The macOS installer is quick and easy to use, but you can find out more info on what happens during installations by checking its built-in logs. Here's how to look at them.


macOS installer files are called Packages and usually have a file extension of .pkg. When you open a .pkg to install software on your Mac, Apple's installer app performs a complex series of steps to verify and install the software.

Most .pkg files are built to contain a series of standard steps in which the package is first verified, then payloads are decompressed and copied to the target drive.


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The world of the smart ring is a relatively new one, especially when compared to smartwatches.


Are smart rings the answer for people who don't want to wear a smartwatch? They're definitely better than wearing nothing, of that I've no doubt.

To that end, I've been wearing an Apple Watch Series 10 for a few months. I also wear an Oura Ring 3, so the idea of putting the Ring Air through its paces intrigued me.


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NordVPN is a top-tier VPN service, offering a lot of features and usability in a well-rounded and protective service to help most iPhone and Mac VPN users.


A VPN is an important part of a modern day computing setup. With the continuing threats to personal security online, as well as a need to ensure as much privacy as possible, it's become an invaluable tool.

While there are free VPN services available that can seem basic or dodgy, users concerned about their privacy and security tend to go for paid options. Services that can also offer more features to consumers do well in the overall VPN marketplace.


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Troubled audio company Sonos has reportedly told its staff that work on its promised streaming video player is now canceled.


The player, codenamed Pinewood, was first reported on in 2023, when together with an AirPods Max-style rival, it was thought to be Sonos directly taking on Apple. Then, however, an update to its existing iPhone Sonos app was so faulty and so poorly received in early 2024, that the company ultimately saw its CEO resign.

Now according to The Verge, interim CEO Tom Conrad and his management team has held an all-staff call. In it, Conrad announced the cancellation of the Pinewood project and the redeployment of staff to other projects within the company.


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Apple has held firm on not granting backdoor access to users' iCloud data, and the UK continues to try to find a way — just not publicly.


Apple continues to push back against the UK government's request for full access to all iCloud content across the globe. As a result, the appeal is set to be considered at a secret hearing at the High Court.

According to BBC, it's due to be considered by the Investigatory Powers Tribunal, an independent court that has the power to investigate claims against the UK intelligence services. Allegedly, the meeting is being kept under wraps because it relates to security services.


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Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says that Apple's expected new Home Hub device has been delayed until after WWDC in June 2025.


Variously called a Home Hub or a HomePod with a screen, this new device is expected to be a smart home controller that might in fact resemble an iPad. Whatever it's ultimately called, code references to what appear to be it were found in February 2024, and a display manufacturer was reportedly selected in January 2025.

One of the few consistent predictions about the device is that it is forever six months away, and one recent report claimed it would now launch in late 2025. Now Ming-Chi Kuo's new claim on Twitter backs that up, and says the delay is because of continuing problems with software development.


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Apple's lower-priced iPhone models might seem weak at first, but they're still outperforming nearly every other competitor in the smartphone market.


A recent report from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) claims Apple's low-end phones, like the discontinued iPhone mini and SE models, have struggled. They share that the data comprises under 20% of iPhone sales recently and dropping to just 5%.

The firm argues that the iPhone 16e also faces an unclear future as it replaces the budget-friendly SE model with a higher price point.


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The UK's Competition and Markets Authority wants Apple to allow rivals like Facebook to offer browsers on iPhone, but passes the buck on doing anything about it.


Back in November 2024, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) in the UK released a preliminary report saying that Apple blocks developers' ability to offer innovation in the browser market. Apple responded by saying the CMA was giving too much weight to the self-interest arguments from its rivals.

Now the CMA has released its full report which chiefly ignores Apple's position on browsing. The CMA's original investigation was also into the area of cloud gaming, but the regulator says Apple's recent rule changes have satisfied its concerns.


