Macworld Why juggle chargers and cables when you can wear your power source? The PowerBand for $39.99 (reg. $49) combines the convenience of MagSafe wireless charging with a sleek, adjustable Apple Watch band, making it a game-changer for Apple enthusiasts. Say goodbye to tangled wires and hello to charging that fits like a glove or, in this case, like a band. Designed for both style and function, the PowerBands ultra-thin profile and lightweight nylon weave provide all-day comfort. It fits snu

Macworld Who else is frustrated by every single subscription service raising their fees? Because Microsoft 365 just joined the club after holding out for 12 years. Were outraged, canceling our subscription and getting a Microsoft Office lifetime license instead. That means we dont have to pay $10 every month anymore (which turns into $120 yearly)just $120 once to keep Office apps on our Macs for life. And we encourage you to do the same. Heres whats included Microsoft Office 2024 is the newest l

Macworld A report from Mark Gurman at Bloomberg claims that Apple is shuttering one of its more advanced projects: a set of Augmented Reality glasses that connect to other Apple devices. Its an inside-baseball look at some of the product decisions that happen at Apple, but while often rumored, these AR glasses have never been officially announced. The glasses were seen within Apple as a natural evolution beyond Vision Pro. Vision Pro was always going to be a niche device, not only because of its

Macworld Apple M-series MacBooks turn on automatically when you open the laptop or plug in the power adapter. It sort of makes sense, right? If youre opening your MacBook, youre probably going to use it, so it should turn on. (As for plugging it in, Im unsure what the thinking is by Apple to have the MacBook automatically turn on.) However, what if you want to be able to open it or plug it in without it turning on? With macOS Sequoia, you can now adjust your MacBook so it does not turn on when y

Macworld Anyone who owned one of the first few generations of Apple Watch has probably long forgotten about them by now, but heres a reason to think of them againApple might owe you some money. Apple has agreed to a $20 million settlement in a class-action lawsuit that alleges first-generation Series 1, Series 2, and Series 3 Apple Watches experienced certain issues allegedly related to battery swell. The plaintiffs claimed the battery could affect other parts of the watch, including the display

Macworld Most people live a life where theyre entering several passwords into applications and websites each day to get their work done. Weve all forgotten a password from time to time, and in most cases forgetting the password isnt too traumatic because we can request a reset via email or another way. But losing your Apple ID password (also known as your iCloud password) is one case where forgetting it can be both devastating and complicated. Your Apple ID is the king of all your passwords wher

Macworld Apples all-important holiday quarter was something of a mixed bag. For one, Apple posted what it called its best quarter ever with revenue of $124.3 billion, up 4 percent year over year. However, the iPhone stumbled a bit as sales in China took a tumble. iPhone sales were down slightly to just over $69 billion and came in under estimates of $71 billion. CEO Tim Cook blamed some of the lower sales on the lack of Apple Intelligence in China, which suffered an 11 percent overall sales decl

Macworld Over time, your Mac probably accumulates a lot of cruft. There are applications you no longer use, duplicate and outdated data, a desktop full of icons when you only use fouryou know what I mean. With so many people working from home lately, the problem has only gotten worse. Now is as good a time as any to tidy up your Mac, freeing up storage space and probably CPU cycles and RAM in the process. Here are a few tips to make quick work of your Mac spring cleaning. Optimize Storage On ver

Macworld Apple can be pretty stingy about discounts, but this amazing MacBook Air M2 is $200 off right now , which means you can get it for $799, an amazing price point. Since this is a MacBook Air, its super light at 2.7 pounds and thin, so it will be easy to carry with you anywhere you go. The 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display delivers vivid colors and 500 nits of brightness. The M2 chip makes this laptop a fantastic companion for whatever you need to do, while the 18-hour battery life is also a

Macworld Apple released an update to iOS, so what should you expect? We take a look at whats in iOS 18.3, plus talk about the latest Apple news, in this episode of the Macworld Podcast! This is episode 919 with Jason Cross , Michael Simon , and Roman Loyola . Watch episode 919 on YouTube Listen to episode 919 on Apple Podcasts Listen to episode 919 on Spotify Get info For more information about the topics discussed on the show, click on the links below. 5 small (but still kinda big) changes comi

