Macworld

A second Amazon Prime Day for 2024 is coming, with the Prime Big Deal Days sale now confirmed for October 8-9. We’ll be updating the content below, so stay tuned for the best Amazon Prime Day Apple Watch deals!

Amazon’s Prime Day sales event (which lasts two days, not just one!) is a fantastic opportunity to find a good deal on the Apple Watch, so if you were wondering if the Apple Watch will be on sale for Prime Day, wonder no more! We are seeing some great discounts on the Apple Watch for the Prime Day sale, which runs from Tuesday, October 8 to midnight on October 9.

Here at Macworld, we know more than most about Apple’s range of products, and we can spot a bargain too, having compiled regular Apple deals roundups for years. We’re not likely to be fooled by the usual tricks, such as...

Macworld

Wondering if AirPods will be on sale for Amazon’s October Prime Big Deal Days? Whether you’re buying your first pair of AirPods or upgrading the trusty ‘buds you have used every day for years, Amazon’s big yearly Prime Day sale is a great time to look for a discount.

Many Apple products are rarely on sale, and when they do go on sale they’re barely at a discount at all. AirPods are an exception: As long as they’re not a just-released model, they’re almost always available at a discount from the official retail price. And when big sales events come around, like Prime Day or Black Friday, you can often save 25 percent or more.

Amazon is one of the best places to look for AirPods deals, and we are already seeing some excellent discounts during the Prime Day event which runs from October 8 to midnight on October 9. We’ll keep this article updated...

Apple's iOS 18 update has introduced changes to contact sharing that could significantly impact social app developers. The new feature allows users to selectively share contacts with apps, rather than granting access to their entire address book. While Apple touts this as a privacy enhancement, developers warn it may hinder the growth of new social platforms. Nikita Bier, a start-up founder, called it "the end of the world" for friend-based social apps. Critics argue the change doesn't apply to Apple's own services, potentially giving the tech giant an unfair advantage.

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Game developer Epic Games recently filed a lawsuit targeting Google and Samsung for their anticompetitive behavior. Epic Games’ legal action claims that Google and Samsung both have features on their devices that prevent users from sideloading apps and games. Sideloading is the act of downloading apps and games without using the Play Store. A security […]

The post Epic Games files lawsuits against Google and Samsung appeared first on iLounge.

Apple recently removed the Beddit apps, specifically for the 3.5 and 3.0 models in the iPhone App Store. The Cupertino-based company has been pulling anything Beddit-related from the App Store since it acquired Beddit in 2017, in addition to the gradual exit of software and hardware support and capabilities. A year after the purchase, Apple […]

The post Beddit App pulled from App Store shelves appeared first on iLounge.

iOS 18 is full of big, headline changes like new customization tools, upgrades to Photos, Notes, and Messages, and the forthcoming Apple Intelligence features. But one smaller update is causing a lot of concern for social apps, and it’s a change designed to protect user privacy.

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Following AirPods Max updates. The teardowns reveal there are only a few internal changes for the AirPods 4, and a continued general lack of repairability across the board.

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The teardown of the new AirPods shows it is still not repairable by end users, while the AirPods Max with USB-C are pretty much the same as the Lightning version it replaced.


Using heat to disassemble AirPods 4 [YouTube/iFixit]
Continuing the teardown trend that follows after Apple's product launches, the AirPods range are the latest to be disassembled. The latest close examination of Apple's audio gear takes a look at the AirPods 4 in both with and without ANC forms, as well as the AirPods Max with USB-C.

The ten-minute teardown video by iFixit starts off with the AirPods 4, which are placed into a jig and heated to separate the enclosure. More heat is applied to the glue, which is used in large amounts in the earbuds.


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Apple Intelligence is launching in the next few weeks. But not everyone will be able to access the first wave of AI capabilities. Here are Apple’s six requirements before you can use the new Apple Intelligence features.

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Apple may have canceled the film’s wide theatrical debut, but Wolfs has become a hit with Apple TV+ subscribers. The company announced that Wolfs has become ‘the most viewed movie in Apple TV+ history’ and led to a huge increase in overall TV+ viewing.

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An iPhone 16 Pro Max vs Pixel 9 Pro XL camera shootout carried out in a variety of indoor and outdoor lighting conditions has seen the iPhone declared the winner, albeit by a relatively slim margin.

You might not get that impression when you first start reading the piece, as Google’s flagship Android smartphone takes an early lead …

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My favorite iPhone 16 accessories:

Apple may start selling extension apps for its Messages app that runs on macOS, iOS, iPadOS, and watchOS. The company has been granted a patent (number US 12108310 B2) for a “message extension app store.”

The post Apple granted patent for ‘Message Extension App Store’ appeared first on Apple World Today.

Apple famously dispensed with a physical keyboard when it revolutionized the smartphone market, and the company’s long-term goal appears to be to do the same for laptops.

