Xbox's first chief operating officer (COO) is leaving after the new role was created just a few months ago. Helen Chiang is leaving Microsoft today, according to an internal Xbox memo seen by The Verge. Chiang has been at Microsoft for 21 years, serving as the head of Minecraft before being promoted…
OpenAI is now training its most advanced AI models without internet access following a string of rogue hacking incidents. In a blog post on Friday, OpenAI says it built an offline testing environment where AI models can interact with indexed and cached web content "without risk of affecting external…
Apple celebrates 25 years of iPod with a virtual version of its original music player, complete with a library of tunes (and a hidden game). (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)
Rising memory prices continue to weigh on the global smartphone market, with shipments in China alone falling 10% year over year in Q3. Here are the details. more…
Remember Popcorn Time, the app that served as an easy-to-use front end for streaming torrents of movies and TV shows? Development of the MPAA's least-favorite app of the 2010s has been abandoned for years, but the "Netflix of Piracy" software is still installed on millions of devices that are just w…
Jack Dorsey's Block announced an AI model called Dessa that's trained "from scratch on nothing but human conversation," and to show off the model, Block shared chats it has had with humans that can occasionally be a little awkward and uncanny. Take this one, for example, shared by Dessa lead Ragavan…
Apple has just released a second RC (release candidate) build of watchOS 27.2 for testing. Here are the details. more…
The Space 2 comes in multiple colors, including an attractive seafoam green. | Photo: Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge My colleague John Higgins considered Soundcore’s Space One some of the best budget noise-canceling headphones you could buy when they launched in 2023 — and their successor has on…
Lighting effects can make or break your TV room, gaming setup, etc. SwitchBot’s RGBICWW Light Bars take a different approach from most products, with dedicated cool-white and warm-white LEDs alongside the color zones. The end result means real white light for work and reading, and 12-zone RGBIC colo…
If your dog or cat is prone to getting lost, or you frequently go on adventures together, you can save 30 percent on Fi pet trackers through October 25th when you enter coupon code SCARY at checkout. The sale includes several satellite-connected trackers, including the Fi Ultra GPS we previously tes…
Last week, Starshield - the version of SpaceX's Starlink used by the Ukrainian military - was throttled to block terminals traveling above certain speeds from accessing the service. The Ukrainian army's interceptors, which counter Russian drones carrying bombs, suddenly stopped working at high speed…
Google has updated its privacy policy in a way that could mean you'll start seeing targeted ads based on your personal data if you're using personalized AI features. The update, spotted by Android Authority, adds an exception to its promise about not using your Drive, Gmail, or Google Photos for per…
No, I haven’t managed to get my hands on a prototype pair of Apple Glasses, but I now have experience of the rough equivalents of what we’re expecting from both a 1st- and 2nd-gen product. In both cases, I could definitely see attractions, and I would absolutely upgrade to smart glasses if I wore co…
On this day in 2001, Steve Jobs introduced the first iPod, a portable device capable of storing an entire music library. A look at the iPod launch. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)
Today is the 25th anniversary of Apple unveiling the first iPod. And as discovered by Kian on X, the company’s website now has a fun new iPod easter egg. more…
Apple’s iWork Intelligent Assistant brings AI-powered writing, slide creation and spreadsheet tools to Pages, Keynote and Numbers. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)
Macworld Ever since the 10th-gen iPad’s 2022 redesign to match the rest of the lineup, the iPad lineup has been pretty clear. There’s the iPad Pro, which has the latest features and the best performance, the iPad Air in the middle, the smaller iPad mini, and the entry-level model with an older A-ser…
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Strava today announced a set of new features aimed at improving route planning and discovery for runs, hikes, and rides. Here are the details. more…
YouTube is making a number of changes to its Android and iOS apps with the launch of custom feeds, including moving Subscriptions out of the bottom bar. more…
iOS 27 is packed with new features for apps like Notes, Wallet, Maps, Messages, and more. But one iOS 27 addition that’s especially impressed me is a new Phone feature: Call Context. more…
Today Amazon announced that its Kindle Unlimited subscription has been rebranded ‘Kindle+’ and includes more audiobooks than before. Here are the details. more…
Profile links to third-party platforms have also arrived on the social network.
