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Aqua Voice shows just how good Mac dictation could be if Apple really tried

Aqua Voice shows just how good Mac dictation could be if Apple just tried | Colorful image representing soundwaves

I’m a big fan of dictation and voice commands. The latter are the most common way for me to control my smart home, and I dictate a lot of my messages and other short pieces of text.

Apple’s built-in dictation features have certainly improved over the years, but trying out the third-party app Aqua Voice shows just how much better it could be if Apple really tried. Indeed, I actually wrote the entirety of this piece using Aqua Voice dictation …

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Apple weekend sale

Another giant collection of Apple gear on sale this weekend: MacBooks, iPad, AirPods, more

Another sizable lineup of week’s end Apple deals are at the ready folks. Last week we featured a series of massive Apple sales at retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and B&H, and since that time, just about all of the best deals have carried through to this week/weekend. We have also added a number of new price drops on M4 MacBook Pro and M4 MacBook Air configurations you don’t often see discounted, alongside offers on Apple Watch Series 10 at up to $149 off just after Apple introduced a brand new Blood Oxygen feature to the U.S., ongoing AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2 deals, iPhone 16 Pro offers, and more. Everything awaits below. 

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Apple TV+ premieres the first new Snoopy musical special in 37 years

As part of its exclusive deal with Peanuts, Apple TV+ today premieres Snoopy Presents: A Summer Musical. This is the latest original Snoopy special to air on the platform, and this one stands out as it is a song-filled musical. The last time Peanuts premiered a new musical episode was more than 37 years ago.

The new special celebrates summer camp. Charlie Brown is trying to make his last year at camp as special as possible. Meanwhile, Snoopy and Woodstock find a treasure map that leads them on an adventure.

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9to5Mac Daily: August 14, 2025 – Apple Watch Blood Oxygen feature returns, more

9to5mac daily podcast

Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from 9to5Mac. 9to5Mac Daily is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts appStitcherTuneInGoogle Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

Sponsored by Backblaze: Never lose a file again. Use code “9to5daily” at checkout for 10% off or try for free.

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Blood Oxygen returns to Apple Watch, iOS 26 beta 6, Apple tabletop robots 

Benjamin and Chance react to the surprise announcement that the Apple Watch Blood Oxygen feature is coming back for US users, via a phone relay workaround. Also, Apple released the latest beta of iOS 26, featuring some fun new animations and even more Liquid Glass refinements. Plus, there’s more speculation about the low-cost MacBook and more details about Apple’s future ventures into home robotics. 

And in Happy Hour Plus, we catch up on some recent TV shows and movies we enjoyed this summer. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join.

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Apple Watch blood oxygen workaround arrives just in time

apple watch blood oxygen study - ban

With the release of watchOS 11.6.1 and companion iOS 18.6.1, Apple managed to restore blood oxygen readings for U.S. owners of Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, and Ultra 2.

The method is slightly less convenient, as it shifts processing data and displaying results to the iPhone, but it restores a capability that had been entirely removed since late 2023. The timing works in Apple’s favor.

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Deals: 1TB M4 Mac mini, MacBook Pro $300 off, Apple Watch Series 10 $149 off, Trackpad, AirPods 4, more

Today’s 9to5Toys Lunch Break deals are now live starting with a rare price drop on the 1TB M4 Mac mini configuration, alongside a 1TB M4 Pro MacBook Pro at $300 off the list price. We also have up to $149 off Apple Watch Series 10 just after Apple announced the new U.S. Blood Oxygen feature, AirPods 4 from $80, a rare price drop on the USB-C Magic Trackpad, and much more below. 

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