Introducting ZenChi – Earn your screen time app Hi folks 👋, I have been using screen time management apps on my phone for quite some time. However, more recently, I have found myself hitting that "Take a break" or "End Session" button more often, which completely detracts from the essence of these tools. So, I began looking for something more. That's when I […]
Intermittent DNS failures in Kuala, Malaysia Jan 25, 10:16 UTCInvestigating - Cloudflare is aware of, and investigating an issue regarding intermittent DNS failures in Kuala, Malaysia, which potentially impacts multiple customers. Further detail will be provided as more information becomes available.
Here’s how to stop your MacBook sleeping when the lid is closed Macworld
There are a lot of different reasons why you might want to use your MacBook with the lid closed. You might want to plug into an external display and move your MacBook out of the way to free up space on your desk (although you could always use both screens). Alternatively, you might want to download a software update or play music from your Mac and have found that as soon as you close the lid the download or music will stop.
If you want to stop your Mac from sleeping when you close the lid then you’ll find out how to do that below including the MacBook closed lid settings you need.
One related problem you might come across if you are using your Mac with the lid closed is that when it comes to turning your Mac on it would seem that you have to open the lid to press the power switch… Luckily there is a workaround for that scenario that you might find useful. So we have also included advice about how to turn on your Mac without opening the lid below.
See also: Best stands for MacBook and Best MacBook docking stations.
How to use a MacBook with the lid closed
The good news is that using a MacBook with the lid closed is a lot simpler than it used to be if you are using a newer Mac and a newer version of the Mac operating system. In fact, if you are experiencing issues using your Mac with the lid closed then it is likely that you could address this by updating your Mac to a recent version of macOS, assuming your Mac supports it (see our macOS compatibility checker).
The crucial ingredient is an external monitor.
Connect an external keyboard (can be wireless).
Connect an external mouse (can be wireless).
Connect an external monitor.
If you are using a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard, make sure that Bluetooth is on and that the peripherals are paired with the Mac.
After your Mac notebook’s Desktop appears on the external display, close the computer’s lid.
Your external monitor may flash off for a moment but it will then show your Desktop (you may need to wake your Mac by pressing a key on the keyboard or moving the mouse).
You may find that your MacBook needs to be plugged in via the power adapter for the screen to appear on the external monitor, but ours didn’t.
You can about using a second display with your Mac here.
But even with these settings, if you aren’t attached to an external monitor closing the lid will cause the Mac to sleep.
What if you don’t want to plug in an external display?
Foundry
How to stop a MacBook from sleeping when the lid is closed
Suppose you don’t want your MacBook to sleep when you close the lid? Maybe it is busy downloading something and you don’t want it to stop, but you need to carry it somewhere. Or maybe you’ve left it downloading an update overnight or syncing your Time Machine backup, and you’d prefer not to see the backlit keyboard. In another scenario you might want to play music from the MacBook without having to have the lid open–something likely to appeal to a few DJs.
The problem is that your Mac will go to sleep when you close the lid if it’s not plugged in and connected to an external display.
Prior to changes that came with macOS Ventura there was an option to set your Mac never go to sleep in System Preferences (macOS Monterey or older).
In macOS Monterey and older
Open System Preferences.
Go to Battery (or Energy Saver).
Select “Prevent your Mac from automatically sleeping when the display is off.”
In macOS Ventura and later
If you are running macOS Ventura or later you might be wondering where the energy saver and battery settings are that you need, and if it is still possible to set your Mac to sleep or wake at a particular time. We answer those questions below.
Open Terminal
Enter the following command:
sudo pmset -a disablesleep 1
That should stop your Mac sleeping. However, a better option may be to use a third-party app, such as Amphetamine or Caffeinated.
Amphetamine is a free download from the Mac App Store here. Amphetamine keeps your Mac awake by overriding the Energy Saver settings. We review Amphetamine here. Caffeinated is available on the Mac App Store here for$3.99/£3.99, this app also overrides the Energy Saver settings to keep your Mac awake, preventing your Mac from going to sleep.
How to play music with your Mac’s lid closed
You can use the free Amphetamine app to keep your Mac awake while the display is closed, here’s how:
Once installed on a Mac you will find a pill-shaped icon in the menu bar at the top of the screen. You can choose from options such as Start New Session While File is Downloading or While App is Running.
If you want to keep Music (or what app you are using)running with the lid closed, first, you need to have that app open. Then follow these steps:
Click on the Amphetamine icon in the menu bar.
Click on Quick Settings.
In the Session Defaults section, deselect “Allow system sleep when display is closed.”
Go back to the main menu and select While App is Running and pick Music or the app you are using. If your app is not open, it will not appear in the list. Only apps that are running appear.
You will now be able to shut your Mac’s lid and continue listening to Music.
Foundry
How to continue a download with a MacBook lid closed
You could also use Amphetamine if you wanted to download something with the screen closed, but you can also set your Mac to wake for network access, which should mean your Mac can still run updates in the background even if it’s sleeping.
In macOS Ventura and later
Open System Settings.
Go to Battery.
Click on Options.
Make sure that “Wake for network access” is set to Always.
In macOS Monterey and older
There is a similar setting in Monterey and older that you can use to make sure downloads continue in the background.
Open System Preferences.
Go to Battery (or Energy Saver).
Choose “Wake for network access.”
See: How Apple has revamped System Preferences in macOS Ventura.
Foundry
How to turn on the MacBook with the lid closed
If your setup means your MacBook is attached to a display you will be able to use it without having the display open–but what about when you need to turn it on? At that point, you will need to open the lid to press the Power button right? Not necessarily.
It’s easy to wake your MacBook from sleep without opening the lid. Just click or move the mouse or tap on the keyboard. But what if you want to start the Mac up without opening the lid to reveal the power button?
Can it be done? It can! (Sort of)
macOS Ventura and later
In older versions of macOS it was possible to set your Mac to switch on and off at certain times of the day. Unfortunately, this is no longer as simple to set up.
To schedule your Mac to turn on or off in macOS Ventura or later you need to use Terminal. Follow these steps:
Open Terminal.
enter one of the following pmset commands: pmset -g sched (See the current schedule).sudo pmset repeat wake M 8:00:00 (Schedule your Mac to wake at 8:00 a.m. every Monday.)sudo pmset repeat cancel (Cancel the current schedule.)
Press Return.
For more advice about how to do this consult Apple’s support page.
We also cover How to schedule your Mac to turn on and off separately and How to set the power scheduler that disappeared in macOS Ventura.
macOS Monterey and older:
There is a setting in Monterey and older that lets you set your Mac to switch on at a particular time.
Open System Preferences.
Click Battery (or Energy Saver in older versions).
Click Schedule.
Now click beside Start Up or Wake and choose the days and times you want your Mac to start up. Note that the Mac will only turn on when it is plugged into power–you could just leave the Mac unplugged, and then when you want it to start up, simply plug it in.
Foundry
Your $10 solution to actually understanding how to use ChatGPT Macworld
Have you wanted to use ChatGPT to streamline your workday but don’t know how exactly to use it? No worries, it’s a little tricky fiddling with prompts to get the results you want. But if you want to learn tips and tricks to use ChatGPT like a pro and prepare for ChatGPT-5’s upcoming release, study with this introductory course.
Rather than struggle with correctly wording prompts, you can learn how to communicate with this AI chatbot for more optimized help and responses. Grab lifetime access to this ChatGPT beginner course for only $9.99 (reg. $50).
ChatGPT can do a little bit of everything to make your daily workload a little lighter, whether that’s answering questions, writing copy, summarizing web pages, or generating images. That’s where this online ChatGPT course comes in—it’s designed to help you work with the chatbot better to make your day go smoothly.
Here’s what this course can teach you so you can apply it:
How to write effective ChatGPT prompts to get accurate information
How to use ChatGPT to write content and effective copy like poetry, song lyrics, biographies, etc.
How to use ChatGPT to research people, places, and things
How to use ChatGPT to brainstorm creative and tactical project ideas
Master ChatGPT with this beginner digital course while it’s available for just $9.99 for life.
ChatGPT for the Absolute Beginner
Only $9.99
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Tax season’s approaching…digitize receipts, forms, and other docs with this app Macworld
2025 has arrived, which means that tax season (unfortunately) isn’t too far behind. Hate gathering all your documents and powering up your scanner just to digitize them? Ditch the clunky scanner that’s an eyesore in your office for iScanner.
This smart document-scanning app is designed to make scanning any document from your iPhone—from tax forms and driver’s licenses to handwritten notes and receipts—seamless. It even comes with AI-powered tools to help you adjust your documents for perfect scans and edit PDFs when needed, and it’s only $24.99 (reg. $199) with code SCAN.
There’s a reason why iScanner has a 4.8-star App Store rating and 1.2+ million downloads, and it’s not because it adds a smart scanner to your phone that’s super helpful once tax season arrives. This app can also help you solve tricky math problems, complete equations, and even count how many objects are in your images (handy if you’re doing home renovations or need to calculate the area from a photo).
