Macworld

iPhone owners beware: a new and surprisingly plausible phishing scam is making the rounds, and could easily catch out the unwary.

The message, which has been seen by AppleInsider reporters, claims to be from the delivery company UPS. It says a package is ready to be delivered, and encourages the recipient to click on a link to set this up. Of course, the link goes to a fake website where personal data can be harvested.

“We attempted to deliver your UPS package on [date],” the message reads, “but were unable to contact you and the delivery could not be completed. Your package needs to be signed for in person, so please reschedule the delivery by doing the following.” And then you get the link.

iOS’s security measures, created for precisely these kinds of situations, mean links in...

Macworld

July is always an interesting month for Apple releases.

There’s never any new hardware, and many of the services releases kind of slow down over the summer.

But it’s also a big month for the beta releases of Apple’s major upcoming operating system updates. Apple announces them at WWDC in June and releases developer-only betas, but the public betas start up in July. Those are easier to sign up for and install, and more polished and stable than the early developer releases.

Apps and software updates

The beta releases for iOS 26, macOS 26,...

Macworld

While we’re still waiting for some of the Apple Intelligence Siri features promised next year, a big new report from Mark Gurman at Bloomberg says that Apple is talking with Anthropic and OpenAI about replacing Siri with a version of Claude or ChatGPT.

This would be a massive shift from the current plans, which involve Apple continuing to improve its own in-house LLM model as it tries to deliver critical new Siri features that were supposed to come this Spring, and still have no real release date.

The report says that Apple has spoken with both...

A new rumor has begun circulating that Apple could be turning from its own Apple Intelligence efforts for an upgraded Siri to third-party providers. The company, which has been in hot water lately as to Apple Intelligence upgrades and features that never shipped, has seen complaints and lawsuits surface from users who’ve felt betrayed by […]

Source

The Stream Deck is great for running macros on your Mac, but there are ways to do it significantly cheaper. Sometimes, all it takes is a spare keyboard or a secondary numpad.


Epomaker EK21 works with Via for macros
In the pursuit of productivity, users can turn to macros as a way to get things done on their Mac. By hitting specific keys or key combinations on their keyboard, using configuration software supplied by the manufacturer, tasks can be sped up.

These are different from keyboard shortcuts, in that you often just have one action performed with keyboard shortcuts. Macros, however, can be complex enough to trigger multiple functions.


Continue Reading on AppleInsider |...

Apple's motion to dismiss the U.S. Department of Justice antitrust lawsuit has been rejected, which means a trial that could result in upending more of Apple's businesses will soon begin.


The US DOJ antitrust suit is moving forward
An antitrust investigation brought on by a case with Spotify in 2019 opened Apple up to a lot of scrutiny. In 2024, after years of vague threats, the Department of Justice finally filed a wide-sweeping and vague antitrust lawsuit against Apple.

The lawsuit got off to a messy start with the judge recusing himself and being replaced by US...

Cybercriminals and fraudsters are using fake texts, this time from UPS, to gain access to iPhone users' personal information. Here's how to stay safe and keep your data from falling into the wrong hands.


Scammers are impersonating UPS and trying to steal iPhone users' information.
Text messages claiming to be from the package delivery service UPS have been popping up as part of a new phishing scam. Much like the fake DMV texts our staffers receiver earlier in June 2025, which scared people with claims of unpaid traffic tickets and threats of legal action, the fraudulent UPS texts inform users of a supposed failed package delivery.

The message even instructions about how to reschedule delivery, and claims that failing to do so will cause the unspecified...

Apple is considering using AI technology from Anthropic or OpenAI to power a new version of Siri, according to Bloomberg, sidelining its own in-house models in a potentially blockbuster move aimed at turning around its flailing AI effort. From the report: The iPhone maker has talked with both companies about using their large language models for Siri, according to people familiar with the discussions. It has asked them to train versions of their models that could run on Apple's cloud infrastructure for testing, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing private deliberations.