Macworld Apple AirTags solved the problem of your lost keys, but what about your lost wallet ? With this SmartCard, you can track your wallet as easily as your Apple devices just slide the card in and open the Find My app to pinpoint its location instantly. Right now, you can grab a 3-pack of SmartCards for only $79.97 (regularly $119). The SmartCard is a slim, credit-card-sized tracker that fits comfortably into your wallet. It offers the same reliable functionality as the AirTag but without t

Macworld Since last year, Android users with Windows 11 computers have been able to preview a new feature that lets them see their phone directly next to the Start menu, where they can easily access texts, calls, and send files. You could sort of do these things with iPhones as well, but not from the Start menu. Rather, you have to open the Phone Link app on your Windows PC to make it happen. Coming later this year (and available in preview build 4805 for those in the Microsoft Insider program)

Macworld Apple on Wednesday announced that MLS Season Pass signups for the upcoming 2025 season are now open. With MLS Season Pass, subscribers can watch every Major League Soccer match with no blackouts, and get access to in-depth coverage and analysis, expansive programming, exclusive content, and more. A subscription also includes the Leagues Cup tournament matches, the MLS All-Star Game, the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs, and select MLS NEXT Pro matches. MLS will start its 30th season on February 22

Macworld Are you saving up for a new Mac, iPhone, or iPad this year? You might need to save more money than you were planning, especially if you live in the U.S. Thats if President Trumps plan to impose tariffs on computer chips goes into effect. On Monday, Trump announced that tariffs of up to 100 percent could be imposed on chips, though he did not provide any specific details. The tariffs would affect nearly every tech company, including Apple, which relies on TSMC to produce the system on a

Macworld This amazing Anker power bank is perfectly capable of charging your phone or laptop on the go. Even better, its 40% off, so you can get one for $90 from Amazon . The Anker 737 power bank is a 24,000mAh behemoth that can take your phone from 0 to 100 percent at least four times over and your laptop once. This huge capacity earns this power bank a permanent spot in your bag because you wont want to leave your house without it. Its heavy, of course, but since it has a fairly slim design, i

Macworld Buy an iPhone 16 case now! If youve just bought a new iPhone 16, you may be wondering whether its necessary to pick up a case as well. After all, Apple frequently talks about the robust design of its phones and their ability to withstand drops and scratches. Whats more, it seems a shame to hide such an attractive piece of kit inside a protective covering. Should you buy a case? The answer is yes. Its true that iPhones are tougher than they used to be, but Apple has yet to invent the unb

Macworld At a glance Expert's Rating Pros Friendly user interface, easily customizable inclusion and exclusion options for copying Handy scheduler app functions well and the program works to offer more control over snapshot archives than Time Machine Excellent, fully-featured 30-day demo lets you truly put the program through its paces Cons Lacks some polish, and full disk access could be offered in one fell swoop as opposed to offering access to specific drive folders Program doesnt offer a ful

Macworld We thought we had learned all there is to know about iOS 18,3 when it arrived earlier this week, but apparently theres one more feature Apple didnt tell us about. As reported by Mark Gurman of Bloomberg , Apple has been working with SpaceX andT-Mobile USto bring support for the Starlink network in iOS 18.3, and customers can test it right now. T-Mobile opened beta registration for Starlink in December but it was limited to Samsung phones , including the Galaxy Z Flip 6, Galaxy Z Fold 6,

Macworld The best time for Apple to truly embrace smart-home tech was five or 10 years ago. The second best time, of course, is now. The good news is that, according to reports from reliable sources , Apple seems to have finally embraced the home as an area of growth, and a bunch of new Apple-designed home products are on the way. Its a sensible decision, and if Apple does it right, its years-long intransigence in this category might not matter. Lets take a look at where Apple may be going. Comi

Macworld Fresh off the fix of a zero-day vulnerability in iPhones, iPads, Macs, and other devices, security researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have revealed a pair of vulnerabilities that affect all of Apples modern devices. First reported at BleepingComputer , these are side-channel attacks that can use special code on websites to allow websites to execute side-channel attacks that steal data from other web sessions. A malicious site could, for example, see your location data fr

