There’s an important new reason you might put AirPods Pro 2 on your gift list this year. If you know someone who resists getting the hearing assistance they need, Apple’s wireless earbuds can change their life.
It’s not hype — AirPods Pro 2 really can help people with mild to moderate hearing loss thanks to a software update released this autumn.
December 18, 2006: Apple fans mourn the death of the iPhone before it even launches. Linksys begins selling a new handset called “iPhone,” Cupertino watchers must come to grips with the fact that Apple’s rumored smartphone probably won’t bear that name after all. How did this happen? Linksys’ parent company, Cisco Systems, owns the iPhone trademark.
While Apple previously released the iMac, iBook, iPod and iTunes, Cupertino didn’t own the name “iPhone.”
Apple just enhanced its web version of Apple Maps by adding a beta version of Look Around, a street-level view similar to Google Street View in Google Maps. The new functionality lets users explore high-resolution, ground-level views of cities and points of interest directly through their web browser. The Apple Maps app already has Look Around.
With all the mousing and typing people do, you’d think products designed for ergonomic comfort — and to help avoid repetitive-strain injuy — would crop up in more computer setups. Well, today’s MacBook Pro and Mac Pro rig answers the call. The user, a smarty-pants undergrad at Harvard, relies on a Logitech MX Vertical wireless mouse setup plus a Logitech Pop Keys Mechanical Keyboard for data input.
As federal authorities in the United States investigate China-based TP-Link over national security risks, a ban of the most widely used home and small business internet routers in this country becomes a possibility, according to a new report Wednesday. Any ban would most likely come under the new Trump administration
Being able to see your iPhone battery percentage right in the status bar is incredibly useful. You can keep an eye on it throughout the day if you’re getting low and need to top up.
The standard battery icon gives you a rough idea of where your iPhone stands. But instantly seeing the exact battery percentage number can give you peace of mind. It’s useful seeing the precise number without pulling down Control Center or checking a battery widget, wherever you are.
For those of you with real battery anxiety, you can even add a widget to your Lock Screen and Home Screen. I’ll show you how.
ChatGPT can work wonders, both professionally and personally — if you know how to create the perfect prompts. If you want to learn how to use the white-hot AI chatbot to maximum effect, the Ultimate ChatGPT Prompts Guide is the perfect place to start.
Primed to help users maximize AI’s mighty potential, this guide to crafting ChatGPT prompts is available for just $24.97 (regularly $119). This resource is packed with advice, unlocking thousands of possibilities from the ever-advancing ChatGPT.
Is your home internet up to speed? If not, your Wi-Fi router could be to blame. Ensure you’re not lacking in that department by securing a deep discount on a HomeKit-compatible Linksys Velop mesh Wi-Fi setup.
Originally $299, you can get a two-pack of refurbished Linksys Velop tri-band Wi-Fi 5 routers for only $49.99. Score a pair of these Intelligent Mesh routers for less, and you should notice an immediate improvement in your in-home Wi-Fi performance.
Designer Basic Apple Guy, known for nifty wallpapers for Mac, iPhone and iPad screens, dropped his annual Apple Product Tier List Monday. The Apple product rankings give letter grades to everything the iPhone giant released in 2024. He considers M4/M4 Pro Mac mini the best of the best, by the way.
“For the third year in a row, I am once again painting a target on my head and releasing my tier rankings of the products Apple released in the 2024 calendar year,” he wrote. Undoubtedly, not everyone will love his choices, particularly those he grades in the low D and F tiers, but he takes care to explain them.
With purported details of the iPhone 17 Pro Max appearing online many months before the device’s launch, a Russian YouTube channel prepared renders that reveal what Apple’s next top-tier handset could look like.
Don’t expect last year’s model with a just few tweaks. According to rumors reflected in the new renders, 2025 will bring a substantial redesign.
December 17, 2009: Apple finally triumphs over longtime rival Microsoft … on mobile operating systems market share. New data shows that iPhone OS surpasses Windows Mobile in the United States for the first time.
With roughly 36 million Americans owning smartphones, a quarter of them run Apple’s mobile operating system, according to figures released by research firm Comscore.
The Hohem iSteady M7 is a three-axis gimbal featuring iSteady’s latest technology. It offers full 360-degree rotation in the vertical axis and AI-powered subject tracking, so you can easily capture incredibly dramatic shots.
It’s easy to take a screenshot on your iPhone to keep a copy of something in your photo library for later. You can even screenshot a whole page on an iPhone at once using a somewhat hidden feature.
