Google today held its annual I/O developer conference, where it shared a number of new features and tools that are coming to its products in the coming weeks and months. There was a heavy focus on AI capabilities, and Google is deeply integrating Gemini and other AI tools into its software.

New Gemini Features

Gemini is Google's AI product, equivalent to Anthropic's Claude and OpenAI's ChatGPT. Apple has no equivalent at the current time, but Gemini could soon be integrated into iOS like ChatGPT. There are multiple new capabilities coming to Gemini, some of which are available for iPhone users this week.

• Gemini Live - Gemini Live is available in the Gemini app for iOS starting today, and it's free to use. It uses screen sharing or the ‌iPhone‌'s camera so that you can communicate with Gemini in real-time and ask questions about what you're seeing. It's useful for identifying objects, asking questions about things around you, getting help with DIY projects, shopping, organizing, and more. Gemini Live integrates with Google Calendar, Maps, Tasks, and Keep.


• Gemini Agent Mode - Agent Mode in Gemini can do things like find sports game tickets at an ideal price, or help you locate the right apartment with specific requirements on price and layout. It's coming soon to Gemini.


• Gemini Personal Context - Gemini will be able to incorporate search history for more personalized results, along with pulling information from other Google apps. Google is also aiming to make Gemini more proactive, with reminders about upcoming events and tools that can help with preparations. Gemini Personal Context sounds similar to the personalized features that Apple is planning to add to Siri at some point in the future, but Gemini is further along.


• AI Ultra - Google has a new AI plan called AI Ultra, and it costs $250 per month. It includes expanded access to Google's latest AI tools with high rate limits, and all of the newest features, plus YouTube Premium and 30TB of storage. Google AI Premium, which is $19.99, has been renamed Google AI Pro. At $250, AI Ultra is more expensive than top tier plans from Anthropic and OpenAI. Apple doesn't charge for any Apple Intelligence functionality as of yet, and it's not clear if that'll happen in the future.


• Veo 3 - Google is updating its Veo video generation model with new capabilities, and it is now able to create videos that include sound effects, background noise, and dialogue. It can, for example, generate a video of birds with realistic sounds, and it is designed to be good at mimicking real-world physics. Veo 3 is limited to AI Ultra subscribers, but it is available starting today.


• Imagen 4 - Google's new image generating tool, Imagen 4 is coming to Gemini. Imagen 4 can create more photorealistic images with improved details for things like hair, fur, and fabric. It's also better at generating text, and incorporating creative ideas like making a word out of dinosaur bones when the image being created involves a dinosaur party. Imagen 4 is available in Gemini as of today.


• Deep Research - Gemini supports uploading private PDFs and images for research reports, with Google Drive and Gmail integration coming soon.

Google Search

Gemini is being integrated more deeply into search, starting with a dedicated AI Mode that's rolling out in the U.S. this week.

• AI Mode in Search - Google is adding a new AI Mode to search that is entirely AI, rather than just the AI suggestions that show up in the AI Overviews that are shown with Google searches. It uses a query fan-out technique that breaks down questions into multiple searches for a deeper dive than traditional search. AI Mode is rolling out to everyone in the United States starting today as a dedicated section in Search, and it will use the latest Gemini 2.5 model. It will soon incorporate more personalized suggestions that take into account your preferences and your actions in other Google apps, and agentic capabilities will let it do things like purchase concert tickets.


• Deep Search - AI Mode has a Deep search option that uses the same query fan-out technique, but it is able to conduct hundreds of searches at one time, reason across multiple results, and craft an "expert-level" report in minutes. AI Mode will also be able to analyze complex datasets and create graphics and charts.


• AI Mode for Shopping - AI Mode will be able to help you find specific items that you're looking for, and it can let you "try on" clothes that you're shopping for. It scans your body using a photo of you and then puts a realistic looking clothing item on you so you can see what it might look like. It can show depth, and how the material will look draped over a body. AI Mode can make purchases, alert you to deals, and more. These features will launch in the coming months.


• Google Search Live - Google Search is getting a feature that's basically Gemini Live, and users will be able to ask questions about what's being viewed through a smartphone camera. It's an AI Mode feature coming this summer.

Google Apps

Gmail, Chrome, and Meet are all getting new Gemini capabilities that are rolling out starting today.

• Gmail Personal Context - With permission, Gemini will be able to use relevant context across Google apps to make AI responses in Gmail sound more like you. Gemini will be able to scan past emails, look up notes, and view documents in Google Drive. With the info, it can match greetings, capture tone and style, and mimic favorite word choices. It's coming this summer for Gemini subscribers.


• Google Meet - Google Meet is getting a real-time translation option. Initally, it'll work in English and Spanish, but Google has plans to add more languages. It's available to Google Pro and Ultra subscribers.


• Google Chrome - Chrome is getting integrated Gemini starting tomorrow. It can answer questions about what you're doing and the tabs that you've got open, with the first version able to clarify complex information on any webpage or summarize long pages. You can get to Gemini from the task bar. Chrome is also being updated with a new password feature that can automatically change passwords compromised in a leak, for participating websites.


• FireSat - Google is developing a FireSat feature that will watch for fires to break out in areas as small as 270 square feet. It could be particularly useful in California, where Google is headquartered.

Android XR Glasses

Google already announced Android XR as a platform for companies that are building VR headsets, but today, Google said that it's also developing Android XR for augmented reality glasses. Google last tried this kind of product with Google Glass, but it didn't go over so well and Google Glass was discontinued after several years.

