David Snow - page 4

New charging gadgets rarely excite me, but this one does. Twelve South built its new PowerClip, a 2,000mAh emergency power bank, around a simple premise. Most people already own a backup charger, but they rarely have it with them when they really need it. The tiny, lightweight PowerClip fixes that by living on your keychain, pocket or bag rather than in a drawer at home, the company said Tuesday.

And it’s only about the size of a container of dental floss — complete with two built-in cables! I would forget I had it with me — but hopefully remember it when my iPhone battery dropped into the red zone. 

Foxconn, a critical supplier for major hardware companies including Apple and Nvidia, confirmed Tuesday that a cyberattack struck its North American operations. And the group behind the attack claims to have walked away with a trove of sensitive data touching some of the world’s biggest tech companies.

That could include Apple files, but it’s difficult to say which ones and how important they are.

For the upcoming iOS 27 update, Apple will introduce a fully customizable Camera app, a ground-up redesign of Siri and visual changes across a range of built-in apps, according to a new report Tuesday.

Apple will showcase the update and other operating system changes at its Worldwide Developers Conference on June 8. 

Apple Arcade subscribers are in for a treat this month, as the beloved characters from the Emmy-winning animated series Bluey take over five popular games on the platform in a limited-time crossover event kicking off May 21.

“As we continue to grow Bluey in interactive, it’s important that each experience reflects what families love about the brand — its playfulness and creativity, and how it brings people of all ages together,” said Marina Mello, BBC Studios’ global director of Gaming & Interactive.

Apple TV’s Hollywood satire The Studio cemented its place in television history, claiming the International category at Sunday’s 2026 BAFTA Television Awards in London — the final major prize needed to complete the most dominant awards run ever achieved by a debut comedy series.

“The historic journey of ‘The Studio’ has been nothing short of astounding,” said Matt Cherniss, Apple TV’s head of programming. “The show’s sweeping success is a testament to the extraordinary talent, creativity and innovation of Seth, Evan and the entire creative team and cast.”

“The series has resonated deeply with audiences worldwide, bringing laughter to millions,” he added. “We couldn’t be prouder of the team’s monumental achievement and the way ‘The Studio’ has redefined what’s possible for comedy on a global scale.”

Apple users have long faced a frustrating paradox in home audio. Stay within the HomePod ecosystem and enjoy seamless Siri integration, or stray to better-sounding third-party options and sacrifice native Apple Home features. Denon’s new trio of Denon Home series speakers — Home 200, Home 400 and Home 600 — may finally have cracked that particular problem.

Perplexity’s new Mac app brings its Personal Computer AI agent to a much wider audience, expanding access beyond the group of high-level subscribers who first gained entry to the service in April, the company said Thursday.

In some ways, iPad is the most versatile computer Apple makes — which makes it an unusually rich ingredient in a Mac workstation. And as iPadOS grows ever more capable, more users find new, smarter roles for their tablet. The following 10 examples drawn from the Cult of Mac Setups archive represent the best uses of iPad in Mac setups. They show just how many ways the tablet can earn its place on a desk.

Pisen unveiled two new portable power banks Thursday aimed at users who need fast, reliable power on the go — including solid support for iPhones and other Apple devices, plus certification for airline travel.

Apple’s 2026 Swift Student Challenge produced some of its most socially conscious code yet, with four Distinguished Winners using Apple’s developer tools — and a lot of AI assistance from Claude, among others — to build apps that address tremors, presentation anxiety, flood safety and music education. Apple showcased them in a feature story Thursday. 

Your computer monitor’s built-in speakers aren’t doing your music, movies or video calls any favors. Whether you work from home, game a lot or simply stream your favorite playlist, a good pair of desktop speakers transforms the experience for the better. The good news is that you don’t need to spend a fortune to hear a real difference. Here are my picks for top budget computer speakers under $399 (with many way under that price).

I found that the around-$300 bracket has quietly become one of the most exciting categories in consumer audio. Brands like Audioengine, Edifier, Creative and Onkyo compete fiercely. That means the quality on offer today would have cost twice as much just a few years ago.

Apple agreed to pay $250 million to settle a class-action lawsuit accusing it of false advertising and unfair competition, after the personalized Siri features it promoted when launching iPhone 16 saw significant delays. Now, many iPhone users can lay claim to payouts. 

Bose brought back one of its most iconic product lines with the launch of the Lifestyle Collection on Tuesday. The trio of premium home audio devices — which put the brand squarely in competition with Apple’s HomePod 2 and Sonos’ popular lineup — are Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speaker ($299), Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar ($1,099) and Lifestyle Ultra Subwoofer ($899).

