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- Thursday January 30
- 02:56 pmNetflix just revealed its big 2025 TV lineup, here’s what’s coming
Netflix is by far the most dominant player in streaming, and today the company revealed its content release plans for 2025 with lots of big new shows and movies debuting. Here are the highlights. more…02:37 pmDeepSeek exposed chat history and other sensitive data, show security researchers
In a major security failing, Chinese AI chatbot DeepSeek exposed chat history and other sensitive data in a database accessible without any authentication. The security researchers who discovered the issue say that the exposure included more than a million lines of log entries, which included chat history and secret keys … more…02:30 pmThis isn’t just any bike bell — think of it as an AirTag for your bike
Think of it as an AirTag for your ride. Give yourself some peace of mind while this bike tracker costs just $19.99 (regularly $29.99). (via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)02:15 pmAll eyes on Apple earnings today. Here’s what Wall Street expects.
Apple is anticipated to demonstrate revenue growth over the previous year in its upcoming earnings report, yet the primary concern for… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.02:13 pmStudy: Fewer iPhone users are springing for storage upgrades
Macworld Most tech buzzwords turn out to be short-lived fads. But cloud computing, an industry obsession long before AI and spatial computing grabbed the limelight, has quietly fulfilled its early promise to a degree that is becoming a problem for Apple’s bottom line. The idea of cloud computing is a simple one: Users offload data, apps, and processes from their devices and store it in the cloud, by which we simply mean a third party’s servers. Provided you have access to a reliable internet connection, and trust the security and privacy credentials of your cloud provider, this makes life easier. It’s easier to work across multiple devices, and the storage burden on each device becomes far lighter. The problem, as far as Apple is concerned, comes when customers become so accustomed to a lighter storage burden that they lower their hardware buying requirements. On Wednesday the analyst company Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) published a new report entitled Are iPhone Buyers Finally Ready to Rely on the Cloud? This found that premium iPhone customers are becoming less inclined to spend extra for additional storage. In the quarter ended December 2024, the proportion of top-end buyers (which means buyers of the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max) who paid for storage beyond the baseline allocation was 44 percent, down from 48 percent for the equivalent models in the equivalent quarter a year earlier. Likewise, storage upgrading among buyers of “flagship” models (the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus, or 15 and 15 Plus the year before) fell from 48 percent to 42 percent. This might not sound like much, but those small percentages add up quickly, especially when charging extra for more storage has long been one of Apple’s most reliable revenue streams. A baseline (256GB, $1,199) iPhone 16 Pro Max has a big profit margin, but this pales in comparison with the 1TB, $1,599 model because storage components simply aren’t that expensive–not anywhere near. (Admittedly this is a huge simplification, but look for a 1TB SSD on Amazon and see if it costs you $400.) In hardware terms, storage upgrades are about as close to pure profit as it gets for Apple. The iPhone Pro Max has started at a heft 256GB of storage for two years while the other models all have 128GB.Connor Jewiss / Foundry This makes it a problem when customers offload more and more of their data to the cloud–streaming songs from Apple Music or Spotify, storing photos and videos in iCloud–and there isn’t the same need for a large storage allowance. The amount of storage Apple currently offers with its baseline iPhones is enough for most people, and that’s costing the company money. Of course, an agile and forward-looking company can pivot to a certain extent and make money from this trend in other areas. Apple Music itself is a revenue driver, as is iCloud. Services is indeed a consistent growth area… but then again, in Q4 2024 the entire Services department (which includes the App Store, AppleCare, and a lot of other things that aren’t related to cloud computing) brought in $25 billion in revenue, compared to the iPhone’s $46.2 billion. It’s not really comparable. At the same time, the trend is not universal, and CIRP actually saw an increase in storage upgrades among buyers of the remaining “legacy” phones, which rose from 38 percent to 48 percent. That’s extra money coming in. Perhaps it can make up for the lost upgrades at the high end? Up to a point, and that’s all. It’s not surprising that legacy buyers are more inclined to pay for extra storage, partly because they start with less (the baseline is just 64GB for the iPhone SE) and partly because both the phones and the upgrades are cheaper. The baseline 64GB iPhone SE is currently $429, while the 256GB model is $579. That’s a maximum upsell of $150 on a device that starts with a far lower profit margin in the first place. Can we expect a 64GB iPhone 17 as Apple addresses this worrying trend? Probably not. I suspect that the cat is out of the bag as far as cloud computing is concerned, and costly storage upgrades may become a thing of the past, except for a smaller niche market that needs unusually large storage allocations for professional reasons. But this is bad news for Apple, and we shouldn’t be surprised if prices start to creep up as the company looks to bolster its profit margins in other areas.02:00 pmHow to schedule texts and send messages later on iPhone
