Apple today seeded the second public betas of upcoming iOS 18.3, iPadOS 18.3, and macOS Sequoia 15.3 updates, allowing the public to test the software ahead of when it launches later this month. The public betas come three weeks after the first public betas. Apple has also seeded new public betas of tvOS 18.3 and watchOS 11.3.


Public beta testers can download the updates from the Settings app on each device after opting into the beta through Apple's public beta testing website.

While there are no new Apple Intelligence features for the iPhone or iPad, ‌macOS Sequoia‌ 15.3 brings Genmoji to the Mac for the first time, so Mac users are now able to create custom emoji characters that can be used in place of standard emoji.

In iOS 18.3, iPadOS 18.3, and ‌macOS Sequoia‌ 15.3, code suggests that the Home app is set to gain support for robot vacuums, which means Matter and HomeKit vacuums will be able to integrate with Apple's smart home platform in the future.

We are expecting iOS 18.3, iPadOS 18.3, and ‌macOS Sequoia‌ 15.3 to be released to the public toward the end of January.
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Razer today introduced Project Arielle, a next-generation conceptual gaming chair that it is developing. The mesh gaming chair has integrated heating and cooling functions thanks to a bladeless fan system located at the base of the backrest.


The chair offers three adjustable fan speeds for personalized cooling, and Razer says that the heat dissipation offered by the airflow can reduce perceived temperatures by up 2°C to 5°C in dry environments.

When it's cooler, there's a built-in heating system that uses energy-efficient PTC heatings delivering up to 30°C of warm air. According to Razer, the chair's noise level is as "soft as a whisper," with the various functions able to be controlled through a touch panel on the chair's arm.

Razer also demoed Project Ava, a conceptual AI gaming copilot designed to provide real-time insights from esports coaches and information on hardware optimizations to improve gaming performance.


As for products that are actually available, Razer debuted PC Remote Play for streaming full-resolution games from PCs to mobile devices, and a new Razer Blade 16 gaming laptop. Razer says that the new Razer Blade 16 is its thinnest gaming laptop to date, with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 laptop GPU and AMD Ryzen 9 AI processors. The Razer Blade 16 will launch in Q1 2025.
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The Philips Hue app will soon be updated with new functionality that will let users generate different light scenes using AI, Hue parent company Signify announced today.


A text phrase will be able to be used to generate a lighting scene with AI, offering more customization than the built-in scenes or scenes created from photos. Hue users will be able to generate scenes based on moods, styles, occasions, and more. A release date isn't available for the feature, but it is coming in 2025.

Hue Secure, which incorporates security cameras and features, is set to gain smoke alarm sound detection, iOS widgets, and integration with Amazon Alexa and Google Nest Hub.

Signify also updated the Philips Hue Sync TV app to support LG TVs, adding dynamic light synchronization for content from streaming apps to gaming consoles. The feature used to be limited to Samsung TVs, but it will launch on LG TVs in early 2025. The app is priced at $130.

Previously announced Impress outdoor lights and Datura ceiling panels will be coming to the United States in the near future, while the 8K Play HDMI Sync Box and Solo lightstrip will be expanding to additional countries. The Impress outdoor lights will be priced at $160 and will launch in mid-February, while the Datura ceiling panels are set to launch in March at a $300 price point.
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CES 2025 is in full swing, and MacRumors videographer Dan Barbera is back with another video showcasing new and upcoming tech products. Today's video highlights a range of Apple accessories, including power banks, hubs, Qi2 chargers, Find My devices, and more.


Anker had a 25,000mAh power bank that can charge a MacBook at up to 165W, and it includes a retractable USB-C cable. Retractable cables are a popular accessory add-on this year, and we're seeing quite a few manufacturers adding convenient cables to their products.

Satechi has new Qi2 3-in-1 and 2-in-1 compact travel charging options in fun colors, along with matching Qi2 power banks. Satechi was also showing off its M4 Mac mini hub that adds USB-A ports, an SD card slot, and easy access to the power button to the Mac mini.

