Chance Miller

Last month, Apple confirmed that iOS 17.4 would remove support for Home Screen web apps in the European Union. At the time, Apple said this decision was due to requirements under the Digital Markets Act related to support for alternative browser engines on iPhone.

Apple is now walking back that decision and says it will “continue to offer the existing Home Screen web apps capability in the EU.”

Remember last September when I told you all that Apple’s FineWoven cases for iPhone 15 sucked? It turns out they are so bad that Amazon had to add a warning label to FineWoven accessories to caution buyers that they are “frequently returned.”

Benjamin and Chance react to the shock news of the cancellation of the long-gestating Apple Car project, and Mark Gurman details some of the future wearables Apple is pondering including smart glasses, rings, and AirPods earbuds with integrated cameras. We are also anticipating some design changes in iOS 18, but recognize Apple has likely learned the painful lessons of the iOS 6 -> iOS 7 transition. 

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Ahead of iOS 17.4 being released in March, MacPaw has announced its plans to offer an alternative app marketplace in the EU. According to the company, it will launch a beta version of Setapp Mobile in the EU in April.

The move makes MacPaw the first company to announce its detailed plans to take advantage of iOS 17.4’s support for alternative app marketplaces in the EU.

Yesterday, Bloomberg reported that the Apple Car project is officially dead after more than a decade of work. In a new story today, The New York Times shares additional details on the turmoil inside the Project Titan team, based on conversations with “a half dozen people who worked on the project over the past decade.”

Some of these details were previously reported by NYT technology reporter Tripp Mickle in his After Steve book.

As someone who’s been covering the ins and outs of Project Titan for the past decade, I can’t say I’m surprised by this week’s news that the infamous Apple Car has been cancelled.

My hope, however, is that the death of Apple Car means there are good things to come for CarPlay users.

Rivian is rolling out an update to its iPhone app with support for Live Activities. This lets Rivian drivers track their car’s charging progress right from their iPhone’s Lock Screen or the Dynamic Island on iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 15.

With the release of iOS 17.4 and iPadOS 17.4, Apple will give video calling apps the option to turn off the new Reactions feature by default.

This new Reactions feature debuted with iOS 17, iPadOS 17, and macOS Sonoma last year. The feature is enabled by default, a decision that has led to some pretty awkward moments when the Reactions are triggered by accident during a video call.

Bloomberg reports that Apple has officially canceled its effort to build an electric car. The move was announced internally by Apple COO Jeff Williams and Kevin Lynch, who had been leading the Apple Car project since 2021.

“Apple’s most senior executives finalized the decision in recent weeks,” the report says. The project had reached a “make-or-break point” inside Apple, with Tim Cook also facing pressure from shareholders to make a decision.

Apple has published the full release notes for iOS 17.4, offering an in-depth look at new features and bug fixes. Apple says the update fixes problems with Find My, Dual SIM users, and more. Head below for the full details.

Sonos’ long-awaited over-ear headphones have hit a development snag, according to Bloomberg. Today’s report explains that the snag stems from a software problem and will delay the production and release of the headphones. Sonos’ Apple TV competitor and revamped iPhone app have also both hit development problems.

Zoom is dropping support for older versions of iOS, the company announced today. In the release notes for an update to Zoom for iPhone, Zoom said that it will end support for iOS 11 and iOS 12 next month.

iOS 18 will be announced at WWDC in June, and is rumored to be one of the biggest updates ever for iPhone users. Now, a new rumor allegedly offers our first look at which devices will be compatible with iOS 18 when it’s released later this year. The rumor also allegedly offers details on iPadOS 18 compatibility as well.

Update (Feb. 27 at 5:53 p.m. ET): Netflix says that this change impacts subscribers of the Basic plan in certain countries, including the United States and Canada.

Netflix is severing ties with Apple’s App Store billing system for good. Netflix stopped allowing new and rejoining subscribers to sign up with App Store billing back in 2018, but Netflix subscribers who were paying through Apple at the time were allowed to continue doing so. Now, that’s finally about to change.

Alongside major updates to the iPad, a new MacBook Air is also coming soon. The new 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models could be introduced at an event in March. Here’s everything we know so far.

9to5Mac recently discovered new evidence of Apple’s work on a new HomePod device with a display. In the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman corroborates that Apple is continuing to “pursue this idea.”

Unfortunately, it doesn’t sound like this mysterious HomePod with a screen will be released anytime soon.

Earlier this week, AT&T suffered a massive outage that took service completely offline for customers across the United States. In an effort to “help make it right,” AT&T says it will give impacted customers a credit to their accounts.

It’s no secret that Apple Vision Pro is pricey, starting at $3,500 for 256GB of storage. New data from research firm Omdia puts that number into context, estimating that Apple’s cost to build Vision Pro – or its “bill of materials” comes in at just over $1,500.

In September, Bloomberg reported that Apple had held exploratory talks with Microsoft about acquiring Bing as recently as 2020. In newly unsealed court filings this week, more details about the acquisition talks between Apple and Microsoft have surfaced.

Philips Hue is finally addressing a long-running and frustrating limitation that has particularly impacted smart home power users. In a support document on its website, Philips Hue says that users will soon be able to add multiple Bridges to one account – here’s why that’s a big deal.

Funn Media makes some of our favorite health and fitness-focused apps here at 9to5Mac, such as WaterMinder and Calory. Now, the team is expanding its portfolio of apps with FastMinder, designed as a simple and clutter-free fasting tracker for iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch.