Science/Tech / Macworld
Macworld The anticipation is building for the iPhone 17 unveiling this fall, and while we still have about a month until a formal announcement about an event, Apple is surely putting the finishing touches on its plans for the new phones. And if a recent sighting is to be believed, some lucky employees already have one. A post on X this week by Skyfops purports to have seen the iPhone 17 in the wild, and has pictures to prove it. The photos show a person holding a black phone in a case, concealin
Macworld When you first launch the Camera app after updating to iOS 26, youll see a splash screen telling you that its a new design. If youre like us, youll just tap Continue to get it out of your wayyou have selfies to take! Dont panic at the dramatically different look. For the most part, the new Camera app works like the old one and doesnt remove any major features. In fact, it adds some settings selections that you used to have to jump into the Settings app for, which is a big time-saver. He
Macworld At a glance Expert's Rating Pros Magnetically clamps to your MacBook Integrated USB-C charging cable Cons Requires a magnetic base to be stuck to the laptop Forward and Back buttons dont work with Mac Our Verdict This is a more-than-capable portable mouse with the unique ability to stick to and hitch a ride on your MacBook when youre on the move. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Price When Reviewed $35.99 Best
Macworld If youre looking to buy a new MacBook Air, theres really no reason to pay full price. Amazon is always running some sale, with the most recent Prime Day discount knocking $150 off the MSRP. But now Amazon has dropped the M4 MacBook Air to a new best price lower than weve ever seen for the latest MacBook Air: just $799, an impressive $200 off its already-low $999 MSRP. Compared to the previous MacBook Air models, youre actually saving $500. Apple cut the price of the M4 Air by $100, plus
Macworld At a glance Expert's Rating Pros Portable, rugged design Supports MagSafe for use with iPhone Good performance for shooting video Competitively priced Cons No backup software included No Lightning support for older iPhones or iPads Our Verdict Its hard to fault the Creator drive. Its lightweight, rugged design is ideal for shooting photos or video on an iPhone including Apple ProRes video at 4K. MagSafe support helps to keep it safe when youre travelling, and its USB-C interface makes
Macworld With less than two months to go until Apple unveils its iPhones for fall 2025, new details have emerged concerning the new handsets. According to an anonymous tip-off, the Pro versions of the iPhone 17 will get a range of surprising and unexpected camera upgrades. The information comes via a tipster who got in touch with MacRumors this weekend and claimed to have seen an (as yet unreleased, fairly obviously) advertisement for the iPhone 17 Pro. Seemingly based on this, the tipster told
Macworld At a glance Expert's Rating Pros Light, comfortable design Versatile smart transmitter Good battery life Strong sound quality Cons Plastic casing could be sturdier No support for aptX Auracast is not widely support right now Our Verdict Its not best-in-class in any one area, but the M3 provides a good all-round combination of strong sound quality, impressive battery life and versatile connectivity features. And, with its smart transmitter, its one of the first headphones to fully suppor
Macworld At a glance Expert's Rating Pros Large battery capacity Built-in retractable USB-C cable Cons Just two power outputs 67W maximum power Our Verdict This is a handy-sized, reasonably lightweight laptop power bank with a convenient and long retractable USB-C cable built-in that performed well in out MacBook-charging tests. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Price When Reviewed $89.99 Best Prices Today: Baseus EnerCo
Macworld As a Brit writing for a mainly U.S.-based audience, I tend to have mixed feelings when my homeland makes an appearance in the tech media. References to Tim Berners-Lee or ARM processors are one thing, but all too often its unchecked surveillance or misguided AI hype . Theres more to the U.K. than Ed Sheeran and Downton Abbey, but not all of it is good. Last week, I found myself not just reading tech articles about Britain but actually writing one when sources claimed that Keir Starmers
Macworld If youre looking for a Bluetooth tracker that works seamlessly with your iPhones Find My network, but dont want to splurge on an AirTag, then we found just the one for you. This tiny Ugreen FineTrack is only $10 now that its half off at Amazon , and a fraction of the cost of an AirTag. The Apple AirTags are some of our favorites because theyre sleek, tiny, and soooo precise. But at $29 each, with very rare discounts that bring the price lower than $23, we have to admit theyre rather pri