Moft had new wallets with built-in ‌Find My‌ support, and an iPad Pro case with a built-in iPhone holder for a dual-screen setup. Aukey had a 6-in-1 magnetic charger with added ports for powering multiple phones, an Apple Watch, and other accessories, along with a 3-in-1 charger with active cooling technology.

SanDisk had a MagSafe SSD for content creators, Flic Duo showed off a button with gesture-based controls for HomeKit devices, and OWC was demoing its Thunderbolt 5 SSD and hub. Scosche also had a Find My-enabled card tracker, a car charger with ‌Find My‌ so you can keep tabs on your car, and a a blood glucose monitor. Lockly had a Secure Pro lock with UWB for hands-free door unlocking with an ‌iPhone‌, and Plantaform showed off an indoor gardening machine that looks like a Keurig for plants.

Dan will be wandering the show floor for the rest of today, so make sure to stay tuned to see tomorrow's CES roundup video. We're also covering all kinds of announcements from CES, which you can check out at our CES 2025 hub, plus we did a CES Unveiled video yesterday.
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The 2025 Swift Student Challenge that's taking place ahead of WWDC is set to begin on Monday, February 3, Apple announced today on its developer website.


With the Swift Student Challenge, students from around the world can showcase their coding skills and creativity by developing app concepts using Swift Playgrounds or Xcode. The contest also provides students with the chance to learn real-world skills that can be used in their future careers.

Apple plans to host an online session that will provide students and educators with more information on participating in the Swift Student Challenge. The session will explore the elements of great apps with an Apple engineer, provide tips from a former Challenge winner, and offer inspiration for app playgrounds. Apple has also updated Develop in Swift Tutorials to help students learn the foundations of coding.

Apple said it will select 350 winners based on "innovation, creativity, social impact, or inclusivity." 50 of the winners will be invited to spend three days at Apple Park in Cupertino, California this summer. The trip generally coincides with Apple's annual WWDC event, which is often held in June.

Back in October, Apple gave students a heads up that the Swift Student Challenge would take place in February, but exact dates weren't provided at the time. Submissions will open on February 3, 2025, and will remain open for a three-week period.
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Apple today provided developers with the second beta of an upcoming macOS Sequoia 15.3 update, with the second beta coming three weeks after Apple released the first beta.


Registered developers can opt-in to the ‌macOS Sequoia‌ beta through the Software Update section of the System Settings app. An Apple ID associated with an Apple Developer account is required to get the beta.

‌macOS Sequoia‌ 15.3 brings Genmoji to the Mac, a feature that was previously limited to the iPhone and iPad. With ‌Genmoji‌, Mac users can create custom characters with a text-based prompt, similar to how Image Playground works.

‌Genmoji‌ characters behave just like emoji on devices running iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, ‌‌macOS Sequoia‌‌ 15.1 and later, but on earlier versions of iOS, macOS, iPadOS, and Android devices, ‌Genmoji‌ are sent as images. ‌Genmoji‌ can be added from the emoji interface, and image generation is done on-device.

All macs with an Apple silicon chip support ‌Genmoji‌ and other Apple Intelligence features.
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Apple today seeded the second betas of upcoming iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming three weeks after Apple released the first betas.


iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3 can be downloaded from the Settings app on a compatible device by going to General > Software update.

There are no new Apple Intelligence features in iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3, and the updates are available to all compatible iPhone and iPad models. The update is expected to bring support for robot vacuums in HomeKit, but there were no notable changes found in the first beta.

iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3 will likely focus primarily on bugs and small software refinements, with additional ‌Apple Intelligence‌ Siri functionality coming in later iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 updates.

While iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3 testing is starting in December, these updates will likely be released sometime in the next few weeks.
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Apple today provided developers with the second betas of upcoming watchOS 11.3, tvOS 18.3, and visionOS 2.3 updates for testing purposes.


The betas are available to registered developers, and can be downloaded from the settings app on each device.

There were no notable new features found in the updates, but code suggests that Apple will add support for robot vacuums to HomeKit, which means it will be a supported category in the Home app in visionOS, tvOS, and watchOS.

tvOS 18.3 code suggests we won't be getting new TV and Movies and Soundscapes screen savers, which Apple had announced back in June. References to these screen savers have now been eliminated.

