Apple

Apple is currently in a period of gadget experimentation, marked by the introduction of new features and designs in its products. The iPhone now has multiple screens, the MacBook has a touchscreen, and the HomeView supports CarPlay apps. This shift away from traditional product lines is a departure from Apple's usual approach, where innovation is often incremental. The company's willingness to try new things has sparked debate among tech enthusiasts, with some questioning the practicality of certain features. On the latest episode of The Vergecast, hosts David and Nilay discussed the merits of touchscreen laptops, with Nilay expressing enthusiasm for the new MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display. The experimental nature of Apple's current product lineup is a departure from the company's usual focus on refinement and polish.

Apple’s $299 HomeView and Amazon’s $499.99 Echo Show 16 arrive as a ground‑up rebuild of the smart‑display line, addressing the shortcomings that plagued the category for years. Three years ago, the market was dominated by underpowered gadgets that tried to do too much and did too little well. The new devices check nearly every box on the list of improvements that critics and consumers had demanded. With a full‑size touchscreen, improved processing power, and a more robust ecosystem, they promise to function as true family computers, offering a single hub for media, communication, and smart‑home control. Early hands‑on impressions suggest that the HomeView and Echo Show 16 deliver on performance, usability, and design, potentially redefining what a smart display can be.

Apple unveiled a new iPad Mini featuring a larger OLED display and an optional nano-texture matte finish that eliminates glare under soft lighting. The front‑facing camera has been relocated to the long edge, aligning the Mini with the rest of the iPad line. Instead of Face ID, the device relies on Touch ID for authentication, a shift that may alter user habits. The matte finish also improves usability in bright environments, while the larger screen offers sharper visuals for media and productivity. These design choices signal Apple’s focus on premium build quality and user comfort. The changes are expected to influence how consumers use the Mini for work and entertainment, and may set a new standard for future iPad models.

Apple's second-generation AirTag is now available at its cheapest price ever, starting at $23 at Amazon and Walmart. This Bluetooth tracker uses Apple's ultra-wideband chip to enable Precision Finding, guiding users to an object's exact location with on-screen arrows, vibrations, and sounds. The device can also be shared with up to five other people and temporarily shared with participating airlines, such as United and Delta, to help track down lost luggage. Additionally, the AirTag runs on a replaceable CR2032 battery designed to last over a year, eliminating the need for frequent charging. With its improved performance and convenient features, the AirTag is the best Bluetooth tracker for iPhone users.

Apple has added an AI assistant to its core productivity apps—Pages, Keynote, and Numbers—using models from Apple and OpenAI. The assistant reads a document’s context and can design, animate, and refine Keynote slides; draft, restructure, and tweak Pages text; and calculate, visualize, and organize Numbers data, suggesting chart types and building custom tables. Starting with macOS 27, the apps support the Model Context Protocol, allowing third‑party AI agents to plug into the suite. Users no longer need separate plugins; the AI is built into the native apps, giving developers a unified platform to extend AI functionality across documents, presentations, and spreadsheets.

Apple confirmed that a small number of iPhone Duo units suffer from an inner display defect, with reports of cracked screens and a bright line running from the center to the right side. In a statement to Bloomberg and 9to5Mac, Apple’s Alex Kirschner said the company is aware of the problem and urged affected users to contact AppleCare for a replacement. The company noted that early users have responded positively overall, and developers are rapidly updating apps to take advantage of the Duo’s unique features. Apple’s swift acknowledgment and replacement offer aim to mitigate user frustration and maintain confidence in the new device.

iFixit opened Apple’s newest foldable iPhone, the Duo, and documented its internal construction. The review awarded the device a 5‑out‑of‑10 repairability score, the highest yet for a foldable phone. Inspecting the display, iFixit noted a matte nano‑texture layer that improves readability in bright light and scatters reflections to conceal the fold crease. Microscopic examination revealed oval‑shaped subpixels positioned at various angles, a design feature that may influence pixel performance. The teardown also highlighted the phone’s hinge mechanism and internal component layout, offering insight into how Apple balances durability with the demands of a folding form factor. These findings provide a clearer picture of the Duo’s build quality and the challenges of repairing a foldable device.

Apple has added a playful easter egg to its Apple Music service: a fully functional recreation of the first‑generation iPod appears on the platform’s 404 error page. The virtual device was discovered by users on social media on Friday after they noticed that any non‑existent Apple Music URL—created by appending random characters to the base address—loads the nostalgic player. The iPod is stocked with a selection of early‑2000s tracks, including Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida” and Gorillaz’s “Feel Good Inc.” The feature is a nod to the company’s heritage and offers a brief, interactive detour for listeners who stumble onto a broken link. Apple has not announced any plans to expand the easter egg beyond the error page, but the find has sparked interest among fans of the original device.