If Apple ultimately moves forward, it would represent a monumental reversal. The company currently powers most of its AI features with homegrown technology that it calls Apple Foundation Models and had been planning a new version of its voice assistant that runs on that technology for 2026. A switch to Anthropic's Claude or OpenAI's ChatGPT models for Siri would be an acknowledgment...

A rumor around Apple's AI initiatives suggests the company could turn to third parties instead of relying on its own Apple Intelligence for an upgraded Siri, but there's likely a different story.


Apple could bring ChatGPT to Siri in a more integrated way
Apple has been in some hot water optically since it announced Apple Intelligence upgrades that never shipped. More zealous customers and shareholders feel betrayed by the company, and lawsuits have even sprung up because of it....

Macworld

When it comes to announcements, Apple takes a feast-or-famine approach. Most of the time the company guards its product roadmap secrets jealously, but when event time arrives it jumps on stage and fire-hoses knowledge into journalists’ faces. Until this month.

According to a new report, however, Apple was not wholly forthcoming at WWDC 2025. In the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman says he knows of at least two significant iOS features that could and ordinarily would have been talked about on 9 June but which were kept secret, and hints that...

Apple shouldn't have to change the App Store rules to meet a court order in the long-running lawsuit with Epic, a trade group insists, as it would violate Apple's First Amendment rights.


A still from an Epic Games video instigating the lawsuit against Apple - Image Credit: Epic Games
In April, the ever-persisting Epic vs Apple trial saw the court sanction Apple for deliberately violating a 2021 injunction to remove anti-steering barriers for third-party businesses. As part of the sanction, Apple was ordered to make quite a few changes.

The...

Owning an M4 MacBook Air is more enticing than ever with a $151 discount. Today, the 15-inch model with 16GB of RAM and 512GB storage is down to just $1,248.99 from its original price of $1,400 on Amazon. It hardly feels like you’re carrying a powerful laptop with the M4 MacBook Air. However, open the […]

The post The 15-inch M4 MacBook Air with 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD is $151 Off appeared first on iLounge.

Apple recently updated its codebase for a yet-to-be-released audio device. The identifier found had the code ‘8239’, and references found it to be nothing that Apple uses for Beats and AirPods headphones. Other than the code, there were no other hints of what it was and its features. It’s worth noting that Apple’s Beats and […]

The post Latest Apple Codebase Entry Reveals Unannounced Audio Product appeared first on iLounge.

The Mac mini is the perfect desktop if you want a clean and aesthetically pleasing setup. Today, the M4 Mac mini with 24GB of Unified Memory and 512GB SSD storage is down to just $849 from its original price of $1,000 on Amazon. The M4 Mac mini is truly versatile, offering connectivity through several ports. […]

The post The M4 Mac mini with 24GB Memory and 512GB Storage is $150 Off appeared first on iLounge.

A new online report suggests that the upcoming iPhone Fold will have not just one, but two rear cameras. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that the iPhone Fold is expected to have a dual-lens rear camera. Supporting the claim is a recent leak from Digital Chat Station, which implied that the two lenses will have […]

The post Dual Rear Cameras Might Grace Foldable iPhone appeared first on iLounge.

If you’ve been waiting for the price of the iPad mini 7 to drop, then this is the time. Today, the wi-fi model with 128GB of storage is down to just $399 from its original price of $499 on Amazon. The latest iPad mini is more powerful, thanks to the A17 Pro chip that’s able […]

The post The iPad Mini 7 Wi-Fi 128GB is $100 Off appeared first on iLounge.

A new update for the Sports app was announced just in time for the Wimbledon tournament. The Sports app now supports tennis scores and other information, with users able to check Grand Slam and other tournament live scores, as well as track singles matches for both the men’s and women’s divisions. It’s worth noting that […]

The post Apple Sports Now Has Tennis Scores appeared first on iLounge.

