Tech Talk

Apple's AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C have returned to their all-time low price of $189.99 today on Amazon, down from $249.00. We last saw this deal during Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals, and Amazon has been one of the only retailers to offer the sale. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running. Apple launched these earbuds in September and their headlining new feature is the addition of a USB-C port on the MagSafe Charging Case, replacing the Lightning port. There are a few minor changes to the AirPods Pro 2 besides the addition of USB-C, including additional dust resistance and support for lossless audio with the Vision Pro headset. $59 OFF AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C for $189.99 Apple doesn't sell the USB-C/MagSafe Charging Case separately, so if you want USB-C support you'll have to purchase a full new set of earbuds. Head to our full Deal

Google has issued a critical security update for Chrome on macOS, Windows, and Linux that fixes a zero-day vulnerability in the browser. On Tuesday, Google in a Chrome stable channel update said it "is aware that an exploit for CVE-2023-6345 exists in the wild." Google has not provided further details about the CVE-2023-6345 exploit, which was discovered last week by security researchers in Google's Threat Analysis Group (TAG). However, it is believed to be related to Skia, the open-source 2D graphics library in the Chrome graphics engine. According to the notes for the macOS update 119.0.6045.199, the exploit allowed at least one attacker to "potentially perform a sandbox escape via a malicious file," which could theoretically result in arbitrary code execution and data theft. Users who have Chrome browser set up to automatically update should not need to do anything. Anyone else is advised to manually update immediately (version 119.0.6045.199 on macO

Meta intends to launch Threads in the European Union next month, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal . The social media network debuted in most markets in July, but did not launch in the EU because Meta was unsure whether it would be able to adhere to the bloc's stringent regulations for online services. Threads can import data from Instagram, including behavioral and advertising information. According to sources who spoke to WSJ , Meta will comply with the regulations by giving EU users a choice of using Threads purely for consumption, without a profile that allows them to make their own posts. The change coincides with recent comments by Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, who said the platform was rolling out a way to delete or deactivate a Threads profile separately while leaving the associated Instagram account intact. The large market expansion should see Threads' user numbers take a jump. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said on a company earnings call last m

Apple today chose its 2023 App Store Award winners , highlighting the best apps and games on the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and more. Apple is recognizing 14 apps and games in total, with the winners picked by the global App Store Editorial team. According to Apple, the 2023 App Store Award Winners provided users "with meaningful experiences" and inspired cultural change. The picks "empowered users to unleash their creativity, discover a world of new adventures, and have fun with family and friends." "It's inspiring to see the ways developers continue to build incredible apps and games that are redefining the world around us," said Tim Cook, Apple's CEO. "This year's winners represent the limitless potential of developers to bring their visions to life, creating apps and games with remarkable ingenuity, exceptional quality, and purpose-driven missions." Apple selected App of the Year winners for each of its products, and Game of the Yea

Apple is discontinuing in-house modem development after several unsuccessful attempts to perfect its own custom 5G modem chip, according to unconfirmed reports coming out of Asia. According to the operator of news aggregator account "yeux1122" on the Naver blog , supply chain sources related to Apple's 5G modem departments claim that the company's attempts to develop its own modem have failed so far, and that Apple is in the process of ending its years-long investment in the project. Separately, the leaker known as @Tech_Reve today said they had heard similar reports from a Japanese supply chain source. It's too early to say if the latest reports are true, but according to a September Wall Street Journal report , Apple's attempts to develop its own modem chip have been hampered by issues including unrealistic goals, an inadequate understanding of the challenges involved, and unusable prototypes. Apple's plan to design its own in-house modem led to

Google Drive for iPhone and iPad has been updated to finally include the document scanning feature that has featured in the Android version of the app for almost a decade. Rolling out over the next three days, the scanning feature can be accessed via the app's camera icon. The scanner detects the edges of a document in the viewfinder, aligns things properly, and removes all glare and tilt to achieve a clean scan ready for uploading. Multiple pages can be scanned in a session, users can crop scans if needed, and users residing in the U.S. can receive relevant title suggestions based on machine learning, according to Google. Apple has included a similar scanning feature in its stock Notes app since 2017. On Tuesday, Google Drive users were warned not to disconnect their account within the Google Drive for desktop app, after a spate of reports of files going missing from the cloud service. Google is still investigating the issue. Tag: Google Drive This article, " G

