Apple and its employees have raised more than $880 million in charitable giving for nearly 44,000 groups all over the world since the Employee Giving program started 11 years ago, the company said Thursday.

As part of that, more than 76,000 Apple workers have put in over 2.1 million volunteer hours. Apple matches employee giving and volunteer hours with donations, too, in addition to its corporate grants to organizations.

The European Parliament picked December 28, 2024 as date after which iPhone and all other handsets sold in the EU must have a USB-C port. That means the iPhone 17 in 2025 will definitely not include a Lightning port.

But unconfirmed reports say Apple will make the change earlier than that.

Whether you’re traveling for business or pleasure, being able to understand the local language can make your trips more enjoyable. And you don’t necessarily have to learn it, either.

You can carry a bit of fluency in your pocket with an award-winning pair of Mymanu Clik S smart translation earbuds. They can help you communicate in up to 37 languages. Order for $99 (regularly $220) by December 8 to ensure your earbuds arrive in time for the holidays.

Apple completely abandoned its previously announced plan to scan iCloud Photos libraries for child sexual abuse material. The company will not go through users’ pictures on its cloud-storage servers looking for CSAM images.

Instead, Apple is going the opposite direction by enabling users to encrypt pictures stored in iCloud Photos.

Apple could be working on a MacBook far larger than the current 16-inch model – a 20.25-inch one is supposedly in development. But don’t picture a standard laptop, as this will supposedly use a folding display.

Such a large screen would make the macOS notebook a productivity powerhouse.

Apple seeded the iOS 16.2 release candidate to developers Wednesday, taking a huge step toward giving iPhone users access to the Freeform collaboration app, the recently announced Apple Music Sing and other exciting new features.

The iPadOS 16.2 release candidate also went out with nearly the same feature set. Plus, Apple seeded the macOS Ventura 13.1 RC, watchOS 9.2 RC and tvOS 16.2 RC to devs, too.

Apple said Wednesday users are gaining three new security features to protect their data in the cloud, with some available now and some to come. The overall program is called Advanced Data Protection.

The three new functions to help keep data and communications safe are iMessage Contact Key Verification, Security Keys for Apple ID and Advanced Data Protection for iCloud, the company said.

Independent developers working to get Linux running on Apple silicon have made a significant breakthrough — the release of the first graphics driver. This is an important step toward running operating systems other than macOS on Apple’s powerful new computers.

“We’ve been working hard over the past two years to bring this new driver to everyone, and we’re really proud to finally be here,” wrote developers Alyssa Rosenzweig and Asahi Lina in a Wednesday blog post announcing the GPU driver release. “This is still an alpha driver, but it’s already good enough to run a smooth desktop experience and some games.”

The Critics Choice Association showered Apple TV+ Tuesday with 10 nominations for the upcoming 28th Annual Critics Choice Awards. They include Best Drama Series nods for workplace psycho-drama Severance and dark comedy-drama Bad Sisters, plus Best Foreign Language Series noms for Pachinko and Tehran.

Nominations honored six series in total. The other two nominations covered acting in prison suspense thriller Black Bird and family drama The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey. See more specifics below.

Amazon’s latest deal drops the iPad 10’s price to a much more reasonable $399, a sweet $50 off its retail price. This is the lowest price the tablet has been available for since its launch.

At $449, the new 10.9 iPad occupies an odd place in the iPad lineup. A $50 discount makes it easier to justify the higher price tag.

In today’s featured computer setup, owned by a web developer, a 2012 Mac mini shares the spotlight with a new 16-inch M1 MacBook Pro.

Before you think, “Wow, the Mac mini must be amazing, competing with that sleek new laptop,” nah, this is more like take-your-great-grandfather-to-work day for the elderly little desktop machine.

It’s around because it still works for light lifting. And it does indeed show impressive longevity.

So you think you’ve got style? Well, is your GaN charger decked out in Italian leather? We didn’t think so. But now it can be, if you order the powerful and stylish VogDUO 65-watt Slim GaN Charger.

In a sea of white, black and gray plastic wall warts, this incredibly unique-looking GaN charger really stands out. And it’s available right now at a 15% discount. Plus, you can order it as a gift with that same discount in time for Christmas. That way, you can give the practical gift of power and style to a friend or family member.

