HomePod shipments in the United States increased 180% year-on-year in the last quarter, eclipsing the growth of smart speaker makers Amazon and Google during the period, market intelligence firm Omdia reports.

While Apple still lags behind the other two companies on shipments, it is looking more competitive than it has at any point in the history of the HomePod so far. That’s particularly impressive when considering that this was a rough three-month period for smart speakers in the US, whose growth is stalling.

Apple’s App Tracking Transparency feature hasn’t been enough to stop Facebook from pulling in a massive $28 billion in ad revenue for the second quarter of 2021. That represents a 56% increase year-on-year. Facebook earned $10.4 billion in total profits for the quarter.

While Apple’s anti-tracking privacy measures weren’t explicitly designed to hurt Facebook, Facebook has been outspoken about the impacts they would have on its business. A recent Facebook-funded research paper called the iOS 14 feature an “anti-competitive strategy disguised as a privacy-protecting measure.”

Need a cheap iPhone that you can use as a backup or to keep in touch with the kids? Pick up a iPhone 6s or iPhone 7 refurb from Woot today from just $99.99 in this absolute steal of a deal that runs for one day only.

All units are “grade A” and in excellent condition, but stock is limited, so enjoy this offer while you can!

A job application filled out by 18-year-old Steve Jobs in 1973 has sold for $343,000 — and, based on its history, that may actually be a pretty good deal.

The rare paper document, possibly the only job application Apple’s late co-founder and CEO filled in in his life, has proven to be a pretty great investment over the years. This time, it was accompanied by an NFT sale for the same document, which pulled in around $23,000.

The next iPhone is just a couple of months away, but an artist has given us an early glimpse of what it might look like. His iPhone 13 concept combines new features revealed leaks and rumors, but there are also a couple that are just hopes.

Watch his high-quality video to see a handset Apple might unveil soon.

After a year where a good portion of your social interactions likely took place on screen, you probably noticed that most webcams aren’t particularly flattering. And when digital audio is all you hear, you might notice that it isn’t completely authentic to what people sound like unless you have an expensive mic. Instead of buying a ring light to bring out the best of your features or the type of mic professional podcasters use, all you need to make your streaming and video presence authentic and smooth is this 1080P HD Webcam with Oval LED Ring Light. It helps that it has both an excellent mic and a ring light built in, and for a limited time you can get one on sale for $31.44 if you use the coupon code ANNUAL15. Or, if you use that same code, you can get two for $50.99, three for $72.24, or four for $93.49, so everyone in your household can be shown in their best light.

Apple’s newest iOS and iPadOS 15 beta, rolled out to registered developers on Tuesday, gives you the ability to automatically disable notifications when screen sharing. The toggle ensures others cannot see your incoming alerts.

Here’s how to activate the block on iPhone and iPad.

OnePlus is rolling out another Apple-esque product at a lower price point — a new set of Buds Pro that improve on its original Buds with active noise cancellation (ANC) and some upgraded audio features. They look a lot like Airpods Pro, actually, except with silver stems rather than white ones.

Explore some of the more exotic possibilities of your iPhone’s camera with a free tutorial from a professional photographer. An video Today at Apple session shows how to use Night Mode to take and edit “otherworldly” images.

Get these free suggestions now:

Amazon just rolled out a new update for its Alexa app that adds a much-anticipated Home screen widget for iPhone and iPad. You can use it to ask Alexa anything you like faster than ever before. Here’s how to set it up.

Bring smooth stainless steel to your Apple Watch with Juuk’s gorgeous new Ovollo band. Its mirror-polished finish helps make your smartwatch look like a dazzling fashion piece, and it’s available in a number of color options to suit your style. You can order yours now through the Cult of Mac Store.

Zens launched a new all-in-one wireless charger station for four devices. It’s handy for juicing up your MagSafe-compatible iPhone. Plus you can add an Apple Watch, AirPods and one other gadget, all at once if needed.

When a computer setup is as clean and spare as Redditor whatsyourname’s, the eye tends to go to the most unusual item. In this case, it’s probably the colorful keyboard cover on the MacBook Pro, making it look like some other model of laptop.

