You can make money on Threads, but not even those doing it understand how
If you’re looking to make money on Threads, it is possible, say creators, but there’s currently no clear roadmap on how to do so. Even those making thousands of dollars a month say they don’t know how it works … more…

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Seven years later, Apple data center in Iowa finally opens
Begun in 2017, Apple's $1.3 billion data center in Waukee, Iowa, has at last opened — at least partially.Apple's data center in Waukee, Iowa, is finally operational (Source: Zach Boyden-Holmes/The Register)Apple has technically had data centers that took longer to build, but only because protests ultimately led to the abandonment of one in Athenry, Ireland. In the case of Waukee in Dallas County, Iowa, Tim Cook himself gave a speech about it in 2017, saying that he hoped Apple would help the local community.Seemingly nothing then happened for five years, until 2022, when Iowa authorities reportedly reviewed Apple's plans. Then in August 2024, Apple applied to the city for permission to rehabilitate some of the land it bought, aiming to create a wetland restoration area around the data center. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Apple projector could display AR and VR content without a headset
A patent granted today describes an Apple projector capable of displaying a mix of AR and VR content onto the desk and walls of your home or office without the need for a headset or screen. The company says that a mix of low-res and hi-res content could be projected, and that the device might be motorized so that it can turn to display content on different surfaces … more…

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iPhone had best ever Q3 for Apple, nearly topped Samsung globally per report
Apple will report its official quarterly earnings on October 31, but a new report indicates the company will have a lot to celebrate with its iPhone Q3 sales. Per research firm Canalys, iPhone shipments just had their best Q3 ever, and very nearly beat Samsung for the global sales crown. more…

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Remove an object from a photo with Apple Intelligence
You can easily remove any object from a photo using the new Apple Intelligence Clean Up tool. Make your almost-perfect shots perfect. (via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)

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Apple hits record-high third-quarter iPhone shipment volume
Global smartphone shipments grew 5% year on year in Q3 2024, with Apple hitting record-high third-quarter iPhone shipment volume… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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System admins irate at Apple's plan for shorter cert lifespans
Apple has proposed for a shortening of validity for security certificates used by websites from 398 days down to just 45 days, a move that system administrators have objected to publicly.SSL/TLS helps keep website secure for usersSecure Sockets Layer/Transport Layer Security (SSL/TLS) certificates are used to make sure that a website user's connection to a website is secure in a browser like Safari. As a form of identification for the site, it aids in a cryptographic system that protects the user's data when communicating with the site.As it stands in October 2024, certificates have a lengthy lifespan of about 13 months. However, in a draft ballot provided by Apple to the Certification Authority Browser Forum (CA/B), it wants to shrink down the amount of time certificates will be valid. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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iPhone 16 Pro vs iPhone 12 Pro comparison: Time to upgrade
Confused if you should upgrade from the iPhone 12 Pro to the iPhone 16 Pro? Read our comparison to find out. (via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)

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Cheapest iPad loses the charger in Europe, gets a price cut
Following yesterday’s launch of the iPad mini 7, Apple has also made a couple of changes to the cheapest iPad in the line-up in a number of European countries. The box no longer contains a charger, only a USB-C cable, and that has been offset by a price cut … more…

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UK reconsidering USB-C charger mandate, after everyone else has already shifted
The new UK government is considering reversing its predecessor's refusal to adopt the EU USB-C charger mandate, while Apple holds its breath for the future of the iPhone.A USB-C charging cableJust over a year before the UK's long-standing Conservative government was voted out of office in mid-2024, it made one of its many anti-European Union moves. It declared that it would not copy the EU's USB-C common charger standard.The official wording included the phrase "so there," but out of all such declarations, this was the smallest and also the easiest. It was small because the UK had other concerns, that's entirely why the government was trying to distract people by looking as if they were taking action on something. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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NBA app offering multiview and AI features ahead of the 2024-2025 season
The official NBA app – described as the official home of basketball – has been upgraded to support multiview, in time for the 2024-2025 season. There are a whole bunch of other new app features, and it’ll surprise nobody to learn that these are AI-powered … more…

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Global Smartphone Shipments Rise in Q3 as Growth Streak Continues
Market watchers may not agree on how much smartphone shipments grew in this year's third calendar quarter, but they do agree on one thing: the market is emerging from its post-pandemic doldrums. The post appeared first on TechNewsWorld.