Google showed off a set of lightweight glasses that incorporate an in-lens display. On stage, Google demonstrated the glasses offering a live translation feature with words that appeared on the lenses, and providing turn-by-turn directions.

The glasses have cameras, microphones, and speakers, and are connected to Gemini. The AI is able to see and hear what the wearer hears to answer questions, offer image recognition capabilities, provide tailored directions, and more.

The smart glasses could compete with Apple's future smart glasses, as Apple is rumored to be working on a pair of lightweight augmented reality glasses that could eventually replace the ‌iPhone‌. Apple is still far off from being able to release AR glasses, so the Android XR version is likely to come out first.

Gentle Monster and Warby Parker are partnering with Google for Android XR glasses that are lightweight and stylish.

Samsung's XR headset will still be the first device that runs Android XR, and it's launching later this year. Samsung will also build Android XR glasses.
This article, "Everything Interesting Google Announced at I/O Today" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Popular game Fortnite is once again available in the U.S. App Store, as Apple has finally approved Epic Games' app submission. This is the first time that Fortnite has been on the iOS ‌App Store‌ since 2020.


Apple initially did not plan to allow Fortnite back in the ‌App Store‌, but the judge overseeing the ongoing legal battle between the two companies yesterday suggested that Apple and ‌Epic Games‌ work things out or face more time in court. The judge threatened to require the Apple official that oversees app decisions to appear in person in court, which apparently was enough to spur Apple to allow the game back on the ‌App Store‌.

Fortnite is available from the iOS ‌App Store‌ in the United States, and from the ‌Epic Games‌ Store alternative app marketplace in the European Union. It is not available on the ‌App Store‌ in other countries. The U.S. version of Fortnite includes an option for players to purchase in-app currency using the ‌Epic Games‌ website, with no in-app purchases.

Apple initially planned to prevent Fortnite from returning to the ‌App Store‌ until the legal dispute was entirely settled. As of now, Apple is appealing the court's ruling that forced it to change its U.S. ‌App Store‌ rules to allow developers to link customers to purchase options available outside of the ‌App Store‌.
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Google today showed off a set of lightweight smart glasses that have deep Gemini integration and an optional in-lens display that can offer up relevant information like turn-by-turn directions.


Made to rival the Meta Ray-Bans and smart glasses coming from Apple in the future, Google's XR glasses feature a camera, microphones, and speakers. They connect to a smartphone for app access, and with Gemini integration, the glasses can answer questions about the wearer's surroundings, provide directions, and offer up live translations.

Gemini is able to use the cameras in the glasses to see what's around the wearer to provide feedback, and Google says the glasses will "see and hear what you do" so they'll understand context and "help you throughout your day." On stage at Google I/O, Google executives demonstrated how the Android XR glasses will be able to send messages to friends, make appointments, snap photos, and translate conversations in real-time.

Google plans to work with companies like Warby Parker and Gentle Monster to create stylish smart glasses that consumers will want to wear.
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With iOS 18.4, Apple added support for robot vacuums to HomeKit, and some of the companies that make robot vacuums have started offering products with Matter integration. Matter-compatible robot vacuums can be added to ‌HomeKit‌ and controlled via Siri voice commands and the Home app.


Roborock is one of the companies that's adopting Matter, and the Roborock Saros 10R now works with ‌HomeKit‌. The Saros 10R is one of Roborock's flagship vacuums and it's relatively new, so like most of these Matter-enabled vacuum options, it does not come cheap. It's $1,600, but it does have Roborock's most advanced feature set.

Design and Size

The Saros 10R is just over three inches tall, so it's compact enough to fit under all of my furniture. I have a TV stand that's about four inches that a different robot vacuum isn't able to fit underneath, but I haven't run into that problem with the Saros 10R.

There are a lot of components in robot vacuums, so the thin build is a feat of engineering, and having a robot that can get under all of my furniture is a major plus. When I manually vacuum with a Dyson stick, I can't reach all of the areas that the Saros 10R can, so my house ends up cleaner when the robot handles the vacuuming and mopping.


While the Saros 10R is thin, it's still on the larger side, measuring in at around 13 inches. If you have a smaller space with a lot of furniture, it might be too large to effectively clean, but I've been impressed with the narrow spaces it can maneuver through. Since it's round, it can get itself into and out of some tight fits.

I mostly use the app to send the Saros 10R off to clean or to resume cleaning after a pause, but there are buttons on the device itself. The power button turns it on or sends it to clean if it's already on, and the dock button sends it home. A long press on the dock button activates a spot cleaning feature.

All of the robot vacuums have base stations, and the Saros 10R base station is fairly large, but it kind of blends into the background, like a vacuum or a mop might. The base station is black plastic and it includes several components. There's a dust bag that collects the dust and hair the robot picks up, a clean water bin for wetting and washing the mop, a section for floor cleaning solution, a dirty water bin for collecting the water used to wash the mop, a dryer for drying the mop, and a ramp that helps the robot get up onto the base to charge.


The dock weighs around 25 pounds, so it's probably not something you're going to want to cart around if you have multiple floors in your home. I'm not sure if people who have multi-story homes purchase more than one vacuum, but carrying the robot and base station upstairs would be a workout. The dock has an LED on it that turns red if there's a problem or white when the robot is charging, and it needs to be placed on a hard surface with about two feet around it to make sure there's space for the robot to dock itself.


Roborock says to use its proprietary cleaning solution because other solutions can damage the internals of the vacuum. Some companies like Bona make cleaning solutions specifically for robot vacuums, and I didn't have an issue using that kind of cleaning fluid.