Apple is now on its second round of betas for its current-gen testing track, with new builds of iOS 18.6, iPadOS 18.6, macOS 15.6, watchOS 11.6, tvOS 18.6, and visionOS 2.6 now available for testing.


Examples of Apple Intelligence at work.
The second iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 developer betas have build number 22G5064d, replacing the first, 22G5054d. The second macOS Sequoia 15.6 build is 24G5065c, up from 24G5054d.

The second tvOS 18.6 build is 22M5065b and replaces 22M5054b, the second watchOS 11.6 build is 22U5065c taking over from 22U5054b, and the second visionOS 2.6 build is 22O5764b, up from 22O5754c.


Continue Reading on AppleInsider |...

Macworld

It’s all very well telling people to back up their Mac. But human nature means that searching for backup advice is something that usually happens after the worst has already happened.

Hopefully, you’ll be able to fix the damaged drive and get your data back by following our advice, but we will also cover what you need to know about crashing without a backup and how to recover data from damaged hard disk or an external drive.

This guide is also relevant if you have accidentally deleted a file. Deleted files can be retrieved too, but only if they haven’t been overwritten. Once the part of the disk with the data is overwritten, nothing can get it back.

How to repair a failed Mac hard disk with Disk Utility

If you are very lucky your hard drive or SSD isn’t...

The EU's DMA is said to be in the interests of consumers, but as its been implemented, it's just denying them iOS 26 features Apple can't risk giving away to rivals.


An EU flag with the App Store logo
EU Mac users still haven't got iPhone mirroring, and they aren't going to get Live Activities on the Mac, either. Now Apple has directly told the EU regulators that there are more iOS 26 features that its users at least won't see remotely as soon as anyone, anywhere else.

The only one named is ...

Early Prime Day sales are heating up, with today's MacBook Pro sale discounting the 14-inch model with an upgrade to 24GB RAM and 1TB of storage by a substantial $240.


Get an early Prime Day discount on Apple's MacBook Pro - Image credit: Apple
Save $240: Pick up Apple's M4 14-inch MacBook Pro with 24GB RAM, 1TB SSD for $1,759 at Amazon and B&H Photo.

Save $240 on Apple's current 14-inch MacBook Pro with a bump up to...

Apple plans to release a cheaper MacBook powered by the A18 Pro chip used in the iPhone 16 Pro line, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. The laptop will be priced below $999 -- first time for a MacBook Air -- and go into production in late 2025 or early 2026 on the new laptop, the analyst noted.

The device will feature the same 13-inch screen as the current MacBook Air, with the chip representing the primary difference between models. The A18 Pro chip delivers single-core performance around 3,500 on Geekbench, trailing the M4 chip only slightly, though multicore performance lags significantly at approximately 8,780 versus 15,000 for the M4. The A18's multicore performance matches the original 2020 M1 chip.

...

Verizon denies that a database offered for sale on a public forum contains real customer records, describing it as old data not connected to the company or its users.


Verizon denies data breach
A report by cybersecurity researchers at SafetyDetectives found a forum post advertising a database labeled "Verizon USA" with over 61 million records. The listing claimed the data was 3.1 gigabytes in CSV or JSON format and included sample screenshots of personal information fields.

Verizon told TechRadar it reviewed the postings and dismissed the data as old information recycled from forums. The company insists it has no link to its systems or customers and rejects any claim of a new breach....

After a rocky start in Apple's display supply chain, display supplier BOE has bulked out its OLED panel supply chain in the hope it can secure more iPhone screen orders.


The iPhone 17 generation is on the way - Image Credit: AppleInsider
The display supply chain for iPhones has been dominated by Samsung Display and LG Display, with BOE being a much smaller supplier in comparison. However, BOE really wants to be a big player, and has expanded its production capacity in the hope that Apple will use it.

According to the China Display Trend Report from UBI Research, seen by ZDNet Korea on Friday, BOE has managed to construct an annual production capacity for 100 million OLED panels for iPhones.


...

