November 13, 2013: Apple and Samsung head back to court to determine how much the Korean company must pay for having copied the iPhone. Apple asks Samsung for $379 million in damages for ripping off key technical and design features.
Cupertino’s lawyers arrive at that number based on estimated lost profits, royalty rates and the $3.5 billion worth of copyright-infringing devices Samsung sold during the period in question.
November 12, 1996: Apple lays out a wild plan to get into the restaurant business, saying it will open a chain of Apple Cafes with a touchscreen point-of-sale system. The company envisioned themed establishments where diners could eat, surf the web and even videoconference with people at other tables
A bit like the company’s future retail stores — but without the computers and iPhones for sale — the Apple restaurants would open in cities around the world. The first, Apple says, will be a 15,000-square-foot restaurant in Los Angeles, opening in late 1997.
Spoiler alert: None of this happens.
★★★★★
The Samsung P7 brings a jump in speed to this company’s portable SSD lineup. Thanks to USB4, it tops out at a whopping 4,000MBps. And storage options range from 1TB to 8TB, even though the device isn’t much larger than a credit card.
Because the solid-state drive uses USB-C, it can easily be shared between multiple computers, as well as an iPad and even iPhone.
And as an accessory meant to be used on the go, Samsung built in drop protection. It’s designed to survive falls of over 6 feet. Which is good, considering this SSD is an expensive piece of kit.
I put the new drive to the test. Here’s why I’m pleased with it.
November 11, 2015: Apple’s first iPad Pro goes on sale after months of speculation about the giant tablet. With its much larger screen, professional-oriented targeting, and dreaded (optional) stylus, the 12.9-inch iPad Pro represents Apple CEO Tim Cook’s cleanest break yet from Steve Jobs’ vision for iOS devices.
And it turned out all the better for it!
Apple just released new firmware for a wide range of AirPods models, bringing bug fixes to the company’s wireless earbuds and headphones. Firmware version 9B47 is available for AirPods Pro 3, AirPods Pro 2, AirPods 5, AirPods 4 and AirPods Max 2.
Last year, Apple finally explained exactly how to update your AirPods firmware. The process can happen automatically, in the background, but there is a way to speed things up. It’s a good idea to manually check that you’re running the latest version, which brings bug fixes and sometimes great new features.
Read on for more details, and to find all current AirPods firmware versions along with instructions for getting the AirPods update as quickly as possible.
November 10, 1983: Microsoft tells the world about an upcoming product called Windows that will bring the graphical user interface to IBM PCs. Although Microsoft’s announcement about the new operating system comes shortly before Apple launches the first Macintosh in January 1984, Windows 1.0 won’t actually ship until November 1985, earning it an early reputation as “vaporware.”
At the time, Apple doesn’t view Windows as much of a threat. That doesn’t take long to change, however.
Apple on Monday rolled out iOS 27.2.1, iPadOS 27.2.1 and macOS Golden Gate 27.2.1, giving iPhone, iPad and Mac users a fresh batch of bug fixes and security improvements. The updates protect users from security flaws that affect the Messages app as well as AirPlay and Bluetooth vulnerabilities.
Don’t expect any exciting new features in these releases. Those will come when iOS 27.3 arrives in December. Instead, Apple focused on fixing problems and addressing security vulnerabilities with today’s updates.
The Liquid Glass user interface brought dramatic change to the iPhone with iOS 26, so it’s no surprise that some people hate it. Apple paid attention, and if the translucent look is just not for you, you can tweak or turn off Liquid Glass in iOS 27. And it’s easy.
Plus, you will find the same settings in macOS Golden Gate 27 and iPadOS 27, so you can turn off Liquid Glass on all your Apple devices if you like. Here’s how.
November 9, 1994: Gil Amelio, a businessman with a reputation as a talented turnaround artist, joins Apple’s board of directors.
Coming off his impressive revitalization of two other tech companies, National Semiconductor and Rockwell International, Amelio’s appointment at Apple sparks widespread celebration. Many Apple watchers think his arrival means the company’s dark days are over. Sadly, Amelio’s turnaround tricks won’t work in Cupertino.
November 8, 1984: After initial Mac sales prove disappointing, Apple CEO John Sculley dreams up the “Test Drive a Macintosh” marketing campaign to encourage people to give the revolutionary new computer a chance.
The promotional strategy advises people to drop into their local retailer and “borrow” a Macintosh for 24 hours. The idea is that, by the time potential customers need to return the Mac, they will have bonded with it — and realized they can’t live without one of Apple’s computers.
While 200,000 would-be customers take advantage of the offer, Apple dealers absolutely hate the innovative promotion.
Clarus the Dogcow is back! The beloved Macintosh mascot, famous for her distinctive “Moof!” sound, appears as an Easter egg in iOS 27.
It’s a fun nod to Apple’s early days, when the company had a much quirkier personality and even a tiny illustration created to help demonstrate printer settings could become a beloved part of Mac culture.
Four decades after her debut, Clarus is still finding ways to make Apple fans smile.
November 7, 1997: Apple releases the Newton MessagePad 2100, the last and best iteration of the company’s early line of handheld devices.
Among its improvements over previous generations, the MessagePad 2100 packs expanded memory, enhanced speed and upgraded communications software. Nevertheless, the Newton’s fate is sealed. Apple CEO Steve Jobs, freshly returned to the company, will scrap the product line within months.