Apple also plans to add a new notice about digital movie and TV show sales in tvOS 18.3.

We are expecting tvOS 18.3, watchOS 11.3, and visionOS 2.3 to be released sometime in late January alongside iOS 18.3, iPadOS 18.3, and macOS Sequoia 15.3.
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Nanoleaf, known for its popular HomeKit-connected light panels, today announced the launch of several new Nanoleaf devices and an expansion into a new product category.


The new Nanoleaf LED Light Therapy Face Mask is a skincare device that uses LEDs to deliver Near Infrared Light (NIR) to treat skin concerns that include fine lines, acne, and uneven skin tone. Along with red light, which studies have suggested can help with skin firming, Nanoleaf's mask also provides light in other colors that include blue, white, cyan, green, and yellow.

There are seven modes that Nanoleaf says target specific skin concerns, with the mask designed to ergonomically fit the contours of the face. The LED Light Therapy Mask is priced at $150 and it can be pre-ordered from the Nanoleaf website starting today.


Nanoleaf's new $100 Smart Multicolor Floor Lamp has a design similar to the Hue Signe. Like the Nanoleaf light panels, the Floor Lamp connects to the Nanoleaf app and to HomeKit over Matter. It supports more than 16 million colors and offers music syncing and color gradients with Nanoleaf's in-app scenes.


The Smart Multicolor Floor Lamp can be pre-ordered from the Nanoleaf website today.

For PC users and TV owners, Nanoleaf has two new lightstrips that can better fit onto the contours of a screen. A zig-zag design allows it to fit correctly around corners, and the design is more flexible and bendable. The PC Screen Mirror Lightstrip can mirror the colors of games and movies for a dynamic watching experience (no Mac compatibility), and the same is true of the 4D V2 when it's connected to a TV.


With the 4D V2, there is an included camera that picks up the colors on the screen to change the color of the lightstrip in real-time. Both the PC Lightstrip and the 4D V2 for TVs will launch in the second quarter of 2025.


Along with these new devices, Nanoleaf announced Nanoleaf Premium, a software subscription service that is designed for the Nanoleaf Desktop app that works with PCs. Nanoleaf Premium includes Orchestrator for detecting specific songs and creating animations tailored to each track, and it offers Scenescapes, a feature that combines lighting effects and soothing sounds. Nanoleaf Premium is available today and it is priced at $1.99 per month or $19.99 per year.
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Samsung today announced that it will hold its next major "Unpacked" smartphone event on Wednesday, January 22 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. The company claims that it will introduce the "next evolution" of Galaxy AI, which will change the way people interact with the world, setting a new bar for mobile AI experiences.


Samsung first showed off Galaxy AI in July when it introduced the Galaxy ZFold6 and the ZFlip6, demoing features like a sketch feature that turns drawings into images, a Notes app with translation and compose features, Google Gemini integration, text suggestions, real-time call translation, and AI photo tools like Portrait Studio for creating portrait styles for images.

The Unpacked event will see the launch of new S series smartphones that are designed to compete with Apple's flagship iPhone 16 models. This year, Samsung will debut the Galaxy S25 series with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite chips.

Rumors suggest the new smartphones will have larger displays and a more curved design with rounded edges, though much of the focus is expected to be on AI features. Samsung is also working on an Android-based mixed reality headset that will run Google's Android XR operating system, and it's possible Samsung will show it off at the event. Samsung's upcoming headset will compete with the Apple Vision Pro, but it is not expected to be as expensive.
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Birdfy, a company that makes smart cameras for bird watching, today introduced several updated products that give bird lovers new, more advanced views of the birds in their yard.


The Birdfy Feeder 2 Duo is an upgrade to the current Birdfy feeder options, offering a three-lens camera setup that can capture visiting birds from multiple angles, rather than just a single angle. The Birdfy camera connects to Wi-Fi and images that are captured are sent to an iPhone app for viewing anywhere. The app is able to identify and catalog different bird species, providing real-time notifications when there are visits.