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Deals continue to pour in for Apple's M4 MacBook Air, 2025 iPad, M3 iPad Air, and Mac Studio, with savings of up to $987 off retail.


Exclusive savings are in effect on every new Mac and iPad at Apple Premier Partner Expercom when you shop through this special activation link. You can check out the savings on individual products, which deliver up to $987 off, by looking for the special AppleInsider price above the Add to Cart button.

Get exclusive savings


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With iOS 18.4 you can now use robotic vacuum cleaners inside of the Apple Home app and with Siri. It's still problematic but here's what you can do so far, and what the benefits are.

A noted analyst has slashed his expectation for Apple stock by about 10% given what he sees to be slower iPhone upgrade rates because of tariffs, and a delayed Siri with Apple Intelligence rollout.


In a note to investors written by Morgan Stanley's Erik Woodring, Apple's headwinds have been re-evaluated. The most recent fears for Apple's bottom line appear to be the postponement of Siri upgrades, higher product import costs because of Trump administration tariffs, with both leading to lower earnings per share.

While Woodring remains bullish on what may be a redesigned iPhone 17 driving sales, he's less certain about other avenues of success. He's decreased calendar year 2025 iPhone shipments a bit, with sales in 2025 being flat year-over-year, as opposed to an increase.


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Apple delivered a new addition to its iPhone lineup with the iPhone 16e. It's a flagship device with the core iPhone experience at a lower price tag, but it won't be for everybody.


Many users were hoping to see a new iPhone SE 4 in the spring of 2025. Instead, Apple dropped the iPhone 16e.

It's been divisive in its short time on the market, as users rebel against its perceived high price tag.


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Backing up one of the several rumors about the thickness of the expected iPhone 17 Slim, a new report claims that it around a third thinner than some other iPhone models.


Some previous reports of the thickness of the forthcoming slimmer iPhone in the iPhone 17 range have insisted that battery issues mean it can be no less than 6mm. However, one report from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has claimed it will be 5.5mm, and now a leak from "Ice Universe" backs that up.

According to a post on Chinese social media site Weibo, the iPhone 17 Slim (in translation), "has a camera bump of 4.0mm and a total of 9.5mm."


Rumor Score: 🤔 Possible


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The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max are expected to get a much better cooling system, with vapor chamber technology rumored to keep the A19 Pro running at top performance for longer.


Apple's chip designs used in the newest iPhone models are fast, but can be easily affected by heat. After processing a task for a prolonged period of time, or in hot environmental conditions, the chip will often throttle itself to minimize damage.

For the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, this may not be the case because of an important addition. In a Weibo post, serial leaker "Instant Digital" claims the models will be using vapor chamber cooling.


Rumor Score: 🤔 Possible


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The Apple Account Card feature is coming to six more countries very soon, although it isn't available for all users yet.


Apple Account Card is a feature of Apple Wallet, where users can deposit money that can then be spent on Apple Services and products. Rather than being akin to the Apple Card or Daily Cash services, it's a descendent of the old iTunes Pass that was originally phased out in 2022.

Since then, Apple Account Card has been available in the US, and a few other countries, but reportedly it is now expanding to Austria, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the UK. According to a tweet from Nicolas Alvarez, the feature is said to either be available in these countries now, or possibly "it will be enabled in a future software update."


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After a week on pre-order, Apple's refreshed iPad Air with M3 processors is now available to buy immediately and the first pre-ordered ones are arriving in users' hands.


Apple announced the new M3 11-inch iPad Air and 13-inch iPad Air on March 4, 2025. Unusually, Apple did not do its usual taking down of the online store or even having any delay, as instead pre-orders were being taken immediately.

Then just as with the iPhone 16e, there has also not been the familiar situation of the most popular configurations being immediately placed on back-order. Throughout the pre-order period, at least most colors and configurations of both the 11-inch and 13-inch models remained available for shipping to arrive on launch day.