Apple Music is turning 10, and to celebrate, it's giving you the "Replay All Time" playlist of your all-time most-played songs. Here's how to listen to it.


Apple Music adds Replay All Time playlist
Apple Music's new Replay All Time playlist shows you the songs you've played the most since you joined the service. It is, essentially, your annual Replay, but for your entire listening history.




Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Macworld

As we keep warning prospective testers, Apple’s software betas are prone to bugs. Until a big software update is pushed live to the general public—and sometimes even beyond that point—it should be regarded as unfinished, flawed, and liable to go wrong in all sorts of unexpected ways.

This particularly applies to a first developer beta, the most speculative and the least finished of an update’s run; the one that has been subject to precisely zero testing in the real world outside Apple’s labs. And so the first dev betas of iOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26 and so on, which became available on the first day of WWDC 2025 earlier this month, were a risky proposition. And the second betas, which landed last week, were eagerly awaited. And...

Macworld

Imagine the worst. Losing irreplaceable photos because your Mac’s drive failed? Accidentally deleting your dissertation? You might think it will never happen to you, but all it takes is a glass of water falling onto your MacBook and you could lose everything.

But at least if you’ve got a backup, the financial outlay of getting a new Mac will be made less traumatic by the fact that you can recover everything from your old one. Luckily Apple makes backing up your Mac really easy, so there really is no excuse not to do it.

We have lots of general advice about the importance of backing up your Mac in a separate article, but in this article we’re going to focus on one method in particular: Time Machine.

Other apps can back up a Mac: take a look at our recommendations of the...

According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple has two new Apple Vision Pro headsets in development, with the M5 version expected to arrive perhaps by the end of 2025.


Multiple models and new designs of the Apple Vision Pro are said to be coming
Of all the rumors concerning future versions of the Apple Vision Pro, one of the most recent was that a lighter version would be released in early 2026. Ming-Chi Kuo now disagree with that, and chiefly claims there will be no new headsets at all in 2026 — and then a small raft of them starting in 2027.

In his blog post on the topic, Kuo states that five — including...

Macworld

In online publishing, as in Hollywood, nobody knows anything. Why did a dashed-off news story get vastly more traffic than a painstakingly honed opinion piece? Who can say. As flies to wanton boys are we to the algorithms; they kill us for their sport.

Last week’s mystifying success (not that I’m ungrateful, Google!) was a short article about a ringtone. In the first beta of iOS 26, testers discovered a new variant of the Reflection ringtone; in the second beta, this became a usable option. “ReflectionAlt1-EncoreRemix,” as it almost certainly won’t be called by the time iOS 26 launches to the public in the fall, is a definite improvement on the original, and I thought it was worth a quick story. What I did not expect was for it to go viral. To be clear: not complaining.

Then again, maybe...

If you have an Anker charger, there could be a risk of it overheating and becoming a fire hazard. Accessory maker Anker recently launched two separate recalls for its power banks, some of which may pose a fire risk. The first recall addresses the Anker PowerCore 10000 Power Banks, which were sold between June 1, […]

Source

A prominent leaker has proposed it is time for the Apple Ring to be the company's next wearable. It's an idea that Apple has been working on for years, but is still far from becoming a reality.


A render of a ring with the Apple logo and health sensors
The rumor mill often goes through a cycle where it surfaces hints and claims about unreleased Apple hardware. This often happens for products that sound like a logical leap for Apple's next release, but haven't been the subject of a rumor for quite some time.

On Sunday, it was the Apple Ring's turn, thanks to Mark Gurman's "Power On" newsletter for Bloomberg. In the email to subscribers, Gurman proposes that the...

Macworld

Writing a book can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re staring down a blank page with no clear starting point, but AI can help. Youbooks is an AI-powered platform that helps you turn non-fiction ideas into professional, polished books in a fraction of the time it usually takes. With a lifetime subscription, you get ongoing access to tools that let you generate up to 300,000-word manuscripts tailored to your style, with real research and your own supporting materials built in. It’s also only $49 for a lifetime subscription (reg. $540).