There's a dual-lens front camera able to capture wide-angle views and bird portraits, and a side camera that provides another angle. The cameras offer 1080p quality with auto-tracking and full color night vision.

Birdfy's new multi-camera feeder is made from recycled ABS plastic for durability, and it has a solar panel that allows it to be placed anywhere in the yard without needing to be regularly recharged. IP66 waterproofing keeps it safe even in rain.

There's also a Birdfy Bath Pro, which provides a water source for birds while also capturing images of birds bathing and playing. There's a wide-angle camera that can take photos and video clips, and the lens is able to zoom in to take close-up portraits. An integrated solar panel allows for a continuous power source, and there's an optional stand that can be purchased.


For hummingbird fans, there's a new Hum Feeder, a more compact, lightweight, and affordable version of the company's original hummingbird feeder. The Hum Feeder has a flower-shaped design with a swivel feeding port, a 14oz nectar capacity, and a built-in 1080p camera.

The Birdfy Feeder 2 Duo is priced at $360 and it is available for pre-order now. It is set to be delivered to customers starting on January 22. The Birdfy Bath Pro is priced at $200, and it is also available for pre-order with orders set to arrive in March 2025.
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Schlage today unveiled a new Sense Pro Smart Deadbolt that's able to connect to smart home platforms like HomeKit using Matter-over-Thread. The device has no key hole as it is exclusively designed to be unlocked with a smartphone.


The Sense Pro Smart Deadbolt supports hands-free unlocking over NFC and it integrates Ultra Wideband (UWB) technology. The lock is able to unlock right when a user reaches their door by measuring distance, speed, and trajectory with UWB.

Schlage's lock will be one of the first to support hands-free unlocking using the Ultra Wideband chip in the iPhone. Apple added an "Express Mode" hands-free unlocking feature to iOS 18, but it requires smart locks to have a UWB chip and there are no locks on the market with the functionality as of right now.

The lock also supports tap to unlock over NFC and it includes a keypad for access with an entry code.

To go along with the Sense Pro Smart Deadbolt, Schlage is working on a new Schlage Home app that has a more user-friendly interface and allows for remote lock management.

Schlage has not provided pricing for the Sense Pro Smart Deadbolt, but it will be available for purchase later in 2025.
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The creators of Bird Buddy, a camera-equipped bird feeder, today showed off two products that are designed for watching insects, flowers, birds, and other flora and fauna.


Under a new "Wonder" brand, Bird Buddy's creators have introduced the Petal camera and Wonder Blocks, which are designed to "capture wondrous moments of nature" in a backyard.


Petal is described as a versatile, biomorphic camera that takes images and video, much like the Bird Buddy. Captured photos are sent to an app and can be viewed on the iPhone. A built-in AI feature called Nature Intelligence interprets the "sights and sounds of nature," to show birds hatching, butterflies flitting by, bees visiting flowers, and more.


The camera has a flexible stem and universal clip so it can be positioned anywhere outdoors, and it can be purchased with an optional solar roof.

Wonder Blocks are designed to be used alongside Petal, and can be used to create habitats for wildlife. With a pedestal base, users can personalize Wonder Blocks with plants, seed trays, bee hotels, bug hotels, and a butterfly feeder.

The Petal camera and Wonder Blocks will be available as part of a Kickstarter campaign in spring 2025.
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Smart vacuum company Roborock this week showed off its latest vacuum, the Roborock Saros z70. The vacuum is Matter-enabled, which means when it launches, it should be able to connect to an Apple HomeKit setup.


Apple promised to add support for robot vacuums in iOS 18, and it looks like that functionality is going to come in iOS 18.3, an update that's on track to be released later this month. There are a few Matter-enabled robot vacuums already on the market, but the Roborock Saros z70 has a unique feature -- an arm that's able to pick up and move objects out of its path.

The foldable, five-axis mechanical arm pops out of the robot's housing and can be used to pick up items less than 300g like shoes, trash, and dirty laundry to allow the floor underneath to be vacuumed. It can move the items to their designated household locations, putting shoes away, for example.

