News - page 46

Apple released its Foundation Models framework to developers with iOS 26, iPadOS 26 and macOS 26. It enables third-party apps to tap into the same on-device large language model that powers Apple Intelligence, the iPhone giant said Monday. 

“We’re excited to see developers around the world already bringing privacy-protected intelligence features into their apps,” said Susan Prescott, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide Developer Relations. “The in-app experiences they’re creating are expansive and creative, showing just how much opportunity the Foundation Models framework opens up.”

The Federal Communications Commission appeared to inadvertently expose detailed electrical schematics for Apple’s iPhone 16e, despite the company’s explicit request to keep the documents confidential. The leak, discovered Monday, looks like a breach of the regulatory agency’s confidentiality protocols and could potentially benefit Apple’s competitors.

Three-time Grammy Award winner Bad Bunny will headline the 2026 Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show. The game will air on NBC, bringing the Puerto Rican superstar to one of the world’s biggest entertainment stages.

“What I’m feeling goes beyond myself,” Bad Bunny said in a press released issued by the NFL  on Sunday. “It’s for those who came before me and ran countless yards so I could come in and score a touchdown. This is for my people, my culture, and our history. Ve y dile a tu abuela, que seremos el HALFTIME SHOW DEL SUPER BOWL.”

The game will take place at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on February 8, 2026.

Apple’s new external monitors for Mac inch closer to release, with their mass production set to begin soon. They should debut alongside the M5-powered MacBooks within the next six months.

In addition to the above, Apple will also refresh the Vision Pro and iPad Pro with faster chips.

The Studio relentlessly mocks Hollywood and the film industry. It stayed popular during its first season, but that wrapped up months ago. This didn’t stop plenty of viewers from tuning back in after the show garnered an amazing 13 Emmy awards earlier this month to once again make it one of the most popular series on streaming, according to a company that track ratings.

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: We dish out our reviews of the iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone Air and AirPods Pro 3.

How’s the battery life? How’s the cosmic orange? How badly does the iPhone 17 Pro scratch? How good is AirPods’ new Live Translation feature?

In this extra-long edition, we go deep on our first impressions of Apple’s latest gear.

Also on The CultCast:

• We know Scratchgate is real. And an expert offers an explanation for the iPhone 17 Pro’s problem.
• Apple’s new iPhone cases are pretty great — and they’re already on sale.

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.

Apple is reportedly testing an AI-powered chatbot that can perform many tasks that the promised Siri upgrade will be able to handle. The app supposedly gives Apple employees a way to test future Siri capabilities, but also to explore whether Siri needs a chatbot functionality.

ChatGPT, Google Gemini and others made AI chatbots mainstream, so not having one in the long-promised Siri revamp would be a glaring omission. One that would draw considerable criticism.

Apple’s latest smartphone will step into the major leagues Friday night when the iPhone 17 Pro helps capture live footage during a professional sports broadcast for the first time. The Detroit Tigers vs. Boston Red Sox game at Fenway Park, streaming on Apple TV+ as part of Friday Night Baseball, will feature live game footage shot on four iPhone 17 Pro devices, according to MLB.com

And by the way, the game — part of the two teams’ final series of the regular season — has big playoff implications. Apple TV+ subscribers can watch it at no extra cost. 

The European Union pushed back Thursday after Apple said the Digital Markets Act — antitrust legislation aimed at broadening competition among tech companies — is backfiring on consumers and forcing Apple to delay key features for European users.

In a detailed statement submitted during the EU’s review process, Apple claimed the DMA is achieving the opposite of its stated goals. Apple’s statement, issued Wednesday, was the company’s strongest criticism of the law to date, and EU leaders did not care for it. But European Commission spokesman Thomas Regnier said the lawmakers were “not surprised” by Apple’s stance.

“Apple has simply contested every little bit of the DMA since its entry into application,” said Regnier in a Politico article, adding that Apple has snubbed EU efforts to have positive talks on the matter. “This undermines the company’s narrative of wanting to be fully cooperative with the Commission.”

In addition to the European Commission, some users took issue with Apple’s statement slamming the DMA.

What would happen if gruff ex-footballer Roy Kent from Ted Lasso underwent years of anger-management and sensitivity training? Well, if he managed not to go ballistic and end up in prison, he might look like Brett Goldstein’s new character in the romantic drama All of You. Apple TV+ dropped a new trailer for the Apple Original Film recently (watch below). And it does, indeed, appear to star a touchy-feely Roy Kent-ish guy, along with Imogen Poots.

And now you can see for yourself. Apple TV+ started streaming the new film on Friday. 

Reviews so far are positive, if you like romance. The elements of sci-fi and humor may not be as prominent as I’d hoped. Tom’s Guide called the movie “one of the most pleasant surprises of 2025” and adds “it’ll leave you a sobbing mess.” The New York Times said “This weepy romance succeeds through the undeniable chemistry between Brett Goldstein and Imogen Poots.” And Deadline likened it to another “romdram” on Apple TV+, director Christos Nikou’s Fingernails (2023) with Riz Ahmed and Jess Buckley.

Apple officially addressed the iPhone 17‘s Scratchgate issue. It says the problem isn’t due to the new glass-and-aluminum design, blaming worn-out MagSafe risers and chargers in retail displays instead.

iPhone 17’s Scratchgate controversy surfaced just days after it went on sale, sparking widespread concern among early buyers.