A succession of patents have revealed Apple’s work on an all-screen MacBook with a virtual trackpad and keyboard, and a new continuation patent published yesterday shows that this project is still very much alive …

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Here’s a look at the top five iPhone apps that can help you navigate health emergencies effectively. Plus, we’ll discuss the importance of enrolling in first aid training with Coast2Coast First Aid & Aquatics to be even better prepared.

The post Top 5 iPhone Apps to Help You in a Health Emergency appeared first on Apple World Today.

If there’s anyone who knows a thing or two about iPhone photography, it’s Sebastiaan de With, co-founder of the developer behind the Halide app. In an incredibly deep dive into the iPhone 16 Pro cameras, he finds much to love – and a few flaws.

While his experience of comparing many iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro images mirrored mine – like for like, it’s hard to spot any differences – he still had a lot of positive things to say …

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Sonos has been struggling to regain the trust of its customers after its disastrous launch of a new version of the app.

After initially doubling down on the new app, the company’s CEO later apologized for it, and he has now made seven promises about how Sonos will operate going forward. This includes giving all products currently under warranty an additional year of coverage, but customers don’t seem too impressed …

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As of watchOS 11, can use Apple Watch as a remote control for an Apple TV through Bluetooth. You can also use Siri to start watching something.

The post How to use your Apple Watch as an Apple TV remote appeared first on Apple World Today.

Adobe has unveiled Photoshop Elements & Premiere Elements 2025 and a standalone Photoshop Elements 2025.

The post Adobe unveils Photoshop Elements & Premiere Elements 2025 appeared first on Apple World Today.

Now that the EU's ruling on Apple's back taxes in Ireland is final, the country's government says the $14 billion could be "transformational."


Apple's European headquarters, located in Cork, Ireland.
For a decade, Ireland has sided with Apple against the European Union and worked with it to protest that no laws or regulations were broken. Now that the EU has finally said tough, Apple has to pay up, Ireland is thinking well, what's done is done, and is rubbing its hands.

Ireland has good reason to be happy with this result, even if it disagreed with it. For alongside the $14 billion from Apple, the country already had a budget surplus of around $9.2 billion.


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Apple could be planning a real-world equivalent of the familiar eye-dropper tool in image apps, where a color could be set by an Apple Pencil tapping against it in an existing image.


Back in 2019, Apple applied for a patent concerning an Apple Pencil that could include "an on-board display" that showed different colors. In that case, the idea was that a user would see what color pen or brush stroke was about to be applied.

Then in 2023, Apple applied for a patent that in hindsight seems like an obvious extension of this. According to the proposals in "Electronic Device With Optical Sensor For Sampling Surfaces," the Pencil tip could sense colors.

Now that patent...

This is what happens after a series of data breaches happen on your watch. A succession of T-Mobile data breaches over the past three years that saw millions of customers’ data exposed has led to a $15.75M fine by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), with the wireless carrier agreeing to spend the same amount again […]

Source

The new iPhone 16 series is costing Apple more to manufacture than the iPhone 15, according to industry analysts. The analysis revealed that rising component prices and advancements in technology have contributed to the increased costs. Specifically, the iPhone 16 Pro Max, one of the flagship models, now costs approximately $485 to produce, compared to […]

Apple has requested the court to dismiss the anti-steering injunction imposed during its lawsuit with Epic Games. The injunction forces Apple to allow developers to direct users to external payment options. It has remained a major source of contention between Apple and Epic. Legal Precedents Prompt Apple’s Appeal Apple’s request is based on two recent […]

While companies like Apple and Meta have been investing in their own mixed reality headsets, Microsoft seems to be going in the opposite direction. The company announced on Tuesday that it’s discontinuing HoloLens 2, its advanced XR headset.

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Adobe has unveiled the latest versions of Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements, with plenty of AI-powered tools to help make editing even easier.


Adobe announces Elements 2025 for Photoshop and Premiere
These tools are aimed at casual users who want easy-to-use editing options. The tools may attract social media users who need audio tracks and artistic effects for videos. They're also available as a one-time buy rather than via a subscription plan.

Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements are getting a big boost this year thanks to Adobe AI-powered elements. And, thanks to full support for the M3 chip, it's even faster on Mac.


Continue Reading on AppleInsider...

Despite a lack of first-party YouTube clients on Apple Vision Pro, YouTube has prompted Apple to remove Juno from the App Store, citing vague guideline violations.


YouTube doesn't offer a client for Apple Vision Pro
Juno was a third-party YouTube client built for Apple Vision Pro by Cristian Selig of Apollo fame. The app was a basic web view for YouTube that didn't go out of its way to alter content beyond aesthetics to make the app appear visionOS native.

Despite that, YouTube has pushed Apple to remove Juno from the App Store with no clarification or...

Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from 9to5Mac. 9to5Mac Daily is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

Sponsored by SUPCASE and I-Blason: Protect your brand new iPhone 16 in style with rugged cases.

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Google thought Apple adopting RCS would fix everything, but the messaging protocol is still a distant second to iMessage thanks to a lack of carrier support, device support, and encryption.


RCS messaging now available on iPhone
When iOS 18 launched, some iPhone users saw a tiny change in the Messages app — an RCS tag in text chats with supported Android users. However, the list of people able to take advantage of this better system is as convoluted as Android's fragmentation problem.

According to a list provided by...

Via Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is set to update its entry-level iPhone SE early next year, alongside updates to the iPad Air and accessories.

The new iPhone SE will be a significant release, featuring a shift away from the dated forehead and chin bezels, replaced with an all-screen design with Face ID unlock. The new iPad Air will keep the same chassis design, with the update predominantly focused on ‘internal improvements’.

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The iPhone 16 and 16 Pro have been widely available for nearly two weeks. But it’s only now that we’re getting a close-up look at the two devices’ differing chips, courtesy of ChipWise. Here are the A18 and A18 Pro chips.

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Apple has released new third developer betas of watchOS 11.1, tvOS 18.1, and visionOS 2.1 for testing, but without betas for iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, nor macOS Sequoia 15.1.


watchOS 11 introduces better cycle tracking, more customizable Activity Rings, and more personalization.
A new round of betas are available, but they are taking an unusual form. Tuesday's batch includes only the third builds of watchOS 11.1, tvOS 18.1, and visionOS 2.1.

So far, it seems that the sixth round of betas for iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and...

Apple has announced that Apple Podcasts “is elevating series — narrative shows with episodes intended to be listened to in order — that captivate listeners across multiple genres.”

The post New chart, category, celebration of essential series launches on Apple Podcasts appeared first on Apple World Today.

Serialized podcasts are now highlighted in a new Top Series chart in Apple Podcasts on iPhone, which also adds a new Series category, and will celebrate one such show per month.


The new Top Series category in Apple Podcasts
Apple Podcasts has had chart playlists before, but now it intends to elevate what's perhaps the archetype of hit podcasts — the kind of serialized story that true crime shows use.

"Serialized podcasts are some of the most impactful shows in podcasting, featuring captivating voice talent and best-in-class writing and sound design," Apple's global head of Podcasts, Ben Cave, said in a statement. "They are the stories we...

Today Apple has announced changes to Apple Podcasts designed to better spotlight a specific type of show: narrative series. A new top chart is debuting alongside other editorial initiatives, plus Series becomes its own standalone category for improved discovery. Here are all the details.

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Apple is again facing strong external pressures as it works to deliver a successful iPhone holiday season, but is being threatened by a factory fire, hurricane flooding hitting quartz supplies, ocean freight strikes, and also a worldwide economic decline.


A pallet of iPhones being loaded onto a plane. (Source: SDI Logistics)
Apple has publicly committed to donating to the disaster relief efforts following Hurricane Helene. This is unfortunately just the latest of so many cases that have needed such help, but it's also one Apple's supply chain could be severely affected.

That's because while much or most of Apple's suppliers are overseas, there is a crucial quartz mine in western Northern Carolina in the US. It's so far been closed entirely for five days following the devastation caused by the hurricane.

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A U.S. labor board believes that Apple has violated employees' right to organize and forced them to adhere to overly strict standards and contracts.


Logo credit: NLRB.gov
On Monday, the National Labor Relations Board launched a complaint against Apple, claiming that it required its employees to sign illegal confidentiality, non-compete, and non-disclosure agreements. The complaint also alleges that Apple over-enforced social media and misconduct policies on its employees.

The statement, seen by Reuters, accuses Apple of "interfering with, restraining, and coercing employees in the exercise of" their rights under federal labor law.


Continue Reading on...

Card game ‘Balatro’ recently debuted on the App Store and Apple Arcade. Balatro was teased as a newcomer to the Apple ecosystem in September. It’s a roguelike deck-builder where the objective is to create a winning poker hand. However, there are special cards with abilities that change how the classic card game is played. Chips […]

The post ‘Balatro’ arrives on Apple Arcade and App Store appeared first on iLounge.

Halide for iPhone 16 is out today with expanded Camera Control features that bring simplicity to the somewhat complex button. The makers of Halide emphasize a desire to make their app’s Camera Control features as simple and useful as tradition shutter buttons on dedicated cameras.

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Today’s 9to5Toys Lunch Break is headlined by a new all-time low price on Apple Pencil Pro that is now sitting at $99 shipped. While this might be an excellent condition open-box listing, it does include the full 1-year Apple warranty and now joins a new Amazon all-time low on the most affordable blue model M2 iPad Air as well as some of the best prices yet on the latest Apple Watch SE 2 configurations with the 2024 official Apple band updates. From there, we have accessories offers in the form of Belkin MagSafe chargers, Matter smart plugs, Twelve South...