Schedule a text message from your iPhone to make sure you never forget to send that reminder text or birthday greetings. (via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)01:18 pmSatellite video calls coming to Europe and US, starting this year
Satellite video calls will be coming to Europe from later this year, following a successful demo of the tech by Vodafone in partnership with AST SpaceMobile. Rollout in the US through AT&T will follow some time later. As with existing satellite text and voice calls, the service will operate in remote areas where no cellular coverage is available … more…01:07 pmHow TSMC beat Intel to be Apple's main chip foundry
TSMC and Apple's partnership hasn't always been certain, with a new interview detailing how the company fended off an attempt by Intel to become Apple's chip foundry partner in 2011.TSMC founder Morris Chang - Image Credit: Acquired/YouTubeTSMC has a long history being Apple's chip producer, with it making everything from iPhone chips to Apple Silicon. However, there was a chance that Intel could've been in that role.In an interview with YouTube channel Acquired, TSMC founder Morris Chang explained how Apple paused talks with TSMC in February 2011, to hear a proposal from Intel. At the time, Intel wanted to become the firm to construct Apple's chips, in the midst of when Intel chips were used throughout the Mac lineup. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums12:41 pmApple named Fortune’s Most Admired Company for 18th year running
For the 18th year running, Apple has been named Fortune’s Most Admired Company. The rankings are based of a survey of more than 3,000 company execs across 30 countries. While Apple’s number one position was unchanged, a new company made the top five for the first time this year … more…12:25 pmDeepSeek privacy under investigation in US and Europe; removed from App Store in Italy
DeepSeek privacy concerns have led to investigations being opened in both the US and Europe, and seen the app removed from the App Store in Italy. It seems likely the same will happen in other countries. Italian’s privacy regulator questioned whether the app complied with GDPR, a tough privacy law that applies across 30 different countries … more…11:15 amHave you restarted your MacBook this week? You should
Macworld Whether you’re a veteran Mac user or a macOS Sequoia newbie, you’ve probably heard that Macs never need to be restarted. It’s a belief that goes back to the time when PC and Macs were represented by different actors and let me tell you: It’s a myth. Now, some of you reading this will roll your eyes and say, “Well, of course.” But there are plenty of MacBook users who simply close their lid at the end of the day and reopen it the next morning. The only time they might consider a restart is when a macOS update forces them to. I know because I was one. I’ve been a Mac user since 2000 (Power Mac G4 Gigabit Ethernet) and have never made a habit of restarting. It was never an issue until I got my first Apple silicon Mac. Even though it had 16GB of RAM, twice that of the laptop it replaced, I had constant issues, with memory pressure causing regular slowdowns and crashes, and battery life suffering. I thought maybe it was an M1 issue, being a first-generation chip and all, but the problem persisted when I upgraded to an M2 Pro machine a year later (also with 16GB of RAM). So last year I sprung for a MacBook far more capable than I needed: an M3 Max MacBook Pro with 36GB of RAM. While I use my MacBook a lot, I’m not what you’d call a heavy user. I use Photoshop, Microsoft 365 apps, and Safari with roughly 20 tabs open at all times. But even on this monster of a machine, which runs very fast most of the time, it struggles to keep up after a couple of weeks without a restart. It’s most noticeable with the battery, which can fluctuate between hours no matter what I’m doing. Foundry As you can see in the screenshot above, last week my battery screen-on time averaged between 7-9 hours. This week, that was up to nearly 12 hours. The only difference? A restart on Sunday night. While Macs back in the day could go months without a restart and run just the same, today’s modern machines are far more complex. For example, the unified memory serves both the CPU and the GPU so it’s constantly in use. Even as I write this, nearly 30GB of my system’s 36GB of memory is in use. That’s not a flaw, it’s the way macOS works with Apple’s system architecture. It’s why everything feels so speedy and smooth, but it’s also the reason why things get bogged down after a while. And it’s why a restart once a week or so will go a long way. Don’t worry, I won’t tell your PC friends.10:30 amApple should smarten up the HomePod mini 2 with these 5 upgrades
