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Each year, Moonlock Lab, the cybersecurity research wing of MacPaw, releases an annual report detailing the current state of the macOS threat landscape. On Tuesday, Moonlock Lab released its 2024 Threat Report, detailing how AI tools like ChatGPT are helping to write malware scripts, the shift to Malware-as-a-Service (MaaS), and other interesting statistics it’s seeing through internal data.

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With the 2016 MacBook Pro models, Apple introduced the Touch Bar, a small multi-touch display available above the keyboard. The Touch Bar replaced the function row of keys and added dynamic buttons that changed for each app, but it was a polarizing feature that many Mac users disliked.


Apple started phasing out the Touch Bar with the launch of the 2021 MacBook Pro models, and the last Mac with a Touch Bar was discontinued in 2023. If you're one of the ‌MacBook Pro‌ users who misses the Touch Bar, you'll want to take a look at the Flexbar, which is designed to be a Touch Bar replacement.

The Flexbar is a standalone touch-based hardware device that attaches to a Mac, iPad, iPhone, or PC over USB-C. It has a customizable, adaptive interface that's modeled after the Touch Bar, and in terms of functionality, it's similar to multi-button PC and Mac add-ons like the Stream Deck.


Flexbar features a 10-inch 2K OLED display and it comes equipped with preloaded shortcut combinations and controls tailored for popular apps. It supports third-party APIs and can allegedly offer "advanced, native-like controls" for YouTube, Microsoft apps, Adobe apps, AutoCAD, and more. Flexbar's creators say that a plugin system and marketplace are in development and slated to launch in the second quarter of 2025.

Like the Touch Bar, the Flexbar is designed to automatically switch controls based on your current task window, but users can create their preferred layouts using a "Workspace" recording function. While the Touch Bar was limited to more basic controls, the Flexbar supports multi-step macros and sequences for repetitive tasks.

The Flexbar is a Kickstarter project from a Hong Kong-based company called ENIAC, so first and foremost, MacRumors readers should know that ENIAC has not previously created a hardware product. Taking hardware from prototyping to mass production is a difficult task that can lead to delays and even insurmountable issues, plus there are also software integration requirements, so we recommend waiting until the product launches to make a purchase.

It is $120 to back the Flexbar now (shipping not included), and the product has been funded. The Kickstarter page lists an estimated delivery date of February 2025.
This article, "Miss the MacBook Pro's Touch Bar? Check Out the Flexbar" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple on Tuesday quietly released a firmware update for the , the entry-level earbuds that were introduced earlier this year under the Beats brand. Read on as we detail more about the update and how to install it on the earbuds.

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ChatGPT, OpenAI’s popular chatbot, is free to use despite having a paid version with more features. Currently, even the free version is ad-free, but this may change in the future as the company behind the platform aims to increase its profits.

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Popular Ubisoft game Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is available for download from the Mac App Store as of today, allowing Mac users to play the title for the first time since its January 2024 launch.


Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is an action adventure game that joins a long list of other Prince of Persia titles that are based on Persian mythology. Players take on the role of Sargon, a warrior journeying to Mount Qaf to free a captured prince. Gameplay consists of fighting enemies, solving puzzles, seeking out treasure, and completing quests.

The game has been available on Windows machines, the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation consoles, and Xbox consoles, and it received largely positive reviews.

The Mac version of Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown uses Metal3 for a smooth gameplay experience on Mac machines, with a Mac that has an M1 chip or later required.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown can be downloaded from the App Store for $19.99. [Direct Link]
This article, "Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown Launches on Mac App Store" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple recently aired an emotional new holiday season ad promoting the hearing aid features of the . Now, Sarah Herrlinger, Apple’s global head of accessibility, has shared more thoughts on the company’s efforts to create health features in an interview.

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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.

This Black Friday, discover Dreame Technologies’ innovative family of smart home cleaning solutions—designed to revolutionize your cleaning routine! Don’t miss out on groundbreaking deals, plus enjoy an extra 5% off with code DM9to55off at checkout. Experience the future of cleaning today!

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What do you get the iPhone user who has everything? CarPlay solutions and accessories are a great place to start! These are the best CarPlay related gifts for the holiday season.

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I’ve written countless times about GM’s shortsighted move to ditch CarPlay on all its EVs going forward. Meanwhile, other automakers like Ford have doubled down on supporting CarPlay and giving users as many options as possible.

In a new interview this week, Hyundai executive Olabisi Boyle said the automaker is still “maintaining Android Auto and CarPlay” … at least for now.

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2024 is almost over, and Apple Books is ready to celebrate the year in publishing. Last year’s new ‘Year in Review’ feature is back again for Books users, launching today. You’ll also find editorial lists in the Books app for best books and audiobooks of 2024, author debuts, and more.

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Apple has recently started emailing its users about terms and conditions changes now in effect for Apple Pay and Wallet. Curiously though, the changes actually went into effect nearly three months ago in September. Here’s what you should know.

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Apple today released a firmware update for the Beats Solo Buds, marking the first new software the earbuds have received since their June 2024 launch. The firmware has a build number of 3A130, up from the 3A112 firmware the Solo Buds shipped with.


We don't know what's included in the new firmware, and Apple does not typically provide information about Beats firmware updates.

The Beats Solo Buds are priced at $80 and are Apple's smallest and most affordable Beats-branded earbuds. While the earbuds offer a custom-built acoustic architecture and ergonomic design, active noise cancellation is not available.

Firmware updates for Beats headphones are delivered over-the-air. Firmware will be installed while the Beats headphones are charging and are in Bluetooth range of an iPhone, iPad, or Mac that's connected to Wi-Fi. On Android devices, users need to download the Beats app for Android and connect the Android device to a power outlet to initiate a firmware update.
This article, "Apple Releases First Firmware Update for Beats Solo Buds" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Next year’s iPhone 17 Air will get a lot of attention for its ultra-thin form factor. But there’s another strong contender for what could ultimately become the device’s best feature: the 17 Air’s unique display.