And, of course, what did commenters most want to talk about in the setup? That thing. Naturally, a little bit of a debate ensued. Should you use a keyboard cover on a MacBook at all?

You might not be getting a lot of visitors right now, but they’ll be back … one day. Maybe. And wouldn’t it be great if you could see who’s outside your home without even being there? Pick up a Ring Video Doorbell Pro for $40 less.

Amazon is now offering certified refurbished units that look and work as good as new for just $99.99 — down from $139.99. The sale is good for a limited time only, so enjoy it while you can!

A new augmented reality iPhone app lets users try different styles of braces on before they visit an orthodontist. Clarity Smile, which launched in the App Store this month, features a range of braces — ranging from ceramic, metallic, and colored braces to clear aligners and even fun (not dentally approved) options like diamond grills.

Users get to see what these look like on them as they talk and smile. They can even use the app to share new brace selfies with friends and family.

We all love our devices, but it can definitely be productivity-hindering to hunt around for the appropriate charger. And if you have limited desk space, the last thing you want is to deal with a mess of cords when you’re just trying to get through the workday. This 5-in-1 MagSafe Wireless and Wired Charging Station is an elegant, simple charging solution that can power up to four devices at once, without overcharging — it even doubles up as a bedside lamp with three different brightness levels. For a limited time, use the code ANNUAL15 for an extra 15% off. 

Apple is closing down internal Slack channels to stop employees discussing remote working options, reports Zoe Schiffer from The Verge.

Many Cupertino employees are currently engaged in a Cold War of sorts with their employer over the remote working arrangement coming out of the coronavirus pandemic. As the arguments flare up among staff, Apple has taken the step of shuttering the Slack channels where these are taking place.

If you want to see the doctor, you’d better hurry for an appointment. Dr. Mario, that is!

The worst performing of Nintendo’s mobile games on iOS, Nintendo has announced that it is shutting down Dr. Mario World, its update of 1990s puzzle game Dr. Mario. The game will be going offline on October 31 or November 1, depending on timezone. It launched in 2019.

For All Mankind has reportedly been renewed for a record (for Apple, at least) fourth season, according to a post on the Writers Guild of America webpage.

The sci-fi show, which is based in an alternate history in which the global space race continued, wrapped up its second season in April 2021. The second season was accompanied by a podcast by Apple titled For All Mankind: The Official Podcast.

Apple just revealed that its made heaps of money last quarter. It broke all kinds of revenue records, and Mac, iPhone and iPad contributed strongly to the total.

But there are also some dark clouds in Apple future. Read on to get the good news and bad from the company’s most recent financial earnings results.

There are plenty of apps out there that can help you stream content to your favorite devices — but it can be annoying (and time consuming) to switch from app to app to access different shows or movies. This Airflow Video Streaming Lifetime Subscription is different from other FFmpeg apps — it pushes video to your Chromecast, Apple TV, and AirPlay 2 TVs in full 4K HDR, without affecting your video quality in the slightest.

Apple took in $81.4 billion in revenue during its most recent financial quarter, up 36% from the same quarter of last year. And profits were up as well, with earning per share hitting $1.30.

Market analysts just can’t keep up with how well the iPhone-maker is doing. These results beat expectations handily.

The difference between the current 10.9-inch iPad Air and the 11-inch iPad Pro is relatively slim. And now it seems more of the features of the Pro tablet are moving to the Air. Apple is reportedly going to build on the powerful 2020 model with an iPad Air 5 that offers a dual-lens camera and optional 5G. Plus, the tablet is getting a processor upgrade.

These changes would make it a stronger mid-range tablet in Apple’s product lineup.

iCloud+ gives you the ability to hide your email address when completing online forms and signing up for newsletters in iOS 15, iPadOS 15, and macOS Monterey. Here’s how to activate and use the new Hide My Email feature.

Apparently responding to criticism of the Safari redesign in iPadOS 15, a beta released Tuesday makes significant changes to the layout of the Safari web browser. The newest iteration gives users the option to view the Address Bar very much like it looks in iPadOS 14. But those who prefer can keep the new compact view.