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Runtime 005: I, for one, welcome our new robot overlords.

Sophia and Zac inspect the last week of humanoid and non-humanoid robots while unpacking several days of AI announcements, including Amazon’s new Alexa+ AI, Anthropic’s Claude 3.7 and Claude Code, and much more.
Note: recorded 2/27/2025 and released 3/16/2025 because… reasons. Thanks for viewing!
Expand Expanding CloseApple executives believe users will ‘love’ upcoming iOS 19 overhaul, per report

Last week, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported that Apple was planning “one of the most dramatic software overhauls” in its history. The company is currently planning a redesign for iOS 19, iPadOS 19, and macOS 16 – all in the name of consistency. Gurman even said that this would be the “biggest revamp since iOS 7” for iPhone and iPad, and the “most significant upgrade to the Mac since macOS Big Sur.
Now, Bloomberg reports that Apple executives are “confident” that users will love this visionOS-inspired design.
Expand Expanding CloseDummy models reveal new iPhone 17 lineup details: Incredibly thin Air, thicker Pro, more

Thanks to Apple leaker Sonny Dickson, we now have our first look at some dummy models for the iPhone 17 lineup. These dummy models highlight a number of things: new camera bump designs across the Air and Pro models, MagSafe support across the whole lineup, varying thicknesses, and more.
Expand Expanding CloseReport: Apple considered removing USB-C port from iPhone 17 Air, more

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, iPhone 17 Air will feature a number of features from the iPhone 16 Pro, including Camera Control and ProMotion. Rumors have long suggested that the entire iPhone 17 lineup would feature ProMotion, but it wasn’t quite clear whether or not iPhone 17 Air would feature Camera Control. Despite the thinness though, it now seems likely the phone will feature Camera Control.
Apple had also considered making the iPhone 17 Air its first “port-free” iPhone, and going all in on wireless charging. The company ultimately decided against this.
Expand Expanding CloseGurman: Apple working on multiple versions of second generation Studio Display

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is potentially working on a third generation Studio Display, codenamed J527. This would be a version ahead of the already rumored second generation Studio Display, which is codenamed J427 – but feature advantages of the third generation display are unknown. It’s also plausible that this isn’t a third-generation monitor at all. Let’s discuss.
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Google rolling out latest Gemini 2.0 models, free Deep Research to Android, iOS
Following the Thursday announcement, Google is widely rolling out the latest Gemini models, including 2.0 Flash Thinking (experimental), to the web, Android, and iOS apps.
Expand Expanding CloseIndie App Spotlight: ‘Remind Me Faster’ is an ultimate companion app for Apple Reminders

Welcome to Indie App Spotlight. This is a weekly 9to5Mac series where we showcase the latest apps in the indie app world. If you’re a developer and would like your app featured, get in contact.
Remind Me Faster is a nice companion app for Apple Reminders, helping you transcribe your thoughts into reminders as quickly as possible. It doesn’t replace Reminders, but instead makes it more intuitive to use.
Expand Expanding CloseApple will introduce a number of texting upgrades in iOS 19, here’s whats coming

Yesterday, Apple announced that it will be supporting RCS Universal Profile 3.0 in “future software updates.” While this does have one large benefit of bringing end-to-end encryption to iPhone users using RCS, it has a number of other benefits that aren’t yet being mentioned.
Expand Expanding CloseApple @ Work: Privileges 2.1 continues to be one of the must-have macOS apps in the enterprise

Apple @ Work is exclusively brought to you by Mosyle, the only Apple Unified Platform. Mosyle is the only solution that integrates in a single professional-grade platform all the solutions necessary to seamlessly and automatically deploy, manage & protect Apple devices at work. Over 45,000 organizations trust Mosyle to make millions of Apple devices work-ready with no effort and at an affordable cost. Request your EXTENDED TRIAL today and understand why Mosyle is everything you need to work with Apple.
One of the things that Apple got right with the foundation of macOS (then OS X) was the ability to operate the computer as a limited user. Running as a Standard user is one of the best ways to level up your macOS security, especially in the enterprise. The Mac team at SAP recently released Privileges 2.1, which has some great features to help IT teams allow their users to gain admin privileges when needed.
Expand Expanding Close9to5Rewards: Last chance to win a MacBook Pro from Chargeasap [Giveaway]

There’s still one week left to enter our giveaway to win Apple’s latest MacBook Pro courtesy of Chargeasapto help celebrate the launch of the company’s new Flash Pro Ultra, the world’s first dual OLED 275W powerbank. Head below to learn more about the new Flash Pro Ultra by Chargeasap and enter the giveaway.
Expand Expanding CloseHere are some of the best protective cases and lanyards for the new AirPods 4

Apple’s AirPods 4 are available in two different versions: one with ANC active noise cancellation and support for MagSafe chargers. And if you have AirPods 4, read on as we’ve put together a list of some of the best protective cases and lanyards for Apple’s wireless earbuds.
Expand Expanding CloseApple quietly launches new app for users who want to help improve Apple Maps

Apple quietly launched a new app on Friday called “Maps Surveyor,” which lets users contribute to Apple Maps by collecting data about their surroundings and sending it to the company. However, not everyone can use the new app.
Expand Expanding CloseApple needs another Snow Leopard to fix its software

