If the wait for Severance season 3 is wearing on you, Apple just released the perfect way to ease your pain. A new video episode of the Severance podcast is available now, featuring the cast competing against each other in a trivia game show “Tournament of Fripperies.”

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Benjamin and Chance discuss the supposed new ‘TechWoven’ cases coming from Apple for the iPhone 17 lineup, Apple reportedly exits the MLB streaming partnership, and iOS 26 beta 7 shows we are close to launch on Apple’s next bumper product cycle. Also, they tackle some listener questions in another installment of Ask9to5Mac.

And in Happy Hour Plus, after Chance already beat Benjamin on the annual predictions made in January, the pair craft up another three picks for the rest of 2025. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join.

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iOS 26 gives the FaceTime app a whole new design and layout, plus new tools for filtering calls, the powerful Live Translation feature, and more. Here’s everything new.

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

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FOX One is one of two major new streaming services launching today. And it looks like Apple has gone two-for-two with support for its Apple TV app.

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The New York Times' Tripp Mickle today reported that "nine current and former employees" who worked with or for Apple's Vice President of Fitness Technologies Jay Blahnik have accused him of creating a "toxic work environment."


The affected employees said Blahnik "could be verbally abusive, manipulative and inappropriate," according to the report.

"His behavior contributed to decisions by more than 10 workers to seek extended mental health or medical leaves of absence since 2022," the report said. One former employee on the team said she "never worked anywhere more toxic."

Apple spokesperson Lance Lin told The New York Times that the report contains "many inaccurate claims and mischaracterizations."

"We strongly disagree with the premise of this story, and there are many inaccurate claims and mischaracterizations," said Lin, without providing any specific examples. "We will continue to share the facts through the legal process."

Apple settled a complaint alleging sexual harassment by Blahnik, and it is defending him in another lawsuit over allegations of bullying, according to the report.

Blahnik continues to work at Apple after an internal investigation found "no evidence of wrongdoing," according to the report. The story cites a legal filing in which Apple denied any "harassment, discrimination, retaliation or any other harm." He joined Apple in 2013, after years of being a consultant at Nike. He played a key role in the creation of the Apple Watch's Activity rings and the Apple Fitness+ subscription service.
This article, "Apple Responds to Accusations of Executive Creating 'Toxic Workplace'" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Spotify is expanding how users can share their music on Instagram with two new features rolling out globally today. 

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The 9to5Toys Lunch Break is now ready to roll starting off with a rare deal on a M4 Mac mini configuration carrying 32GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD at $100 off the list price – you’ll also still find the base model down at $499 shipped as well. We have the return of Amazon’s renewed premium offer on the 32GB M2 Max Mac Studio at $900 off the original list price alongside some iPhone offers – iPhone 16 Pro is up to $470 off and iPhone 15 Pro is up to $674 off at Amazon – and much more waiting below. 

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Today’s big Made by Google event for the Pixel 10 was… something, but if nothing else, it showed a Google that was confident in the product it was bringing to the table. That included Google making a lot of jokes directed straight at Apple while talking about the Pixel 10’s various updates and features.

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AirPods aren’t just the best headphones. AirPods can also act like an AirTag, which happened to a North Carolina family traveling internationally when a pickpocketer stole the bag containing their passport and ID.

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Apple today announced it will be opening a new retail store at the Phoenix Mall of Asia in Bengaluru, India, on Tuesday, September 2.


"Namaskara, Bengaluru," says Apple. "Your first Apple Store is getting ready to open its doors. We're so excited to see you start something wonderful at Apple Hebbal."

To celebrate the new store, Apple has shared a special wallpaper for the iPhone, iPad, and Mac. The wallpaper can be downloaded on the store's page for a limited time, or you can use the direct links provided in the previous sentence.


The store's page also features an Apple Music playlist with a Bengaluru theme.

Apple Hebbal will be the company's third retail store in India, alongside Apple Saket in New Delhi and Apple BKC in Mumbai. As we previously reported, Apple is also preparing to open new stores at the KOPA Mall in Pune and at the DLF Mall of India in Noida later this year, but it has yet to officially announce those two locations.

The store's glass facade is currently covered by a wrapper with a similar design as the wallpaper, so we cannot see what it looks like. However, many of the newer stores include an Apple Pickup station for in-store pickup of online orders, and a Genius Bar with varied table and seat heights for improved accessibility. Apple's newer stores also use more engineered wood, whereas classic stores made extensive use of stainless steel.

India is an increasingly important market for Apple for both sales and manufacturing, with the company reportedly boosting iPhone production in the country, as part of its supply chain diversification efforts. Last month, Apple CEO Tim Cook said the majority of the iPhones sold in the U.S. last quarter were imported from India.

Apple will also be opening a new store in the United Arab Emirates later this year.
This article, "Apple Announces New Store in India — Download the Special Wallpaper" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple's iOS 26 update, currently in beta, introduces a striking visual overhaul with its new Liquid Glass design language. However, if the translucent elements are causing readability issues or you simply prefer a more opaque interface, there's a quick accessibility setting that can help tone things down.


