iPhone 18 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra: How these XL phones compete
Apple or Samsung? It really comes down to which ecosystem you prefer.
CA governor signs 'landmark' laws on youth use of social media and AI chatbots
They're aimed at protecting minors, but the rules are not universally supported.
Bring colorful aquatic beauty to d
Amazon is currently offering the LEGO Icons Tropical Aquarium set down at $423.99 shipped. Its been down from its $480 full price to $460 since late August, with the deal getting even better today. Previous discounts saw it go as low as $435, but now youre getting an even larger $56 markdown for the best price we have tracked at Amazon. more
AI researchers back an extinction warning as the Pentagon rejects it
A warning from a departing Anthropic researcher has drawn a wave of responses this week. Senior scientists at rival labs backed the claim that AI could threaten humanity, while a top Pentagon official rejected it. The reaction followed Jacob Coxons resignation from Anthropic. In a post on X, he said AI firms were racing straight [] This story continues at The Next Web
As part of Ankers SOLIX Hurricane-Ready Power Sale that also acted as its Labor Day Sale (ending this weekend), youve got a solid opportunity to score two S2000 Portable Power Stations down at an exclusive $1,216 shipped ($608 each), after using our code 9TO5DEALS5 at checkout, beating Amazons pricing by $84. The bundle carries a $1,380 MSRP, though with the pricing weve been seeing since its launch deals ended, youve been regularly able to score it at $1,300 ($650 each), though this bundle has been dipping down to $1,280 a few times, while Prime Day and a July deal saw it back at $1,180 to match its launch deal. Youre getting an exclusively combined $164 markdown here, which is the second-lowest price we have tracked both as a bundle and as individually-priced units. Weve also rounded up all the S2000-specific offers for you below for even more options, or you can browse the full sale lineup here . more
Anthropic details how Claude was misused for surveillance and weapons
Anthropic has published its most detailed account of Claude misuse, laying out how people tried to use its models for harm. The company said it detected and shut down these operations. They ran across cyberattacks, state surveillance, influence campaigns, conventional weapons work and biological research. It set out the cases in a threat intelligence report [] This story continues at The Next Web
Brain-inspired computing: Using noise to regulate information flow in neural networks
Researchers have developed a learning mechanism that uses the natural variability of neural activity
Meta is testing Community Notes in Latin America. Fact checkers are worried.
The company is suggesting that its work with traditional fact checkers could come to an end.
Keep sensitive PDFs off the cloud with this lifetime sub at $40 (Reg. $100)
TL;DR : Edit, convert, compress, redact, sign, and organize PDFs directly on your device with Systweak PDF Editor Pro at 60% off. more
Baseten buys Blaxel, a startup that builds sandboxes for AI agents
AI inference company Baseten has acquired Blaxel, a startup that builds secure execution environments, or sandboxes, for AI agents. Baseten co-founder and chief technology officer Amir Haghighat told Axios Pro about the deal, which the outlet reported first on Thursday. Baseten later announced the acquisition. Axios describes Blaxel as a San Francisco startup. The announcement [] This story continues at The Next Web
TAR raises $120m at a $1bn valuation to build off-grid power for AI
TAR has raised a $120m Series A led by Spark Capital at a $1bn post-money valuation. The Austin company builds off-grid power systems for AI data centres. The company announced the round on Thursday. Prior investors Buckley Ventures and Align Fund also took part, Bloomberg reported. Spark Capital is an investor in Anthropic, Bloomberg noted. [] This story continues at The Next Web
Motive pulls its IPO filing after raising $1.3bn from General Catalyst
Motive has secured more than $1.3bn in growth financing from General Catalysts Customer Value Fund, the company announced on Thursday. Because of the financing, Motive has withdrawn its previously filed S-1 registration statement for an initial public offering. The San Francisco company describes itself as the AI platform for physical operations. Its software helps companies [] This story continues at The Next Web
After the excitement wears off, iPhone Duo
Macworld My first reaction, while watching the iPhone Duo segment of Apples Surprise and Shine press event on Wednesday, was a simple one: Id really like to try it. Which is saying something for a cynical journalist whos been covering events like these for more than two decades, and speaks to the near-miraculous way Apple managed to sell a device with all kinds of compromises and limitations. For one thing, its a foldable, and foldables have problems pretty much baked into the format. Ahead of the launch, leakers led us to believe that Apple had solved the crease , for example, but its since become apparent that the iPhone Duo very much has a visible crease, albeit one thats less visible than those of rival products. And thats based on peoples first impressions at the launch event. The real test will be how the screen bears up to hundreds of repeated folds over the months and years that a product at this price needs to last. Ditto the hinge, which looks great in those minimalist white-background mockups Apple is so fond of but is an obvious point of weakness, and potentially failure, for every folding device. Will it stand up to six months of folding without growing stiff, or loose, or crunchy, or breaking entirely? Will it manage three years? Apples pedigree when it comes to hardware design is strong, but this is a new venture in an area where the companys engineering work is so far unproven. Apple is asking customers to take a leap of faith. That hinge has a lot to live up to. Apple In other areas, as with the iPhone Air before it, the Duo feels like a step backwards: some compromises have been necessary in order to achieve the new form factor. Theyre different compromises than those on the Air, but annoying ones nonetheless. Most notably, Apple has dropped Face ID on its flagship iPhone, with the Duo instead relying on a Touch ID sensor embedded in the side button like the iPad mini. The last iPhone to use fingerprints for unlocking rather than facial recognition was the 2022 iPhone SE, which was not a premium device. You could buy four of those for the price of an iPhone Duo and still have enough money for two pairs of AirPods 5. Its not a flattering comparison for Apples latest and greatest handset. The Duo is also bulky to an old-fashioned extent. Its 11.3mm thick when closed, thicker than any iPhone since the iPhone 4. At 254g its heavier than any previous iPhone. Yet when unfolded its just 5.2mm thick, which is even thinner than the iPhone Air. So youre getting the worst of both worlds: it has the physical worries of a super-thin device, but the inconvenience of a very thick one. Itll fit in a jeans pocket, no doubt, but itll be more of a squeeze than most of us are used to, particularly if you plan to put it in a case. The camera setup is solid but, by the standards of flagship smartphones, hardly remarkable. Theres no variable aperture, since thats an exclusive feature on the 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max. Nor is there a telephoto lens. Your optical zoom capabilities are outclassed not just by the 18 Pro, but by the five-year-old iPhone 13 Pro. (The Duo also cant shoot in ProRAW, if thats a priority for you, nor can it take spatial photos and videos.) Again, not a flattering comparison. Where are the rest of the color options? Apple Customers are even short-changed on the color options, which are limited to the tedium of white and Night Sky, which appears to be a very slightly bluish black. As well as the default white and black, buyers of the 18 Pro get burgundy and that nice Glacier sky blue, while iPhone 17 buyers can choose Lavender, Sage, and Mist Blue. But the Duo is stuck in the same black-and-white world as the ancient iPhone 5 and the mid-price iPhone 16e. But in the end, the biggest weakness of all is that appalling, hypnotic price tag: $1,999 for the absolute entry level, scaling up to the giddy heights of $3,199 if you want the maximum 2TB of storage. The appeal of a foldable is that its two things at once, a single device capable of offering the utility of a mid-size smartphone or a small tablet depending on your needs. That remains a compelling sales pitch. But you can buy an iPhone 18 Pro and a current-gen iPad mini for a combined $1,798, less than the Duo. You could even upgrade the iPad mini to an iPad Air and still come out a few bucks ahead. At a price like that, the Duo needs to be more than dazzling; it needs to be perfect. And perfect devices dont have this many limitations. I still want to try it, though. For more coverage, check out The 5 most important things you need to know about the iPhone Duo.
New MUJJO Troubadour iPhone 18 Pro Cases have arrived: Full Leather or Modular
MUJJO has long since been among our favorite case maker brands , and it is now ready with its iPhone 18 Pro collection . It has now been rolled into its parent Troubadour company, but we are talking about one the best in the game and one of Europes leading makers of premium leather mobile accessories the new covers for Apples latest have arrived from Troubadour and MUJJO. more
Spain gives WeRide and Uber its first permit for Level 4 self-driving cars
WeRide, Uber and AVOMO have received Spains first national permit for Level 4 autonomous passenger vehicles on public roads, the three companies announced on Thursday. Spains Directorate General of Traffic (DGT) issued it under its ES-AV framework for autonomous vehicles. Reuters also reported the permit. AVOMO is the autonomous vehicle division of the Moove Cars [] This story continues at The Next Web
IDScan is offering free credit monitoring and ID protection after leaking driver's licenses
The platform was linked to an FBI investigation into a dark web marketplace last week.
Create, edit, and humanize AI content for life with UmanWrite for $79 ($1,799 value)
TL;DR : Create, refine, and humanize AI-assisted content with this lifetime subscription to UmanWrite All-in-One AI Writing Platform Unlimited Plan for just $79 (Reg. $1,799). more
How to watch the Flame Fatales 2026 speedrunning marathon
The fundraiser for Malala Fund runs September 13-19.
Visa, Mastercard and Ant International team up on ID checks for AI agents
Ant International, Mastercard and Visa have begun working together on a shared Know-Your-Agent framework. It covers AI agents that make purchases on behalf of users. The three companies announced the collaboration on Thursday, Singapore time. Reuters and CNBC also reported it. According to the announcement, the framework is meant to help card networks, digital wallets, [] This story continues at The Next Web
Greece picks its first astronaut for a 2027 Vast mission to the ISS
Adrianos Golemis is set to become Greeces first astronaut, subject to approval by the space station partners. The European Space Agency has signed an agreement on behalf of Greece with the US company Vast. Vast plans the mission to the International Space Station for 2027, the company announced on Wednesday. Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis [] This story continues at The Next Web
BNP says AI borrowing will end the credit bull market, and it is lending to AI too
BNP Paribas expects the years-long rally in corporate bonds to break as hyperscalers flood the market, forecasting some $400B of their bond sales next year and a record $3.7T of net fixed income supply. The ECB reached a similar conclusion in August, finding US tech now accounts for close to a tenth of new euro [] This story continues at The Next Web
Andrew Tulloch is leaving Meta less than a year after he joined. His reported pay offer from the company had made him a symbol of the AI talent war. Reed Albergotti first reported the departure for Semafor on Wednesday, citing a person briefed on the matter. The Wall Street Journal followed on Thursday and reported [] This story continues at The Next Web
The latest Avatar: Seven Havens trailer gives us a deeper dive into the characters and story
It's also pretty easy on the eyes.
Euno raises $23m to give enterprise AI agents the context they lack
Euno has raised a $23m Series A led by N47. The startup builds what it calls a context platform for enterprise AI agents. Chief executive Sarah Levy first disclosed the round to Axios Pro, before the company published its announcement on Wednesday. Existing investor 10D also took part, alongside a group of founders from the [] This story continues at The Next Web
Universal Music Group is collaborating with ElevenLabs on a new AI-powered creation platform
The unnamed software will be built around licensed music from UMG artists who want to participate.
Drones deliver food and remove bodies after Nepal
DJI drones that already supply Mount Everest camps assist Nepals flood relief.
Which iPhone 18 Model Should You Buy?
Apple's new folding iPhone Duo is finally here, alongside refreshed Pro models. Our primer has all the details you need to choose the iPhone 18 that's right for you.
iOS 27 has an Easter egg that will delight longtime Apple fans
Macworld Liquid Glass , which was introduced through Apples operating systems last year, ended up being a controversial feature. You hated it, or you liked it well enoughIve never met anyone who says they love it. Apple tried to make Liquid Glass more appealing by giving the user more control over its appearance , but that didnt change anyones mind. In iOS 27 , Apple is taking a different approach towards promoting Liquid Glass by associating it with one of the most beloved characters in Apple lore. In iOS 27 or iPadOS 27 (currently in final release candidacy ), youll find an Easter egg in Settings > Appearance > Liquid Glass . Its not obvious, but the demo window to test the opacity is scrollable. And if you scroll all the way to the bottom, youll find a character from Apples past. (Spoiler below.) Apple has added an easter egg in iOS 27 If you scroll to the bottom of the Liquid Glass demo, you will see it (h/t @dootskyre ) pic.twitter.com/FujEhswpYS Aaron (@aaronp613) September 9, 2026 The key to finding the easter egg is to continue scrolling beyond where it stops naturally. If you do so, a search bar appears, and as you continue scrolling, the word Moof! will automatically be typed, revealing Clarus the Dogcow, a longtime character of Apple operating systems. If you dont know who Clarus is, it was created by Susan Kare , who created the Dogcow glyph for the Cairo font on the original Macintosh in 1984. Clarus is a sentimental mascot for the Macintosh team and Mac users. There was a period of time when Clarus seemed to be put out to a doghouse in Apples pasture (did you see how I combined a dog/cow reference there?), but its been making surprise appearances. A year ago, Clarus made an appearance on the Apple Watch Herms . Four years ago, Clarus surprised and delighted users of macOS Ventura when Apple decided to put it in the Page Setup window. Its fun to see Apple add a little whimsy to its software. Does it make us appreciate Liquid Glass a little more? That remains to be seen.