What makes Youbooks stand out is that it’s not just...

Savings of up to $100 off are in effect on a large selection of Apple Watch Series 10 and SE 2 styles during this weekend's early Prime Day sale.


Save up to $100 on Apple Watch styles.
Save up to $100: Early Prime Day Apple Watch deals have dropped prices to as low as $169 at Amazon.

The weekend price drops include a selection of Apple Watch Series 10, Ultra 2, and SE 2 models, with various case sizes and band styles eligible for double-digit and triple-digit savings. You can jump directly to Amazon's sale page or peruse highlights from the sale below and in our Apple Watch Price Guide...

After some controversial advertising, Apple's 'F1' will be the company's best-ever theatrical debut, after a $10M preview and an immersive trailer for the Apple Vision Pro.


Apple used custom cameras to capture the racing in its new film 'F1.' Image credit: Apple
The company's strong push to promote the new Brad Pitt movie F1 — including a controversial ad within the Wallet app — position the Apple Original Films theatrical release to have the company's best-ever opening weekend.

Apple's new film, which stars Brad Pitt as a race-car driver returning to the Formula One circuit after 30 years away, drew $10 million during its first US preview,...

Macworld

Juggling emails, video calls, streaming, and creative work on an outdated laptop feels like torture because you know a computer with more power would make your life just a little bit easier. This Grade “A” refurbished MacBook Air may be a few years old. Still, for everyday computing, it’s all you’ll need, and right now, you can get it for $519.99 (reg. $1,499).

The M1 chip transforms everyday performance with an 8-core CPU and 7-core GPU built for multitasking. You can edit photos in Lightroom, stream 4K video, manage work apps, and switch between dozens of tabs,...

Meta's latest feature gives Facebook the power to continuously upload your private photos to its cloud — even the ones you never intended to share. Here's how to stop it.


Image credit: Meta
In a time where internet users are goaded into giving away their data to nearly every company, Meta has decided to take it several steps further. It wants you to give Facebook access to your entire camera roll and allow it to upload your photos to its cloud.

The "feature," spotted by TechCrunch has recently begun rolling out to users. When creating a story, a prompt pops up and asks users to opt into "cloud processing."


Continue Reading on...

The FTC is handing out $126 million in "Fortnite" refunds after years of shady charges, surprise bills, and retaliatory bans. Here's how to get yours.


Credit: Epic Games
Nearly one million Fortnite players are getting refunds totaling $126 million. The payouts address years of unauthorized charges and access restrictions tied to billing disputes.

This round of payouts is for those who submitted a valid claim before February 14, 2025. The FTC is currently reviewing claims that were made after February 14 and will provide information to claimants at a later date.


Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Macworld

Wireless AirPods are fun and all, but they can be easy to lose if you’re not careful, and can run out of juice right in the middle of a run. These Apple EarPods, however, are affordable, always attached to your phone, and never run out of battery. You can get a pair for $16 right now, the cheapest they’ve ever been, an impressive 16 percent discount.

These old-school earbuds come with a USB-C port so you can connect them to all the most recent iPhone models, as well as pretty much any other device with a USB-C port, including laptops, tablets, and even Android devices. The EarPods have a sleek design that’s in line with pretty much all other Apple devices and only come in white. They have a round cable, so you’re going to have to be careful about those dreadful tangles.

The volume controls are built into the cable, so you can adjust the volume, control media...

Macworld

We all know the importance of backing up our Macs, but what is the best Mac backup software to use for the job? To many of us, backing up a Mac means using Time Machine, the free backup app included with macOS. Time Machine can make incremental backups of everything on a Mac and can be used clone an old Mac to a new Mac. Also popular is iCloud, which although not a way to back up your Mac, can be used to sync photos, music, files and more so you can access them on all your Apple devices.