Macworld Back in 2020, Apple introduced the $99 HomePod mini for those seeking a miniature, more affordable edition of its smart speaker. While I absolutely adore the pair I’ve connected to my Apple TV for audio output, certain annoyances sometimes downgrade the overall experience. With the HomePod mini 2 rumored to launch at some point this year, I hope Apple addresses my concerns by equipping it with these five upgrades. 1. ChatGPT integration On the latest versions of iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia, users can rely on ChatGPT’s smarts when addressing Siri. Notably, this integration, like other Apple Intelligence perks, is limited to the latest iPhones, iPads, and Macs. With the HomePod mini 2, I sincerely hope Apple supports the ChatGPT integration and lets users configure it in the Home app. Limiting Writing Tools and image generation features to devices with at least 8GB of RAM makes sense because they work offline. Incorporating ChatGPT, on the other hand, would merely send queries to and fetch relevant responses from OpenAI’s servers. I’m confident there are no technical challenges preventing the company from supporting it on less powerful products. Now, you may be wondering: Can’t this guy just use the upgraded Siri on his iPhone, iPad, and Mac? Does he really need ChatGPT on the HomePod? The problem is that, by design, HomePods will always handle your voice commands. So, when you holler Siri or Hey Siri, the “smart” speaker will process your request, even if you’re actively using an Apple Intelligence-equipped device. This limits me to Siri’s infamous knowledge and bars me from using the ChatGPT integration—unless I trigger Siri using the physical button on my iDevice or Mac. But that’s impractical when one’s hands are occupied. As a workaround, I set my HomePods to only respond to “Hey Siri” (and not “Siri”). This way, when I need to control media playback on my Apple TV, I can use the longer wake phrase to catch its attention. For all other queries, I opt for vanilla Siri, which only my iPhone, iPad, and Mac recognize. While this workaround is effective to an extent, it’s unnecessary, and most users are probably unaware of it. Baking ChatGPT into the HomePod mini 2 would make everyone’s lives easier. 2. A Dolby Atmo-Sphere My HomePod mini journey started with a single unit a couple of years ago. I instantly fell in love with the 10cm sphere and decided to buy a second one to enable stereo listening. Initially, Apple promised it would bring Dolby Atmos support to both the original and mini variants of its smart speaker. However, it ultimately restricted spatial audio to the non-mini editions. While some claim you can force the minis to output spatial audio with certain workarounds, I haven’t personally been able to make it work. Furthermore, Apple explicitly states on an official support document (https://support.apple.com/en-us/102357) that the HomePod mini is incompatible with Dolby Atmos. Foundry Critics may argue that spatial audio is a privilege exclusive to flagship devices. Though, given that the entry-level AirPods 3 and 4 support the format, it’s clear that Apple isn’t limiting it to its premium products. So, here’s hoping the HomePod mini 2 officially adopts spatial audio output to help users further liven up the atmosphere. 3. Casting call: mini meets Android Unfortunately, life sometimes throws green-bubbled friends our way, and we can’t always say no to that. While us humans have, to some extent, learned how to accept each other’s differences, the HomePod mini still has a long way to go. Despite packing a Bluetooth chip like most other wireless speakers, it limits audio input to Apple’s proprietary AirPlay protocol. So, when we accidentally invite an Android phone user over, they can’t cast audio to the HomePod mini, as AirPlay isn’t officially supported on Google’s platform. Apple’s solution is using the recently upgraded SharePlay feature in Apple Music that lets anyone in your house control the queue—without necessarily having an iPhone or active subscription. Not all HomePod owners pay for Apple Music and can access SharePlay, however, and sometimes the greenlings may want to cast a different type of audio that isn’t music. While a simple OS update could theoretically unlock this restriction on existing HomePod models. I wish Apple would let mini 2 users cast media via Bluetooth, at least. 4. Visual symphonies The HomePod mini already has a smart display of sorts. When in use, its brightness automatically adjusts to the room’s lighting, and the colors change based on the performed action. For example, you get Siri’s hues when relying on the assistant and a generic white dot when playing media. Foundry A welcome HomePod mini 2 upgrade would be introducing an even smarter screen that adapts to the playing media. When streaming music, the screen would double as a basic visualizer featuring the album art’s prominent colors. The shades would also sway accordingly—similar to Siri’s existing animations that react to your voice and its responses. 