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Apple Watch Ultra 2 in black review: Same tech, but the new color is absolutely fantastic
There is one reason to buy the 2024 Apple Watch Ultra 2, and that's the new incredibly cool and stylish black finish.Apple Watch Ultra 2 in black reviewThis is a strange review to write. The product is updated, but unchanged internally year-after-year which in itself, is unusual.The Apple Watch Ultra 2 in 2024 is, fundamentally, the same device that Apple introduced in 2023. However, the "Glowtime" update one year later offered a change that was big enough to warrant a lot of marketing from Apple. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Apple Watch Vitals app can predict when you're going to be sick days in advance
Apple Watch owners are praising the capability to spot when the user will get sick, thanks to the Vitals app that was added in watchOS 11.The Vitals app in watchOS 11As part of the updates in the watchOS 11 update, the Vitals app provides users with a quick reference point for their daily health. A month after its release, the feature is receiving praise from its users for detecting when they are about to be unwell.Posts to Reddit have surfaced, with users noticing the Vitals app is notifying them of issues before they get sick. In one to r/AppleWatch, a user proclaims "The Vitals app knew I was sick 3 days before I did." Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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ClearVPN review: A good option for VPN newbies
Macworld At a glanceExpert's Rating Pros Nice to look at. No logs policy. Great for getting around geo-blocks. Cons Lacks some features like split tunneling. Not the fastest. Our Verdict ClearVPN lacks some features of its rivals, and comes in a little slower, but it’s one of the easiest VPN options to use right now and features an attractive UI to help you get started. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Price When ReviewedThree day trial. From $3.74 per month; $44.99 a year. $9.99 a month (cancel any time). Best Prices Today: ClearVPN Retailer Price MacPaw (monthly) $3.74 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket MacPaw has been a name on many a podcaster’s lips in recent years, with CleanMyMac X offering an all-in-one malware sweeper and system optimizer that’s been advertised just about everywhere. And, while its ClearVPN service follows suit with a nice interface that’s a model Mac citizen, it’s much more focused in its execution. It’s a VPN that lacks many more advanced features offered by its rivals, but on the other hand, it’s arguably one of the easiest to use right from the jump. With a striking purple interface, it’s thoughtfully designed for VPN newcomers, but a lower server count and slightly lower speed means experienced VPN users may want to look elsewhere. For more options have a look at our round-up of the Best VPNs for Mac. We also look at the Best VPNs for iPad and Best VPNs for iPhone. Features & Apps ClearVPN has a streaming services section for jumping to commonly-used regional libraries. ClearVPN has a streaming services section for jumping to commonly-used regional libraries.Foundry ClearVPN has a streaming services section for jumping to commonly-used regional libraries.Foundry Foundry It’s hard not to feel something when you boot up ClearVPN on your Mac for the first time. While many VPN offerings tend to hang back, its bold purple color and alluring Power Button make it clear that it’s here to catch your eye. With many rivals looking