Macworld At a glance Expert's Rating Pros Supports Thunderbolt 5 Impressive performance for creative users Rugged design with IP68 rating Five-year warranty Cons Expensive Requires Mac with M4 Pro or Max You might need to buy a spare TB5 cable Our Verdict Its expensive, and youll need a new Mac with an M4 Pro or Max processor to get the full benefits of Thunderbolt 5, but the Rugged SSD Pro5 is the fastest back-up drive weve ever seen. Its rugged design is ideal for outdoor work, and makes it an

Macworld When iOS 18 launched last fall, we got an all-new Calculator app. Its got some great features, including Math Notes, which lets you scribble down calculations to solve, and unit conversions, which converts things like currency and weight without heading to Safari. It even arrived on the iPad for the first time, with a full set of features and a brand-new unified interface across platforms. But one of the most useful features of the old iOS calculator app didnt make it to the new iOS 18

Macworld Apple on Monday released a flurry of updates for all of its devices that provide several new features and fix a handful of bugs. But as always, the most important reason to upgrade is because they make your devices safer. Among the numerous security updates, the iOS/iPadOS 18.3, macOS Sequoia 15.3, watchOS 11.3, tvOS 18.3, and visionOS 2.3 updates patch a CoreMedia zero-day flaw. Exploitation of CVE-2025-24085 could allow a malicious application to access privileged parts of the system

Macworld It is time once again to see how things are going on the good ship Artificial Intelligence, sailing merrily through the seas of current technology. Sorry? Look, the Macalope just writes about tech, he doesnt get to decide whats currently hot. Clearly. Or wed all be talking about the cool new small phones we have. At any rate, no need to worry. It is smooth sailing for our glorious leaders in AI. Everyone loves the product, venture capital funding keeps rolling in and the moats are dee-

Macworld Apple TV+, the streaming service from Apple, arrived at the end of 2019 so its been here a while now, but its only recently come into its own as more and more people have discovered the shows on offer. Shows including Ted Lasso and For All Mankind , as well as movies like Greyhound , starring Tom Hanks. You can even watch a couple of MLB games every Friday night . Apple TV+ costs $9.99/8.99 (it was $6.99/6.99 until October 2023, and prior to October 2022 it was $4.99/4.99 a month). This

Macworld In a world dominated by subscriptions, Microsoft 365s recent price hike has left many looking for a more cost-effective alternative . Instead of shelling out dollars monthly, get lifetime access to all the essential Microsoft appsWord, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, and Teams for just $84.97 (reg. $219.99) with Microsoft Office Home & Business for Mac. This one-time purchase ensures youll worry less about rising software fees and more about what you can do with that software. Unli

Macworld Every now and then, Apples wireless earbuds get a new firmware updatethats the software that controls all the hardware on the device. Sometimes this is just random bug fixes where Apple doesnt even tell you whats fixed. Other times, it enables new features when used in conjunction with Apples other products (iPhone, iPad, Macs, even Apple TV). Your AirPods should update their firmware automatically, without intervention, as long as theyre charging and within Bluetooth range of the iPhon

Macworld With iOS 18.3, Apple is sort of taking a breather before it continues its staged rollout of major Apple Intelligence features . That doesnt mean theres nothing there but bug fixes and security patches (though there are those, too). There are plenty of small changes that are coming to your iPhonehere are the five ways your iPhone will be different after you update to iOS 18.3. Apple Intelligence is on by default When Apple introduced Apple Intelligence in iOS 18.1, you had to choose to e

Macworld Even if youre not planning to buy one of the new iPhones , your existing iPhone (XR and later) can now get a bunch of new features following the release of iOS 18. Among the new features in iOS 18 are a redesigned Photos app, new ways to customize your Home screen and wallpaper, new Messages reactions, privacy-related features and dozens of other smaller changes. There are also be some AI features, dubbed Apple Intelligence available on some iPhones (find out if theyll be on your iPhone

Macworld Apple Intelligence has been the focus of most iOS 18 updates so far, and were still waiting on the big Siri overhaul that adds personal context using the data on your phone and scores of new app intents that allow Siri to perform actions in apps. Those features are generally expected to come in iOS 18.4, which most believe will be released in March or April. I The improvements in iOS 18.3 are relatively minor, but welcome, and there are lots of security fixes. Update January 27: iOS 18.

