Tech Talk

The United States Commerce Department today announced a significant financial commitment to Apple chip supplier TSMC to make more chips in the U.S. (via Bloomberg ). The White House shared a statement explaining that the U.S. Commerce Department will allocate a $6.6 billion subsidy to TSMC for the advancement of semiconductor production in Phoenix, Arizona. TSMC will also receive $5 billion in loans and be eligible to claim an investment tax credit of up to 25% of capital expenditures. The move is part of a larger initiative under the CHIPS and Science Act, which aims to rejuvenate the United States' semiconductor manufacturing capabilities. TSMC has already committed to an escalated investment of $25 billion, elevating its total investment to $65 billion. This is the largest foreign direct investment in a completely new project in U.S. history. The chipmaker also announced plans to construct a third fabrication plant in Arizona by 2030. The first TSMC plant in Arizona will

A future Apple TV box could have a built-in camera for FaceTime and other video calling apps, according to Bloomberg 's Mark Gurman . tvOS 17 added a FaceTime app to the Apple TV , allowing for users to have video calls by using the rear camera on a connected iPhone or iPad. If the Apple TV gained a built-in camera, users would no longer need to rely on an external device. In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said an Apple TV with a camera would support "gesture-based controls," but he did not provide any additional details. Starting with updates like iOS 17, macOS Sonoma, and tvOS 17, you can make hand gestures during video calls in the FaceTime app and other video calling apps to fill the screen with 3D effects. For example, you can hold two thumbs up to show fireworks on the screen, or make two peace signs with your hands to show confetti. It is unclear if Gurman is referring to this feature, or if there would be all-new gesture-based controls for tvOS overa

While rumors have been focused on new iPad Pro and iPad Air models , some Apple customers are wondering when the next iPad mini will be released. In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg 's Mark Gurman said new iPad mini and entry-level iPad models will be released in late 2024 at the earliest. "The company is also working on new versions of the low-end iPad and iPad mini, but those won't be coming before the end of the year at the earliest," he said. "The new downscale iPad will probably end up being a cost-reduced version of the 10th generation model from 2022, while the iPad mini update won't include much more than a processor upgrade." The current sixth-generation iPad mini was released in September 2021, and it is equipped with an A15 Bionic chip. Gurman expects the next model to feature a newer chip, but few other changes. Additional features rumored by other sources include camera upgrades and a fix for the "jelly scrolling"

Apple will likely launch new iPad Pro and iPad Air models during the first week of May, according to Bloomberg 's Mark Gurman. "For those looking for more specific timing, I'm told the launch will probably happen the week of May 6," said Gurman, in his Power On newsletter today. "Another data point to that end: Apple retail stores are preparing to receive new product marketing materials later that week." Apple is expected to announce the following products: Two new iPad Pro models with the M3 chip, OLED displays, a thinner enclosure , thinner bezels , a matte screen option , a landscape-oriented front camera , other design changes, and possibly MagSafe wireless charging . Two new iPad Air models with the M2 chip and a landscape-oriented front camera , including a first-ever 12.9-inch iPad Air. A new Magic Keyboard for the iPad Pro with an aluminum enclosure , larger trackpad, and other design tweaks. A new Apple Pencil , which may have a new &qu

We're still two months away from the unveiling of iOS 18 at WWDC, so Apple is pushing forward with the first beta of new iOS 17.5 and iPadOS 17.5 updates likely to be officially released next month. These updates are smaller in scale than the recent 17.4 updates, but we're still finding some interesting changes in them. Meanwhile, the wait for new iPads continues, and it appears we've got around another month before we'll see them released. Other news this week included a iPhone 16 display rumor, details on upcoming Beats Solo 4 headphones, and the release of more immersive spatial Personas for Apple Vision Pro, so read on below for all the details! Here's Everything New in iOS 17.5 Beta 1 Apple this week made the first betas of iOS 17.5 and iPadOS 17.5 available to developers and public beta testers. The upcoming software updates include only a few new user-facing features for the iPhone and iPad so far, but hidden code changes reveal some additional possi