Use code SCAN when you check out to grab this iScanner lifetime subscription for just $24.99. That’s its lowest price ever, but only until February 2 at 11:59 p.m. PT!
iScanner App: Lifetime Subscription
Only $24.99 at Macworld
StackSocial prices subject to change.
App purchases & subscriptions Hey all, pretty new to iOS development and whilst I have successfully deployed a basic app to the store, I’m currently working on my next idea which will include paid subscriptions. What is the best method to store / capture purchase data etc? Not too familiar with backend side of things. Will the AppTransaction / […]
iPhone 17 may not sport a smaller Dynamic Island A reputed analyst claims Apple's 2025 iPhone lineup will not come with a smaller Dynamic Island as initially rumored.
(via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)
Amazon slashes Apple's M4 Pro MacBook Pro to $1,749 with coupon Apple's latest M4 Pro MacBook Pro 14-inch has fallen to $1,749 thanks to a bonus on-page coupon at Amazon.Get an M4 Pro MacBook Pro for $1,749 this weekend.Amazon's $250 price cut on the standard M4 Pro MacBook Pro 14-inch delivers the lowest online price available, according to our 14-inch MacBook Pro M4 Pro Price Guide.Buy for $1,749 Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
After months of development Bravery is here I moved to a place I didn’t speak the languages or know the culture and worked on this for 3 months. It helped me! The app is simple but effective – Become braver in the area you want, at the level that is good for you. Small manageable daily tasks are presented to do. There […]
Developer for 16 years… still haven’t figured it out. I started out as a self-taught developer in high school, launching apps as a sophomore. It’s been a great passion of mine, with some of my early projects gaining insane traction (top charts) back in 2009-2012. However, after that 2012 mark, things started to drop off. Publications no longer want to write about your apps, […]
Apple Developer subscription renewal failed > now can’t renew… As per title, the developer subscription was on auto-renew, funds withdrawn from bank then a few day later I get an email that my subscription has lapsed and the renewal failed… Some of my apps are now unusable because of the apple services being cut-off (like app attest). Tried to renew through various ways but […]
Your app is performing bad ? ASO could be your solution Hey everyone, Over the past few days, I’ve chatted with over 60 developers on Reddit about their app’s performance, helping them understand what’s really going on. Along the way, I’ve come across some fascinating stories, met interesting people, and even made a few friends. One common mistake I’ve noticed? Many developers either don’t know what […]
I Updated My IRL Laser Tag App with Augmented Reality! https://preview.redd.it/xwmt2a8vp1fe1.png?width=2796&format=png&auto=webp&s=7c5c164535997b9d9aed1f1fafaa920f0566c924 https://apps.apple.com/us/app/light-wars-ar/id6508168951 6 months ago, I promoted my first app that looked something like this (I'm glad that's over). As you guys pointed out, it wasn't really an AR app. But, some of you loved the idea, so I was inspired to work on it even more. Thanks to the feedback, here is what I […]
Smart Watch Notes WatchOS app made and released on App Store in 48 hours with artificial intelligence Smart Watch Notes was created with AI and approved in the App Store all within 48 hours. I used ChatGPT and Deepseek R1 to create the code for the app. The app was created for a real world use case and to experiment with how quickly an app can be created with AI and uploaded […]
How can I get my app to show up in any “Open In…” sheet on iOS? I have an iOS app with in-app features that let the user select photos from their albums or take photos with the camera. I'd like to also allow users to import photos that they find anywhere else on their phone: Mail, Safari, Photos...any app that lets users long-press an image and see the "Share..." menu.
I've been wrestling with this for about two weeks. I believe I'm following the documentation perfectly, but so far, the only place I can get my app to appear is when a user is sharing exactly one photo from the Photos app. It doesn't show up if multiple images are selected in Photos, nor does it show up for images in Safari or Mail.
Now, I know this is possible, because dozens of other third-party apps appear in the Share sheet for any of those kinds of images (on my device: Instagram, OmniFocus, Instapaper, Obsidian, ChatGPT, to name just a few).
And these are not Share Sheet extensions either - almost all of these will open the destination app in full and switch the focus away from the source app.
The main primary source I have to go on is this Apple TechNote ("How do I get my application to show up in the Open in... menu."). I started a fresh Xcode project, made the changes suggested in this document and....just as with my actual app, the only place I see this icon is for single photos in the Photos.app.
I've tried different permutations of LSHandlerRank, and CFBundleTypeRole; I've tried with and without CFBundleTypeIconFiles; with and without LSSupportsOpeningDocumentsInPlace; I've gone from general UTI's like public.data and public.content to intermediate ones like public.image and specific ones like public.jpeg. None works for me. I tried opening a code-level case with Apple Developer Support, but am still awaiting an answer. (I'm using these catch-all UTI's because other applications that have this working seem to appear in every Share sheet, everywhere on the device_
I did see my app icon appear one time in the Share sheet, but when I tried again, it didn't happen. It seems like my CFBundleDocumentTypes get cached by the operating system and unpredictably refreshed. I wasn't able to get back to the state that caused it.
What on earth am I doing wrong here? I've included very simple instructions on what I'm doing with a fresh project and would appreciate any concrete advice anyone can give me.
Below are the steps I followed to get my non-working CFBundleDocumentTypes config from a fresh Xcode project. Note that I've already tried lots of different combinations, so please don't just suggest random new combinations for me to try - what I'd like to hear is a config that actually works, since it seems to be trivial for all of these other apps to implement.
Create a new Xcode project.
Add the following to Info.plist:
CFBundleDocumentTypes
CFBundleTypeName
Image
LSHandlerRank
Owner
CFBundleTypeRole
Editor
LSItemContentTypes
public.data
public.content
public.item
LSSupportsOpeningDocumentsInPlace
Though I don't think this should affect iOS's ability to find the bundle's document types, add this to your auto-generated SceneDelegate for good measure:
func scene(_ scene: UIScene, openURLContexts URLContexts: Set) {
for context in URLContexts {
let url = context.url
if let data = try? Data(contentsOf: url),
let image = UIImage(data: data) {
let alert = UIAlertController()
alert.title = "Loaded an image"
alert.message = "Size is (image.size)"
window?.rootViewController?.present(alert, animated: true, completion: nil)
}
}
}
NOTES: You can try with or without LSSupportsOpeningDocumentsInPlace - it hasn't made a difference for me.
Always want to compare my running workouts to see how my performance is changing overtime, or how do the outside conditions, or my previous day’s sleep affect my performance. Average heart rate, speed, or time taken varies per split for each runs. submitted by /u/Fun-Individual-2428 [link] [comments]
Apple Enlists Veteran Software Executive To Help Fix AI and Siri An anonymous reader quotes a report from Bloomberg: Apple executive Kim Vorrath, a company veteran known for fixing troubled products and bringing major projects to market, has a new job: whipping artificial intelligence and Siri into shape. Vorrath, a vice president in charge of program management, was moved to Apple's artificial intelligence and machine learning division this week, according to people with knowledge of the matter. She'll be a top deputy to AI chief John Giannandrea, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the change hasn't been announced publicly. The move helps bolster a team that's racing to make Apple a leader in AI -- an area where it's fallen behind technology peers. [...]
Vorrath, who has spent 36 years at Apple, is known for managing the development of tough software projects. She's also put procedures in place that can catch and fix bugs. Vorrath joins the new team from Apple's hardware engineering division, where she helped launch the Vision Pro headset. Over the years, Vorrath has had a hand in several of Apple's biggest endeavors. In the mid-2000s, she was chosen to lead project management for the original iPhone software group and get the iconic device ready for consumers. Until 2019, she oversaw project management for the iPhone, iPad and Mac operating systems, before taking on the Vision Pro software. Haley Allen will replace Vorrath overseeing program management for visionOS, the headset's operating system, according to the people.
Prior to joining Giannandrea's organization, Vorrath had spent several weeks advising Kelsey Peterson, the group's previous head of program management. Peterson will now report to Vorrath -- as will two other AI executives, Cindy Lin and Marc Schonbrun. Giannandrea, who joined Apple from Google in 2018, disclosed the changes in a memo sent to staffers. The move signals that AI is now more important than the Vision Pro, which launched in February 2024, and is seen as the biggest challenge within the company, according to a longtime Apple executive who asked not to be identified. Vorrath has a knack for organizing engineering groups and creating an effective workflow with new processes, the executive said. It has been clear for some time now that Giannandrea needs additional help managing an AI group with growing prominence, according to the executive. Vorrath is poised to bring Apple's product development culture to the AI work, the person said.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
United States Account Security Carrier Partner Maintenance – AT&T THIS IS A SCHEDULED EVENT Jan 25, 19:00 PST - Jan 26, 10:00 PSTJan 24, 14:20 PSTScheduled - Our carrier partner AT&T United States is conducting a planned maintenance from 25 January 2025 at 19:00 PST until 26 January 2025 at 10:00 PST. During the maintenance window, there could be intermittent API request failures for AT&T United States customers.Impacted Products: Verify Silent Network Auth, Lookup SIM Swap
On Call Engineers are Investigating an issue related to Sendgrid Jan 24, 14:17 PSTResolved - The issue affecting the Sendgrid product is being investigated by our Engineering team. Further updates will be posted in status.sendgrid.comJan 24, 14:01 PSTInvestigating - Our monitoring systems have detected a potential issue affecting the Email API (Sendgrid). Our engineering team has been alerted and is actively investigating. We will update as soon as we have more information.