Macworld We now have our best look at what is supposed to be the iPhone SE 4 , due for launch this spring. Notable leaker Majin Bu posted a short video on X showing the iPhone SE 4 from all angles, and a series of clear photographs showing the white and black models. MajinBuOfficial/X If you have been following the rumors and expected the iPhone SE 4 to look like an iPhone 14 with a single rear camera, you wont be surprised by these photos at all. The video doesnt show much new either but appear

Macworld Anytime you can get an iPad for $200 off, its a great deal, especially when it has the largest screen and best chip. Were talking about the 13-inch M4 iPad Pro, of course, the very best tablet Apple makes, which is down to its very best price of $1,099 . It probably comes as no surprise that when we reviewed the new iPad Pro , we gave it a super rare five-star rating, appreciating the first-class display, stellar performance, great battery life, and incredibly thin design: The new iPad

Macworld Apple on Monday unveiled the 2025 Black Unity Collection to honor Black History Month this February. The collection includes iPhone and iPad wallpapers, an Apple Watch face, and a special-edition Apple Watch Black Unity Sport Loop watch band. The 2025 Black Unity Collection incorporates the black, green, and red colors of the Pan-African flag in a theme of Unity Rhythm. The Black Unity Sport Loop is a woven band with a lenticular effect so that the loops in the band appear red on one si

Macworld Youve probably been using the same passcode on your iPhone for years, handed down on your handsets from generation to generation. You most likely dont have to use it all that often, because you open your iPhone with your face or fingerprint, but there are times when you need that code, such as when you start up an iPhone after its been powered down, or when you want to check a password. This wont be a problem if you know the code, but what if you had recently changed the passcode and di

Macworld Customers often debate whether its worth getting AppleCare+ coverage for their Apple products. This represents a substantial additional cost, but in the event that your device suffers accidental damage, the policy will cover most of the cost of repairs. On balance our advice tends to be that taking out third-party insurance instead, or simply saving your money, using a case and being careful, is a better option . But its really a personal decision. Your decision may, however, be influen

Macworld At a Glance Expert's Rating Pros Privacy-focused sign-up Great for getting around geoblocks Great pricing Cons Needs more servers 5 connections is lower than some rivals Our Verdict Mullvads VPN is making waves in the tech world, and not just because its very good. While many VPN services are great for maintaining privacy online, Mullvad goes even further, offering a low-priced, easy-to-understand plan that lets you sign up entirely anonymously if youd like. Pair that with good speeds a

Macworld Kids ask questions all the time, and I think its important as a parent to admit when you dont know the answer. Naturally, its tempting to bluff, in order to preserve their childlike belief in your omniscience, but youre only storing up trouble for that moment when they gain access to Google and find out for themselves that the president of Cuba is not, in fact, Fray Bentos. Not everyone, however, feels the same way about admitting ignorance. Take Siri, for example, which loves to take a

Macworld Want to learn a new language? Babbel is making it easier than ever to learn a new language with a lifetime subscription marked down to $129.99 (reg. $599). Babbel is a full-fledged language education tool developed by a team of over 100 expert linguists and backed by research from institutions like Yale University and Michigan State. Duolingo wishes. With over 10,000 hours of lessons spanning 14 languages, youre covered whether youre interested in Spanish, German, Indonesian, Turkish, a

Macworld Have you wanted to use ChatGPT to streamline your workday but dont know how exactly to use it? No worries, its a little tricky fiddling with prompts to get the results you want. But if you want to learn tips and tricks to use ChatGPT like a pro and prepare for ChatGPT-5s upcoming release, study with this introductory course. Rather than struggle with correctly wording prompts, you can learn how to communicate with this AI chatbot for more optimized help and responses. Grab lifetime acce

Macworld 2025 has arrived, which means that tax season (unfortunately) isnt too far behind. Hate gathering all your documents and powering up your scanner just to digitize them? Ditch the clunky scanner thats an eyesore in your office for iScanner. This smart document-scanning app is designed to make scanning any document from your iPhonefrom tax forms and drivers licenses to handwritten notes and receiptsseamless. It even comes with AI-powered tools to help you adjust your documents for perfect

