Apple TV+ has announced the first details and release date for a new thriller, The Savant, that stars Jessica Chastain and is coming soon.

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

Sponsored by Bitwarden: Check out Bitwarden Password Manager, featuring a new Apple Watch authenticator integration, secure autofill on Safari and iOS apps, and enterprise-grade security tools that help you manage credentials with confidence.

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Apple and Google can now add the UK to the ever-growing list of countries and regions ramping up regulatory scrutiny. Here’s what happened.

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After former Sonos CEO Patrick Spence left the company over the disastrous launch of a new app, Tom Conrad was appointed as an interim replacement. Update: Sonos has now confirmed Conrad as permanent CEO – see the end of the piece.

The new app left many long-term customers struggling with connectivity problems and broken features, with Conrad saying this was because the company failed to understand how its products were used in the real world …

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Do you own an iPhone with a Lightning port but wish it was USB-C? A new iPhone case just arrived that could be the best solution.

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There is another change coming to AppleCare+ beyond the all-new AppleCare One bundle plan.


As noted by 9to5Mac's Zac Hall, AppleCare+ with Theft and Loss plans will be available for the iPad and Apple Watch starting this Thursday, July 24. These plans are available individually, with no AppleCare One coverage required.

As the name of the plan implies, AppleCare+ with Theft and Loss includes coverage for up to two incidents of theft or loss in a one-year period, in addition to unlimited repairs for accidental damage. In the U.S., the plan starts at $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year for the iPad, and at $2.99 per month or $29.99 per year for the Apple Watch.

AppleCare+ with Theft and Loss was previously limited to the iPhone, with only regular AppleCare+ for repairs offered for the iPad and Apple Watch until now.

AppleCare+ with Theft and Loss is still not available for other devices, such as the Mac, Apple TV, HomePod, AirPods, and Apple Vision Pro.

If you do prefer AppleCare One, theft and loss coverage does apply to any devices that you add to that plan, including the iPad and Apple Watch.

More details are available on the AppleCare website.
This article, "AppleCare+ With Theft and Loss Coverage Expanding Beyond iPhones" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Meta said that it has removed 135,000 Instagram accounts for “sexualizing children,” and has launched new protections for teenage users.

A further half a million Instagram and Facebook accounts were removed by the platform when they were found to be linked to the offending profiles …

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Apple is expanding the capability of its In-App Purchase framework with a new retention messaging API. This means, for the first time, developers will be able to show offers to users when they go to cancel a subscription in the global Subscriptions screen inside the Settings app.

Apps will be able to show a simple static message, display dynamic progress based on the user’s app state, or present a special offer to try and dissuade the user from cancelling their payment altogether.

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An independent engineer known for modifying Apple products today revealed a new accessory that adds a fully functional USB-C port to older iPhones with Lightning ports via a custom-designed case.


Ken Pillonel, the Swiss robotics engineer who gained attention in 2021 after creating adding a USB-C port to an iPhone X through hardware modification, has launched a commercial product that enables USB-C charging and data transfer on Lightning-based iPhones without requiring any internal modifications.

The accessory, sold under the brand "Obsoless," is a two-part snap-on case that integrates a custom circuit board and USB-C connector. The product is designed to provide full compatibility with 9V fast charging, data transfer, and Apple CarPlay.

The project is built on the foundations of his earlier work with AirPods USB-C cases. In a new video, Pillonel explains how he overcame many of the technical challenges involved in developing the case, such as ensuring compatibility with fast charging.



The case itself consists of two parts that clamp around the phone, connecting to the Lightning port through a precisely aligned connector embedded within the enclosure. Pillonel developed a custom latching mechanism inspired by pen clickers and belt buckles, which uses a rotating joint and tactile latch to keep the enclosure closed without requiring tools.

The accessory is also MagSafe compatible. 20 different iPhone models with Lightning ports are supported in total. More color variants of the case will be available starting in September, and users can sign up for email notifications via the Obsoless website for updates on availability.
This article, "New Case Brings USB-C Port to Lightning iPhones" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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The company behind encrypted email service Proton Mail has today launched a new freemium AI chatbot which promises that your chats will remain completely private.