There are built-in cameras that are able to detect objects and obstacles, along with several other bells and whistles. The vacuum can track down pets and send photos, it can lift itself over small bumps and thick carpet, and it has FlexiArm side brushes to get dirt out of corners. There's also a mopping feature, so it can both vacuum and wash floors.

With the Roborock app, the Saros z70 can be manually controlled for a view of the house, to interact with pets, and so the user can pick up and move objects using the built-in arm.

Pricing on the Roborock Saros z70 hasn't been announced, but high-end robot vacuums can cost upward of $1,500, so it would not be surprising to see an even higher price tag. Roborock plans to release the vacuum this spring.
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Apple is working on an update for Apple Intelligence that will cut down on confusion caused by inaccurate summaries of news headlines, Apple told BBC News. In a statement, Apple said software coming soon will clarify when notifications have been summarized by ‌Apple Intelligence‌.

Apple Intelligence features are in beta and we are continuously making improvements with the help of user feedback. A software update in the coming weeks will further clarify when the text being displayed is summarization provided by Apple Intelligence. We encourage users to report a concern if they view an unexpected notification summary.

The statement comes following a BBC News complaint over a pair of false notification headlines generated by ‌Apple Intelligence‌ on Friday. One notification claimed Luke Littler won a darts championship before the tournament had even begun, and another falsely suggested former tennis player Rafael Nadal had come out as gay. BBC News called on Apple to take action because the ongoing ‌Apple Intelligence‌ issue threatens consumer trust in news organizations.

Available on compatible devices in iOS 18.1 and later, ‌Apple Intelligence‌ notification summaries are designed to group multiple notifications from the same app together, providing a one-sentence overview of the content. These short summaries can cause problems when AI pulls the wrong details from news stories.

There have been several prior events where ‌Apple Intelligence‌ provided incorrect details from incoming news app notifications. In November, ‌Apple Intelligence‌ suggested Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had been arrested, incorrectly interpreting a story from The New York Times. Last month, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) urged Apple to disable the ‌Apple Intelligence‌ notification feature after a misleading headline suggesting murder suspect Luigi Mangione had shot himself. RSF said that "generative AI services are still too immature to produce reliable information for the public."

‌Apple Intelligence‌ notification summaries are an opt-in feature and they can be disabled.
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It's time for the annual CES event where all kinds of tech products and accessories are being debuted, and we sent MacRumors videographer Dan Barbera to check out what's new this year. While CES officially begins tomorrow, there are pre-show events like CES Unveiled, plus Samsung shared highlights.


Samsung often uses CES to show off new TV technology, and 2025 was no exception. There's a new NEO 8K flagship TV, plus a new Frame Pro. The Frame Pro has better brightness and contrast, and an option to wirelessly display whatever output is connected to a One Connect Box, which gives more flexibility for the location of Apple TVs, consoles, sound bars, and more.

Select Samsung Smart TVs are set to gain Live Translate, an AI-powered feature that offers real-time translations as subtitles, even when subtitles aren't available as built-in content. AI is being used for generating wallpapers and some new personalization features, too.

Samsung has a new OLED Smart Monitor M9, a Studio Display competitor that has a sleek design. It offers an AI Picture Optimizer for adjusting display parameters to fit what's on-screen, and there is 4K AI upscaling. For gamers, Samsung showed off an OLED display with a 500Hz refresh rate and a 27-inch 4K OLED display.

LG was also showing off new TV and display technology. The company had a new Evo OLED TV that's much brighter than prior models, plus there's also a connect box for peripherals so you don't need them by the TV.

At CES Unveiled, Belkin showed off the Stage Power Grip, a 10,000mAh MagSafe powerbank that works as a camera grip for iPhone photography. Lexar had a tiny USB-C SSD that connects to an ‌iPhone‌, and Sharge had a Qi2 power bank with active cooling and an integrated kickstand.

Atmos Gear demoed electric roller skates that can go up to 18 miles an hour, and there was a clever salt spoon that's supposed to zap your tongue in a specific area to make you taste salt without actually adding salt to your dish.

