Buying a MacBook used to mean two things: picking your model and draining your bank account. But in 2025, that equation is changing. Apple users want more control, less hassle, and more flexible cash flow.


MacBook upgrade program
With WWDC unveiling major updates to macOS, including features like Apple Intelligence, improved Continuity, and deeper ecosystem integrations, there's now even more incentive to upgrade, especially for users on older machines.

That's where Upgraded comes in: Now you can pay for your MacBook over 36 months and from 0% APR, with the option to upgrade every 2 years, hassle free.


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The latest version of the watchOS 26 beta is reminding Hermes owners that elegance doesn't equal stability.


Apple Watch Hermes Edition
Apple's second developer beta of watchOS 26 is causing major problems for owners of the premium Hermes edition Apple Watch. These issues include crashes, overheating, and pairing problems.

The company has confirmed the bug in its official release notes and is advising Hermes users not to install the beta.


Continue Reading on AppleInsider |...

In a research study, some doctors will wear Apple Vision Pro during colonoscopies to explore how spatial computing can support real-time cancer detection.


Apple Vision Pro tested in colonoscopy procedures
We've been hearing about potential case uses for the Apple Vision Pro in a medical setting for a while now — probably longer than it has existed as a purchasable product.

We've seen medical professionals suggest the Apple Vision Pro could be an invaluable tool for anesthesiologists, nursing managers, and general practitioners. Surgeons are already using it for...

Beats earphones offer outstanding audio quality and are cheaper than a pair of Apple AirPods. Today, the Beats Flex Wireless Earphones is down to just $39.99 from its original price of $70 on Amazon. The Beats Flex has that Flex-form cable that fits around your neck and all-day comfort with the included four tip options. […]

The post The Beats Flex Wireless Earbuds is 43% Off appeared first on iLounge.

Apple’s next iPhone software update will allow iPhones to be restored without needing a PC or Mac. iOS 26 is slated to have Recovery Assistant, which is a new method to restore an iPhone to its original working state. The function was seen in the beta version of iOS 26 but it’s only now that […]

The post iOS 26 to Bring Standalone iPhone Recovery appeared first on iLounge.

It’s rare to see a blowout deal on an iPad Air, but today seems to be an exception. The M2 iPad Air 11-inch Wi-Fi + Cellular 512GB is down to just $699 from its original price of $1,050 on Amazon. The M2 iPad Air is built for portability and efficiency, boasting the M2 chip and […]

The post The 11-inch M2 iPad Air WiFi+Cellular 512GB is $350 Off appeared first on iLounge.

The upcoming software update for the iPhone will extend Cinematic Mode video to third-party apps. Apple introduced an API that allows third-party camera app developers to integrate Cinematic video recording mode within their apps. Cinematic mode was first revealed in iOS 15 and runs on iPhone 13 and newer. It’s a video capture mode that […]

The post iOS 26 Cinematic Mode Recording Expands to Third Party Apps appeared first on iLounge.

Apple has released version 3.0 of the Sports app for iOS, with the new version introducing tennis for the first time, just in time for Wimbledon.


Tennis is now represented in the Sports app
The Sports app covers quite a few different sports types, including soccer, ice hockey, Formula 1, and others, providing the latest scores and results to its users. In a Wednesday update, the app now supports tennis.

There are two new listings under My Leagues, with Men's Tennis accompanied by Women's Tennis. Each offers users the tennis scores for major events, including the upcoming Wimbledon tournament in the UK.


Continue Reading on AppleInsider |...

Apple is facing resistance from the automotive industry over its CarPlay Ultra software system, which the tech group launched in an attempt to take over a vehicle’s dashboard for the first time.

German luxury brands Mercedes-Benz and Audi as well as Volvo Cars, Polestar, and Renault said they had no plans to bring the upgraded software to their vehicles, despite earlier indications from Apple that they would.

While few have followed General Motors, which announced in 2023 it would stop installing CarPlay or Android Auto on some of its EV models in North America, there is increasing debate as to how much carmakers should allow tech groups to take over the inside of a vehicle.

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The fall update adding the M5 chip to the iPad Pro is getting closer to reality, with OLED displays for the tablet reportedly entering mass production for a launch in October.


13-inch M4 iPad Pro with an OLED display
Apple's fall updates tend to include some form of iPad change. One of the rumored launches is the upgrade bringing M5 to the iPad Pro, and a report seems to indicate it is on the way.