Macworld

At a glanceExpert's Rating

Pros

• Antivirus protections.
• Lots of tools are available, including Cloud Backup and Password Manager.
• Email tracking quarantine is an eye-opener.

Cons

• Slower than rival VPNs.
• Inflexible payment options.

Our Verdict

Norton Ultra VPN is a solid offering from a company dedicated to securing your tech, but its pricing structure, lack of browser integration and slower speeds make it hard to recommend over others.

Price When Reviewed

This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined

Best Pricing Today

Price When Reviewed

First year is from $39.99 Norton Secure VPN; $49.99 Norton Ultra VPN; $59.99 Norton Ultra VPN Plus. Renews at a higher price of $79.99/$109.99/$129.99.

Best Prices Today: Norton Ultra VPN...

Tata's iPhone factory in India has now been closed indefinitely after a fire, and Apple may have to turn back to China to avoid a shortfall in production.


Pegatron facility (Source: Pegatron)
The fire at Tata's plant in Tamil Nadu, India — formerly owned by Pegatron — started on September 28, 2024, and has been put out. After authorities initially saying that it was "unlikely" that the plant would reopen soon, reports now say that because of extensive damage, the facility is closed indefinitely.

According to Reuters, the...

Steeper MacBook Pro price drops are in effect this October, with stacked instant and coupon discounts knocking up to $950 off every M3, M3 Pro and M3 Max model.


Save on every Apple MacBook Pro.
We're tracking new markdowns across Apple's current MacBook Pro range, with every model now up to $950 off. Apple Authorized Reseller Adorama, in particular, is offering larger instant rebates across hundreds of SKUs that stack with promo code APINSIDER — with a bonus discount available on AppleCare as well with the code.


Continue Reading on AppleInsider

Macworld

When the iPhone 16 handsets were unveiled last month, there weren’t many surprises. Most of the upgrades had been leaked long before, or accurately guessed by well-informed analysts. But not everything we heard before the event proved to be correct.

One theory, supported by seemingly robust evidence, was that the new phones would bring a substantial increase in wired charging speed, all the way up to 45W if the power brick and other accessories supported it. (The 15-series iPhones deliver wired charging up to 29W.) This claim was made by a credible leaker and based on a Chinese regulatory filing.

Technically, the pre-event rumor was that the 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max would support...

Macworld

Apple’s M3-series MacBook Pro was released in the fall of 2023, but Apple has seemingly put the laptop on a more frequent update cycle, with reports of an M4 MacBook Pro coming before the end of 2024 hitting the rumor mill.

In this article, we are keeping track of all the rumors about the M4, M4 Pro and M4 Max MacBook Pro.

MacBook Pro M4 Release date: When will Apple update the MacBook Pro?

• Possible launch at an October Apple event.

It’s only been a year since the M3-series MacBook Pro were introduced in October 2024, but it looks like Apple is getting ready to update them again, despite the fact that the company seems to have forgotten to update many desktop Macs to run on the M3 series chips. With the arrival of the M4 in the iPad Pro back in May it looks like the...

Goldgenie, a luxury customizer of technology and gifts, has unveiled a 24k Gold M3 iMac, featuring a 24-inch 4.5 Retina display.

The post Want a 24k Gold M3 iMac? It’ll cost you $17,000 or more appeared first on Apple World Today.

Macworld

When we take our iPhones out of our pocket to make a call, send a text, or check our email, we expect them to work. When they don’t, it can be a frustrating experience, especially when you can’t get online. If you’re away from Wi-Fi, you’re dependent on a cellular connection, and when that isn’t available, you’ll be alerted with an SOS icon in the status bar. Here’s what it means and how you can fix it.

What is SOS mode?

SOS mode doesn’t mean your iPhone is in distress. Rather, it means your device isn’t connected to a cellular network and can only make emergency calls via satellites. This feature is available in Australia, Canada, the United States, the U.K., Japan, and parts of Europe. In other regions, it will say No Service or Searching. It requires an iPhone 14, 15, or 16 running iOS 18.2 or later.

Why is my iPhone is SOS mode?

There are several reasons why your iPhone may be in SOS mode:

Analysts say the iPhone 16 series costs Apple a few more dollars to produce than its iPhone 15 counterparts thanks to rising component costs.


iPhone 16 Pro
Aside from physical teardowns of the latest iPhone models, there are also cost breakdowns. One such analysis of Apple's iPhone 16 range pricing up individual components has determined that the new models cost more than the previous iPhone 15 generation.

This is not entirely surprising, as the iPhone 15 Pro Max cost approximately 12% more than its...