Apple CEO Tim Cook stars in a ‘Severance’-themed promo In a new promotional video released by Apple on Friday, Tim Cook takes center stage in a "Severance"-inspired clip. In the promo, Cook…
The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.
Right sidebar in SwiftUI (complicated) Hello, I have a SwiftUI where I am using GeometryReader and HStack to create the appearance of a sidebar. Because of my app's design, the sidebar has to launch from the right. The main view in this screen is a canvas where users can freeform draw. The requirement I am struggling with: when the sidebar […]
Here are Apple’s two main priorities for AI this year, per leaked memo Apple Intelligence launched just a few months ago, but a lot more additions are expected soon in iOS 18.4 and beyond. Now, a new memo leak has given us insight into Apple’s two main internal priorities for its AI efforts this year.
more…
76% of modern iPhones are now running iOS 18 Currently, 76% of modern iPhones - those released within the last four years - and 68% of all iPhones are running iOS 18…
The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.
Sandbox tester issues Hi not sure if this is the right sub but I’ll ask anyway So I deleted a tester in sandbox in AppStore connect earlier today and wanted to create a new tester however sandbox page is not loading it’s been like this all day Anyone know why? submitted by /u/OkAmbassador7184 [link] [comments]
Newly created Bulk Redirect list issues Jan 24, 21:41 UTCUpdate - We are continuing to investigate this issue.Jan 24, 21:40 UTCInvestigating - Cloudflare is investigating an issue with newly created Bulk Redirect lists not correctly serving redirects.
Why iOS 18.3 sets up a big moment for Apple Intelligence iOS 18.3 is launching next week. It’s not particularly feature-packed, but the update will offer a significant moment for Apple Intelligence thanks to a bold Apple choice.
more…
Looking for a few testers with Apple Intelligence capabilities Hey everyone, I'm looking for a handful of beta testers who have iPhones with Apple Intelligence turned on for a side project I'm working on. The app is a twist on Rock, Paper, Scissors with infinite crowdsourced combinations. Instead of tie games, an ML model will have the final say. I'm in very early stages […]
Can Siri Get Any Worse? Yes Paul Kafasis relates the hilariously incorrect results of asking Siri to identify Super Bowl winners, which leads John Gruber to compare Siri with other answer engines, a comparison in which Siri comes out smelling like old socks.Read original article
AirPods 4 – four-month review: The best Apple earbuds for most people When Apple released not one but two different versions of its new AirPods 4 in September of 2024 it changed the landscape of the company's lineup. And it might just have been a stroke of genius.The AirPods 4 come in a new, smaller case that you can take anywhere.While the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Max still sit at the very top of Apple's audio accessory pyramid, they're known quantities and simply too expensive for a whole lot of people. The arrival of a new AirPods pairing is undoubtedly the best option for millions of people and the AirPods 4 (ANC) is arguably the best wireless earbuds for most people — including me.I've been testing the standard AirPods 4 and upgraded ANC version since not long after they were released and I've used them to listen to music, podcasts, and audiobooks for countless hours during that time. I expected to enjoy the ANC version the most, but what I didn't expect was for them to replace my AirPods Pro 2. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
SMS Delivery Delays To Tele2 Network In Kazakhstan Jan 24, 13:30 PSTInvestigating - We are experiencing SMS delivery delays when sending messages to Tele2 Network In Kazakhstan . Our engineers are working with our carrier partner to resolve the issue. We will provide another update in 1 hour or as soon as more information becomes available.
SFSymbols Xcode keyboard shortcut? Some days ago I saw a post on Reddit of a user who learned of a keyboard shortcut in Xcode that opens up some SF Symbols help window, negating the need to open the SF Symbols app. I can’t for the life of me find it. Does anyone know the shortcut or remember seeing the […]
iOS development Hello Guys, I am new to yet not to Frontend programming. I mainly work with Javascript and React. Currently, I am following up a course which is available at udemy. So, my question is that, how can i get more out of this , if i choose this path as a career now […]
DEVONagent Pro 3.11.10 Tackles a major change by Google that was blocking access to its search results. ($Free/$4.95/$49.95 new, free update, various sizes, macOS 11+)
Timing 2025.1 Time and productivity tracking app's first update for 2025 brings some helpful improvements. ($108/$132/$192 annual subscriptions, free update, 25.8 MB, macOS 10.15+)
1Password 8.10.58 Maintenance release with a variety of improvements and bug fixes for the password manager. ($35.88 annual subscription, free update, 4.8 MB, macOS 10.15+)
Beware Exploits of WhatsApp’s Linked Devices Feature WhatsApp’s Linked Devices feature adds convenience but can also pose significant security risks. Learn how domestic abusers exploit this feature and discover how you can protect your account from unauthorized access.Read original article
Apple stock tests key technical level amid worst start since 2008 Apple's stock has experienced a challenging beginning to the year, now hovering near a critical threshold that could indicate further…
The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.
On Call Engineers are Investigating an issue with Flex Jan 24, 11:59 PSTInvestigating - Our monitoring systems have detected a potential issue Flex. Our engineering team has been alerted and is actively investigating. We will update as soon as we have more information.
iOS 18 adoption steady as users explore AI & customization Apple's iOS 18 is improving the user experience with AI-powered tools, deeper customization, and enhanced privacy, driving strong adoption across iPhones and iPads.iPhone 15The iOS 18 update brings AI-powered tools, deeper customization, and enhanced privacy. Currently, 76% of iPhones released in the last four years and 68% of all iPhones are running the latest OS.The latest OS, iOS 18, has matched its predecessor in overall adoption, with 76% of iPhones from the past four years and 68% of all iPhones now running the software. In comparison, iOS 17 reached the same 76% adoption rate for newer devices in February 2024 but fell short of iOS 16's performance during a reflect a solid uptake, iOS 17 achieved higher adoption in the similar timeframe. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
Prepare for emergencies by setting up Medical ID on your iPhone It’s very important you set up your iPhone Medical ID to give first responders crucial info in case of an emergency situation.
(via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)
On Call Engineers are Investigating an issue Jan 24, 11:48 PSTResolved - We have fully investigated the Flex issue triggered by our automated alert, and it was determined that there is no noticeable customer impact. All systems are operational.Jan 24, 11:35 PSTInvestigating - Our monitoring systems have detected a potential issue with Flex. Our engineering team has been alerted and is actively investigating. We will update as soon as we have more information.
Anti-Porn Apps Need Solutions to iOS Sandbox Restrictions Hello everyone, I’ve been working on ways to implement stricter accountability systems for personal use, especially to prevent access to NSFW content in apps like Reddit and Twitter. The main challenge is that iOS sandboxing and privacy policies block apps from monitoring or interacting with other apps on the system. While Apple’s focus on privacy […]
iPhone 17 Pro: Seven new features are coming later this year This year is set to be big for the iPhone, with a compelling new iPhone SE 4 in the spring and the ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air in the fall. But what about Apple’s flagship Pro models? Here are seven new features coming to the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max this September.
more…
Apple enlists veteran software executive Kim Vorrath to help fix AI and Siri Apple is enlisting a seasoned professional to tackle its AI challenges. Kim Vorrath, who has spent 36 years with the company, is…
The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.
HomeKit Weekly: arre Temperature Sensor review – Matter-ready climate monitoring with Thread support Temperature sensors are an important yet often overlooked part of a HomeKit setup. Even working as a passive tracking device, I want to add them to every room to understand more about what’s happening in the air. The is a great option for HomeKit fans with its compact size and detailed monitoring options. Let’s have a look.
more…
The MacRumors Show: Samsung's 2025 Challenge to Apple The MacRumors Show is back for 2025! On this week's episode, we look at how Samsung's latest announcements challenge Apple.
Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos
Samsung this week announced the Galaxy S25, the Galaxy S25+, and the top-of-the-line Galaxy S25 Ultra. The new devices will directly compete with Apple's iPhone 16 and upcoming iPhone 17 lineup.
Similar to the iPhone 16, AI is a major focus for the S25 lineup, with Samsung touting a new "Personal Data Engine" with a Dynamic Island-like "Now Bar" with a "Now Brief" that guides users through their day, Circle to Search, generative photo editing, context-aware searches with suggested actions, improved natural language understanding, third-party integrations via Gemini, Portrait Studio, and more.
Samsung also previewed the all-new "Galaxy S25 Edge," a super-thin variant of the S25 set to launch in the first half of 2025. It appears to be positioned as a direct rival to Apple's upcoming "iPhone 17 Air," which is expected to be the thinnest iPhone ever at just 6mm and a radical departure from previous devices with a 6.6-inch display with ProMotion, a single speaker, a single rear camera, and Apple's custom 5G modem.
Finally, Samsung unveiled its upcoming "Project Moohan" AR/VR headset, which it has designed in collaboration with Google. It is intended to compete with Apple's Vision Pro and bears a striking similarity to it in terms of design.