5. A green-minded speaker Last but not least, a truly smart speaker would also care about our deteriorating planet. The original HomePod has a semi-removable power cord that requires users to pull it out in a very careful and specific manner. Apple then addressed the issue with the HomePod 2 by making the cable’s ejection process safer and more straightforward. Unlike both models, the HomePod mini has a totally non-removable cord. So, those who damage the power cable can’t simply buy another one and replace it at home. They’d either need to buy a new speaker or check if Apple can repair the damage—which typically costs a premium. Hopefully, the HomePod mini 2 will follow in the HomePod 2’s footsteps and introduce a similar cord. It’s unethical to deem a functional speaker useless strictly because its degenerated cable is glued to it. The next HomePod mini should be more easily repairable, including a replaceable power cord.Foundry Make the upgrade matter The HomePod mini is already a well-rounded speaker as it is. Besides offering a voice assistant, solid sound quality, and seamless integration with Apple’s ecosystem, it also fully supports Thread networking and controlling HomeKit, and Matter smart home accessories. Nevertheless, and as we’ve established above, there are a few imperfections that the iPhone maker could address with the forthcoming model, and I hope it’ll be a noteworthy refresh. Given the insignificance of the recent AirPods Max “upgrade,” I fear Apple may similarly go for a lazy approach with the HomePod mini 2. Beyond featuring an upgraded, in-house Wi-Fi chip with support for Wi-Fi 6E, not much is known about the new model’s enhancements.10:27 amHow to delete spam calendar events on iPhone
Macworld If you’ve discovered that weird appointments and reminders are appearing in your iPhone’s Calendar app, you may be afraid that you have an iPhone Calendar virus, or that your iPhone Calendar has been hacked. What’s more likely is that you have been subscribed to a third-party calendar, which is generating annoying spam appointments. This kind of calendar is becoming prolific, with more and more cases, so you are most certainly not alone in seeing these annoying appointments appear on your iPhone – in fact Macworld staff have also been affected by this irritating phenomenon. Thankfully, iPhone calendar spam is not dangerous and should be easy to get rid of. This isn’t an iPhone Calendar Virus, but it certainly feels like one when a cluster of strange appointments appear on your iPhone. (If you are concerned that you have a virus read: How to remove a virus from an iPhone or iPad for advice.) Here’s how to stop iPhone calendar spam on your iPhone – and how to avoid falling foul of this sort of attack. Unfortunately, because Apple’s products are so interlinked, if you get spam in your iPhone calendar it’s inevitable that it will also turn up on all your other Apple devices. The tips here should help you deal with the Calendar spam on your iPhone, iPad, Mac and anywhere else. How the ‘iPhone calendar virus’ got on your iPhone The usual route to your iPhone is through emails and text messages that include invites to events in the form of an .ics file. Even if you decline them, this can leave an opening for hackers to send more invites to your calendar, which can lead to disastrous consequences. Number-one rule: never click on any links or other active sections of the appointments. If you can, simply delete the event as normal, but the chances are you’ll need to unsubscribe from the calendar as well, which we cover in the next section. We received a message that came in via Messages via an iCloud address. Luckily we didn’t open the message, but this is how it appeared – and because the message went to the Messages app it’s on all our Apple products, which is a tad annoying! Others have received a DHL spam text asking them to track a parcel and providing a link. Of course, as soon as people click on the link they end up subscribing to a calendar that fills their iPhone with appointments for things like critical threats and other warnings. We have also heard from friends and family concerned about appointments alerting them to the need to protect their devices. For example, they might see a: “Your iPhone might not be protected! Click to protect it!” message. A link follows the message – under no circumstances should you click on the link! What to do if you get iPhone Calendar spam The best advice for any text or email like that is to treat it as you would phishing emails, which try to trick you into giving away personal data. Don’t interact with the appointments in any way, other than to delete them. If the appointment arrived via a text in the Messages app to delete it you should swipe from right to left and choose Delete. Your iPhone may then offer to Report Junk, which we suggest you do. Then follow the next steps. How delete spam calendar events on iPhone If a load of appointments have suddenly arrived on your iPhone what can you do? How can you get rid of the iPhone calendar spam? One way is to follow these steps: Open the Apple Calendar app. Tap Calendars at the bottom of the page. Look for any that you don’t recognise. Once you’ve located it, tap the red circle with an ‘i’ inside to open up the information panel. Finally, scroll down to the bottom of the panel until you find the Delete Calendar option. Select this and hopefully that will put an end to the unwanted invites. If that doesn’t fix the problem, move onto the next step… How to stop calendar spam on iPhone If you continue to receive spam invites, then it could be that the troublesome calendar has a subscription set up on your iPhone. Removing this is simple. Open Settings. Select Calendar > Accounts. Look for the Subscribed Calendars option and tap it. Find any calendars that you don’t want, then select them and tap the Delete Account option. This should be all you need to do to stop the rogue appointments and reminders from appearing on your calendar. For more ways to get organized, check out our guide to the best productivity apps.10:15 amTrump administration tariffs on Taiwanese chips could raise prices of Apple products
