Workers at the Apple Towson Town Center store in Maryland have backed their union's plan to hold a strike over unresolved issues.


The Towson store unionized in 2022, and representatives had said they were disheartened by what were described as Apple's insufficient responses to concerns. Unions at the store conducted an independent survey early in 2024 and reported on alleged illegal anti-union activities by Apple.

Now according to CNBC, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (AIM) union says workers at the store have voted in favor of authorizing a strike. "The issues at the forefront of this action include concerns over work-life balance," said the union in a statement, "unpredictable scheduling practices disrupting personal lives, and wages failing to align with the area's cost of living."


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No major US app developers have chosen to opt in to new App Store rules allowing outside links for payments, because there is effectively no savings, Apple told a judge during testimony on Friday.


Apple had revised its rules following the original Epic lawsuit, which Apple largely won in 2021. The one area where Judge Yvonne Gonzalez-Rogers had ruled in Epic's favor in that case was antisteering — the prohibition on using outside payment processors.

After some time spent developing the new rules, it began allowing developers to include outside payment links in App Store listings in January 2024.


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Talks between Apple and OpenAI have advanced so far, that a deal is reportedly close to completion that may bring ChatGPT generative AI technology to iOS 18 in some fashion.


A report published late on Friday is light on details. However, it does claim that Apple and OpenAI are "finalizing terms" to use ChatGPT in iOS 18.

In the report, Apple is also said to still be in talks with Google for Gemini. It's less clear how far along those discussions are.


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Apple's digital assistant Siri is poised to receive a considerable upgrade in the near future, involving an awful lot of generative AI and machine learning changes.


Siri was once considered a great introduction to the iPhone and the Apple ecosystem. Over the years, the shine certainly wore off the digital assistant, with Google Assistant proving to be a highly capable rival.

Since the rise of ChatGPT and other large language model (LLM) AI initiatives in recent times, there's been an AI gold rush. With Siri seemingly staying static and being passed by by rivals, there is now an expectation for Apple to make considerable changes to its smart feature.


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With the introduction of the 13-inch iPad Air, there's now a super-sized tablet to rival the iPad Pro. Here's what's different about Apple's biggest iPads.


Apple's first major update to its iPad lineup in over a year brought with it some big changes. For a start, the iPad Pro benefited from new displays, an updated styling, and M4 performance.

Meanwhile, the iPad Air had its own incremental spec bump update, with a twist. Not only did it shift from M1 to M2, but Apple also brought out the 13-inch iPad Air alongside the existing 11-inch model.


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On this week's episode of the AppleInsider Podcast, you hosts discuss the "Let Loose" event where Apple revealed a new iPad lineup, the M4 processor, and new accessories.


Apple surprised us all with an M4 processor in a set of iPad Pros, but it seems people were more surprised about an ad crushing various instruments into an iPad. There are new iPad Air models, including a 13-inch option, upgraded iPad Pros, an aluminum Magic Keyboard, and Apple Pencil Pro.

The tandem OLED display and optional nano texture option has seen a lot of discussion since the announcement. People are concerned about the display's durability and feel, but hands-on experiences suggest it feels like normal glass.


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Apple's new Apple Pencil Pro has two new features that make it a must-have for artists — but is it enough to dethrone Wacom?


During the May Apple Event, Apple announced its new iPad Air and iPad Pro lineup. I thought they were pretty cool, but I wasn't immediately compelled to pick one up.

And then, they introduced the Apple Pencil Pro. That attacked my resolve a bit more.


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If a questionable rumor is to be believed, the next version of the Apple Vision Pro could be out by 2026, and cost half the price of the first model.


It is widely expected that Apple is working on creating successive versions of the Apple Vision Pro, following its introduction on the market. Speculation about the next model continues, with a dodgy claim about the second-gen model.

According to a post on X by @Revegnus1 on Friday, the second version of the Apple Vision Pro will be arriving in 2026.


Rumor Score: 🙄 Unlikely


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Apple later this year hopes to make real-time audio transcription and summarization available system-wide on many of its devices, as the iPhone maker looks to harness the power of AI in delivering efficiency boosts to several of its core applications, AppleInsider has learned.


People familiar with the matter have told us that Apple has been working on AI-powered summarization and greatly enhanced audio transcription for several of its next-gen operating systems. The new features are expected to enable significant improvements in efficiency for users of its staple Notes, Voice Memos, and other apps.

Apple is currently testing the capabilities as feature additions to several app updates scheduled to arrive with the release of iOS 18 later in 2024. They're also expected to make their way to the corresponding apps in macOS 15 and iPadOS 18 as well.


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Alongside the launch of the new iPad Air and iPad Pro lineups, Apple showed off updates to Final Cut Pro for iPad and macOS — but they do not have the same feature set. Here are the key differences, and things to watch out for.


Final Cut Pro for iPad 2 is a major shift in the use of the iPad editing tool, while Final Cut Pro 10.8 is a modest upgrade. The result is two different tools with different tools, sharing the same name.

While competitors have added many AI and workflow improvement tools, such as transcript-based editing, advanced subject tracking and masking, and more, to their desktop versions, Apple seems to focus most of its effort on the iPad version.


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If you feel like you're being controlled by your smartphone, don't feel alone — smartphone addiction is a real thing. So, let's talk about it, and how to deal with it.