With the Apple Car canceled , Apple is exploring new markets where it might be able to find new revenue streams, and personal robotics is apparently one area the company is investigating. This guide highlights everything we know about Apple's interest in robotics, and we'll update it with new rumors going forward. The Robot Rumors According to Bloomberg 's Mark Gurman , Apple is looking for its "next big thing," and robotics are one area of focus. Apple has engineering teams working on various in-home robotic devices and the AI software and functionality that might be able to make a home robot useful. Apple's work on robotics takes place in the hardware engineering division and in its AI and machine learning group under AI chief John Giannandrea. Mobile Robot Apple is considering a mobile robot that would follow users around the home, presumably serving as something like an iPad on wheels. A robot would likely be able to place FaceTime calls, mo

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and former Apple design chief Jony Ive have officially teamed up to design an AI-powered personal device and are seeking funding, reports The Information . Little is known about the AI device at this time, but it won't look like a smartphone. Altman is a major investor in the Humane AI pin , a wearable AI device that does not have a screen, so it's possible he will create a similar product with Ive. News of a possible partnership between Ive and Altman first surfaced last fall , but talks were in the early stages and nothing was official then. Ive and Altman's unnamed startup is now sourcing funds from major venture capitalists, with Ive aiming to raise up to $1 billion in funding. OpenAI could own a piece of the business, and the duo has also been in talks with SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son. Potential investors include Thrive Capital, an OpenAI investor, and Emerson Collective, a venture capital firm and philanthropic organization founded by Laure

Disney plans to start cracking down on Disney+ password sharing starting in June, Disney CEO Bob Iger said in an interview with CNBC earlier this week. Iger said that Disney needs to turn its streaming business into a growth business, and one way to do that is to force households that are sharing passwords to sign up for their own accounts. "In June, we'll be launching our first real foray into password sharing," said Iger. "Just a few countries and a few markets, but then it will grow significantly with a full rollout in September." Iger did not clarify where the password sharing lockdown will start, but it sounds like it will be largely worldwide when September rolls around. Disney+ competitor Netflix put a stop to multi-household password sharing in 2023, and it ended up being a major revenue driver for the company. Netflix saw strong subscriber growth , gaining 8.8 million new subscribers in Q3 2023 after cracking down on password sharing. Iger sa

Apple this week filed a required notice with the state of California, confirming plans to permanently lay off more than 600 employees. Under California law, employers must give employees and state representatives a 60-day notice before a mass layoff event. The employees listed are located in several Apple-occupied buildings around Santa Clara, California, which is close to Apple's Cupertino headquarters. Several of these locations were rumored to be associated with Apple Car development in the past, so it is likely that these layoffs are related to Apple's decision to stop work on the car project . Apple officially ended development on the Apple Car in March. Approximately 2,000 employees working on the Apple Car were told that the project was winding down at that time, and Apple began the process of moving some of them to work on artificial intelligence under John Giannandrea and in other relevant departments. Other employees were given 90 days to apply for open positio

Apple today updated its Apple Arcade gaming service to add a selection of new games to play. The main new addition is Puyo Puyo Puzzle Pop, a game in Sega's popular Puyo Puyo series. In Puyo Puyo Puzzle Pop , players match up Puyos of the same color to clear the board and cause damage to opponents. As with Tetris, Puyo pieces fall from the top of the screen and can be rotated and moved to make matches. The game has a storyline to uncover by progressing through the levels, and there are 24 playable characters to unlock, with many from prior Puyo Puyo games. Different rule sets can be used, including options from Puyo Puyo 2 and Puyo Puyo Fever, and there is also an endless mode. There is a single player mode to play, but there are also multiplayer battles. Up to four players can join through Game Center. Super Monsters Ate My Condo , also new today, is a classic iOS game that's making a reappearance on ‌Apple Arcade‌. The idea is swipe to feed condos to monsters, while