indistinguishable from one another, that’s a boon, and it really is as simple as hitting that button to connect. There are more than 50 servers, which sounds like a lot but it’s dwarfed by many rivals to the tune of thousands of servers. That means your choices are limited, but at least ClearVPN lets you filter between Optimal Location or jumping straight to something like Disney Plus US or UK. In fact, it’s an ideal app for getting around Geoblocks, and in my testing, I was able to jump between Netflix regions with relative ease. In the settings, you’ll find options to block ads or keep ClearVPN in the dock, as well as a Kill Switch so that you can cut traffic from your device if the connection to the VPN is broken. It’s all pretty basic stuff, but it’s offered in such an easy-to-use way that it’s hard not to appreciate the simplicity. There are also handy keyboard shortcuts to move around the app. Performance Don’t expect a whole host of features. Don’t expect a whole host of features.Foundry Don’t expect a whole host of features.Foundry Foundry One of the more common power user features for VPNs is split tunneling, which lets some traffic go through the VPN while some goes around it. That’s not supported here, so it’s an all-or-nothing deal with ClearVPN, but it’s something I hope they add eventually. Sadly, MacPaw’s VPN speeds also need some work. Testing on a 65-70 Mbps connection, I saw some considerable drops across multiple servers – even shorter ones like using a server in London. Connecting to many servers saw a drop of around 20 to 30 percent in download speed, and around 50 percent for upload speed. It’s still fast enough to use Netflix, but it’s slower than the majority of alternatives out there. Privacy & Security As we’ve covered before, a No Logs policy is potentially a tricky thing to prove when it comes to VPN services. After all, how do you prove you’re not doing something? Most VPN companies use external auditors to verify that they’re not recording user or session data, but ClearVPN hasn’t undergone one at the time of writing. Still, the company is headquartered in Ukraine, and falls outside of various surveillance alliances, so it can’t be asked to share your data. Here’s hoping that can be ratified by an audit soon, but for now, things look positive on the privacy front for ClearVPN. Pricing and plans Sure, some are stock Mac shortcuts, but it helps ClearVPN feel user-friendly. Sure, some are stock Mac shortcuts, but it helps ClearVPN feel user-friendly.Foundry Sure, some are stock Mac shortcuts, but it helps ClearVPN feel user-friendly.Foundry Foundry Perhaps confirming my suspicions that it’s best for new VPN users, ClearVPN is priced affordably. If you go for the annual option you’ll pay just $3.75/£3 per month after a three-day trial, and there’s a 30-day money-back guarantee, too. That means you’ve got very little to lose at just over $44.99/£35.99 a year. If you just want it for a few months then you could opt for the $9.99/£7.99 a month option. There’s a six-device limit, though, so depending on how many phones, tablets and computers are in your home you may need to consider a pair of annual memberships to ensure everything is covered. Should you buy ClearVPN? If you’re new to using a VPN service, ClearVPN makes a compelling case to be your first choice. With a nice UI, easy-to-use features, and stress-free access to Netflix around the globe, it’s a great starter option. Still, the speed drop and lack of common features like split tunneling likely mean power users should look elsewhere.

