringing multiple AI models and content tools into one workspace. You get multiple AI assistants, including GPT-5.5 Pro, GPT-5.4 Pro, Claude Opus and Sonnet models, several Gemini options, Llama 3, Mistral, and Com

Macworld TL;DR: This lifetime Windows 11 Pro license runs cleanly via Parallels or Boot Camp on a Mac, for $10.49 (reg. $199.00) using code SAVE30 through August 25. You dont need a second computer to run Windows software, you just need a license, and this one costs less than a coffee run. Windows 11 Pro is $10.49 for lifetime use instead of $199, and it installs directly through Parallels Desktop, VMware Fusion, or Boot Camp on your Mac, so Windows-only apps sit right alongside your Mac apps. B

Macworld For those who need a premium small-screen tablet, the iPad mini is a popular choice. But should you buy one now, or should you wait to see what Apple has in store for the next model? Most buyers should wait the next model is expected to bring meaningful upgrades. However, Apple isnt expected to update the iPad mini until late 2026, and that launch date could slip further due to chip demand and wider supply constraints. Heres what the latest rumors say about the release date, key upgrad

Macworld Apples WWDC keynote may be long behind us now, but Apples event calendar for 2026 is far from finished. With iOS 27, macOS 27 Golden Gate, and the latest Apple Intelligence and Siri updates now unveiled, attention is turning to the companys next big launch. Apple rarely confirms event dates far in advance, and theres no guarantee an event will take place within its usual window. That leaves Apple fans and anyone considering a new Apple device wondering when the next Apple event will h

Macworld It took the iPhone an eternity to strike Lightning in favor of the universal USB-C port. Now that its here on all models, including the low-end 16e, many users still limit its use to charging, overlooking the slew of other advantages it offers over Lightning. If youve got an iPhone 15 or newer, you can expand the USB-C ports functionality beyond fast charging, and weve got a few ideas to share. 1. Charge another device Rival companies, like Samsung, have long supported reverse wireless

Macworld One thing that never ceases to amaze me about macOS is the amount you can do with just a few keyboard shortcuts. In fact, Apple seems to have coded so many functions into various combinations of key presses that it feels like Im finding new ones every day. And whether youre a newbie with a Neo or a veteran from the PowerBook days, there are always new ones to learn. Here, well show you all of the best macOS keyboard shortcuts that you need to know. Memorize a few of them and youll be we

Macworld At a glance Expert's Rating Pros Space-saving vertical design 3x Thunderbolt 5 ports 2.5Gb Ethernet 140W PD 3.1 laptop charging Wireless iPhone charging Cons MacBooks own screen unavailable Wireless iPhone charging is slow Premium price Our Verdict The sleek Brydge ProDock Trio saves desk space while adding Thunderbolt 5, 2.5GbE, faster USB-C and 140W charging to your MacBook. These meaningful upgrades make it worth the extra $40 over the cheaper Duo while the Trio is discounted to $399

Macworld With new products coming soon, its getting more difficult for Apple to keep them under wraps. In this episode of the Macworld Podcast, we take a look at a few leaks from Apple OS updates that provide insight into what to expect in the coming months. This is episode 996 with Michael Simon , Jason Cross , and Roman Loyola . Watch episode 996 on YouTube Listen to episode 996 on Apple Podcasts Tune in to episode 996 on Spotify Get info Click on the links below to learn more about what was d

Macworld TL;DR: AskAnyModel AI Pro bundles 50+ AI models, including GPT, Claude, and Gemini, in one dashboard for $39.99 lifetime (reg. $499.00). Running a separate subscription for every AI model gets expensive fast, and none of those tools let you compare answers in one place. AskAnyModel AI Pro bundles top language-learning models, including GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, and Llama, into a single workspace for one payment of $39.99 instead of $499. Whats included Unlimited use of 30 st

Macworld TL;DR: This Tweetback Starter Plan is an AI-powered X growth extension, and its available for just $49.99 (reg. $89.00). Growing an audience on X means writing constantly, watching conversations, and following up with the right people at the right time, and doing it manually eats hours every week. Tweetback handles the busywork with AI-drafted replies, original post ideas, and a built-in watchlist for tracking creators and prospects, all without leaving your browser. Get this Tweetback

Macworld Apples fall iPhone event has become one of the easiest product launches to predict. Every year since 2011, weve gotten the full lineup of new iPhones, joined in 2014 by the Apple Watch, and occasionally a related launch like AirPods or Apple Pay. According to strong rumors, this years keynote will be quite different from previous ones. While it will still be an iPhone event, only the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the long-rumored foldable iPhone Ultra are expected to be announce

Macworld Full-Body Adaptive Ergonomic Chair/Back-to-School promotion Save near $100 off the SIHOO Doro C300 Pro V2 Office Chair View Deals (function () { document.querySelector(#sticky-promo-block a).addEventListener(click, function(e) { const debug = document.location.host.search(/lndo.site|go-vip.net/) !== -1; const text = this.closest(#sticky-promo-block).querySelector(p.promo-title).textContent; const data = { event: stickyConversionUnitClick, eventCategory: Sticky Conversion, eventAction: C

Macworld TL;DR: This Grade A refurbished MacBook Air packs a Retina display and 8GB of RAM for $199.97 (reg. $1,199.00). A secondary Mac, a travel laptop, or a first machine for a student doesnt need to cost four figures. This refurbished 2018 MacBook Air runs an Intel Core i5 processor, packs a sharp 13.3-inch Retina display, and still updates all the way to macOS Sonoma. Get this MacBook Air for $199.97 (reg. $1,199.00). What you get Its rated Grade A, meaning it arrives in near-mint condition