Make sure to watch the full video to see the products in action, and stay tuned to MacRumors because we'll be sharing CES videos and articles for the next few days.
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No Siri data has ever been used for marketing purposes or sold to a third-party company for any reason, Apple said today in response to accusations that conversations ‌Siri‌ has captured were used for advertising.


A lawsuit that Apple has agreed to settle alleged that Apple provided information obtained from accidental ‌Siri‌ recordings to third-party companies for the purpose of marketing products. Plaintiffs in the lawsuit claimed that they were shown ads for Air Jordan shoes and Olive Garden after ‌Siri‌ recorded them speaking privately about those companies.

Apple said that did not happen because that's not the way that ‌Siri‌ works. ‌Siri‌ data that Apple uses is anonymized and not linked to a specific user, plus ‌Siri‌ data is not sold. Apple does use ‌Siri‌ information to improve the personal assistant, but the use of audio recordings is now opt-in and turned off by default. Apple's full statement:

Siri has been engineered to protect user privacy from the beginning. Siri data has never been used to build marketing profiles and it has never been sold to anyone for any purpose. Apple settled this case to avoid additional litigation so we can move forward from concerns about third-party grading that we already addressed in 2019. We use Siri data to improve Siri, and we are constantly developing technologies to make Siri even more private.

The lawsuit was initially filed in 2019 after contractors working for Apple said that they overheard private conversations from accidental ‌Siri‌ activations. At the time, Apple's privacy terms did not explicitly state that it was using human oversight for ‌Siri‌, and the contractors were concerned customers were unaware that accidental recordings were being listed to.

The customers who filed the lawsuit claimed that they were "regularly recorded without consent" and that they would not have purchased their iPhones had they known about this ‌Siri‌ feature. A judge initially threw out the lawsuit because the plaintiffs did not provide evidence of Apple recording their conversations, so it was refiled with the accusation that ‌Siri‌ data collected had been used for targeted advertising.

Apple says that it settled the lawsuit for $95 million to avoid additional costly litigation. As part of the settlement, Apple said that it "continues to deny any and all alleged wrongdoing and liability, specifically denies each of the Plaintiffs' contentions and claims, and continues to deny that the Plaintiffs' claims and allegations would be suitable for class action status."

The settlement already received preliminary approval from the court. All current or former owners or purchasers of a ‌‌Siri‌‌ device in the United States whose confidential or private communications were obtained by Apple between September 17, 2014 and December 31, 2024 are considered class members and could be eligible for a payment of up to $20.

Lawyers will set up a settlement website and eligible class members will be contacted.
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Apple today released iOS 18.2.1 and iPadOS 18.2.1, minor updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating systems. iOS 18.2.1 and iPadOS 18.2.1 come almost a month after Apple released iOS 18.2 and iPadOS 18.2.


The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update.

According to Apple's release notes, iOS 18.2.1 addresses important bugs, and it is recommended for all users.

Apple is also testing iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3, updates that we expect to see launch sometime in late January.
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Lutron today announced the launch of new Caséta Smart Shades that are able to integrate with HomeKit and other smart home platforms. Priced at $399, the Caséta shades can be controlled using schedules, in-wall controls, remotes, the Lutron app, the Home app, or Siri voice commands.


These are the first smart shades that are available under the Caséta brand, and they are more affordable than Lutron's prior smart shade options. Lutron says that the Caséta shades have been designed to move quietly in near-perfect unison and have been tested to perform for more than 10 years.

Caséta Smart Shades can be used with Caséta lights and smart switches to control natural light alongside light from lamps and overhead fixtures. The shades come in roller or honeycomb styles and can be purchased in white or gray.

All shades up to 48 inches wide and 80 inches high are $399, with larger custom sizes in widths up to 96 inches and lengths up to 104 inches are available at an extra cost. There's also an option to add blackout functionality for an additional $30.

