Leaks have indicated Apple has an internal robotics team working on building new home products. But now, via a recently published video, Apple has actually offered its own glimpse into what our robot future could look like.

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Benjamin and Chance review the newly-launched Apple Invites app and despite how well made the app is, debate whether anyone will actually use it. Also, AltStore makes headlines about hosting the first ‘Apple approved’ NSFW app, Apple reportedly cancels another AR hardware initiative and TikTok spreads fake news about the iOS 18.3 support for T-Mobile Starlink service.

And in Happy Hour Plus, Benjamin and Chance bemoan the lack of advancement in CarPlay in recent years, and suggest a few easy wins Apple could add to the platform. Subscribe at 9to5mac.com/join.

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Apple’s Passwords app debuted in iOS 18 as a one-stop hub for all your password needs. But the app also, interestingly, has a feature that can replace one of Apple’s best existing Wi-Fi tools.

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After testing last year, Google app on iOS has rolled out an Auto Dark Mode for its built-in web browser.

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A team of robotics researchers at Apple have designed and prototyped a lamp-like robot with lifelike movements, according to a blog post and accompanying video published last month on the Apple Machine Learning Research website. The lamp, which reminds us of the cute Pixar mascot Luxo Jr., may hint at Apple's future plans.


The video shows the robot interacting with a person in a lifelike manner. For example, the person asks the robot what the weather is like that day, and the robot looks out the window before responding with the forecast. The person says they will probably go for a hike that day, but the robot looks sad when it finds out it is not invited.

In a different scenario, the robot responds to the person's hand gestures by moving to provide desired lighting for iPhone photography.

In another, the robot pushes a mug on a desk towards the person to remind them to drink water.

Later in the video, the robot observes the person building a 3D printer and projects a relevant tutorial video on the wall.

And finally, the robot plays music and dances along to it as a social companion.


The team of researchers includes Yuhan Hu, Peide Huang, Mouli Sivapurapu, and Jian Zhang. They found that these lifelike, expression-driven movements "significantly enhance user engagement" with the robot over traditional "function-driven" movements.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman last year reported that Apple was developing a tabletop robot with an "iPad-like display" attached to a "robotic limb," so Apple's research in this area could hint at the future device's functionality. Barring any setbacks, he said Apple was aiming to announce the device as early as 2026 or 2027.

The tabletop robot would be primarily controlled with Siri and Apple Intelligence, according to Gurman. He said the device could respond to commands such as "look at me," which would position the screen on the user's face during a FaceTime video call. The device would also understand different voices, he said.

The tabletop robot could become a higher-end version of Apple's rumored smart home hub, which is expected to launch this year. Apple is aiming for a price of around $1,000, according to Gurman, but the plans could change.
This article, "Apple Prototypes Tabletop Robot With Lifelike Movements Ahead of Rumored Launch by 2027" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple just shipped iOS 18.3 last week, but it seems that another software release is on its way soon. Internal 9to5Mac visitor logs show that Apple is currently testing an iOS 18.3.1 update. Here’s what that means.

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While you certainly don’t want to miss out on the new all-time low now live on AirPods 4, never mind the best prices of the year on AirPods Pro 2, we have a fresh batch of discounts to save you ton today. First up, Apple’s 24GB 16-inch M4 Pro MacBook Pro is now $260 off at Amazon to deliver the best price of the year. And next we have another sweet deal on the most affordable unlocked iPhone 15 Pro – Amazon Premium Renewed units with a 1-year warranty are now $305 off the original price – alongside Geek Squad refurbished Apple Watch Ultra 2 models at $269 off. Those offers join discounts on Apple gift cards and the Natural Milanese Loop alongside everything else in today’s 9to5Toys Lunch Break.

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In 2023, Apple agreed to pay $35 million to settle a U.S. class action lawsuit alleging that the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus were prone to audio issues due to a defective chip in the devices, and those who submitted a claim have started to be paid this month.


As reported by 9to5Mac, many claimants are receiving approximately $200, but some have received up to a $349 payment.

The deadline to submit a claim passed last year, so if you are only finding out about this lawsuit now, it is too late to receive a payout.