The MacRumors Show also has its own YouTube channel, so make sure you're subscribed to keep up with new episodes and clips.
Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel!
You can also listen to The MacRumors Show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, or your preferred podcasts app. You can also copy our RSS feed directly into your podcast player.
If you haven't already listened to the previous episode of The MacRumors Show, catch up for our discussion about all of Apple's expected hardware announcements for 2025.
Subscribe to The MacRumors Show for new episodes every week, where we discuss some of the topical news breaking here on MacRumors, often joined by interesting guests such as Kevin Nether, Jon Prosser, Luke Miani, Matthew Cassinelli, Brian Tong, Quinn Nelson, Jared Nelson, Eli Hodapp, Mike Bell, Sara Dietschy, iJustine, Jon Rettinger, Andru Edwards, Arnold Kim, Ben Sullins, Marcus Kane, Christopher Lawley, Frank McShan, David Lewis, Tyler Stalman, Sam Kohl, John Gruber, Federico Viticci, Thomas Frank, Jonathan Morrison, Ross Young, Ian Zelbo, and Rene Ritchie.
The MacRumors Show is on X @MacRumorsShow, so be sure to give us a follow to keep up with the podcast. You can also head over to The MacRumors Show forum thread to engage with us directly. Remember to rate and review the podcast, and let us know what subjects and guests you would like to see in the future.Tag: The MacRumors ShowThis article, "" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums
App debacle explains why Apple won’t do major iOS redesigns anymore Do you remember the days when new iOS versions might introduce major redesigns? iOS 7, I’m looking at you. Despite annual whispers predicting another big iOS revamp, I feel very confident in saying those days are over. And one recent app debacle shows why.
more…
UPDATE: Appsheet is unavailable in us-east4 and europe-west4 Incident began at 2025-01-24 10:09 (all times are US/Pacific).Summary: Appsheet is unavailable in us-east4 and europe-west4
Description: Mitigation work is currently underway by our engineering team.
We do not have an ETA for mitigation at this point.
We will provide more information by Friday, 2025-01-24 11:30 US/Pacific.
Diagnosis: Customers impacted by this issue are unable to load apps via either editor or app load page.
Workaround: None at this time.
Affected products: AppSheetAffected locations: Netherlands (europe-west4), Northern Virginia (us-east4)
Apple pulls out the big guns to fix Siri and Apple Intelligence In a new move to catch up with AI competitors, Apple taps software veteran to fix Siri and Apple Intelligence. She has a good track record.
(via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)
Dynamic Island expected to stay the same on iPhone 17 Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo continues to offer insights into the iPhone 17, this time saying that Dynamic Island isn't getting a redesign.Dynamic Island on iPhone 14 ProIt's 2025 which means we're beginning the nine-month march toward the iPhone 17. As a result, we're seeing an influx of rumors and leaks surrounding the next-gen iPhone.This one comes from Ming-Chi Kuo, who posted on X on Friday that he believes Dynamic Island size isn't changing much, if any, across the iPhone 17 lineup. Rumor Score: 🤯 Likely Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
ICE Raids Are an Escalation of Our Long-Simmering De Facto Cold Civil War Trump says they’re targeting all undocumented immigrants, but so far they’re only targeting those who live in places that are popularly opposed to it. And that’s where the costs — both emotional and economic — will be felt.
Best Apple Deals of the Week: AirTag 4-Pack on Sale for $69.99, Plus Pre-Order Discounts on Samsung Galaxy S25 Phones This week's deals-related headliner is focused on Samsung's new lineup of Galaxy S25 smartphones, with as much as $1,250 in savings when you pre-order these devices before their February launch. Otherwise, you can also still find great all-time low prices on Apple's AirTag 4-Pack, M3 MacBook Air, and M4 iMac.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Samsung
What's the deal? Save up to $1,250 when pre-ordering the new Samsung Galaxy S25 smartphones
Where can I get it? Samsung
Where can I find the original deal? Right here
UP TO $1,250 OFFSamsung Galaxy S25 Smartphones
Samsung announced its new lineup of Galaxy S25 smartphones this week, and you can find multiple pre-order discounts and offers on Samsung's website. This includes up to $1,250 in trade-in credits and Samsung credits when pre-ordering the Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25+, and Galaxy S25 Ultra.
AirTag
What's the deal? Take $29 off AirTag 4-Pack
Where can I get it? Amazon
Where can I find the original deal? Right here
$29 OFFAirTag 4-Pack for $69.99
Early in the week, Amazon discounted the AirTag 4-Pack to $69.99, and this all-time low price is still available today.
MacBook Air
What's the deal? Get up to $250 off M3 MacBook Air
Where can I get it? Amazon
Where can I find the original deal? Right here
$200 OFFM3 13-inch MacBook Air (256GB) for $899.00
$200 OFFM3 15-inch MacBook Air (256GB) for $1,099.00
Amazon and Best Buy introduced solid discounts across the M3 MacBook Air lineup this week, starting at $899.00 for the 13-inch M3 MacBook Air, and including a few 15-inch models as well.
iMac
What's the deal? Get up to $175 off M4 iMac
Where can I get it? Amazon
Where can I find the original deal? Right here
$105 OFF24-inch M4 iMac (8-core/16GB RAM/256GB) for $1,194.00
M4 iMacs are still available at up to $175 off this week on Amazon, starting at $1,194.00 for the 256GB model in multiple colors.
If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.
Deals Newsletter
Interested in hearing more about the best deals you can find in 2025? Sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we'll keep you updated so you don't miss the biggest deals of the season!
Related Roundup: Apple DealsThis article, "" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums
Apple Intelligence & Siri team getting a boost from fixer Kim Vorrath Long-time Apple executive Kim Vorrath has been moved into the Apple Intelligence team following her successes on projects from Apple Vision Pro to the original iPhone.Apple Intelligence and SiriThe claim that Apple is behind on artificial intelligence may never go away, despite the company's long history of working in the field. But a new rejigging of staff on the Apple Intelligence project at least suggests that the company believes it has work to do.Specifically, according to Bloomberg, Kim Vorrath has been appointed Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
The smartest iPad to buy is $100 off right now Macworld
If you’re going to get a tablet, then the M2 iPad Air is the best you can buy, with the right mix of performance, price, and portability. And today’s that price is even better: Amazon is selling the 11-inch M2 iPad Air for $500, $99 off its MSRP, and just $2 off its all-time low.
In our 4-star review of the 11-inch iPad Air, we praised its processor upgrade and performance, as well as the fact the upgrade to 128GB base storage, essentially cutting the price by $50. “The lower entry-level price, the increased basic memory capacity of 128GB, and the front camera on the long edge are all pleasing upgrades for this generation of Air. The fact that the iPad has also been given the next chip up, the M2, is also welcome.”
Otherwise, it’s very similar to the previous model, which isn’t a bad thing. It’s got a gorgeous 11-inch Liquid Retina display as well as a 12MP ultra-wide front camera with Center Stage. This will ensure that even if you move around the room, the camera will focus on you. It’s also ready for Apple Intelligence as it continues its rollout throughout 2025.
Don’t miss out on the chance to get an iPad Air for $500 at Amazon, a fantastic price for one of the best tablets out there.
A stellar tablet for a stellar priceBuy now at Amazon
Cloudflare Snippets service issues Jan 24, 18:12 UTCIdentified - The issue has been identified and a fix is being implemented.Jan 24, 18:09 UTCInvestigating - Cloudflare is investigating issues with Cloudflare Snippets. Users editing existing snippets may see 500 errors.
Meta officially starts showing ads on Threads Meta has officially started testing ads on its Threads micro-blogging social network. The company says this is a “small test” for the time being with a handful of different brands across the United States and Japan.
more…
iOS 18.3 Might Have a Last-Minute Change, Here's Why A private account on social media platform X today leaked the final build number for Apple's upcoming iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3 updates: 22D61. That is a very slight change compared to the 22D60 build number for the iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3 Release Candidates, which are essentially the final beta versions of each update.
The account has a good track record of sharing iOS-related information, but it has had some occasional misses. We continue to respect the account owner's request to not link to its posts, as they wish to remain anonymous and maintain a low profile.
The change suggests that iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3 could include a very minor, last-minute change or two. Exactly what those changes might be remains to be seen, but we can speculate about one possibility: a 2025 Black Unity collection.
In each of the past four years, Apple has announced a Black Unity campaign in the second half of January, and this has typically included a new Apple Watch band, Apple Watch face, and iPhone wallpaper featuring the colors of the Pan-African flag. We recently discovered that the upcoming tvOS 18.3 update for the Apple TV has a new UNITY25 reference hidden within its code, which suggests that the Black Unity campaign may continue in 2025. If so, it is likely that Apple will make an announcement about it next week.
February is Black History Month in the United States, and Apple typically features content from Black creators across apps like Apple Books and Apple Podcasts.
In 2021 and 2022, Apple announced its Black Unity campaign just hours before it released watchOS 7.3 and watchOS 8.3, respectively, with a corresponding Black Unity watch face. Starting in 2023, and continuing in 2024, Apple included a matching iPhone wallpaper as well. As a result, it mentioned the Black Unity wallpaper in its release notes for the iOS 16.3 and iOS 17.3 Release Candidates in those years.