Macworld The first public beta versions of iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe, and watchOS 26 are now available. And if youre a keen enthusiast of all things Applewhich is likely, given the name of the website youre currently readingthen I imagine youve been tempted to download one or more of them and give them a whirl to see what all the fuss is about. Im here to tell you not to do that. If youre a developer, then it makes perfect sense to try out the developer betas. You kind of have to, because y
Macworld The macOS Tahoe public beta is here, and that means you can get your hands on the latest macOS update and all its exciting new features without needing a developer account. And if you do choose to go down that path, theres a lot of good stuff waiting for you. Ive been using the macOS Tahoe beta for a few weeks now, and theres a lot Ive come to love about it. From the Liquid Glass redesign to the totally revamped Spotlight, Ive found it to be a meaningful upgrade over macOS Sequoia . Her
Macworld Its been a month since Apple released the first developer beta of iOS 26, and iPhone users are no doubt excited to try out the new version, as it introduces the Liquid Glass design among other cool features. With the release of the public beta, you may be wondering whether its worth installing iOS 26 on your iPhone or if you should wait until September. If you really want to try the new software, read on as we detail how smooth or buggy the iOS 26 beta is, and whether you should actuall
Macworld Apple revealed its plans for the next version of macOS at the WWDC keynote on Monday June 9, 2025. The company also showed off new features for the next iOS , iPadOS , watchOS and more at the event. Like its counterparts on the other Apple devices, macOS is getting a brand new look for 2025-2026 along with a new name. Because Apple is aligning the names of all the operating systems this year, the new version of macOS be called macOS 26 rather than macOS 16. It will also take the name Ta
Macworld Apple recently announced the opening of the Apple Store online and the Apple Store app in Saudi Arabia, which features support for Arabic , a first for Apple. To commemorate the event, Apple released a new wallpaper that features an Arabic-inspired Apple logo . The wallpaper also features another first: an online customization tool, where you can change the logo and background colors. You can also choose from the preset color combinations and download as many versions as you like. In to
Macworld Every year, Apple updates the Mac operating system. The current version of macOS is macOS 15.5, but development of macOS 26 (not macOS 16) is well underway. Apple runs a beta program, which means developers and registered public testers can try out new features before they are released to the general public later in the year. The beta process doesnt stop with the full release of macOS in the fall. After macOS 15 Sequoia arrived on Macs in September 2024, development continued with new f
Macworld Remembering all the passwords you use on a daily basis can be a struggle. Whether its logging into Amazon, 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 limited human brains suppose
Macworld At a glance Expert's Rating Pros 11 ports, including four Thunderbolt 5 2.5Gb Ethernet Cons No extra USB-C ports Our Verdict This dock could be the sweet spot for business or home users who want to take advantage of the Macs new super-fast Thunderbolt 5 ports. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Price When Reviewed $329.99 Best Prices Today: OWC Thunderbolt 5 Dock Retailer Price $299.99 View Deal $299.99 View Deal
Macworld iPhones are built to last a long time, which means that there are a lot of Lightning-equipped iPhones still in use, even though Apple replaced the Lightning port on its iPhones with USB-C in 2023 with the iPhone 15 . And with USB-C connectors and cables becoming more and more ubiquitous, Lightning iPhones can leave you unable to connect if you dont have an adapter handy. Ken Pillonels new invention makes life easier for Lightning iPhone users. His company, Obsoless, is offering the iPh0
Macworld At a glance Pros Fast charging High capacity battery Compact yet versatile Cons Older AirPods Pro connection erratic Our Verdict The Kuxiu K1 folds up into a neat pack-of-card size that will fit in your pocket and twists into a versatile and high-performance multi-Apple-device charger. 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: Kuxiu K1 15W Fast Charging 3-in-1 MagSafe Power
Macworld One of the reasons why people invest in the Apple ecosystem is the interoperability between devices. The main reason for the interoperability is iCloud, Apples cloud service. You can get a free membership when you create an Apple Account, which includes a paltry 5GB of cloud storage . We recommend upgrading to at least 50GB if you can afford it, which costs $0.99/0.99 per month. If you sign up for more storage, you are also getting Apples iCloud+ service. With iCloud (sans the +), you g