Macworld Achievement badges are a funny thing. You know theyre just a simple little bit of visual flair, they dont even do anything, and yet for some reason you just have to collect them. Gamification can be a great motivator, and the achievement badges for the activity tracking on the Apple Watch have inspired many users to get more exercise. If you want to maximize your badge count, youre going to want to chase down as many activity achievements as you can. Most are available year-round, but t

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Macworld Were anticipating a slew of new products from Apple over the next several months. While Apple rarely preannounces products, there are ways to figure out the companys plans. For example, MacRumors reports that the macOS 26.7 release candidate includes references to several new products. Well, several is putting it lightly. There are nearly 40 references, many of which are unidentifiable mode numbers. But a lot of the other model numbers have been previously reported, so we can get an ide

Macworld This might surprise anyone whos listened to Tim Cook preach the good word , but by the standards of technology companies Apple is perceived as being mildly anti-AI. And in some ways thats a good thing. In early summer the companys shares enjoyed a $600 billion rally thanks to what Bloomberg described as rising unease about the prospects for heavy spending on AI paying off. All of a sudden investors liked the fact that Apple decided not to spend a fortune on datacenters. Its all about ba

Macworld You may have seen several news stories out there referencing this Fixed Focus Digital rumor on Weibo, claiming that it shows the speed and power efficiency improvements of Apples A20 chip coming to the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Ultra next month. Its important to note what is going on here, because this is not a leak about A20 improvements; its about the new manufacturing process from TSMC that the A20 is suspected of using. And even then, its not saying what most reports think its saying

Macworld When it comes to rumors about a new iPhone, some people are interested in specscameras, chips, AI features, etc.but everyone wants to know what new colors it will come in. Now that we know, after my sources revealed to Macworld the likely color options for the iPhone 18 Pro lineup earlier this year, youre probably wondering: Whats the best color option this year? Every year, Apple introduces at least one new iPhone color that becomes a signature for that generation. Last year it was Cos

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Macworld Create videos with Adobe's simple, free AI video generator High-quality video clips from a prompt or image Try Firefly (function () { document.querySelector(#sticky-promo-block a).addEventListener(click, function(e) { const debug = document.location.host.search(/lndo.site|go-vip.net/) !== -1; const text = this.closest(#sticky-promo-block).querySelector(p.promo-title).textContent; const data = { event: stickyConversionUnitClick, eventCategory: Sticky Conversion, eventAction: Click, event

Macworld Apples iPhone event is in just a few weeks, and one of the surprises weve been hoping to see are a new pair of AirPods Pro with built-in cameras. And now Apple might have confirmed that they are ready to launch. Hidden in the macOS 26.7 release candidate, which landed Monday night and includes important security fixes, are two references to the rumored AirPods project. The first is a mention of the code name B790, which doesnt amount to much more than a confirmation that the earbuds are

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Macworld This iPhone 18 Pro is just a couple of weeks away, and from what weve heard, itll be the best iPhone Apple has ever made. I mean, obviously, it doesnt take an expert to predict that. The question, however, is whether it will be enough of an improvement on the 2025 handsets to be worth the money and the wait. Apples annual hardware upgrades are often iterative, which means the differences between one generation and the next are relatively minor. If youre wondering whether to grab an iPho

Macworld The days are counting down, and a 15-year era is drawing to a close. On September 1, Tim Cook will step back from his current role as Apple CEO, settling for a somewhat quieter job as executive chairman, and it will be time to evaluate his place in corporate history. Theres every reason to think historians will be relatively kind. I say relatively, because the bar for decency in Cooks field is low. If we look at his peers and rivals, we find a mixed bag, to put it politely: few sane com

Macworld TL;DR: Pay just $269.97 once for lifetime access to 10TB of encrypted Internxt Drive storage (reg. $2,900). Deleting old photos, videos, and work files requires decision-making energy. Buying 10TB of cloud storage does not. Internxt is offering new users lifetime access to its 10TB Drive plan for $269.97 (reg. $2,900) through Aug. 25. Files are end-to-end encrypted before leaving the device, so Internxt cannot read or access their contents. Post-quantum zero-knowledge encryption provide

Macworld TL;DR: ChatPlayground AI gives you access to 20+ AI models in one interface, and its only $55 for life. Picking a single AI model means betting on that one tools strengths and living with its (many) blind spots. ChatPlayground AI works a little differently. Instead of locking you into one model, it gives you access to over 20 of the most popular AI models, including Claude, GPT, and Gemini. Through August 16, its only $54.97 to get a lifetime subscription. Heres how it works. You type

Macworld TL;DR: A refurbished 13-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar is on sale for $267.99 (reg. $1,499), packing an Intel Core i5, 8GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD. Not every Mac purchase needs to be a brand-new M-series machine, and this deal is proof. This Grade A refurbished 2017 MacBook Pro brings the Touch Bar era back for a fraction of its original price, and it still holds up for everyday use. The 3.1GHz dual-core Core i5 chip (Turbo Boost to 3.5GHz) paired with 8GB of RAM handles browser tabs,

Macworld Its a table-stakes feature for almost all headphones, but for some reason Apple has resisted adding it to AirPods. Until now. With iOS 27, Apple is adding a simple equalizer to its AirPods controls, after years of user complaints. Heres how to use it. How to find and use the custom EQ for AirPods With your AirPods connected to your iPhone, enabling and adjusting the custom EQ is simple once you know where to look. Open the Settings app. Tap your AirPods name at the top of the screen. Se

Macworld The Apple TV 4K has long been cord-cutters go-to set-top box due to its ad-free experience, fluid performance, superior app quality, and much more. Apple had been offering the 3rd-generation model for a tantalizing starting price of $129, with the maxed-out Ethernet variant going for $149. While there have always been cheaper options, at those prices, it was hard not to recommend Apple TV to anyone looking for a standalone set-top box. However, following a significant price increase and