According to report sources of ZDNet Korea via DigiTimes, mass production of the OLED display used by the iPad Pro has commenced.


Rumor Score:

Apple will not pre-announce when it will release iOS 26 beta updates, but over the years it has proven to has a mostly predictable schedule after the first one has rolled out. Here's when to expect new versions.


Apple's beta test cycle has begun for developers and will soon start for the public — image credit: Apple
The only correct and truly sensible date for iOS 26 beta releases is to not pay any attention to them and wait for the official release in September. But as the second developer beta has just come out and the first public one is due in July, here's what is coming next, and roughly when.


Continue Reading on AppleInsider |...

Apple's iCloud services were experiencing an outage, and impacted users are experiencing issues with iCloud Mail, Photos, and the iWork suite of apps.


Some users are experiencing issues with iCloud services due to an ongoing outage.
On Tuesday, users of iCloud Mail reported issues with this and other Apple Services. A number of people were unable to access iCloud Mail, with some experiencing difficulties even after gaining access.

According to Apple's System Status page, the company's iCloud services, including iCloud Mail, iCloud Web Apps, iCloud Storage Upgrades, Photos, and iWork integration, were all impacted by an outage that began at...

Apple Wallet has begun advertising Apple Pay promotions via notifications, and while iPhone users are losing their mind, they can toggle the feature off starting in iOS 26.


Apple Wallet tells people how to save money with notification and in-app promotion feature
Advertising has become a blunt instrument in surveillance capitalism largely as a result of Google's success. This shouldn't mean we reject the premise of advertising as a whole, given that for now, it remains the fuel for the content engine on the Internet.

Ads can run from silly and useless to invasive and annoyingly persistent. Somewhere in the middle is a genuinely useful tool for consumers.


Continue Reading on AppleInsider |...

A ruling in a U.S. District Court has effectively given permission to train artificial intelligence models using copyrighted works, in a decision that's extremely problematic for creative industries.


Anthropic logo on top of coding and court imagery
Content creators and artists have been suffering for years, with AI companies scraping their sited and scanning books to train large language models (LLMs) without permission. That data is then used for generative AI and other machine learning tasks, and then monetized by the scraping company with no compensation for the original host or author.

Following a ruling by a U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California issued on Tuesday, companies are being given free rein to train with just about any published media that they want to harvest.


Continue...

As with any operating system that ushers in a major new look and feel, this year's Apple operating systems and their new Liquid Glass aesthetic will likely merit some extra attention from power users who want to see all the new stuff and developers who suddenly need to acclimate to a new design language. Apple put out one early beta build of all of its new operating systems after its Worldwide Developers Conference keynote a couple of weeks ago—these updates are the first to standardize on year-based version numbering, making them all version 26—and today the company has formally released the second developer betas of iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26, and most of its other updates.

For those who don't normally dabble in Apple's beta programs, the company offers two tracks: a...

Google recently announced several major additions to Google Maps for EU users. The four upcoming features will be integrated into Google Maps for sustainable transport and driving aspects. The alternative transport suggestions will be powered by AI and take effect in Warsaw, Stockholm, Copenhagen, and more cities soon. The transport suggestion will tell users if […]

The post Google Adds Major Features to Google Maps EU appeared first on iLounge.

US president Donald Trump has given the hugely popular short-form video app another 90 days as the ban looms. The White House announced the news recently, and it’s the third extension given to TikTok since Trump took office this year. The second extension is set to expire this month, but there seems to be no […]

The post Trump Gives TikTok Another 90-Day Extension appeared first on iLounge.

Apple is facing a proposed class-action lawsuit from shareholders who allege the company misled investors about the readiness of its AI-powered Siri upgrades, contributing to a $900 billion drop in market value. Reuters reports: Shareholders led by Eric Tucker said that at its June 2024 Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple led them to believe AI would be a key driver of iPhone 16 devices, when it launched Apple Intelligence to make Siri more powerful and user-friendly. But they said the Cupertino, California-based company lacked a functional prototype of AI-based Siri features, and could not reasonably believe the features would ever be ready for iPhone 16s.

Shareholders said the truth began to emerge on March 7 when Apple delayed some Siri upgrades to 2026, and continued through this year's Worldwide Developers Conference on June 9 when Apple's assessment of its AI progress disappointed analysts. Apple shares have lost nearly one-fourth of their value since their December...

