A tiny new silicon micro-speaker could transform future wearables — like Apple Watch and other smartwatches — by dramatically reducing thickness while improving audio quality, xMEMS Labs said Tuesday. It unveiled Sycamore-W, an ultra-thin micro speaker engineered for wrist-worn devices. It could make more room in devices as new features like AI interactions become more prevalent.

“Sycamore-W redefines audio for smart watches, combining compact design with robust performance to meet the demands of next-generation wearables,” said Mike Housholder, xMEMS VP of Marketing and Business Development. “As the wrist becomes a key interface for ears-free, hands-free AI interactions, Sycamore-W empowers manufacturers to deliver premium audio in smaller, lighter more durable devices.”

Spring is here, and the air is full of birdsong. The Merlin Bird ID app tells you what type of birds you’re hearing … plus it’s quick, easy and free.

With this software from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology on your iPhone, you can learn about all the birds around you — you might be surprised how many of them there are. And if you get interested, you’ll soon be able to identify them without the app.

Logitech kicks off summer with its Buy More & Save sale on an array of peripherals for your Apple setup. You can scoop up keyboards, mice, webcams, iPad keyboard cases and more, through June 1. In this Logitech sale, some individual items get discounts, but the main deal comes on how much you spend, the company said: $150 off $450; $70 off $250; and $30 off $150.

As a person who relies on Logitech gear every day, I can vouch for it — especially when you can get a deal on a few items at once to really improve your setup.

May 13, 1991: Apple releases System 7, the biggest upgrade to the Mac operating system since the original Mac shipped in 1984. The new Mac OS is whip-fast, beautiful to look at, and boasts a bevy of innovative features.

The longest-lasting of Apple’s classic Mac operating systems, it will remain current until System 8 replaces it in 1997.

iPad shipments shot up 14% year over year during the first three months of 2025, according to a market analysis firm. That marks the fourth quarter in a row with an increase in iPad demand.

Replacing tablets bought years ago during the pandemic is only one of the reasons for the continuing strong growth.

A comprehensive suite of new Apple accessibility upgrades relying on Apple silicon and machine learning to enhance usability across products and services will launch later this year, the iPhone giant said Tuesday.

The innovations aim to make Apple devices more usable for people with various disabilities. Those include visual impairments, hearing loss, mobility challenges and cognitive differences.

“At Apple, accessibility is part of our DNA,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “Making technology for everyone is a priority for all of us, and we’re proud of the innovations we’re sharing this year. That includes tools to help people access crucial information, explore the world around them, and do what they love.”

Apple informed developers of a major pasteboard change coming with macOS 16. It will alert users when apps read the pasteboard without direct user interaction.

The move will ensure apps cannot silently read the pasteboard in the background without you knowing about it.

Samsung jumps on the super-slim phone bandwagon ahead of Apple with the Galaxy S25 Edge, arriving months before its rival’s release. It’s the company’s slimmest Galaxy phone yet, with a waistline of 5.8mm.

Despite its slim profile, the phone packs high-end flagship internals. The Galaxy S25 Edge will take on the iPhone 17 Air when Apple’s slim model launches in fall 2025.

Rather than building a bigger battery into the iPhone 17 to extend battery life, Apple reportedly plans to use a smarter power source to achieve the desired result. The company reported is creating an AI system for iOS 19 to “analyze how a person uses their device and make adjustments to conserve energy,” according to a report published Monday.

It could be one of many AI-powered features in the version of the iPhone’s operating system expected to launch this autumn.

Mac users can now install macOS Sequoia 15.5… but there’s really no hurry. This new version is especially light on new features.

It seems clear that much of Apple’s attention is on upcoming AI features, macOS 16, and other enhancements coming later in the year.

After over a month of beta testing, iOS 18.5 is now available for all compatible iPhones. Unlike previous point iOS 18 releases, the new build does not pack any significant new features.

The update mainly includes minor changes, but older iPhones will receive one major new feature. Keep reading to know about everything new in iOS 18.5 and iPadOS 18.5.

Believe it or not, today’s magnificent featured setup includes five computers — each with a job to do, even the ol’ trash-can Mac Pro — and one absolutely huge computer monitor. It’s a 57-inch curved ultra-wide Samsung. What, 49 inches wasn’t big enough for ya?

And the workstation includes other great features. Those include a Rode PodMic, the same great open-back Sennheiser headphones I own, and powerful Klipsch bookshelf speakers paired with a subwoofer that I wish I owned.

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 glowing Apple logo and the “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.