Proton Lumo offers five protections it says aren’t matched by any of the existing mainstream AI services like ChatGPT and Gemini, and has even thrown shade at Apple Intelligence privacy …

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Halfbrick has teamed up with Apple's App Store team to offer Fruit Ninja fans a free month of Apple Arcade. The deal is available for both new and returning Apple Arcade subscribers.


New subscribers can get up to two free months, pairing the free Halfbrick month with a one-month free trial. Existing subscribers are eligible for a one month subscription to play Fruit Ninja and other ‌Apple Arcade‌ games.

To get the free month of ‌Apple Arcade‌, you can sign up on Halfbrick's website. Promo codes are available in the United States, Canada, Australia, UK, Germany, Japan, Philippines, Brazil, and Mexico. If you're not in the U.S., make sure to select your country from the dropdown menu. ‌Apple Arcade‌ promo codes are limited, so make sure to sign up soon.

Halfbrick is offering the promotion to celebrate a fun Bluey-themed event taking place this summer. Popular ‌Apple Arcade‌ game Fruit Ninja Classic+ has been updated with Bluey-themed wands, powers, dojos, and other easter eggs. It's worth checking out with the free month of ‌Apple Arcade‌ if you're a fan of Fruit Ninja or Bluey. There are a series of four in-game Bluey events that are available through August 13, with special in-game prizes available to unlock.

‌Apple Arcade‌ is normally priced at $6.99 per month. There are more than 200 games available, with no in-app purchases or ads.
This article, "Get Free Apple Arcade: Halfbrick Teams Up With Apple to Promote Bluey Fruit Ninja Event" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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At this point, it’s getting increasingly harder to believe that Apple won’t launch a foldable iPhone, than the alternative. From Ming-Chi Kuo to Mark Gurman, from reports to leaks, the timeline and hardware details have started to align. And now, yet another analyst has joined the chorus.

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Apple today announced AppleCare One, a new subscription plan for customers to cover multiple devices with a single plan.


AppleCare One starts at $19.99 per month for up to three products, with the ability to add more for $5.99 per month for each additional device. The plan incudes all of the benefits that come with AppleCare+, such as unlimited repairs for accidents, priority support, battery coverage, and more.

Subscribers can freely move their devices in and out of the plan at any time. AppleCare One also enables users to add products they already own that are up to four years old, providing they are in good condition, extending beyond the current 60-day window to purchase AppleCare+. When a customer trades in a covered product with Apple, it is automatically removed from their AppleCare One plan and replaced with the new device.

AppleCare One also expands theft and loss protection to the iPad and Apple Watch. Previously, it was only available for the iPhone.

AppleCare One's pricing is the same regardless of the products that are covered. Apple says that a customer who enrolls their iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch could save up to $11 per month versus enrolling in separate AppleCare+ plans for each device.

Customers in the United States can sign up for AppleCare One starting tomorrow on their iPhone, iPad, or Mac, or by visiting an Apple Store.
This article, "Apple Announces 'AppleCare One' Subscription Plan for Multiple Devices" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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AppleCare is taking a page from the Apple One services bundle and introducing a bundle of its own. AppleCare One is a new way to pay for additional warranty status on all your Apple products, and the window to add coverage is more generous than ever.

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In addition to introducing AppleCare One, Apple is making a significant change to how some individual AppleCare+ plans are offered.

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Ever forget to add AppleCare to your iPhone, iPad, or Mac in time? Apple is dramatically changing the grace period for adding AppleCare+ on most products starting today.

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Britain's competition regulator has today outlined sweeping proposals that could force Apple to fundamentally alter how it operates its App Store, Safari browser, and iOS ecosystem in the UK.


The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) published a detailed roadmap of potential interventions after proposing to designate both Apple and Google with "strategic market status" under new digital competition laws. The designation would give the CMA unprecedented powers to impose binding requirements on how Apple runs its mobile platform.

The CMA's immediate priorities include forcing Apple to allow app developers to "steer" users away from the App Store to complete purchases elsewhere, which would potentially undercut Apple's lucrative 30% commission model. The regulator also wants to require fairer, more transparent app review processes and prevent Apple from using data collected during app reviews to benefit its own services.

The CMA's most ambitious long-term goal involves breaking Apple's tight control over iOS by allowing alternative browser engines beyond WebKit and enabling better interoperability for digital wallets and connected devices like smartwatches.