Best Robot Lawn Mowers (2026): 12+ Models Tested Over 3 Years
Smart mowers are an expensive alternative to old-fashioned yard work, but they
Expand your DEWALT arsenal with the 20V MAX XR oscillating tool kit down at $99 ($120 off)
Amazon is currently offering the DEWALT 20V MAX XR Oscillating Tool Kit down at $99 shipped. This package has been keeping to a $219 full price since this same deal appeared in the first week of July, which was only beaten out in the last 12 months by a dip to $97 in mid-June. Youre getting a $120 markdown here for the second-lowest price of the last year, giving you a reliable tool to expand your arsenal or replace older and broken down tools with. If you want to further expand your DEWALT collection, check out the deals in the official Amazon storefront here. more
Google Pixel 11 series phones now up to $322 off at Best Buy (
If you side-stepped the gift card pre-order offers on the new Pixel 11 series last month, Best Buy has some notableexcellent condition open-box listings with hundreds in savings up for grabs some prices have now dropped even lower. more
Apple Watch Series 12 or Ultra 4 pre-order deals: Up to $325 off via Best Buy enhanced trade
Pre-orders are now live on the new Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4, and Amazon has already started to drop the price on select models ( details here ). But we are also going to take a look at the enhanced Best Buy trade-in value options you can score the new models for as low as $219 . Details below. more
Insta360 is expanding its Luna lineup today with a new model called the Luna Pro, and it sits just below the Luna Ultra we covered earlier this year. It carries over the same general pocket-gimbal design, including a 1-inch 8K sensor, Leica co-engineered optics, and a detachable 2-inch OLED touchscreen, but trims things down into a slightly more accessible package for everyday vlogging and short-form content. The Luna Pro is available starting today for $599.99 shipped, which is more affordable than the Luna Ultra we checked out earlier. Head below for a closer look and more details. more
Nintendo just announced one of its
Alongside the now live Zelda Ocarina of Time remake pre-order deal, Nintendo just announced one of its largest promotions ever. Its certainly not Black Friday yet by any means, but Nintendo has an upcoming September sale event that sounds like it (might) rival the usual fall holiday price drops. more
LEGO Star Wars SMART Play: Lukes Landspeeder set Buy for $32 (Reg. $40) What we love Stacking up to 215 pieces, this LEGO Star Wars set not only gives you Luke Skywalker and his landspeeder (as well as minifigures of a Jawa and Gonk Droid), but it also comes as one of the SMART PLAY sets that bring more interactive fun to your builds. One thing to note is that this set does not contain a SMART Brick, but does come with the compatible SMART tag and SMART minifigure. more
Bulk up your power arsenal with the Greenworks Pro 60V 4.0Ah battery down at a new $90 low ($79 off)
Amazon is offering Greenworks fans a chance to expand their battery collection with the Greenworks Pro 60V 4.0Ah High-Current Battery falling to $89.98 shipped, after clipping the on-page coupon. This pro-tier power source usually goes for $169 on average at full price, with discounts during its history on the market having gone as low as $103. Now, with the on-page coupon savings, youre able to pick it up with a 47% markdown that cuts $79 off the tag for the lowest price we have tracked. There are several more battery options that you can shop from in the official Greenworks Amazon storefront here. more
Celero raises $275m to bring coherent optics inside AI data centres
Celero Communications, a two-year-old chip startup, has raised $275m in a Series C round that values it at more than $3bn. It makes the processors that push data down fibre optic cables between AI chips, racks and whole data centres. Atreides Management, Valor Equity Partners and CapitalG, Alphabets growth fund, co-led the round. Dina Bass [] This story continues at The Next Web
Insta360 Luna Pro review: Your Instagram Reels are about to get an upgrade
There's now a direct rival to the Osmo Pocket 4 you can easily buy in the US.
Amazon is offering a budget-friendly deal on the Greenworks 40V 12-Inch Cordless Electric String Trimmer (tool only) down at $59.98 shipped, which beats out the brands direct website pricing by $16 . Down from a $90 full price, weve seen this same rate appear three previous times over the last 12 months, with discounts otherwise dropping the cost to $62 or higher. The deal here cuts $30 off the tag for the best price we have tracked over the last year, or you can find more deals in the official Amazon storefront here. more
The Apple Watch design is going in the wrong direction
Macworld Back when Apple released the Apple Watch Series 10 , it made a big deal about the refined design that was nearly 10 percent thinner than Apple Watch Series 7, Series 8, and Series 9. It also brought a bigger screen that made the whole package seem sleeker and more refined on your wrist. Now Apple is moving in the other direction. If you buy an Apple Watch Series 12, youre getting the same 42mm (374 by 446 pixels) or 46mm (374 by 446 pixels) screen, but the case is 1mm wider than the Series 10 and 11, making the screen appear smaller in pictures due to larger bezels. Here are the specs: Apple Watch Series 12 42mm by 37mm by 9.7mm (42mm) 46mm by 40mm by 9.7mm (46mm) Apple Watch Series 10/11 42mm by 36mm by 9.7mm (42mm) 46mm by 39mm by 9.7mm (46mm) Thats not a huge difference on paper, of course, but it feels like a step backwards. As you can see in the image above comparing the Series 12 (left) with the Series 11 (center), and Series 9 (right), the bezels are much more pronounced. Normally a year-to-year change wouldnt be an issue for most people, but the new watches have a bunch of cool features exclusive to the newer models that might entice Series 10 or 11 upgraders, and theyre going to get a watch that looks older than the one they just had. Theres no obvious reason why the new watches should have larger cases. Other than a new heart-rate sensor, the specs and physical features are the same, and the new chip would seemingly be more efficient than the previous model. Weve heard rumors for years that Apple is working on a major Apple Watch redesign, with the latest rumors saying its finally coming next year . Lets hope so, because the current design is going the wrong way.
Zelda Ocarina of Time remake pre-order deal now live at Amazon
While the new $10 pre-order discount on physical copies has been going in and out of stock, but as of right now you can secure a copy on sale over at Amazon if youre quick get in there while you can (the discounted price appears in the cart). The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time physical $60 (Reg. $70) | Amazon The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time digital $60 (digital) | Amazon A classic tale, reborn for the Nintendo Switch 2 system, featuring voiced cutscenes, expanded dialogue, symphonic orchestral music, visuals built from the ground up for Nintendo Switch 2, and more Nintendo gift cards from $8.50 (15% off) | Amazon Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time Remake digital pre-order $60 | Nintendo Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time Remake physical pre-order $70 | Nintendo The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time physical $60 (Reg. $70) | Walmart more
The UK government has published a new space strategy, backed by 7.8bn to 2030. It brings the governments civil and military space spending under one plan. The governments announcement on 8 September named national security and defence as its key pillars, alongside growth. The UK Space Strategy formally replaces the National Space Strategy of 2021. [] This story continues at The Next Web
Amazon already starting to drop the price on Apple Watch Series 12 pre-orders
Pre-orders for the new AirPods 5 are now live from $129, and Amazon is already starting to undercut everyone on the Series 12. While we arent talking about massive deals here, Amazon is now offering select Series 12 models for less than everyone else. more
Samsung offering Z Fold 8 + Galaxy Watch 8/Ultra 2 at up to $520 off right now
We are catching some fantastic deals on the popular Galaxy Z Fold 8 this week, with a straight up $250 off new condition models at Amazon and as much as $530+ off excellent open-box listings at Best Buy . However, the official Samsung site is also now serving up some serious bundle deals you can land the new foldable and its next-generation Galaxy watches at up to $520 off . more
iOS 27 brings GymKit to iPhone and AirPods, but what does it actually do?
GymKit is a great idea that has never been fully realized. Now, it doesn't require an Apple Watch to take advantage of.
NASA and IBM made an AI model for exploring the Moon
NASA and IBM's latest collaboration is an AI model of the moon made for the Artemis era.
Were now tracking a deal at Amazon that drops ASUS ROG Cetra Open Wireless earbuds to $206.99 shipped. This pair was first announced earlier this year in January and then went on sale shortly after in March at $230. Todays offer marks the first discount weve tracked on them, taking $23 off for a 10% markdown. These have been pretty popular among gamers, especially for use with gaming handhelds and even smartphone gaming thanks to the open-ear design and dual-mode wireless connectivity. Todays deal gets you in for a little less than usual if youve been waiting for a price drop on these. Best Buy is also matching Amazons $206.99 price right now, so be sure to check them out after getting more details below. more
The data storage crisis has a biological fix. It starts by making less DNA, not more.
The math behind thedata storageproblem is brutal. The world creates more information every year than it can afford to keep. Most of it is cold. It is almost never read, yet it cannot be deleted, so it accumulates on tape and disk that degrade,draw power, and demand replacement every few years. The cost compounds. It [] This story continues at The Next Web
iPhone Duo helps me understand the touchscreen MacBook
Macworld If youre wondering where the touchscreen MacBook is after Apples Surprise and Shine event on Wednesday, dont worry. It was never in the plans for this event, and all signs indicate that its still going to ship this year . Even though Wednesdays event made no mention of a touchscreen MacBook or even macOS, the introduction of Apples new folding phone, the iPhone Duo , said a lot about Apples upcoming laptop. Apple understood what it had to do with the Duo: It couldnt just make a big phone that folds in half (an approach many early Android folding phones took). Instead, Apple completely rethought and re-engineered iOS to accommodate the folding form factor, making it natural, smooth, and, most of all, productive. My biggest concern with the touchscreen MacBook is whether Apple fully understands the task at hand with such a laptop. Like a folding iPhone, Apple cant just take a MacBook, slap a touchscreen display on it, pack it up, and sell it. Mac software and macOS are specifically made with mouse and trackpad input in mind, not touch. Menus, icons, text, and everything else you see on-screen are made for pointing and clicking with an input device, not a finger. But Apple understood the UI challenges with a folding iPhone. It didnt just address the potential interface issues; it dramatically rethought the way we interact with our phones. From the opening transition to the way apps interact with each other and the various poses and orientations, Apple designed the iPhone Duo from the outside in, looking at the form factor and crafting iOS to match the uniqueness of the device rather than forcing existing elements and navigation into an unnatural fit. And I expect Apple will do the same with the touchscreen MacBook. Just like Apple moved the Dock to the side and compressed the status buttons into an elegant glyph on the side of the iPhone Duo display for easier reachability, Apple needs to consider how macOS will work with a touchscreen. Apple didnt just make a folding phone to make a folding phone; it made a folding phone to make a better folding phone. And I can start to understand the vision for the touchscreen MacBook. Now, users arent going to be holding a touchscreen MacBook like an iPhone Duo, so I dont expect Apple to make any of the same UI changes it did with the Duo. But my point is that Apple needs to take the Mac user experience to heart, and refine macOS to include elements that optimize touchscreen input. Weve heard rumors that parts of macOS will enlarge to make touch points easy to access, but we havent heard much elsemore could be in store, if the iPhone Duo is any indication. We wont have to wait much longer to hear about the touchscreen MacBook. It will be revealed in early 2027 at the latest, but more likely, within the next couple of months. But after seeing the iPhone Duo, Im much more hopeful Apple will get it right.
Trump Mobile's T1 Phone now costs $250 more
Trump Mobile's T1 Phone, which an iFixit teardown revealed to be pretty much identical to an HTC handset, got a $250 price hike.
