Check out the latest from Bluetti with an exclusive discount on the Elite 200 V2 portable power station capable of generating reliable 2 kWh power for 17 years.


Bluetti is an innovator in the home battery backup space that's been pushing the limits of consumer backup power solutions. The company offers some of the best portable power station units that serve you everywhere from the campground to your home during a power outage.

Tuesday, Bluetti has unveiled the latest in its lineup — the Elite 200 V2. It is a 2 kWh portable power station that is rated for 6,000 life cycles, which equates to over 17 years.


Continue Reading on AppleInsider

The pivot from Apple Car set the stage for bigger investments in the smart home, and the initial products from that shift could be launching as soon as March according to a new rumor.


Apple has offered smart home options since 2014 with the launch of HomeKit. Beyond Siri integrations, HomePod, and few product category additions over the years, the company's investment in the area hasn't been as strong as some of its competitors.

That could change as soon as March with the launch of a new smart display that isn't an iPad, doesn't have an App Store, and is voice-first. This device would be a precursor to the rumored display with a robotic arm that's been rumored since Apple Car was abandoned.


Rumor Score: 🤔 Possible


Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Apple's decision to place the power button of the M4 Mac mini underneath has been questioned by users. In some cases, they've come up with their own "solutions" to the problem.


The introduction of the M4 Mac mini was welcomed by critics, with the already small Mac made to be even smaller. Getting to that size meant there had to be a compromise, and that took the form of an awkward power button placement.

Rather than at the rear, the button is instead underneath the corner of the Mac mini's enclosure. It's in a position that you have to lift or tilt the Mac mini to access it, which can be awkward for people with larger digits.


Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

iOS 18.2 with access to ChatGPT integrations, Image Playground, and Genmoji could finally roll out to the general public on December 9 based on a notice recently posted by a UK carrier.


On Monday, Apple released the third developer beta of iOS 18.2. Along with the various changes and quality-of-life improvements, the software also contains an update for carrier-specific settings.

The third developer beta contains an update for devices using the British carrier EE. The carrier settings shipped with iOS 18.1 and the second developer beta of iOS 18.2 had the version number 59.5.1, while iOS 18.2 developer beta 3 increased the EE carrier settings version to 60.5.2.


Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

One day after most of the other developer betas get new builds, visionOS 2.2 turns up for testers using the Apple Vision Pro.


On Monday, Apple introduced the third round of developer betas for iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS SZequoia 15.2, it also brought out the second builds of tvOS 18.2 and watchOS 11.2 for testing.

Missing from the group was visionOS 2.2, but it arrived one day later, on Tuesday.


Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Apple's late 2024 update to its Mac and MacBook ranges has brought M4 to the product line. Here's how to choose the best portable Mac for your budget for the 2024 holiday season.


Apple's fall product updates covered many areas, but for the Mac product category, it meant an update to M4. Following the introduction of the chip in the iPad Pro lineup earlier in the year, the MacBook Pro now uses the speedy chip.

Even better, Apple didn't stop at just M4, as it brought out M4 Pro and M4 Max variants as well. These additions offer a lot more performance options, and in the case of the M4 Max, more performance than an M2 Ultra in some benchmarks.


Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

A kill switch can help prevent your privacy from being breached when your encrypted VPN connection stops working. This is why your VPN needs it.


The basic idea of a virtual private network (VPN) service is that your connection is more private. Using a secure encrypted VPN connection, your online actions are not able to be monitored by other web traffic.

However, there are occasions where you may not have the protection of a VPN. Rather than the encrypted tunnel to a different server, you may suddenly find yourself directly accessing the internet without the VPN.


Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

It is easily possible to double the cost of a new M4 Mac mini by buying Apple storage — but if you know what you're doing, you can buy external drives, and save hundreds of dollars by working off those. Here's how.


Apple's New Mac mini is a stunning bargain for its price and its performance — but maybe only in its base configuration. Once you start adding anything like more storage, you hit Apple's excessive upgrade charges and the bargain diminishes, or even goes away entirely.

It is true that Apple has made things better, both by increasing the amount of RAM that base model gets, and also by making 256GB the smallest amount of storage you can buy.


Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Apple Music Classical users will now find it easier to listen to their choice of music while driving, with it now being added to CarPlay.


Classical music listeners can use both Apple Music and Apple Music Classical to discover and listen to compositions. However, only Apple Music has been enabled in CarPlay, so users have been forced to use the main app to access classical music behind the wheel.

In a Tuesday update, Apple has made Apple Music Classical available to use in CarPlay. The integration means users can access their library, playlists, and other recommendations from the Apple Music Classical app itself in the CarPlay interface.


Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

The European Union has told Apple to stop geo-locking, where apps and services vary in different countries — entirely ignoring decades of laws and practices by other industries that have nothing to do with the App Store.


Give the EU credit, it has implemented the kind of laws regarding Big Tech that other countries, including the US, are still only talking about. But in this case, its assumption that it can simply mandate how the rest of the entire world works is an excoriating overreach.

The new demand is that Apple stop geo-locking, and specifically that EU users must be able to:


Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

OWC's new Thunderbolt 5 Hub aims to provide even more access to the fastest ports, by splitting one off into three more.


In 2021, OWC introduced the Thunderbolt Hub, a dock that provided three additional Thunderbolt 4 ports when it was plugged into a Mac's Thunderbolt 4 connections. Three years later, it's doing it again, but for the newest Mac models.

The OWC Thunderbolt 5 Hub is the same concept as before, with one Thunderbolt 5 cable connecting to the host Mac while providing three more Thunderbolt 5 ports to plug devices into. The hub also adds a single USB-A port to the equation too.


Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

North Korean hackers have disguised malware in seemingly harmless macOS apps using sophisticated code to bypass security checks and target unsuspecting users.


In a recent discovery, researchers at Jamf Threat Labs uncovered malware embedded in macOS apps that look harmless on the surface. Using the popular app-building tool Flutter, cybercriminals made apps that slipped through typical security measures.

Flutter, developed by Google, has become a favorite tool for creating apps that work seamlessly across macOS, iOS, and Android. Its codebase allows developers to build an app once and have it look consistent across all platforms.


Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

The developer of an app dropped from the App Store in China has filed a lawsuit that challenges Apple's overall practices, as well as damages of $420,000.


Apple has consistently been bowing to pressures from China and dropping apps from the App Store in the region. In this case, it's claimed an app called Bodyreader was pulled by Apple over reasons the developer believes are inconsistent.

According to Bloomberg Beijing's intellectual property court has accepted a complaint from Bodyreader's developer. The publication describes this as an Epic Games-style lawsuit on account of its scope concerning Apple's overall practices on the App Store.


Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

An Apple supplier may have been tapped to build an Apple-designed smart home camera and future health-focused AirPods, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.


After Apple abandoned the decade-long Apple Car project, rumors suggested Apple would increase investments in the smart home and AI. While Apple Intelligence has been released to the public, there has been little evidence of Apple's new commitment to the smart home beyond rumors of a smart monitor.

A new supply chain-based rumor from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggests an Apple supplier named Goertek has been tapped with orders for two products due in 2026. The first is a smart home camera, and the second is a set of AirPods with more health-focused features.


Rumor Score: 🤔 Possible


Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

A newly-discovered iPhone 14 Pro prototype features one of the earliest known incarnations of Apple's scrapped haptic button project.


Back in July of 2024, AppleInsider published exclusive imagery of a prototype iPhone 15 Pro Max equipped with Apple's long-rumored haptic buttons. Developed under the codename Project Bongo, the haptic buttons were supposed to make their debut in 2023 but never ended up on mass-production units.




Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

The third developer beta of iOS 18.2 is now available for all compatible iPhone models, as Apple Intelligence testing continues. Here's everything you need to know about the update.


On Monday, Apple released iOS 18.2 developer beta 3, with build number 22C5131e, up from the previous 22C5125e. While the update is compatible with devices as old as the iPhone XS and iPhone XR, the software includes a variety of Apple Intelligence features that only work on iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and the iPhone 16 range.

The iOS 18.2 update introduces support for Image Playground, Genmoji, Visual Intelligence, and ChatGPT integration via Siri. There's also a new FindMy feature that helps users locate lost luggage or AirTags.


Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Apple Musicis turning its "100 Best Albums" list into a luxurious collectible book, bringing iconic records from the screen to your shelf.


Earlier in 2024, Apple launched its "100 Best Albums" list directly in the Apple Music app, sparking plenty of lively debates among fans. Now, the company is releasing the list in a different medium.

The Apple Music: 100 Best Albums book is a heavyweight in more ways than one. It weighs 8 pounds and has luxurious touches like a linen cover, gold page edges, and an acrylic slipcase. Each copy is hand-numbered, making it a unique piece of music history.


Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Apple has released new firmware for the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4, another software update for its personal audio devices.


Apple has been uncharacteristically frequent with its firmware updates for its AirPods product lines. The relatively high tempo of updates has continued with yet another AirPods firmware update.

Rolled out on Monday, the latest firmware updates are for the AirPods Pro 2 with both Lightning and USB-C charging cases, as well as both of the AirPods 4 models.


Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Apple's 2024 Mac mini stashes the power button underneath, a bold move that executives say aligns with user habits, even if it's left some fans scratching their heads.


The company's latest Mac mini is significantly downsized — about half the size of its predecessor. The overhaul makes it more compact and gave Apple's designers challenges in laying out external features.

Apple's Vice Presidents, Greg Joswiak, Apple's Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing, and John Ternus, Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering, explained to IThome. They emphasized that the compact form factor still makes it easy to access the button by tucking a finger underneath to press it.


Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

The third round of developer betas for iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS Sequoia 15.2 have arrived, alongside the second round builds of tvOS 18.2, and watchOS 11.2.


The third round of developer betas follows after the second, which for iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS Sequoia 15.2, arrived on November 4, while the first was on October 23. For tvOS 18.2 and watchOS 11.2, this is the second beta round.

The third builds of iOS 18.2 and iPadOS 18.2 are build number 22C5131e, replacing 22C5125e. The third macOS Sequoia 15.2 build is 24C5079e, up from 24C5073e.


Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Proposed tariffs under the Trump administration could trigger considerable price increases for consumer electronics in the United States, though Apple may be able to weather the storm.


During his first time in office, President Donald Trump's trade war with China resulted in price increases. While there were threats that Apple's products would be dinged by tariffs, Tim Cook's regular Trump talks helped Apple avoid being hurt by the import charges.

For Trump's second term in office, it seems that a similar situation could happen again, with Chinese imports being hit with high tariffs. However, this time Apple is in a much better position.


Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Apple's update for Find My in iOS 18.2 will let users share the location of AirTags with other people, which could help airlines track down your lost luggage faster.


AirTags have been extremely useful for keeping track of important items, especially luggage. However, as they are linked to an account, you can't easily share the location of the item with others.

On Monday, Apple said it will be adding a feature called Share Item Location, usable with its Find My network. The feature, simply put, will let users share the position of an AirTag or a Find My network accessory with someone else.


Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums