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As Trump tariffs loom, Apple pledges more than $500bn in US investment, new Texas factory

Apple has today announced that it is committed to invest more than $500 billion in the United States over the next four years, including 20,000 U.S. jobs and a new factory in Houston, Texas.

The $500 billion headline figure is not all new, with much of what is promised in the announcement having been pledged before. The news is clearly aimed at satiating the Trump administration, with Apple perhaps hoping it will be enough to get tariff exemptions on its products.

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You can now use AirPods Pro as hearing aids in the UK

AirPods Pro 2 Hearing Test

As previously reported in January, the AirPods Pro 2 can now be used as hearing aids in the United Kingdom, having now received government approval for over-the-counter hearing aid devices.

AirPods Pro 2 can address mild to moderate hearing loss. With an iPhone and AirPods Pro, users can perform a hearing test, and apply their hearing profile to their earbuds for continuous hearing correction. This functionality is all available as a free software update.

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Apple just fixed one of CarPlay’s biggest usability issues

Apple released iOS 18.4 beta on Friday, with a number of unique new features. Some of the new features include Priority Notifications with Apple Intelligence, a new Food section in the Apple News app, and more. However, there was another smaller change that went under the radar, one that has to do with CarPlay – particularly on larger displays.

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Find My app

iOS 18.4 beta finally enables ‘Find My’ support in South Korea

Last July, citizens of South Korea started a petition asking Apple to enable Find My support in the region. It was assumed that Find My was unavailable due to government restrictions, but that wasn’t actually the case according to the petition.

Apple later agreed to launch Find My support for the region in spring 2025, and that integration is finally starting to roll out.

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These are my favorite unique charging accessories for your Apple ecosystem

If you take a look at the current landscape of charging accessories in 2025, it seems like everyone is doing the same thing. Every brand has its flagship 3 in 1 charger or a 140W wall charger, or a Magsafe charging brick. So what I wanted to do is highlight some products that have brought some unique twists to a product category that seems to have been stale. Let me know which is your favorite!

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iPhone charging slowly? How to fast charge iPhone 16

Modern phones, like the iPhone 16, have a large internal battery capacity. Recharging that battery can take about four hours, if using the slowest available charging methods. In best conditions, though, you can fast charge your iPhone from empty to 50% in 30 minutes, with a full 100% charge in about 2 hours.

The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro support fast charging speeds over both the wired USB-C port, using fast charging power bricks, and via a new generation of wireless MagSafe chargers. Here’s what you need to fast charge iPhone 16 …

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Google Gemini

Apple preparing Google Gemini integration with Apple Intelligence

Currently, Apple Intelligence offers the ability to direct Siri requests to ChatGPT, providing more contextual answers than what Siri would be able to offer. Back at WWDC24, Apple software exec Craig Federighi suggested in an interview that they’d like to offer integration with other AI models, including Google Gemini. That integration may arrive in the not too distant future, according to a new leak.

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MLS 2025 season kicks off: how to watch using MLS Season Pass

The new Major League Soccer season kicks off tonight, with LAFC vs Minnesota as the first game starting now. You can watch the entire league’s games through MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app, live and on-demand.

MLS Season Pass costs $99 for the full season, or at a discounted $79 price for Apple TV+ subscribers. Watch all of the regular season and playoff games with no blackouts or regional restrictions, and share one subscription with up to six people using Apple Family Sharing.

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Indie App Spotlight: ‘Finma’ is a financial management app with on-device processing

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.


Finma is a financial management app for your iPhone. It has a focus on user privacy and doesn’t require a connection to your bank account. It also features beautiful charts and many useful features to give you a better financial picture.

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iPhone 16e fixed a pricing issue in the iPhone lineup

Apple iOS 5G Tim Cook

When 5G debuted with the iPhone 12 lineup, Apple introduced a sneaky new pricing tactic. Apple would list iPhones as “starting at $799”, but that price would require you to activate with one of the major US carriers at the point of purchase. If you wanted an unlocked iPhone, the actual starting price point was $829.

iPhone 16e gets rid of this annoying upcharge.

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iOS 18.4 Home app adds support for Matter robot vacuums

The first iOS 18.4 beta dropped yesterday, and includes an exciting smart home addition that previously went under the radar. As tested by Jonathan at Smart Home Centre, the Home app now supports robot vacuums and mops that integrate with the Matter protocol.

Right now, the only compatible model on the market is the Switchbot S10 Robot Vacuum and Mop, but many other manufacturers have pledged support for Matter with forthcoming software updates.

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Apple @ Work: Looking back at how Apple built its modern device management tech stack

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Before the iPad, Apple saw a lot of success in K-12, but it was mainly around cart-based learning with MacBooks. While several schools had 1:1 programs, the iPad (and its $499 price point) kickstarted the mobility revolution. The iPad was a hit with students and teachers alike, but managing iPads at scale was, to put it mildly, a logistical nightmare for IT teams.

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Best iPhone 16e Cases now available for purchase: Apple silicone, MagSafe, more from $10


Apple’s latest has arrived, and it’s now time to scope out the best iPhone 16e cases. Pre-orders went live this morning on the new, more affordable Apple handset and we are already starting to see plenty of case makers coming out of the woodwork with their latest solutions to ensure it remains in pristine condition. While the official new Apple Silicone Cases might be the cleanest options out there, we now know magnetic cases don’t interfere with the new C1 chip, and a load of third-party options have also landed that can effectively retrofit the new 16e with MagSafe support. Head below for a look at the best iPhone 16e cases now available for purchase. 

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Everything you need to know about Apple’s changes to encryption in the UK

ios 18.5 security fixes

Apple today announced that it has removed its Advanced Data Protection feature in the UK. The decision comes after the UK government ordered Apple to build a worldwide backdoor into iCloud encryption. Instead of complying with that order, Apple chose to remove the feature in the UK.

There’s a huge piece of nuance getting missed in a lot of the coverage of today’s announcement. Apple is not “removing end-to-end encryption” from the UK as some headlines have suggested. The company is removing the Advanced Data Protection feature, yes, but that feature exists separately from Apple’s broader end-to-end encryption efforts.

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