After locking in a $5 billion investment from Nvidia and another $2 billion from SoftBank, Intel reportedly wants Apple as its next major backer.

Apple was once a long-time customer of Intel. However, it eventually shifted to its own in-house chips after Intel failed to innovate quickly enough.

The new Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 flagship wireless headphones are the best cans the British audio company has ever produced, it said Wednesday. Available now for an eye-watering $799, the premium over-ear headphones feature significant design improvements and enhanced audio capabilities that should make would-be AirPods Max buyers look twice.

 “We are incredibly proud to launch the Px8 S2, the best headphone we have ever created. When we introduced the Px8 in 2022, it redefined what was possible in wireless headphone performance. The Px8 S2 sets the benchmark once again, recalibrating expectations for sound quality, design and craftsmanship,” said Giles Pocock, VP of Brand Marketing at B&W.

“It’s the ultimate expression of our mission: to bring listeners even closer to the artist’s performance — and of course, the beautiful design and finish only adds to that real pride of ownership,” he added.

Apple TV+ has indefinitely postponed the release of thriller series The Savant, which stars Jessica Chastain as a character who infiltrates hate groups online to head off violent acts.

“After careful consideration, we have made the decision to postpone The Savant,” an Apple TV+ rep told Deadline on Tuesday. “We appreciate your understanding and look forward to releasing the series at a future date.”

The streamer originally planned to release the eight-part limited series this Friday. The Apple TV+ app currently lists The Savant as “coming at a later date.”

Jessica Chastain reacts to Apple delaying The Savant release

Update: On Wednesday, Chastain reacted to The Savant’s delayed release on X. Citing a string of politically motivated violent acts that have occurred in recent years, she said she wasn’t happy with Apple’s decision to delay the release of The Savant.

A new screen protector company offers iPhone users something they’ve never had before — the ability to showcase personalized artwork directly on their device’s Screen Skinz screen protector while maintaining full functionality during use. Thanks to tech magic, the artwork only shows when the handset’s screen is locked.

“Screen Skinz lets users proudly highlight their favorite team or character with the confidence that a premium tempered glass screen protector has them covered,” said RaShaun Brown, co-founder of Screen Skinz. “With Screen Skinz, your phone has protection when you need it and personality when you want it.”

The Logitech Signature Slim Solar+ K980 is powered by light, and it connects via Bluetooth, so no cables are ever needed.

It features a full keyboard layout with number keys in a slim and low-profile form. It works with Mac, iPad and iPhone.

In its iPhone 17 teardown, the iFixit team provides a detailed explanation of why the iPhone 17 Pro scratches so easily. They brought in a materials scientist to get to the heart of what’s causing Scratchgate — and explain how Apple might have avoided the problem.

A big hit for Apple TV+, the darkly comedic spy thriller Slow Horses returned Wednesday with the first episode of its fifth season. Once again it’s off to a fast start, making London look like a bloody shooting gallery. And it appears the season will echo contemporary themes of nationalistic fervor and immigration backlash.

How will Slough House section chief Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman) and his beleaguered team of B-team spies react, especially when one of their number may be compromised? 

Taking a cue from the iPhone’s Messages app, Meta is adding message translations to WhatsApp. With this feature, you can directly translate chats in a conversation into a familiar language.

At launch, the translate tool will support over 19 languages on the iPhone. 

Through a major investment, Apple will protect and restore California’s coastal redwood forests, the iPhone giant said Tuesday. To do so, it partners with The Conservation Fund to ensure the long-term sustainability of the iconic trees.

“Forests are one of the most powerful technologies we have for removing carbon from the atmosphere,” said Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president of Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives. “Our global investments in nature are leveraging that technology while supporting communities, stimulating local economies and enhancing biodiversity in ecosystems around the world.”

Code found in iOS 26 beta 1 reportedly reveals that Apple is prepping a new feature: Background Security Improvements. These will patch security problems and won’t need the user to be involved or even be aware that a patch is being applied to their iPhone.

This is apparently the replacement for Rapid Security Responses, an iPhone security tool that Apple introduced but then hasn’t used in years.

MacBooks make you faster, sharper and more productive. But they’ve always come with one big problem: price. Upgraded’s affordable MacBook financing program changes that.

Whether you’re buying a MacBook for yourself or outfitting an entire company, it usually means a huge upfront bill, a complicated reselling process, or headaches when managing devices for remote employees.

Upgraded solves this with simple monthly MacBook subscriptions, starting at just $33.28 per month. For businesses, Upgraded’s innovative MacBook financing also means turning big upfront capital expenses into smaller operating expenses you can write off, while handing off the hassle of device management.

Apple plans to adopt Samsung’s cutting-edge OLED display technology for its 20th anniversary iPhone in 2027, marking a significant leap forward in screen brightness, thinness and power efficiency, according to a new report Tuesday.

The move would see Apple implement Color Filter on Encapsulation (COE) technology for the first time in a traditional smartphone, following Samsung’s lead.

A week after the release of iOS 26, Apple has stopped signing iOS 18.6.2. So, you can no longer downgrade your iPhone from iOS 26 to iOS 18.

This move is standard practice for Apple. It usually stops signing older iOS builds shortly after a major update goes public.

Apple expanded its Apple Immersive Video catalog Monday with a slate of new films from major global publishers, broadcasters and brands, marking a major milestone for the Vision Pro platform.

The new content comes from partners including Audi, the BBC, CANAL+, CNN, HYBE, MotoGP and Red Bull. Releases are planned over the coming months.