The lawsuit's class included any U.S. resident who owned an iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus between September 16, 2016 and January 3, 2023, so long as they reported audio issues covered by the settlement to Apple, and/or paid Apple out of pocket to have their iPhone repaired or replaced as a result of the covered audio issues.

$349 was the maximum payout for those who paid Apple to have the relevant issues repaired.

Apple was sued over the issue in multiple U.S. states in 2019, with the complaints alleging that the company violated consumer protection laws and breached warranties. Despite agreeing to a settlement, Apple denied any wrongdoing.

"Loop Disease"

In an internal document, obtained by MacRumors in May 2018, Apple acknowledged a microphone issue affecting some iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus models:

Some customers might report that after they've updated to iOS 11.3, the microphone on their iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus doesn't work and the speaker button is grayed out when they make or receive a call.

Symptoms:
- The speaker button is grayed out during calls
- Other people are unable to hear the customer on cellular or FaceTime calls
- If a customer plays back a video or voice memo that they've made after installing iOS 11.3, there is no sound

The defect is informally known as "Loop Disease" online.

As far as an underlying cause, the class action lawsuit alleged that "the materials used in the ‌iPhone‌'s external casing are insufficient and inadequate to protect the internal parts," eventually resulting in the audio chip losing electrical contact with the logic board due to "flexion" of the device's external casing during regular use. It's unclear how many iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus units were affected in total.

Apple initially said its service providers could request a "warranty exception" for affected iPhones, which resulted in free repairs for at least some customers, but that abruptly ended in July 2018 after Apple deleted the document. Afterwards, some customers had to pay an out-of-warranty fee of around $300 in the U.S. for a fix.
This article, "Former iPhone 7 Owners Begin Receiving Up to $349 Following Lawsuit" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Lost luggage can be a nightmare, but AirTags make the process of finding that luggage much simpler. And thanks to the new Find My feature introduced in iOS 18.2, you can now share your luggage’s location with airlines. Today, Virgin Atlantic has announced it now supports the new AirTag feature. Here’s how that works.

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Apple is starting to feel some impact from the new U.S. administration’s shifting priorities in the global landscape, especially around economic issues like tariffs. Here are the two major threats Apple is facing, and why investors don’t actually seem to be worried.

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Anker this week debuted a new Valentine's Day sale, offering the chance for you to buy one Anker accessory and get another for 50 percent off. In addition to the BOGO offer, there are a few regularly discounted Anker devices in this sale.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Anker. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

In regards to the BOGO offer, you'll need to purchase one regularly priced item, and then when you add a second to your cart the lower-priced item will get a 50 percent markdown. You can activate this offer with multiple items in your cart, and as long as there are pairs of two accessories the lower-priced items will be eligible for a 50 percent discount.



This sale also features some matching Amazon discounts, including a low price on the popular 60,000 mAh Power Station with Smart Digital Display and Retractable Lighting. You can get this accessory for just $89.99 with an on-page coupon this week, down from $139.99.

Prime Chargers

• Prime Charging Station (8-in-1) - $129.99, down from $149.99


• Prime Charger (250W, 6 Ports, GaNPrime) - $109.99, down from $169.99


• 27,650 mAh Prime Power Bank - $159.99, down from $179.99

Wireless Chargers

• MagGo 2-in-1 Wireless Charger Stand - $35.99, down from $49.99


• MagGo 2-in-1 Wireless Charger Dock Stand - $37.49, down from $49.99


• 3-in-1 Cube with MagSafe - $103.99, down from $129.99

Power Banks

• MagGo Magnetic Battery - $29.99, down from $39.99


• 10,000 mAh MagGo Power Bank with Stand - $69.99, down from $89.99


• 10,000 mAh MagGo Power Bank Slim - $69.99, down from $74.99


• 60,000 mAh Power Station With Display and Lantern - $89.99 with on-page coupon, down from $138.99

If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.

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This article, "Anker Valentine's Day Sale Offering Big Discounts on Charging Accessories" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple is internally testing iOS 18.3.1 for iPhones, according to our website's analytics logs, which have been a consistently reliable indicator of upcoming iOS versions. The software update should be released within the next few weeks.


iOS 18.3.1 should be a minor update that addresses software bugs and/or security vulnerabilities. Apple Intelligence notification summaries for news and entertainment apps are temporarily disabled on iOS 18.3 due to issues with inaccurate summaries, but it is unclear if they will be turned back on in iOS 18.3.1, or in a later update.