Macworld Apple has planted its own flag in the streaming wars with Apple TV+ , its in-house streaming service that focuses almost entirely on original programming rather than an extensive library of existing TV shows or movies. This guide will list all the Apple TV+ content you can watch today, divided into episodic shows or series and movies. Theres also a ton of new content in the works for Apples $9.99-a-month service. If you want to know whats on the way, check out our list of upcoming Apple

Macworld If youre going to get a tablet, then the M2 iPad Air is the best you can buy, with the right mix of performance, price, and portability. And todays that price is even better: Amazon is selling the 11-inch M2 iPad Air for $500 , $99 off its MSRP, and just $2 off its all-time low. In our 4-star review of the 11-inch iPad Air, we praised its processor upgrade and performance, as well as the fact the upgrade to 128GB base storage, essentially cutting the price by $50. The lower entry-level

Macworld For over a year, Apples CarPlay site has teased the arrival of the next generation in 2024. Now that its 2025, Apple finally admits thats not happening. When it was announced at WWDC in 2022, next-gen CarPlay was an exciting peek at the future of in-dash navigation systems. Instead of a rectangular screen, the next-gen CarPlay takes over the entire instrument panel, including car functions such as air conditioning and gauges. Apple says next-gen CarPlay ensures a cohesive design experie

Macworld At a glance Expert's Rating Pros Two integrated charging cables Equal performance on all USB-C ports Rubberized base Smart display Cons Our Verdict This compact power bank might be Ankers best-ever power bank. And since the price is right, we give it an unreserved recommendation. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Price When Reviewed $99.99 Best Prices Today: Anker Power Bank (25K, 165W) with Cables Retailer Pric

Macworld At a glance Expert's Rating Pros Fast charging times Large display Folding kickstand Cons No wattage display Our Verdict If you are looking for an inexpensive, powerful Qi2 power bank, the ESR power bank matches price and performance just right. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Price When Reviewed $59.99 Best Prices Today: ESR Qi2 Kickstand Power Bank 10K Retailer Price $54.99 View Deal ESR $59.99 View Deal Pri

Macworld Fanboys on both ends have long debated: What came firstthe Samsung or the Apple? Although only one of the tech giants has been taken to court for copying the others iconic design, the two parties have been inspiring each other for years. Notably, Apple tends to be more subtle with its reproduction. Samsung, on the other hand, well just blatantly ripped off over a dozen Apple features and designs during its Galaxy S25 launch. Appropriated intelligence Its no secret that Apple is lagging

Macworld At a glance Expert's Rating Pros Estimated 10-year lifespan versus 6 to 12 months for an AirTag-compatible lithium coin battery Waterproof against steam cleaning and high-pressure jets (IP69) Low cost relative to standard rugged waterproof AirTag cases Uses standard AA batteries Screws use standard hex-head style (hex wrench included) Cons Larger form factor compared to AirTag Our Verdict The waterproof case design and use of standard AA batteries lets an AirTage in the TimeCapsule 10-Y

Macworld Given the price of high-end gadgets , it can sometimes feel like youre choosing between a quality product and your savings account. However, you dont have to. A terrific option that not many people consider is a refurbished model. This 2020 Apple MacBook Air with M1 is yours for just $579.99better than Amazon and Walmarts prices. It has been cleaned and inspected and has a grade-A refurb rating, which means its in near-mint condition. Its powered by Apples revolutionary M1 chip. This me

Macworld We love the Apple Watch Ultra 2, so we were rather happy to see it on sale for $739 at Amazon . Thats a $60 discount for one of the best-featured smartwatches around. At $739, this isnt the best price weve seen for the Ultra 2, but then again, its only $20 away. Unless you want to wait a few months to get it at its all-time low of $719, nows a good time to add it to your cart. In our review of the Apple Watch Ultra 2 , we gave it a four-star rating, appreciating the bright screen and th

Macworld Remembering the numerous passwords we use on a daily basis can be a real pain. Whether its logging into Amazon to order a new book, checking your online banking or settling down to watch something on Netflix, seeing the log-in box appear can make your heart sink. Then theres the fact that each site seems to require a different length or combination of certain characters, meaning you need different ones for nearly every site or service (which, sadly, is also a good idea). How are our lim