May 12, 2005: Longtime Apple frenemy Bill Gates tells a German newspaper that Apple may have hit it big with the iPod, but that its success isn’t going to last forever.
The reason for his take on the iPod’s future? Mobile phones are going to steal the music player’s market share.
The good news for Gates is that he was right on the money. The bad news for Microsoft is that Apple cannibalized itself by making the iPhone. And Apple’s smartphone became even more successful than the iPod.
SpeedTutorAI is an AI homework helper app for iPhone and iPad that takes the possibilities of Siri and ChatGPT to new heights. You’ll get help with math problems, answers to your questions, and concise summaries of class lectures, all as if you were working with a real-life tutor.
But you won’t pay real-world tutor fees. You can secure lifetime access to SpeedTutorAI with unlimited use for only $29.97.
Tariffs might force Apple to increase the prices of the iPhone 17 lineup. The company reportedly will highlight the new designs and features of this year’s models to justify the price increase.
Without raising prices, Apple can’t offset the increased tariffs on Chinese-imported products sold in the United States.
May 11, 1998: As part of his mission to turn Apple around, CEO Steve Jobs spells out the company’s strategy for the Mac operating system going forward. The big news is that Apple is hard at work creating a major new operating system called OS X, he says at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference in San Jose, California.
However, first the company will ship Mac OS 8.5 and the first customer release of an OS called Rhapsody that fall.
A new feature in iOS 19 reportedly will sync public Wi-Fi login and captive portal details across your Apple devices.
iPhones already sync Wi-Fi network details across all devices connected to the same Apple ID. However, with public networks, a captive portal introduces additional steps. While small, the feature should make logging into hotel Wi-Fi networks more convenient.
★★★★★
If you want both a grip on the back of your phone for ergonomics and MagSafe charging for convenience, you might think there are no good options. Well, finally, there is — the Snap Grip Luxe combines both in an incredibly slim and clever design.
It’s truly the best of both worlds — you have a better grasp on your phone, so you won’t drop it; you have a built-in stand for watching videos anywhere you go; and you can still use your MagSafe chargers or even battery packs. You can freely detach it and put it on a different phone case if you want.
Cleverest of all, it’s only 2.5mm thin, so it doesn’t add any more bulk to the back than the camera bump your phone already has.
Keep reading below for the full review.
May 10, 1999: The third-generation PowerBook G3 comes in 20% slimmer and 2 pounds lighter than its predecessor, but most people remember the laptop for its “bronze” keyboard. Although it doesn’t get a new name to distinguish it from previous laptops in the lineup, fans call it “Lombard” after Apple’s internal code name (or simply the “PowerBook G3 Bronze Keyboard”).
Epic Games recently promised to resubmit the hugely popular game Fortnite to the U.S. App Store, and it carried through with the promise Friday. It’s now up to Apple whether the application will be approved.
The move came after a U.S. judge blasted Apple for willfully violating the court’s 2021 order, and ordered Apple to comply with earlier App Store changes effective immediately. These are changes that Epic fought for, and relate to Apple policies that got Fortnite banned in the first place.
Sonos and Ikea loved to make speakers that look like other things. They launched the Symfonisk table lamp speaker, bookshelf speakers and a picture frame, among other products. But now the Sonos-Ikea partnership ends, according to reports.
The Symfonisk line of speakers, which also includes a bookshelf speaker that can hold books and a picture frame speaker that looks like wall art, is designed to blend in with your home decor.
Update: Sonos and Ikea just ended their lengthy partnership on the popular Symfonisk speakers, which included a table lamp and a picture frame, according to various reports.
“Over the past eight years, we’ve had the pleasure of working closely with Ikea and are proud of what we’ve achieved,” Sonos told The Verge. “Although our work together has largely wound down and we won’t be releasing new products as partners, we’ll continue to support every existing Symfonisk product so customers can keep enjoying great sound in their homes for many years to come.”
You want the best iPad, but shopping for one can be overwhelming. Apple sells six iPad models in a wide range of sizes, prices and capabilities. Our iPad comparison explains the strengths and weaknesses of each model. You don’t want to get one that doesn’t have all the features you want, but you also don’t want to pay too much for features you won’t use.
Here’s some straightforward advice on picking the best iPad for you.
In a big move reshaping the premium audio landscape, Samsung subsidiary Harman International acquired Masimo Corporation’s Sound United consumer audio business for $350 million in cash, the companies said this week — including some of the industry’s most storied brands.
The deal brings renowned audio brands like Bowers & Wilkins, Denon, Marantz and Polk Audio under Samsung’s expanding audio empire — potentially creating new challenges for Apple in both the consumer audio, automotive and smart home markets.
And the seller happens to be Apple legal rival Masimo, whose lawsuit against the iPhone giant put a stop to blood oxygen sensing in Apple Watch. Ouch.
MacroSnap is a macro tracker app that uses your phone’s camera to record the nutritional content of your meals. Just snap a photo of food, and the AI-powered app identifies the calories and key macronutrients — protein, carbohydrates and fats — in it.