We are still waiting for Apple to seed the first iOS 18.4 beta this month. That update is expected to introduce several Apple Intelligence enhancements for Siri, new emoji, the ability for EU users to set default map and translation apps, and more. Apple's website suggests that iOS 18.4 will be released in April, following beta testing.
This article, "iOS 18.3.1 Update Coming Soon for iPhones" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Leica is known for making absolutely beautiful, minimalist cameras and jaw-droppingly great lenses with pricing in the “if you have to ask, you can’t afford it” range.

There’s no doubt that the newly-launched Leica LUX grip for iPhone ticks the beautiful box – but also the Leica pricing one …

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A newer iPhone feature that makes it easier to share the location of AirTag-equipped baggage at airports has been adopted by more airlines.


iOS 18.2 added a new feature to the Find My app that allows you to temporarily share the location of an AirTag-equipped item with others, including employees at participating airlines. This way, if you have put AirTags inside your bags, the airline can better help you find them in the event they are lost or delayed at the airport.

Virgin Atlantic, Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, and Eurowings this week rolled out support for the feature. Other airlines that already offered the feature include Delta, United, Air Canada, Air New Zealand, and more.

Virgin Atlantic has a support page with step-by-step instructions, as does Lufthansa.


iPhone, iPad, and Mac users running iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS Sequoia 15.2 or later can generate a "Share Item Location" link in the Find My app. Anyone they share the link with can then view a web page with a location of the item on a map. The page will automatically update with the item's latest known location.

Apple said it worked directly with airlines to put systems in place to "privately and securely" accept the "Share Item Location" links. Access to each link is "limited to a small number of people," and airport employees are required to "authenticate" to view the link by signing into their Apple Account or partner email address.


The item's location stops being shared "as soon as a user is reunited with their item," or automatically expires after seven days.

iOS 18.2 was released in December, and Apple said that additional airlines will implement this feature over the coming months.
This article, "New iPhone Feature for Tracking Lost Baggage Expands to More Airlines" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Leica today introduced the Leica LUX Grip, a MagSafe-compatible iPhone camera grip designed to provide photographers with a more tactile and precise shooting experience, incorporating physical controls and modes inspired by classic Leica cameras.


Leica is best known for its high-end cameras and optics. The LUX Grip is its first dedicated photography product for the ‌iPhone‌. It attaches to compatible iPhones via MagSafe in both portrait and landscape, and integrates with the Leica LUX app via Bluetooth. Unlike the native ‌iPhone‌ camera app, Leica LUX offers advanced manual controls, lens simulations, and color science based on Leica's photographic heritage.

The LUX Grip aims to recreate the tactile experience of a traditional Leica camera. It features a mechanical two-stage shutter button, a control dial, and two customizable function buttons. The two-stage shutter allows photographers to half-press for focusing before fully pressing to capture an image. The dial can be assigned to adjust key settings such as zoom, shutter speed, aperture, or exposure compensation, while the customizable buttons can be configured for frequently used functions within the Leica LUX app.

A built-in battery provides up to 1,000 shots and recharges via USB-C in approximately two hours. The grip is made of aluminum and weighs 130 grams (4.6 ounces), with Leica emphasizing its durability and usability for both left- and right-handed photographers. A tripod thread is integrated into the base.


The latest version of the LUX app introduces additional Leica lens simulations and a new black-and-white film preset. According to Leica, this update is part of the company's ongoing efforts to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Leica I, the first mass-produced 35mm camera. Among the new features is a 50mm lens simulation, as well as a monochrome preset designed to replicate the look of early 20th-century photography. Leica LUX users can also now apply film grain effects to their images for a more analog aesthetic.

In 2023, Leica acquired Fjorden, a Norwegian company known for its ‌iPhone‌ camera grip. Fjorden's grip featured similar physical controls and concepts that have now been incorporated into the LUX ecosystem.

The LUX Grip is available now for $329, with an optional leather case with an AirTag holder available for $50. The Leica LUX app is free, but full access requires a subscription priced at $6.99 per month or $69.99 annually. Users who purchase the LUX Grip receive a complimentary Pro subscription for one year.
This article, "Leica Announces $329 'LUX Grip' Camera Accessory for iPhone" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Remember when 16GB felt like an ocean of storage on the original iPhone? Those were simpler times. Apple initially offered the OG device in storage capacities of 4GB and 8GB, but just months after launching, Apple nixed the 4GB model, eventually replacing it with a 16GB option. Fast forward to 2025, and Apple offers 128GB as the base storage tier for most iPhone 16 models. That might sound like a lot by comparison, but it's becoming genuinely problematic for users caught in an increasingly aggressive AI storage squeeze.


Indeed, with the recent release of iOS 18.3, this AI storage creep was brought into sharp focus. Apple Intelligence, the company's enabled-by-default suite of AI features, now requires a whopping 7GB of storage space – and that's just the beginning. With iOS 18.4 on the horizon promising enhanced Siri capabilities – and iOS 19 likely to deliver more on-device AI models – these storage requirements are only going to grow.

For perspective, iOS 18.3 takes nearly 6% of a 128GB iPhone's total storage capacity and dedicates it to AI features that the user may not even use. And that's before they've even taken their first photo or downloaded their first app. Speaking of photos, a standard iPhone 16 can capture 48MP images and shoot 4K Dolby Vision video at 60fps, which can quickly devour storage, as many users will attest. If it's an iPhone 16 Pro Max, the advanced camera capabilities are even more demanding of solid-state space.

In fairness, Apple has acknowledged the need for more storage in its top-tier iPhone 16 Pro Max, which starts at 256GB. Apple first nixed the 128GB storage tier for its largest device when the iPhone 15 Pro Max was released in 2023. This suggests the company understands that storage demands are increasing, making its decision to stick this long with 128GB for other models all the more perplexing. Or perhaps not, given that it still gleefully sells the iPhone SE in a 64GB configuration!

Meanwhile, Apple's continued offering of just 5GB of free iCloud storage simply adds insult to injury. Believe it or not, that figure hasn't changed since iCloud's introduction in 2011. Most would agree it's a measly amount that forces many users to either pay for additional cloud storage or constantly manage their local storage.

The technology industry has evolved significantly since 128GB became a standard storage tier. Component prices have decreased, while storage demands have skyrocketed, and AI features are only going to get more prevalent. Just as Apple made 16GB the new baseline for MacBook memory late last year (a move also likely made due to Apple Intelligence's RAM requirements), it's time for the company to make a similar leap with iPhone storage. Such a move would be far from unprecedented – remember the 4GB iPhone?

• 20+ Ways to Free Up iPhone Storage

In the year 2025, 128GB is the new 4GB. Users deserve better than paying $100-500 extra just to avoid the storage anxiety that comes with downloading a bigger (but not necessarily better) software update. These days, 128GB isn't just tight — it's becoming untenable. So please Apple, make 256GB the new minimum, starting with the iPhone 17 lineup. Better yet, bring it to the upcoming iPhone SE 4.
This article, "Apple's Base 128GB iPhone Storage Tier Needs to Go" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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If 27-inch 5K displays aren’t your thing, BenQ’s 32-inch 4K monitor is a fun option I’ve been testing and loving. The BenQ 32-inch Ergo Arm Programming Monitor with MoonHalo is designed to maximize comfort during long coding (or writing) sessions.

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Consumer electronics from China are getting more expensive for both consumers and businesses, as Trump’s 10% import tariffs take effect. Additionally, removal of a small-value exemption on existing tariffs means some products are now subject to import taxes as high as 45%.

Courier companies are also applying their own collection fees on top of the tariffs, further increasing costs – and some companies are pausing imports while they figure out what to do …

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Reddit banned more than 90 subreddits yesterday, later restoring them and blaming it on a bug, but some moderators are worried about what the move might signal for the future.

The banned subreddits were all ones allowing NSFW content, but while that is commonly thought of as adult entertainment, it also includes communities as diverse as r/cubancigars and  r/transgender_surgeries …

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A new conversational Alexa is expected to be revealed at an Amazon media event on February 26, with press invitations sent out yesterday.

