Apple’s most successful product of all time, the iPhone, was at one point going to look a lot more like an iPod than the device we ended up getting. The iPod was such a hit for Apple that the company naturally explored making an iPhone that looked and felt similar to its then-biggest moneymaker.

17 years after the iPhone’s launch, that idea of an iPod-inspired phone has not been forgotten. In fact, there’s a company teasing that it has created one…kind of.

Say hello to the tinyPod.

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Apple once designed a Tetris clone that has been found on a prototype version of the third-generation iPod, indicating the company was experimenting with releasing the game on the music player. From a report: It's called Stacker and, obviously, is controlled via the iPod's scroll wheel. The software was spotted by X user AppleDemoYT, who is known for finding rare prototype devices. The prototype iPod is a "DVT" device, meaning it was a mid-stage device that was still in "Design Validation Testing." It has a model number of A1023, which is not a known model number of any iPod version.

The device runs a prototype version of iPodOS 2.0, which is where Stacker comes from. The pieces are moved from left to right using the scroll wheel and they fall when the middle button is pressed. The goal is to clear lines and score points. You know the deal. It's Tetris. It's not the only game found on the prototype iPod. There's something called Block0, which is likely an early version of...

Apple has shed more light on the bizarre iOS 17.5 bug that caused long-deleted photos to mysteriously reappear on users' devices. In a statement to 9to5Mac, the iPhone maker clarified that the issue stemmed from a corrupted database on the device itself, not iCloud Photos. This means the photos were never fully erased from the device, but they also weren't synced to iCloud. Interestingly, these files could have hitched a ride to new devices through backups or direct transfers.

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Apple’s new M4 iPad Pro is the most expensive iPad ever made, so as beautiful as its ultra-thin and light design is, there’s a good chance you don’t want to risk using it case-free.

Whether you’re looking for maximum or minimum protection, a Pencil-holding case, a third-party folio, or something else entirely, here are some of the best cases you can find for your M4 iPad Pro.

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Macworld

Way back in 2012, Apple began phasing out optical drives from its Macs, beginning with the MacBook Air in 2008 and ending with the Mac Pro in 2013 (though a legacy MacBook Pro remained available until October 2016). But if there are still times when you wish your Mac had an optical drive, you can get one for just $60 today.

Amazon’s Woot is selling Apple’s USB SuperDrive External Optical Drive for $60, a savings of $19 on the MSRP. It has a built-in USB-A cable, so you’ll need a USB-A-to-USB-C adapter to use it with a MacBook. Otherwise, it’s everything you need to play and burn CDs and DVDs on your Mac. A 5.47-inch square that’s...

Enlarge / iPadOS 17.5.1 ready to install on an iPad Pro. (credit: Samuel Axon)

On May 20, Apple released iOS 17.5.1 to fix a bug users had found a few days prior in iOS 17.5 that resurfaced old photos that had been previously deleted. So far, the update seems to have resolved the issue, but users were left wondering exactly what had happened. Now Apple has clarified the issue somewhat, describing the nature of the bug to 9to5Mac.

Apple told the publication that the photos were not regurgitated from iCloud Photos after being deleted on the local device; rather, they were local to the device. Apple says they were neither left in the cloud after deletion nor...

As we head into Memorial Day weekend, the Apple deals keep coming with a new all-time low on the most affordable 13-inch M4 iPad Pro at $50 off – it’s now joining other configurations in the lineup. From there, we are now tracking the first deal of the holiday on both HomePod mini (all five colors) and HomePod 2 alongside Apple Watch Ultra 2 with the official Ocean Band (or not) and a slew of price drops on the atest Beats headphone and earbud releases. You’ll find all of that and more waiting below in today’s 9to5Toys Lunch Break deals.

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A year and a half after Apple launched its Studio Display, Samsung released a direct competitor with its ViewFinity S9 5K monitor. With many of the same features as Studio Display plus some beyond, it’s an interesting alternative. Follow along for how Studio Display vs Samsung ViewFinity S9 stack up.

Update 5/24: The ($705 discount) for a limited time – making it a tempting pick over Studio Display.

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The Mac’s position as an established, decades-old platform means that any time Apple makes changes to the way that platform works, some pushback is expected. In macOS Ventura, for example, the company redesigned the System Preferences app to look and feel more like the iPhone and iPad’s Settings app. The rebranded System Settings debuted to some notable backlash, especially during the beta cycle.

Now, ahead of WWDC in a few weeks, AppleInsider reports that Apple is planning some changes for System Settings in the forthcoming macOS 15. Will they be enough to win over the app’s critics?

