Despite the airline previously banning AirTags for reasons understood only by itself, Lufthansa has now support for them in its app and is celebrating the integration.


Officially, AirTags were somehow dangerous and somehow in contravention of some laws somewhere, said Lufthansa in 2022 as it tried to find any excuse to ban them. This was not in any way a response to how all airlines were being caught out with luggage going missing or, say, baggage handlers stealing from passengers.

Lufthansa's ban lasted a whole three days before the airline said enough already, AirTags are fine. This was less from some technical testing and less from some actual reading of FCC regulations, though the airline tried to safe face by rustling up someone to say the words "risk assessment."


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South Korean media claims that Apple Silicon M5 chips are in mass production, which makes a lot of sense considering that the first devices that will use them are expected ship before the end of 2025.


A report on Wednesday morning by South Korean venue ETnews says that TSMC is in the process of packaging early M5 chip production. Packaging is the last step before a new chip can be put in devices, meaning that the M5 chip is now officially in mass production.

Rumors have already laid out the timetable for the M5 chip, and appearance in Apple products. The M5 iPad Pro is expected in late 2025, Macs will get M5 late in the year, and another rumor places it in a second-generation Apple Vision Pro product before the end of the year.


Rumor Score: 🤯 Likely


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Following the introduction of trade tariffs by the US, China is said to be considering an antitrust investigation into Apple's App Store practices.


The new US trade tariffs ostensibly imposed on China will be paid by US businesses and consumers, not China or any other foreign country. But they mean higher prices for Americans, which will mean a decrease in sales, so China has been announcing retaliatory measures.

According to Bloomberg, those measures may now also include China launching an investigation into Apple's App Store fees and practices. This is despite the country having already investigated the App Store and concluding in May 2024 that Apple was not abusing its market position.


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VirtualBox is now available for Apple Silicon-based Macs, although with spotty x86 support. Here's how to use it.


Oracle's VirtualBox emulator is a free app which allows you to run other OS'es on your Mac, PC, or Linux computer. Until this past August VirtualBox only ran on Intel x86-based Macs.

Now a "work in progress" Apple Silicon version of VirtualBox is available for download from the VirtualBox website.


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Developers and enthusiasts continue to find new ways of running Doom on increasingly unusual hardware, the latest of which is an Apple HDMI adapter cable.


In a video uploaded on February 2, first shared by MacRumors, developer nyan_satan showed off a port of the classic video game Doom running on Apple's Lightning to HDMI adapter. The YouTuber is known for their work in creating tools and dual-booting different versions of iOS.

This is only possible because the Lightning to HDMI adapter features a dedicated system-on-chip with a processor inside. It also runs a basic version of iOS, stripped down to only the most basic of features, allowing the dongle to process video signals but not much else.


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North Korean hackers are using fake job offers and disguised app updates to sneak malware onto Macs, and while Apple's latest XProtect update blocks some threats, others are still slipping through.


Security researchers from SentinelLabs have identified fresh variants of a North Korean malware family, dubbed "FlexibleFerret," which is actively exploiting macOS users. The malware is part of a broader campaign known as "Contagious Interview," where attackers pose as recruiters to trick job seekers into installing malicious software.

Apple responded with an XProtect signature update to counter these threats, blocking several variants, including FROSTYFERRET_UI, FRIENDLYFERRET_SECD, and MULTI_FROSTYFERRET_CMDCODES.


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Just days after it was rumored to happen, Apple has officially killed off prepaid multi-year AppleCare+ plans — at retail locations, at least.


On Sunday, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman announced on X that Apple would be shifting its AppleCare+ extended warranty program to a subscription model. Gurman postulated that the change would take place sooner, rather than later.

And, as anticipated, Apple has done just that.


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While the new Apple Invites app and service sounds easy to use, it joins together so many Apple Services that it takes several steps — and can confuse your invitees. Here's how to use it.


Apple Invites has been launched, though at time of writing it's still not rolled out worldwide. If an App Store search does not turn it up for you, try this direct link.

