Apple is working to upgrade Siri so the voice assistant can handle multiple requests at once, according to an unconfirmed report from Bloomberg. The feature would let users combine several commands into a single query instead of issuing them one at a time.
It’s apparently part of a much larger project to inject some real intelligence into Siri. Artificial intelligence.
Macs in enterprise settings typically last for five years, besting the three-year lifespan for Windows PCs, according to a company that makes software to help businesses manage their computers.
But the really shocking revelation from the report is that more than half of Windows PCs used in big business get replaced within a year.
This rare Apple Magic Keyboard deal means you there’s no reason to use an old-fashioned wired keyboard with your Mac. Not when you can get an Apple Magic Keyboard on sale for 19% off, and say goodbye to cables.
Or maybe you’re using a third-party keyboard you don’t like. Perhaps your Apple keyboard is close to wearing out. Whatever the reason, get a new one at a welcome discount.
The Apple Magic Mouse doesn’t go on sale very often, so don’t miss a rare deal that saves you 19% on the svelte input device for your Mac or iPad. This new Apple Magic Mouse deal drops the price to just $63.99.
The sale is on the USB-C version, not the older Lightning model, so it’s a great opportunity to upgrade.
Apple’s first desktop Mac with an OLED screen is in early development, according to a report coming out of the company’s supply chain in Asia. That would give the all-in-one desktop a truly beautiful display.
At this point, OLED screens typically go into Apple’s premium models. It’s not clear if that’ll hold true for the iMac, however.
The Brydge Max 11.0 is a premium iPad keyboard case with the potential to dethrone Apple’s own. The two products have much in common, including a cantilever design, but the Brydge version stands out with much wider viewing angles and a gorgeous aluminum exterior.
It fits recent 11-inch iPad Pro models. A version for earlier 11-inch iPads is also available, and one for 13-inch iPads comes out soon.
UPDATE: Brydge Max 11.0 was announced in February and is now shipping.
Looking back over Apple’s first 50 years, it’s clear what the company’s greatest talent is: turning rivals’ niche products into mainstream hits.
Apple proves adept at releasing new products in categories that looked like failures because customers simply lacked interest. But then Apple figured out what its competitors were doing wrong and released its own versions that quickly became iconic.
Here are five examples of Apple turning other companies’ fiascos into triumphs.
The $599 MacBook Neo arrived with a hard limit: 8GB of RAM. Some of you probably don’t understand the hoopla… more RAM can simply be added, right? Nope. The design of Apple’s processor makes it fast and efficient, at the cost of RAM upgrades.
Here’s what’s going on.
Apple released new firmware for AirPods Pro 3, AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 this week. The new version, 8B39, offers bug fixes for these in-ear headphones.
Last year, Apple finally explained exactly how to update your AirPods firmware. The process can happen automatically, in the background, but there is a way to speed things up. It’s a good idea to manually check that you’re running the latest version, which brings bug fixes and sometimes great new features.
Read on for more details, and find all current AirPods firmware versions, along with instructions for getting the AirPods update as quickly as possible.
Apple is planning a major shift for Siri in iOS 27, opening the voice assistant up to multiple third-party AI services, not just ChatGPT, according to a report published Thursday.
If true, this means iPhone users will be able to route Siri requests to different AI models, such as Google’s Gemini or Anthropic’s Claude, depending on their preference.
Apple’s newly announced AirPods Max 2 are already seeing their first price cut, with some colors of the premium headphones selling for $20 off their $549 retail price just a day after preorders opened.
The modest discount comes as retailers begin competing for early adopters, a familiar pattern for high-end Apple accessories following launch. While the savings are relatively small, there’s no reason to pay more than necessary.
iPad aficionados should be excited that John Ternus could someday take over as Apple CEO. As the head of hardware engineering, he’s been a sort of cheerleader for Apple’s tablet, including urging the company to develop new capabilities that push the iPad beyond being just a big iPhone.
If Ternus becomes Apple CEO — he’s apparently the frontrunner for the position — he’d have the authority to ensure the iPad fulfills its enormous potential.
Apple is expanding its push into workplace services with the introduction of Apple Business, a new platform designed to give companies a single place to manage devices, communicate with customers, and grow their presence across Apple’s ecosystem.