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The new iPad mini 7 is a surprisingly small update – why is that?
Yesterday saw the announcement of the new iPad mini 7, and the biggest news here is that, three years after the launch of its predecessor, it’s not much of an upgrade. It feels like Apple did pretty much the minimum necessary here, which includes using the oldest possible processor capable of running Apple Intelligence … more…

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Surgeons say Apple Vision Pro saves them pain and injury
Apple Vision Pro is being praised by surgeons for its high resolution images and its ergonomics, which may even save them injuries that now lead to early retirement.Surgery underway using Apple Vision Pro (Source: UC San Diego Health)Since its launch in February 2024, the Apple Vision Pro has already been used by surgeons in the US, and across the globe. Now the first surgeon to ever perform a robotically assisted gastric-bypass operation, is now a proponent of the Apple Vision Pro both for patients and surgeons.Santiago Horgan heads the Center for the Future of Surgery at UC San Diego, and told Time magazine that the Apple Vision Pro is more significant than the robot tool he used in 2000. "This is the same level of revolution, but will impact more lives because of the access to it," he says. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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How Apple can bring the Magic back to its Mac accessories
Macworld Apple has been slowly switching products with Lightning connectors to USB-C. It started with the iPad Pro in 2018 and stalled, then the switch really got into full swing after the European Union passed a law in 2022, with the most recent switch happening with the AirPods Max. However, Apple has been stubborn about updating the Magic Mouse, Magic Keyboard, and Magic Trackpad. Last year seemed like a good time to update them to USB-C, but they didn’t. They still use Lightning ports for charging. With time running out, the next update will need to have USB-C. With reports swirling that a series of Mac announcements is coming this month, it’s possible, even likely, that Apple will use that time to update its Mac keyboard, mouse, and trackpad with USB-C. The hope, though, is that Apple doesn’t give its Magic devices an AirPods Max-like treatment. All Apple did to its flagship headphones was offer new colorways and switch the Lightning port to USB-C. Apple failed to address any criticisms of the AirPods Max or even give it the same H2 chip as the AirPods Pro, showing no love for such a high-value product. The upcoming M4 Mac introduction is a prime opportunity to debut the next generation of the Magic accessories; it’s widely expected that Apple will announce a newly redesigned Mac mini and an iMac update, in addition to new MacBook Pros. A re-imagined Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse, and Magic Trackpad would add more excitement to the announcement. A touch of Magic Since the Magic Keyboard was first released in 2015, Apple updated it in 2021 to offer easy access to functions like Touch ID, Sleep, Do Not Disturb, and other macOS features. A new USB-C Magic Keyboard is an opportunity to make some drastic changes. A more ergonomic design or a well-designed palm rest would be great. I’d also like to see it able to quickly switch between a Mac and an iPad, a feature found in many third-party keyboards. I also wish for something controversial in the Magic Keyboard: the Touch Bar. While Apple seems to have discontinued the largely unpopular Touch Bar, I believe it still has some usefulness. I use the Touch Bar on my MacBook Pro for quick access to writing suggestions, volume and music control, and other functions in supported apps. If Apple brought the Touch Bar to the Magic Keyboard, it could place it about the function keys instead of replacing them. If Apple brought the Touch Bar to the Magic Keyboard, it could place it about the function keys instead of replacing them.Foundry If Apple brought the Touch Bar to the Magic Keyboard, it could place it about the function keys instead of replacing them.Foundry Foundry I would love to see it return, perhaps revitalized to better entice developers into supporting it in their apps. The MacBook Pro’s Touch Bar proved it could be a fun and useful feature and there’s no reason why Apple can’t revive it. Point and click The Magic Mouse was first released in 2009 and was the first desktop pointing device to support multi-touch technology. Apple designed the Magic Mouse to look like it fits into the Mac ecosystem while also making the most of macOS technology. Since then, Apple has done a major update to the Magic Mouse only once, changing from disposable batteries to an integrated Li-Po battery charged by a Lightning cable. One of the device’s biggest criticisms is that Apple placed the Lightning charging port on the bottom of the mouse. Unfortunately, that makes it impossible to continue using the Magic Mouse while it’s being charged. (Though a minute of charging offers one hour of use.) So, if Apple redesigns the Magic Mouse, it needs to do more than just update it for USB-C. The designers need to move the charging port to a location that will allow us to keep using the mouse even while it’s charging. None of the other Magic accessories are left useless while charging, and there’s no good excuse for Apple to have done that with the mouse. We hope the USB-C Magic Mouse gives us a reason to stop using this photo. We hope the USB-C Magic Mouse gives us a reason to stop using this photo.IDG We hope the USB-C Magic Mouse gives us a reason to stop using this photo.IDG IDG It would also be great to see Force Touch technology find its way into the Magic Mouse, as it has on the Magic Trackpad. Critics have been calling for Apple to include Force Touch in the Magic Mouse since the second-generation model came out because Force Touch offers so much additional functionality. Write it down The Magic Trackpad has received praise for almost everything but its price, and Apple has shown a commitment to give it new capabilities and features. Now is the time to reinforce that commitment. For starters, the Magic Trackpad needs to be able to pair with more than one device. Being able to use it with your Mac and your iPad would be a welcome improvement. Speaking of the iPad, I’d love to see the Magic Trackpad support another pointing device: the Apple Pencil. That’s right, I want to see the Magic Trackpad work with the Apple Pencil. Sketching, writing, and drawing on the trackpad would be amazing. Granted, the trackpad doesn’t offer as much surface area for drawing as the iPad, but there’s still plenty of room to support your creativity and design chops better. Apple Pencil support on the USB-C Magic Trackpad? Sounds crazy but it could work. Apple Pencil support on the USB-C Magic Trackpad? Sounds crazy but it could work.Foundry Apple Pencil support on the USB-C Magic Trackpad? Sounds crazy but it could work.Foundry Foundry