The app is so new that there is no Apple support documentation for it, which means there are certain points that are not yet clear. Specifically, it's not sure what Android users will or will not see when they have accepted an invitation from Apple Invites.


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You have a fair share of choices when it comes to USB-C cables, but you've never seen anything like Nomad's new Universal Cable for Apple Watch. It's truly the first of its kind.


For year's, Nomad has had some of the most highly-rated cables on the market. But they're fairly standard, coming in USB-C to USB-C, USB-C to Lightning, and a universal with swappable tips — all in different lengths.

Its new Universal Cable for Apple Watch bucks that trend by integrating an Apple Watch puck directly into the cable. Ideal for compact storage and travel.


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AirPods Pro 2 are $80 off today, with the wireless earbuds dropping to the best price of 2025 as Amazon and Best Buy compete in a price war.


Steeper discounts on Apple products continue to launch at Amazon, with the retailer slashing the price of Apple AirPods Pro 2 to $169 in a price war with Best Buy. This reflects an $80 discount off retail, providing shoppers with the lowest price we've seen on the earbuds in 2025.

Grab the $169 price


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Apple has launched its Apple Invites app for iPhone, a way to help arrange events, parties, and any occasion, with invitations, RSVP managing, plus shared photo albums and music.


Reportedly known internally as Confetti, Apple Invites was expected to be launched for testing among employees. But instead it has now been released publicly, and is appears to be currently rolling out to all users.

"With Apple Invites, an event comes to life from the moment the invitation is created, and users can share lasting memories even after they get together," Brent Chiu-Watson, Apple's senior director of Worldwide Product Marketing for Apps and iCloud, said in a statement. "Apple Invites brings together capabilities our users already know and love across iPhone, iCloud, and Apple Music, making it easy to plan special events."


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You shouldn't have to touch devices or tap on apps to control them, says a new Apple patent, you should be able to just wave your iPhone and let it figure out what you want.


Sometimes you can see a clear connection between different Apple patents, and this may be one of them. For Apple was recently granted a patent for what appears to be a remote control for the expected Home Hub — and now it's gone further.

In a newly-granted patent called "Controlling Electronic Devices Based On Wireless Ranging," Apple expands its idea to remotely controlling anything from real-life physical devices, to virtual ones. Right now you can control a TV set from your iPhone or unlock a car, but this new patent wants one device that controls everything, and figures out for itself what you want.


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Cybercriminals are upping their game in 2025 with smarter AI and stealthier ransomware targeting Mac users, leaving defenders scrambling to keep up.


The year 2025 may mark the turning point for AI's role in cybersecurity, according to a recent report from Malwarebytes. While generative AI tools like ChatGPT have made minor waves since their debut, their capabilities have largely been limited to assisting with coding and research tasks.

However, the arrival of agentic AI — artificial intelligence capable of acting autonomously and solving complex tasks — is set to change this dynamic.


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A significant enhancement in the iOS 18 Calendar app is its integration with Reminders, allowing you to manage everything in one app. Here's how to get started.


Managing schedules and tasks can quickly become overwhelming when juggling apps. Apple's iOS 18 update addresses this issue by allowing you to create reminders directly within the Calendar app, streamlining the process and ensuring nothing slips through the cracks.

With this new feature, there's no need to constantly switch between apps to keep track of tasks. It's worth noting that this functionality isn't entirely new — similar integration has long been available when using third-party apps like Fantastical.


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The first native porn app for iPhone called "Hot Tub" may have passed notarization checks, but Apple wants everyone to know it certainly doesn't "approve" of such dangerous things on its devices.


Apple's App Store Review Guidelines have almost always explicitly stated that apps featuring "overtly sexual or pornographic material" are not allowed, period. However, alternate app stores in the EU can publish anything that passes a notarization check, and that's happened with the first-ever native porn app for iPhone.

When AltStore promoted the app, named Hot Tub, it used the phrase "the first Apple-approved porn app" in marketing. Apple was quick to deny that it "approved" of the app, and released a statement to MacRumors.