Apple's release notes for the iOS 18.3 Release Candidate made no mention of a Black Unity wallpaper, but perhaps it is something that will still arrive in the final iOS 18.3 release, and this could explain the revised build number.
Apple is expected to release iOS 18.3 next week, so we will find out for sure soon.Related Roundups: iOS 18, iPadOS 18Related Forums: iOS 18, iPadOS 18This article, "" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums
Apple’s next-gen CarPlay project appears to have stalled Macworld
For over a year, Apple’s CarPlay site has teased the arrival of the next generation in 2024. Now that it’s 2025, Apple finally admits that’s not happening.
When it was announced at WWDC in 2022, next-gen CarPlay was an exciting peek at the future of in-dash navigation systems. Instead of a rectangular screen, the next-gen CarPlay takes over the entire instrument panel, including car functions such as air conditioning and gauges. Apple says next-gen CarPlay “ensures a cohesive design experience that is the very best of your car and your iPhone–with designs for each automaker that express your vehicle’s character and brand.”
While it was originally supposed to arrive in 2023, only two automakers, Porsche and Aston Martin, have announced actual support for the system and neither has produced a car or even a real-world concept shoring off the interface. In late 2023, Porsche and Aston Martin showed off images of their respective systems, with a series of digital gauges and a “background wallpaper that mimics the brand’s distinct houndstooth (or Pepita in Porsche-speak) seat pattern” and “a central information screen bookended by a circular speedometer and tachometer, the latter of which integrates ‘Hand built in Great Britain’ wraparound text.”
There’s a lot about next-gen CarPlay that we don’t know yet, including whether it will require an iPhone to work. At the time of its announcement, Apple was still rumored to be working on its own vehicle, and next-gen CarPlay appeared to be something of a test for running a vehicle’s instrument cluster. But now that the project appears to be dead, it’s unclear how CarPlay fits into Apple’s ecosystem.
Apple finally removed the “coming in 2024” text from the CarPlay website but hasn’t replaced it with any new estimate. In a statement to the media, Apple said: “The next generation of CarPlay builds on years of success and insights gained from CarPlay, delivering the best of Apple and the automaker in a deeply integrated and customizable experience. We continue to work closely with several automakers, enabling them to showcase their unique brand and visual design philosophies in the next generation of CarPlay. Each car brand will share more details as they near the announcements of their models that will support the next generation of CarPlay.”
That’s much less specific than “coming in 2024” and implies that the project is much less far along than Apple previously implied. We might get our next peek at CarPlay at WWDC in June but for now, it’s anyone’s guess as to when the first cars might show up.
On Call Engineers are Investigating an issue Jan 24, 09:48 PSTInvestigating - Our monitoring systems have detected a potential issue with Calls to Brazil in a subset of Twilio's Brazilian numbers. Our engineering team has been alerted and is actively investigating. We will update as soon as we have more information.
iOS 18 Installed on 76% of iPhones Introduced in the Last Four Years iOS 18 adoption is on pace with iOS 17 adoption last year, according to iOS 18 adoption statistics provided by Apple. iOS 18 is installed on 76 percent of iPhones introduced in the last four years, while 63 percent of iPads from the last four years are running iPadOS 18.
68 percent of all iPhones have iOS 18 installed, and 53 percent of all iPads have iPadOS 18 installed.
For all iPhones, 19 percent are still running iOS 17 and 13 percent are running an earlier version of iOS. For all iPads, 28 percent are running iPadOS 17 and 19 percent are running an earlier version of iPadOS.
This is the first time that Apple has provided insight into iOS 18 adoption numbers since the operating system was released last September.
Last year, iOS 17 was installed on 76 percent of iPhones from the last four years as of February 5, with all 66 percent of all iPhones running the update. 61 percent of iPads from the last four years had iPadOS 17 installed, while 53 percent of all iPads were running the software.
iOS 18 adoption is about the same as iOS 17 adoption, but it is worth noting that Apple is sharing the numbers slightly earlier this year. iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3 are expected to see a launch next week, which could push more people to upgrade to the operating system.
Major new Siri features are also coming to Apple Intelligence-compatible iPhones with an iOS 18.4 update that's expected in April, so iOS 18 adoption could see another major jump at that time.
iOS 18 is available to iPhones that are up to six years old, as it is compatible with the iPhone XS/XR and later. Apple Intelligence features are limited to the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models, however, which could discourage some iPhone users with older devices from updating.This article, "" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums
Apple reveals iOS 18 adoption data for the first time Apple has shared the first details on user adoption of iOS 18 so far. The company says that iOS 18 is currently installed on 68% of all iPhones and on 76% of iPhones introduced in the last four years.
These numbers show that iOS 18 adoption is on the same trajectory as iOS 17 adoption last year.
more…
Apple Brings in New Exec to 'Fix' Siri and Apple Intelligence Apple is making an internal staffing change that it hopes will improve Siri and its artificial intelligence offerings, reports Bloomberg. Kim Vorrath, a 37-year Apple veteran, will join the AI team to work under AI chief John Giannandrea.
Vorrath is a program management VP, and has a reputation for meticulously managing software projects at Apple and ensuring employees meet deadlines. She has been described as Apple's "bug wrangler" and as a "powerful force" in the company. For the last few years, she has been working on Apple's AR/VR team developing the Vision Pro headset, but now she is being moved to AI.
The news comes just after a widely circulated story about Siri's failure to accurately provide basic knowledge about Super Bowl results. Siri has long been seen as inferior to other personal assistants, and in recent years, Siri has been unable to measure up to AI-based chatbots.
Apple is also addressing widespread criticism of its Apple Intelligence Notification summary feature, which has on several occasions mistakenly summarized news stories in a way that produced confusing false headlines. To fix the problem, Apple is temporarily removing Notification summaries for news and entertainment apps in iOS 18.3, an update expected next week.
Apple attempted to improve Siri by integrating OpenAI's ChatGPT into Apple Intelligence, but there are still serious problems with Siri. Additional Siri features are going to be coming in the near future as part of an iOS 18.4 update, and in iOS 19, Apple is rumored to be planning to introduce an LLM version of Siri that will be comparable to ChatGPT and Google's Gemini.
According to Bloomberg, Vorrath's move to the AI team is a signal that the company sees AI as more important than the Vision Pro. Vorrath is known for organizing engineering groups and redesigning workflows with new processes.
In a memo announcing the change, Giannandrea said that Apple plans to focus on improving the Siri infrastructure as well as Apple's in-house AI models.Tags: Apple Intelligence, SiriThis article, "" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums
Apple states unequivocally: ‘Apple Watch bands are safe for users to wear’ A study from the University of Notre Dame, published in December last year, revealed that PFAS chemicals were present in 15 out of 22 tested…
The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.
Find deals on Windows 11 Pro ($22) and more in CdkeySales New Year Sale With the big CdkeySales New Year Sale lasting through January, deals on Microsoft Windows 11 Pro and more are extended!
(via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)
Kuo: iPhone 17 won’t have a smaller Dynamic Island after all One rumored change for the iPhone 17 might not come to fruition after all. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today says that the size of the Dynamic Island across the iPhone 17 lineup to be “largely unchanged” compared to the iPhone 16 models.
more…
Kuo: iPhone 17 Models Won't Have Smaller Dynamic Island The upcoming iPhone 17 models that Apple plans to release this year will not feature a smaller Dynamic Island, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said today.
On social media, he said that he is expecting the size of the Dynamic Island to remain "largely unchanged" across the iPhone 17 lineup. His statement is contrary to prior rumors that we've heard about planned changes for the iPhone 17 models.
Analyst Jeff Pu said several times last year that Apple would adopt a "metalens" for Face ID on the iPhone 17 Pro, resulting in a "much narrowed" Dynamic Island, but it sounds like that might not happen after all.
Apple first introduced the Dynamic Island with the 2022 iPhone lineup, and it has changed little since then. There have been persistent rumors suggesting Apple is eventually aiming to have a much smaller cutout that provides more available screen space, but it is not clear Apple will be able to make that hardware change.
While the iPhone 17 models might not get a new look for the Dynamic Island, Apple is planning to make other design changes. There will be a super slim "iPhone 17 Air" that features Apple's first redesign in years. Both the iPhone 17 Air and the iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to be getting a redesigned horizontal camera setup.
More on what we're expecting for the entire iPhone 17 lineup can be found in our iPhone 17 roundup.
Related Roundup: iPhone 17This article, "" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums
Today in Apple history: Apple ships the first Mac On January 24, 1984, computing changed forever. The first Mac, the mighty Macintosh 128K, brought a mouse and GUI to the masses.