Apple’s iPad Pro has been a game-changer since it arrived on the scene in 2015. Powerful and portable, these devices make a great personal upgrade or gift, and you can purchase one at a surprisingly low price. During a 48-hour window in our December Deal of the Day series, you can get a refurbished iPad Pro from 2017 for just $189.99.

No coupon is necessary, but you only have until December 8 to claim this deal.

Apple CEO Tim Cook said Tuesday that his company will buy processors made in Arizona by TSMC, which currently produces Apple’s most sophisticated chips primarily in Taiwan.

Plus, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company revealed that it will pour even more billions into Arizona by adding a second chip factory in the state.

Who doesn’t want to make their life easier this month? After all the holiday shopping, we could all use a virtual butler to turn on the lights and play music on command. If that sounds like Alexa — many techies’ favorite voice assistant — you’re right. And you’re right on time.

Thanks to our December Deal of the Day, you can get a refurbished Amazon Echo Dot for just $18.99. Act fast, though. When we say Deal of the Day, we mean today only — the discount ends after 24 hours.

Apple’s plan for a completely autonomous vehicle has gone back onto the drawing board, according to a reliable source. The company supposedly is still prepping an electric car but the self-driving capabilities much more limited.

The Apple car could reach customers in about four years.

Apple said Tuesday the App Store is undergoing “the most comprehensive upgrade to pricing capabilities” since its launch, allowing prices to be set as low as 29 cents and as high as $10,000.

It will start offering developers 700 new price points to apply to the apps they sell, plus new tools to make international selling easier to manage.

Just ahead the holidays, Sabrent offered a new set of solid state drives (SSD) that could be a perfect little gift for any techie on your list — the updated Sabrent Rocket Nano V2.

The redesigned version, no larger than a “fun-sized” candy bar, supports fast data transfer speeds and can store up to 4TB. And they can fit in someone’s pocket.

Apple Music Sing gives you the real-time lyrics you need to sing along to your favorite tracks. The upcoming feature will show the words to songs so you can easily join in. It will even adjust the volume of the original singer so you take the lead.

It’s coming in December to Apple Music subscribers worldwide. The feature will work with millions of songs in the streaming service’s catalog, Apple said Tuesday.

Victrola probably isn’t the first name that leaps to mind when you’re shopping for speakers – it’s a company that built its reputation on the phonograph. But great-grandpa would be amazed because the company is keeping up with the times and recently launched the Victrola Music Edition 2, a great-looking Bluetooth speaker suited for small parties or outdoor gatherings. Plus it has some nice extras, like a wireless charger.

I tested the speaker with my iPhone 13 Plus – here’s why I’m quite pleased with it.

It’s not easy to find the perfect iPad case, whether you’re walking around with a little iPad mini 6, a standard 10.2-inch iPad or the latest 12.9-inch iPad Pro. But it gets a lot easier if you know about Zugu Case. The company’s practical and attractive cases are among the highest-rated and best-reviewed iPad cases in the world for a reason.

So cease your searching. You just found the Zugu iPad case you didn’t know you were looking for.

The National Labor Relations Board determined that Apple’s tactics in pressuring employees at an Atlanta Apple store to not unionize broke the law.

The NLRB regional director reportedly gave Apple the option to settle or she will start the process of compelling the company to do so.

Shopping on a budget is tough, and it doesn’t get easier when you’re planning to feed a fleet of holiday guests traveling to see you. Friends and family are on their way, and it’s time to find out how you will fill your table with tasty treats without breaking the bank.

With a Costco Gold Star Membership, you can find shelves of enticing ingredients and premade delectables to serve your guests. And for a limited time, you can get a one-year Costco Gold Star Membership for $60 — and it comes with a $30 Digital Costco Shop Card*.

Apple has expanded its Self Service Repair program outside the US. Customers in selected European countries can order replacement components for their iPhones and MacBooks directly from the company.

The program is launching in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, Sweden, and the UK.

Apple just revealed the 20 titles that made the Apple Arcade Top Games of 2022. At the top is NBA 2K22 Arcade Edition, as well as the revamped version of The Oregon Trail.

The best-of list includes a range of options for many types of players.