As part of its latest Deals of the Day lineup , Best Buy is now offering the 16GB/512GB variant of HPs OmniBook 3 Snapdragon X Copilot+ PC for $649.99 shipped . We highlighted the 8GB/256GB model yesterday as part of a similar daily deal offer, but todays offer steps things up with double the memory and storage for anyone who wants a bit more headroom. This particular configuration normally goes for $800, so youre looking at $150 in savings today. Weve seen the variant with a touchscreen IPS panel discounted plenty of times in the past, but this OLED-equipped model doesnt go on sale nearly as often. It might be worth considering if yesterdays 8GB/256GB configuration felt a little too limited. Head below for more details. more
Best Bluetooth Speaker (2026): JBL, Sonos, Marshall, and More
I tested portable speakers of all shapes and sizes, from pocket to party-sized.
KeySmart Ghost SmartCard Gen 3 Wallet Tracker Card Buy for $38 (Reg. $45) What we love There are loads of Find My and Google Find Hub cards out there, but this KeySmart model stands out with a sweet, translucent Ghost design. Compatible with iOS or Android devices, it features an 11-month rechargeable battery as well as the ever-important wireless charging action. more
Nintendo's Switch 2 will now sync its refresh rate to your TV for smoother motion
Nintendo has finally delivered Switch 2 docked variable refresh rate support for TV gaming.
A Polish developer built an app that detects nearby Meta smart glasses over Bluetooth
A 30-year-old Polish software developer has built an iPhone app that detects Meta smart glasses in the vicinity and estimates how far away they are by reading the Bluetooth signals the glasses broadcast. It has around 5,000 users a month after launch. Pawel Szydlowski bought several models of smart glasses and catalogued their Bluetooth fingerprints, [] This story continues at The Next Web
AirPods 5 pre-orders now live, but flagship AirPods Pro 3 only $50 more right now
Apple has now unleashed its new AirPods 5 with pre-orders now live on the base set at $129 and the higher-end Wireless Charging Case model at $149. Thing is, you can score the flagship AirPods Pro 3 for just $50 more than that right now with the ongoing Amazon deal. more
Everything New You Can Do With Siri AI
When iOS 27 arrives, it will bring with it a fully revamped assistant for your iPhone.
9 Windows Laptops That Give MacBooks a Run for Their Money
Windows laptops have never been so good, and they
A Republican senator is now investigating OpenAI over the Hugging Face incident
Senator Josh Hawley has opened an investigation into the incident in which OpenAIs models broke out of their test environment and compromised Hugging Face, giving the company until 1 October to answer 16 questions and hand over records of its policies and its handling of rogue AI activity, Reuters reports. Josh Hawley, who leads a [] This story continues at The Next Web
New DualSense Grand Theft Auto 6 PS5 controllers up for pre-order today
At last weeks State of Play showcase, Sony revealed the official new Grand Theft Auto 6 PS5 controllers, and they are set to go up for pre-order today at 7:00 a.m. PT/10:00 a.m. ET. Sony says they will be live through select retailers including Amazon and others this morning, head of the November 19 release date. more
The Boring Company raises $3bn at a $23bn valuation, led by the UAE
Elon Musks tunnelling company has raised $3bn at a valuation of $23bn, led by the United Arab Emirates and affiliated investment entities, four times what it was worth in 2022, and a long way from the Washington to New Yorkhyperloop announced in 2017. The money is earmarked for more than 150km of tunnel across the [] This story continues at The Next Web
AppleCare One now has a $50 tier per month for families
AppleCareOne Family insurance will cover all eligible devices for up to six members.
Nearly half of organizations are entirely blind to the machine-to-machine traffic their AI agents generate, and the tools built to watch enterprise networks were never designed to look inside a prompt. Check Points AI Network Firewall, launched this summer, is one recent attempt to close that gap from inside the infrastructure enterprises already run. According [] This story continues at The Next Web
All-new Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 now up for pre-order at Amazon from $399
Alongside the all-new AirPods 5, the all-new Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 are now available for pre-order ahead of the September 18 delivery date. more
Anthropic scanned 481 million transcripts to find four models that reached the open internet
Anthropic has published an account of four cybersecurity evaluations in which its models gained unauthorised access to the open internet, and disclosed that finding them required scanning roughly 481 million transcripts. Theassessment was published on Wednesday, and three of the incidents were disclosed on 30 July. The fourth, involving an early Claude Opus 4.6 checkpoint [] This story continues at The Next Web
Christy Chen, founder of Cit Labs, argues that AI chatbots fail at emotional support not because the technology is incapable but because the models were optimized for engagement, trained on text that performs support rather than delivers it, and lack physiological signal. Her startup combines EEG data with clinician-defined guardrails to build something purpose-built for [] This story continues at The Next Web
Our Favorite GoPro 360 Camera Is Now 40 Percent Off
The GoPro Max 2 is almost half off at Amazon and other retailers, along with other great action camera deals.
Xbox swoops in to publish Hideo Kojima's 'Physint' after Sony dropped out
Kojima and Xbox are teaming up after Sony pulled out of 'Physint.'
Divyenndu reveals his Instagram and Twitter accounts were created by Shraddha Kapoor and Anupam Kher
Actor Divyenndu recently opened up about the reason behind changing the spelling of his name and his belief in the science of balancing energies. Appearing on Neha Dhupia and Angad Bedis show Double Date, the actor candidly spoke about why he decided to make the change and how strongly he believes in being in sync with the energies around him. Talking about the name spelling change, Divyenndu shared, I got to know that there is a science to it. Its science only, which talks about balancing. Yeh aapka naam hai aur yeh balance hona chahiye. And I am a very firm believer. Yeh mera naam hai aur mujhe sync mein rehna hai energies ke saath. Toh koi cheez agar mujhe energies ke saath sync mein laayegi, toh main uski baat maanunga. Intrigued by his belief, Neha Dhupia then curiously asked Divyenndu whether he had also changed the spelling of his name across his social media and email IDs. The actors response led to a rather interesting revelation about how his social media accounts came into existence in the first place. Divyenndu revealed that his Instagram account was actually created by Shraddha Kapoor while they were working together on Batti Gul Meter Chalu. He said, Mera Insta banaya tha Shraddha Kapoor ne jab humne Batti Gul Meter Chalu kari thi. Pyaar Ka Punchnama aur Chashme Baddoor kar chuka tha main usse pehle, lekin main Instagram pe nahi tha. The actor also shared a fun anecdote about his Twitter account, revealing that veteran actor Anupam Kher was behind its creation. Aur mera Twitter Kher sahab, Anupam Kher ji ne banaya tha. Humne film banayi thi Ekkees Toppon Ki Salaami. Toh unhone kuch karke mera account banaya tha, he said. From believing in the science behind balancing ones name and energies to sharing the amusing stories behind his social media presence, Divyenndus candid conversation on Double Date offered fans yet another glimpse into his charming and quirky personality. Also Read: Pankaj Tripathi and Divyenndu thank fans for the response to Mirzapur: The Movie: Mirzapur family ki taraf se Dhanyawaad
Macworld TL;DR: PDF Expert is a full PDF editor for Macs, and a lifetime license just went on sale for $79.99 (reg. $139.99). Working with PDFs on a Mac usually means settling for ad-riddled free apps or paying a heavy subscription for something like Acrobat. If you want a better option, PDF Expert is a PDF editor rapidly growing in popularity on the App Store because you only have to pay for it once. Right now, a lifetime license is on sale for $79.99 (reg. $139.99). Editing PDFs with PDF Expert is about as easy as editing a Word doc. You can change text to fix typos or update numbers, drop in images to refresh a logo or add a chart, and insert links straight into the document. Annotation tools let you highlight passages, add pop-up notes, and stamp documents for review. When files pile up, you can merge several PDFs into one, rearrange or delete pages, or split off the pages you need. You can convert files in both directions, either turning Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and image files into PDFs or switching them back. Onboard OCR recognizes text in scanned documents so you can search, copy, and highlight it, and the redaction tool blacks out confidential information before you send a file on. Mac users rate it highly, with a 4.6 out of 5 on the App Store. Get a lifetime subscription for PDF Expert on sale for $79.99. PDF Expert Premium Plan: Lifetime Subscription (Mac) See Deal StackSocial prices subject to change .
Google has removed the Pixel Tablet from its store
Google has erased the listing for the Pixel Tablet from its e-commerce store, signaling that the device has been discontinued.
Divyenndu reveals his Instagram ID was created by Shraddha Kapoor
Digital Desk | Mumbai, Sep 10 (IANS) Actor Divyenndu revealed that actress Shraddha Kapoor created his ID on Instagram during the shoot of the 2018 film Batti Gul Meter Chalu and opened up about the reason behind changing the spelling of his name and his belief in the science of balancing energies. Divyenndu appeared in the Neha Dhupia and Angad Bedis show Double Date, where he disclosed why he decided to make the change and how strongly he believes in being in sync with the energies around him. Divyenndu shared, I got to know Yeh mera naam hai aur mujhe sync mein rehna hai energies ke saath. Toh koi cheez agar mujhe energies ke saath sync mein laayegi, toh main uski baat maanunga. (This is my name, and I want to stay in sync with the energies. So, if something helps me align with those energies, I will follow it.) Neha asked Divyenndu whether he had also changed the spelling of his name across his social media and email IDs. Divyenndu revealed that his Instagram account was actually created by Shraddha Kapoor while they were working together on Batti Gul Meter Chalu. He said, Mera Insta banaya tha Shraddha Kapoor ne jab humne Batti Gul Meter Chalu kari thi. Pyaar Ka Punchnama aur Chashme Baddoor kar chuka tha main usse pehle, lekin main Instagram pe nahi tha. (Shraddha Kapoor created my Instagram account when we started working on Batti Gul Meter Chalu. I had already done Pyaar Ka Punchnama and Chashme Baddoor before that, but I wasnt on Instagram.) The actor also shared a fun anecdote about his Twitter account, revealing that veteran actor Anupam Kher was behind its creation. Aur mera Twitter Kher sahab, Anupam Kher ji ne banaya tha. Humne film banayi thi 21 Topon Ki Salaami. Toh unhone kuch karke mera account banaya tha (And my Twitter account was created by Kher sahab, Anupam Kher ji. We had made a film called 21 Topon Ki Salaami, and he did something to get my account created,) he said.
Instagram boss says users will be
Apple Wallet is not the same as Apple Pay: Here's how they differ
Apple Wallet and Apple Pay serve different functions, but you need them both to make online payments and store your cards.
Muse, the band, lost its social media handles to Muse, Meta's new AI agent
The exact circumstances surrounding the changes aren't clear, but Meta execs have accidentally tagged the band instead of their AI agent.