There are rubber wheels at the bottom of the robot, and they come out far enough to help it get over thresholds and to lift it over carpets. I have a threshold that's about an inch in one spot, and it's able to navigate it fine. The mops are able to lift up enough that it can vacuum rugs while mopping without getting the rugs wet.

Navigation

The Saros 10R has what Roborock calls its "StarSight" autonomous system, which is basically several sensors. It has a front camera and sensor for detecting obstacles, and it has a wall sensor for determining where walls are located.

The first cleaning with the Saros 10R starts off with a mapping feature where the robot maps all of the rooms that it is able to access, and then while cleaning, it continually scans for and identifies pet messes, pets, cords, furniture that's hard to navigate, and other obstacles. You can opt in to have the robot take a picture whenever it encounters an obstacle, so you can see what it's avoiding.


Its sensors do a good job mapping out a room and even identifying the furniture in the room, which helps it determine what a room is. If it sees a dining table, for example, it'll label that room as a dining room.


It's able to identify pet messes so that it doesn't drag a mess around the entire house, and it's also excellent at detecting cables that should be avoided, so it doesn't get tangled up. It doesn't run into walls or furniture, and the extending mops and the side brush let it get into nooks, crannies, corners, and the sides of walls when cleaning even as it's avoiding obstacles.

Cleaning Features

Most of the robot vacuums have the same general vacuuming features, with variations in suction and the roller bar design. The Saros 10R has what Roborock calls a "DuoDivide" anti-tangle brush, and I haven't seen it get tangled. I have wood floors, four cats, and two people with long hair, and there hasn't been clogging or tangling. Hair and fuzz can get wrapped around the bearings of the rubber wheels on the bottom and that's not fun to remove, but it hasn't stopped the vacuum from functioning.


As for suction, it picks up every speck of dust and cat hair from my floors, which are wood. It hasn't damaged my wood floors, which is always a concern with a vacuum, and it does a good job keeping them almost spotless. It also does well with my large rugs, but it can struggle with smaller rugs that get stuck. It's never been entirely tripped up by a rug unlike my other robot vacuum from a different brand, so it's not a problem that requires my interference. There is a side brush that's able to sweep dust from corners, curves, around furniture, and along walls so that it can be vacuumed up, and it's effective.

Of note, I have one large rug that sheds continually and the robot can keep it clean. My Dyson vacuum has a hard time with this rug because the fluff clogs it up. I have another rug in my laundry room that is a lint and fur magnet. The standard hard floor attachment on my Dyson that I use 99 percent of the time can't clean it, but the Saros 10R sucks up all the lint that's become one with the rug with no problem. It's at least on par with my Dyson (a V15 Detect), and better for some areas.

I want to point out that I have all hard flooring with just rugs and no rooms with carpet, so I haven't tested the vacuum on carpet. If you have carpet, check out other reviews too, because I don't want to speak to its carpet performance with just rugs to test with.

The Saros 10R doesn't just vacuum, it also mops, and the mopping functions are what distinguish robot vacuums from one another. Roborock is using a set of dual spinning mops for the Saros 10R, each of which is about-palm sized. The two mops work in unison, and the robot can cover a good amount of floor space with no real gaps, providing a thorough clean.


The mops can clean well around chair legs and other furniture, because they can extend out from the robot somewhat for a closer clean. Dried on stains like ketchup can take a few passes, but everything else comes up immediately. The Saros 10R goes back to the base station to wash the mop, and the default time is 15 minutes.

Noise Levels

The Saros 10R is quiet when mopping, but when it's vacuuming, it sounds like a vacuum. You're not going to want to run it while you're trying to work or watch TV, but noise cancelling headphones like the AirPods Pro block it out enough to run it while you're home.

Roborock App

Robot vacuums seem to have apps with endless settings, and the Roborock app is no exception. Setup is simple, and the app walks you through the steps (basically just connecting to Wi-Fi), and through the mapping, cleaning, and maintenance process.


The built-in sensors in the Saros 10R can map all accessible areas, and can also detect furniture to determine room type. There are also settings that allow it to detect objects on the ground and snap photos, so you can see what it's avoiding and how the AI is working. After a map has been completed, the Saros 10R is ready to clean. There are multiple cleaning modes that combine vacuuming and mopping, and you can select different suction settings for the vacuum and water settings for the mopping. There are also modes for quick, standard, and deep cleaning.

You can follow along on the map to see where the robot has cleaned, the pattern it used, and areas that it might have skipped due to obstacles. It's super detailed, and the feature to show pictures of what the robot noticed and skipped is useful. It detects pets (and can avoid them), cables, furniture where it can become trapped, pet messes, fabric, extra dirty areas, and more. I have rarely had an issue with the Saros 10R getting itself stuck because the AI to avoid cables and other obstacles is excellent.

The Map created by the robot can be edited, so if it doesn't do a great job separating out rooms, it's possible to manually fix it. I have an open floor plan, so I went in and sectioned things out so that I could have it clean specific rooms. If you have multiple floors, you can create more than one map. You can add areas, remove areas, and block areas for customized cleaning.


There is an option in the app to watch the Saros 10R camera live so you can see what it's doing and check in on pets. I didn't have many instances where there were issues, but if it does catch a cord or something, the app sends an alert so it can be addressed.


The app supports setting up a cleaning schedule, so I have assigned it to clean different areas on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, which splits up the cleaning so it doesn't need to be running for hours a day. I also have different cleaning scenarios that group rooms together with variable cleaning parameters that change factors like suction power for rooms without rugs.

