Apple Penn Square workers picketed outside Oklahoma City mall
Oklahoma City's Apple Penn Square employees set up shop outside the Penn Square Mall, hoping to gain public support and awareness ahead of its negotiations with Apple.Image Credit: Central OK Labor Federation (@OKCOLF on X)Apple Penn Square employees were the second store to unionize, with the employees voting to unionize in October 2022.On Tuesday, workers and union reps set up an "informational picket" at the Penn Square Mall, hoping to raise awareness of the unsatisfactory working conditions they face. The Communication Workers of America (CWA) Local 6016 organized the picket. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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This weirdly unknown trick is perfect for finding a missplaced iPhone
Macworld After almost a decade of using the Apple Watch, you might think you’d know all the tips and tricks by heart. But this one may surprise you—and I have to admit I had never heard of this ingenious little trick making the rounds on Reddit. It involves a basic function that’s been built in since the first version of watchOS, the one that lets you ping your iPhone via the Apple Watch’s Control Center (provided the iPhone is within Bluetooth range of the watch). We all know how this simple and useful function works—all you have to do is bring up the Control Center on your watch by pressing the side button. Then tap the ping icon, which depicts a ringing iPhone, and you’ll hear a loud ringing on the phone so you can locate it. But here’s the trick: if you tap and hold the icon, you’ll also receive visual feedback in addition to the acoustic ping: the LED light on the back of the phone will flash briefly. This is particularly useful in dark rooms, so you can easily see where your iPhone is hiding. On compatible devices such as the iPhone 15 and the Apple Watch Series 9, the long tap also brings up the Precision Finding interface, which helps navigate you to the phone. The iPhone emits an acoustic signal once and the instructions on the watch display show you the distance to the smartphone and its approximate direction. If the iPhone is in the immediate vicinity, the Apple Watch display lights up green and the iPhone rings twice. During the search, you can ping the iPhone again and again; the icon for this appears in the bottom right-hand corner of the display. Just note that the iPhone must be locked for the LED signal to work when pinging the Apple Watch. If the iPhone is unlocked, you’ll only get the audio ping.

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The M3 MacBook Pro with 512GB SSD is $300 Off
The M3 MacBook Pro at $300 off is an amazing deal for those who are looking for a portable workstation that can do it all. Today, the 14-inch MacBook Pro with 512GB SSD storage is down to just $1,299 from its original price of $1,600 on Amazon. The M3 chip is both graphics card and […] The post appeared first on iLounge.

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Huawei reveals own September 10 event
Chinese firm Huawei revealed its own unveiling event of a new smartphone model in line with Apple’s iPhone debut. Huawei intends to debut ‘the world’s first tri-folding smartphone’ on September 10 local time to ride the iPhone 16 lineup at roughly the same time. A teaser image shows the rough outline of the model, with […] The post appeared first on iLounge.

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Xbox Cloud Gaming arriving on App Store ‘Impossible’
Microsoft recently went on to explain why they haven’t made an Xbox Cloud Gaming app on iOS yet. Cloud gaming apps have been given the green light since the start of 2024, but very few companies have made the move. According to Microsoft, the Xbox Cloud Gaming app is not about to make a debut […] The post appeared first on iLounge.

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Current Apple TV+ subscribers can now watch MLS Season Pass for free
If you're already subscribed to Apple TV+, you're in luck! You can add MLS Season Pass for free for the remainder of the 2024 season… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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iPhone 16 rumors: Design changes, release date and more
With the iPhone 16 release date mere days away, rumors point to a larger design on some models, better cameras, extra buttons and more. (via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)

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visionOS 2 beta 9 launches to developers
Apple has released its ninth beta iteration of visionOS 2 for developers following the eighth software update. Vision Pro devices and users can register for access and opt into the beta program by going to the Settings app, then to Software Update, and into ‘Beta Updates’ to toggle developer mode. To do this, users will […] The post appeared first on iLounge.