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A new supply-chain report suggests that we can expect Apple to release an OLED iPad mini in 2026, and that the iPad Air will also be upgraded to OLED within the same timeframe.

It says that Samsung has already started developing samples of displays intended to be used in what would be a significant upgrade to the most bijou of the iPad line-up …

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Macworld

At a glanceExpert's Rating
Pros

• Pre-installed on all Macs for free
• Automatically launches when viewing supported files
• Minimalistic user interface that won’t overwhelm
• Wide range of handy tools for image and document manipulation

Cons

• Exclusive to the Mac with no dedicated iOS and iPadOS apps
• Doesn’t support text editing in PDF files
• Image crop button requires an unintuitive workaround to surface

Our Verdict

While Apple Preview isn’t designed to replace your image or PDF editor, it still offers some power-user features including image export. We wonder why Apple hasn’t brought it to the iPad yet.

Price When Reviewed

Free

Best Prices Today: Preview

Retailer

Price

Free...

We reported last year on an intriguing patent for an ‘Apple pebble’ device, which appeared to be intended as some kind of Vision Pro accessory.

Now the company has applied for a new patent on what appears to be another take on the tiny mysterious device …

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Macworld

It’s typically Windows computers that get all the news headlines for attracting computer viruses, which can mean it’s all too easy to forget that Macs are vulnerable to malware, too. Our pick of the best Mac antivirus software will help keep you and your Mac or MacBook safe from whatever rogue software comes your way.

Macs have traditionally been a far less tempting target for malware writers, leading some to believe that Macs don’t even need antivirus, but their increasing popularity means they’re not immune from viruses and other types of malware – don’t find this out the hard way.

Get...

Following a spicy rumor from noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo as to a foldable-display MacBook set for release in 2026, analyst Ross Young posted a report of his own on X, wherein Young shared that Apple has decided to go with a slightly smaller display size than originally planned. The MacBook’s foldable display is now expected […]

Source

Macworld

Some software is hard to go without, but paying every month for the programs you rely on isn’t easy on the budget. If you need apps like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, you can replace Microsoft 365 with a lifetime license to Microsoft Office Pro 2021 for Windows for $49.97 during this Memorial Day sale.

This license comes with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams (free version), OneNote, Publisher, and Access, and there are no recurring payments of any kind...

Macworld

Apple’s MacBooks are great, but—as with all laptops—using one isn’t that great for your back or neck.

Continual bowing of the head to see a screen can lead to a stiff neck and what doctors call spinal stenosis, which can compress blood vessels and displace nerves—cutting off blood supply to the brain. That’s not a good thing.

Your screen should be at a comfortable height that doesn’t make you bend your neck down to see it. Try to make sure your eyes are in line with the screen while sitting with a straight back. This also helps when making video calls, so the other people aren’t staring up your nostrils.

Using a laptop stand also makes using a separate keyboard and mouse much easier. See our roundups of the best Mac keyboards and...

OpenAI recently launched their official ChatGPT app for the Mac (before Windows). The macOS app brings most of the functionality from the iPhone version to the desktop — no web browser needed.

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Macworld

With macOS 13 Ventura, Apple performed a major overhaul to the System Preferences interface and changed its name to System Settings. The change was an attempt to better unify it more with the design of Settings in iOS, but it ended up creating consternation with users due to the illogical placement of some settings. Two years after the change, Apple is going to tweak the System Settings interface even further with macOS 15–hopefully for the better.

According to a report by AppleInsider, Apple will tweak System Settings so the settings in the left column are...

Macworld

The next version of the Mac operating system, macOS 15, is expected to make its debut at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference, which kicks off with a keynote on June 10. After a beta period, the official release occurs in the fall.

Rumors of what macOS 15 will entail are scarce as usual–because software development doesn’t rely on third-party production and manufacturing like hardware does, rumors about macOS don’t happen often. But when rumors do leak, they will be tracked in this article. Here’s everything we know so far.

Updated 5/23/24: Apple may tweak the System Settings UI and rename “Apple ID” to “Apple Account.”

macOS 15 release date: When will macOS 15 arrive?...

Brings performance improvements and bug fixes to the spam-filtering utility. ($39.99 new, free update, 49.5 MB, macOS 10.13+)

Sonos launched a brand-new version of its app this month. And it received lots of critical feedback from users over missing features, broken VoiceOver for vision-impaired users, and more. Now the company has acknowledged some of the problems and launched its latest update with fixes.

