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A report over the weekend suggested an Apple smart home doorbell with support for Face ID is in development. It follows an earlier report of an Apple smart home camera next year.

While it could be argued that both are commodity products, and that Apple’s most important contribution is the HomeKit platform rather than the hardware, there seems little doubt about the opportunity here …

Update: AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation currently reduced to $169 on Amazon.

So, Apple just updated its base model AirPods for the first time in years. There’s now two new models, one with Active Noise Cancellation, and one without – starting at $129.

ANC was the hero exclusive feature of AirPods Pro … until today. So how do the new AirPods (not Pro) stack up? Here’s all the differences.

Even a brief review of the App Store revealed more than 200 “risky or inappropriate” apps rated as ok for children, according to a new report. They had collectively notched up more than 550 million downloads.

Two child safety groups say that more than 25% of the child-rated apps they reviewed gave cause for concern, suggesting that the total number of problematic apps is very much higher …

In the latest edition of the Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman laid out a couple updates on Apple’s developments on health features for AirPods. We’ve heard reports on this matter in the past, but this provides a little more insight.

According to Mark Gurman from Bloomberg, Apple is working on a new smart home doorbell, to compete with the likes of Ring. It’d offer “advanced facial recognition”, and integrate wirelessly with smart home locks.

According to MacRumors, Apple is preparing the release of iOS 18.2.1. We don’t have a known build number at the moment, but we’ll likely see this software update released in the near future.

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.

one sec aims to help people reduce mindless scrolling on social media, requiring users to make a conscious decision on whether or not they want to actually open that app every time. It’s very configurable, so you can customize one sec to meet your needs.

Brought to you by Uniq: The Lyden Collection features iPhone cases, AirPods cases, and magnetic cardholders, all crafted from premium vegan leatherette. Designed with both style and sustainability in mind, this collection adds a sophisticated touch while embodying our dedication to eco-conscious living. Check out the collection.

Flashier features like camera upgrades, faster performance, and bigger screens usually take the spotlight when it comes to iPhone. However, Apple’s smartphone has evolved with powerful safety tools over the years. Here’s a look at 6 safety features that offer real peace of mind with iPhone 16 and how you test them out or make sure thye’re enabled.

With iOS 18, Apple introduced support for RCS messaging, a new protocol that enhances the texting experience between iPhone and Android users. Unlike SMS, you can see read/delivered receipts, send larger files, and have typing indicators, features that were previously missing. At first, only the big three carriers supported RCS messaging. Since then, a lot more have joined in on the fun.

With Christmas now just days away, it’s about time to ‘wrap up’ the holiday shopping season. Everyone is in the midst of hurrying to get their last minute gifts sorted. If you haven’t found something for someone special quite yet, here’s some iPhone-centric accessories and Apple gift ideas.

My recommendations are the Mujjo iPhone 16 leather case, SwitchBot Wallet Finder card, Belkin portable phone charger, a Continuity Camera mount, and the Apple TV 4K. More details about these picks after the break …

Thanks to a usually-reliable tip off from iPhoneSoft, we may already know device compatibility for Apple’s next major operating system updates coming next year.

The report says that every iPhone model that currently supports iOS 18 will also support iOS 19, although like every year, some features may be limited to newer phones. Nevertheless, that means another year of support for iPhones as old as the iPhone XS and XR, first released in 2018.

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The SAP D-Zone team has announced the release of Privileges 2, a clever macOS application that gives users greater control over their administrative privileges. With over 1 million downloads, Privileges has become a trusted solution for organizations looking to enhance security while maintaining user productivity. This latest update brings new features to make the application even more versatile, secure, and user-friendly.

As we reported in August, Meta has confirmed that it will discontinue Spark, Instagram’s AR filters, in January 2025. At the time, the company didn’t give many details except to say that it would prioritize its efforts on other products. Now we know what’s coming next: realistic AI-based filters.

Over the past few months, two big waves of Apple Intelligence features have debuted via iOS 18.1 and iOS 18.2. While some have speculated Apple is planning paid AI services in the future, Apple’s CEO Tim Cook recently said that charging has never even been discussed. Here’s why.

As part of iOS 18, Apple unveiled the biggest-ever redesign to the Photos app. With a single-pane interface, the new Photos app highlights collections and curation while being fully customizable to your liking.

The rollout of the Photos app, however, proved to be polarizing. While I’ve been a fan of it since it first debuted, Apple has made several tweaks in subsequent iOS 18 updates to address some of the most common complaints. It has also added several notable new features.

It’s the holiday season, and many of us have more time on our hands than usual for TV watching. Apple TV+ started out with a small catalog, but it’s grown significantly over the years and now offers strong options for everyone. Here are the best reviewed shows available on Apple TV+, sorted by Rotten Tomatoes scores.

As expected, Apple is starting to wind down sales of the Lightning-equipped iPhone SE and iPhone 14 lineups from the European Union. This comes as the EU’s common charger mandate is set to go into effect on December 28, requiring smartphones to feature USB-C for charging.

Smart home products have come a long way, but one area often overlooked is water management. Aqara’s newly launched Valve Controller T1 is changing that by turning your existing water valves into smart components of your home. Originally announced at IFA 2024, this retrofit device pairs with water leak sensors and integrates seamlessly into HomeKit

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Holiday breaks are starting to kick off, when Apple and other companies tend to not make many new announcements. But there’s one big update we’re still expecting, according to Apple’s website: the arrival of the first next-gen CarPlay models.

Last week we received word that the MacBook Pro would be getting OLED and lose its notch starting in 2026. That same report also detailed the OLED timeline for Apple’s other products, and it doesn’t look great for the MacBook Air in two key ways.