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Apple Music in iOS 18: Five new features are coming soon
Apple Music is getting a handful of nice upgrades in iOS 18 this fall. Some will arrive in iOS 18.0 in the coming weeks, and others in the 18.1 update expected in October. There are changes to the app’s organization, to much-improved SharePlay capabilities, a powerful iPad-only feature, and more. Here’s a look at the new features coming soon to Apple Music. more…

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Here are 16 rumored changes coming to the iPhone 16 lineup
We are eagerly awaiting the release of the iPhone 16 lineup, which should be unveiled at the upcoming “GlowTime” event on September 9th. In the meantime, we’ve gathered a list of the 16 biggest changes expected to come to the new iPhone 16s. From larger screens to camera-focused hardware, let’s dive into what you can expect from the iPhone 16. more…

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SwitchBot expands environmental monitoring lineup with Advanced Meter Pro and CO2 monitor
In its latest addition to its growing product portfolio, is launching two new products this week: the new SwitchBot Meter Pro and the SwitchBot Meter Pro (CO2 Monitor). Whether you’re looking to manage the temperature at home for optimal comfort, track humidity to prevent mold or other issues or monitor CO₂ levels to ensure air quality, having precise and reliable data is the best way to do that. more…

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Supercycle looms: 300 million iPhone users have not upgraded in over 4 years
Apple plans to unveil its iPhone 16 handsets at the company's "It's Glowtime" product launch event on Monday. Some 300 million iPhone users… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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Price drop: Take this rugged, waterproof speaker to the beach or your campsite for only $51.99
Take your audio anywhere with the Treblab HD77, a waterproof, shock-resistant, outdoor Bluetooth speaker with up to 20 hours of battery life. (via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)

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'Civilization VI' finally has native Apple Silicon support
Armchair generals can now conquer the world even faster on their Mac, with "Civilization VI" now supporting Apple Silicon.Civilization VISid Meier's Civilization VI, also known as Civ VI has been a long-time mainstay of strategy gaming on the Mac, having been available on the platform since 2016. However, a recent change has brought the game kicking and screaming to modern times.In August, Aspyr Media released an update to the Mac App Store for the game, making it optimized for Apple Silicon. In AppleInsider's testing of the game, it now loads about twice as fast as it did in its Intel-based release, and is much faster too, especially in the very demanding endgame. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Don’t let the radical new Photos app in iOS 18 throw you for a loop
The new Photos app in iOS 18 is the biggest change ever to how you browse your pictures, videos and memories. Here’s how to use it. (via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)

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iOS 18.1: AI ‘Clean Up’ in Photos was the one missing feature for most users [Video]
With iOS 18.1 Beta 3, Apple debuted its anticipated AI-assisted ‘Clean Up’ feature in the Photos app. As its name suggests, Clean Up helps users tidy up photos, removing everything from inanimate objects to people to blemishes, etc. I think Clean Up is the one missing feature that the Photos app desperately needs. Although it’s far from perfect in its current beta iteration, it shows lots of promise. Although it’s the most exciting change in the latest iOS 18.1 beta, Clean Up isn’t the only thing new. Watch my hands-on video as I consider Clean Up alongside additional new features and changes. more…