Macworld

Apple revealed its plans for the next version of macOS at the WWDC keynote on Monday June 9, 2025. The company also showed off new features for the next iOS, iPadOS, watchOS and more at the event. 

Like its counterparts on the other Apple devices, macOS is getting a brand new look for 2025-2026 along with a new name. Because Apple is aligning the names of all the operating systems this year, the new version of macOS be called macOS 26 rather than macOS 16. It will also take the name Tahoe, inspired by...

Macworld

For high school seniors in the U.S., graduation season is coming to a close. [Personal note: congrats to my niece! Way to go!] That means the start of college isn’t far off and it’s time to get ready for the next step in an academic career. That usually involves investing in a computer, and companies offer deals for new college students, including Apple.

The competition for your dollars is fierce, and Apple wants to help new college students persuade parents into buying a Mac. The company has just released The Parent Presentation, a set of slides with content that has all the reasons why you should buy a Mac: they’re durable and powerful enough to last “through college and beyond,” and they maintain their value.

The slides are customizable, so students can add their content, and Apple also includes suggestions as to what...

A well-known leaker with a questionable track record claims that Apple could release the iPhone 17 in two new colors.


Image credit: Majin Bu
On Friday, Leaker Majin Bu announced that Apple is currently testing iPhone 17 base model colorways. This time around, it seems as though Apple may be planning on going with a pastel green and purple.

From the images shared by Bu, the purple appears to be pretty similar to what we saw with the iPhone 11 lineup. The green, however, is more saturated than the light green iPhone 15 and skews more towards yellow than the mint green iPhone 12.


Rumor...

Apple's latest back-to-school push has students making the case to their own parents with a Keynote or PowerPoint presentation about why they need a Mac for college.


Image Credit: Apple
It's graduation season, which means that Apple is kicking off its yearly back-to-school push. And, in a time when everything feels more expensive, it has come up with a new method for selling Macs — making the students do the work themselves.

A new seven-and-a-half-minute-long video walks students through the process of customizing free, Apple-designed slideshow. The slideshow features "45 customizable, parent-persuading reasons why Mac is crucial for college."


Continue Reading on AppleInsider |...

Apple Intelligence went into a perpetual update loop for many users on Thursday, causing the old Siri animation to appear and on-device tools to stop working.


On-device doesn't mean outages aren't possible thanks to OTA updates
Issues surrounding Apple Intelligence have been cropping up throughout the day Thursday, and it may be due to a botched backend push from Apple. Users began noticing the lack of on-device Apple Intelligence early Thursday, and issues have continued propagating across devices and regions.

There's nothing on Apple's system status page that would indicate there are any issues, though there isn't a section for Apple Intelligence. AppleInsider reached out to Apple about the issue and has been told they are looking into it.


...

Macworld

Apple is reportedly giving Siri a Large Language Model (LLM) upgrade in a year or two. The boost is expected to make the iPhone’s virtual assistant more conversational and equip it with a broader range of world knowledge. What most users don’t know is that the iOS 26 beta already introduces a hidden AI chatbot that testers can try right away.

For reasons I’ll clarify later on, iOS 26 neither offers a dedicated app for Apple’s LLM chatbot, nor bakes it into the default Siri experience. I came across the veiled interface while exploring the updated Apple Shortcuts app. To try it out, you’ll have to build your own shortcut using iOS 26 developer beta.

Before we get started…

Before delving into Apple’s AI chatbot and its capabilities, there are a few matters you must keep in mind:

• When building the...

Expanding still further on its Indian manufacturing for Apple, Foxconn is reportedly looking to produce iPhone enclosures in the country.


One of several Foxconn manufacturing facilities in India — image credit: Foxconn
Foxconn has already opened a new factory in India in 2025, and it's a continuation of years of expansion — even if that hasn't always gone as well as planned. Now according to India's The Economic Times, Foxconn is expected to open a further new facility in Oragadam,...

A new video ad from the ‘Shot on iPhone’ series has appeared on Apple’s official YouTube channel. ‘Shot on iPhone 16 Pro / Big Man – Starring Stormzy’ is roughly 20 minutes in length and features Michael ‘Stormzy’ Omari, the British rapper. There’s also a behind-the-scenes video that’s around four minutes in length. In the […]

The post New ‘Shot on iPhone’ Short Film Debuts appeared first on iLounge.