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Time is running out to pick up Apple's M4 Pro Mac mini at the discounted price of $1,279.


This Mac mini is a top seller due to its blend of affordability with the performance of the M4 Pro chip. Featuring a 12-core CPU and 16-core GPU, this retail model also has 24GB of unified memory and 512GB of storage. Normally $1,399, B&H is knocking $120 off the upgraded configuration (MCX44LL/A) exclusively for AppleInsider readers.

Get the exclusive deal


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It's not just Spotify that has a year-end wrap-up feature — Apple Music does too, and it's year round! Here's how to get your Apple Music Replay playlist, today.


Spotify has a unique feature called Spotify Wrapped that shows off your top artists, songs, and genres of the year. It is a trendy function that gets shared all over social media at the end of each year, but Apple Music fans need not miss out. In fact, the 2025 Replay playlist has already been released.

The Apple Music Replay function isn't as in-depth as Spotify Wrapped, but it does offer some interesting stats and specialized playlists. Stats include the number of hours of music listened to for the entire year, the number of artists listened to, and top artists with the number of hours listened to each.


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Apple has rereleased iOS 18.3, but this time it's specifically for an iPhone lineup that is more than five years old.


No, you aren't experiencing deja vu — Apple has released iOS 18.3 again. But this time, the update arrives solely for the iPhone 11 family.

While iOS 18.3 build 22D63 was released for other iPhone models last week, a new build, build 22D64, has been rolled out to address issues that seemingly only affect the older model.


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Apple's Swift Student Challenge is officially open, with participants vying for the top prize — an all-inclusive three-day trip to Apple Park.


Just as it did in 2024, Apple will select 350 winners in total and, recognize 50 of them as Distinguished Winners for their "outstanding submissions." Distinguished Winners will need to demonstrate "excellence in innovation creativity, social impact, or inclusivity."

All 350 Challenge winners will receive a year of membership in the Apple Developer Program, a complimentary voucher to take the App Development with Swift certification exam, and a special gift from Apple.


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Apple's motion for a stay on the forthcoming Google remedy trial has been quickly denied, meaning Apple will have little say in the potential end of its annual $20 billion iPhone search deal with the search giant.


At the conclusion of the Department of Justice's case against the company, Google was legally declared to be a search and advertising monopoly in August 2024. A remedy trial is planned to determine what steps Google can take to address this, and Apple has been trying to be a major part of the process.

According to MLex, however, Judge Amit Mehta has now denied Apple's motion to obtain what's called an emergency stay of the trial. The ruling came 24 hours after Apple filed its motion in response to Judge Mehta's previous refusal to allow it any significant participation.


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Apple's 24-inch iMac is on sale today, with limited-time discounts driving prices down to as low as $599.99.


The lowest price across closeout models can be found at Amazon-owned Woot, where the closeout M1 spec with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage is marked down to $599.99. This is a refurbished model that comes with a 90-day Woot limited warranty.


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On this episode of the HomeKit Insider Podcast, your host covers the latest news for the week including the release of iOS 18.3, AirTag 2 rumors, and a Matter update for the Govee ice maker.


Last week, Apple released iOS 18.3 to the masses. While this was expected to include support for robots vacuum cleaners, it ultimately did not.

Perhaps it will arrive in the upcoming iOS 18.4 beta. That's likely to have its first beta released this week.


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Kendrick Lamar is set to headline the Super Bowl LIX halftime show for Apple Music, so Apple has packed its services with special features related to Kendrick and the Super Bowl.


Last September, Apple announced that Kendrick Lamar would be heading up the 2025 Super Bowl Half-Time show. In preparation, Apple Music has a week's worth of exclusive interviews, new playlists, and even a new Apple Music offer for new subscribers ahead of the February 9 event.

"Throughout his career, Kendrick Lamar hasn't met the cultural moment so much as he's defined it," Rachel Newman, Apple Music's global head of content and editorial, said in the press release.


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Apple's iPhone 15 led global sales in 2024, with Pro models close behind, as premium device demand drove a revenue rebound.