Engadget Podcast: Diving into the iPhone Duo, iPhone 18 Pro and Apple's new hardware
We finally have an Apple foldable, and it looks pretty damn compelling.
iOS 27 release candidate is out now, wide release on September 14
Macworld On the first day of the WWDC developer conference, Apple released the first developer beta of its new operating system. This year, that means that the first release of iOS 27 outside Cupertino came on June 8, 2026. After almost exactly three months of beta releases, fixes, tweaks, and optimizations, Apple made the release candidate available on September 9. This is the final go / no go check before the wide public release. Updated September 9, 2026: Apple has released the release candidates for iOS 27 to developers and public beta testers. The company says the wide release is scheduled for Monday, September 14. iOS 27 release notes Here are Apples official release notes for iOS 27: Apple Intelligence across apps (All iPhone 16 models and later, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max) Photos Spatial Reframing lets you adjust the composition of a photo after it was taken by virtually changing the camera position Extend tool intelligently expands images beyond their edges with realistic infill, so you can straighten horizons, change aspect ratios, or add more space around a subject Clean Up supports removing even larger objects, with more realistic, high-quality results, and you can choose between Fast mode for small blemishes or High Quality for more intricate edits Safari Organize by Topic uses Apple Intelligence to sort your tabs, analyzing webpages and automatically grouping similar tabs together Notify Me can periodically check a webpage for updates, like price changes and item availability Describe an Extension lets you create a custom extension using natural language to adjust your view of a websites content or formatting All-new Image Playground uses a new generative model to make high-quality images in virtually any style, including photorealistic, lets you modify your images using touch and natural language, and lets you generate Lock Screen wallpapers and Contact Posters with personalized suggestions Describe a Shortcut lets you use natural language to create a shortcut or refine an existing one Home Summarized activity notifications combine related alerts across accessories into a single notification Video descriptions for Homekit Secure Video recordings summarize whats happening in a clip for eligible iCloud+ subscribers Camera clip search lets you find specific moments from your HomeKit Secure Video cameras by searching in the Home appor Spotlight when on an eligible iCloud+ plan Describe an event in Calendar lets you use natural language to create an event, and details like the time, location, invitees, and event title are filled in using Apple Intelligence Suggestions in Mail help you take action based on the context of your emails, like getting directions to a restaurant you booked Call Context in the Phone app understands when youre speaking to certain businesses and proactively surfaces relevant information from across your apps, like a confirmation code or a reservation number Accessibility VoiceOver enhancements include more detailed and contextual image understanding for photos, charts, and screenshots, a conversational experience that lets you ask questions about your screen or surroundings, and a new way to get answers fast with an Action button integration An enhanced Magnifier experience offers conversational visual assistance for users with low vision, with a high-contrast interface and natural language app controls for zooming and other Magnifier functions A smarter Accessibility Reader uses intelligence to provide better text cleanup and formatting, images and tables, on-demand summaries, and translation Voice Control flexible inputs help you navigate your device with just your voice by describing elements on screen in your own words, like tap the gear or tap the button in the top right And more, including additional ways to create and modify Genmoji, automatic proofreading, and more accurate dictation using an on-device model on iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro models and later Child Safety Improved setup experience for new child accounts lets parents choose the exact apps their kids can access when they set up an iPhone for their child Ask to Browse gives parents the option to approve each new website before their child can view it Expanded Communication Safety protections help intervene before children see gore or violent content in shared images and videos Time Allowances help parents set boundaries around how long kids can use apps across Entertainment, Games, and Social Media apps, offering guidance based on expert research and tailored to each childs age Schedules let parents choose which apps their kids can access at different points in their day and across weekdays and weekends Redesigned Screen Time settings give parents at-a-glance information about how their kids use their devices, and controls to adjust access in just a few taps System Improvements Liquid Glass refinements improve overall readability, and a new slider in Settings lets you personalize its appearance trom ultra-clear to fully tinted Faster performance in experiences across the system, including app launches, new photos loading in your Photos library, and AirDrop transfers Improved search provides more relevant and comprehensive results in Spotlight, Photos, and Mail Connectivity Assist enables more seamless transitions between Wi-Fi and cellular networks And more improvements across apps and experiences, including enhancements to iCloud Shared Albums in Photos, Custom EQ for AirPods, support for perimenopause and menopause in Cycle Tracking in the Health app, and independent volume settings for Alarms and Timers iOS 27: How to install iOS 27 To install the iOS 27, follow these steps. Until the final version is out on September 14, youll have to be a beta tester to get the update : Open Settings . Tap General . Tap Software Update . Follow the on-screen instructions It can take a little while for the update to register, download, prepare, and install. Once it has installed and restarted, it is normal for your phone to be a little slower than usual, and battery life a little worse, for the first few days while background indexing and processing is performed.
Over at Amazon, you can currently score the Worx 20V 20-inch 2-in-1 Attachment-Capable Cordless Electric Pole Hedge Trimmer with a 2.0Ah battery down at $89.99 shipped. This model usually goes for $180 at full price, which weve mostly seen discounted down between $129 and $100 in 2026, though there was a short-term June fall to the $80 low. The 50% off deal here gives you the next-best price we have tracked with $90 cut from the tag. Youll also find a few of Worxs other popular tools rounded up for you down below. more
iPhone Duo hands-on: Apple's most exciting device in a decade
The iPhone Duo makes a great first impression, I just wish it had three cameras in back.
Motorola teases new compact foldable Razr
Right on cue, Motorola has teased a wide new foldable to compete with the Galaxy Fold 8 and iPhone Duo.
Google AI Mode can hold your hand through fantasy football season
With football season just hours away, Google has turned its AI into a fantasy football coach.
EcoFlow has solar panel separately on Amazon for $721 more right now, which eclipses the $1,998 MSRP here. We recently saw a Labor Day flash sale drop the cost on this bundle to $1,399, while other discounts earlier in 2026 went as low as $1,299. The combined $621 markdown here lands the cost at the second-lowest overall price we have tracked. Head below to browse the full lineup of deals while they continue deeper into September. more
macOS Beta: Golden Gate Release Candidate now available
Macworld Following its preview at WWDC on June 8, Apple released the first developer beta of macOS 27 Golden Gate , giving developers and Mac users an early look at the next major version of macOS ahead of its expected public release later this month. Rather than introducing a dramatic redesign, Golden Gate focuses on improving the experience established by macOS 26 Tahoe . The update brings Siri AI, deeper Apple Intelligence integration, smarter search tools, and a range of performance enhancements, while refining some of the more controversial aspects of Tahoes Liquid Glass interface. As with any beta software, early access comes with risks. Bugs, app compatibility issues, and incomplete features are common, particularly in early developer releases. Before installing the macOS beta, its worth understanding whats new, what issues testers are reporting, and whether its stable enough for your Mac. Heres everything you need to know about the latest macOS beta, including new features, known issues, release dates, and whether its worth installing. Whats the latest macOS beta? Apple is currently running two macOS beta tracks for developers: the upcoming macOS 27 Golden Gate and updates for the current release, macOS 26 Tahoe. Apple also runs a public beta, which allows enthusiasts and early adopters to test new features before the final version launches. You need to register for Apples public beta to access it. macOS 27 Golden Gate beta version tracker Apple released the macOS 27 Golden Gate Public Beta 6 on August 31. Apple released macOS 27 Golden Gate Developer Release Candidate on September 9, 2026. Public Beta RC should be released sometime this week; new versions are usually released a day or two after the new developer beta. macOS 26 Tahoe beta : Apple continues to develop macOS Tahoe through regular point releases. macOS Beta timeline Release Date Beta 1 June 8, 2026 Beta 2 June 22, 2026 Beta 3 July 6, 2026 Beta 3 v.2 July 13, 2026 Beta 4 July 20, 2026 Beta 5 August 10, 2026 Beta 6 August 17, 2026 Beta 7 August 24, 2026 Beta 8 August 31, 2026 Release Candidate 1 September 9, 2026 Public Beta July 13, 2026 Public Beta 2 July 22, 2026 Public Beta 3 August 11, 2026 Public Beta 4 August 17, 2026 Public Beta 5 August 24, 2026 Public Beta 6 August 31, 2026 Final Release September Whats new in the latest beta? New features in macOS 27. Foundry The beta introduces several significant upgrades. Siri AI : Apple has redesigned Siri with personal context awareness and the ability to perform multi-step tasks across apps. Better performance : One of Golden Gates goals is improved responsiveness. Early testers report faster app launches, quicker AirDrop transfers, and a generally snappier experience than Tahoe. Smarter Search : A rebuilt indexing engine powers Spotlight, Mail, and Photos, delivering faster and more relevant search results. Safari Automation : Safari gains new AI-powered features, including automatic tab grouping and a new Notify Me tool that can monitor webpages for changes. Design refinements : Following criticism of Tahoes Liquid Glass design, Apple has refined the interface with improved transparency controls and more consistent window corners. More Apple Intelligence features : Apple Intelligence is integrated more deeply throughout the system. Improvements include smarter automation, enhanced password management, and natural-language shortcuts. Users can create Shortcuts using plain English, while Calendar can generate events from written requests. Photos also gains AI-powered editing tools, including Spatial Reframing and enhanced cleanup features. Xcode 27 : Xcode 27 ships with the macOS 27 SDK and includes new AI-assisted development tools, including coding assistance and testing features. See Apples developer website for more information about the beta. Should you install the macOS beta? Apple While installing a beta lets you try new features such as Siri AI and enhanced Spotlight months before release, it is generally not recommended for most users because of the stability risks involved. Install if You need to test apps You want early access to new features You have a secondary Mac available Wait if This is your primary work machine You rely on niche or specialist software Stability is critical to your workflow Who are you Should you install? A developer testing apps Install now An Apple enthusiast with a spare Mac Consider waiting for the Public Beta A public beta testers on main machine Wait for the Public Beta Mission-critical users Wait for fall 2026 version What do people think of the macOS beta? Golden Gate is focused less on introducing dramatic new features and more on refining the experience introduced in macOS Tahoe. Early feedback has been positive about the ways Apple is addressing many of the complaints users had about 2025s Liquid Glass redesign while also improving overall performance. Performance : Reports from beta testers both within our team and across the web suggest that Golden Gate feels faster and more responsive. Some users report that even older Macs feel noticeably quicker when running the beta. Liquid Glass changes : Early testers appear supportive of the updated design. Apple has refined several Liquid Glass elements and introduced greater control over transparency effects. Siri AI : The biggest addition in Golden Gate is Siri AI. However, support outside Apples own apps remains inconsistent. Some testers find Siri AI genuinely useful , while others report reliability issues. Read: macOS Golden Gate vs macOS Tahoe: Whats new and should you upgrade? What are the risks of installing beta software? Installing pre-release software on a primary device carries several risks. System instability : Performance problems, freezes, crashes, and other unexpected behavior are common during beta testing. App failures : Third-party applications may crash, behave unpredictably, or stop working entirely. Hardware strain : Early beta builds can increase battery drain and cause Macs to run hotter than usual. Data loss : Software bugs may corrupt files, and downgrading to a stable version often requires a complete system reset. Safety precautions and best practices If you decide to install the beta, take the following precautions: Use a secondary device : Avoid installing beta software on your primary Mac or on any machine used for critical work. Create a full backup : Use Time Machine to create a complete backup before upgrading so you can restore your Mac if something goes wrong. Note that this need to be a Time Machine backup from before the beta was installed and you will lose anything saved subsequently. Install on a separate volume : Consider installing the beta on a separate volume or external SSD rather than replacing your main operating system. Check storage space : Make sure you have at least 15GB of free storage available before beginning the installation. How to install the macOS beta Foundry The process for installing a macOS beta depends on whether you are seeking the Developer Beta or the Public Beta. Apple simplified this process a few years ago, removing the need for a paid developer account to access early builds. The first step is to join Apples beta testing program . We explain how to do that in a separate article. You will need to register your account either as a public beta tester or as a developer in order to enable beta updates on your Mac. To install the beta follow these steps: Back up your Mac: Before installing any pre-release software, it is critical to prepare your Mac to avoid data loss. Beta software is inherently unstable and can cause crashes or app compatibility issues. Registered your account either as a public beta tester or as a developer in order to enable beta updates on your Mac: For the Public Beta : Visit the Apple Beta Software Program website , sign in with your Apple ID, and agree to the terms. For the Developer Beta : Register as an Apple Developer on Apples website, download the Apple Developer app from the App Store, sign in with your standard Apple ID, and complete the free registration process. On the Mac where you wish to install the beta, open System Settings and navigate to General > Software Update. Click the (i) info button next to Beta Updates. Enable Beta Updates. The beta will appear as an available upgrade. Select the macOS beta you want to instal (e.g., macOS 27 Golden Gate Public Beta or Developer Beta). Click Upgrade Now to begin the download and installation. As long as you are a registered developer or enrolled in the public beta program, when the relevant macOS Beta becomes available, it will also show up on your Mac. Once you are running the beta, the updates will come through to your Mac automatically; you just need to go to Software Update in System Settings and click to install. See How to install macOS. How to get a free Apple developer account If you just want a free Apple Developer account so you can access the beta, you can get this via Xcode or the Apple Developer app in iOS. Heres how to do it via the Apple Developer app on an iPhone: Get the Apple Developer App from the App Store . Open the app on your iPhone. Tap on Account. Tap on Sign In. Sign in using your usual Apple ID. If you wish to actually publish applications to the App Store or receive support, youll need to pay $99/79 per year for a paid account. You can compare the free and paid accounts here . FAQ 1. Who can run the macOS beta? Anyone can run the macOS beta, but to do so, you do need to register for either the developer beta, the pubic beta, or both. Apple offers both developer and public beta programs for macOS, enabling all interested users to test pre-release versions of the operating system. While both betas provide early access to new features, they cater to different user profiles based on technical expertise and risk tolerance. Beta software tends to be buggy so the more stable public beta version may be preferable, but even that will not be bug-free. In the past, the developer beta was only available to developers who had paid to join Apples Developer Program (which costs $99/79). However, for a couple of years now, Apple has opened up the developer beta to registered developers with free developer accounts. We explain how to get a free developer account below. If you decide you no longer want to run the beta version of macOS read this: How to remove the macOS beta . 