A report citing Amazon insiders says that the all-new Alexa will be powered by generative AI, dramatically boosting its capabilities and putting even more pressure on Apple to launch a smarter Siri …

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When Apple released iOS 18.2, it introduced a major change to the Mail app with its new Categories and priority messages features. Categories automatically sorts your emails into four distinct sections: Primary, Transactions, Updates, and Promotions. The change also adds contact photos and business logos for conversations in your inbox, but if you don't like how they look, it's easy enough to make them go away.


Contact photos have been added to the Mail app in an effort to make it easier to identify the senders of all the emails you receive. However, if Apple can't recognize a business, or a contact doesn't have an associated photo, it can end up making your inbox look a bit of a mess.

Fortunately, you can easily turn off the little pictures completely by following these steps:

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.


2. Swipe to the bottom of the menu and tap Apps.


3. Search for or scroll to Mail in the list of apps.


4. Under "Message List," toggle off the switch next to Show Contact Photos.

That's all you need to do. To reinstate the contact pictures, simply turn on the same option in Settings. If your unhappiness with the new-look Mail app extends to Apple's categorization feature, you can disable this element too. Follow the link to learn how it's done.
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ChatGPT's search engine feature can now be accessed by anyone, OpenAI announced on Wednesday. Previously, users needed an account to use ChatGPT search, but the sign-in requirement has now been removed.


ChatGPT Search is available on the ChatGPT website and in the desktop and mobile apps. Searches can be initiated based on what you ask or by clicking on the web search icon in the ChatGPT interface.

With ChatGPT Search, you can ask a question using conversational language and get web information, along with more details through follow-up questions. ChatGPT maintains context, so the entire conversation can be used to get a tailored answer to a query.

OpenAI has partnered with news and data providers to offer up-to-date information for categories like weather, stocks, sports, news, and maps. Searches with ChatGPT include links to sources, while a sources button below the response provides a sidebar with all of the references used.

A recent ChatGPT search update gives it a more traditional search engine feel, displaying a map, images of local attractions, and brief descriptions for each result. If you're fed up with Google's algorithms, it could be worth a try.
This article, "You Can Now Use ChatGPT Search Without Signing In" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple officially launched Apple Invites on Tuesday, giving iPhone users a new way to create rich digital invitations for real events.

One day later, Apple released Apple Invites version 1.0.1 with some improvements to the original version of the app.

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Speaking of Jason Snell, he and I played a round of Clockwise with Rosemary Orchard and Dan Moren today. Check out the podcast episode below.

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iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus were fantastic smartphones in 2016 and 2017, but they did experience a so-called “Loop Disease” in some instances. For that reason, a class action lawsuit was filed years ago and eventually approved last year. A year later, former iPhone 7 customers are starting to receive their settlement payments.

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You’ve probably heard someone say “but can it run Doom?” That’s because running Doom on the most unexpected platforms and devices has become a fun challenge among developers. Now someone has done something really surprising: they’ve run Doom on an Apple Lightning to HDMI adapter.

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macOS stealers are becoming an increasingly common type of malware on the Mac, according to the 2025 State of Malware report that Malwarebytes shared this week.


Most Mac malware has historically been VSearch adware or the Genieo browser hijacker, but more malicious malware is on the rise, and 2024 saw a new wave of information stealing malware hit the Mac.

Stealers are designed to locate credit card information, authentication cookies, cryptocurrency, passwords, and other valuable data that criminals can use to make money.

Malicious apps that steal information are typically installed when a Mac user searches for a legitimate software product and then uses a malicious Google or Bing search ad to download an infested replica version of the software they sought. Attackers are able to deliver targeted ads for malicious software based on location, operating system, software, and search terms.

Atomic Stealer (AMOS), an information stealer that surfaced in 2023, is used regularly, and a version of AMOS referred to as Poseidon has becoming increasingly popular with criminals. Poseidon is advertised as being able to steal cryptocurrency from more than 160 wallets as well as passwords from web browsers and select password managers. Poseidon downloads have masqueraded as legitimate Mac apps like the Arc Browser, tricking unsuspecting Mac users into installing the malware.