Apple today began promoting new holiday-themed Apple Pay discounts , with a handful of stores offering deals when purchases are made with Apple Pay . Banter - 40% off jewelry priced at $50 or more with promo code APPLEPAY. Champion - $20 off $100 or more with promo code APPLEPAY. Chewy - $5 off orders of $5 or more in the Chewy app with promo code APPLEPAY. Columbia - $25 off orders of $150 or more. Compartes Chocolatier - 15% off your purchase with promo code APPLEPAY. Coyuchi - Extra 10% off sale items and 10% off full-priced styles with promo code APPLEPAY. HotelTonight - 10% off your hotel reservation in the HotelTonight app with promo code APPLEPAYHT. Theory - Extra 10% off your purchase. These holiday ‌Apple Pay‌ promotions will be available through December 13. ‌Apple Pay‌ must be used to make the purchase in order to get the discount, with more information available on the Apple Pay holiday website . Tag: Apple Pay Promo This article, " Holid

Apple today shared the most popular podcasts of 2023, with year-end charts available in the Browse tab of the Podcasts app through the end of the year. The charts include the top podcasts overall, the top new podcasts that debuted this year, the most followed podcasts, the most shared podcasts and episodes, and more. A sample of the most popular podcasts of 2023 in the U.S., according to the Apple Podcasts app: Top Shows 1. Crime Junkie 2. The Daily 3. Dateline NBC 4. SmartLess 5. This American Life 6. Morbid 7. Up First 8. Huberman Lab 9. Hidden Brain 10. Stuff You Should Know Top New Shows 1. Scamanda 2. The Retrievals 3. The Deck Investigates 4. Murder & Magnolias 5. Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus 6. The Girl in the Blue Mustang 7. The Coldest Case in Laramie 8. Murder in Apartment 12 9. The Girlfriends 10. Undetermined Most Followed Shows 1. Huberman Lab 2. SmartLess 3. New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce 4. Scamanda 5. The Mel Ro

Google Drive users have been warned not to disconnect their account within the Google Drive for desktop app, after a spate of reports of files going missing from the cloud service. Alarm bells began ringing last week on Google's community support site when some users reported files mysteriously disappearing from Google Drive, with some posters claiming six or months of data had vanished. As noted by The Register , one user logged into Google Drive to find things as they were in May 2023, with everything saved since that date gone, despite attempts by Google's support team to help them recover the files. Currently, the thread of complaints has 217 users who clicked the "I have the same question." The Google Drive team has since posted that it is "investigating reports of an issue impacting a limited subset of Drive for desktop users." In the meantime: Do not click "Disconnect account" within Drive for desktop Do not delete or move the a

Apple will likely release iOS 17.1.2 this week, based on mounting evidence of the software in our website's analytics logs in recent days. As a minor update, iOS 17.1.2 should be focused on bug fixes, but it's unclear exactly which issues might be addressed. Some users have continued to experience Wi-Fi issues on iOS 17.1.1, so perhaps iOS 17.1.2 will include the same fix for Wi-Fi connectivity issues that Apple already included in the iOS 17.2 beta. Some users have also experienced minor bugs related to push notifications, HomeKit, and more. iOS 16.1.2 was released during the week after U.S. Thanksgiving last year, so there is precedent for a bug-fix update being released this week. iOS 17.1.2 would be the second bug-fix update for the iPhone this month after iOS 17.1.1, which fixed a BMW wireless charging issue affecting the iPhone 15 lineup, and an issue preventing the Weather app widget from showing a snow icon. Following iOS 17.1.2, Apple is expected to release

The debate over whether 8GB of RAM is sufficient for a MacBook Pro has long been a topic of contention . The controversy goes back to at least 2012, when Apple launched the first MacBook Pro with Retina display, which started with 8GB of RAM. In 2023, Apple still offers 8GB as the base configuration for its latest 14-inch MacBook Pro . Coupled with the significant cost of upgrading to higher memory options, Apple's decision has once again sparked discussions about the adequacy and value of this configuration. Of course, Macs have changed a lot over the last decade. For one, Apple no longer relies on Intel processors to power its machines, having developed its own Apple silicon, which is faster and more power efficient. This is because Apple's custom chips use "system-on-a-chip" (SoC) architecture, which integrates several processing cores (CPUs), graphics cores (GPUs), cache memory, and several other components within a single physical package. Apple Silicon Buye