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We’re about to find out if Apple’s big bet is going to pay off
Macworld Apple Intelligence is about to hit the mainstream. Within the next couple of weeks, Apple is likely to ship iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1, all bringing the first in the suite of features that Apple has been talking about since June. If you have any doubt, just go watch a TV show with ads and I guarantee in 15 minutes or less you’ll see Snoop Dogg hawking it as a selling point of the new iPhone 16. Apple isn’t usually the first to enter a brand new market, but it does have a reputation for helping usher technologies into the mainstream, and for setting the bar for its rivals, including being often imitated. With millions of Apple Intelligence-capable devices already in customers’ hands, it’s sure to make a big splash. But as Apple is prepared to embark upon this new venture, it might be worth zooming out a little bit and looking at the company’s overall strategy. That includes both how it’s rolling out these features, as well as where the company is ultimately aiming. Round 1: The table stakes Despite being Apple’s opening bid in the generative AI feature department, the upcoming point-one releases aren’t likely to blow anybody’s hair back. The main Apple Intelligence features include rewriting tools, summarizations, and the ability to remove unwanted elements from photos—all tasks that other products, including those from Apple’s competitors, already do and often do well. The first set of Apple Intelligence features are helpful but aren’t unique or novel. The first set of Apple Intelligence features are helpful but aren’t unique or novel.Apple The first set of Apple Intelligence features are helpful but aren’t unique or novel.Apple Apple But more to the point, very few, if any of them, have a particularly Apple feel. Could “only Apple” summarize web pages or emails? Making these tools pervasive throughout the entire operating system is certainly something that only a limited number of companies can do, but there’s not much that’s unique or novel about most of these features. That’s likely a byproduct of the fact that Apple came late to the generative AI game. This first round of features are the ones that were probably easiest to get out of the door, in order to let Apple to plant its flag about being serious in this market. They might not break any new ground–the exception being, perhaps, notification integrations–=but they provide just enough for Apple to point to them as examples of how the company is all in on Apple Intelligence and this is just the beginning. Overall, though, these are tools, not destinations. Because they’re focused on dealing with existing material (emails you’ve written, for example, or web pages, or texts you’ve received) they aren’t exactly features where users are likely to be showing off what they can do (except in the all too common case where they go wrong). For that, we’ll need to wait a bit longer. Round 2: Raising the stakes The second round of Apple Intelligence features will likely surface by the end of the year, including Genmoji, Image Playground, and Siri integration with ChatGPT. All of these are more whiz-bang applications that will offer much more visible and prominent results of Apple Intelligence: custom-generated emoji, AI-generated imagery, answers from ChatGPT about what Apple has dubbed “world knowledge.” The second phase of Apple Intelligence will let Apple know what kind of demand there is for AI features. The second phase of Apple Intelligence will let Apple know what kind of demand there is for AI features.Apple The second phase of Apple Intelligence will let Apple know what kind of demand there is for AI features.Apple Apple These features are closer in line with the elements of generative AI that have already captured the public’s attention. But they also present some of the largest risks for Apple: what happens, for example, when somebody gets Image Playground to generate something unpleasant or offensive? Apple’s already trying to cover itself a bit; the company has been very clear that users will be prompted to have Siri send queries to ChatGPT, and that no identifiable information will be sent to OpenAI or stored. This, I think, is the tipping point of Apple Intelligence, because it will be the moment when it becomes clear whether or not users really want these features. I remain worried about Image Playground because it’s one place where I think the risk is greater than the reward: the