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Apple executive Phil Schiller admitted in court on Wednesday that the company's court-mandated changes to its iPhone app store payment system have not significantly increased competition. The ongoing hearings in Oakland, California, are determining whether Apple is properly complying with an antitrust order to allow developers to display links to alternative payment options. Despite Apple's implementation of the changes in January, only a small number of apps have sought approval for external payment links.

U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers has expressed frustration with Apple executives, questioning whether they understand the order's intent to increase competition. Schiller defended Apple's response as well-intentioned but acknowledged the need for further action to encourage more apps to utilize external payment options.

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Macworld

If you want headphones that are comfortable to wear for long hours, while also offering great sound, Apple’s Beats Solo 4 are an excellent choice. And today they’re on sale for 25 percent off: Amazon is selling the Beats Solo 4 in black, pink, or blue for $150, the best price we’ve ever seen for a product that’s barely been on shelves for a month.

While they don’t have active noise-cancellation, the Beats Solo 4 come with personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking. That’s pretty awesome because it will definitely enhance your listening experience by making it more immersive when you’re watching movies late at night, for instance.

The headphones are light and have an ergonomic design, with a flexible headband and adjustable...

Spotify has just announced that Car Thing, its discontinued car display, is dying. As in, the company will be killing any remaining units later this year.

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An anonymous reader shares a report: Apple is working on all-screen foldable devices. Unlike its competitors, however, its focus seems less on foldable smartphones and tablets, and instead on an all-screen foldable laptop. Ming-Chi Kuo has previously reported that Apple was developing a 20.3-inch MacBook device for 2027, but today the analyst has shared several key new details about the futuristic MacBook model. One such detail is that Apple is now eyeing an earlier 2026 launch for the product.

Here are some of the key features Kuo expects to see in the all-screen MacBook:
1. Multiple foldable screen options are still possible, with the rumored 20.3-inch display potentially replaced by an 18.8-inch panel. The former would, when folded, resemble a current 14-15-inch MacBook, while the latter would correspond better to a modern day 13-14-inch model like the smaller MacBook Air.
2. A 2026 debut is now expected for the device, one year earlier than previously...

Tap to Pay on iPhone is continuing its rollout to more countries. Less than a week after the service debuted in Japan, Apple is bringing seamless, iPhone-centric contactless payments to Canada.

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Macworld

At a GlanceExpert's Rating
Pros

• Simple to use on all platforms
• Big focus on privacy and transparency
• 105 countries

Cons

• A little barebones

Our Verdict

ExpressVPN is fast and simple to get to grips with, offering a great way to get around geoblocking at a reasonable price. While the Mac app is a little basic, that’s arguably part of its charm – you open it, click, and go, but you will miss out on additional features like antivirus tools offered by some rivals.

Price When Reviewed

From $8.32 a month for one year + 3 free months. Usually $12.95 a month..

Best Prices Today: ExpressVPN

Retailer

Price

ExpressVPN

$8.32

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Today in the latest update to Arc Search for iPhone, search is becoming more conversational. The new ‘Arc Search’ feature aims to replicate the dynamics of talking on the phone, providing Arc users with a more voice assistant-like experience.

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A handy health and fitness feature with watchOS and iOS is the ability to see your heart rate zones on Apple Watch and iPhone. Read on for what they mean, how to see your max heart rate, manually edit your zones, and more.

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After European legislation forced Apple to allow third-party app stores across 27 countries, Japan is planning to introduce a similar legal requirement.

The antitrust legislation is currently being debated in the Japanese parliament, but is expected to be approved by the end of June …

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Macworld

Wireless headphones or earbuds (whatever you call them) are essentially the standard now, with Bluetooth earbuds being convenient and the sound quality difference to wired not being that noticeable to typical people (we realize audiophiles ‘know’).

The market is huge, but here are the best wireless earbuds we’ve tested for iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Macs. If you do want a wired connection some of these do offer it in addition to Bluetooth, but we also have a round-up of the best wired headphones and a comparison of over-ear headphones read our comparison of AirPods Max vs other over-ear headphones.

Updated May 2024 with Sennheiser Accentum True Wireless review.

Best headphones and...

The social network formerly known as Twitter has confirmed that X Likes are to be made private, so only the author of the post can see who has liked it. The company says that this is to protect people who are afraid to publicly Like “edgy” content, though users have mixed views …

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Macworld

Apple did an interesting thing when it revealed its new M4 iPad Pro: of the four storage options available, the 1TB and 2TB models come with an M4 chip with 10 CPU cores. The lower-priced 256GB and 512GB iPad Pros have a CPU with nine processing cores, one fewer than the higher-storage models. It’s the first time Apple has offered an M-series CPU with an odd number of cores.