(via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)
Gurman: Apple taps new boss to help Siri and Apple Intelligence catch up with AI competition Apple Intelligence has arrived, but Siri and Apple’s AI suite of features are nowhere near the level of rivals OpenAI, Anthropic, and others — especially with the absence of an Apple chatbot. For that reason, the company has recruited an internal software veteran to help course correct the path for Apple’s AI efforts. Mark Gurman at Bloomberg has the report:
more…
5 things we love about the Insta360 Flow 2 Pro The is one of the most advanced smartphone gimbals on the market. We’ve had a chance to play with it for a few weeks, and these are five things we really love about the new gimbal.
more…
Apple’s next immersive Vision Pro film involves bull riding and arrives soon Immersive Video on the Vision Pro is one of the product’s must-try experiences, and Apple’s first new release of the year—Man Vs. Beast—arrives next week to take you on a bull-riding adventure.
more…
It’s ‘safe’ to wear Apple Watch bands, Apple assures in response to lawsuit Macworld
Earlier this week, a class action lawsuit was filed against Apple, accusing the company of knowingly using harmful chemicals in three Apple Watch bands. On Thursday, Apple made a public statement about the lawsuit, stating that the bands are “Safe for users to wear.”
The lawsuit cites a University of Notre Dame study that found that 15 of 22 watch bands tested contain polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which are toxic. The PFAS can be absorbed through the skin, eventually leading to health problems. The published study cites ten companies whose bands were tested, but the published results use labels that don’t specifically identify the band and model of the band tested.
The bands cited in the lawsuit are the Sport Band (the band included with a new Apple Watch), the Ocean Band, and the Nike Sport Band. The lawsuit states that Apple “continues to hide the existence of PFAS at the point of purchase and otherwise.” You can find a copy of the lawsuit below.
Apple issued a response to the lawsuit:
Apple Watch bands are safe for users to wear. In addition to our own testing, we also work with independent laboratories to conduct rigorous testing and analysis of the materials used in our products, including Apple Watch bands.
In November 2022, Apple published a white paper about its phasing out of PFAS in its products. In the Executive Summary of the paper, Apple states that it wants to “thoughtfully phase out PFAS in a way that does not result in regrettable substitutions” and that the company is “prioritizing our phaseout activities on applications that result in the highest volumes of PFAS reductions and the most meaningful environmental impact.” The paper does not address PFAS in specific Apple Watch bands, though it tested bands from Apple, Nike, Fitbit, and Google.
Apple Watch band class action lawsuitDownloa
Cloudflare Vectorize – API Availability Issues Jan 24, 16:50 UTCInvestigating - We are currently investigating an issue where users may see 500 errors when querying some of the indexes.
Microsoft PowerPoint review: What’s new in PowerPoint 2024? Macworld
At a glanceExpert's Rating
Pros
Included as part of Office subscription
Packed with templates
Easy to switch styles
Cons
Plenty of great alternatives now
Our Verdict
PowerPoint is still a fantastic way to build a presentation, and while there are new rivals to its throne, it remains surprisingly flexible and easy to use thanks to a robust feature set. It’ll be interesting to see if AI leads to additional features, too.
Price When Reviewed
This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined
Best Pricing Today
Price When ReviewedLifetime license, Office Home 2024, one device: $149.99; Lifetime license, PowerPoint, one device: $179.99; Microsoft 265 Personal, one device: $99.99 a year ($9.99 a month)
Best Prices Today:
Retailer
Price
Microsoft (one device, one year)
$99.99
View Deal
Microsoft Office Home 2024
$149.99
View Deal
Microsoft (lifetime license)
$179.99
View Deal
Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide
Product
Price
Price comparison from Backmarket
From business presentations to high-school slideshows, PowerPoint is so famous it’s almost a verb in some circles. And, while Apple’s Keynote is a fantastic alternative, as with Microsoft Word there’s a good chance you’ve worked with Microsoft’s suite for so long it’d be harder to change.
That doesn’t mean there are plenty of regions to use PowerPoint on its own merit though. In fact, it’s a fantastic presentation builder that’s packed with templates for just about anything, has deep OneDrive integration and is likely to be supported for decades to come.
Interestingly, it doesn’t pack as many AI features as Keynote (at least not yet), but with the likes of Canva and Figma on its case, there’s every chance that could happen soon as Microsoft looks to keep competition at bay.
First Impressions
New from Template: There are plenty of ways to get startedFoundry
Booting up PowerPoint, you’re met with pretty much the same screen as you’ll get when firing up Word or Excel, too.
This lets you jump right into a recent file, check out presentations that have been shared with you, or open up one you’ve saved in OneDrive.
It’s really nice to be able to get started, and there’s a huge catalog of templates to pick from, too, ranging from project outlines, to colorful slideshows, to more fun and whimsical offerings. For someone as creatively challenged as myself, I appreciated finding a starting point was a simple process.
It is worth noting that, while it’ll be familiar to some, there are a lot of toolbars and icons for newcomers. I’m not against that, because presentations can be inherently personal, but it’s something to consider if you’re introducing someone that hasn’t used Office365 before.
Speaking of Office365, it’s the way PowerPoint feeds into the wide Microsoft app ecosystem that makes it as compelling as the likes of Google’s apps. For instance, you likely didn’t think to buy a presentation app piecemeal, but if you’ve got one included in your subscription then it’s worth using.
For $99.99 a year (or $9.99 per month) you get up to six licenses across Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and more, which is a ton of value even if you’re putting a presentation together once in a blue moon.
For one user it’s $99.99/£84.99 a year ($9.99/£8.49 a month) for Microsoft 265 Personal, which includes up to six licenses across Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and more, which is a ton of value even if you’re putting a presentation together once in a blue moon. Or for $129.99/£104.99 a year (or $12.99/£10.49 per month) you can get the Microsoft 365 Family edition with up to six licenses.
However, if you only want to buy PowerPoint you can do that too. Microsoft sells a lifetime license of Word for $179.99/£159.99 (one device). You can also buy a lifetime license to Office Home 2024 for one device, which includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote for just $149.99/£119.99. Which is a bargain (if you forget that Apple gives it’s Office apps away for free).
Microsoft PowerPoint features
Change Styles: It’s easy to mix up styles in PowerPoint if you’re looking to freshen things up.Foundry
Aside from a whole host of ways to get cracking with a presentation, I appreciate how simple it is to revise a presentation’s styling wholesale. Once you’ve built it, you can switch between styles as if it were as easy as changing a single element, and that’s ideal for anyone looking to produce multiple copies of a report for clients and needs a distinct style for each without changing the content wholesale.
Keynote is, in my mind, nicer to look at, but PowerPoint is plenty powerful and it’s easy enough to add images and assets from just about anywhere, including OneDrive (if you have the app installed on your Mac).
Templates: PowerPoint is packed with templates for you to use as a starting point.Foundry
Copilot plays a sizeable role in the app these days with features like a speaker coach to practice your presentation, but there’s no generative AI image drop-in like you’ll find in Keynote with Apple Intelligence (at least not on Mac).
There is support for Apple’s ‘Writing Tools’, and you can drop a video recording directly onto your presentation with a ‘Cameo’ feature. It’s neat, letting you add a personal touch, but I’d wager you’ll have access to much more when working on a Windows PC.
You can share presentations for real-time collaboration via OneDrive, too, letting you work with a team member.
Microsoft PowerPoint annoyances
Transitions: The transitions you love are still here, you’ll be pleased to knowFoundry
My only complaint is that Microsoft’s toolbar-heavy UI means PowerPoint likely isn’t particularly beginner-friendly, but at least it’s relatively uniform across apps.
It’s also worth looking at what rivals in the space are doing. Google Sheets, Canva, and Figma all offer impressive suites of presentation tools at minimal cost to a user, and they’re starting to introduce additional AI-driven features — but I expect Microsoft is doing its own work in that area to maintain an advantage.
Should you buy PowerPoint 2024 for Mac?
PowerPoint is, well, a powerhouse. It’s packed to the gills with features, and if you’re on a Windows PC that’s only likely to be even more true. If you’re an Office365 user, you’ll find plenty of reasons to invest in it for your next presentation, but rivals are coming for the crown.
Also read: Microsoft Excel review: What’s new in Excel 2024? and Microsoft Word for Mac review: What’s new?
Deals: M4 MacBook Pro $1,399, Apple Watch Series 10 back to Black Friday prices, iPad Air $99 off, more Friday has arrived and so has a surprisingly extensive list of fresh new Apple gear deals along with it. First up, and perhaps most notable of all, Apple’s 16GB M4 MacBook Pro in Space Black or Silver has now fallen back to the $1,399 all-time low at $200 off – this is the most affordable model in the M4 lineup. From there we move over to the latest Apple Watch lineup – all of the GPS-only Series 10 configurations have now dropped back to Black Friday prices with deals starting from $329 – and the M2 iPad Air configurations with just about all of the most affordable models now seeing straight up $99 drops on Amazon. All of that and more awaits down below.
more…
Innie Tim Cook reports for work at Lumon Industries When innie Tim Cook reports for work at Lumon Industries, you know the "Severance" season 2 promos have reached fever pitch.
(via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)
Clever MacBook rig makes space with wall-mounted display [Setups] Today's MacBook setup with wall-mounted display -- a giant smart TV, no less -- makes great use of space in a bedroom.