The Liquid Glass design brings transparency effects throughout the system interface and stock apps. On the Home Screen, you'll notice the search bar, dock, and app folders all feature translucent backgrounds. App icons themselves now sport a new layered glass appearance that adds visual depth and dimension to your device – plus there's a new Clear appearance option that ups the ante even more.

While visually impressive, these transparency effects can sometimes interfere with readability, especially for anyone with certain visual needs. Fortunately, Apple has included accessibility options to make the interface more accessible.

How to Reduce Transparency

The quickest way to make iOS 26's interface more opaque is through the Reduce Transparency setting:

1. Open Settings on your iPhone.


2. Tap Accessibility.


3. Select Display & Text Size.


4. Toggle on Reduce Transparency.

This setting adds darker backgrounds to translucent areas like Control Center, app icons, and app folders, so you should see increased contrast between elements throughout the system.

Note that Reduce Transparency doesn't completely eliminate all translucent elements or change button shapes – it simply makes translucent areas more opaque while maintaining the overall iOS 26 aesthetic.

Add Reduce Transparency to Control Center

For quick access to this setting, you can add it to your Accessibility Shortcuts to get to it from the Control Center interface:

1. Go to Settings ➝ Accessibility.


2. Scroll down and tap Accessibility Shortcut.


3. Select Reduce Transparency in the list.

If you like, you can add the Accessibility Shortcut button to Control Center (long press a space between the interface's buttons, then tap Add Control). After you've done that, you can quickly toggle the setting on and off directly from Control Center, making it easy to switch between the full Liquid Glass experience and a more opaque interface as needed.

Additional Contrast Options

If you're still having legibility issues after enabling Reduce Transparency, return to Settings ➝ Accessibility ➝ Display & Text Size, then toggle on Increase Contrast. Note that enabling both Reduce Transparency and Increase Contrast will cause icons to lose most of their translucency.

The Liquid Glass design is still in beta, so Apple will likely continue refining the visual effects based on feedback. A wider official rollout of iOS 26 is expected sometime in September.
This article, "iOS 26: Reduce Transparency of Apple's Liquid Glass Design" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple today raised the monthly price of its Apple TV+ streaming service to $12.99 in the U.S., according to 9to5Mac's Benjamin Mayo.


Apple TV+ cost just $4.99 per month in the U.S. when it launched in 2019, but the price has now increased three times. The price went up to $6.99 per month in 2022, and then to $9.99 per month in 2023, and now the service costs $12.99 per month. The latest price increase applies to select other countries too.

An annual subscription to Apple TV+ will continue to cost $99 in the U.S., and Apple One bundle prices are not changing, the report said.

The new price is effective immediately for new Apple TV+ subscribers, but various free trial options remain available. For existing subscribers, the price increase will take effect 30 days after their next renewal date, the report said.

In a statement shared with 9to5Mac, Apple attempted to justify the price increase by noting that it has continued to expand its library of original content, and it touted the value of its Apple One plans with multiple Apple services.

Many other streaming services like Disney+ and Netflix have raised prices in recent years.
This article, "Apple TV+ Price Increase Announced" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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MacRumors readers can get 20 percent off a collection of Anker's best charging accessories this month. In order to get this deal, head to Anker's website and add an accessory to your cart, then enter the code Ankermacrumors2025 at checkout to see the discount.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Anker. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Our exclusive 20 percent off code works on most accessories sitewide, including Anker's "high power" charging accessories. This exclusive discount code does not stack with existing discounts on Anker's website, but it can be used on multiple items in the same cart.



In the lists below, we've collected a few examples of the best products available at a discount with our exclusive promo code, but remember that it works sitewide. It's also worth noting that Anker is hosting a back to school sale, and some of the discounts in that event are steeper than our 20 percent sitewide discount. Be sure to check and compare both discounts in your cart before you place your order to ensure you have the best deal.

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This article, "Anker Offers MacRumors Readers 20% Off Collection of Chargers, Hubs, Batteries, and More" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Making payments on your iPhone is easy with Apple Pay. But what about those occasions when you need to input credit card details on a website or in a form? Not so easy. Fortunately, iOS 26 has the fix I’ve always wanted thanks to new AutoFill support for credit cards.

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HBO Max has been a strong supporter of Apple Vision Pro from the start, offering a robust native app for visionOS with a Game of Thrones immersive environment.

Today, HBO has announced an update to the visionOS app with an all-new environment: Hogwarts Great Hall.

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Apple today announced that the monthly price of Apple TV+ is rising in the United States and some international markets. From today, the monthly subscription will cost $12.99, up from $9.99.

Existing subscribers will see the price change 30 days after the next renewal date. The pricing for yearly TV+ subscriptions and the Apple One services bundle remains unchanged.