According to Counterpoint Research, global smartphone revenue grew 5% year-over-year, with the average selling price (ASP) reaching an all-time high of $356. Despite economic challenges in previous years, improved consumer sentiment and demand for premium smartphones fueled the turnaround.

Global smartphone shipments also rose by 4%, marking the first annual increase since 2021. Analysts attribute this to expanding 5G adoption, better cameras, and faster processors, making upgrades more appealing.


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Mac utility app SuperDuper! will no longer always fail to make a bootable backup because of a bug in macOS Sequoia — but Apple's fix doesn't remove all problems.


The newly-released macOS Sequoia 15.3 has corrected a problem that saw the SuperDuper! backup utility fail at particular step in making a bootable copy of a drive. Developer Dave Nanian reported in December 2024 that the then-new macOS 15.2 had changed a feature called the Replicator.

Nanian thought the change might have been accidental, but whatever the cause, it was causing his app — and presumably other backup utilities — to fail. "Towards the end of replicating the Data volume," he wrote at the time, "seemingly when it's about to copy either Preboot or Recovery, it fails with a Resource Busy error."


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To celebrate 2025, I compiled Apple's top ten major areas of innovation over the past 25 years. Let's look at the decisions that led to this blockbuster success of the iPod and implications for new products today.

Certain iPhone components including iPhone circuit boards will no longer face import taxes in India as the country positions itself to weather changes in global trade.


In 2024, the Indian government reduced its import taxes on chargers, printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) and smartphones themselves, from 20% to 15%. That 5% cut was estimated to mean Apple would earn between $35 million and $50 million more annually.

According to Reuters, though, India has now entirely dropped import taxes on certain components and accessories, although not on smartphones. India's Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the removal of the tax during her annual budget speech and the government has prepared a list of affected components.


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Amazon's latest Apple deals provide bargain hunters with the lowest price on record for AirPods 4, along with 2025's best price on the Apple Watch SE 2.


Kicking off the sale is a stellar price drop on AirPods 4, which are now marked down to $99.99. This is the lowest price we've seen on the earbuds without ANC. Those looking for Active Noise Cancellation can also pick up AirPods 4 with ANC for $149, also reflecting a $30 discount (and within a buck of the lowest price ever at Amazon).


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Apple has made the build system in its high-level programming language Swift — used by llbuild, the Swift Package Manager and Swift Playground — officially open source.


Apple formally contributed the code of Swift Build to GitHub on February 1. The repository contributed by Apple also includes support for Windows and Linux, alongside Apple's platforms.

Build systems take the code the programmer writes and turn that work into standard components like libraries and command-line tools used to create working applications. Currently, Swift offers two different build managers, which the Swift team identified as a source of developer issues.


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Amazon has introduced a fresh price drop on the Apple Studio Display for February, along with steeper price cuts on MacBooks and the M4 Mac mini that deliver up to $410 off.


Expanding your screen real estate just got a little cheaper thanks to Amazon's $300 price cut on the Apple Studio Display. Pick up the 27-inch 5K Retina display for as low as $1,299.99.


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Apple products will continue to come with a year of AppleCare included in the purchase, but the company reportedly intends to move its extended AppleCare+ plan to a subscription-only model.


A new report claims that Apple will stop offering extended AppleCare plans at retail worldwide, including its own Apple Stores. The AppleCare+ subscription option will continue to be offered online, as it has since 2019.

The shift is expected to take place before the end of February 2025.


Rumor Score: 🤯 Likely


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Apple's secretive event and meeting invite app is advancing in development, with an internal iCloud deployment within the company expected as early as the week of February 3.


The second developer beta of iOS 18.3 included references to an unreleased internal app for dealing with event scheduling. Now, it appears Apple is preparing to launch an internal trial of the app in the near future.

Apple intends to introduce an app based on iCloud that will allow employees to invite others to events and meetings, reports Bloomberg's newsletter on Sunday. The app is reportedly codenamed "Confetti," a relatively festive name that plays on the whole invitation concept.