2. macOS public beta vs developer beta Since 2023, the Developer Beta has been available to anyone who registers as a developer, even if they arent a paid-up member of Apples Developer Program. As a result, people with a basic free developer account can download the new macOS developer beta (we show you how to register below). Whether you should download the developer beta if you arent a developer is another question. We dont recommend you install the developer beta if you arent a developer. Instead, our recommendation is to use the public beta (the first version of which usually arrives in July). There are a few differences between the public and developer betas. The public beta is not the same as the beta that is released through the developer program. The public beta typically launches after the developer beta has undergone initial testing and refinement Developers get updates to their beta first, and possibly more frequently. But you should keep in mind that betas are by nature not stable, and because the public beta comes after the developer beta it could be a little safer to install. The most significant difference is probably the motive of the testers: Developers usually have the aim of ensuring their apps work when the updated macOS is released to the general public, while public beta testers are essentially helping Apple detect bugs and offering feedback on the features. Because of this, developers may get to test new features not available in the public beta. If you want to get the public beta the first thing you need to do, if you havent already, is join Apples beta programs read this for more information: How to become an Apple beta tester. 3. Is the macOS beta stable? By its nature, a beta has the potential to be unstable. Therefore, its not advised that you install it on a Mac that you rely on. If you have a second Mac that isnt mission-critical, then install it there. We strongly recommend that you dont risk all by putting the macOS beta on your primary macOS, especially not in the early days of the beta development. If you dont have a second Mac, there are a couple of ways you could run macOS beta on your Mac without running the risk of losing data or finding your Mac stops working: We recommend installing it on a partition, which these days is really a volume (and is much easier to create than a partition was). Read about how to do that here: How to dual-boot Mac: Run two versions of macOS on a Mac . Alternatively, you could install the macOS beta on an external drive and run it on that. We discuss the safety of the macOS beta and the risks you might be taking in more detail in a separate article. If the stability of the beta worries you, then you are probably better off waiting until the final version is out, or at least waiting until testing has been happening for a few months before getting the beta. 4. How to prepare your Mac for the beta Update your software : We recommend you have the latest full version of macOS installed, although Apple says that the macOS Developer Beta Access Utility requires macOS 10.8 or later. Make space: Wed recommend at least 15GB of available space because the macOS betas tend to be very large. If you end up requiring more space, read: How to free up space on Mac. Note that we always recommend that you have at least 10% space free on your Mac at any time, so if you dont have that, expect problems! Back up : Before you install a beta on your Mac, you should make a backup of your data and files. You can find out how to use Time Machine to back up your Mac . We also have a round-up of suitable backup solutions . 5. How to send feedback to Apple Should you come across an error or a bug, you should use the Feedback Assistant app to provide feedback to Apple. Launch the app and follow the appropriate steps, selecting the area about which youre providing feedback and then any specific sub-area. Then describe your issue in a single sentence, before providing a more detailed description, including any specific steps that reproduce the issue. Youll also be able to attach other files. Youll also have to give permission for the Feedback Assistant app to collect diagnostic information from your Mac. It wont always be obvious whether something is a bug or just not as easy to use as you might have hoped. Either way, if your feedback is that something appears to work in an illogical way, Apple will want to know that. If you are having trouble with a third-party app, you can let Apple know by reporting it through the 3rd-party Application Compatibility category in the Feedback Assistant. However, wed suggest that you also provide feedback to the apps developer, who will no doubt be grateful. 6. Will I be able to update from macOS beta to the final version? Beta users will be able to install the final build of the OS on release day without needing to reformat or reinstall. 7. Can I talk about the beta publicly? According to Apple and the license agreement all beta testers must agree to, the beta is Apple confidential information. By accepting those terms, you agree not to discuss your use of the software with anyone who isnt also in the Beta Software Program. That means you cant blog, post screenshots, tweet, or publicly post information about the public beta software. However, you can discuss any information that Apple has publicly disclosed; the company says that information is no longer considered confidential. 8. How to downgrade from the macOS beta You can always revert to an earlier version of macOS, though depending on how you back up, its not necessarily a painless process. Start by making sure the data on your drive is backed up, then erase the drive and install the latest public version of macOS. When you first start up your Mac, you can use the Migration Assistant to import your data from the backup. Heres a more detailed tutorial on downgrading from the macOS beta and we also have a tutorial on downgrading to an older version of the Mac OS . 9. Is the beta free to download? Yes, the macOS beta is free to download for both developers and the general public. Apple offers two distinct tracks for testing pre-release software: the Developer Beta and the Public Beta, both of which are now accessible without a paid subscription. 10. Can I go back to the stable version? Yes, you can go back to the stable version of macOS from a beta, but the complexity of the process depends on whether the final version of that software has been released yet. If you are running a beta (such as the macOS 27 Golden Gate beta) and want to return to the current stable version (such as macOS 26 Tahoe) before the new OS officially launches in the fall, you must perform a clean installation. Because this requires wiping your internal drive, a full backup is essential, but you will want a backup made before you installed the macOS beta. 11. Should I install the beta on my main Mac? Installing a macOS beta on your primary computer is generally not recommended due to the inherent risks of using unfinished software. While beta programs offer early access to new features, they are designed for testing and often contain significant bugs that can disrupt your daily workflow. 12. Do I need an Apple Developer account to install the beta? You do not need a paid Apple Developer account to install the macOS beta. While access to developer betas was previously restricted to those paying a $99/79 annual fee, Apple changed this policy in 2023 to allow anyone with a free developer account to access these builds . Alternatively, you can join the Public Beta program, which is also free and accessible to anyone with a valid Apple ID. 13. How often are new beta versions released? New macOS beta versions are typically released every one to two weeks, with the frequency increasing as the final public release date approaches. The beta updates refine features and address bugs identified by testers. 14. Is the macOS beta safe to install? The beta is generally safe to test, but it may contain bugs that cause crashes, poor battery life, app compatibility issues, or data loss. Always back up your Mac before installing. 15. Will my apps work with the macOS beta? Many apps will work normally, but some third-party software may crash, perform poorly, or not launch at all until developers release updates.
Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4: Their 7 biggest surprises
Macworld At the Surprise and Shine press event today, Apple announced a raft of new products including the iPhone 18 Pro , AirPods 5 , and iPhone Duo and thanks to pre-launch rumors, surprises were in short supply. Nearly everything was leaked accurately ahead of time. But one product that did manage to spring a few small surprises was the Apple Watch Series 12 . Ahead of launch, we were led to expect a tedious iterative update with a new processor, identical design, and maybe a few new health features. Some of that was true, but there were unexpected pleasures as well. Here are the 7 things we like best about the new Apple Watch Series 12 and its Apple Watch Ultra 4 sibling, which launched at the same time. 1. Stunning new materials Granted, the design hasnt changed in any fundamental way this year. (As I said on the live blog, the average member of the public would probably struggle to spot the difference between the Series 12 and the Series 4.) The leakers were right about that. But cosmetics matter too, and in that department Apple has done outstanding work with its watches this year. Firstly, Apple has refreshed the color finishes. On the aluminum models, Silver and Rose Gold are gone, replaced by Light Gold (nice) and Dark Bronze (my favorite Apple Watch color so far). On the titanium side, Gold has been replaced by Radiant Gold, a definite improvement. But the real aesthetic killer is the return of ceramic as a chassis material. The ceramic version of Series 12 comes in Night Blue and Pearl White, and theyre both gorgeous. You may think us shallow, but were pumped for the look of this years new watches. And watches, after all, are at least partly fashion items, so its okay to care about things like that. The stunning ceramic color options for the Apple Watch Series 12. Apple 2. Tougher screens The Series 11 had a tough screen if you went for the more expensive titanium version. But as of the launch of the Series 12, Ceramic Shield 2 is on the aluminum models too, bringing (Apple claims) a 60 percent jump in durability compared to the mere Ion-X protective tech on the baseline Series 11. This brings an important feature within reach of less wealthy customers. 3. More accurate, all-day heart-rate sensing This is one improvement we did know about ahead of the launch. What was surprising was the extent of Apples claims for the new devices. The Apple Watch Series 12, according to Apples internal testing, has the most accurate heart rate sensing in a wearable. And thats all down to a new sensor setup, combined with the powerful S11 processor. The redesigned (sorry, re-architected) sensors ensure better skin contact during ECG readings, Apple says. There are redesigned photodiodes and larger, power-efficient green LEDs. All of this enables the Series 12 and Ultra 4 to measure your heart rate every five seconds, all day long, to a high degree of accuracy, helping the device to produce better insights about fitness, stress, and overall health. Were excited about the updated heart-rate sensor. And also that bronze finish. Apple 4. Health software thats sophisticated but simple Apple spent a lot of the presentation talking about software features, which is odd for a hardware event. One would imagine that most of these are part of watchOS 27, which was demoed and released in beta as long ago as June. Are the new features available on existing watches, provided they can run watchOS 27? Apple didnt rush to make that clear in the keynote or its website, and its not hard to see why. Much better for customers to associate the features with the new hardware and pay for an upgrade. But I digress. What was exciting about the keynote was seeing how much work Apple has done to improve and expand the health software on the Apple Watch. For example, theres an entirely new app called Readiness, which analyzes a users recent activity, training load, vitals, and sleep score to offer insight into their capacity for the day ahead. Whats really nice is that it translates this complex analysis into a simple score out of 10 and a clear recommendation. What may capture more users imagination is the new Longevity tab in Health, which includes Health Age: again, a simple way of communicating a complex set of factors. The Heart Rate app, meanwhile, gets a new section for tracking HRV, a key indicator of stress and recovery, which was already tracked but is measured much more often on the new watches. This is typical of the expanded array of health data analysis you can enjoy on the Series 12 and Ultra 4. And, possibly, your existing watch. 5. Cool AI audio features Again, Apple didnt go so far as to specify that the new AI/audio features grouped under the umbrella term Audio Intelligence are only for the Series 12 and Ultra 4. But it strongly implied and later confirmed that theyre made possible by the power of the S11 processor (described as Apples most powerful wearable chip yet). What is clear is that these features have the potential to be very exciting. Sound Recognition alerts deaf and hard-of-hearing users about important sounds such as alarms and babies crying. Live Rewind, accessed via a double-press of the Digital Crown, displays the last 15 seconds of a conversation as text on your watch screenperfect when you miss something important. And Siri Recap creates summaries of conversations. That last one is maybe a bit creepy (though its all private and stored on the device), but its still an impressive concept. The new Siri Modular face could become a favorite thanks to the Apple Watch Series 12s new AI features. Apple 6. Longer battery life Heres an area where we werent expecting anything after last years unprecedented battery breakthrough . And sure enough, the baseline estimated battery life of the standard model remains at 24 hours. But the fact that battery life for outdoor workouts has gone up by 25 percent, now estimated at 10 hours, is a nice and unexpected bonus. And now look at the Ultra 4. Last year, estimated general battery life went up from 36 hours to 42 hours. But this year it gets an even bigger increase, from 42 to 50 hours. Theres a new Extended Workout mode promising up to 25 hours of usage, even when tracking workouts with full GPS and heart rate readings. And for extreme situations, theres Max Extended Workout mode, which can track outdoor runs and walks for up to 45 hours. All that, and charging for both models is faster too. What a nice surprise. 7. No starting price hike Arguably the biggest and nicest surprise of all: the starting price for the Series 12 and Ultra 4 are exactly the same as for the Series 11 and Ultra 3: $399 and $799. With RAM prices being the way they are, this was not something we saw coming. And the ceramic models, which previously started at over $1,249, now cost a much more palatable $899. Its not all good news in this area: certain upgraded models, such as the 46mm version of the Series 12, have gone up, albeit by small margins. But having the same baseline entry point is a major surprise.
