Zac Hall

The Amazon Alexa app isn’t just for configuring Echo speakers and managing service integrations. It’s also a smart home controller akin to Apple’s Home app. Amazon is putting that front and center with the redesigned Alexa app launching today. There’s also a new smart home mapping feature that’s exclusive to iOS devices.

Here’s something I noticed recently. Despite the hoopla around Apple’s leather-replacing FineWoven iPhone cases settling, there does seem to be one lasting effect.

Apple has released the iOS 17.1.2 software update for iPhone. Apple has also released macOS Sonoma 14.1.2. Both updates are described as security updates in the release notes.

The ongoing back and forth between Apple and a UK antitrust watchdog will go on, London’s Court of Appeal has decided. For those keeping score at home, this particular antitrust case is over whether Apple should be investigated for two things.

In 2021, Apple committed to investing $430 billion in the US economy over a five year period. Now the company has detailed plans to bring Apple silicon packaging to Arizona as part of that investment. The announcement seems to refute an earlier report that Apple silicon fabbed by TSMC in the US would still need to be packaged in Taiwan.

Despite Apple’s reliance on Arm as the instruction set for iPhone chips, Arm earns less than 5% of its annual revenue from Apple. A new report details how this has been a heated point for Arm, especially now that the company is publicly traded and looking for growth. However, Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son has proved unsuccessful at forcing Apple to pay more in licensing fees.

The fourth iOS 17.2, macOS 14.2, tvOS 17.2, and watchOS 10.2 developer and public betas are now available. The final version is expected to be ready in December. We’ll update you with any changes we discover. (Update: Here’s what’s new.)

As we approach the end of 2023, Apple is taking a retrospective look at the last year in media. After recently naming Taylor Swift artist of the year for being the “most-streamed female artist in Apple Music history,” it’s time to check in with Apple Books and Podcasts.

Can you really call yourself a Mac power user without mastering the new Reactions feature in macOS Sonoma? Apple has been tinkering with software features for improving webcam video quality for a few years. macOS Sonoma takes a more fun approach with the introduction of frame-filling 3D augmented reality effects.

I think a lot about trying to find a healthy balance with notifications from the Apple Watch.

Some are useful because they reach you when your iPhone isn’t around. Others let you decide you can respond to something later without getting distracted by your phone. Many have no benefit and risk making you more distracted by your watch or numb to notifications altogether. Apple Watch alerts from iPhone are all on by default currently. You can turn them off app-by-app, but you’ll need to repeat this for every new app download.

I think notifications on Apple Watch should be off by default, even if they’re on for the iPhone app. With the current default, Apple should at least include a toggle to disable watch notifications and turn them back on individually. A new system could be much more sophisticated, allowing watch alerts for certain contacts and specific types of alerts from apps. In the meantime, reversing the current behavior or adding an off toggle for all apps would help.

I’d like to think of myself as someone who never loses things. Sure, I misplace things all the time, but the things always turn up. On paper, however, I’ve actually lost two things in the last two years. I knew where the things were both times, but recovery was not an option and replacement was costly. I vow to never let this happen again.

Sonos may finally be ready to ship its long-rumored headphones, according to a new report, but not in time for holiday shopping. Meanwhile, the company is now rumored to be planning a non-audio product for next year as well.

Apple is the target of a new class action lawsuit filed by Venmo and Cash App customers over high transfer fees between mobile wallets. There’s also a cryptocurrency angle – because why not?

Apple and AAA recently partnered to provide roadside assistance for iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 customers experiencing car trouble without cellular coverage. Now, Brian Tong has made a new video that shows Roadside Assistance via satellite in action.

AirPods Max headphones are on sale for the holidays, but should you still buy Apple’s over-ear headphones in late 2023? My TL;DR is this: even if AirPods Max 2 come out next year, the current AirPods Max headphones are still better than competing over-ear headphones – just don’t pay the full retail price.

The inept OpenAI board may have stolen the news cycle from X over the weekend, but Linda Yaccarino is here to remind everyone that X knows drama too. Apple and others pulled their advertising from X on Friday, and now the X CEO has responded with a memo to employees.

New in macOS Sonoma, Apple gives everyone new reasons to never need to open Chrome again. One of those is a new feature for turning any website into an app on your Mac’s Dock. 

National Meme Day only comes twice a year, and Instagram is celebrating by releasing an iPad app adding more meme-making features for Reels. The app is also gaining a bunch of new photo filters for the first time in forever. And memelords can get down deeper with the data thanks to new retention charts and Replay insight.

Update: Public beta versions of iOS, macOS, tvOS, and the HomePod update are now available.

The third iOS 17.2, macOS 14.2, watchOS 10.2, and tvOS 17.2 developer betas are now available. Apple has also released the sixth beta version of visionOS for Vision Pro developers. We’ll update you with any changes we discover.

Apple recently canceled Jon Stewart’s TV+ show, reportedly in part over disagreements with how to cover China. Now, Congress wants an answer from Apple on whether China was actually a factor in the decision.

As the Justice Department’s antitrust trial against Google unfolds, we’re learning more about the secretive agreement between Apple and Google over Safari’s default search engine. It turns out Google gives Apple a 36% cut of its search ad revenue generated through Safari.