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Apple uses custom Inferentia and Graviton artificial intelligence chips from Amazon Web Services for search services, Apple machine learning and AI director Benoit Dupin said today at the AWS re:Invent conference (via CNBC).


Dupin said that Amazon's AI chips are "reliable, definite, and able to serve [Apple] customers worldwide." AWS and Amazon have a "strong relationship," and Apple plans to test whether Amazon's Trainium2 chip can be used for pre-training Apple Intelligence and other AI models. Amazon announced rental opportunities for the Trainium2 chip today.

Apple has used AWS for more than 10 years for Siri, Apple Maps, and Apple Music. With Amazon's Inferentia and Graviton chips, Apple has seen a 40 percent efficiency gain, and with Trainium2, Dupin said Apple expects up to a 50 percent improvement in efficiency with pre-training.

Nvidia is the market leader when it comes to GPUs for AI training, but companies like Amazon are aiming to compete with lower-cost options.
This article, "Apple Uses Amazon's Custom AI Chips for Search Services" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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As reported by CNBC, Apple’s senior director of machine learning and artificial intelligence, Benoit Dupin, made a surprise appearance at Amazon’s AWS re:Invent conference in Las Vegas today.

Dupin used the opportunity to explain that Apple uses custom artificial intelligence chips from Amazon Web Services for many of its cloud services. Apple is also evaluating using Amazon’s newest AI chip to pre-train its Apple Intelligence models.

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Simply Piano has long been a hit app in my household. My daughter never really showed interest in learning to play our keyboard until she came across Simply Piano on her iPad. I think it’s the first annual subscription I ever bought for her based on how much she was getting from it.

Now Simply Piano has brought the experience from the iPhone and iPad to augmented reality on Apple Vision Pro. The best part? You can play using Simply Piano with a virtual piano in your real environment without a for the first time.

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Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals have disappeared for many products, but you can still find multiple Beats headphones and speakers at up to 52 percent off on Amazon. You'll find many of the same prices at other retailers like Best Buy as well.

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

This sale includes major discounts on products like the Beats Solo Buds, which have hit $49.99, down from $79.99. These are a solid entry-level option and feature up to 18 hours of playback, USB-C, and Spatial Audio.



For an upgraded model, Amazon has the Beats Studio Buds for $79.99, down from $149.95. These have up to 9 hours of playback (up to 36 hours with charging case), USB-C, active noise cancellation, transparency mode, and an IPX4 rating for sweat and water resistance.

For speakers, there's also $50 off the 2024 model of the Beats Pill, now down to $99.95 in multiple colors. You'll also find a few steep discounts on over-ear headphones, like the Beats Studio Pro at $199.99, down from $349.99.

• Beats Solo Buds - $49.99, down from $79.99


• Beats Studio Buds - $79.99, down from $149.95


• Beats Pill - $99.95, down from $149.95


• Beats Solo 4 - $99.99, down from $199.95


• Beats Studio Buds + - $149.99, down from $169.95


• Beats Studio Pro - $199.99, down from $349.99

Be sure to visit our full Deals Roundup to shop for even more Apple-related products and accessories.

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This article, "Beats Cyber Week Sale Includes Big Savings on Earbuds, Headphones, and Speakers" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Large language model AI has been a leap forward for me in how I use technology. So naturally, ChatGPT is something that my 7 and 11 year old kids are already familiar with, but there isn’t an AI that they interact with regularly. Enter , a fun and affordable AI bot that’s designed to create a safe and engaging environment for kids. The AI component is LLM powered so the bot is naturally conversational, and Miko has a host of content partners including Disney, Nickelodeon, and iHeartRadio. Read on for our impressions.

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Apple has released visionOS 2.2 beta 4 for developers. The new software version brings us closer to the expected RC and wide launch soon. Here’s what to expect from the latest beta.

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Apple today seeded the fourth beta of an upcoming visionOS 2.2 update to developers for testing purposes, with the beta coming a week after the third visionOS 2.2 beta.


visionOS 2.2 can be installed by going to the Software Update section of the Settings app on the Vision Pro and opting into Beta Updates.

The visionOS 2.2 update adds a new feature for the Mac Virtual Display option, allowing it to be set to Wide and Ultrawide. The Ultrawide setting is equivalent to two 4K displays side-by-side, and it is a notable improvement over the current Mac Virtual Display that's available in visionOS 2.1.

The Mac Virtual Display allows the Vision Pro to be connected to a Mac with the Vision Pro serving as the display for the machine. The virtual Mac desktop works just like a standard desktop with an external display, but Vision Pro does not support multiple displays. As a solution, Apple has added the option for a wider display to maximize space.
This article, "Apple Seeds Fourth Beta of visionOS 2.2 to Developers With Ultrawide Mac Virtual Display" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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The Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals have all but completely disappeared, but there are still a couple notable hangover offers joining some fresh price drops we spotted this morning. Apple Watch Series 10 is starting at the $329 all-time low with $80 in savings across the lineup while AirPods 4 remain at the best price we have tracked on Amazon. We also spotted the OG Apple Watch Ultra at $429 off the original price, some deals on Apple Watch Milanese Loops, Anker’s latest Find My card, and even some handy discounted Uber gift cards you can use to score on deal on your holiday trips and food deliveries. Everything else awaits below. 

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The Touch Bar was a controversial Apple creation, to say the least. But the now-discontinued MacBook Pro feature is being revised, in a way, through a new Kickstarter campaign for a more versatile standalone product: the Flexbar.

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