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The M4 Mac mini came with a surprise — a slotted and upgradeable SSD. Here's how to install one, get it running, and what to expect for speed.


Mac mini upgradeability has varied over the years. The 2012 and before models were the gold standard, with both upgradeable RAM and storage. The 2014 model had upgradeable storage, but not RAM. The 2018 had RAM slots, but lacked upgradeable storage.

When the M1 mini shipped, nothing was upgradeable. And while Apple doesn't strictly approve of SSD upgrades on the M4 Mac mini, it's at least possible.


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Apple's latest Macs with updated Apple Silicon are arriving in customer's homes, which include the new, blue MacBook Air and more powerful Mac Studio.


The new Macs were announced via press release after CEO Tim Cook's brief tease the week prior. While these are basic spec bump upgrades, they're also a sign of Apple's continued commitment to regular updates.

Apple didn't do much to upgrade the MacBook Air beyond adding M4 and the improved 12MP webcam with Center Stage. It also swapped the space gray option for a new blue color.


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Search and Spotlight use Apple Intelligence in macOS Sequoia to suggest results to user queries. Here's how to turn it off.


With the release of macOS Sequoia 15.3 and iOS 18, Apple added a number of new Apple Intelligence features to both operating systems.

In macOS, Apple Intelligence can now interact with both Search and Siri, as well as with ChatGPT (which gets installed as an extension if you enable it).


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The Bluetti Elite 200 is quiet and very handy in a power cut or off-grid situations, but its sheer weight could put off some users.


The rise of portable power stations in recent years is a boon for consumers, as manufacturers push to create smaller, more powerful, quiet, and cost-effective options.

The comfort and peace of mind that comes with knowing you'll have electricity during a blackout can be measured in the work files saved, the food unspoiled, and the availability of electronics and vital equipment when everything goes dark.


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Apple has announced a new immersive content experience for the Apple Vision Pro in the form of a Metallica concert, which will be available on March 14.


With high-resolution 180-degree video from the band's M72 tour in Mexico City, viewers will be able to experience performances of three full Metallica songs: "Whiplash," "One," and "Enter Sandman."

Apple's latest immersive experience, simply dubbed "Metallica," will offer "unprecedented access" to James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett, and Robert Trujillo, from wide-angle views of the band to points as close as the famed Snake Pit. The announcement was posted on the Apple website.


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Tuesday's iOS 18.3.2 update contains a supplementary security fix, fully patching an actively exploited vulnerability present in older versions of the iPhone operating system.


On Tuesday, following the launch of the third developer beta of iOS 18.4, Apple released iOS 18.3.2. While the update itself is relatively minor, it includes an important security fix related to web browsing.



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Apple has issued incremental updates to its operating systems, including iOS 18.3.2, macOS 15.3.2, visionOS 2.3.2, and tvOS 18.3.1.


Apple's update news tends to revolve around major revisions, but sometimes it is about much smaller releases. On Tuesday, Apple did just that, releasing a set of smaller updates to the public.

The updates are headed up by iOS 18.3.2 and iPadOS 18.3.2, build number 22D82, along with macOS Sequoia 15.3, build 24D81. They are accompanied by tvOS 18.3.1, and visionOS 2.3.2, build 22N906.


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For the first time ever, global smartwatch shipments declined in 2024, with Apple experiencing its sharpest downturn yet.


According to a recent report by Counterpoint Research, the worldwide smartwatch market fell by 7% in 2024, marking the market's first-ever annual decline. Apple maintained its leading market share position, but saw a significant 19% year-over-year drop in shipments.

Apple's shipment struggles were notably pronounced in North America, driven by the absence of anticipated models like the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and limited new features in the existing Apple Watch Series 10.


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Apple is rumored to be overhauling the design of iOS 19 and macOS 16, and based on what's happened before, the changes will polarize users before ultimately becoming accepted.