Apple has added a new badge to the App Store that signals whether an app is optimized for its upcoming foldable iPhone Duo. The “Made for iPhone Duo” label will appear on apps and games that use the device’s dual‑screen layout. Apple illustrated how the badge could help users identify apps that take advantage of the extra screen real estate. For instance, Netflix will show full‑screen content on the inner display while simultaneously offering a feed of short clips on the outer screen. Amazon Prime Video is also set to support the Duo, allowing users to watch shows and movies with the device’s dual screens, though the article stops short of detailing the exact arrangement. The badge aims to guide consumers toward experiences that fully exploit the new hardware.

Apple has scheduled a product launch for October 28th at 1PM ET in Los Angeles. The event is expected to feature new Macs and a refreshed iPad Mini. A new MacBook Pro with an OLED touchscreen is anticipated, along with a 14-inch MacBook Pro and a new iMac with the M6 chip. The updated iPad Mini will reportedly feature an OLED screen and a landscape edge selfie camera.

Apple’s latest iOS 27 lets iPhone users assign custom keywords to individual photos, making retrieval faster than scrolling through months of images. The Photos app’s keyword manager lets users rename, delete, or favorite tags. Samsung Galaxy phones support manual tagging via the Gallery app, though the exact steps vary by model and app version. Google Pixel users rely on Google Photos’ automatic recognition, which can find images by searching for objects, places, or documents, and also offers a dedicated Documents collection for receipts and paperwork. All three platforms encourage users to start with photos that are hard to locate, such as travel confirmations or appliance serial numbers, and to keep important images backed up. WhyItMatters: By adding searchable keywords or using built‑in recognition, users can quickly locate critical photos—saving time and reducing frustration when they need evidence or information.

Apple has updated its App Store guidelines to explicitly prohibit “nudify” applications that use artificial intelligence to create intimate images of individuals without their consent. The change comes after widespread criticism of the company’s handling of the AI tool Grok, which users on the social platform X employed earlier this year to produce nonconsensual, sexualized deepfakes, including those involving minors. While Apple has not removed Grok or X from the App Store, it has warned senators that it could pull Grok if necessary. Protesters at the company’s WWDC event in June demanded the removal of Grok, X, and all nudify technology, and a San Francisco city attorney later ordered Apple to delete 13 nudify apps from the store. The new rule aims to curb the creation of harmful, nonconsensual content and address growing concerns about AI‑generated privacy violations.

Apple has unveiled a new feature called iPhone Handoff that lets users maintain a single phone number on two iPhones at the same time. Users designate one device as the main phone and the other as a secondary phone. When either phone is unlocked, the number becomes active on that device, allowing calls and the Find My service to be routed there. The secondary phone can be used for specific occasions, such as weekends, with its own app and settings configuration. This feature expands flexibility for users who prefer to keep a single contact number across multiple iPhones.

Apple’s new HomeView smart display, priced at $299, is designed to sit in the kitchen and serve as a shared, always‑available household interface. The device features a sturdy aluminum base that promises durability compared to the off‑white HomePod. While it mirrors many functions already available on iPhones and iPads, reviewers note that its simplicity and dedicated presence could make it the right product for Apple Home at this moment. Critics question the need for a separate display when existing devices can perform the same tasks, but Apple’s focus on a kitchen‑friendly design suggests a niche for families seeking a central smart‑home dashboard.

Apple has released a detailed list of repair costs for its new iPhone Duo, the first folding iPhone, for customers without AppleCare Plus. The company estimates that a cover‑layer repair will cost $49, back‑glass damage $199, battery service $229, and rear camera damage $229. Outer‑display issues range from $379 for a single panel to $509 for a combined outer display and back‑glass replacement. Inner‑display damage is the most expensive at $999, while “other damage” can reach $1,499. These figures suggest that fixing a Duo could cost as much as buying a new device, underscoring the value of AppleCare Plus for owners of the foldable phone.

Apple has released a new Find My-compatible remote that works with all Apple TV models, including the Apple TV HD. The remote is available for purchase standalone for $59. It features Find My support, allowing users to locate their misplaced remote. However, for more detailed location tracking, users require an iPhone Duo, iPhone Air, or any iPhone 17 or later model.