iOS 27.2 is coming next week and brings two new features for Apple TV subscribers. Here’s what’s new. more…
Starting tomorrow, Orangetheory Fitness will allow members to connect the Apple Watch to the club’s proprietary in-studio performance-tracking experience. Using a personal Apple Watch with the Orangetheory system will require a one-time fee. more…
Apple is rolling out AI-centric updates to its iWork suite—Pages, Keynote, Numbers—that include a brand new ‘Intelligent Assistant’ with powerful capabilities. Here’s what it can do. more…
The Browser Company announced plans to discontinue its flagship Arc browser in favor of a new browser project called Dia. Today, Arc received a sunset date that gives users exactly two months to move on from the discontinued app. more…
1Password has been focused on building password management tools that make sense in the age of agentic AI. In July, the company launched a special integration with Claude. Today, 1Password is going further with the arrival of 1Password for Agents. more…
iOS 27.2 launches next week with a variety of new features, and also design changes for select Apple apps. Here’s what’s coming. more…
Apple unveils a new look for Apple Music, with a logo shaped by sound waves rippling through mineral oil, using no CGI. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)
A significant number of websites have gone offline, and that’s not due to a service outage, but rather a deliberate decision by the site’s owners. The reason is because extremely dangerous security vulnerabilities have been found in a protocol used by most websites – PHP. This issue is unrelated to…
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Apple and the Department of Justice have submitted a joint notice of impasse over how recent Apple’s documents must be to fall within the scope of discovery in their ongoing antitrust lawsuit. Here are the details. more…
iOS 27.2 launches next week, and the update includes code that points to a forthcoming Messages app change: the ability to exclude muted conversations from the unread badge count. more…
Anthropic is introducing a new AI assistant that can proactively manage tasks across connected apps, keep track of emails and calendars, and continue working even when the app is closed. Here are the details. more…
The Slow Horses season 6 finale is available now, with a shocking ending that is explained by new showrunner Gaby Chiappe in an interview. Plus, Apple has debuted the first trailer for season 7. more…
![iOS Decoded: iOS 27.2 RC – hands-on w/ HomePod Sound Glow, TV profiles, Apple TV Home Theater assets, more [Video]](/images/56593d1fc9c2e525560e5edd399fec17b6a48176-960.jpg)
In this episode of iOS Decoded, we take the HomePod’s new Sound Glow feature for a test drive and try out the new Lock Controls feature to prevent accidental activation of its top cap. We also go hands-on with other changes, like the handy new profiles option for the TV app and Suggested Actions for…
Google Maps in CarPlay now lets you access Gemini when navigating for a conversational driving experience. more…
HomePod Software 27.2 brings Sound Glow light effects to older HomePod models, plus new touch controls and better Mac speaker support. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)
TikTok has been accused of profiting from illegal child sexual exploitation videos posted on its platform. The allegations were made by former and current employees, who say that the company failed to properly respond to internal reports … more…
Video captured during the protests in France show an Apple store being almost completely emptied by looters amid chaotic scenes that include cars being set alight. Reports say that looters broke into Apple stores in Bordeaux and Lille as public unrest continues in what began as protests against over…
Apple is looking for an experienced cellular modem systems engineer to help develop its next generation of cellular modems as the company transitions toward 6G. Here are the details. more…
According to a new report from Sensor Tower, not only did Meta’s Muse become the 12th app ever to reach 10 million US downloads in 40 days, but it is also outpacing its peers in user retention. Here are the details. more…
Apple, in collaboration with Design Miami, is highlighting four creative projects from emerging designers in this year’s ‘Designers of Tomorrow’ exhibition, which opens today at Hôtel de Maisons in Paris. Here are the details. more…
Last week TIME shared select quotes from a new interview with Apple CEO John Ternus, but today the full video has been published, including a discussion on Ternus’s involvement with Apple’s design teams. more…
Apple acquires a variety of companies every year, and recently many of its acquisitions—including the latest, Samplab—have revolved around one clear goal: improving and expanding Apple Creator Studio. more…
Source: Perplexity. Today, Perplexity announced a local-first mode for Computer where the model and agent work entirely on your Mac whether you’re online or not, sending data to the cloud only with the user’s approval. The new local mode complements Hybrid Compute, which was introduced last month an…
Apple’s new HomeView was reportedly mostly finished for years, but kept getting delayed. Here’s why HomeView couldn’t launch until now, per quotes from key Apple execs. more…
Apple still makes it too hard for third-party developers to launch alternatives to Apple Pay, despite loosening its grip on access to the NFC chip embedded in iPhones. That’s the claim made by the UK’s antitrust watchdog, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). The CMA says developers have repo…
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The EU’s List of Acquisitions website was updated today with details of a deal struck in June between Apple and Samplab, a Swiss startup that described itself as offering “music production for the age of AI.” Here are the details. more…
Apple is rolling out a new feature for HomePod mini and the second-gen big HomePod called Sound Glow. This lights up the touch surface of your speaker with colors that reference the album artwork of the currently playing song, perhaps adding some additional ambience to a party vibe. Here’s how to en…
HomePod owners, have you ever wished you could disable touch controls on the top of your device? With iOS 27.2, Apple is finally adding that option. Here are the details. more…
Apple just introduced HomeView alongside a new Apple TV and HomePod mini, but another product unveiling is already set for next week. Here are the new products expected to launch at Apple’s ‘Pro and tell’ event on October 28, including major updates to MacBook Pro and iPad mini. more…
Late Friday, OpenAI updated the ChatGPT app on iOS and iPadOS with a new widget for your Dot and Shortcuts actions that let you control it three ways. The implementation is really well done and adds automation options worth considering. First of all, the Dot widget is about as simple as it gets, but…
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You’ve set up Focus modes for work and weekends, built Shortcuts for repetitive tasks, and rearranged your Home Screen until everything is perfect. But then your phone buzzes with another notification for a newsletter, shipping update, or sale. Meanwhile, the important email you need to follow up on…
The Withings Apple Health sync now requires Withings+ for new accounts, at $9.99 a month. Existing users keep free syncing. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)
You don't want weirdos and scammers knowing your personal info. Run a free scan using Incogni's exposure scanner to see what's online. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)
On October 16, 2003, Apple said it would let PC users run iTunes on Windows. Steve Jobs didn't like the idea, but the strategy proved sound. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)
Ben Davis (co-host of one of my favorite new podcasts this year, Nerd Snipe) has a fascinating take on a question I’ve seen many in the Apple community ponder as well: if these frontier models are so good, why do most AI apps from the big labs still kind of suck? Davis wrote about this […]