Malwarebytes warns that macOS stealers like Poseidon allow criminals to access sensitive resources, steal credentials, and create convincing social engineering attacks.

To avoid this kind of attack, it is important to verify where software is being downloaded from, ensuring that it comes from a legitimate developer and not an imitation website.
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Disney+ lost 700,000 subscribers worldwide in recent months, according to Disney's earnings results for the first quarter of 2025.


Disney said it now has 124.6 million Disney+ subscribers, a decrease of 0.7 million compared to its subscriber numbers in the fourth quarter of 2024. The drop in subscribers comes after Disney+ prices increased in the fall. Disney+ with Ads went from $7.99 to $9.99, while Disney+ Ad-Free went from $13.99 to $15.99.

Disney also began cracking down on Disney+ password sharing in September, introducing a "Paid Sharing" plan in the United States, Canada, and parts of Europe. The system restricts account usage to members of a single household, ending support for use across multiple households unless the primary subscriber pays an additional fee.

Q1 2025 marked the first quarter where Disney+ lost subscribers since the service launched, but Disney CEO Bob Iger said during an earnings call discussing the results that the subscriber churn was not as bad as expected.

For the second quarter of 2025, Disney expects Disney+ subscriptions to see another decline. While Disney+ subscriptions were down, Hulu gained 1.6 million subscribers, during the quarter, reaching 53.6 million total paid subscribers.

Disney's overall revenue grew 4.8 percent during the quarter, largely thanks to Moana 2, which earned more than $1 billion in theaters.
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OpenAI announced in December a new integration with WhatsApp, which lets users chat with ChatGPT right from the Meta-owned messaging app. Now the company is taking this integration further, as OpenAI is adding support for images and voice messages to ChatGPT on WhatsApp.

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Sonos is laying off 200 employees in an effort to streamline its product teams, reports Bloomberg. The layoffs come as Sonos continues to recover from a failed app redesign last May that alienated longtime customers.


Following widespread criticism over the app's buggy interface and missing features, Sonos temporarily suspended development on hardware products and focused all of its effort on app improvements. It took months for the company to add functionality that had been removed with the revamp, and revenue declined 16 percent in the fourth fiscal quarter of 2024.

Then Sonos CEO Patrick Spence penned an apology and outlined the steps Sonos was taking to fix the app in July, but he ultimately stepped down earlier this year. Spence was replaced with interim CEO Tom Conrad, who founded music service Pandora and has been a longtime Sonos board member.

Conrad told employees that Sonos has been "mired in too many layers that have made collaboration and decision-making harder than it needs to be," which is why the company is restructuring. Going forward, Sonos will have a simpler organization with groups for hardware, software, design, quality, and operations, rather than separate groups for different product categories.
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Speaking of Apple Vision Pro, there are some nice pieces reflecting on the product’s first year.

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Amazon today sent out invites for an AI-focused event that will be held on February 26, and according to Reuters, the company plans to introduce its next-generation Alexa generative AI service.


Since Amazon introduced Alexa in 2014, it has become one of the most widely available voice assistants, but it has been falling behind with the proliferation of generative AI products like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini.

Revamping Alexa into a generative AI service will mark the biggest change Amazon has made to the product since its launch. Alexa will be able to hold complex, context-aware conversations with users, and will be able to handle multi-faceted requests.

Amazon is using AI models from Anthropic's Claude rather than relying solely on its in-house AI technology, as early versions of Amazon AI had trouble responding in a timely manner. Amazon initially planned to roll out the updated version of Alexa last year, but ended up pushing the debut back.

It is important for Amazon to get changes to Alexa right, because there are more than 100 million active Alexa users and over 500 million Alexa-enabled devices have been sold. Amazon is aiming to convert some of those Alexa users into paying customers, with plans to eventually charge a subscription fee for the new Alexa. At launch, Amazon will test the new Alexa with a small number of users and won't charge for it.

The new version of Amazon Alexa will come just ahead of when we are expecting Apple to begin testing a new iteration of Siri that's equipped with new Apple Intelligence capabilities. Apple says that ‌Siri‌ is going to be updated with on-screen awareness, personal context, and the ability to do more in and with apps, all of which are expected to allow ‌Siri‌ to do more for iPhone, iPad, and Mac users.