(via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)
Apple says it's still safe to wear your Apple Watch bands, despite class action lawsuit Apple is facing a class-action lawsuit that claims the company deliberately conceals the use of potentially harmful chemicals in certain Apple Watch bands. However, Apple asserts that the bands are safe to wear.The Nike Sport Band is one of the PFAS-containing bands Apple offersOn Tuesday, a class action lawsuit filed by the Northern District of California, first spotted by The Register was levied against Apple. The lawsuit claimed that some Apple Watch bands the company manufactures contain a high level of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).According to the lawsuit, three Apple Watch bands have high concentrations of PFAS: the Apple Watch Sport Band, the Nike Sport Band, and the Ocean Band. Because Apple describes these bands as made from fluoroelastomer, the lawsuit alleges that Apple knowingly conceals the presence of PFAS, which is linked to adverse health effects. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
How to get all frames as UIImages from a video? I want to get all frames from the video as UIImages for my ML model, I used this func before: func imageFromVideo(for asset: AVURLAsset, at time: TimeInterval) async throws -> UIImage { let assetImageGenerator = AVAssetImageGenerator(asset: asset) assetImageGenerator.requestedTimeToleranceBefore = .zero assetImageGenerator.requestedTimeToleranceAfter = .zero assetImageGenerator.appliesPreferredTrackTransform = true assetImageGenerator.apertureMode = AVAssetImageGenerator.ApertureMode.encodedPixels let cmTime = CMTime(seconds: time, preferredTimescale: […]
iOS 18.4 Beta Coming Soon With These New Features for Your iPhone iOS 18.3 is expected to be widely released next week, and that means the first iOS 18.4 beta for iPhones should be just around the corner.
Apple has previously implied that iOS 18.4 will be released in April, as that is when it promised to make Apple Intelligence available in even more languages.
Below, we outline what to expect from iOS 18.4 so far.
Apple Intelligence for Siri
Siri is expected to get several enhancements powered by Apple Intelligence on iOS 18.4. These upgrades will include on-screen awareness, deeper per-app controls, understanding of the user's personal context, and more.
Apple Intelligence requires an iPhone 15 Pro model or any iPhone 16 model.
Apple Intelligence in More Languages
Apple previously announced that a software update coming in April will make Apple Intelligence available in more languages, and that likely refers to iOS 18.4. Additional languages will include English (India), English (Singapore), Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, and Vietnamese, but Apple said only some of these languages will be added in April, with the rest to follow throughout 2025.
Apple Intelligence is currently available in localized English in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.
Improved News Summaries
Examples of inaccurate Apple Intelligence notification summaries
Apple Intelligence notification summaries for news apps are temporarily unavailable on iOS 18.3, after the feature inaccurately summarized some news stories.
Apple promised that improvements to notification summaries are coming in a future software update, so we will see if that happens in iOS 18.4.
Starting with iOS 18.3, summarized notifications have italicized text, which makes them stand out visually compared to regular notifications. In a future software update, though, hopefully the news summaries will actually become more accurate.
New Emoji
iOS 15.4, iOS 16.4, and iOS 17.4 all introduced new emoji, so there is a good chance that trend will continue with iOS 18.4.
Last year, the Unicode Consortium previewed the new emoji that should be coming with iOS 18.4, with new options including face with bags under eyes, fingerprint, leafless tree, root vegetable, harp, shovel, splatter, and more.
Default Map and Translation Apps in EU
In an October 2024 document related to the EU's Digital Markets Act, Apple revealed that it will allow iPhone and iPad users in the EU to set default navigation and translation apps starting in "spring 2025." That timing likely aligns with iOS 18.4.
For example, users should be able to choose Google Maps, Waze, or other options as their default navigation app, instead of Apple Maps. Likewise, they should be able to choose Google Translate, Microsoft Translator, or other options as their default translation app, instead of Apple's Translate app. These options will be added to the new "Default Apps" section in the Settings app on iPhones that was implemented in iOS 18.2.
Robot Vacuum Support in Home App
Apple's website continues to state that robot vacuum support will be added to the Home app in an unspecified iOS 18 update. When available, this feature will allow you to control key functions of your robot vacuum in the Home app, and with Siri voice commands.
Here is how Apple describes the feature:The Home app now supports the core functionality of robot vacuum cleaners, such as power control, cleaning mode, vacuum, mop, and charge status. They can also participate in automations and scenes, and respond to Siri requests. So you can add them to your cleaning routines — or tell Siri to do some spot cleaning in the living room.There were references to the feature added in iOS 18.3's code, but the functionality does not appear to be live yet. Perhaps it will come with iOS 18.4.Related Roundups: iOS 18, iPadOS 18Related Forums: iOS 18, iPadOS 18This article, "" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums
9to5Mac Daily: January 24, 2025 – Next-gen CarPlay update, more 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 Ulysses: The ultimate writing app for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Learn more and get started today for free.
more…
Apple releases firmware betas for AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 Apple on Thursday released new beta firmware updates for both models of AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2, available with both Lightning and USB-C…
The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.
Apple’s iconic ‘1984’ Super Bowl ad aired 41 years ago this week; how it almost didn’t happen On this day 41 years ago, Apple’s first Macintosh went on sale, just two days after being introduced to the world during a commercial break in the third quarter of Super Bowl XVIII. Although “1984” became a cultural phenomenon and a watershed moment for product launches, Apple’s Board of Directors was against it from the start. Here’s how the legendary ad almost didn’t air…
more…
Apple’s new Home products will have key upgrade that could make a big difference Apple is launching three new Home products this year: ‘HomePad,’ a new Apple TV 4K, and HomePod mini 2. At least two of these devices will come with a key upgrade that could make a big difference for the smart home’s future.
more…
Amazon's $279 iPad 10th Gen deal is back Amazon has issued a weekend iPad deal on the 10th Generation, with an on-page coupon bringing the price back down to $279.Save $70 with this iPad 10th Gen markdownTake advantage of a Friday price drop on Apple's iPad 10th Generation, with the standard 64GB Wi-Fi model dropping to $279 at Amazon. Most accounts will see a $299 price on Amazon's product page, with a bonus $19.01 on-page coupon available when you check the appropriate box.Get the $279 deal Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
Security Bite: How hackers are still using Google Ads to spread malware 9to5Mac Security Bite is exclusively brought to you by Mosyle, the only Apple Unified Platform. Making Apple devices work-ready and enterprise-safe is all we do. Our unique integrated approach to management and security combines state-of-the-art Apple-specific security solutions for fully automated Hardening & Compliance, Next Generation EDR, AI-powered Zero Trust, and exclusive Privilege Management with the most powerful and modern Apple MDM on the market. The result is a totally automated Apple Unified Platform currently trusted by over 45,000 organizations to make millions of Apple devices work-ready with no effort and at an affordable cost. Request your EXTENDED TRIAL today and understand why Mosyle is everything you need to work with Apple.
Last weekend, Google was found again serving a malicious website at the top of Search as a sponsored result. This isn’t the first time Google Ads has approved websites with embedded malware; in fact, the first instance of this goes back to 2007 when the platform (then called Google AdWords) was promoting fake antivirus software widely referred to as “scareware” at the time. But how, in 2025, can Google, with its DeepMind and deeper pockets, still allow this to happen? How are hackers outsmarting it?
This week, I want to briefly discuss this new campaign and how they were likely able to pull it off.
Security Bite is a weekly security-focused column on 9to5Mac. Each week, I share insights on data privacy, discuss the latest vulnerabilities, and shed light on emerging threats within Apple’s vast ecosystem of over 2 billion active devices.
more…
Agenda 20.0.1 Date-focused note-taking app adds support for collapsing note sections and text filtering of notes. (Free or $34.99 annual subscription for Premium features, free update, 75.8 MB, macOS 10.14+)
∞ The Dalrymple Report: iOS 18.3, HomePad, and Siri With the upcoming release of iOS 18.3, Apple Intelligence can no longer be considered a beta, but sadly it still sucks really bad. Apple is rumored to be working on a new product to replace the HomePod and will include a screen and Apple Intelligence. Speaking of Siri, Dave and I ask it some simple questions that it gets wrong.
Follow this podcast
Show Notes:
Academy Award nomination list
iOS 18.3 brings two upgrades to Camera Control on your iPhone 16
On the rumored "HomePad"
Shows and movies we're watching
Collision, Acorn TV
Suspect, BritBox
De Palma, Amazon Prime
River, Amazon Prime and BritBox
Apple Intelligence to Be Enabled on All Compatible Devices Apple’s upcoming operating system updates will make Apple Intelligence the default, sparking widespread reactions. Adam Engst delves into why Apple is making this decision and offers guidance on the implications of embracing or deactivating the broad feature set.