Tying the additional CPU core to higher storage tiers is something of an up-sell. Someone who might not not want to pay Apple’s high storage prices might be swayed by the more powerful chip. It’s an intriguing tactic, but the question is, how much improvement does that single additional core provide?

Well, that’s what benchmark tools are for. Using Geekbench 6, we gathered numbers for the 9- and 10-core M4 and compared the...

Macworld

Whether you want to improve your cybersecurity or change how your user interface looks, upgrading your operating system is a great way to change how you use your computer. Normally, getting Windows 11 Pro can cost up to $199, but this Memorial Day sale is a chance to get it for just $24.97. 

The 11 Pro version comes with upgrades to basic operations, security, and more. Between the snap layouts, desktops, seamless redocking, and improved voice typing, you can fully customize how you use your computer. 

When it comes to security...

University of Maryland security researchers used a clever approach to querying Apple’s location API to determine the locations of more than two billion Wi-Fi access points worldwide. You can opt out.

Read original article

To celebrate Global Accessibility Awareness Day, Apple revealed a slew of new accessibility features slated for the next versions of its operating systems.

Read original article

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Sonos has launched its first headphones and they compete directly with Apple’s AirPods Max. So what do you get with the Sonos over-ears? Here’s a detailed comparison of specs, features, battery life, and more for Sonos Ace vs .

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Macworld

Don’t you hate being tethered to whatever socket your phone is charging from? Well, let’s change that because this two-cable bundle from INIU features USB-C to C fast charging cables that are 6 feet long each. The whole bundle will cost you a mere $8.40, down from the regular $14. 

You can expect high charging speeds of up to 100W, which means you can get your MacBook to 60% in just 45 minutes, and your iPhone 15 in even less time. INIU claims the cables support Samsung’s Super Fast Charging 2.0, so powering up your Galaxy gadgets will be just as easy. 

Fast charging isn’t just limited to your phone or laptop. The INIU USB C to USB C Cable works seamlessly with a wide range of devices, including tablets, consoles, controllers,...

Your mid-week roundup of the best Apple deals of the day has arrived with up to $200 in savings on the latest M3 MacBook Air models, and this time we are talking about the maxed-out 16GB configurations in both 13- and 15-inch form-factors. From there, we move over to a one day-only offer on the 45mm Apple Watch Series 9 GPS + Cell model at $140 off – one of the best prices ever – alongside some exclusive deals on cases and Watch bands, Apple Pencil (and alternatives), plus more. Head below or...

Last week we saw a report from CIRP revealing that a growing percentage of iPad owners are waiting 3 years or more before upgrading their tablets. In a follow-up study, CIRP answers what those users are doing with their old iPads.

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You might need to prepare yourself for a T-Mobile price increase, if you’re on one of the company’s older plans. The company is reportedly set to announce increases of $2 or $5 per line tomorrow …

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Today the Unicode Consortium previewed the new emoji that are expected to be added to Apple’s upcoming OS updates, including iOS and iPadOS 18, watchOS 11, and more. Though the list isn’t finalized yet, it’s likely that everything outlined will be approved and added to the official set of emoji that platform owners like Apple and Google will adopt.

One standout from the list is a new ‘face with bags under eyes’ emoji that makes me feel truly seen. It’s undoubtedly bound to be one of the most popular additions. Other new emoji include a shovel, fingerprint, beet, and more.

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Macworld

If you think there are far too many emoji already, get ready for some bad news: There are always more emoji on their way. The conveyor belt of emojis never stops, and new emojis will keep arriving on your iPhone until the heat death of the emojiverse.

We’ve now got a good idea of the emoji that the conveyor belt is likely to disgorge next year, thanks to the Unicode Consortium publishing the proposals currently expected to feature in version 16.0 of its emoji list. (At time of writing the latest set of emoji is version 15.1.) Version 16.0 is currently slated to include new emoji for:

• Face with bags under eyes
• Fingerprint
• Leafless tree
• Root vegetable (...

While many publishers were initially cautious about the launch of Apple News+, with some fearing that it could do more harm than good, there’s increasing evidence that it might act as a lifeline in what has become an increasingly precarious business.

News sites have faced a two-pronged challenge in recent years: Traffic alone is worth less than it used to be, and driving that traffic has become far harder …

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The Apple Crush ad missed so badly that the company cancelled its planned TV slots and issued a public apology. That seemed to mostly make the issue go away, but Xiaomi seems determined to try to use the publicity to its own advantage.

The Chinese smartphone maker – which has in the past cloned everything from the iPad to Steve Job’s trademark jeans and turtleneck shirts – has now cloned the Crush ad, with one crucial difference …

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