Blizzard employees have ratified their first union contracts
The Communications Workers of America represents about 1,900 workers at the game company.
iPhone Duo vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8: here's how they stack up
Apple's first foldable competes well with the Z Fold 8, at least in terms of specs.
Everything Apple announced at its Surprise and Shine event
Macworld Apples Surprise and Shine event might be the most anticipated iPhone keynote in 10 years. It all kicks off today, and like you, we cant wait! So join us as we count down the hours and minutes with all the latest rumors, leaks, and speculation leading up to the big event on Wednesday, September 9, at 10 am PT. Surprise and Shine iPhone event: How to watch You can watch the full keynote right here using the embedded YouTube link below or on Apple.com on your iPhone or Mac. The Watch Now tab in the TV app on the Apple TV will also show the stream live. Surprise and Shine Apple event: Everything announced Apple has wrapped up its September Surprise and Shine event, and while there werent a ton of surprises, we did get a lot of new Apple products. Heres everything Apple announced today: iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max Apples newest flagship iPhones look the same as last years models but have some notable new features. The main one is a variable aperture on the main 48MP wide-angle camera. It will dynamically adjust how much light the lens lets in to take better pictures in low light and bright light, while capturing better detail. The phones come in four new colors: Burgandy, Glacier (Light Blue), Silver, and Black. They start at higher prices than last year: $1,199 for the Pro and $1,299 for the Pro Max with 256GB of storage. Prices go up quite a bit more for higher storage tiers, with the 2TB iPhone 18 Pro Max costing a whopping $2,499. Pre-orders begin Saturday and will ship next Friday, September 18. Apple AirPods 5 The latest AirPods still start at $129, but thats with active noise cancellation, so effectively a $50 price cut over the AirPods 4. They look similar to the AirPods 4, but Apple says AirPods 5 remove up to 50 percent more noise compared to AirPods 4 with ANC thanks to a new multiport acoustic architecture and improved computational audio algorithms. For an extra $20, you can get a wireless charging case and AirPods Pro-like stem volume controls. Both models are available for preorder today and will ship September 18. Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 The Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 also look the same as last years models, but they have significant change inside. The watches feature a new Health Sensing System, which uses the S11 chip and new optical and electrical heart sensors to deliver deeper insight into a users fitness and physiological state while making Exercise and Move Activity rings even more accurate. Theres also a new Readiness app that analyzes a users recent activity, training load, vitals, and sleep score to offer insight into their capacity for the day ahead as well as longer battery life and a redesigned Health app. They also get new Apple Intelligence features, including Siri Recap, which creates high-level summaries of conversations throughout the day, and Live Rewind, which can show you the previous 15 seconds of a conversation so you dont need to ask someone to repeat themselves. The watches start at the same prices as before ($399 for the 42mm Series 12 and $799 for the Ultra 4), but the larger 46mm Series 12 is a little higher, starting at $449 (previously $429). Geruscherkennung direkt auf der Apple Watch Halyna Kubiv iPhone Duo Apples first folding phone is here and its better than any of the rumors you might have read. It has a 5.4-inch outer display that opens to a 7.6-inch inner display with the same ratio inside and out so apps seamlessly flow in and out. You can use it in a variety of ways, including as an alarm clock in Standby mode or a mini laptop with a virtual keyboard on the lower half when folded. It has an A20 processor, C2 model, and dual 48MP camera system, as well as a 12MP FaceTime camera thats entirely under the display for the first time ever on an iPhone. However, it doesnt have Face ID, opting instead for Touch ID built into the power button. When opened, iPhone Duo is just 5.2mm thick and 11.3mm thick when folded. It has an IP68 dust resistance thanks to its hinge, which is engineered from more than 100 components to precisely control opening and closing and support the center of the display. Theres also a nano-textured cover layer on the inner display to minimize wear and creasing. The iPhone Duo starts at $1,999 and will be available for pre-order on October 16 with shipping beginning October 23. Screenshot Apple Surprise and Shine iPhone event: Live blog 2 hours ago , By Michael Simon That's a wrap! And were done, stay tuned to Macworld for full coverage of all of todays announcements! Link copied SHARE Michael Simon iPhone Duo at a glance Apple Link copied SHARE 2 hours ago , By Michael Simon So what will it cost? The iPhone Duo starts at $1,999 with 256GB of storage. Preorders start on October 16 and will begin shipping on October 23. Link copied SHARE 2 hours ago , By Michael Simon Dual camera for iPhone Duo As expected, the iPhone Duo has a dual 48MP camera system thats basically the same as the iPhone 17 and not as good as the one we just heard about in the iPhone 18 Pro. You dont get telephoto, you dont get variable aperture, and youll miss out on some of the newer features. However, you can see a video of what youre snapping on the front camera, and people can see whats on the front screen too. Link copied SHARE 2 hours ago , By Michael Simon iPhone Duo battery life Srouji explains optimizations and battery capacities that let users get up to 31 hours when using the inner display and 44 hours when using just the outer display, for a total of 24 hours per charge during a typical day. Link copied SHARE 2 hours ago , By Michael Simon Custom nano texture finish Apple addresses the elephant in the room: the crease. Johny Srouji explains that Apple has developed a custom nanotexture finish that significantly reduces glare and reflections. The unique texture creates a perceptually flat matte surface that minimizes craft visibility and also feels premium to touch. During manufacturing Apple uses AI algorithms to precisely manage each individual hinge with its best fit housing to ensure perfect alignment. Link copied SHARE 2 hours ago , By Michael Simon iPhone Duo colors Apples folding phone is available in two colors: white and night sky (dark blue). Link copied SHARE 3 hours ago , By Michael Simon Cutting-edge hinge design Apple describes the hinge: The central structural plane has support ribs for added stiffness. To make the frame even more rigid, the antenna splits are reinforced with high performance inserts. Theyre made from ceramic fibers that are three times stronger than grade five titanium. Together these structural details make iPhone Duo feel exceptionally solid every time you use it. Will there be a crease? Well have to see. Link copied SHARE 3 hours ago , By Michael Simon iOS gets a folding redesign Controls on the outer screen have been moved to the side of the screen, seamlessly transtitions to the inner display, and dynamically adjusts to the position its in. Apps have been redesigned to take advantage of the folding screen. Apps run side by side and can be paired for quick switching. Heres a picture of it closed: Apple Link copied SHARE Michael Simon One More Thing: iPhone Duo The rumors are true: Apples first foldable phone is here with a widescreen design. Here it is: Apple Link copied SHARE 3 hours ago , By Michael Simon New colors for Apple Watch Apple Watch Series 12 comes in space gray, black, light gold, and dark bronze, as well as ceramic options in white and night blue. The Apple Watch Ultra comes in black and naturakl titanium. Both have the same starting prices as before. Apple Link copied SHARE 3 hours ago , By Jason Cross Whoop, there it is The new design of the Health app, Health Age, and the new Readiness feature are clearly are all clear responses to the recent success of Whoop and similar products, which all have these exact features. Once again its not clear which of these software features will be only for the new watches it seems like theyre for all Apple Watches, and only the continuous heart rate stuff is restricted to the Series 12 and Ultra 4. Link copied SHARE 3 hours ago , By Michael Simon New Apple Watch features The big new Apple Watch feature is a new health monitoring system that take continous heart rate readings to give users a better picture of their heath and enable completely new experiences. A new Readiness app can tell you when to push and when to hold back, while a redesigned Health app can provide a new Health Age.Live Rewind will record everything in your day and transcribes what was just said. Another feature, Siri Recap, uses ambient listening to take high level notes of your conversations like takeaways from a team meeting or a parent-teacher conference. Theres also a new Siri Modular face to access your conversations and recaps. Link copied SHARE Jason Cross AirPods lines are getting blurry It sounds like theyre adding enough AirPods Pro features to the standard AirPods, and lowering the price enough, to make the upcoming AirPods with cameras the new AirPods Pro. Cameras will be the differentiating feature. Link copied SHARE 3 hours ago , By David Price The 'new' Apple Watch Looks like another year with the same Apple Watch design! This is what you get when one company doesnt face serious competition. Thats now 12 generations in a row with essentially the same design, and only occasional minor changes: the last of these was the bump in screen size for the Series 10 two years ago. But the average user would struggle to spot the differences between the Series 12 and the Series 4. Link copied SHARE 3 hours ago , By Michael Simon AirPods 5 now have ANC for $129 Apple is tweaking its base AirPods lineup. The cheaper $129 model now has ANC and the higher-end model with a wireless charging case are $149. Theyre not all that different, but feature an even better audio experience with a new multi-port acoustic architecture and next generation adaptive EQ AirPods 5 deliver richer more detailed sound across a wider range of ear geometries. Apple Link copied SHARE Michael Simon Higher prices starts at $100 more The iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1,199 and the Pro Max starts at $1,299, a bump of $100 over the 17 series. Pre-order begin Saturday and start shipping nexxt Friday. Link copied SHARE 3 hours ago , By Michael Simon Smaller Dynamic Island The new iPhone 18 Pro has a smaller Dynamic Island that now has space for three Live Activities at once, a large one in the middle and two smaller circles on either side. Apple Link copied SHARE 3 hours ago , By Jason Cross Camera features on older iPhones? Apple is describing updates to Photograhic Styles, shutter speeds and other features, but theyre not being clear about whether these new Pro camera controls will be available on any previous iPhones or not. Most of them could be. Link copied SHARE 3 hours ago , By Michael Simon Biggest camera improvement in years 48MP Fusion Camera with variable aperture that adjusts automatically based on the scene. When youre in a darker environment, the aperture opens to let in around 50% more light, while night mode captures are faster with better quality. Apple Link copied SHARE 3 hours ago , By Michael Simon 45 hours of battery life!! IPhone 18 Pro has a next generation vapor chamber that helps the system manage even more heat. It has three times the surface area as the one in iPhone 17 Pro. Deionized water is constantly cycled throughout the system for significantly improved thermals. Combined with the new chips efficiancy, youll get 36 hours on the iPhone 18 Pro and an absolutely insane 45 hours on the 18n Pro Max. Link copied SHARE Michael Simon A20 Pro Chip Apples newest iPhone chip has Apples latest six core CPU featuring two of our new super cores that are up to 20% faster and four efficiency cores, all integrated with neural accelerators that power low latency on device AI workloads as a significantly advanced GPUand a new version of the neural accelerators with 2x faster 8-bit floating point math. Link copied SHARE Jason Cross Who needs a new iPhone? So far, the iPhone 18 Pro pitch is all about how you should be excited for iOS 27 and now about why you would need or want a new iPhone. Link copied SHARE 3 hours ago , By Michael Simon iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max A20 Pro with new CPU core and GPU core, and massive advancements in the most important areas intelligence, performance, battery, and camera. New colors: Silver, Deep Black, Glacier (Light Blue), and Burgandy (Dark Cherry). Not only that, you can write and edit with Siri virtually anywhere you type, like generating an email to your kids soccer coach while on the go. Plus Siri AI sounds incredible. Thats because iPhone 18 Pro takes advantage of our most advanced on-device model ever, which powers expressive voices. You can pick from multiple options, then customize the pace and expressivity. But weve seen all this before. Siri AI will have usage limits but most iCloud+ plans will offer increased access. Link copied SHARE 3 hours ago , By Michael Simon Intelligent personal hub This isnt a new product category but rather an explanation of what the iphone is: First, you would want something that is always with you, deeply personal and able to bring intelligence to the moments when it matters most. Youd require a powerful processor that can run incredibly capable on-device models to quickly answer questions in the moment and pervasive networking to access knowledge and even more capable models in the cloud. Theres no product in the world better designed to be your intelligent personal hub than iPhone. Jon is describing Apple Intellgences privacy and iPhones AI abiltities. So today were going to take these experiences even further with the next generation of iPhone. And here it is. Link copied SHARE 4 hours ago , By Michael Simon This is the opening! A video montage of actors describing how a show or movie should open and then Tim Cook starts narrating the video of our main character, no no no,. not me, thats your guy. And its John Ternus. Link copied SHARE 4 hours ago , By Michael Simon Here we go! The music has faded and the blue Apple logo has given way to an iPhone 17 Pro