HomeKit Integration

Thanks to Matter support, the Roborock Saros 10R can be added to ‌HomeKit‌ and it shows up in the Home app. It can be controlled with the Home app, or with ‌Siri‌ voice commands.


‌HomeKit‌ is more limited than what's possible with the Roborock app, but ‌Siri‌ integration has proven more useful than expected. When the kitchen is messy after eating, I can say "Hey ‌Siri‌, clean the kitchen," and the Saros 10R is able to do that based on the rooms I setup in the Roborock app.

In the Home app, there's support for automations that rely on other ‌HomeKit‌ products. If for some reason I want the Saros 10R to vacuum when I turn on a light, I can set that up. The Home app can also be used to have the robot clean at specific times, when a sensor detects something, or when people leave the home, which is perhaps the most useful option.

For starting a random cleaning, the Home app is less useful. It doesn't include all of the various cleaning modes and settings, but you can choose to vacuum, mop, or vacuum and mop. You can have the robot clean the entire house or specific rooms.

Maintenance

The Saros 10R is a complicated piece of machinery that does require some maintenance, though it hasn't been too overwhelming yet. So far, I've had to empty the dirty water tank, fill the clean water tank, replace cleaning fluid, clean the sensors, and clean the base.

The bottom of the Saros 10R after 61 total hours of operation. I haven't cleaned it.

Eventually I'll need to replace the filter and the dust bag (which should be done once a month), and swap in new mop heads. There are estimated lifespans for some of the hardware like the side brush, while others suggest replacing on an as-needed basis. The mop and bristles of the various brushes can wear out over time, with replacements available from Roborock.

Battery and Cleaning Time

The Saros 10R can't clean my entire house on a single charge, and it typically needs to charge at least once if I'm not splitting up the cleaning by room. Cleaning time can vary based on settings, such as suction power and whether it's set to "deep" clean with multiple passes, but here are a couple of scenarios.

Cleaning 1

• Started at 12:30, full cleaning. 150 square meters total.


• Ran out of battery at 14:47 and had to charge.


• Resumed cleaning at 16:59.


• Finished at 20:07. Total cleaning time: 244 minutes, 1 charge.

Cleaning 2

• Started at 10:31. Deep clean, 199 square meters.


• Ran out of battery at 13:21, and had to recharge.


• Resumed at 15:32, finished at 17:49. Total cleaning time: 291 minutes.

Cleaning 3

• Started at 18:23, three main rooms, 81 square meters. Standard clean.


• Finished at 21:49. Total cleaning time: 133 minutes.

Cleaning 4

• Started at 10:00 on schedule. Full clean, 101 square meters.


• Finished at 14:38. Total cleaning time: 164 minutes.

The Saros 10R is not quick unless I have it in the quick mode that leaves more space between passes. It takes a significant amount of time for a clean, and it can and will run almost all day if I set it to clean the entire house and it needs to charge. Cleaning in sections means it doesn't need to charge as often.

It takes around 2.5 hours for it to charge up, but it will always resume when it runs out of battery.

Bottom Line

The Saros 10R is one of Roborock's newest cleaning bots, and of the few that I've tried, it's the most impressive. My floor looks and feels much cleaner, and it takes almost no interaction from me. There have been a few instances where the robot gets itself tangled in cords and loses a mop, but the obstacle avoidance is good enough that it avoids a lot of cable issues, stays away from any pet messes, and knows not to get itself trapped in furniture that's hard to navigate. It doesn't struggle with my rugs, or the thresholds between rooms.

It's the most hands-off cleaning experience that I've had, and that has value. I don't have to spend over an hour a week vacuuming and more when I mop, I don't have to fuss with the robot, and the floor is clean throughout the week. I do wish the battery lasted longer because it can't get through the house on a single charge when it's vacuuming and mopping, but that's manageable by splitting up the areas cleaned each day.

At this price, a robot vacuum needs to be essentially perfect, and able to hold up to longterm daily use. I tested the Saros 10R by using it daily for a little over two months, because I wanted to give it more time than I would the average review. It's so far held up and continues to work well, but I'm going to keep using it to give updates on its longevity.

It definitely cleans super well, navigates almost perfectly, and is easy to use, but I expect something priced this high to work for a long time, and that's not a metric I can judge just yet.

How to Buy

The Saros 10R can be purchased from the Roborock website or from Amazon for $1,600.

Note: Roborock provided MacRumors with a Saros 10R for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received.
This article, "Review: Siri Can Clean Your House With the Roborock Saros 10R" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Nanoleaf, known for its range of iPhone-connected lighting products, today announced the launch of two new devices. The Nanoleaf Rope Light is a super flexible LED light strip that can be bent into almost any shape.


It is more flexible than Nanoleaf's traditional light strips, and it has a silicone cover that diffuses the light so it does not need to be under or behind a TV, display, or other device. It can be crafted into a specific shape, manipulated into an abstract design, or used to outline furniture and decor.

Each $70 rope light is five meters long (16 feet), and it can display multiple colors at one time. Nanoleaf ships it with mounting clips so that it can be securely mounted to a wall in a myriad of designs. There are 420 total LEDs inside the light, and it is 300 lumens, so more of an ambient lighting product than a lamp replacement.

The Matter Smart Multicolor Rope Light can be controlled via the Nanoleaf app, and it is also able to connect to HomeKit over Matter so that it can be controlled with the Home app and with Siri voice commands. Matter integration also allows it to be controlled alongside other ‌HomeKit‌ products in scenes and automations. More than 16 million colors are supported, with customizable colors and patterns available in the Nanoleaf app.