Apple is pushing forward with its novel foldable iPhone that might debut in 2026. Ming-Chi Kuo mentioned that Foxconn is gearing up to produce the foldable iPhone in Q3 or early Q4 this year. This timeline coincides with the planned launch of the foldable smartphone in 2026 as an addition to the iPhone 18 line. […]

The post Apple to Start iPhone Foldable Production This Year appeared first on iLounge.

Macworld

Keeping track of the files on your Mac can be difficult. All those downloads, large attachments in emails, and duplicate items can scatter themselves across your drive, taking up precious space with things you don’t want or use.

Locating and managing these files can be a laborious and time-consuming job, which no-one really wants to do. Thankfully, there’s a simple-to-use tool that not only makes it easy to see what’s stealing your storage capacity but can also remove the offending articles with just a few clicks. So, here’s why Space Lens in CleanMyMac could be the most useful addition to your Mac.

What is Space Lens?

Space Lens is a purpose-built visual disk explorer that can identify and show unnecessary files on your Mac, then help you optimise your storage space by safely deleting them. Rather than an intimidating list of files names though,...

If your data’s been stolen of late, you can blame what’s been described by security researchers as “one of the largest data breaches in history,” comprising a staggering 16 billion logins, which include Apple accounts (formerly known as Apple IDs). The group noted that the stolen data offered the hackers “unprecedented access to personal credentials […]

Source

Not surprisingly, some tvOS 26 features will only be available on newer Apple TV models. Per MacRumors, the new Liquid Glass design with shimmery app icons and see-through elements is only visible on the Apple TV 4K (2nd generation) and Apple TV 4K (3rd generation). The upcoming Music Sing feature, which allows you to use […]

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Seenda's colorful, quirky peripherals offer a fun and affordable alternative to typical monochrome accessories, including an iPad-compatible ergonomic mouse.


Seenda's CBD 2 peripheral set and MBD 5 ergonomic mouse are compatible with a variety of Apple devices.
In 2025, the market for Bluetooth and wireless peripherals is fairly saturated. There's something for just about everyone. Whether you're looking for a basic input device for your iPhone and iPad or something for an advanced gaming setup, the options are endless.

The Seenda CBD 2 (CTU-301) wireless keyboard and mouse set won't wow you with an endless array of customization options or expensive materials, but it will with its bright colors and...

President Trump has signed yet another executive order delaying enforcement of the TikTok ban by 90 days, so companies like Apple, Google, and ByteDance don't have to worry about fines.


TikTok will continue to operate in the US at least until September 17
TikTok was targeted as a potential security threat during the first Trump administration, where a ban was threatened but never carried out. A law was passed by the Biden administration in 2024 that would result in a TikTok ban, and in spite of it going into effect on January 19, 2025, Trump immediately...

“This one a long time have I watched. All his life has he looked away — to the future, to the horizon. Never his mind on where he was. What he was doing. Adventure. Heh! Excitement. Heh! A Jedi craves not these things. You are reckless!”
—Yoda, The Empire Strikes Back

My biggest takeaway from WWDC 2025 is that Apple seemingly took some lessons to heart from its unfulfilled promises of a year ago. This year’s WWDC wasn’t merely focused on what Apple is confident it can ship in the next 12 months, but on what they can ship this fall. I might be overlooking a minor exception or two, but every major feature announced in the WWDC 2025 keynote was both demonstratable in product briefings, and is currently available in the developer beta seeds. I was...

FireWire's final curtain call may be upon us. In the first developer beta of macOS 26 Tahoe, Apple has removed all FireWire support.


FireWire is gone from macOS 26
While the removal comes in a beta release and technically could be reversed, that isn't likely. The FireWire section has been removed from the System Information app entirely.

Developers have noticed that FireWire devices no longer appear in Disk Utility or Finder. There's no sign that Apple plans to bring it back.


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Macworld

Apple’s iOS 26 plans, in brief

• The new iOS update is called iOS 26, not iOS 19
• Big redesign with Liquid Glass effect
• New Gaming app
• Phone app brings call handling and live translations

Apple revealed its plans for its next iOS update at the WWDC keynote on June 9, 2025. The company also showed off new features for the next iPadOS update, macOS Tahoe, watchOS and more at the event. 

As per the rumors,...

Macworld

Even with everything USB-C, keeping all your gear charged and ready can be tiring if you have to plug in cables left and right. This Anker MagSafe 3-in-1 cube will solve that problem for you, and you can get one for $104 instead of its usual $150, within pennies of its all-time-low price.