If you already snap photos of your food before diving in, you’re halfway to tracking your macros. Grab a lifetime subscription to MacroSnap AI for just $39.99 (regularly $209.97) and get a handle on your nutrition.
May 9, 2005: Apple quietly begins selling music videos in the iTunes Music Store.
The feature arrives with iTunes 4.8, initially offering bonus content for people purchasing albums through the store. It will take several months for Apple to start selling individual music videos, along with Pixar short films and a selection of TV shows, for $1.99 a pop.
Apple could get into a new product category: smart glasses. A report surfaced on Thursday indicating that Apple is working on a chip to power glasses with built-in AI and cameras that could launch in the next couple of years.
With the company’s Visual Intelligence AI tool, a pair of smart glasses could identify objects for the wearer, get info on businesses, and explain to the user what it is they’re looking at.
Among various chips Apple currently develops for products like smart glasses and Macs, new AI server chips will help power the Apple Intelligence platform, according to a report Thursday. And the new, immensely powerful AI server chips will be the first of their kind for Apple.
Apple’s annual Swift Student Challenge coding competition showcases young talent whose apps never cease to inspire. This year is no different, as Apple profiles four coders working to preserve cultural heritage, improve disaster preparedness, connect astronomy enthusiasts and expand educational access. Meet Swift Student Challenge winners and their inspiring coding projects below.
These four are part of a group of 50 winners who will attend WWDC25 in person at Apple Park in Cupertino for a three-day program.
“We’re always inspired by the talent and perspective young developers bring to the Swift Student Challenge,” said Susan Prescott, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide Developer Relations. “This year’s winners show exceptional skill in transforming meaningful ideas into app playgrounds that are innovative, impactful, and thoughtfully built — and we’re excited to support their journey as they continue building apps that will help shape the future.”
Apple TV+ subscribers get an inside look at Hollywood’s streaming wars through Seth Rogen’s hit comedy series The Studio — complete with a surprising guest appearance Wednesday night from rival streaming executive Ted Sarandos, co-CEO of Netflix. Apple tried to prevent the Netflix CEO cameo with a Tim Cook substitution, according to a new report Wednesday.
★★★★★
The Arovia Splay Portable Foldable Monitor and Projector is a truly remarkable piece of kit. Not only does it promise a 25-inch, 1080p screen that can fold down to the size of a book, it actually delivers… with a surprisingly bright, clear image that doesn’t need a darkened room.
As the name indicates, it can also be used as a small portable projector.
I watched hours of TV shows on the Splay, and used it for work, too. I’m truly impressed with the performance. I’m less pleased about the price, though.
May 8, 1997: Apple launches the PowerBook 2400c laptop, a 4.4-pound “subnotebook” that’s the MacBook Air of its day.
The PowerBook 2400c predicts the rise of speedy, lightweight notebooks, while also paying tribute to Apple’s past. Its design echoes the original PowerBook 100. Even years later, it remains a cult favorite among many Mac users.
Finding a great pair of headphones usually means picking two out of three—good sound, good comfort or a good price. But once in a while, something comes along that checks every box. Case in point? The Sony Ult Wear over-ear noise-canceling Bluetooth headphones, now available as a grade-A refurbished deal for just $89.99 (regularly $199.99).
Apple charges a ton for storage upgrades on Macs. Worse, you cannot extend the built-in storage after buying the Mac. Thankfully, smarter solutions exist, as long as you don’t mind plugging an external disk into your Mac.
Here’s a breakdown of the best ways to expand your Mac’s storage, along with ideal solutions based on particular needs.
iPad users no longer have to depend on an iPhone application to access Google’s Gemini AI-powered chatbot. Software designed specifically for iPad users launched Wednesday.
This comes after Google recently introduced home screen widgets to give iPhone and iPad users easier access to Gemini.
Before too much longer, doing a search in the Safari web browser might bring up AI-powered results rather than the standard Google search engine, according to Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of services.
Cue points out that this is Apple following a trend, as the company sees Safari users increasingly turning to AIs in place of traditional search engines.
The Apple Watch Translate app can help you quickly speak in a different language while you’re abroad, right from your wrist. Translate between 20 different languages by speaking out loud, play translations out of your Apple Watch speaker and build a list of favorite phrases you can play instantly.
Apple Translate doesn’t support as many languages as the more popular Google Translate — but Google doesn’t have an app for the Apple Watch. The fastest and most convenient way to speak another language from your wrist is with Apple’s app.
Keep reading or watch our video here.
May 7, 2014: Katie Cotton, the fearsome, much-admired head of Apple’s worldwide publicity machine, steps down from her vice president post after 18 years with the company.
During her stint at Apple, Cotton worked in lockstep with CEO Steve Jobs and proved instrumental in controlling the company’s portrayal in the press. Her departure provides one more reminder that the Jobs era is over at Apple.