The last few days have been very busy when it comes to Apple news. That’s because the company has confirmed that the new Siri experience has been delayed while sources suggest that the new features promised at last year’s WWDC won’t be ready any time soon. Given everything that’s going on at Apple recently, there’s one thing that could really help: another Snow Leopard.
Expand Expanding CloseSiri delays hurt, but half-baked features could have been a real Apple crisis

Apple’s recent Siri delays have stirred up a mess of bad press, and reportedly led to an all-hands meeting where an exec called the affair “ugly and embarrassing.” But per another key quote from that meeting, there’s no doubt Apple saved itself a world of trouble with the move.
Expand Expanding CloseThis is how you can update your AirPods to new firmware

Apple updates its AirPods products periodically with new firmware, which installs automatically in the background. But while the process was a mystery for years, the company now offers step-by-step instructions for how to manually trigger a firmware update yourself.
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Next week’s Severance finale will be the show’s longest episode ever
There’s only one more episode of Severance left this season, and Apple TV+ has just revealed that the finale will by far be the longest episode yet. Here’s what to expect.
Expand Expanding CloseApple exec slams ‘ugly and embarrassing’ Siri delays in all-hands meeting

We’re one week removed from Apple’s decision to indefinitely delay the “more personalized” version of Siri that was first announced at WWDC 2024, and the blowback hasn’t let up.
Now, Bloomberg has the details from an all-hands meeting for the Siri division inside Apple, where the Apple Intelligence delays were panned as “ugly” and “embarrassing.”
Expand Expanding CloseHomeKit Weekly: Aqara LED Bulb T2 is a versatile smart bulb with Matter support and advanced Zigbee features

Aqara keeps on a hot srreak in 2025 with a host of new products. After its new HomeKit Secure Video camera, the Aqara LED Bulb T2 is the company’s latest smart lighting option, bringing a nice combination of Thread and Zigbee support. Matter support, Zigbee Adaptive Lighting, and ultra-wide color tuning make it a solid addition to any HomeKit environment.
Expand Expanding CloseControl Center is getting even better in iOS 18.4, here’s what’s new

iOS 18’s new Control Center has proven to be much more than a one-off design change. Apple has steadily added new capabilities to Control Center via software updates, and iOS 18.4 continues that trend in a big way thanks to several nice upgrades.
Expand Expanding CloseSecurity Bite: Clean up public Wi-Fi connections with a script

Whether you own a Mac personally or manage a fleet with enterprise endpoint software like Mosyle, there’s a good chance you have scores of old unsecured wireless networks saved—Wi-Fi points that don’t require authentication. Common places where users connect and save these networks could be Starbucks (often “Starbucks WiFi”) and airports (like “Airport Guest”).
So, the risk? Attackers can exploit this by setting up rogue access points with the same SSIDs, tricking your device into connecting automatically. To prevent spoofing attacks like this, you can automate the removal of common SSIDs using the following script below!
9to5Mac Security Bite is exclusively brought to you by Mosyle, the only Apple Unified Platform. Making Apple devices work-ready and enterprise-safe is all we do. Our unique integrated approach to management and security combines state-of-the-art Apple-specific security solutions for fully automated Hardening & Compliance, Next Generation EDR, AI-powered Zero Trust, and exclusive Privilege Management with the most powerful and modern Apple MDM on the market. The result is a totally automated Apple Unified Platform currently trusted by over 45,000 organizations to make millions of Apple devices work-ready with no effort and at an affordable cost. Request your EXTENDED TRIAL today and understand why Mosyle is everything you need to work with Apple.
Expand Expanding CloseI bought an M1 MacBook Air in 2025 – but can I resist the M4?

I thought I had this figured out. I was making a hard-headed decision to buy a refurbed M1 MacBook Air with 16GB RAM for half the price of a new M4 one, for reasons I’ll explain in a moment.
But, ironically, it’s because the M1 version is so good that I think I’m at risk of selling it again and buying the shiny new M4 model …
Expand Expanding CloseHow good is the iPhone 16e camera?

The camera is one of the biggest differentiators between the iPhone 16e and the rest of the iPhone lineup. The iPhone 16e features a single 48MP camera and misses out on software features like ProRaw, macro mode, the latest Photographic Styles, and more.
How does the iPhone 16e’s camera stack up against its siblings? The experts at Lux Camera, behind apps like Halide and Kino, have the answer.
Expand Expanding CloseApple has been hinting at iOS 19’s new design, here’s what the clues say

Apple is reportedly planning a major new design for iOS 19, the “biggest revamp since iOS 7.” Specific details on changes are scarce. But looking at recent iPhone apps and designs, it seems that Apple has been hinting at what’s coming in iOS 19 for a while. Here’s what the clues say.
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Deals: New M4 MacBook Air $949 low, iPhone 15 Pro Max $426 off orig. price, 1TB M4 iPad Pro $250 off, more
We are ready to cap the work week off in Apple deals with ongoing price drops on both AirPods 4 from $100 and the lauded AirPods Pro 2 at $170. But we have some fresh new deals including all four colors of Apple’s most affordable new M4 MacBook Air at all-time low pricing with no trade-in required, alongside the M4 Pro MacBook Pro with 24GB of RAM at $220 off. The return of $100 price drops across every Apple Watch Series 10 configuration is next, while the black 512GB iPhone 15 Pro Max units are now at $426 off the original price. Those offers join a host of MagSafe charging gear, accessories, and more. All of that and then some awaits below in today’s 9to5Toys Lunch Break.
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