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Best Mac Cleaner software: Boost performance and disk space with a Mac cleaner app
Macworld If your Mac is slowing down, frequently freezing, regularly running out of RAM or just not behaving like it used to. Are you short of space on your Mac? Have you spotted the immense amount of room taken up by System Data and are now looking for a safe way to delete some of that data. What you need is a Mac cleaner app that will delete the clutter and digital debris from your system and free your RAM from memory hogs. Thankfully, there are a wealth of tools available to rectify that can clean up your Mac and get it working properly again. We’ve picked some of the best Mac cleaning software below so you can find one that suites you. The apps included in the list below all offer free trial versions. Some of these trials will merely show you how much space you can free up, but several are essentially free Mac Cleaners that will allow you to clean your Mac for free, albeit for a limited period. These include the trials for CleanMyMac, DaisyDisk, Parallels ToolBox and MacCleaner Pro featured below.  Updated: September 2024 with an updated review of MacPaw’s Gemini 2. PROMOTIONCleanMyMac X | Do more on a faster Mac Use CleanMyMac X to find hidden junk and free up unseen cache files. Locate large old folders, background apps, and heavy memory consumers. Tune your Mac for maximum speed, and keep it malware-free and secure. Make sure you use the Smart Scan weekly to help your computer stay productive all year round. Download Free Edition For more information about why a Mac cleaner app could be useful read: Why your Mac needs a cleaner app. We also discuss Tips for cleaning up your Mac. For more ways to squeeze the most out of your system read our How to speed up a slow Mac guide and How to delete Other on a Mac. We also look at How to delete System storage and How to clear cache on a Mac. Best Mac Cleaner 1. MacCleaner Pro Pros Impressive set of tools Good tutorial system Good level of configuration with the application’s modules Cons Occasionally awkward user interface Price When Reviewed: $74.95 for 1 Mac (one time purchase); or $29.95/a year for 1 Mac (usually $14.95 a month) Best Prices Today: Free at Nektony (free 2 day trial)$74.95 at Nektony (one time purchase) MacCleaner Pro from Nektony (version 3.3 at the time of our latest review) is divided into a core app and several module apps, namely App Cleaner & Uninstaller, Disk Space Analyzer, Duplicate File Finder, Memory Cleaner, and Funter. The core app can perform an overall disk cleaning and help free up storage space by eliminating extraneous files.  The App Cleaner & Uninstaller module works well, and allows you to see the app you’re removing as well as its support files. This module has been improved compared to version 3, and now offers you easier access to startup programs and extension files, allowing you to enable, disable, or remove them. A Remaining Files feature allows you to chase down loose files, while an Open With feature lets you assign applications to open certain file types. With Duplicate File Finder it’s easy to specify file types to look for, such as audio and photo files, with an impressive level of precise control. Memory Cleaner module offers an easy interface to show which applications and processes are consuming the most RAM. Funter module finds hidden files within your operating system.  The Fast Cleanup option was able to clear up 11.4GB of drive space, most of these being application cache files, while the Deep Cleanup feature helped reclaim 65.4GB of drive space.  We did have some peculiar instances in which a reminder poped up advising us to clear disk space for a macOS Sonoma (which was already installed). On another occasion when we paused scanning after half an hour we saw a request for full access to the hard drive.  MacCleaner Pro is easy to install, runs well and has a good feature base. You can buy it on an annual or monthly subscription or as a one-time purchase. The free trial version is fully functioning for two days and will actually perform some of the tasks you need to do, rather than ask you to buy the full version. You can get MacCleaner Pro here. Read our full Nektony MacCleaner Pro review 2. MacPaw CleanMyMac X Pros Excellent cleaning tools for Mac storage Large toolset Easy to use Cons Updater feature missed some app updates Malware Removal is still producing mixed results Price When Reviewed: $89.95 for 1 Mac (one time purchase); or $34.95/a year for 1 Mac (usually £39.95 a year) Best Prices Today: Free at MacPaw (free 7 day trial)$34.95 at MacPaw (one time purchase) CleanMyMac X is a catch-all utility designed to identify and clean out gigabytes upon gigabytes of unused system garbage. It grants you easy access to several handy utilities to clear up disk space, protect user privacy, optimize performance, update applications, uninstall software, and help prevent malware and adware. The modules include Smart Scan, System Junk, Mail Attachments, Trash Bins, Malware Removal, Privacy, Optimization, Maintenance, Uninstaller, Updater, Extensions, Space Lens, Large & Old Files, and Shredder. Among these you will find tools for file cleanup, malware removal, privacy cleanup, easy access to system extensions, the app uninstaller, and the ability to down multi-GB files you forgot to delete and a quick means of deleting them. Smart Scan is the overarching umbrella feature, hunting down extraneous files that can be deleted to clear drive space, performing a quick malware scan, and executing a speed test to look into optimization functions, such as freeing up RAM or quickly clearing system caches. The Disk Lens and Uninstaller offered a clear view as to which folders were consuming the most drive space and a quick means of removing applications.  