Nanoleaf's Solar Garden Lights are an affordable solar accent lighting option, priced at $50 for two. Unlike most Nanoleaf products, the Solar Garden Lights do not connect to ‌HomeKit‌ or the Nanoleaf app, and they are instead controlled via an included remote control.


There are eight bulbs per Solar Garden light, along with a solar panel that can be placed in the sun to keep the lights charged up. Alternatively, the lights include a USB-C port and can also be charged that way.

We were able to test out the Solar Garden Lights ahead of launch, and found that they worked well. A quick USB-C charge provided enough power to get them up and running, and charging in the sun kept them powered. The lights are not designed to come on during the day, and like many solar lights, will activate only at night.

While app controls would be nice, the remote cycles through 11 animated scenes with different colors, and eight solid color options. There are also warm and white light settings for those who don't care for multicolored lights. The stems for the bulbs can be manipulated into an ideal shape, and Nanoleaf ships stakes in two sizes so you can adjust height to your liking. The lights look nice positioned around plants given the spray design.

The Solar Garden Lights feature IP65 weatherproofing so they will hold up to rain and the elements, and there are controls to run them for 4, 6, and 8 hour increments. Compared to the inexpensive solar lights that are easy to find at big box stores, Nanoleaf's have a sturdier solar attachment and quality, flexible bulbs with a unique look. Up to 20 lights can be controlled at once, and Nanoleaf has multi-packs available.

Both of the new products can be purchased from Nanoleaf's website starting today. The Solar Garden Lights are priced starting at $50, and the Rope Light is $70.

In addition to introducing new products today, Nanoleaf also announced that it is expanding into 2,500 Walmart retail locations across the United States. Nanoleaf products will be available for purchase at Walmart in addition to Amazon, the Nanoleaf website, Best Buy, and other retailers.
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Google today announced that it is adding a dedicated AI Mode to Google Search, which is an expansion of the existing AI Overviews feature that Google provides for standard searches. AI Mode is able to handle longer, harder search queries with multiple facets.


Questions are broken down into different parts, with multiple searches run simultaneously on separate databases to provide a timely answer that takes into account personal context to make results more relevant to each user. It can generate images, including custom charts, and it supports follow-up questions.

AI Mode is rolling out to all users in the United States starting today, and it will be accessible through a new tab in Google Search for desktop and the Google Search apps. It will let users make more complex queries that are designed to leverage AI capabilities.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai said that AI Mode's predecessor, AI Overviews, has been "one of the most successful launches for search in the last decade." Pichai did not address the impact that AI Overviews have had on publishers. AI Overviews and AI Mode pull content from websites, giving people little reason to click on links to source information directly where it came from. AI Mode will display links, much like AI Overviews, but with detailed summaries that are provided, there's little reason for people to visit websites from the search interface.

AI Mode will incorporate AI agent capabilities, so it will be able to field requests like "find two affordable tickets for this Saturday's Reds game," and it will also work for shopping. AI Mode will be able to help users find specific items, such as a rug, with refinements that take into account factors like children or pets, colors, and more. Google's AI Mode will be able to track prices on items, and let you know when something you want is on sale.

For clothing shopping, AI Mode includes a virtual try-on option. It can use a photo of the user to create a preview of what an item of clothing will look like when worn. The feature works by generating an AI model of the user's body, and displaying how clothing will drape in a realistic way. There's also a "buy it for me" option that can be used for making purchases directly from search. The new shopping features are set to arrive in the coming months, though try on is available in Labs now.

This summer, AI Mode will adopt personal context, aggregating past searches and information from apps like Gmail to provide more customized responses.

AI Mode will now power AI Overviews in the standard search interface, and some of the new AI Mode capabilities will be incorporated into AI Overviews.
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Apple today released a new firmware update for the USB-C version of the AirPods Max headphones. The new firmware is version 7E108, up from the prior 7E101 firmware the device was previously running.


There is no word on what's new in the firmware as of yet, if anything. It is likely that the update focuses on under-the-hood performance improvements.

With the prior 7E101 firmware, Apple added support for lossless audio and ultra low-latency audio for the USB-C ‌AirPods Max‌, so there could also be a bug fix related to this capability.

The USB-C ‌AirPods Max‌ now support 24-bit 48 kHz lossless audio, which is designed to allow listeners to experience music the way the artist created it in the studio.

Firmware can be installed by putting the ‌AirPods Max‌ in Bluetooth range of an iPhone, iPad, or Mac that's connected to Wi-Fi, and then plugging them in to charge. It can take up to 30 minutes for firmware to update.

You can check your firmware version by going to Settings > Bluetooth and selecting the Info button next to the ‌AirPods Max‌ when they are connected to an ‌iPhone‌, ‌iPad‌, or Mac.

Update: Apple's release notes state only that the update delivers "bug fixes and performance improvements" without providing any detail on what has changed.
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Google is bringing a new live view feature to its Gemini apps on iOS and Android, allowing users to live stream their surroundings to Gemini to get feedback on what they're seeing. Integration is rolling out starting today.


In a demo, Gemini identified objects that the user was looking at, corrected wrong assumptions about what an object was, and provided context by answering questions. Gemini's live view can identify objects in real-time, provide assistance with DIY or home improvement projects, help organize spaces, assist with shopping, and more.

You can also share your iPhone or iPad screen with Gemini to get feedback on something that you see online.

Gemini's Live option could be helpful for those who are blind or who have low vision, as it can provide a live vocal feed of a person's surroundings. Live is built on Project Astra, which Google previewed at I/O last year, and it previously rolled out to Pixel devices.