chance that people will misuse these features exceeds the dopamine hit you get from making generic-looking images of Craig Federighi’s dog. Round 3: The payoff Ultimately, the end goal here is–and probably always has been–Siri. The third round of Apple Intelligence features are all about Apple’s virtual assistant getting a significant upgrade to be exactly what it should always have been: a time-saving tool that actually understands you. There’s a reason that Apple’s started advertising this even though the Siri-related features won’t ship for months: they’re legitimately compelling. Who hasn’t wanted a tool that can remind them where they met that person? These Siri upgrades are also the Apple Intelligence features that feel the most like, well, Apple. While many of us might use voice assistants already, we’ve basically had to train ourselves to adapt to them—learn which words to use, in what order to say them, and what they can or can’t do. Apple’s promise of a context-aware Siri that can carry out tasks in other your apps feels not just like a dream, but specifically like a dream that Apple has always tried to sell: that the computer is a bicycle for your mind. Over 14 years after its release, Siri could finally be having its moment. Over 14 years after its release, Siri could finally be having its moment.Apple Over 14 years after its release, Siri could finally be having its moment.Apple Apple But these features are also undoubtedly the most tricky of the ones that Apple has promised, which is one reason they’ll be among the last to arrive. And even once they do, they’ll be subjected to a lot of scrutiny: we’ve seen a lot of promises about improving Siri over the last many years, and they don’t always bear out. But if they do, they could make a huge difference in users’ lives. And on and on? The question is: what then? It’s hard to imagine that Apple will be done once it rolls out these initial features. After all, you don’t create a whole brand and marketing plan around something like this if you’re not planning on capitalizing on it. Moroever, there are hints that Apple is cagey about the future of generative AI. Take, for example, a soon-to-be-published paper by Apple researchers who showed that AI algorithms don’t actually reason; that it’s fairly easy to trip them up by changing small details that wouldn’t affect human reasoning (names, quantities), or by adding extraneous information that the models then misinterpret. To me, this feels like stage-setting. It’s not to say that Apple won’t continue to play in generative AI, because it knows the market wants it to, but it also seems very aware that this tendency to sprinkle AI into anything and everything is a bubble that will probably burst at some point, no less than the dot-coms, cryptocurrency, and NFTs. There are limits to what AI can do and what it’s good at, and while Apple may want to push those limits as far as they can go, the company also seems to be well aware that there’s a brink it doesn’t want to careen over. Meanwhile, the rest of will be waiting with bated breath to see if they manage to hit the brakes in time.

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Get 28 months of Surfshark VPN for less than $60/£50 in this early Black Friday sale
Macworld If you’re looking to get started with a VPN, you can’t go wrong with Surfshark, which is one of our top picks for its easy-to-use interface and speedy connection. And now it’s super-cheap too: Surfshark has kicked off its Black Friday sale a month early and is offering a 28-month subscription for just $1.99/£1.49 a month (that’s a total cost of $55.72/£41.58 for two years and two months). The small catch is that you’ll be charged the full price plus tax up front and then the renewal price of $12.95 a month will kick in 28 months later. The deal is for the basic Surfshark Starter plan with the VPN and an ad blocker. If you want more features, SurfShark One, which adds real-time breach alerts, personal data security reports, antivirus, and other malware protection, is currently $2.49/£1.89 a month ($69.72/£52.87 plus tax). In our four-star review, we praised Surfshark as “a remarkably privacy-focused, secure VPN that’s easily capable of getting around geo-blocked content.” And with this deal, it’s a fantastic bargain too. For more VPN options, check out our roundup of the best VPN apps for the Mac. For more VPN deals take a look at our monthly round-up of the Best VPN deals. Also read: Do I need a VPN on my Mac/iPhone?

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