I was able to recover more than 30GB of drive space as the program found unused files and disk images galore.  Our main criticism is that the developer overextends themselves by trying to be everything to everyone. Unfortunately, some features aren’t as good as others – particularly the Malware removal module and the Updater function, neither of which work as well as we hoped, even with the antivirus being updated to take advantage of the Moonlock Engine.  CleanMyMac X is easy to download and install, and features a bright, friendly user interface and it’s exceptionally easy to see what’s gobbling up the most space on your Mac’s hard drive. The features are well-integrated. The software costs can be purchased on an annual subscription or a one-time purchase for a 1 Mac license. There’s a free version available to download There is a free trial version available on the Mac App Store and from MacPaw’s website, but it restricts the app to only remove files up to a maximum of 500MB – and in the middle of deleting files it will demand you pay the license fee for the app. You can download that limited version and scan your Mac to see just now much space you can save before committing to buying the app. MacPaw is currently running a 30% discount for students – submit your university email address and receive a download code here.  You can get CleanMyMac X here. Read our full CleanMyMac X review 3. Gemini 1.1 Pros Quick, reliable, and capable of finding multiple duplicate types Excellent search customization, including folders and external volumes Handy preferences and options, including whitelist creation Cons Lack of additional filters makes sorting located duplicates more tedious than it should be Could use a scheduling feature Price When Reviewed: From $19.95 for 1 Mac, annually Best Prices Today: Free at MacPaw (free 7 day trial)$19.95 at MacPaw (annually) Though not strictly a Mac cleaner, like other apps in this round-up, MacPaw’s Gemini 2 can certainly help you get back some disc space. It is a duplicate removal tool that focuses specifically on reducing the thousands of duplicate photos in your Photos library. It also hunts down duplicate files within Apple Music and across the macOS operating system. The app is available through Apple’s App Store and MacPaw’s SetApp application, which grants access to Gemini and other apps for $9.99 (£7.60) a month. It is easy to install and offers a seven-day free trial in exchange for either your credit or debit card information. The app includes scripts for easy scanning of the Photos library and your Music library, as well as custom folders and external volumes that can be chosen from a menu or dragged, dropped, and quickly scanned. Other features include Menu Bar elements, whitelists that can be created that are exempt from being scanned, and a Duplicate Monitor feature that helps compare files and heads off duplicates before they begin to pile up. In testing, Gemini 2 quickly sought out duplicates, offered the option to remove them, and eradicated them from our hard drive. This also applies to music files and other document types, and the Duplicate Monitor warns you about possible duplicates that have been carried over to your hard drive. However, there are some caveats, such as confusion about account registration and permissions after downloading and installing Gemini 2 from the App Store. MacPaw is urging its clients towards SetApp subscriptions, which offer full access to the company’s apps for a given rate per month. While Gemini 2 runs well, a scheduling feature for folder or volume scans would not go amiss. An improved filter for located duplicate items would be more helpful. Despite some minor hurdles, Gemini 2 is well-written, sharp, helpful, fast, works well with all kinds of duplicates, and lends a good feature set to the macOS operating system without being overbearing. It hones in on its tasks and performs them well enough to earn the trust of users. You can get MacPaw Gemini 2 from the Mac App Store or from MacPaw here. Read our full Gemini 1.1 review 4. Parallels Toolbox Pros Full suite of Mac tools Fully featured free trial Cons May be more than you require Price When Reviewed: $24.99 per year Best Prices Today: Free at Parallels Toolbox Free 14-day Trial $24.99 at Parallels (annually) Parallels Toolbox is a bunch of tools that can be used to perform various actions on your Mac – such as Download Video, Record Audio, Hide Desktop Files, Resize Image, Clipboard History, Find Duplicates, Free