Rumor Score: 🤔 Possible


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According to a new leak, Apple has pulled the plug on a project that allegedly hoped to produce lower-cost augmented reality glasses after the project seemingly couldn't meet executive expectations.


The device in question would have looked like a standard pair of glasses, but would feature built-in displays. It also would have required a persistent tether to a Mac.

This device, which was code-named N107, would have been seen as a more affordable alternative to the Apple Vision Pro. After all, one of the biggest complaints about the Apple Vision Pro is its nearly $3,500 price tag — before taxes.


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Visual Intelligence may be the most powerful Apple Intelligence feature. Here's what it is, how it works, and we'll go through several different real world examples.


Apple added Visual Intelligence with iOS 18.2 and you'll need an iPhone 16 or iPhone 16 Pro to use it. Sorry, iPhone 15 Pro users.

It's filed under the umbrella of Apple Intelligence features. It's one of the few Apple Intelligence features that is exclusive to the iPhone 16 family.


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The Orico 20Plus MagPro Magnetic iPhone Portable SSD is a speedy-enough SSD for your iPhone, that is let down by the incredibly sorry state of Apple's Files app.


Apple's had external drive support on the Mac forever, and it's been added to the iPhone relatively recently. It can be awkward, though, to run a cable to a drive and conveniently use the drive while shooting video.

While it doesn't carry data, the MagSafe ring on the back of iPhones made for the last four years offers an interesting solution. If designed properly, an SSD enclosure can just attach back there, and a short cable run can make it accessible to the iPhone.


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Apple TV+ hit drama "Severance" has pulled another elaborate stunt with the partial release of the book, "The You You Are," as featured and taken far too seriously in the show.


It's had Tim Cook deciding to quit Apple for Lumon Industries, it's had a pop-up set at Grand Central Terminal. It's had a free tell-all book, and the "Severance" company has also had — and continues to maintain — a deeply disturbing page on LinkedIn.

That LinkedIn page is on the latest stunt, too, with a post of "utmost concern" about how chapters of Dr Ricken Lazlo Hale, PhD's book has been released. "The You You Are" is a profound book — or at least it is shown to be that in the drama.


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Having been denied full inclusion at the forthcoming trial to determine Google's future, Apple has filed a motion to delay the whole proceedings.


It was formally and legally decided in August 2024 that Google and its Alphabet parent company, represent a search and advertising monopoly. What Apple wants and has previously been denied, is a seat at a trial determining what steps Google must take next.

Apple had asked to be a participant in this remedy trial specifically because of its annual $20 billion contract with Google. But it asked by filing a motion on December 23, 2024, and Judge Amit Mehta has ruled Apple's motion was simply too late.


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B&H's blowout MacBook Pro sale features a variety of deals on M3 Pro and M3 Max models, with prices as low as $1,599.


Many of the deals have limited supply available, so if you see a discounted config that catches your eye, you may want to snap it up right away. You can also check out our Mac Price Guide to compare prices on these closeout configs against Apple's current M4 models.

Shop the blowout deals


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Apple's AirTag location tracking device is over three years old, and it is rumored to get a refresh soon. Here's what to expect from the AirTag in 2025.


Since its launch, Apple's AirTag has proven itself to be a very useful item. Reports have repeatedly surfaced of owners tracking down stolen property, and even finding where their airport luggage has disappeared to, thanks to the cheap white disc.

While there's not much that can realistically change, there's still an opportunity for Apple to refine the extremely useful item. Here's what rumors say could be updated on the second-generation model.


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Owners of early-generation Apple Watch models are eligible for payments related to a six-year-old class action lawsuit. Here's who can file.


In 2019, a lawsuit was filed against Apple alleging that Apple Watch Series 1 through Apple Watch Series 3 were unsafe. According to the lawsuit, Apple ignored an issue that could cause the batteries to swell and break critical components, such as the screen.

Now, nearly six years later, a settlement has finally been reached. Apple has agreed to pay out $20 million to resolve the claims — but not because the company admits to any wrongdoing.


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