"Apple and Google's mobile platforms hold an effective duopoly," said CMA Chief Executive Sarah Cardell, noting that 90-100% of UK mobile devices run on these platforms. The regulator estimates the UK app economy generates 1.5% of GDP and supports around 400,000 jobs.

Ultimately, the CMA believes that successful implementation could mean access to innovative digital wallets beyond Apple Pay, more capable third-party browsers, and potentially lower app prices as developers gain alternatives to Apple's payment systems.

Apple has already pushed back against the proposals, warning that they "would undermine the privacy and security protections that our users have come to expect, hamper our ability to innovate, and force us to give away our technology for free to foreign competitors."

The roadmap draws heavily on enforcement actions already underway in the EU and other jurisdictions. In the US, for example, a court recently forced Apple to allow app developers to include external payment links, leading companies like Spotify and Proton to announce price cuts of up to 30% for American users.

The CMA's phased approach aims to begin with app store reforms later this year, followed by more complex interventions around browser engines and device interoperability from 2026 onwards. However, some of the measures remain under review pending developments in US litigation and European enforcement.

The regulator has until October to finalize its strategic market status designations. In the meantime, it has invited stakeholders to submit feedback on the proposed intervention roadmap.
This article, "Apple and Google's Mobile 'Duopoly' Targeted by UK Regulators" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Earlier today we saw iOS 26 code suggesting that an Apple Watch sleep score feature is in development, with a percentage score indicating your readiness to tackle the day ahead. The feature also provides a more condensed graphical representation of your sleep stages than is currently available.

What is shown and described looks like a very close match for two features provided by the , so here’s a look at how those work …

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Proton today launched Lumo, an AI assistant that promises to keep your conversations completely private. Best known for its encrypted Mail and VPN services, the Swiss company says it built Lumo as an alternative to mainstream AI tools that typically capitalize on users' data by using it to train their large language models (LLMs).


Lumo can be used just like other AI chatbots (Open AI's ChatGPT or Google Gemini, for example) so it can do things like analyze documents, rewrite emails, and generate code. Proton says Lumo doesn't keep chat logs on its servers, and everything stays encrypted on your device using the same technology that protects the company's other services, so no one else can read your conversations – including Proton itself.

The service runs on open-source AI models like Mistral's Nemo and Nvidia's OpenHands 32B. The models operate from European data centers that Proton says it controls directly. Users' questions and responses don't get fed back into the system to train future versions, so there's no risk of your private information showing up in someone else's chat.

Lumo includes a "Ghost mode" that makes your current conversation disappear forever when you close it, while the assistant's web search feature (if you turn it on) uses privacy-friendly search engines. You can also link Proton Drive files to Lumo and everything stays encrypted.

Lumo is free to use at Lumo.proton.me and does not require a Proton account when accessed. However, if you have a Proton account, your chat history can be saved using the company's "zero-access" encryption across all your devices. There are also mobile apps for iPhone and Android.

For power users, Lumo Plus costs $12.99 per month and removes limits on chats and file uploads. Announcing the chatbot, Proton CEO Andy Yen said the company built Lumo because AI shouldn't become the world's most powerful surveillance tool. "For this reason, we believe it is essential to provide an alternative that protects privacy and serves users as opposed to exploiting them."

Lumo by Proton is available to download from the App Store. [Direct Link]
This article, "Proton's New AI Assistant Lumo Offers Encrypted Chat Alternative" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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If you use a third-party sleep tracker with your Apple Watch, you’re probably familiar with the concept of a sleep score: an index that combines signals like heart rate variation and sleep stages, to tell you how efficient your sleep really was.

And while the Apple Watch gained native sleep tracking with watchOS 7, it’s been missing that kind of score. Not for long, as it may turn out.

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Apple's first foldable iPhone will be equipped with a 7.8-inch inner display, and a 5.5-inch outer display, according to Taiwanese research firm TrendForce.


Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo already mentioned those same display sizes for the foldable iPhone in March, meaning there are now multiple sources backing those sizes, so long as TrendForce is not simply copying what Kuo said.

Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 7 has an 8-inch inner screen, and a 6.5-inch outer screen.

TrendForce said Apple will likely launch the foldable iPhone in the second half of 2026, so the device could debut in September of next year.