This summer, Google also plans to add personal context to Gemini for features like Gmail's smart reply. Gemini will be able to use relevant information across Google apps to provide a more personalized experience. For example, the AI reply feature in Gmail can sound like you, rather than having a generic voice. It is able to scan past emails to match tone, style, and word choice, plus it can look up notes, documents from Google Drive, and more to add context to emails.
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Apple will make its artificial intelligence models available to developers to use in their apps, reports Bloomberg. The company plans to introduce a new software development kit (SDK) in iOS 19 that will make it easier for app creators to add AI features.


The SDK will feature the same large language models that Apple is using for Apple Intelligence features like notification summaries, Writing Tools, Genmoji, and Image Playground, but Apple will first focus on the smaller models that are able to run on-device.

Apple has faced criticism for its failure to deliver ‌Apple Intelligence‌ Siri features in a timely manner. Apple announced a new personalized ‌Siri‌ experience at WWDC 2024 and intended to release the new capabilities as part of iOS 18, but the functionality was not ready in time and is now being held until ‌iOS 19‌.

Some of Apple's other features, like Writing Tools and ‌Image Playground‌, haven't seen widespread adoption. According to Bloomberg, Apple is hoping that opening up its AI models to developers will provide use cases that better attract consumers. Currently, developers can integrate notification summaries, Writing Tools, ‌Genmoji‌, and ‌Image Playground‌ into their apps, but they aren't able to create new AI features using Apple's framework. Instead, developers who want to include AI integrate third-party models, which Apple is aiming to change.

Apple's AI announcements will come at the Worldwide Developers Conference, which is set to take place on Monday, June 9.

Apple has also been working on in-house large language models (LLMs), and eventually the company plans to introduce a version of ‌Siri‌ that relies on LLMs and is more like ChatGPT, Claude, and other chatbots. The LLM version of ‌Siri‌ isn't expected until 2026 at the earliest, and it will likely be part of iOS 20.
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iPhone and iPad users can now set Google Translate as their default translation app on iOS, replacing Apple's built-in Translate app as the go-to option.


To change your default app, you'll need to install the latest version of the Google Translate app, which was released today. From there, you can open up the Settings app, select the Apps section, tap on Default Apps, tap Translation, and choose Google Translate instead of Apple Translate.

The default translation app can be changed as long as you're running iOS 18.4 or iPadOS 18.4 or later.

iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 added the ability for users to set a different translation app as their default, and Google seems to be the first company to add support for the function. Users worldwide can select Google Translate as an alternative, and there are also options for changing the default Email, Messaging, Calling, Browser, and Password apps. In the EU, users can also select a different default navigation app, such as Google Maps.
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Apple today stopped signing iOS 18.4.1, a week after releasing the iOS 18.5 update. Because iOS 18.4.1 is no longer being signed, iPhone users who upgraded to iOS 18.5 are no longer able to downgrade to the previous version of iOS.


"Signing" is a server-side verification check that Apple does when iOS is downloaded onto an ‌iPhone‌. An update can't be downloaded and installed unless it passes the verification check, and the unsigning process prevents customers from installing outdated versions of iOS that are not as secure.

Apple typically stops signing older software about a week after releasing an update, and doing so ensures that customers have the latest security improvements and are not vulnerable to known attacks.

iOS 18.5 added new wallpaper, a Screen Time password change for parents, and support for carrier-provided satellite features on ‌iPhone‌ 13 models. It also addressed more than 30 security vulnerabilities.

Apple has also stopped signing iPadOS 17.7.6, because it released iPadOS 17.7.8 earlier today as a replacement for the iPadOS 17.7.7 update that was causing issues for some people.
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Spotify is taking full advantage of Apple's recent U.S. App Store changes, and it's now possible for Spotify subscribers to see audiobook pricing and make audiobook purchases using a web view in the Spotify app.


Spotify said today that Apple approved its latest update, which includes the audiobook functionality. If you've kept up with the disputes between Apple and Spotify over the years, you might remember that the two companies had a fight over audiobooks back in 2022.

When Spotify first added audiobooks to its app, Apple rejected the update three times because Spotify was breaking rules about how apps are allowed to communicate with users about purchasing options outside of the ‌App Store‌. Spotify wanted to send customers to buy books online to listen to in the app, and at the time, Apple had a rule allowing apps to send emails to customers about online purchases. Spotify's email had a link to purchase options, though, and Apple wouldn't allow it.

Spotify ultimately surrendered in 2022 and removed information about how to purchase an audiobook from the Spotify app, and that's how audiobooks on Spotify worked until now. The U.S.‌App Store‌ changes that Apple was ordered to implement allow for apps to direct customers to purchase options outside of apps, so Spotify is able to distribute audiobooks the way it wanted to in 2022.

When you tap on the audiobooks tab in the Spotify app and choose an audiobook, tapping on the lock icon over the audiobook opens up the Spotify website where the audiobook can be purchased directly from Spotify, with no in-app purchase option. There's also an option for Spotify Premium subscribers to buy "Top Up" hours to listen add to the 15 hours of audiobook playtime included with a Spotify membership.


In a blog post, Spotify praises the court decision that allowed for the U.S. ‌App Store‌ change.

This change lowers the barriers for more users to embrace their first - or tenth - audiobook, while allowing publishers and authors to reach fans and access new audiences seamlessly. It also helps level the playing field by allowing all developers to offer basic pricing information and easy-to-access links for consumers to purchase digital goods and services through iPhones with no unnecessary steps or additional taxes levied by Apple. In short, this freedom is a win for authors, audiences, and developers everywhere--if the legal ruling stands despite Apple's continued attempts to stop it.