camera, with a message, The following was shot on iPhone. Link copied SHARE 4 hours ago , By Michael Simon Apple start your engines! Weve got less than 10 minutes until we get out first look at Apples folding iPhone project! Get ready everyone! Link copied SHARE 4 hours ago , By Michael Simon 30 minutes to go! Get a snack and a drink and meet us back here at 10am PT/1pm ET for the start of the show! Link copied SHARE 5 hours ago , By Michael Simon No surprises at Surprise and Shine It looks like Apples iPhone event will be filled with more Shine than Surprises. According to Mark Gurmans somewhat playful tweet , Apple is holding back some rumored products that are supposedly ready to launch, including the touchscreen MacBook, Apple TV 4K, and HomePad smart home hub. As he quips, dont worry. Its only September. So you can probably expect at least one more event later this fall. Link copied SHARE 6 hours ago , By David Price A few thoughts on phone colors (and fun) For several years now Ive complained about the fact that basic iPhones, despite costing less, come with much nicer colors than their Pro equivalents. Why cant Pro users have fun too? Perhaps Apple heard me, because last years Pro-exclusive Cosmic Orange was arguably Apples funnest color yet. (Im using that word deliberately to prepare readers for the likely grammatical crimes of todays Apple event.) But if the pre-launch rumors are true, that was only the precursor for a huge anti-fun announcement today. The iPhone 18 Pro, according to our sources , will come in black, silver, light blue, and a charming burgundy branded as Dark Cherry. Less fun, arguably, than the green, blue, and lilac which the iPhone 17 will continue to offer (because its successor wont arrive until the spring). But infinitely more fun than the poor iPhone Ultra/Duo, which is expected to come in just two colors: dark blue, and white . Despite starting at $2,000, and going all the way up to $3,000 if you want the top storage tiers. The more you pay, the less fun you get. Make it make sense, Apple. The color pink. Just one of the advantages of buying a cheaper iPhone. David Price / Foundry Link copied SHARE 6 hours ago , By David Price So, about that Duo name Its been pointed out in the Macworld offices that Microsoft wasnt the first tech company to use the name Duo on a product. Apple itself had the PowerBook Duo , a line of laptops sold between 1992 and 1999. Which therefore predate the Surface Duo by the small matter of 28 years. More recently, there was the (not terribly good) MagSafe Duo charger . And in a matter of hours, if Mark Gurmans sources are correct, we will get the iPhone Duo. The PowerBook Duo, together with its clever Duo Dock companion unit. Christopher Phin / Foundry Link copied SHARE 6 hours ago , By Michael Simon John Ternus teases the iPhone 18 Pro's top feature In a tweet to followers ahead of the big event, new CEO John Ternus shared a 12-second video of a beam of light that first shines at the viewer and then pans down to shine on what appears to be a camera lens. Its hard to see it as anything other than a tease for the iPhone 18 Pros rumored variable aperture camera. At any rate, its certainly a departure from Tim Cooks keynote messages, which were filled with little more than vague excitement. John Ternus shines a light on the iPhones new camera feature. Literally. X/@johnternus Link copied SHARE 7 hours ago , By Michael Simon Apple Pencil on an iPhone? Apple has never allowed you to use your Apple Pencil on anything other than an iPad, but the folding iPhone could change that. According to Mark Gurman, the iPhone Ultra/Duo will indeed support Apple Pencil , so youll be able to doodle and draw on the screen just like you can on your tablet. Its not clear whether both screens will support Apples stylus or just the inner one, though. Link copied SHARE 8 hours ago , By Michael Simon iPhone 18 Pro price hike might not be so bad Weve been bracing for an iPhone price increase ever since Apple hiked prices on Macs and iPads by hundreds of dollars in June. A new report from Mark Gurman claims they wont be as bad as that: Apparently the new iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max will cost $100 more than the current models, in line with previous price hikes. Link copied SHARE 9 hours ago , By David Price The Apple Store is down. Something is coming As part of the usual pre-event ritual, Apple has taken down its online store. Were making updates to the Apple Store, the text reads. Check back soon. Its hard to believe that a company with Apples resources needs five hours to update an electronic storefront, but by this point its become a tradition more than anything else. And maybe theres some element of kindly advice to customers: Please dont buy anything this morning, itll be outdated by lunchtime. Apple Link copied SHARE 9 hours ago , By David Price Spotted: Hardware IDs for new Apple products! Its not exactly a secret that Apple is about to announce a bunch of new hardware products, but its still surprising to see the evidence in black and white before the event begins. But sure enough, dozens of new Apple hardware identifiers have been spotted on the companys services backend. Its important to note that these wont necessarily all appear today; the iPhones and Apple Watches, for sure, but the Macs and iPads are likely to be delayed until later in the fall. (We dont know for sure if there will be an October/November event. They may just appear in a press release.) The real enigma, however, is HomeAccessory17,1 and its two siblings. Could that be the much-anticipated smart home hub? Well find out in a few hours. Link copied SHARE 11 hours ago , By David Price Breaking: Folding iPhone will be called Duo Forget iPhone Ultra, forget iPhone Fold the latest breaking news is that Apples first ever folding handset will be called the iPhone Duo . Thats according to Mark Gurmans sources, and hes generally well informed when it comes to information like this. Gurman made his last-minute prediction in an article (subscription required) this morning. He also claimed the device will start at $2,000, have a short-and-wide design, and go on sale in October, later than the other new iPhones. But we knew all that already. The name is the real bombshell. Some may accuse Apple of copying Microsoft, whose Surface Duo was a pioneer in this field. On the other hand, maybe Microsoft should have kept that brand going; the line was discontinued nearly two years ago. The Duo brand also goes rather nicely with Neo, as in MacBook. And, please note, it was one of the options mentioned by my colleague Emma Rowley earlier this week . More on this story here . Link copied SHARE 12 hours ago , By David Price Don't forget the AirPods Theyve got slightly lost in the iPhone Ultra hype, but Apple is also expected to launch the AirPods 5 today. These arent the camera-equipped models you may have seen doing the rounds after Apple accidentally leaked them (theyre not expected to arrive until next year). Instead, the main new feature of the AirPods 5 will be improved active noise cancellation, likely made possible by the inclusion of a new H3 chip. Bloomberg leaker Mark Gurman yesterday confirmed this based on his sources, at any rate. Link copied SHARE 13 hours ago , By David Price It's the big day! After months of speculation, it all comes down to this. Todays the day for the first ever folding iPhone, and so much more. Welcome to Macworlds live blog for the September 9 Apple event. The event itself kicks off at 10 am PT, and is likely to last around 70 minutes. But our coverage here will last throughout the day. Well be bringing you breaking news and last-minute rumors for the next 9 hours or so, before bringing you the announcements (along with our expert analysis) as they happen. Then of course there will be masses of discussion of the new products after Apples livestream ends. Its going to be fun. Enjoy the ride! Link copied SHARE 18 hours ago , By Michael Simon More cases offer a glimpse at the new iPhone designs Casemaker dbrand has added cases and skins for the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max and the iPhone Ultra, in case you want to get a jump on buying one. This doesnt necessarily confirm anything about the new phones other than the company thinks the rumors are pretty solid, since the design and colors they show almost perfectly match the reports weve been reading for months. Link copied SHARE 19 hours ago , By Michael Simon New Apple TV could be bigger than expected Weve been hearing reports that a new Apple TV 4K is on the way for a while. Were not expecting it to be much of an update, but the latest information in the rumor mill suggets that it could be bigger than we thought. According to Aaron Perris on X , the new Apple TV has an identifier of AppleTV18,1, which indicates that it will have an processor in the A19 family, making it one of the most powerful devices in Apples lineup and much fasterl than A15 in the current model. What does that mean for AI features? Gaming? Smart home? Well find out soon. Link copied SHARE 23 hours ago , By Michael Simon It's gotta be the shoes It wont just be the iPhone 18 Pro with the hot new color this year. New Balance is feeling the Dark Cherry vibes with the release of its New Balance 990v4 in a new Monarch Burgundy option. Theyre not quite the 992s that Steve Jobs wore, but someone at New Balance has clearly been reading the iPhone rumors. Foundry Link copied SHARE 1 day ago , By Michael Simon What's going on with the Apple Watch SE 3? With less than a day to go before the keynote kicks off, theres an interesting development concerning the Apple Watch SE 3. Over at Apple.com, every possible combination is listed as currently unavailable for delivery or pickup. And if you order one at Amazon, you wont get a delivery date. Thats strange. For comparison, you can order a Series 11 or Ultra 3 without a problem. Ive been covering Apple events for many years and have never seen an entire product spontaneously disappear from the store less than a day before the event is supposed to start. I dont know what to make of it. Chris Martin / Foundry Link copied SHARE 1 day ago , By Michael Simon More Apple Watch features revealed? A code spelunker has discovered a few clues hidden in the iOS 27 beta that point to new Apple Watch features. Theres nothing particularly groundbreaking, but the Series 12 watch will reportedly get an updated heart-rate sensor as well as a significant storage boost to 128GB. Apple last updated its heart-rate sensor with a 3rd-gen model with the Series 6, so a new sensor is definitely overdue. As far as the storage goes, its probably related to on-device Apple Intelligence models, because I dont know why anyone would need that much storage on their watch. Link copied SHARE 1 day ago , By Michael Simon Brand-new Readiness app coming to watchOS 27 Mark Gurman reports that Apple is planning to launch a new Readiness app alongside the new Apple Watches tomorrow as a variant of the Vitals app. The Vitals app on Apple Watch brings togetherkey health metrics such as heart rate, sleep, and blood oxygen to give users a deeper understanding of their daily health, so this app will presumably use similar information. Gurman says this new app will better compete with software from Whoop & Oura along with improved heart-rate sensing on the new watches. Link copied SHARE 1 day ago , By David Price This year's hot color: Burgundy Rumors strongly suggest that the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max will be available in a classy new Dark Cherry finish: a rich burgundy wine color. (If thats not your bag, dont worry. There will also be more prosaic dark gray and lightish blue options.) We expect this color to be wildly popular, much as Cosmic Orange was last year. But Apple wont have the burgundy phone market all to itself. Ever since the dark-red iPhone rumors started, Android manufacturers have been falling over themselves to copy Cupertinos colorway, from the Poco F9 Ultra and Tecno Camon Slim 5G to the Huawei Pura X View and Xiaomi 18 Fold. As Tech Advisor reports, burgundy is the new orange . And pre-emptive plagiarism is the new originality. Poco, Macworld, Huawei Link copied SHARE 1 day ago , By David Price One More Thing but what? We have great respect for these words, said Tim Cook in 2017, and we dont use them lightly. Those words, of course, were One More Thing. That little phrase has signalled the arrival of some of Apples most iconic products and services, including the iMac G4, the MacBook Pro, FaceTime, the Apple Watch, Apple Music, and the iPhone X. Will it be uttered this year, and if so, what will it herald? We discussed this on the podcast, and figured it would be a nice moment if new CEO John Ternus got the chance to utter those immortal words as part of his debut. (Debut as overall event host, that is. Hes spoken in individual segments before now.) The most obvious product to get the One More Thing treatment is the iPhone Ultra, but a bigger surprise would be the arrival of Apples long-rumored smart home hub. Either would work. But Macworld readers put forward other ideas. At the less serious end, jimrock reckoned Itd be really sick if he announced a $2,000 monitor stand while Adam Moran proposed One more thing: Now shipping iPhones with a charger. Hashtag courage. Moving on to things that could happen (but wont), Rob K put forward One more thing: iPhone Air 2 with 6,000 mAh silicon carbon battery, three cameras, and no stupid fold. And Tower Lord suggested AI-driven smart glasses. Minus the creep factor found in Meta glasses. Instead, true spatial computing. The ultimate personal computer. Get rid of the AI part and were on board. And finally, a note of sanity from Mike : One more thing was Steves thing. Can we please stop measuring every CEO against Steve and let them be their own leaders? The last guy to say those three little words. Apple Link copied SHARE 1 day ago , By Michael Simon All eyes on the crease When Apple (allegedly) unveils its first folding iPhone tomorrow, Greg Joswiak or whomever gets the honor of announcing the phone on the stream, will talk about the displays, interface, cameras, design, and anything else Apple feels is worth highlighting. What they probably wont spend a lot of time talking about is the crease. Ever since Samsungs first folding phone arrived , the center display crease has been an issue. Its gotten better over the years, but its still the biggest hurdle for new customers to overcome. Even on the newest phones, you can see it when its opened and feel a little valley while using it. Its flies in the face of Apples pursuit of perfection and likely the reason why we havent gotten a folding iPhone until now. Earlier this year, it was reported that Apple had devised a way to overcome the crease with a combination of ultra-thin glass (UTG) and an optically clear adhesive that allows the folding area to be locally thinned at the bending axis to improve bendability. Samsungs newest flagship phone features a display with a 60-micrometer UTG layer, which is likely a similar material to what Apple will use. No folding phone has been able to completely eliminate the crease. Will Apple be the first? Luke Baker Link copied SHARE 1 day ago , By David Price John Ternus and the honeymoon period Tim Cook chose an interesting moment to resign from the CEO hotseat: September 1, a week before the biggest event of Apples year. Its understood that he did this so that John Ternus could have the fun and credit of announcing the iPhone Ultra himself, and begin his reign on a positive note. Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman has referred to this as a massive tailwind for the incoming CEO. But Gurman has plenty more to say about recent squabbles and politicking at the top of Apples hierarchy, and there could be some complications for the new boss. Read the Macalopes latest article for all the dirt and some very convoluted metaphors. Link copied SHARE 1 day ago , By David Price iPhone Ultra, or iPhone Fold? Sad to say for an event with the word surprise in its tagline, but there dont seem to be many mysteries left concerning the foldable iPhone. With one notable exception: its name. In the early days, most pundits referred to the rumored device as the iPhone Fold for obvious, logical reasons. But in the spring, we all started calling it the iPhone Ultra , even though, features-wise, that doesnt entirely make sense . And with just one day to go until the announcement, case makers still cant decide between the two options, with some plumping for Fold and others for Ultra in their pre-launch marketing materials. And this all assumes that Apple wont pull a last-minute switcheroo and go for iPhone Duo or iPhone Folio instead. Over on our sister site Tech Advisor, Emma Rowley discusses the thorny question of the foldable iPhones name . Link copied SHARE 1 day ago , By David Price Will you fold? Last year, the iPhone 17 Pro Max and iPhone Air competed for the title of Apples flagship handset. The Air was certainly more interesting, but the Pro Max was a far better specced, more powerful phone (not to mention more expensive). But this year there will only be one clear winner: the iPhone Ultra. Will you yield to temptation and pay whats likely to be more than $2,000 for Apples first foldable smartphone? One commenter on our YouTube channel is leaning towards no. If I was purchasing an iPhone and an iPad at the same time, then I would consider the Fold as it might work out cheaper than buying two separate devices, writes christopherclarke6184 . But I am happy with my iPad M4 and iPhone 17 Pro Max so wont be upgrading for a while unless Apple has something special I may need. Ill still be watching the show, though. Apple will be hoping for strong interest from the early adopter crowd, but given that this is an entirely new market for the company and a very high price, moderate sales may be enough in the short term. Link copied SHARE 2 days ago , By David Price Who is John Ternus? One big difference this year is that the main host will be Apples new CEO, John Ternus, rather than Tim Cook. Ternus is a relative unknown to members of the public, and Apple fans will be keen to see how he handles hosting duties. Will he be a showman, like Steve Jobs? Quietly professional, like Cook? Or something new and unique to himself? Thats not to say weve got no idea how hell carry himself in a presentation. As head of hardware Ternus spoke at multiple keynotes and product launches in the past, including the iPhone reveal last fall. His manner was very positive, with lots of superlatives, while being unafraid to delve into technical detail. But acting as main host is a different assignment, so we may see a new side to him on Wednesday. In the meantime, read Alex Blakes piece on the new boss, in which he describes Ternus as the perfect CEO for this Apple era. John Ternus: A man with a passion for hardware. Apple Link copied SHARE 2 days ago , By Michael Simon Folding iPhone color options will be unique Our sources report that Apple will offer the iPhone Ultra in just two colors for its debut. The first is silver, which we expect from a new iPhone, but the other is a little different: Dark Blue. Apple regularly offers its iPhones in various shades of blue, of course, but its rare for a brand new model to arrive in anything other than black and white. Link copied SHARE 2 days ago , By Michael Simon No time for Tim According to Mark Gurmans latest Power On newsletter , Tim Cook wont make an appearance in this years keynote. While he reports that he will be at Apple Park for the event, Cook has officially and completely handed the reins to Ternus, who will be the face of the Surprise and Shine event. Link copied SHARE 2 days ago , By Roman Loyola Surprise and Shine iPhone event: Podcast preview On the newest Macworld Podcast, Michael Simon and Jason Cross talk about what to expect at Apples Surprise and Shine iPhone event. What iPhones will Apple release? How will John Ternus do in his first keynote as Apple CEO? And will there be a One more thing? Get ready for the event by tuning in to the podcast. Link copied SHARE 2 days ago , By Michael Simon Cases, cases everywhere The iPhone Ultra doesnt exist yet, but you can find cases all over social media . Its worth noting that case manufacturers dont get information from Apple ahead of events, but they pay very close attention to the rumors and some probably have their own sources in the supply chain. Are they real? Well know in just a couple days. Link copied SHARE 2 days ago , By David Price Surprise? What surprise? Apple has given this weeks showcase the tagline Surprise and Shine. But whats the big surprise? Apples September events are among its most predictable, almost always revolving around new iPhones and new Apple Watches, and sometimes new AirPods. September 2025: iPhones, Apple Watches, AirPods September 2024: iPhones, Apple Watches, AirPods September 2023: iPhones, Apple Watches September 2022: iPhones, Apple Watches, AirPods September 2021: iPhones, Apple Watches, iPads Is John Ternus going to spring a surprise in 2026? After asking this question on TikTok were unconvinced by the idea of an Apple alarm clock (sorry), but another readers proposal of a tabletop Pixar light robot personal assistant with Siri is a little more plausible. That sounds a lot like the rumored smart-home hub which Apple has been working on for years, and could make an appearance this week. It could even turn up as One More Thing at the end and make for a fun encore. But ultimately the most likely outcome is that, as far as Apple is concerned, the widely expected foldable iPhone counts as the surprise. To those of us who live in the Apple rumor bubble the iPhone Ultra (or iPhone Fold) now looks like virtually a sure thing for Wednesdays presentation, but to the wider community its far less well known. And officially, of course, it doesnt even exist. Surprise! Link copied SHARE 2 days ago , By David Price We (probably) know the new colors Apple loves to launch at least one new color for each iPhone generation. Partly this allows the company to prune the colors which sold poorly the year before and experiment with alternatives, but the main advantage is that it allows customers to show off the fact theyve got a new phone, even if the design is otherwise the same. Those who bought the iPhone 17 Pro in Cosmic Orange last year got some major bragging rights. Perhaps surprisingly, the wildly popular Cosmic Orange is expected to be dropped from the range this year. The two new finishes are a little less garish: a dark-red/burgundy wine color, expected to be branded as Dark Cherry, and a light blue. Macworld exclusively revealed these colors in the summer. If youd like to see more of the new finishes, take a look at this leaked video , which appears to show demo models of the iPhone 18 Pro (in blue) and 18 Pro Max (in Dark Cherry). yeux1122 on Naver Link copied SHARE 2 days ago , By Michael Simon iPhone pre-orders might start on Saturday Generally, Apple opens up pre-orders for all the new iPhones and Apple Watches on the Friday following the Apple event at 5am PT. However, with 9/11 falling on Friday this year, its likely that Apple will delay the launch one day out of respect for the anniversary. Pre-orders instead are expected to begin on Saturday at midnight PT. Link copied SHARE 2 days ago , By Michael Simon No iPhone 18 this week In case you havent been following the rumors, Apple isnt expected to launch a new iPhone 18 this week. That meansthe iPhone 17 will be on shelves alongside the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus for another six months. This would be the first time (other than the budget SE and e models) that Apple has spilt the new iPhones into separate launches and could create some serious FOMO for annual updaters. Link copied SHARE 2 days ago , By Michael Simon Read our 100% real keynote leak* Just like last year, weve gotten our hands on Apples iPhone event keynote script ahead of the big reveal, and were sharing it all with you: the bad jokes, clever marketing, outrageous prices, and big surprises. Read it all before it happens. *May not be real Link copied SHARE 2 days ago , By Michael Simon Follow along with all the latest updates Welcome to the Surprise and Shine live blog! You dont need to wait till Wednesday to get up to speed on everything Apples releasing. Over the next two days, well share rumors, features, roundups, thoughts, reader comments, and lots more. Stay right here for everything you need to know. Link copied SHARE Surprise and Shine iPhone event: What we expect Apple might have dubbed this the Surprise event, but we have a pretty good idea what Apple is going to announce. Heres what we expect to see: iPhone Ultra/Duo : Apple is almost certain to launch its first folding phone this week. Were expecting a passport-style design with a 5.5-inch cover display and a near-8-inch inner display when opened. iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max : We expect a similar design with a faster chip and a better camera system, possibly including a variable-aperture lens for the first time. Apple Watch Series 12 : The latest Apple Watch update will reportedly be a minor refresh with a new chip, all-day heart-rate tracking, and maybe the return of a ceramic finish. Apple Watch Ultra 4: Like the Series 12, the Ultra 4 is expected to be a minor refresh largely focused on a new chip tuned for Siri AI. AirPods 5: Apple is rumored to be launching a new pair of low-end AirPods, but we dont know much about them. Smart home : Its less likely that Apples rumored smart-home hub arrives at this event, but we could see an updated Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini.
Mid-week Apple Books and audiobook deals from $1
Todays lineup of the best Apple Books deals is now ready to roll, including titles like House of Earth and Blood, Interview with the Vampire, Just Cause, Killing the Lawyers, Lock the Doors, Marilyn, Messi, New York 2140, Rolling Stones on Air in the Sixties, and more. Just be sure to also scope out the $50 price drop on AirPods Pro 3, this giant $500 discount on Apples 2TB M5 Pro MacBook Pro , and $100 off all AirPods Max 2 colorways as well. more
Apple Adds AppleCare One Family Plan for Up to Six People
Apple today announced AppleCare One Family, a new option for U.S. customers that extends AppleCare coverage to every eligible device across an Apple Family Sharing group of up to six people for one fixed monthly price. AppleCare One Family costs $49.99 per month and includes all of the same benefits as AppleCare+, such as coverage for accidental damage like drops and spills, battery replacement service, and priority support from Apple Experts. It also includes theft and loss protection for eligible iPhone, iPad , and Apple Watch models, and allows six total claims per year across the group. Once a subscriber signs up, they can add devices from their iPhone, iPad, or Mac, including most devices less than four years old and in good working condition. Newly purchased devices are added automatically at no extra cost, and the price stays the same regardless of how many eligible products end up being covered. To use the new plan, customers must set up Family Sharing in the Settings app on their iPhone, iPad, or Mac and invite up to five other people to join. Any eligible devices those family members already own can then be covered under the same subscription, eliminating the need to buy and manage a separate AppleCare plan for each person. AppleCare One Family builds on AppleCare One , the multi-device subscription Apple introduced in the U.S. in July 2025 at $19.99 per month for up to three products. That plan has since expanded to Australia, France, Germany, and the UK , and today's announcement gives U.S. customers with larger households a way to consolidate coverage under a single subscription rather than juggling individual plans. AppleCare One Family is available now in the United States. More details are available on Apple's AppleCare webpage . Tags: AppleCare , AppleCare One This article, Apple Adds AppleCare One Family Plan for Up to Six People first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
Running alongside Segways ongoing Labor Day Sale that will last through the rest of this week, the brand has also launched a Back to School e-bike sale with up to $1,000 e-bike savings and $150 in FREE accessories with select models in the form of a credit. That credit deal can be found on the latest Segway Myon Smart Electric Bike down at $1,799.99 shipped , which gives you the $150 FREE accessory credit with your purchase. This model launched in January just after premiering in CES 2026 and kept to its $2,000 MSRP up until July when it saw a short-term drop to $1,550 that rose to $1,700. Initially included in the Labor Day Sale, this $200 markdown is now being extended through the month of September, giving you a prolonged chance to score it for your commutes. Head below to learn all about it and check out all the other deals on e-bikes and accessories during this event, or check out the continuing Labor Day e-scooter deals here . more