Next year, rumors suggest Apple will roll out an updated version of ‌Siri‌ trained using large language models, so ‌Siri‌ will be able to better compete with ChatGPT and chatbots.
This article, "Amazon Plans to Unveil Next-Generation Alexa AI Later This Month" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Did you know that Apple provides a discount to veterans and military members? Apple Vision Pro has finally been added to the Veterans and Military Purchase Program at a discounted price.

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Vision Pro has officially entered its second year on the market. Apple’s spatial computer was chosen as 9to5Mac’s 2024 Product of the Year, but it still has a lot to prove heading into year two. Here are three coming upgrades that could spark a growth year for Vision Pro.

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Apple has three new Home products launching this year, and the first one is especially exciting. It’s a new smart display that I’m calling ‘HomePad,’ and it meets a key need that Apple’s smart home ecosystem has always had.

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Malware that includes code for reading the contents of screenshots has been found in suspicious App Store apps for the first time, according to a report from Kaspersky.


Dubbed "SparkCat," the malware includes OCR capabilities for sussing out sensitive information that an iPhone user has taken a screenshot of. The apps that Kaspersky discovered are aimed at locating recovery phrases for crypto wallets, which would allow attackers to steal bitcoin and other cryptocurrency.

The apps include a malicious module that uses an OCR plug-in created with Google's ML Kit library to recognize text found inside images on an ‌iPhone‌. When a relevant image of a crypto wallet is located, it is sent to a server accessed by the attacker.

According to Kaspersky, SparkCat has been active since around March 2024. Similar malware was discovered in 2023 that targeted Android and PC devices, but it has now spread to iOS. Kaspersky located several ‌App Store‌ apps with OCR spyware, including ComeCome, WeTink, and AnyGPT, but it is not clear if the infection was a "deliberate action by the developers" or the "result of a supply chain attack."

The infected apps ask for permission to access a user's photos after being downloaded, and if granted permission, use the OCR functionality to sort through images looking for relevant text. Several of the apps are still in the ‌App Store‌, and seem to be targeting iOS users in Europe and Asia.

While the apps are aimed at stealing crypto information, Kaspersky says that the malware is flexible enough that it could also be used to access other data captured in screenshots, like passwords. Android apps are impacted as well, including apps from the Google Play Store, but iOS users often expect their devices to be malware resistant.

Apple checks over every app in the ‌App Store‌, and a malicious app marks a failure of Apple's app review process. In this case, there does not appear to be an obvious indication of a trojan in the app, and the permissions that it requests appear to be needed for core functionality.

Kaspersky suggests that users should avoid storing screenshots with sensitive information like crypto wallet recovery phases in their Photo Library to stay safe from this kind of attack.

A full list of iOS frameworks that are infected is available on the Kaspersky website, along with more information about the malware.
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Google today announced updates to Gemini, the company's AI product that competes with OpenAI's ChatGPT, DeepSeek, and Apple Intelligence.


Starting today, Gemini app users can access Google's 2.0 Flash Thinking Experimental model, which is trained to break down prompts into a series of steps to improve its reasoning capabilities. The new model shows its reasoning process, giving users insight into why it responds the way that it does.

There is a version of 2.0 Flash Thinking that is able to interact with apps that include YouTube, Search, and Google Maps, with Google working to determine how the new reasoning capabilities can help users do more with Google apps.

An experimental version of Gemini 2.0 Pro is also now available, and Google says it is the best model yet for coding performance and answering complex prompts. Gemini 2.0 Pro is available in Google AI Studio, Vertex AI, and the Gemini app for Gemini Advanced subscribers.

A Gemini 2.0 Flash-Lite model is available for Google AI Studio as well, and Google says that it is the most cost-efficient model to date.

Gemini 2.0 Flash Thinking Experimental and 2.0 Pro Experimental are rolling out to the Gemini web and mobile app. They can be selected in the Gemini dropdown menu when interacting with the AI.
This article, "Google Launches New Versions of Gemini, Including 'Thinking' Model" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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