Last week, Kuo said the foldable iPhone (and Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8) will feature a "crease-free" inner display. He said Apple will achieve this feat by using a laser-drilled metal display plate, which can disperse the stress generated by bending.

Kuo expects the foldable iPhone to have two rear cameras, one front camera, and a Touch ID power button instead of Face ID.
This article, "Foldable iPhone's Display Sizes Leaked" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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After a limited launch last month in Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand, the VSCO Capture app is now live in the App Store worldwide, offering yet another option for iPhone users looking to go beyond the native camera app. Here’s everything the app has to offer.

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Apple released the fourth beta of iOS 26 today, and the company has continued making changes to the way that Liquid Glass looks. There are also new features, including the return of Apple Intelligence Notification Summaries for news. This beta is of particular interest because it's likely the beta that public beta testers will get in the not too distant future.

Liquid Glass Changes

Liquid Glass is more translucent in beta 4, with Apple walking back some of the opacity changes that it introduced in beta 3.


Menu bars in apps like Photos, Music, and the App Store are now feature more transparency, allowing more of the background color to show through.


On the Lock Screen, when you scroll through notifications, the background gets darker. The darker tone improves the readability of text.

Notification Summaries

‌Apple Intelligence‌ Notification Summaries are available for News and Entertainment apps again. Apple removed summaries for news articles back in January to improve the feature, and now it's ready for testing again.


At the time, Notification Summaries were producing misleading news headlines by picking up and combining the wrong information in articles. Apple says the feature should work better now, and that testing will continue throughout the ‌iOS 26‌ beta.

After updating to ‌iOS 26‌, you'll see a pop up for enabling the summary feature for different app categories. You can choose to get news summaries or opt out. All notification summaries for News and Entertainment apps that are generated with ‌‌Apple Intelligence‌‌ will be italicized and will be annotated with a "Summarized by ‌‌Apple Intelligence‌‌" notice.

Camera App

When you swipe between modes in the Camera app, the button behavior has changed slightly. Before, the button seemed to be fixed with the background sliding back and forth, but now the button moves freely in both directions.


Apple also changed the icon of the Camera app on the Home Screen.

CarPlay Wallpapers

There are new CarPlay wallpapers available that match the new ‌iOS 26‌ wallpaper design. The ‌CarPlay‌ wallpapers come in a range of colors, including blue, brown, gray, green, purple, and red. The wallpapers support both light mode and dark mode.


Apple has also removed some older ‌CarPlay‌ wallpapers that were introduced with earlier versions of iOS.

Passcode Changes

When you tap on Face ID & Passcode in the Settings app, there's an updated interface and wording that reminds you to enter the passcode you use to unlock the iPhone.

Passwords

The Passwords app has an Allow Contacting Websites option, which allows the app to contact websites to show names and icons for apps and websites and to let you know when a website supports passkeys.


With this feature, Passwords now shows custom icons for websites automatically.

Weather

There's a new toggle in the Weather app settings that allows it to access Significant Locations. With the feature enabled, the Weather app is able to provide weather information for places that you are likely to visit.

Reduce Loud Sounds

The "Late Night Mode" option in the Sounds and Haptics section of the Settings app has been renamed to Reduce Loud Sounds, and Apple added a description.

Reduces audio volume range and creates softer sound effects while maintaining the quiet details of the original audio.

Call Screening

Apple updated the Screen Unknown Callers option to add new options. You can turn the feature off, ask unknown callers the reason why they are calling, or silence calls from unknown numbers automatically, sending them to voicemail.

Mail

There are very subtle changes to the design of the Mail app icon.

Wallpaper

The wallpapers introduced with ‌iOS 26‌ are now dynamic and will change color over the course of the day.

Read More

We have additional info on all of the new features in ‌iOS 26‌ in our roundup.
This article, "Everything New in iOS 26 Beta 4" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple’s headline iOS 26 features like Apple Intelligence and redesigned apps tend to get all the attention. But some of the most useful changes are easy to miss. These underrated iOS 26 updates quietly improve the iPhone experience in ways that don’t make the keynote but still matter in everyday use.

From smarter AirPods behavior to new journaling tools and better battery estimates, here are 13 updates you might have missed.

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