Tim Cook quits Apple for Lumon Industries in 'Severance' promo "Severance" director Ben Stiller has shared a video of Apple CEO Tim Cook's new morning routine, as he goes from being an outie to an innie, in the now famous Lumon elevator.Tim Cook in the "Severance" elevator — image credit: Apple"Severance" has played host to skits before, with Stephen Colbert including an extended sequence of him working at Lumon Industries. But for season 2 of the Apple TV+ hit, it was no longer enough to get a comedian in on the act, the show had to go right to the top.Was helping this new guy find his office this morning pic.twitter.com/ldBBvH7AmU— Ben Stiller (@BenStiller) January 24, 2025 Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
How to explore legacy VR and 3D content using Apple Vision Pro Apple Vision Pro may represent the latest in technological innovations from Apple, but it also acts as an excellent time machine for exploring VR and 3D content spanning back decades. Here are the apps to check out.Apple Vision Pro is an excellent tool for viewing legacy 3D and VR contentHumanity has been toying around with the idea of escaping to different realities through technology for decades. Science fiction has depicted everything from goggles to holodecks, and archaic forms of VR and 3D have been around for decades.Apple Vision Pro is the latest attempt that's packed to the brim with incredible technology, but since it's a general computer with apps and a browser, users can access more than just native content. Everything from planetarium dome videos to VR that predates the PlayStation can be run on Apple's hardware. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
Cloudflare WARP: Issues in processing Device Management Jan 24, 15:14 UTCInvestigating - Cloudflare is investigating issues with WARP Device Management: Customers may experience processing delays when attempting to remove, revoke or unrevoke devices.We are working to understand the full impact and mitigate this problem. More updates to follow shortly.
Supreme Bharat launching on iOS and Android The growth story of Bharat is set to be decade and century-defining with the country making big strides in the long untouched sectors. The mammoth has to be the technology manufacturing units being built at a rapid pace, followed by redevelopment of cities, and unicorn startups pushing the country to space and beyond. The steady […]
The post appeared first on iLounge.
How to find free API for Image Generation from this app? Hi. This app https://apps.apple.com/us/app/imagica-ai-image-generator/id6739493142 generates images absolutely free without any costs! What API can it use? How is it possible to find which API it is using? submitted by /u/GroundbreakingTie750 [link] [comments]
Tata Electronics buys 60% stake in Pegatron India for Apple iPhone factory On Friday, Tata Electronics announced that it has acquired a 60% stake in Pegatron's Indian subsidiary, which manages an iPhone factory…
The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.
Apple CEO Tim Cook Visits Lumon Industries in 'Severance' Promo Video The hit Apple TV+ workplace thriller "Severance" returned for a second season last week, and Apple continues to heavily market the show.
In a short video shared today by "Severance" executive producer Ben Stiller, Apple CEO Tim Cook visits Lumon Industries. He enters the office's elevator and undergoes the severance procedure, which divides his memories between his work and personal life. Cook arrives to the severed floor as his "innie," wearing a "Tim C." name tag.
A stoic but smiling Tim C. walks down a hallway and enters a room with Milchick, who greets him by calling him the "core of the apple." Cook sits down in front of a TV, which will play a video walking him through his new severed work life.
Was helping this new guy find his office this morning… pic.twitter.com/ldBBvH7AmU— Ben Stiller (@BenStiller) January 24, 2025
Episode two of the second season of "Severance" is now available to watch on Apple TV+, which costs $9.99 per month or $99 per year in the U.S. after a seven-day trial. Apple TV+ is also included in all Apple One subscription bundles.
"Severance" was created by Dan Erickson. The first season of the show premiered in 2022 to critical acclaim, becoming one of Apple TV+'s most popular series. In the second season, Apple says the Lumon Industries employees "learn the dire consequences of trifling with the severance barrier, leading them further down a path of woe."Tags: Apple TV Plus, Apple TV Shows, Tim CookThis article, "" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums
Is there a way to have a free subscription for my own app? Hey, i am seeking the following functionality, but I am not sure if I found it. I want to subscribe to my own app, without paying the app store fees. I just need it as a "everything is right" production version control & confirmation. What would be the best way here? I looked into promo […]
SMS Delivery Delays to Tigo in Chad Jan 24, 06:43 PSTInvestigating - We are experiencing SMS delivery delays when sending messages to Tigo in Chad. Our engineers are working with our carrier partner to resolve the issue. We will provide another update in 1 hour or as soon as more information becomes available.
Apple Developer subscription delay in process order. Hey guys, can it take longer than the two business days for the Apple Developer Program application to be processed? I signed up for the program this week and it's already past the two business days. I have three apps to submit (which are past the deadline 😥😥😥) and I'm very disappointed with the support. […]
Beauty Consultant – *Apple* Blossom Mall – JCPenney (United States) Beauty Consultant - Apple Blossom Mall Location:Winchester, VA, United States (https://jobs.jcp.com/jobs/location/191170/winchester-va-united-states) - Apple
Omnichannel Associate – *Apple* Blossom Mall – JCPenney (United States) Omnichannel Associate - Apple Blossom Mall Location:Winchester, VA, United States (https://jobs.jcp.com/jobs/location/191170/winchester-va-united-states) - Apple
Hair Stylist – *Apple* Blossom Mall – JCPenney (United States) Hair Stylist - Apple Blossom Mall Location:Winchester, VA, United States (https://jobs.jcp.com/jobs/location/191170/winchester-va-united-states) - Apple Blossom
Cashier – *Apple* Blossom Mall – JCPenney (United States) Cashier - Apple Blossom Mall Location:Winchester, VA, United States (https://jobs.jcp.com/jobs/location/191170/winchester-va-united-states) - Apple Blossom Mall
Registered Nurse – *Apple* Hill Surgery Center (Intra-Procedural OR) – Day – WellSpan Health (United States) Registered Nurse - Apple Hill Surgery Center (Intra-Procedural OR) - Day Location: WellSpan Health, York, PA Schedule: Part Time Schedule Part Time: 24 Hours/Week
Solutions Engineer – *Apple* – SHI (United States) **Job Summary** An Apple Solution Engineer's primary role is tosupport SHI customers in their efforts to select, deploy, and manage Apple operating systems and
Commercial / Residential Roofing Site Supervisor – Apple Roofing (United States) Description Apple Roofing is currently seeking a highly skilled and professional Residential / Commercial Roofing Site Supervisor to join our team. As a Site
Part Time – Student – Blue *Apple* Cafe Worker (Spring 2025) – Pennsylvania State University (United States) …to enhance your work experience. Student openings are available at the Blue Apple Cafe. Employee meal discount during working hours is provided. Job Duties +
Nurse Anesthetist – *Apple* Hill Surgery Center – WellSpan Health (United States) Nurse Anesthetist - Apple Hill Surgery Center Location: WellSpan Medical Group, York, PA Schedule: Full Time At WellSpan Health, our community of 23,000 employees,
Commercial Account Manager – Apple Roofing (United States) …in the greater Kansas City, MO area to service designated territory and clients. Apple Roofing is a leading name in the roofing industry, recognized for providing
Environmental Services Technician – *Apple* Hill – Evening/Night – WellSpan Health (United States) Environmental Services Technician - Apple Hill - Evening/Night Location: WellSpan Health, York, PA Schedule: Full Time Full time (80 hours biweekly) Monday - Friday
Part-time *Apple* and Peach Research Assistants- Kumar lab – Pennsylvania State University (United States) …and minimum qualifications: + Assist with planting, pruning, and harvesting of apple and peach trees + Conduct regular maintenance tasks to ensure optimal
Facilities Technician III – *Apple* Hill – WellSpan Health (United States) Facilities Technician III - Apple Hill Location: WellSpan Health, York, PA Schedule: Full Time Work Schedule: 7am to 3:30pm On-call requirements General Summary
Licensed Practical Nurse – Internal Medicine *Apple* Hill – WellSpan Health (United States) Licensed Practical Nurse - Internal Medicine Apple Hill York Location: WellSpan Medical Group, York, PA Schedule: Full Time Schedule Full Time: Monday - Friday Days
Sonographer – *Apple* Hill Imaging Center – Evenings – WellSpan Health (United States) Sonographer - Apple Hill Imaging Center - Evenings Location: York Hospital, York, PA Schedule: Full Time Full Time (80 hrs/pay period) Evenings General Summary
Surgical Scheduler – Oncology Cancer Center *Apple* Hill – WellSpan Health (United States) Surgical Scheduler - Oncology Cancer Center Apple Hill York Location: WellSpan Medical Group, York, PA Schedule: Full Time Schedule Full Time: Monday - Friday Days
Bi-lingual (Spanish) Level 1 *Apple* Support Specialist – CompuCom (United States) …right people. Our client is currently seeking a qualified Bi-lingual (Spanish) Level 1 Apple Support Specialist to join their team. This role can be hybrid / remote
Channel Sales Manager – *Apple* Retail – DISH Network (United States) …large. **Job Duties and Responsibilities** Boost Mobile recently launched sales capabilities through Apple Stores and on apple .com. We are seeking a highly
Operations Associate – *Apple* Blossom Mall – JCPenney (United States) Operations Associate - Apple Blossom Mall Location:Winchester, VA, United States (https://jobs.jcp.com/jobs/location/191170/winchester-va-united-states) - Apple
Beauty Consultant – *Apple* Blossom Mall – JCPenney (United States) Beauty Consultant - Apple Blossom Mall Location:Winchester, VA, United States (https://jobs.jcp.com/jobs/location/191170/winchester-va-united-states) - Apple