Memory, and even the ability to set alarms. Among all these tools is one that can be used to clean your Mac. Mac cleaning tools provided in Parallels Toolbox that could also be useful when cleaning a Mac include Clean Drive, Uninstall Apps, Find Duplicates, and Free Memory. The Clean Drive tool scans your drive and then lets you choose what to delete. You can delete applications by dragging them to the trash, but this doesn’t always completely delete them. Often files and folders can be left scattered around your system that were related to that now gone app. Parallels’s Uninstall Apps tool will remove apps and their associated files from your Mac. Similarly, you can run Find Duplicates to dig out any identical files – even ones that have different file names. Parallel’s Toolbox costs $24.99/£20.99 a year, but the free 14-day trial will actually delete files, free memory and do all those other useful things without you buying the app! You can get an overview of Toolbox’s various features, and download the seven-day trial, from the company’s website. You can get Parallels Toolbox here. Read our full Parallels Toolbox review 5. Daisy Disk Pros Quickly scans storage and finds large files Graphical representation of storage File name previews Can check cloud storage Cons Some user-interface quirks Price When Reviewed: $9.99 Best Prices Today: $9.99 at Software Ambience (One time purchase) No one ever said tracking down and eliminating all the stuff that was devouring space on your Mac would be pleasant, but DaisyDisk succeeds in making it pretty simple. DaisyDisk is focused on file management, presenting what’s taking up invaluable disk space, and allowing you to work with it. If all you need is to make some space on your Mac (perhaps because you are trying to update the macOS and it needs more space than you have) then you could go for a tool that simply finds and deletes unnecessary files for you. If this sounds like you then DaisyDisk ($9.99/£9.99 on the Mac App Store) is an excellent tool for seeing the contents of your drive in a colorful and interactive graph. The files are sorted into various groups such as Large files, Documents, Music, and Downloads, each of which are allocated their own colors and spokes that show how much space that area is taking up. It’s a good at-a-glance method for understanding where all your space has gone. Each section can be clicked to bring up another circular breakdown of its contents, with each sector representing a file. These can be previewed to see whether you want them or not, and if it’s a case of the latter then you simply drag them to the bottom of the screen where all your junk files are stored. The point of DaisyDisk is that it will delete the files you don’t need for you – rather than you trying to locate them. A job that could take hours takes minutes and there is no danger of deleting something important. If you visit the DaisyDisk site then you’ll be able to download a trial version that shows you how the app works. This is useful, but as the delete feature has been disabled you won’t be able to clear out any files. Instead, go for the full-blown version which costs $9.99/£9.99 – at least that’s not a yearly subscription. You can get Daisy Disk here. Read our full Daisy Disk review 6. Nektony App Cleaner & Uninstaller Pros Simple user interface Free (with Pro upgrade) Cons Not as full-featured as alternatives Price When Reviewed: $14.95 a year for 1 Mac (usually $7.95 a month) Best Prices Today: Free at Nektony (free 3 day trial)$14.95 at Nektony (annually) Also from Nektony, is the simple and easy to use App Cleaner & Installer. This lightweight app is actually bundled with MacCleaner Pro (above), but this version focuses on clearing out the broken links, files, and other gubbins that get left behind when apps are uninstalled. It also, as the name suggests, allows you to uninstall apps cleanly from the get-go, and set which ones launch at start up.   There is a free version that does most of these tasks, but if you pay $9.99/£9.99 for the Pro upgrade you’ll also be able to remove system extensions, executable parts of files, and uninstall apps, plus the ads that adorn the free version disappear. Easy to recommend due to both its price and quality. You can get App Cleaner & Uninstaller here. 7. Onyx Pros Powerful toolset Versions for older Mac systems readily available Cons UI needs some time to learn Price When Reviewed: Free Best Prices Today: Free at Titanium Software (Donationware) There’s a reason Onyx from Titanium Software has been among the tools of choice for Mac techies for such a long time. It offers a great set of tools and an incredible level of customization. It’s also freeware, so you don’t have to pay a penny, although the developer Titanium Software appreciates donations. Onyx also combines a unique, bare-bones approach to its user interface while offering an incredible level of customization as to what files are affected during a repair. Onyx can repair permissions, rebuild databases, reorganize file structures, check hard disk structures, and restore indexes. It can even repaire Unix-level functions that would otherwise only be accessed