Announced Tuesday, Apple Business bundles tools that have traditionally been spread across multiple services. The platform includes device management features for iPhones, iPads and Macs, along with business email, customer communication tools, and new ways for companies to appear in apps like Apple Maps.
“Apple Business is a significant leap forward in our decades-long commitment to helping companies of all sizes leverage the power of Apple products and services to run and grow,” said Susan Prescott, Apple’s vice president of enterprise and education marketing, in a press release. “We’ve unified Apple’s strongest business offerings into one simple, secure platform, delivering key features for organizations in every stage and sector, including built-in device management, collaboration tools, and additional ways to reach new customers.”
★★★★☆
Your iPad is fun and relaxing, but it can also be the heart of a compact workstation with the Satechi OntheGo Foldable Stand Hub. This holds up your tablet while simultaneously expanding its connectivity with five additional ports.
It’s so useful in the office, it’s easy to forget the accessory folds down so you can take it with you. Satechi says it’s made for creatives on the move.
I tested the stand+hub in my home office and when traveling. Here’s what I found.
Anyone thinking about adding a portable SSD to their Mac or iPad would be wise to make that purchase soon. Prices for the external storage devices are already on the rise.
Why? For the same reason that Apple needed to raise prices for its newest MacBooks.
Apple AirTag deal alert! Now that second-gen AirTags are here, the original model is on close-out. A four-pack of these essential Bluetooth trackers now costs a whopping 39% less than the list price on Amazon right now.
That means you can currently pick up an AirTags four-pack for , or $39 off. That’s $15 apiece — not the usual $29.
The iPhone Air accomplished one of the goals Apple surely had for it: It’s reportedly outselling the device it replaced — and by a wide margin. That said, the super-slim iPhone hasn’t exactly taken the world by storm.
Still, it’s far from the flop that some critics labeled it.
CEO Tim Cook says Apple just had its “best launch week ever for first-time Mac customers.” That means the MacBook Neo is doing exactly what it was designed to do: bring in people who have never owned a Mac before.
The first entry-level macOS notebook launched on March 11, and Apple can’t keep up with demand. Orders placed today come with wait times of several weeks.
An analyst’s report shows Apple’s new MacBook Neo is even more affordable than it first appears. The total cost of ownership is about half that of comparable Windows PCs.
It may sound counterintuitive at first — how can a $599 Mac be half the cost of a $599 PC? — but the analyst showed that the typical lifespan of a Mac is so much longer than that of a Windows PC that the Apple model costs much less over time.
Apple’s iOS 26.4 update includes a small line in its release notes that is drawing outsized attention. It promises “improved keyboard accuracy when typing quickly.”
While that might sound like a routine tweak, it appears to address a typing problem that has frustrated iPhone users for months.
The MacBook Neo runs macOS on an Apple A-series processor with excellent performance, which has caused people to suggest that the Apple TV 4K could be hacked to run macOS and create a full-featured desktop computer for $129.
Or they propose Apple itself port macOS onto the video streamer and release it as a desktop that costs $200 or less.
Neither one is likely at all. Here’s why.
Apple on Wednesday seeded the iOS 26.4 Release Candidate to beta testers, signaling that eager iPhone users should circle March 25 on their calendars. The new version brings in fresh emoji, a tweak to Liquid Glass and other changes.
The macOS Tahoe 26.4 Release Candidate has also been released, as have equivalents for iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV and more.
Apple updated iOS, macOS and iPadOS with a Background Security Improvements patch on Tuesday, the first time the company has used its new system for securing user devices. This patch fixes a flaw in WebKit that could have allowed malicious websites to access data from other websites.
Background Security Improvements are installed without requiring the iPhone, Mac or iPad user to do anything — or even be aware of the update.
A MacBook Neo can be upgraded to 1TB of storage, but the DIY project isn’t for amateurs. A video demonstrating the process shows that it takes skills, experience and the right equipment.
Still, it’s interesting to watch. Especially as it also shows how easy it is to disassemble the MacBook Neo.
When Apple unveiled AirPods Max 2 on Monday, the company was unable to specify a release date, simply telling customers its new high-end headphones will launch “early next month.” It’s very unusual for Apple to not reveal when its own product will reach customers. But it turns out the headphones are waiting for Apple software that’s still in development.
Here’s what’s going on.