If you’re saving up for a new Mac, iPhone, or iPad this year, it might be a bit more expensive than you expected. The difference could come if the Trump administration’s plans to impose tariffs on Taiwanese chips from companies such as TSMC. On Monday, Trump announced that tariffs of up to 100 percent could […] Source10:00 amNetflix includes new “Season Download” feature for its iOS and iPadOS apps
This could undoubtedly come in handy. Netflix on Tuesday introduced a new “Season Download” feature for its iPhone and iPad apps, allowing for users to download an entire season of a series with a single tap for offline viewing. Per the Hollywood Reporter, the feature was previously only available to Android users. iOS and iPadOS […] Source09:00 amNo, you can’t set a default Save As location in macOS
Macworld It seems obvious: when you open a file in an app through the File > Open menu item, you would like to have the same location chosen when you choose File > Save for a new file or File > Save As (Option key may be required) to save the document under a new name. Clicking the current folder name displays recent folders. The dropdown list shows the most recent locations you’ve used. The Open dialog (and Save As) don’t retain the last place you opened or saved in macOS.Foundry If you want to control the snapping back of Open/Save As dialogs, you need to install a third-party app, such as Default Folder X ($39.95). This Mac 911 article is in response to a question submitted by Macworld reader Ken. Ask Mac 911 We’ve compiled a list of the questions we get asked most frequently, along with answers and links to columns: read our super FAQ to see if your question is covered. If not, we’re always looking for new problems to solve! Email yours to mac911@macworld.com, including screen captures as appropriate and whether you want your full name used. Not every question will be answered; we don’t reply to emails, and we cannot provide direct troubleshooting advice.08:09 amMacworld Podcast: What’s new with iOS 18.3
Macworld Apple released an update to iOS, so what should you expect? We take a look at what’s in iOS 18.3, plus talk about the latest Apple news, in this episode of the Macworld Podcast! This is episode 919 with Jason Cross, Michael Simon, and Roman Loyola. Watch episode 919 on YouTube Listen to episode 919 on Apple Podcasts08:00 amLost your wallet again? Track it down like an AirTag with this card-sized tracker
Macworld Apple AirTags solved the problem of your lost keys, but what about your lost wallet? With this SmartCard, you can track your wallet as easily as your Apple devices — just slide the card in and open the Find My app to pinpoint its location instantly. Right now, you can grab a 3-pack of SmartCards for only $79.97 (regularly $119). The SmartCard is a slim, credit-card-sized tracker that fits comfortably into your wallet. It offers the same reliable functionality as the AirTag but without the bulk. It boasts a longer-lasting rechargeable battery. No battery replacements make this a more eco-friendly option—charge it wirelessly every five months with any Qi-enabled charger. Plus, with an IPX8 waterproof rating, it’s built to withstand outdoor adventures and wet conditions. Use the three SmartCards to keep track of your wallet, bag, passport, or luggage, or gift one to a friend or family member who’s always misplacing their wallet. This deal ends 1/31 at 11:59 PM PT, so get your SmartCard 3-pack for just $79.97. KeySmart® SmartCard – Works with Apple Find My (3-Pack) – $79.97 See Deal StackSocial prices subject to change.04:22 amHow to enable Apple Intelligence when booting from an external drive
If you've moved your system to an external drive, Apple Intelligence normally won't work, but there's a workaround. Here's how to enable it.Enable Apple Intelligence when starting up from an external drive.In our previous article we showed you how to enable Apple Intelligence and the ChatGPT extension on your Mac. But if you want to start up your Mac from an external drive and use Apple Intelligence, you'll be blocked.While you can still use Siri while booted into an external drive, Apple Intelligence will be disabled. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our ForumsWednesday January 2911:30 pmApple Maps shows users the Gulf of Mexico when searching for 'Gulf of America'
Apple Maps has seemingly taken a half step in addressing the United States Gulf of Mexico renaming, but it isn't clear if this is the permanent solution or a placeholder.Apple Maps showing search results for 'Gulf of America'When President Trump took office on January 20, 2025, one of the first executive orders he signed changed the names of multiple locations in and out of the United States. The most controversial was the change from Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America.Politicians were quick to question Apple and Google on when the change would be reflected in their respective mapping apps. Google responded by stating Google Maps would be updated when the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) was updated — it still shows the Gulf of Mexico. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums