To use Siri on macOS, there's a requirement to send Apple your contacts. Here's how to avoid handing that data over to Apple.


If you have enabled Siri in System Settings in macOS, you may have noticed an alert that warns you turning Siri on will result in macOS sending your contacts, location, and voice data to Apple.

This is a ridiculous requirement by Apple, and in fact it flies in the face of Apple's claims of respecting user privacy. For obvious reasons, you might not want all your contacts sent to Apple.


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March 9 kicked off sleep awareness week, and Jabees has an interesting tool for soothing you to sleep — an under-pillow speaker.


I have never, ever been what one would call "a good sleeper." Even as an infant, I had difficulty catching the required amount of sleep.

I've tried everything. Different beds, different pillows, yoga, breathing techniques, supplements — you name it, I've probably tried it. I can't take sleep medications like zolpidem as I'm one of the "lucky few" who tend to experience a wide swath of adverse reactions to drugs.


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OpenAI may have already crawled the internet for all the world's data to train ChatGPT, but it seems that isn't enough as it wants protection from copyright holders to allow it to continue stealing everything that both is and isn't nailed down.


The latest manufactured goalpost OpenAI has set dubbed "AGI" can't be reached unless the company is free to do whatever it takes to steal everything good and turn it into AI slop. At least, that's what the latest OpenAI submission to the United States Government suggests.

An OpenAI proposal submitted regarding President Trump's executive order on sustaining America's global dominance explains how the administration's boogeyman might overtake the US in the AI race. It seems that the alleged theft of copyright material by Chinese-based LLMs put them at an advantage because OpenAI has to follow the law.


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Apple's iconic AirPods are rumored to receive an entirely new feature that translates in-person conversations from one language to another.


The rumored live translation capability will make it significantly easier for speakers of two different languages to communicate. The feature is expected to roll out in 2025 alongside the iOS 19 and macOS 16 updates. Beyond that, both operating systems are said to feature major design changes.

If an English speaker with AirPods is listening to a person speaking in another language, such as Spanish, the iPhone will detect the audio of the Spanish speaker and translate it into English. The English translation will then be played via the AirPods.


Rumor Score: 🤯 Likely


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ViewSonic's new 27-inch high-resolution monitor offers pro-level color accuracy for creatives without the premium Apple Studio Display price.


The VP2788-5K marks an important step in ViewSonic's expansion into the premium creative display space. While the company has long been a player in the professional monitor segment, this is its first 5K-resolution display.

ViewSonic is positioning it as a direct competitor to Apple Studio Display and LG's UltraFine 5K.


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A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers are coming to Apple's defense over the UK government's attempts to get backdoor access to users' iCloud data, demanding that the UK remove the cloak of secrecy surrounding the order.


Apple is in a battle with the government of the United Kingdom over iCloud privacy, with a secret hearing by the Investigatory Powers Tribunal on Friday set to consider an appeal. However, the closed-door hearing at the High Court isn't being made public at all, something U.S. lawmakers are unhappy about.

A bipartisan letter from the U.S. Congress to the President of the Investigatory Powers Tribunal published on Thursday demands that the IPT "remove the cloak of secrecy related to notices given to American technology companies by the United Kingdom.


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Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo called the performance of Apple Intelligence "underwhelming," adding that it won't entice people to replace their older iPhones.


In a social media post on Thursday, Kuo reiterated his previous claims that Apple Intelligence would "contribute less than expected to shipment volumes." In October 2024, the analyst said more or less the same thing — that Apple's AI features would not facilitate a short-term boost in iPhone sales.

According to Kuo, the market has recently adopted a more cautious view of Apple Intelligence, presumably because of the debacle Apple faced with its planned Siri upgrades. We can already see signs of this, as Morgan Stanley decreased their expectations for Apple's stock prices, citing concerns regarding the current status of Siri and its postponed Apple Intelligence overhaul.


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Highway text scams are a big problem that's continuing to grow with the use of at least 60,000 domain names. There's little Apple can do about it, but you can protect yourself. Here's what's going on.


Owners of iPhones and other smartphones across the United States are routinely plagued by text message scams. For scam messages about alleged automated toll road fees, the problem is getting worse.

According to Trend Micro, there has been a 900% increase in searches for "toll road scams," a sign that more people are being affected by the criminal activity.


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With the launch of iPhone 16e, we also saw the launch of something far more important — Apple's custom C1 modem. Here's what means and why you should care about it.


To cover the basics, the modem a chip in your phone that connects you to your cell provider. The C1 modem chip is the fruit of Apple Silicon research. It is Apple's first modem that it has created entirely in-house, versus buying off-the-shelf components from Qualcomm.

There's discussion online that Apple's efforts to create their own modem are just a way to stop paying Qualcomm. That may be partially true, but it's got more to do with supply chain control and Apple's future plans.


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It's still not rolled out to all Apple devices, but now subscribers to Apple Music Classical can listen online.


If it seemed a very long time between Apple buying Primephonic and finally releasing it as Apple Music Classical for the iPhone, it's now been about as long again. And still, the service is limited to just a few devices — but now its full catalog is available through a web browser.

Apple Music Classical is available online at classical.music.apple.com, and subscribers can log in to listen. New users are prompted to try a one-month free trial.


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Long-time Apple pundit John Gruber has launched an uncharacteristically strident attack against what he says are Apple's lies over the Apple Intelligence roll-out. And, he's spot-on with his arguments and conclusions.


For years, John Gruber has hosted "The Talk Show," an extended post-WWDC conversation with Apple executives such as Craig Federighi. He's also written about Apple extensively, and in recent months has been increasingly critical of Siri — as have others, including AppleInsider, but now he's gone further about what he calls the AI fiasco.

"The fiasco here is not that Apple is late on AI," he writes. "The fiasco is that Apple pitched a story that wasn't true, one that some people within the company surely understood wasn't true, and they set a course based on that."


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A leaker is hyping up the upcoming release of the iPhone 17 Pro Max, but the image being used shows something that is more likely to be part of case production, rather than a component of the smartphone itself.


Since the start of the year, rumor sharers have repeatedly insisted that there will be a major change to the way Apple designs the camera bumps in the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max. However, while there have been renders of complete devices and early components, there's not been a believable one of a real-world component yet.

In an image shared by serial leaker Majin Bu on X, a selection of metal plates are displayed in a pile. The plates, at first glance, have holes and spaces that hint at being used somehow in connection to the rumored iPhones, complete with a space for MagSafe components and the camera layout.


Rumor Score: 🙄 Unlikely


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An unknown number of users have had Apple Store emails erroneously saying they haven't sent in an iPhone they actually traded-in months ago.


Apple heavily promotes trading in your old device to get money off a new one — and seriously profits when you do — but usually the process is straightforward. On March 13, 2025, however, an update to the Apple Store systems resulted in some users being emailed about allegedly failed trade-ins.

"Just letting you know that your device has not been received," says the email from the Apple Store. "In seven days your trade-in will be cancelled, so please ship your device soon."


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Bonus coupons have slashed closeout MacBook Air models down to $699.99 at Amazon as the company makes room for new M4 inventory.


The MacBook Air price drops offer savings of up to $300 off as the Apple Authorized Reseller clears out closeout models.

Save on MacBook Airs


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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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