Yesterday we shared a huge list of deals on Apple products for Cyber Monday , and now we're shifting our focus to accessory sales from popular third-party retailers. This includes discounts from Sonos, Twelve South, Nomad, Satechi, and many more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running. Many Cyber Monday deals are known to sell out fast, so keep that in mind when browsing our posts and shopping online today. If you see something you're interested in, be sure to snag it quickly. You can also check out Cyber Monday deals on Apple products in our individual posts listed below. The Best Cyber Monday Apple Deals The Best Cyber Monday AirPods Deals The Best Cyber Monday iPhone Deals The Best Cyber Monday iPad Deals The Best Cyber Monday HomePod Deals The Best Cyber Monday Apple Watch Deals The Best Cyber Monday MacBook Deals

Best Buy's Cyber Monday event has some of the best Apple deals online today, including record low prices on Apple's MacBook Air and MacBook Pro computers. Additionally, we're seeing great deals on TVs, audio equipment, smart home products, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Best Buy. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running. My Best Buy Plus and My Best Buy Total members will be able to shop exclusive deals during this time, and save even more compared to non-members. This includes those all-time low prices on MacBook Air and MacBook Pro notebooks. You can sign up for these memberships on Best Buy's website, and prices start at $49.99/year. UP TO 50% OFF Best Buy Cyber Monday Sitewide Sale There are plenty of deals beyond electronics in Best Buy's sale, including low prices on LEGO sets and up to 45 percent off major appliances. For the latter category, Best Bu

The holiday shopping season is now in full swing with Black Friday deals hitting all over the web yesterday. Many of them are continuing through the weekend and into Cyber Week, and we're keep track of all of the best ones. This week, we also took a look at the upcoming iOS 17.2 update that's currently in beta testing, while we recapped news and rumors about iOS 18 coming next year, Apple's move to add RCS messaging support, and the next iPad Air, so read on below for all the details! Apple Black Friday Deals Still Available for AirPods, iPhone, iPad and More Black Friday itself may be over, but tons of deals are still going strong on a wide variety of Apple products and accessories, with noteworthy savings available on iPhones, iPads, AirPods, Macs, Apple Watches, and more. Aside from our huge list of Apple products on sale at Amazon and elsewhere, check out Best Buy's mega sale on popular gifts of all types, Samsung's steep discounts on monitors, TVs

Apple's latest series of custom silicon chips designed for the Mac come just over a year after the introduction of the M2 chip in 2022, so how much better really is M3? With the introduction of the M3 series, encompassing the M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max chips, Apple once again set new benchmarks in performance, efficiency, and capabilities for the Mac. The transition from ‌M2‌ to M3 is marked by significant enhancements, primarily thanks to Apple's move to a 3nm process, among other key architectural improvements such as a completely redesigned GPU. Apple Silicon Buyer's Guide: Which Chip Should You Choose? When unveiling the M3 chips, Apple mainly focused on how they compare to the M1 series of chips, rather than their direct predecessors from the ‌M2‌ series. As the third major iteration of Apple silicon, it may not be clear how significant of an improvement the ‌M3 chips are‌ over the ‌‌M2‌. Apple offers a range of devices with the ‌M2‌ and M3 chips, so the exten

Black Friday sales have officially begun, with discounts across Apple's entire lineup of products like AirPods , iPad , MacBook , and more. Today we're focusing on iPhone Black Friday deals, including all the best prices you'll find on iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running. Of course, there is a chance that we could see better deals on iPhone arrive as Black Friday gets closer. This is a risk anyone has to take while shopping during the holidays, so with that in mind, many of the deals shared below are currently their best prices ever seen. More information on these sales can be found in our Black Friday Roundup . Best iPhone and Accessory Deals iPhone 15 Pro/Pro Max for up to $1,000 off at AT&T iPhone 15 Pro with free Apple TV 4K and Apple One six month