Macworld As is tradition, Apple released beta versions of its new operating systems to developers on the first day of WWDC on June 9. The first beta release of iOS 26 had everything Apple demonstrated in its WWDC keynote: Liquid Glass , the new Phone app and features, the new Camera and Photos experience , and more. Subsequent releases have made refinements to the interface and fixed bugs. There are still plenty of bugs and unrefined areas, as you would expect with a major iOS update still weeks
Macworld Apples MacBook lineup could be in for a major shakeup. The company is reportedly planning on releasing a new laptop that can compete with Windows laptops in the budget market. Such a laptop could bring the Mac to a whole new class of users. This new, low-cost MacBook could be a very popular one, which means youll want to keep track of its developments. Well, look no further. This article will keep track of the rumors and reports of this upcoming product, as well as offer our perspective
Macworld What was the last tech product you bought that really excited you? If youre like the Macalope well, God help you. Seriously, the back hair alone is enough to make it a miserable experience. Sure, the little birds that sit on the Macalopes back help with the bugs, but in terms of summer heat Sorry, getting off track. If you are anything like this horned observer, chances your last truly exciting tech purchase wasnt made by Apple or any other large tech company, unless it was a while ago.
Macworld At a glance Expert's Rating Pros Compact NAS drive provides lots of storage Hardware build quality Intuitive sofware Wide range of models Cons Hard drives cost extra Not as many apps as competition Our Verdict While Ugreen is a relative newcomer to NAS, the solid build quality of the drives and the intuitive software make the range a tidy and easy-to-use option for any small business or office. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Be
Macworld Update July 21 : This article was updated to include the Landslide emoji, which was omitted from the original list. Ballet dancers, bigfoot hunters, Fleetwood Mac fans, and trombone players, today is a special World Emoji Day for you! The Unicode Consortium has announced the newest set of emojis to be released, whittled down from the submissions late last year. Without further ado, heres the list: Apple Core Ballet Dancers Distorted Face Fight Cloud Hairy Creature (Bigfoot) Landslide Or
Macworld macOS 15, best known as macOS Sequoia, is named after the California National Park and, more specifically, the worlds largest trees. Among the new features that arrived on Macs with Sequoia in September 2024 were iPhone mirroring, which puts your iPhone screen on your Macs display and lets you interact with it via your mouse and keyboard, a new Video conferencing presenter preview, and a new Password app to manage passwords. Subsequent updates have brought Apple Intelligence, which is A
Macworld Apples next iPad Pro models are expected to ship later this year, which likely means a launch alongside the iPhone 17 in September or at a separate event the following month. And were starting to get a better idea of what Apple has in store for its premium tablet line. In the latest edition of his Power On newsletter , Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman claims that, as well as a new M5 processor, the upcoming iPad Pros will feature an unexpected change to their physical camera design. Where
Macworld Macworlds biggest story last week was a blockbuster exclusive, broken by Filipe Esposito, which leaked the full range of iPhone 17 colors based on an internal document and the testimony of independent sources. This was a proper scoop, and rather exciting and then later in the week, news broke that Apple had decided to sue the YouTube personality Jon Prosser after he leaked secrets about iOS 26. The timing was mildly alarming, but we had no cause for serious worry. Apples lawsuit concern
Macworld Many people think Macs dont need antivirus, but they are not immune from viruses and malware dont wait until its too late to protect your Apple computer from threats. Our experts have tested multiple security suites, and in this article outline only the best Mac antivirus programs. These are the security apps they would install on their own Mac or MacBook. Not everyone knows how to check their Mac for viruses , but you dont need to be a security expert to keep your Mac safe. Apple incl