Apple’s latest commercial for its HomeView smart display departs from the company’s usual clean, orderly style. The fast‑paced spot shows a family of five scrambling through a chaotic morning routine—misplaced keys, discarded eggshells, and yelling. While the ad’s frenetic energy unsettles some viewers, it strikes a chord with parents, especially those raising teenagers, who see their own hectic mornings reflected on screen. The ad’s raw depiction of family life contrasts sharply with Apple’s typical polished imagery, offering a more relatable narrative for the brand’s core audience. The Verge notes that the commercial’s authenticity has sparked discussion about how tech companies portray everyday life.

The European Data Protection Board (EDPB) released a non‑binding statement on Tuesday outlining stringent transparency measures for smart glasses, urging manufacturers to use flashing lights, audio alerts, voice‑activated recording cues, and smartphone notifications to signal when filming occurs. The guidelines also extend responsibility to app developers and service providers, and call for industry‑wide standards to help the public identify smart glasses and understand data handling. The EDPB cautions that the household exemption under the GDPR should be narrowly interpreted, especially when content is shared publicly. Major players—Meta, Samsung/Google, and Apple—face potential reassessment of their European product strategies. A concurrent study on social acceptability of the devices was also published today.

Apple has released the second‑generation HomePod Mini, featuring a new S10 chip that powers Siri AI and will receive additional AI capabilities in a future software update. The compact speaker retains its familiar design but now offers a fresh palette: pink, green, and a re‑tinted blue, alongside the existing black and white options. A new sound‑glow feature syncs the speaker’s LED lights with the colors of a song’s album art, and the device can also serve as a Mac’s default audio output. The upgrade keeps the HomePod Mini’s size and functionality largely unchanged while adding visual flair and enhanced AI potential.

Apple has announced the HomePod Mini 2, a refreshed version of its compact smart speaker, now available for preorder at $149. The new model ships with the S10 chip, the same processor that powers the Apple Watch Series 10, and will support Siri AI after a future software update. The speaker can be paired with Apple TV 4K to create a four‑speaker surround sound system, and it can also function as a speaker for a Mac computer that supports Wi-Fi 6E. The HomePod Mini 2 is set to launch on Friday, October 30th.

Apple’s next Apple TV is rumored to include a built‑in microphone, allowing users to command the set‑top box with Siri without using the remote or a HomePod. The upgraded remote is said to feature a speaker, which could emit an audio alert to help locate a misplaced remote. The mic would also enable the Apple TV to act as a simple smart‑home hub, controlling thermostats and locking doors directly from the TV. These additions could streamline voice control and improve the user experience by reducing the need to hunt for the remote.

A recent leak from a user named 'pdfu' on X reveals new details about Apple Home accessories from LG. The leaked features include an NFC-based 'Proximity Control' that allows users to access device controls through the iPhone's Dynamic Island by simply placing the phone close to it. This feature is executed using the Matter protocol and appears to be specific to Apple Home. The leak also mentions a 'tap to setup without power' pairing feature, which was previously shown in a separate leak.

Leaked renders on X reveal several smart home devices co-developed by Apple and LG. The devices include a thermostat with a 'Far Sight Display' and a smart deadbolt lock with a rotating keypad. The products are expected to integrate with Apple's rumored smart home hub, which is set to launch on October 13th. Pricing and availability details are not yet known.

Users of select Samsung devices in the US and Canada can now lock, unlock, and start certain General Motors vehicles using a digital key stored in their Samsung Wallet. This feature initially supports 2026 and 2027 Cadillac EVs, including the Lyriq, Optic, and Vistiq models. GM plans to expand support to more models by the end of 2026. The digital key feature is not exclusive to Samsung Wallet and will also be available on Apple Wallet and Google Wallet for compatible devices.

Cyprus is hosting a variety of festivals in October, showcasing music, food, literature, and art. The Breach Festival, Oktoberfest Extravaganza, and AglanJazz Festival are among the events taking place in Nicosia. The Kyperounta Apple Festival and Scalifornia food hall are also happening in the second weekend of October. The Nicosia Book Fest, Mitsikouri Performing Arts Festival, and International Short Film Festival of Cyprus are scheduled to take place in the capital. The Ayia Napa Medieval Festival and ArtCargo Festival will be held in other parts of the island. These festivals offer a range of activities, including live music, street food, and art performances, making October a vibrant and exciting time in Cyprus.