Not only will this charger stand handle your iPhone, AirPods, and Apple Watch, but it will also take very little space on your desk. The very top part of the cube is a magnetic charger for your phone. It flips open so you can also check out your notifications while it’s charging. In the space behind the magnetic charger, you can place your AirPods with a wireless charging case.

A little drawer pops open on the side of the cube, allowing you to place your Apple Watch over it to charge, which is super handy. Given...

An App Store user is suing Apple because she was duped by a fake cryptocurrency app, neglecting her own role in her choosing to send money to fairly obvious criminals.


Representations of cryptocurrencies
No question, Apple's app review team has had failures before. It appears, too, that this new lawsuit is evidence of another one, even as it follows the company's boasting that it protected users from $9 billion in fraud in the last five years.

Both statements can be true at the same time. That hasn't dissuaded a complainant in a suit from blaming Apple because she chose to send money to a crypto scam.


...

Macworld

In case you haven’t heard, Apple’s big Brad Pitt movie, “F1,” opens next week, and the company is in full-on promotion mode. There was Craig Federighi’s hair, followed by an incredible haptic trailer, a Brad Pitt sighting at the Apple Store, and an Apple Pay promotion with Fandango. Now, Apple is showing off one of the gadgets it used to film the movie.

According to...

Apple has added a lot of gloss to macOS Tahoe, but there are also five specific features that make a massive difference — once you know they're there, and once you know their limitations.


The new macOS Tahoe comes replete with productivity features
Don't knock the Liquid Glass visual changes that have come with macOS 26, because most of them do surface features that can be missed, and most just make it quicker and easier to use your Mac. But there are also five really key new features that make updating to macOS Tahoe essential — when it's out of beta testing.
...

Apple is planning to have a punch-hole camera in the iPhone 18 Pro line, with a leaker saying the smaller aperture will still be able to handle Face ID.


Expect the camera system in the iPhone 18 Pro to be extremely minimal.
The iPhone 18 Pro line is anticipated to revolutionize how the iPhone handles cameras in the display. The change will almost certainly minimize the currently distracting element of the iPhone display, but it will be an engineering challenge for the company and the supply chain.

In a Weibo post on Thursday, serial leaker "Digital Chat Station" discusses the displays of the iPhone 18 Pro series. They describe it as having "two new screens," followed by a list of specifications that seems quite familiar.
...

The iPhone Fold saga continues, with the rumor mill suggesting that the device is now entering mass production in 2026, with pre-production beginning in late 2025. Per a Wednesday X post by Ming-Chi Kuo of TF Securities, Foxconn will be kicking off a project to produce Apple’s first foldable smartphone in late Q3 or early […]

Source

Macworld

Whether you’re a content creator, a professional videographer, or someone looking to enhance their social media snippets, having access to powerful video enhancement tools makes all the difference. One such program that has gained attention is HitPaw VikPea. This AI video enhancer brings life to your videos by improving video quality, removing blurriness and noise, and enhancing details with minimal effort.

In this article, you’ll learn about its key features, pricing plans, overall effectiveness, and how it can enhance video quality.

What is HitPaw VikPea?

HitPaw VikPea is a specialized and advanced software with a beginner-friendly interface that uses cutting-edge technology to analyze and enhance video quality in one click. It can automatically upscale low-resolution...

iPhone sales jumped 15% year-over-year in April and May 2025, "signaling Apple's strongest two-month performance for the period since the pandemic," reports MacRumors, citing preliminary data from Counterpoint Research. From the report: The growth was driven mainly by the United States and China, Apple's two largest markets. Both regions returned to positive year-over-year growth after three years of declines during what is typically a less seasonal period. China sales were particularly notable, with Apple capturing the top spot in May. It's quite the turnaround, after Apple only recently sustained market share losses to Huawei and other local mobile vendors. [...]

The report showed Japan also indicated strong iPhone demand, with the more affordable iPhone 16e proving especially popular among consumers who favor smaller devices. The device's entry-level pricing apparently appealed to Japanese tastes, while Apple also maintained strong sales for the iPhone 16 base model and...

B&H's massive Apple sale in celebration of its Bild Expo event continues with the lowest M4 MacBook Air prices across numerous configurations.


Grab epic MacBook Air deals at B&H.
The $829 price applies to the 2025 13-inch MacBook Air in Sky Blue. Equipped with Apple's M4 chip, the budget-friendly configuration also comes with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.

Grab B&H's Apple deals


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