This rumored redesign could even be enormous, and may follow previous claims that Apple will bring visionOS design touches to all of its platforms. Whether or not Apple Vision Pro actually has any impact on iOS and macOS, though, Apple's two main operating systems have seen radical resigns in the past.


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CodeWeavers' CrossOver 25 update adds support for many more games on Mac, including support for games acquired from GOG Galaxy and the Epic Games Store.


As a tool for enabling Windows games to run on Mac, CrossOver has been an invaluable item for opening up Mac gaming. With the release of CrossOver 25, that support is being expanded thanks to a bunch of new features.

Explained in a company blog post, the changes includes Wine 10.0, which has over 5,000 changes affecting many applications that are compatible with it. The update also includes Wine Mono 9.4.0, vkd3d 1.14, MoltenVK 1.2.10, and D3DMetal 2.1.


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QuickBooks Online customers can now accept in-person contactless payments quickly and securely using Apple's Tap to Pay with iPhone feature.


The feature allows small and mid-market businesses to accept in-person contactless payments from anywhere using an iPhone and the Quickbooks Mobile or GoPayment iOS apps. Business owners will not need an additional card reader or point-of-sale hardware to complete the transactions.

The transactions are synced directly to the user's QuickBooks Online account. By doing so, users can seamlessly manage payments and keep their books updated on a single platform.


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The lowest price ever on Apple's closeout M3 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro with an upgrade to 36GB of RAM and 1TB SSD is in effect, with a $800 Deal Zone discount ending today.


This well-equipped 14-inch MacBook Pro in Space Black is discounted to $1,799 at B&H Photo, reflecting an $800 price drop off MSRP.

Save $800 at B&H


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"Katamari Damacy Rolling Live," "Rollercoaster Tycoon Classic+" and an entry into the "Space Invaders" franchise are set to make their way to Apple Arcade in the next month.


Apple Arcade is gearing up to release six new games for April, including some major titles that AppleInsider staffers are excited to see. Additionally, three other Apple Arcade titles will get new updates in March.


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The initial reviews for the updated Mac Studio have arrived, with reviewers heaping praise on the M4 Max and M3 Ultra powerhouse.


Apple launched its refresh of the Mac Studio on March 5, upgrading the latest iteration with its standard spec-bump update process. While it retains its appearance of a Mac mini on steroids, the new model gained some internal improvements.

This included replacing the M2 generation with M3 and M4 chips. Specifically the M4 Max in the lower-tier version and the M3 Ultra in the upper-tier variant. Aside from power, Apple also brought in Thunderbolt 5 support, supporting up to 120Gbps of bandwidth.


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The first hands-on reviews of the new MacBook Air with M4 processor have appeared, and so has a consensus that it's a worthy but not special upgrade.


Given that the previous model, the M3 MacBook Air was described by AppleInsider as the best Mac for most people, its M4 update was never likely to tarnish that reputation. Especially not since the new edition comes in at $100 cheaper than the 2024 model.

So across the board, there is a lot of praise for the new MacBook Air. It is certainly a good buy and it appears to remain the sweet spot in Apple's lineup.


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The demand for storage just got a major upgrade as Western Digital unveiled new high-capacity HDDs built for creative professionals and NAS environments.


Western Digital announced its latest expansion in storage solutions, introducing new 26TB HDDs across its professional and NAS product lines. These include the enterprise-class Ultrastar 7200 RPM HDDs integrated into the G-DRIVE and G-RAID portfolios, along with the highest-capacity WD Red Pro hard drive yet.

Apple Intelligence is seemingly being lapped in the AI race, but it's hard to determine who's really winning when the competitors change the victory condition every few laps.


Humans are a tribal species that thrives on competition and debate, and it's no different when it comes to technology. Whether you're talking about Android versus iPhone or PlayStation versus Xbox, people love to pick sides.

It's no different for the various artificial intelligence systems available. However, almost universally, it seems people and pundits are calling Apple Intelligence the biggest loser — even when compared to systems that haven't released yet.


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Templates, either provided or customized for your workflow, can help you generate eye-catching content in Pages, Numbers, and Keynote and other Mac programs. Here's how to create your own personal ones.


Templates usually take the form of a generated document you create that contains some information you need each time you have to make a new version of that document. The headings or basic formatting might not change much, just the specific details you need from document to document.

A number of Apple and third-party programs come with a gallery of templates already — Microsoft Office, LibreOffice, and Apple's iWork suite of Pages, Numbers, and Keynote, and even the Reminders app, to name a few. Although Office comes close sometimes, Apple's suite has some of the best-designed templates, available from the moment you select File, New Document.


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Managing your home network shouldn't be a full-time job, and TP-Link's Deco line of Wi-Fi 7 routers help keep things simple, connected, and future-proofed without breaking the bank.


I'm coming from a set of Linksys Wi-Fi 6 routers that are mid-tier and run about $250 per node. Moving lower in the range to the TP-Link Deco BE5000 worried me, but they actually improved my home network in every conceivable aspect.

Apple basically abandoned HomeKit Router support, so I was open to trying new brands and router types. The TP-Link Deco range offers several great features, an easy to navigate app, and a very strong connection in a home filled with gadgets.


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Owners of select CarPlay-compatible Ford models can now see NACS chargers along their planned route in Apple Maps.


Ford announced that the Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning, which both support Apple Maps EV Routing in CarPlay, will now be able to automatically direct drivers to the nearest NACS fast charging station whenever the vehicle needs to be charged. This means that users will see compatible Tesla Superchargers and other stations that use the North American Charging Standard, or NACS, within Apple Maps.

Indications of this feature first appeared in the second developer beta of iOS 18.4, which contained text strings informing users of NACS charging stations along their route. Now, the capability is finally available to end users.


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Apple Pay could soon be available to a larger number of users in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, as additional credit card networks in the region are expected to introduce support for the contactless payment service.


Apple Pay has existed for well over a decade, and its worldwide availability continues to improve year after year. In 2017, the feature was launched in the UAE, while 2021 saw its debut in Qatar.

Now, the feature is set to reach even more people in the region, as two credit card networks — Jaywan of the UAE and Qatar's Himyan — might introduce Apple Pay support soon.


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Apple is set to discontinue support for the older version of its HomeKit architecture, meaning that users will be forced to upgrade with the release of iOS 18.4.


On Monday, Apple released the third developer beta of iOS 18.4. While the operating system itself doesn't include any surface-level changes, its code indicates that a significant change could soon affect users of the Apple Home app.

Back in November 2022, with the launch of iOS 16.2, Apple introduced an updated version of its HomeKit architecture, which delivered significant speed and performance upgrades for HomeKit accessories. The new and improved HomeKit architecture caused problems for some users, which is why it was withdrawn in December 2022 and re-introduced in February 2023 with the release of iOS 16.4.


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On this episode of the HomeKit Insider Podcast, we dive into more Amazon hardware arriving this fall, a leaked sensor from Ikea, evidence of Apple's smart home display, and the delay of Apple's next-gen Siri.


As Apple's smart home plans remain in flux, code discovered in tvOS 18.4 reveal Apple has added support for ChatKit. This is a framework used for Messages, currently unused on Apple TV.

As the new smart display is rumored to run on tvOS, it makes sense this would be added to support messaging. We also talk about the next-gen Siri, and whether it is necessary for Apple's product to release.


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It's been a while since we've seen a dramatic overhaul on any of Apple's operating systems, but we could see the biggest ones in years as soon as WWDC.


Apple is gearing up to overhaul its operating systems in hopes of making its platforms more cohesive. The idea is that the change should make the platforms feel familiar to people coming from one device to another.

The new updates are expected to come later in 2025 according to Bloomberg. Apple will update its icons, menus, apps, windows, and system buttons.


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