A new tool, RemoveMacAI, allows Mac users to easily turn off Apple Intelligence on macOS 27. Unlike previous versions, macOS 27 Golden Gate does not have a toggle for disabling Apple Intelligence. This makes it difficult to free up storage space taken up by AI models. The command-line tool provides a fully reversible way to disable Apple Intelligence, which can take up significant space on the disk.

Apple is reportedly developing a smart‑home security camera that reports events only as text, not video. In the first episode of its Power On podcast, analyst Mark Gurman said the device will belong to a new Apple smart‑home ecosystem that also includes a rumored hub. Apple is building both first‑party and third‑party security products, and the camera is part of a program called J450, a companion to the J490 smart‑home display. The small cameras are designed for placement around the house and feature very low‑resolution video capture, focusing on event alerts rather than footage.

Meta has launched a new pair of VR glasses that sit between opaque headsets and transparent AR glasses, priced at $1,299. In a recent review, the author noted that while the device’s cost and the company’s reputation make a purchase unlikely, the design itself feels like a game‑changer. After testing Meta’s glasses alongside Valve’s Steam Frame, Apple’s Vision Pro, and Google/Xreal’s Aura, the reviewer believes this hybrid approach is the first that could persuade everyday consumers to try VR again. The glasses aim to combine immersive VR experiences with the convenience of AR, potentially broadening the market for virtual reality technology.

In a bid to expand AI beyond smartphones and laptops, Meta and OpenAI announced plans to launch dedicated hardware featuring playful software agents. The move follows a pattern of companies testing the market for physical AI companions, a strategy that has drawn criticism for devices like Meta’s Friend and Humane’s AI Pin. OpenAI is partnering with former Apple designer Jony Ive to develop its hardware, signaling a high‑profile effort to overcome the industry’s long‑standing belief that “hardware is hard.” The companies aim to gauge consumer appetite for tangible AI, hoping to turn the tide on a market that has seen frustration and backlash grow.

Apple's long-rumored smart home hub, known as HomePad, is set to be revealed on October 13th. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the device will be showcased alongside a new HomePod mini and an upgraded Apple TV device. The smart home hub will feature a 6-inch display that can be mounted on a wall or sit on a countertop. It is described as being about as thick as an iPhone and having bezels similar to older iPads.

Cloudflare has announced its intent to become a public certificate authority (CA), marking a significant shift after years of being one of the largest consumers of publicly trusted certificates. The company has applied for inclusion in the Chrome, Apple, Microsoft, and Mozilla root programs and has signed a definitive agreement to acquire an established GlobalSign root, which has been trusted across browsers, operating systems, and devices since 2012. By acquiring this root, Cloudflare will provide certificates that reach older clients that a new root would not serve, ensuring broad device compatibility from day one. Cloudflare’s new CA will be ACME‑first, allowing automated issuance and renewal through the widely accepted protocol. The company will also be among the first to issue post‑quantum certificates, targeting Chrome’s Quantum‑resistant Root Program. While certificates are not yet being issued, Cloudflare is committed to transparency, sharing milestones publicly and building a resilient CA that limits the impact of any single issue. The move aims to strengthen the free‑certificate ecosystem, which currently relies heavily on Let’s Encrypt, by adding redundancy and ensuring that the Internet’s encrypted traffic remains secure even if a dominant CA experiences a problem.

Apple's latest iPhone 18 Pro has been released, offering improved performance and thermals. The phone features a new chip, better battery life, and enhanced camera controls, including a variable aperture. These changes provide users with more flexibility in mobile photography and improved sustained performance. The iPhone 18 Pro's design remains largely unchanged from its predecessor, the iPhone 17 Pro. Despite the hype surrounding the iPhone Duo, the iPhone 18 Pro remains a top choice for those seeking a full-featured smartphone. Apple's experimentation with the iPhone's design is evident, but the iPhone 18 Pro's focus on performance and camera capabilities makes it a compelling option for users.

At Meta Connect, CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced Muse Charm, a pocket‑watch‑sized gadget that brings Meta’s Muse AI assistant directly into users’ hands. The 2‑inch screen, thumb‑controlled interface, and built‑in 5G modem let users access Muse without a smartphone, bypassing Apple or Google operating systems. Zuckerberg said personal superintelligence is the next breakthrough after the company’s earlier metaverse push. Muse Charm will later join Meta’s smart‑glasses lineup. The launch follows Muse’s record‑setting app downloads and investor enthusiasm, but analysts warn that the device may appeal mainly to Gen Z and early adopters, and its long‑term market success remains uncertain.