The Caséta Smart Shades will begin shipping in February 2025.
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Popular accessory maker Belkin today introduced several upcoming products that will launch in the early months of 2025. There are three new charging options, including the affordable $20 Qi2 BoostCharge Pro Magnetic Wireless Charging Pad.


The Charging Pad is able to charge an iPhone at up to 15W, and it comes with a pop-up kickstand and a 2.2m USB-C cable. A power adapter can be purchased alongside for an extra $10, with Belkin planning to introduce the charger in April 2025.

Belkin also has a new BoostCharge Compact USB-C Charger in 45W and 65W options for $30 and $40, respectively. The power adapter is super compact with foldable prongs, making it ideal for travel. The USB-C Charger will launch in March 2025.


Belkin's final charging product is the BoostCharge Power Bank 20K with Integrated Cable, which is priced at $50 and is able to fast charge a connected device like an iPhone 16 at 30W. Along with a built-in USB-C cable, it has an additional USB-C port and a USB-A port for multi-device charging. It comes in black, white, blue, and pink, and it will ship in April 2025.


Several of Belkin's existing charging products will be updated this year with new housings that include 85 to 90 percent post-consumer recycled (PCR) material, furthering Belkin's environmental goals. Over the past two years, Belkin has replaced more than 432 metric tons of virgin plastic with PCR materials.

Starting in Q2 2025, these accessories will be updated:

• 45W Dual USB-C Wall Charger


• 65W Dual USB-C Wall Charger


• 70W GaN Wall Charger w/ interchangeable tips


• 100W GaN Wall Charger w/ interchangeable tips


• 15W Wireless Charger w/ Qi2


• Charging cables

Additional accessories will get updated housing later in 2025.

For content creators, Belkin plans to offer a new Stage Creator Bundle that will include a durable tripod, a magnetic phone mount with adjustable angle, wearable clip-on microphones with a 100m transmission range, and a 6-inch USB-C cable. The all-in-one kit is designed to help users capture hands-free images and photos.


Belkin is also working on the Stage PowerGrip, which combines a 10,000mAh power bank with an ergonomic phone grip. The Stage Creator Bundle and Stage PowerGrip will launch in May 2025, and pricing has not been announced.


Belkin has two new audio products, the SoundForm Isolate and the SoundForm Anywhere. The SoundForm Isolate are Belkin's first over-ear headphones with Active Noise Cancellation, and at $60, they are affordable. The headphones include CloudCushion earcups for comfort, and there is a built-in "Relaxation" track that plays ocean wave sounds to tune out ambient noise. The headphones are available for purchase now.


Later this year, Belkin plans to launch the SoundForm Anywhere, a set of semi open-ear earbuds with a flat form factor. The earbuds are meant to stay locked in place during workouts or when the wearer is lying down, which makes them ideal for sleep.


The SoundForm Anywhere offer 27 hours of battery life with the included case, and there are ENC microphones in each earbud to actively reduce background noise during calls. The earbuds will launch in the second quarter of 2025 and pricing has not yet been announced.
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Apple plans to hold its first earnings call of 2025 on Thursday, January 30, according to the company's Investor Relations website.


During the call, Apple CEO Tim Cook and new chief financial officer Kevan Parekh will provide insight into Apple's performance during the 2024 holiday quarter spanning from October to December. Apple's Q4 2024 earnings call was the last for former Apple CFO Luca Maestri, who has now transitioned to a new role as vice president of corporate services.

In the fourth quarter of 2024, Apple released new iPad mini, Mac mini, MacBook Pro, and iMac models, so we will get our first look at how these devices performed, as well as some insight into Apple device sales during the holiday period.

Apple in Q1 2024 posted revenue of $119.6 billion and net quarterly profit of $33.9 billion. Apple said last quarter that revenue is expected to grow low to mid single digits year-over-year.

Apple's earnings call will take place at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time on the 30th, just after the company's Q1 2025 earnings release.
This article, "Apple to Hold Q1 2025 Earnings Call on January 30" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple started making Siri more capable with Apple Intelligence features in iOS 18.1 and iOS 18.2, but there are additional ‌Siri‌ updates that are set to come in 2025 with iOS 18 and iOS 19. By this time next year, ‌Siri‌ should be much smarter, if Apple's planned changes live up to what the company says is coming.