Spotify previously updated its app to allow Spotify users to upgrade to a Premium subscription using the Spotify website, without Spotify having to give Apple a cut of the purchase price.

Apple is appealing the court ruling, but for now, all app developers in the U.S. are able to submit app updates that direct customers to in-app web views for making purchases that do not involve the in-app purchase system.
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Epic Games is continuing its campaign to get Fortnite back on the iPhone in the U.S., and it's looking like Apple might have to fold. Last week, Apple refused to allow Fortnite in the U.S. App Store and ignored ‌Epic Games‌' submission, and because ‌Epic Games‌ tied the update to Fortnite in the EU, Fortnite has been offline on iOS devices worldwide since Friday.


With Apple blocking Fortnite from returning to the U.S. ‌App Store‌, ‌Epic Games‌ told the court that Apple was violating the injunction and asked that Apple be forced to approve the app. The judge overseeing the case responded to Epic's request today, and she is sounding more and more fed up with Apple's continued defiance and Epic's grousing.

If Apple does not approve Fortnite in the U.S. ‌App Store‌ and resolve its current dispute with ‌Epic Games‌ without the court's intervention, there will be a hearing on May 27, and the "Apple official" who oversees compliance will need to attend in person. That could mean ‌App Store‌ chief Phil Schiller or another executive.

The Court is in receipt of Epic Games, Inc.'s Motion to Enforce the Injunction. The Court thus issues this Order to Show Cause as to why the motion should not be granted. Briefing shall occur on the schedule listed below and shall include the legal authority upon which Apple contends that it can ignore this Court's order having not received a stay from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal even though its request was filed twelve days ago on May 7, 2025.

Obviously, Apple is fully capable of resolving this issue without further briefing or a hearing. However, if the parties do not file a joint notice that this issue is resolved, and this Court's intervention is required, the Apple official who is personally responsible for ensuring compliance shall personally appear at the hearing hereby set for Tuesday, May 27, 2025 at 9:00 a.m. in the United States District Court, Northern District of California, Oakland, California, Courtroom One.

Apple told ‌Epic Games‌ [PDF] that the injunction does not change its legal right to have terminated the ‌Epic Games‌ developer account back in 2020. Apple also reiterated its stance that it will not consider allowing Fortnite to return to the ‌App Store‌ until all U.S. litigation has ended. At the current time, Apple is appealing the court's ruling that forced it to change its U.S. ‌App Store‌ rules to allow developers to link customers to purchase options available outside of the ‌App Store‌. That appeal is still pending and Apple has not yet heard from the court.

It's possible Apple will want to avoid further court time and will approve Fortnite in the U.S., but Apple may also opt to return to court to argue that it has the right to continue to deny the reinstatement of the ‌Epic Games‌ developer account and Fortnite's return to the ‌App Store‌.

Apple has otherwise complied with the court's injunction, and has allowed apps like Spotify and Patreon to submit app updates that include links to web purchase options instead of in-app purchases.

As of now, Fortnite is still offline worldwide. ‌Epic Games‌ could submit the EU version of Fortnite alone so that it could be distributed through the ‌Epic Games‌ alternative app marketplace in the European Union, but Epic is opting not to do so. ‌Epic Games‌ is placing the blame for Fortnite's absence in the European Union on Apple, and is lamenting the "sad" situation on social media. ‌Epic Games‌ has used Fortnite's popularity in the past, attempting to get Fortnite players to pressure Apple to accept the app.
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Chinese company Huawei, a major Apple competitor in China, today introduced the launch of the MateBook Fold, an ultra light and thin folding computer. Huawei tends to be fond of Apple aesthetics, so the MateBook Fold and the marketing materials that go along with it have an Apple vibe.


Apple is rumored to be working on a device that's not too far off from what Huawei is showing off, with rumors suggesting that Apple will come out with some kind of dual-screen foldable that's around 13 inches. Some rumors call it an iPad, and some call it a MacBook, but it'll come down to operating system.


Huawei says that the MateBook Fold brings "ultimate aesthetics" and represents the "peak of creation" with an "amazing opening and closing" mechanism. The MateBook is 13 inches when it's closed, but it opens to a dual-layer 18-inch OLED display with a 3.3K resolution and 1600 nits peak brightness. It features what Huawei calls a "water drop" hinge, that's able to open up to lay flat or hover at different angles so the device can be used as a tablet in landscape or portrait mode or as a dual display notebook.

While the MateBook Fold comes with a separate keyboard, it also has an on-screen version that can be activated by touching eight fingers to the display. The virtual keyboard can be used when the device is flat or when it's folded in a notebook orientation.


The MateBook Fold is just over two and a half pounds, and it is 7.3mm when unfolded and 14.9mm when folded up. When open, it's thinner than an iPhone 16 Pro Max, but not as thin as Apple's 13-inch iPad Pro.

Huawei is selling the MateBook Fold starting at 23,999 Chinese Yuan, which equates to about $3,330. It's not for sale in the United States, and you can only get it in China right now.


As for Apple's foldable notebook or ‌iPad‌, it's rumored to be coming sometime around 2027. It too is expected to have a screen that's over 18 inches when unfolded, and it will be able to function as either a display with an attached keyboard, or a more traditional notebook when folded in half. More rumors can be found in our Apple foldable iPad guide.
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Earlier this year, Nomad came out with a unique universal cable that's able to charge the Apple Watch while also charging USB-C devices like the iPhone, iPad, and Mac.