through Terminal. The main downside is that it’s not all that simple to use and it’s easy to make errors. Luckily there are handy FAQ links on the Titanium Software website for common issues. There are versions of Onyx for each version of the macOS. You can get Onyx here. Read our full Onyx review 8. CCleaner Pros Impressive customization tools Excellent control over storage Cons User interface is a little clunky Price When Reviewed: $29.95 a year Best Prices Today: $14.99 at Macworld Software Store$29.95 at Piriform Software (annually) CCleaner from Piriform (acquired by Avast, which has subsequently merged with Norton) achieves what it sets out to do: help clean up gigabytes of cache files, internet history files, and locate and purge large files on your Mac, all with an impressive level of control. It’s easy to both analyze a hard drive to determine how much space certain files might be taking up. Options include Uninstall, Startup, Erase Free Space, Large File Finder, and Duplicate File Finder. You can customize which cookies you want to save or purge and chose between Normal file deletion,” which is faster or “Secure file deletion,” which takes longer. Our only nitpick is that the user interface makes it feel very much like a Windows port. In fact, CCleaner has had a similar look and feel for the better part of 20 years. It’s freeware, but there’s an option to pay for a professional version for $29.95/£25.95 a year. In 2017 CCleaner was used to distribute malware. Hackers had inserted malicious code in the legitimate program. This has been rectified. You can get CCleaner here. Read our full CCleaner review 9. MacKeeper Pros Convenience of having multiple tools in one product Free version lets you access most of the features Cons Paid subscription is expensive Burdened with a bad reputation Price When Reviewed: $62.01 a year for 1 Mac (usually $95.40 a year) Best Prices Today: $62.01 at Clario (annually) We have to start by addressing the fact that MacKeeper doesn’t have the best reputation, although in recent years the company’s new owner – Clario – has tried very hard to rectify that. MacKeeper’s poor reputation wasn’t helped by the fact that it was difficult to uninstall an used scareware tactics to encourage people to upgrade to a paid version. Those issues should now be in the past. The software has received a good grade from AV-Test and has notarization from Apple, among other things, that should give users confidence. In terms of what it can do, MacKeeper offers 11 tools including an antivirus scanner, adware remover, a cleanup feature, a duplicate file finder, and a smart uninstaller. There’s also a memory cleaner, a software update tracker, and a startup item locator. You’ll also find a ID theft guard, a VPN, and an online ad blocker. There’s a free version, that gives you access to most of the tools, as well as a $5 a month for a year subscription. A subscription includes 24-7 tech support through which you can email, chat with, or talk to support staff. You can probably find individual products—and in some cases, more robust products—for each of the features in MacKeeper. But having all these tools under one roof makes for ease and convenience.  You can get MacKeeper here. Read our full MacKeeper review You may also like to consider: Cleanup Premium for Mac. $29.88/£24.99 a year.Disk Doctor, $2.99/£2.99 a year.Gemini 2, $19.95/£15.95 a year.Cleaner One Pro,$19.99 a year.Tuneup for Mac, $65.99/£54.99 a year. We have also looked at MacBooster, find out why we don’t recommend it here: MacBooster Review: it’s no surprise people think it’s malware.

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How Surfshark VPN unlocks global streaming, shopping & browsing without leaving the couch
Get around price gouging based on IP location, local restrictions, or streaming exclusivity by country by using Surfshark VPN on your iPhone, Mac or iPad to browse as if you're anywhere in the world without leaving your couch.Surfshark VPN for iPhoneVirtual Private Networks are great for maintaining user security and privacy over an internet connection, but they have many more uses. Surfshark VPN can help you browse the web as if you're in a different country for a variety of useful reasons.AppleInsider has already shared how Surfshark VPN is an excellent option for travel, but it's great for when you're at home as well. Travel to anywhere, from anywhere, using Surfshark to encrypt data and get around different IP-related issues. Continue Reading on AppleInsider

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The Internet of Things still isn’t a thing
Is the Internet of Things (IoT) a cumbersome way of addressing a non-problem? Over the past 20 years companies have poured billions of… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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Official iPhone 16 cases might feature ‘integrated’ design for the Capture button
An alleged image of official iPhone 16 cases from Apple shows off an "integrated" design for the new capacitive Capture button. (via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)

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