All three go on sale May 15 and are available for preorder now.

After more than three years in beta, Homebridge 2.0 officially launched Monday. And for Apple Home users, it’s one of the most meaningful smart home software updates in years. The new release adds support for the Matter smart home standard, significantly expanding what devices you can use within Apple’s ecosystem.

Apple’s push to modernize U.S. manufacturing took a visible step forward late last week at the inaugural Apple Manufacturing Academy Spring Forum in East Lansing, Michigan. It was the academy’s largest gathering to date, Apple said.

Hundreds of manufacturers, industry leaders and academics converged on Michigan State University’s campus to share how the program is already changing the way American businesses operate. That includes a push for artificial intelligence in supply chains and on factory floors.

“We created the Apple Manufacturing Academy with Michigan State because we wanted to bring advanced manufacturing techniques to American manufacturers,” said Priya Balasubramaniam, Apple’s vice president of product operations, in a press release Tuesday. “Our goal was to create real-world applications that help companies enhance their productivity and efficiency.”

Apple introduced its latest Pride Collection Monday. It includes a new Apple Watch Pride Edition Sport Loop, a matching watch face and complementary iPhone and iPad wallpapers. The iPhone giant timed the release to celebrate Pride Month in June and LGBTQ+ communities year-round.

The reception online so far seems positive, if not jubilant. 

“Omg they did such a good job with them for once,” one user wrote.

I’ve always noticed a certain breed of Apple enthusiast for whom less is definitively not more. While minimalist setups have their ascetic charm, the rigs below operate on an entirely different philosophy: more computers, more screens, more audio gear — more of everything. These are the top 10 maximalist setups.

They’re the ones that made commenters ask if the owner works at “the money factory making commerce,” for example, or declare, “OP has done it: they’ve finally hit the limit of too much screen space.”

Apple CEO Tim Cook revealed during Thursday’s quarterly earnings call that the company intends to apply for refunds on tariffs it paid under trade measures that the Supreme Court recently ruled unconstitutional. And has a clear plan for where that money will go: straight into U.S. manufacturing.

A redesigned Netflix iPhone app brings a cleaner interface, revamped navigation and an entirely new vertical video discovery feature called Clips, the streamer said Thursday.

We’ll see how Apple users receive the update. The recent revamp of Netflix’s app for Apple TV, which switched from a native tvOS player to a custom one that blocked Apple TV features, didn’t go over well. 

Formula 1 racing returns the United States this weekend with the F1 Miami Grand Prix on Apple TV. And Apple decided to pull out all the stops to make sure fans experience it not just on Apple TV, but across multiple platforms, the iPhone giant said Wednesday.

The Formula 1 Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix 2026 streams exclusively on Apple TV beginning Friday. You can see every session — from Practice through Sunday’s race — live and on demand. And there’s a lot more going on, too. 

Apple will put artificial intelligence front and center in the iPhone camera with a dedicated Siri camera mode coming in iOS 27, according to a new report. The move signals the company’s push to make on-device AI feel less like a hidden feature and more like a core part of the iPhone experience.

Nearly a decade after Twitter pulled the plug on Vine, the beloved 6-second video app is back — this time under the name Divine. It’s now available as a free download on the App Store.

Apple’s bid to freeze court-ordered App Store changes while it pursues U.S. Supreme Court review got rejected Tuesday as the latest decision in the iPhone giant’s long-running legal fight with Fortnite maker Epic Games. So the clock is now ticking on compliance pending another decision over what Apple can charge in fees.

A New York ophthalmologist made history recently, becoming the first surgeon in the world to perform cataract surgery using Apple’s Vision Pro headset, according to a new report. It offers a compelling new use case for a device that has struggled to find mass-market traction.

“We are now able to bring the world’s best surgeon into any operating room, at any hour, from anywhere on the planet,” Dr. Eric Rosenberg said. “From residents performing their first cases to surgeons facing unexpected complications, this technology democratizes access to expertise — and that will save vision.”

Apple’s ecosystem has never sounded better — AirPods, HomePods, Apple TV with Dolby Atmos — and yet the humble desktop speaker often remains an afterthought. For Mac users who spend long hours at a monitor or in front of a gaming console or smart TV, the audio situation can range from mediocre built-in speakers to a rat’s nest of half-compatible gear. But this Edifier M90 speaker review explains how the stellar new boxes do a great job of solving any number of audio problems in different settings. They bring potent audio power to practically any gear.