Apple this week made the first betas of iOS 17.5 and iPadOS 17.5 available to developers for testing. The upcoming software updates include only a few new user-facing features so far, but hidden code changes reveal some additional possibilities. Below, we have recapped everything new in the first iOS 17.5 and iPadOS 17.5 betas so far. Web Distribution Starting with iOS 17.5, iPhone users in the EU will be able to download iOS apps directly from the websites of select developers. Apple previously announced that "Web Distribution" would be available starting "later this spring" with an upcoming software update for the iPhone, and the first beta of iOS 17.5 includes newly-added code to support the feature . "Web Distribution" will be limited to larger developers based in the EU. To qualify for this distribution method, Apple says the developer must be a member of the Apple Developer Program for two continuous years or more, and have an app that

Apple and Google last year jointly announced a proposed industry specification to help combat the misuse of Bluetooth item trackers for unwanted tracking of individuals. As part of this initiative, Apple promised to expand AirTag-like "Found Moving With You" alerts to third-party item trackers in a future software update, which may be iOS 17.5. MacRumors contributor Steve Moser uncovered several new references to alerts for third-party item trackers in the first beta of iOS 17.5 , released this week. For example: "You can disable this item and stop it from sharing its location with the owner. To do this, follow the instructions provided on a website by the manufacturer of this item." Tile, Chipolo, Samsung, Eufy, and Pebblebee all expressed support for the industry specification, according to Apple's announcement last year. iOS 17.5 is expected to be released to the public in May. Related Roundups: iOS 17 , iPadOS 17 Related Forums: iOS 17 , iPadOS

Following the Apple Card savings account's rate cut to a 4.4% APY , we have updated our high-yield savings accounts (HYSAs) comparison chart for U.S. residents. 4.4% is still a competitive APY compared to many other popular high-yield savings accounts, which typically offer rates between 4.25% and 5.25%. Provider Maximum APY* Ally 4.25% Discover 4.25% American Express 4.35% Barclays 4.35% Capital One 4.35% Apple (Goldman Sachs) 4.4% Marcus (Goldman Sachs) 4.4% Citizens Bank 4.5% SoFi 4.6% PNC Bank 4.65% Synchrony 4.75% Betterment 5% Wealthfront 5% CIT Bank 5.05% UFB Direct 5.25% * Advertised APYs as of April 3, 2024, excluding promotional and affiliate rates. APYs are subject to change at any time. This list is not comprehensive. Apple launched its savings account in April 2023 , in partnership with Goldman Sachs. The account can be opened a

A major earthquake in Taiwan has halted some TSMC chip production lines, potentially impacting the manufacture of Apple devices (via Bloomberg ). A 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck Taiwan in the early hours of the morning, causing significant damage to infrastructure and disrupting operations at several TSMC key manufacturing sites. Sources familiar with TSMC's operations said that the company's N3 fab in Tainan suffered structural damage, with beams and columns broken, leading to an outright halt in production. EUV machines, essential for manufacturing processes below 7nm, have stopped, and research and development labs have been subject to significant damage, such as cracked walls. Another fab in Hsinchu reported broken pipelines and extensive damage to wafers, necessitating a halt in production. Some of TSMC's high-end chips, such as the 3nm A17 Pro in the iPhone 15 Pro and ‌iPhone 15 Pro‌ Max, require round-the-clock operations and a stable vacuum environment for

The Philips Hue app was today updated to version 5.14, adding support for widgets. Hue widgets can be added to the Home Screen , Lock Screen, or Today View, and can be used for controlling lights and other accessories. Widgets come in small, medium, and large sizes with the largest widget supporting eight actions or scenes. ‌Widgets‌ can be tailored to the entire Hue bridge or to lights that are located in specific rooms, so you can set up a widget for each of your rooms if desired. Each of the actions can be customized, and you can choose a scene from the Hue app or opt to turn lights in certain rooms on or off. Dimming lights is not an option, nor is activating automations, but some of that can be done through scenes. Adding a widget is a useful way to control frequently accessed lights or scenes. Along with widgets, the update also improves Friends of Hue switches like the Lutron Aurora Smart Bulb Dimmer Switch. Switches now support time-based light, the scene cycle mode, th