If you want to take a screenshot of something like an in-depth recipe, a lengthy email or anything else that doesn’t fit on your iPhone screen, you can take an extended screenshot. Instead of filling your library with five separate images, you can use your iPhone to screenshot the entire page (or a large section of it) without using an app to stitch them together after the fact.
Here’s how it’s done. (I’ll show you how to do this on a Mac, too.)
Love the way AirPods work with an iPhone but a little meh about how they work with a Mac? The AirBuddy Mac app will connect AirPods to Mac, with enhancements that provide the same advanced features you enjoy when using Apple’s earbuds with an iPhone.
You can grab AirBuddy for only $8.99. (And if you don’t already own AirPods, and you’re a Costco member, don’t miss this hot deal on AirPods Pro with USB-C case. It’s somehow still going strong!)
There are plenty of old iPhone wall chargers still out there very slowly powering up handsets. Fortunately, iOS 18.2 made it quick and easy to tell if it’s time to trash your old, slow iPhone charger.
The best iPhone chargers give your handset a big boost in as little as half an hour. Older ones take all sodding day. You don’t have to put up with slow charges if you don’t want to.
Tired of the endless loop of doom scrolling? Let’s flip the script and embark on an adventure of self-discovery. Instead of squandering your free moments on X or Bluesky, you can transform them into opportunities for growth. How, you ask? Well, get ready for a deal that will unleash your inner genius — with Headway’s inspiring book summaries.
Think of Headway Premium as your new gateway to enlightenment. It puts a treasure trove of popular reads right at your fingertips, neatly tucked into an app that’s bursting with knowledge. Right now, a lifetime subscription to Headway Premium is going for the unbelievable price of just $59.99, a savings of 80%.
It’s not too late to pick up cool technology gifts for your loved ones this Xmas. If you’re looking for last-minute gifts, we have a few ideas. Most of these items will still ship before the big day.
If you’re looking for a last-minute gift for an Apple fan in your life, there’s one surprisingly simple answer: Get them an AirTag. Or a bunch of them. With frequent discounts from Amazon and other retailers, AirTags make the ultimate stocking stuffer for anybody in the Apple ecosystem.
Apple seeded the first beta of iOS 18.3, macOS Sequoia 15.3 and iPadOS 18.3 to developers Monday. However, the unusual timing of the release means all but the most committed — and best-equipped — beta testers should probably wait until beta 2 arrives.
Still, there are plenty of new Apple Intelligence features that might make their debut in these new versions.
Eufy expanded its HomeKit ecosystem Monday with the release of the Indoor Cam E30, a sophisticated 4K security camera priced at $69.99. It’s a big upgrade from the 2020 model, marking Eufy’s second HomeKit-compatible camera launch in recent months following September’s S3 Pro Outdoor Cam. E30 upgrades include advanced pan-and-tilt mobility and color night vision through lighting.
Don’t worry about getting left hanging by Silo. The sci-fi mystery series will go all the way to the conclusion of its story now that Apple TV+ gave the go-ahead for two more seasons on Monday.
It’s really not a surprise — Silo is one of the most popular shows on any streaming service, and draws praise from critics too.
“I’ve loved every minute of bringing Juliette to the screen and am immensely proud of what we’ve all created with Silo since the first episode,” said Rebecca Ferguson, who stars as Juliette Nichols in the series. “I have always felt passionately about telling the entire story contained within Hugh Howey’s books, so I couldn’t be happier that audiences around the world have enthusiastically embraced the show.”
December 16, 1994: Apple Computer inks a licensing deal with Power Computing, allowing the company to produce Macintosh-compatible computers, aka “Mac clones.”
With falling market share, and longtime rival Microsoft steaming ahead thanks to its software-licensing strategy, Apple executives think the only way to compete is for the company to hand over its operating system for third-party Macs. Of course, it doesn’t turn out exactly like that…
Apple unveiled its annual roundups of top apps and games — that is, those most downloaded titles — across iPhone, iPad and Apple Arcade platforms Monday. The comprehensive year-end lists are featured on the App Store’s Today tab. They offer insights into user preferences across more than 30 countries and regions. And once again, free app and games dominate, overlapping with recent App Store Award winners.
In most MacBook-based computer setups people put together at home or in offices, an external keyboard stands in for the laptop’s own. That’s typically because the laptop sits open or closed on a stand, where reaching the keyboard is either awkward or impossible. Today’s MacBook Pro setup relies on a pricey and cool Realforce R3 TKL mechanical keyboard used in combination with a Magic Trackpad.
A new ultra-wideband chip inside AirTag 2 could make Apple’s tracker tag findable at a much longer range than the current model. The new UWB chip
The device is expected in mid-2025.