We've all done it — we've lost entire days to the siren call of social media or mobile gaming, or even just binge-watching our favorite TV shows. While it's not bad if it happens occasionally, there's a good chance it probably happens more than you'd care to admit.

And unfortunately, that's pretty normal.


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Apple's iPad lineup is now radically different than it was at this time in 2023. Here's how to choose the best tablet to buy for your budget.


Across all of Apple's product ranges it offers products over a very wide selection of price points. If you have a particular budget in mind, there's an iPad to match.

However, unlike its other product categories, the iPad range was stagnant in 2023. There were no updates at all that year, and the drought continued until May 2024.


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There are few things worse than trying to copy a string of text from a PDF, only to find that you can't highlight any text at all. Thankfully, bypassing a locked PDF is easy enough to do on Mac.


If you've ever found yourself trying to highlight text in a PDF to no avail, then you have found yourself in possession of a locked PDF. A PDF can be locked for many legitimate reasons, such as copyright protection. However, sometimes you just need to copy a longer piece of text or many smaller pieces of text from a document that has no business being locked.

Thankfully, the solution does not involve manually typing everything out. Even better, the solution is built straight into macOS and requires very little legwork.


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Apple has created a new web page that acts as a hub for the various paths to developing apps for its platforms with various resources and guides.


Called "Apple Pathways," it provides an introduction to developing apps and games within Apple's extensive ecosystem. The platform is an ideal starting point for anyone with a Mac and a bright idea.

Structured to simplify the initial stages of app development, Apple Pathways is an invaluable resource for new and experienced developers alike. It encourages more creators to develop their ideas into functional, engaging apps and games using Apple's advanced tools and technologies.


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Apple has scrapped plans to run its infamous iPad Pro "Crush" ad, issuing an apology for coming off insensitive toward artists.


At Tuesday's Apple Event, Apple unveiled its new iPad Air and iPad Pro lineup. During the event, it also debuted a new iPad Pro commercial, dubbed "Crush."

The one-minute ad shows paints, guitars, toys, sculptures, and more, all being crushed by a hydraulic press, which then rises up again to reveal the iPad Pro. Artists quickly pointed out the ad was insensitive — and more than a little creepy.


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It's still a sheet of glass, has no serious competitors, and uses radically different technology as you'd expect for a product more than a decade old, but the 2024 iPad still conforms to Steve Jobs' original vision for the product.


There is an argument that the new iPad Air and iPad Pro models are merely spec-bump ones, that they are the same as ever, just a bit faster. That does ignore the new screens, or at least the larger one that's been brought to the iPad Air for the first time.

It's not an unreasonable criticism, though, until you look back. Comparing the new 13-inch iPad Pro to the iPad Steve Jobs so proudly showed off at the original launch is eye-opening.


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Arriving two days after the rest of the operating systems, the release candidate of macOS 14.5 is now available alongside two older versions for testing ahead of full release.


On Tuesday, Apple handed out the release candidates for iOS 17.5, iPadOS 17.5, tvOS 17.5, and watchOS 10.5. Two days later, the RC for macOS Sonoma 14.5 has finally showed up.

Developers participating in Apple's beta program can secure the latest builds from the Apple Developer Center or by updating hardware already running the betas, using the Settings app. Public beta versions are typically out shortly after the developer variants, and can be signed up to from the Apple Beta Software Program website.


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The Apple Vision Pro is continuing to get praise from the medical community, with it being used in even more surgical procedures requiring precision and detail.


Since its launch, the Apple Vision Pro has been adopted by surgeons to help perform operations on patients. The latest instance of surgical use comes from India, with the headset used to perform over 30 procedures so far.

Surgeons in Chennai's GEM Hospital are using the headset to perform laparoscopic surgeries, also known as "Keyhole" surgeries. It has been used in treatments for gall bladder issues, stomach cancer, fistulas, and hernias, reports FirstPost.


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Spatial computing represents Apple's long-term goals while iPad Pro lives in the post-PC present, but choosing one over the other may not be easy for those seeking to live on the cutting edge.


After iPad was introduced by Steve Jobs in 2010, he described the product as post-PC — a popular term of the era. The concept of post-PC has become a reality as more people use iPhones and iPads than Macs by multiple magnitudes.

While iPad is one potential future of computing, Apple Vision Pro represents another. It is Apple's first spatial computer that runs visionOS and paves the way for future AR and VR platforms.


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Amazon's new price drop on Apple's M2 MacBook Air delivers the lowest price on record, with a $170 discount bringing the laptop down to $829.


The $170 discount off MSRP, which is labeled a limited time deal at Amazon, offers the best price we've seen on Apple's M2 chip with an 8-core CPU and 8-core GPU.

Buy for $829


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New research claims that US smartphone shipments have declined 8% year over year, yet Apple's iPhone has stayed steady at 52% of the market.


Even if 52% of the market really does not constitute a monopoly, figures from Counterpoint Research say the market is shrinking. As well as the 8% drop between Q1 2023 and Q1 2024, the US smartphone market has now declined for six consecutive quarters.

However, one reason for the latest quarter's decline is that there was a significant sales difference in the same period in 2023 because of a difficult 2022 holiday season, supply-wise. The iPhone 14 range that was launched in 2022 had been hit by COVID-related production delays, so it saw its main sales later than usual.


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