The calendar has turned to April, so we have updated our chart comparing the Apple Card savings account's annual percentage yield (APY) to some other popular high-yield savings accounts (HYSAs) available to U.S. residents. With a 4.5% APY, Apple's savings account remains a middle-of-the-pack HYSA, but balance minimums and other requirements vary by financial institution. Provider Maximum APY* Ally 4.25% Discover 4.25% American Express 4.35% Barclays 4.35% Capital One 4.35% Citizens Bank 4.5% Apple (Goldman Sachs) 4.5% Marcus (Goldman Sachs) 4.5% SoFi 4.6% PNC Bank 4.65% Betterment 4.75% Synchrony 4.75% Wealthfront 5% CIT Bank 5.05% UFB Direct 5.25% * Advertised APYs as of April 1, 2024, excluding promotional and affiliate rates. APYs are subject to change at any time. This list is not comprehensive. Apple launched its savings account in Apri

Best Buy is discounting a large collection of M3 MacBook Pro computers today, including both the 14-inch and 16-inch versions of the laptop. Every deal in this sale requires you to have a My Best Buy Plus or Total membership , although non-members can still get solid second-best prices on these MacBook Pro models. 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. These deals are part of a larger sitewide sale at Best Buy , which also includes discounts on video games, TVs, tablets, headphones, and more. Another highlight of this event is the PlayStation 5 Slim Bundle with Marvel's Spider-Man for $449.99 , down from $499.99. The PlayStation 5 Slim (Digital Edition) Spider-Man 2 Bundle is available for $399.99 , down from $449.99. These are both solid $50 discounts on the rarely discounted console. 14-Inch MacBook Pro Starting with the 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro,

Apple has yet to release the first beta of iOS 17.5 for the iPhone, but two changes are already expected with the upcoming software update. iOS 17.5 will likely allow iPhone users in the EU to download apps directly from the websites of eligible developers, and the update might include some changes to how Apple ID recovery contacts work. More details about these potential changes follow. Web Distribution Apple recently announced that eligible developers will soon be able to distribute their iOS apps to EU users directly from a website they own. Apple said this new "Web Distribution" feature will be available starting "later this spring" with an upcoming software update for the iPhone, which presumably refers to iOS 17.5. "Web Distribution" will be limited to larger developers based in the EU. To qualify for this distribution method, Apple says the developer must be a member of the Apple Developer Program for two continuous years or more, and hav

Apple today added a handful of devices to its public-facing vintage and obsolete products list , including some older iPhone and iPad models. Apple now considers the iPhone 6 Plus to be "obsolete" worldwide, meaning that Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers no longer offer repairs or other hardware service for the device. Apple says it considers a product "obsolete" once seven years have passed since the company last distributed it for sale. Apple launched the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus in September 2014, with key features including larger screens than previous models and Apple Pay support. Apple discontinued the iPhone 6 Plus in September 2016, but the iPhone 6 remained available through resellers in select countries for a few more years, so it is not yet considered "obsolete." On the software side, iOS 13 dropped support for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus in 2019. As for the iPad, Apple now considers the fourth-generation iPad min

Apple is currently offering its corporate and retail employees 40% off select Link Bracelet and Milanese Loop bands for the Apple Watch. In the U.S., the Link Bracelet is available for $209 on Apple's online store for employees, down from $349 regularly. The Milanese Loop is available for $59, down from $99. Both bands were introduced alongside the original Apple Watch in 2015. Apple is also offering employees 50% off various Black Unity and Pride Edition bands, as well as the Sport Band in the Midnight color only. Apple offers employees special discounts on a rotating selection of products, so it is unclear whether this is another routine sale, or if the company plans to discontinue the Link Bracelet and Milanese Loop in the future and is clearing inventory. It has been rumored that at least one next-generation Apple Watch model will not be compatible with existing Apple Watch bands . The new Apple Watch lineup is expected to be announced in September alongside the iPhone