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Apple’s Vision Pro is a very nice piece of kit, but the $3,400 price means that even CEO Tim Cook has acknowledged it’s a niche product, and the 600g plus weight also means many find it uncomfortable to wear for longer than an hour.

Chinese brand Vivo has attempted to address both issues in a design which looks remarkably like a direct copy of Apple’s spatial computer …

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The Apple Watch’s health features have once again played a part in flagging a potential health problem. A 57-year-old woman from Brighton, East Sussex says her Apple Watch alerted her to an issue that ultimately led doctors to uncover a brain tumor.

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The most annoying thing about X is, well, X – but the company has at least fixed an app behavior many of us found frustrating.

Just 18 years after users started complaining about it, X’s head of product said that a fix is now rolling out …

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Chinese smartphone maker Vivo on Thursday unveiled its first mixed reality headset, the "Vivo Vision," and the photocopiers in Dongguan appear to have been working overtime.


The device "launched" as an in-store experience across mainland China today, featuring design elements that clearly ape Apple's Vision Pro. It's got a curved glass front visor, downward-pointing cameras, removable fabric light seals in four sizes, eight foam padding options, a knitted rear strap, and an aluminum external battery pack connected via a braided cable. The Vivo Vision "Explorer Edition" even offers support for 1.5-degree eye tracking and 26 degrees depth of field for gesture-based navigation.

To its credit, Vivo's clone has some competitive specifications. The dual 8K micro-LED displays provide 3,840 × 3,552 pixels per eye – slightly higher than the Vision Pro's resolution – and offers 180-degree panoramic field of view. At 398 grams, it's significantly lighter than Apple's 650-gram device. Vivo also claims its headset is 26 percent smaller than the "industry average."

As for software, the headset runs on OriginOS Vision, Vivo's in-house mixed reality operating system, which is said to offer ultra-low latency of just 13ms. As you'd expect, it supports recording 3D videos, spatial photos, and spatial audio. Users can also immerse themselves in a 120-inch cinema screen.

Pricing is expected at around 10,000 yuan (roughly $1,395), which is well below Apple's Vision Pro $3,499 starting price. Pre-orders are now open for the device, although Vivo has yet to confirm availability details, giving Apple plenty of time to consider its legal options.

Joking aside, this isn't the first Chinese Apple knock-off that we've seen by a long stretch, plus there's no indication that Vivo's headset is coming to international markets beyond China. The Vision Pro has sold poorly anyway, so the impact on Apple's bottom line is likely to be minimal.


Apple is currently working on a next-generation version of the Vision Pro with an M5 chip, based on code discovered by MacRumors. The refreshed Vision Pro isn't expected to feature any design changes or hardware updates aside from the new chip, but it could get a new strap that will make it more comfortable to wear for longer periods of time. The Vision Pro 2 with M5 chip could launch as soon as late 2025.
This article, "Vivo's $1,400 Apple Vision Pro Clone Launches Across China" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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A former Meta product manager has claimed that the social network circumvented Apple’s privacy protections, as well as cheating advertisers, and fired him when he repeatedly raised the issue internally.

Meta is said to have found ways to identify Apple users even after they refused consent for app tracking, in order to avoid an estimated $10 billion loss of revenue …

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The US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) carried out a record number of phone searches of travelers arriving at, or returning to, the US in the last quarter.

The legal position on these searches is unclear when it comes to US citizens, but there are steps you can take to protect your privacy …

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Medical technology company Masimo on Wednesday filed a lawsuit against U.S. Customs and Border Protection in which it challenged the agency's decision to allow Apple to restore blood oxygen monitoring to its Apple Watch models (via Bloomberg Law).


In a complaint filed Wednesday in the US District Court for the District of Columbia, Masimo said that Customs acted unlawfully when it ruled on August 1 that Apple can import watches with pulse oximetry technology – a reversal of the agency's decision from last year – without notifying Masimo. Masimo said it only discovered the ruling on August 14, when Apple publicly announced it would be reintroducing the pulse oximetry functionality through a software update.

The medical device maker claims Customs and Border Protection exceeded its authority when it issued the ruling permitting Apple's redesigned approach. Apple's workaround offloads blood oxygen calculations from the Apple Watch to a paired iPhone, where it performs similar functionality to what the ITC originally judged to have infringed Masimo's patents.

Masimo is seeking a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction to block the Customs decision. "CBP's function is to enforce ITC exclusion orders, not to create loopholes that render them ineffective," Masimo said.

The dispute originates from an International Trade Commission ruling in December 2023 that found Apple's blood oxygen sensors infringed Masimo's patents, leading to an import ban on Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 models that have the feature enabled.

Apple paused sales in the U.S. for several days before resuming them on January 18, 2024. The Series 9 and Ultra 2 models then went back on the market without blood oxygen monitoring, up until Apple's release of iOS 18.6.1 and watchOS 11.6.1 last week, which shifted the feature's calculations to paired iPhones.
This article, "Apple Blood Oxygen Feature Workaround Sparks Fresh Masimo Lawsuit" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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