Features Coming in iOS 18

The best new ‌Siri‌ features haven't been added yet, but Apple previewed them at WWDC when ‌Apple Intelligence‌ was first announced. We're expecting these changes to come in iOS 18.4 in the spring.

Personal Context

With personal context, ‌Siri‌ will keep track of your emails, messages, files, photos, and more. If it's on your device, ‌Siri‌ will know where it is and where it came from.

Using this information, ‌Siri‌ will be be able to help you better find something that you're looking for, whether it's a flight number in an email you received, a file you downloaded, or a photo that someone sent you.

‌Siri‌ will use personal context to learn more about you too, which means ‌Siri‌ will be able to better help you complete tasks and keep track of everything on your device.

Some examples Apple has provided:

• Play that podcast that Jamie recommended.


• When is mom's flight landing?

Onscreen Awareness

‌Siri‌ will know what's on your screen, so when you make a request, you can reference what you're looking at. If someone sends you an address via text, for example, you'll be able to tell ‌Siri‌ to add "this" to your contacts, and ‌Siri‌ will know what you're talking about.

Onscreen awareness will essentially allow ‌Siri‌ to perform actions related to whatever information is on your iPhone or iPad's display.

In iOS 18.2, ‌Siri‌ is able to send a screenshot of your display to ChatGPT and ChatGPT can perform some of this same functionality, but Apple has clarified that the ChatGPT integration is not the same thing as the future onscreen awareness feature coming to ‌Siri‌.

App Integration

‌Siri‌ is gaining deeper integration with apps, and it's going to allow the personal assistant to perform hundreds of new actions in and across both Apple apps and third-party apps. This feature is so wide-ranging that it's going to cover a lot of new functions, but Apple has provided examples like using ‌Siri‌ to bring up articles from the Safari Reading List, or sending photos from a specific location to someone, e.g. "send the photos from the party on Friday to Eric."

‌Siri‌ will be able to complete multi-step tasks too, such as editing a photo that you take and then sending it to someone all with one command.

Features Rumored for iOS 19

All of the features above are part of ‌iOS 18‌ and are going to come in an ‌iOS 18‌ update, but rumors suggest that Apple has a next-generation version of Siri in development for ‌iOS 19‌.

‌Siri‌ in ‌iOS 19‌ will rely on large language models, or LLMs. LLMs are what power ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Claude, and other AI chatbot services. An LLM version of ‌Siri‌ will be able to hold ongoing conversations, and it will be more like speaking with a human. ‌Siri‌ will be able to perform more complex tasks, and will be able to better compete with ChatGPT.

Apple plans to replace the current version of ‌Siri‌ with LLM ‌Siri‌ in the future. So far, it sounds like it's going to be announced in ‌iOS 19‌, but the actual functionality might not come until an ‌iOS 19‌ update that Apple releases in 2026, much like how ‌Apple Intelligence‌ features have been spread over ‌iOS 18‌ updates.

We'll hear about ‌iOS 19‌ features in June at WWDC, and it's possible we could get at least some new ‌Siri‌ functionality when ‌iOS 19‌ launches in September 2025.

When to Expect the New Siri Features

The features that Apple has planned for ‌iOS 18‌ are expected in iOS 18.4, and it looks like that's an update that will come out in April. Apple will release iOS 18.3 in late January, and then we'll get the iOS 18.4 beta. iOS 18.4 will be beta tested for a couple months before it is released to the public.

‌iOS 19‌ features will be introduced in June and the update will launch in September, but we may not get everything at once and some features could come as updates to ‌iOS 19‌ later in 2025 and in 2026.

More on Siri's Capabilities in iOS 18 and Beyond

We have a full Apple Intelligence Siri guide on all of the ‌Siri‌ features that have been introduced in ‌iOS 18‌, iOS 18.1, and iOS 18.2, as well as a look at what to expect in the future.
This article, "Here's What's Changing With Siri in 2025" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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