Macworld Cloud storage should do more than hold your files it should protect them. Thats exactly what Internxt was built to do, and right now, new users can grab a lifetime subscription to 20TB of Internxt Cloud Storage for just $389.97 (down from $4,900). No monthly fees. No renewal reminders. Just total control, forever. Internxt is a privacy-first alternative to the usual cloud giants. Everything you store is end-to-end encrypted and broken into smaller pieces for maximum security. Your data
Macworld During last weeks four-day Prime Day event, we saw AirPods 4 on sale for the lowest price ever. As expected, those prices went back up when the event endedbut they just dropped again, matching those steep Prime Day discounts. You can get the AirPods 4 without active noise cancelling for only $89 , a 30 percent discount off its $129 MSRP and the lowest price weve seen. We think the AirPods 4 with ANC for only $119 is an even better buy, though. Thats 33 percent off, and again, the lowest
Macworld Apple is all in on its new Liquid Glass user interface that it introduced at WWDC last June. So much so that the company may be expanding the Liquid Glass concept beyond its software and into its hardware. According to leaker Setsuna Digital on a Weibo post , Apple may be releasing the upcoming iPhone 17 Pro in a color option that has ties to the Liquid Glass UI design of iOS 26 . Setsuna Digital identifies the color as white, but it will show different effects based on the light hittin
Macworld The Mac just got one of the best games of the last decade. Cyberpunk: 2077 may have had a lot of technical issues when it was first released 4.5 years ago, but the ambitious open city, memorable story, and high production values helped gamers hang in there. Their patience was rewarded with a slew of patches to fix problems, re-balance game systems, add quality-of-life features, and more. Now, coinciding with patch 2.3, Cyberpunk: 2077 is finally available for the Macon the App Store , S
Macworld Apple is famous for its design sense, having produced a bewildering array of gorgeous gadgets over the years. But perhaps no device has embodied that sense as truly as the Power Mac G4 Cube , a sleek block of aluminum and plastic that turned heads and wowed onlookers when it launched in July 2000. Unfortunately, it was also a commercial flop, lasting just one year until it was discontinued forever. Steve Jobs later admitted that it was overdesigned and overpriced , and while it stands a
Macworld Atomic Keyboard has provided an update on the development of its MDR Dasher Keyboard what most people might otherwise call the Severance keyboardthat was announced back in April. After receiving input from potential customers , the company has revealed its price: a whopping $599 for early adopters, and an eye-widening $899 retail price. And that doesnt include a waffle party . However, the MDR Dasher Keyboard is no ordinary keyboard. Besides being inspired by the hit Apple TV+ show ( Se
Macworld If theres one area where Samsung beats Apple (other than folding phones), its displays. Sure, Apples Studio Display is gorgeous and all, but $1,599 is an awful lot for a 27-inch display. Thankfully, there are plenty of excellent Samsung options to choose from, such as this Odyssey G7 gaming monitor for $450 at B&H today, a massive savings of $350 with the automatic coupon at checkout. Granted, youre giving up a little resolution (its only 4K versus 5K on the studio display) and max brig
Macworld With a little less than two months to go until Apple unveils its late-2025 phones, an intriguing new feature which had looked increasingly unlikely to appear has suddenly roared back into contention. The iPhone 17 Pro is reportedly going to get an anti-reflective screen after all. The technology, designed to make phone displays more resistant to scratches as well as cutting back on reflected glare, was first touted as a possible upgrade for the iPhone 17 as long ago as March 2024 , six
Macworld Apple popularized digital music consumption in 2003 with the launch of its iTunes Store, selling both albums and individual tracks. But in the years that followed, the industry evolved from selling to streaming music, with companies like Spotify leading the way. Apple got the message, and duly copied Spotifys business model by offering the entirety of its catalog for a fixed monthly feeand Apple Music was born. I recall the early days of Apple Music. While the app worked, the music disc
Macworld If youre anything like me, your iPhone has basically become your co-pilot. Whether its navigating to the next client meeting, queuing up a playlist for the road, or taking hands-free calls, it needs to stay visibleand stay put. Thats where theHyperMount vacuum car mountcomes in to make it easier to stay connected while driving . On sale now forjust $24.99(reg. $29.99), this thing doesnt mess around. Unlike flimsy vent clips or suction cups that fail the first time summer hits 90, the Hy