However, while Time Machine and iCloud are great resources, they aren’t perfect, and relying on them alone to keep your data safe is a mistake that could have disastrous...

Macworld

At a glanceExpert's Rating

Pros

• Compact NAS drive provides lots of storage
• Good performance
• Expandable design

Cons

• Hard drives cost extra
• Poorly designed apps

Our Verdict

The expandable storage options provided by the DS925+ make it a great option for small businesses and home offices that need a fast, reliable network drive. However, Synology’s apps and documentation could be a lot simpler and more straightforward for first-time users.

Price When Reviewed

This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined

Best Pricing Today

Price When Reviewed

$640

Best Prices Today: Synology DiskStation DS925+

Retailer

Price

$543.95

...

Apple has annoyed some users with its F1 Wallet promotion, and pleased others with its Finder icon redesign. Plus, there's news of the M5 iPad Pro, how Apple Intelligence briefly went down, and more, on the AppleInsider Podcast.


Apple Wallet and Apple Watch have both had chance to annoy users — but please others
It had already seemed as if Apple had found every possible way to promote its "F1: The Movie," and yet no, there was at least one more way — and judging by social media, it deeply aggravated users. But Apple using its Wallet app to promote a Wallet offer is arguably useful, so let's argue it.

Plus this is week three of the OS 26 betas, and it's the first time that Apple Intelligence has gone down. Apple will surely never admit to a problem, but host Wesley Hilliard has figured out how on-device Apple Intelligence can possibly go down....

Trump has signed a trade deal with China that will see it withdraw the rare minerals ban that affects iPhones, though it still leaves US consumers paying far more for imported goods.


Tim Cook and Donald Trump in a meeting at the White House in 2018
Among the responses to Trump's "reciprocal" tariffs, China halted rare earth mineral exports in April 2025. Now according to multiple sources including Reuters, that ban may be lifted.

There are few details so far, and no confirmation of whether all such rare mineral exports will resume. The news broke as Trump casually mentioned "we signed with China yesterday," and...

While the new glass-like design may be the most visible change within iOS 26, the operating system also has five features that might be particularly appealing for business users.


iOS 26 includes five features that business users might find particularly appealing.
iOS 26 made its debut on June 9 at WWDC 2025, in a relatively subdued keynote event. While Apple put a strong emphasis on its cross-platform "Liquid Glass" design language...

Macworld

Ever since the iPhone X arrived in 2017 with a rather large notch, people have been obsessed with the iPhone’s front camera cutout. Over the years, we’ve gone from a notch (iPhone X) to a smaller notch (iPhone 13) to the Dynamic Island (iPhone 14 Pro), and back to the notch (iPhone 16e). And now reports say Apple is looking to gradually get rid of the cutout altogether within five years.

To recap, Display Supply Chain Consultants CEO Ross Young reports that Apple will tweak the front camera cutout over the next five iPhone generations before completely removing it in 2030. He claims that the iPhone 17 will have the same Dynamic Island as today’s...

Apple may have its AirPods 3 wireless earbuds en route for this fall. A new Bluetooth ID recently appeared in a database related to device syncing that may reference the AirPods 3. While Apple is fairly careful to avoid inadvertent leaks, it isn’t immune to mistakes. A few small errors have already occurred this year […]

Source

Macworld

At a glanceExpert's Rating

Pros

• Easy to populate and use
• Up to 32TB (8TB SSDs) of external storage
• Good performance in single (20GBps) or RAID 0 (40Gbps)

Cons

• Paltry paper documentation
• RAID only via software

Our Verdict

If you want to add gobs of fast storage to your Mac, there’s hardly a better way than TerraMaster’s four-slot USB4 D4 SSD. You provide the NVMe SSDs, but you get nearly 4GBps transfers from them in RAID 0 and 1.8GBps individually.

Price When Reviewed

This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined

Best Pricing Today

Price When Reviewed

$300

Best Prices Today: TerraMaster D4 SSD

Retailer

Price

$299.99

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