Got a gym membership card riding around in your wallet? Or maybe it’s a loyalty card from a store. Even a library card. You can now add these to the Wallet app on your iPhone and leave the plastic at home.
The new feature in iOS 27 means you no longer need to rely on a business or institution to offer an “Add to Apple Wallet” button. Instead, you can use your iPhone to scan an existing card or create a pass manually, then keep it alongside your other Wallet items.
Here’s how to turn almost any physical card or digital pass into a custom Apple Wallet pass.
You can stop your Mac from sleeping if you want it to stay on indefinitely. This might prove handy if you find it locking when you don’t want it to, like during a class or meeting. You don’t need to wiggle the mouse every few minutes to keep the screen on.
There are a few different ways to set this up. The simplest and most permanent way is to disable sleep entirely in your Mac’s System Settings. However, if you just want a quick way to disable sleep temporarily, there’s a simple command you can enter in the Terminal. Or, if you want something more user-friendly and customizable, there’s a free app you can download that you can toggle on and off from your Mac’s menu bar.
Here are the three best solutions if you want to stop your Mac from sleeping.
November 6, 2003: After porting iTunes to Windows, Apple sets a new record for digital music sales: a massive 1.5 million downloads in one week.
Bringing the iTunes Music Store to PC users opens up a new, lucrative market for Apple — and blows away
★★★★☆
Freeing yourself from HDMI cables doesn’t have to mean giving up 4K. The Nyrius Phoenix Prime 4K30 Wireless HDMI Transmitter and Receiver can take the place of a clumsy cable, and it’s small enough to carry on a business trip or holidays.
Even better, the adapter establishes its own direct wireless connection so it doesn’t need access to a Wi-Fi network. And there’s no software driver needed.
One version plugs into an HDMI port on the source device, but Mac, iPad and iPhone users will likely prefer the USB-C version.
I tested the wireless HDMI video adapter with my TV and a 4K monitor, and it came through brilliantly.
November 5, 2009: Fortune magazine names Steve Jobs “CEO of the decade.” The accolade comes just four months after Jobs returned to Apple after undergoing a liver transplant.
The business publication credits Jobs with transforming multiple industries, as well as continuing Apple’s meteoric rise. These achievements seem particularly noteworthy considering the tough economic conditions of the 2008 financial crash.
There is no shortage of multiport USB-C chargers with 140W or higher output, but Ugreen’s latest Nexode Pro 160W stands out with its built-in customizable display, compact design (for the power it can deliver), and ability to charge up to four devices at once.
As if that’s not enough, the charger even packs Wi-Fi connectivity and supports firmware updates — features I never expected to talk about in a power adapter.
November 4, 1997: Apple unveils its plan to open small “store within a store” areas inside CompUSA outlets around the United States. Apple-trained employees will staff these mini-stores and sing the praises of the Mac and other Apple products.
The move gives Cupertino more control over the way its products are displayed and demoed to consumers. While ultimately disappointing, Apple’s CompUSA experiment paves the way for the flagship Apple Stores that will launch four years later and become the world’s most profitable retail outlets.
The first iOS 27.3 developer beta, which Apple released Tuesday, brings lots of big changes to the iPhone.
Some of the new stuff — like the redesigned Health app and the Apple Watch’s Audio Intelligence features (which work with watchOS 27.3 beta 1, also out now) — we’ve heard about before. But other additions come out of the blue. And Siri AI takes another step toward greatness as Apple ramps up its capabilities.
Here’s everything new in the iOS 27.3 beta (and the related releases, iPadOS 27.3 and watchOS 27.3).
November 3, 2017: Apple releases the iPhone X, a sleek device with a futuristic feature called Face ID. The innovative biometric security system lets a user unlock the iPhone X just by looking at it.
Powered by the iPhone X’s new TrueDepth camera system, Face ID also lets users authenticate and pay using their devices. The technology offers a great leap forward over the fingerprint scanner in previous iPhones. It makes using iPhone X feel incredibly seamless.
November 2, 2012: The first iPad mini goes on sale, shrinking both the size and the price tag of Apple’s groundbreaking tablet computer.
With a reduced screen size of 7.9 inches – instead of the then-standard 9.7 inches – the original iPad mini is the fifth iPad to be released by Apple. Critics hail Apple’s most affordable iPad ever, although some people complain about the tablet’s lack of a Retina display.
★★★★★
Don’t let the modest appearance of the HomePod mini 2 fool you. The audio quality is excellent for a speaker in this price range and size. It’s even better than its predecessor. And the speaker is useful for more than music or podcasts. It really is smart — though not as clever as it will be after the arrival of a future software update that will bring support for Siri AI.
As a longtime HomePod mini user, here’s what it’s like using the second-generation version.
November 1, 2007: Six months after Steve Jobs showed it off, the original iPhone becomes Time magazine’s “invention of the year.”
The iPhone stands out from the rest of 2007’s gadget pack, which includes the Nikon Coolpix S51c digital camera, the Netgear SPH200W Wi-Fi Phone and the Samsung P2 music player. Remember those? (Yeah, we thought not.)
October 31, 2005: Less than three weeks after launching video downloads with iTunes 6, Apple reveals that it has already sold more than 1 million music videos.
Apple’s dive into the online digital video market — with 2,000 music videos, Pixar short films and a selection of hit TV shows for $1.99 — looks like the logical next step after selling individual songs on iTunes. Passing the 1 million download benchmark so quickly suggests the plan is a roaring success.