Macworld 2026 is shaping up to be a very big year for Apple. On this episode of the Macworld Podcast, were talking about the new products Apple could release next year, including an unexpected change for the Mac. This is episode 942 with Jason Cross , Michael Simon , and Roman Loyola . Watch episode 942 on YouTube Listen to episode 942 on Apple Podcasts Listen to episode 942 on Spotify Get info Click on the links below for more information on what was discussed on the show. Apples packed spring
Macworld Apple has racked up more Emmy nominations than ever before. Apples press release states, Apple TV+ today earned a record-breaking 81 Emmy Award nominations across 14 hit Apple Original titles, but Apple counts its two nominated commercials, which nobody else does. Anywhere else you look, youll see 79 nominations. When Apple says record-breaking they must mean they broke their own record, which was the 72 nominations it received last year. It is by no means a record for a single network,
Macworld Apple generally knows what its doing when it comes to industrial design, but the companys latest reported decision is causing more than a little confusion among Apple fans and pundits. According to the GF Securities analyst Jeff Pu, the iPhone 17 Air will have a titanium frame, whereas the iPhone 17, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max will all be made of aluminum. This is a counterintuitive choice, to say the least, because titanium is heavier than aluminum, and the iPhone 17 Air is expected to be
Macworld Google has announced that version 138 of its Chrome browser for Mac is the last version that can run on macOS 11 Big Sur. According to a support document , Big Sur is outside of its support window with Apple, and that running on a supported operating system is essential to maintaining security. Chrome is currently at version 138. According to Googles Chrome roadmap, version 139 is currently in beta and is expected to be released by the end of this month. Chrome 139 requires macOS 12 Mon
Macworld Even when theyre on sale, a new MacBook Air is pretty expensive. But if you want an Apple laptop, you dont need to spend a fortune when Walmart is selling the M1 MacBook Air in all three colors for $599 right now. Back when we reviewed the M1 MacBook Air , we gave it a 4.5-star rating and our Editors Choice award, appreciating its fantastic performance, silent operation, and how good the battery life is. Sure, that was some years ago, but our review stands this is still a fantastic lap
Macworld Apples iOS 26 plans, in brief The new iOS update is called iOS 26, not iOS 19 Redesignfeatures translucent Liquid Glass effect Phone to get Call Screening, Hold Assist, and Live Translations Apple revealed its plans for its next iOS update at the WWDC keynote on June 9, 2025. iOS 26, coming to iPhones later this year, will bring a brand new look and lots of new features that will simplify and enhance the way we use existing apps. In this article we cover everything you need to know abou
Macworld When Apple announced iOS 26 at WWDC in June, developers (or anyone with a developer account) were able to dive right in and try out all the new features. The rest of the iPhone population had two options: wait until September for the full release or download the public beta in July. Its been July for over a fortnight now, and were still waiting for the public beta to arrive. However, the wait might not be much longer. In a reply to a post about iOS 26 by journalist and developer Parker
Macworld In a fresh blow to Apples late-2025 launch plans, a new ITC ruling means certain iPhone models and units could be banned from sale in the U.S. by the end of the year. As reported by the Korean outlet ETNews , the ITC ruled Friday that the Chinese firm BOE, a major Apple display supplier, had infringed on Samsung Displays trade secrets and should be subject to an import ban. This, in turn, means that Apple may not be able to import any iPhones made using BOE OLED displays into the U.S.,
Macworld Were only a few months away from the official launch of the iPhone 17 lineup, and weve been hearing a lot about what colors to expect for the new phones. Every year, Apple tries to surprise us with a few new colors for the new generation, and this year will be no different. Macworld has heard from independent sources details about the colors of the iPhone 17 lineup that corroborate the latest rumors, so we now have a better idea of what they will look like. These are the new iPhone 17 c
Macworld What was long considered impossible has now been a reality for almost four years: iPhone owners are allowed to pick their own default apps for core functions such as email, phone, messaging, and web browsing. While Apple was reluctant to grant users these freedoms, pressure from regulators and competitors finally forced the company to yield ground. But how open is the system really? Who benefits? And are the non-Apple options genuinely useful in everyday life, or are they just a way to