I took the Universal Cable for Apple Watch with me on a recent trip as my only charging option, and it ended up working well to charge the Apple Watch, Steam Deck, ‌iPhone‌, ‌iPad‌, and MacBook Pro that I had with me on the trip.

This is a USB-C to USB-C cable, but it has an Apple Watch charging puck added to the end below the USB-C connector on one side. Either side can be plugged into a USB-C power adapter that's then plugged into the wall, but a power adapter is not included and you'll need to supply your own. Since this is a cable that can be used for charging a Mac, a 100W power adapter works best if you have a ‌MacBook Pro‌.


The cable is 1.5 meters, which was fine for charging at night, but I prefer a longer cable during the day just in case I'm not close to a power outlet, so the cable length was a bit inconvenient when trying to use it as my sole travel cable.


Nomad uses a sturdy, kevlar-reinforced braided design for its cables, and the Universal Cable feels like it's going to hold up to a lot of abuse. In fact, I have a cat that likes to take a nibble on cables now and then, but the Universal Cable hasn't suffered damage. There's a silicone tie attached to the cable, which is nice for wrapping it up when it's not in use.


I used the cable with the Apple Watch charger at the power adapter and at the end plugged into a device, and it was fine either way. I have a Braided Loop watch band, so when the cable was plugged into the wall on one end and plugged into a device at the other, my Apple Watch band couldn't go around the charger, but I ended up just flipping the band up and sticking my watch on the charger.

With a 100W power adapter, my phone was able to fast charge with USB-C and my watch was able to fast charge with the Apple Watch adapter. Note that the cable is limited to 100W charging speeds, so it is not one of the cables that supports 240W. There's not too much else to say because it's just a cable with an Apple Watch charger attached, but it worked well as my only travel charging option for a week where most of my devices were in heavy use.


Separately, I've also been testing Nomad's USB-C ChargeKey, which came out earlier this year. It's a cable that I've been keeping with me all the time because it's so small and portable. It attaches to a keyring with the loop at the top, and the two USB-C ends are magnetic and stick together when not in use.


I use this for connecting a power bank to my ‌iPhone‌, but I've also used it for connecting an ‌iPhone‌ to my Mac and for connecting my Fujifilm camera to my Mac and my ‌iPhone‌. It supports up to 10Gb/s data transfer, so it can be used for connecting an SSD to an ‌iPhone‌ for shooting ProRes video.


The ChargeKey is pretty useful for any situation where a small cable will do, and it's nice to have a cable on hand wherever you are.

Bottom Line

If you're looking for an all-in-one charger that's portable and no bigger than a cable and power adapter setup, Nomad offers a solid solution. The cable is able to charge the Apple Watch, but it also has enough power for even Apple's 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌.

As with many of Nomad's products, the main downside is the price. It is a well-designed cable that's probably nicer than any other cable on the market, but $80 is expensive and pricier than some more traditional two-device chargers.

As for the USB-C ChargeKey, it's more reasonably priced and makes for a super convenient addition to a keychain.

How to Buy

Nomad's Universal Cable for Apple Watch can be purchased from the Nomad website for $79.

The ChargeKey can be purchased for $25.

Note: Nomad provided MacRumors with a Universal Cable and Charge Key for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received.
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Apple today released iPadOS 17.7.8, an update that is designed for iPad users who are not able to install the latest iPadOS 18 update.



iPadOS 17.7.8 comes a few days after Apple stopped signing iPadOS 17.7.7, the prior version of iPadOS that was available on older iPads. iPadOS 17.7.7 was preventing some users from being able to log into their apps, and iPadOS 17.7.8 presumably addresses the issue.

According to Apple's release notes, the update includes security fixes.

This update provides important security fixes and is recommended for all users. For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website: https://support.apple.com/100100

iPadOS 17.7.8 is available for the sixth-generation ‌iPad‌, 10.5-inch iPad Pro, and the second-generation 12.9-inch ‌iPad Pro‌. It can be downloaded by going to the Software Update section in the Settings app on eligible devices.
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2027 will mark the 20th anniversary of the iPhone, and Apple is planning to celebrate with an all-new ‌iPhone‌ design. With the 10th anniversary of the ‌iPhone‌, Apple unveiled the all-display ‌iPhone‌ X with no bezels at the top or the bottom for the camera or the Touch ID home button. It marked the debut of Face ID, and dictated the next decade of ‌iPhone‌ design.


For the "‌iPhone‌ XX," Apple needs to do even better, and rumors suggest that the company has some big ideas that it's aiming for.

Apple wants to create an all-glass iPhone that doesn't have cutouts in the display, so there could be a high-end ‌iPhone‌ 19 Pro model that fulfills that requirement. Apple wants a true edge-to-edge display

Design

The 20th anniversary ‌iPhone‌ that Apple is planning for 2027 could feature a radical design, offering a display that has no visible frame or bezels. An early rumor suggests that Apple is aiming for a display that curves around all four edges of the device, for a borderless visual experience.


Apple wants a mostly glass ‌iPhone‌ with a curved display and no cutouts, which would necessitate under-display ‌Face ID‌ and an under-display camera.

An all-glass ‌iPhone‌ with a wraparound display that covers all four edges of the device would be less durable than current ‌iPhone‌ models that have titanium or aluminum frames, so Apple may need to come up with more durable glass before such a device is a possibility.

Battery

Apple is developing new battery technology that could make it into the 2027 ‌iPhone‌ models. Apple is looking into using pure silicon anode batteries, which are able to store more lithium ions per gram than current batteries, resulting in significant increases in battery life without major increases in battery size.

RAM

Apple could use advanced AI memory technology for the 2027 ‌iPhone‌ models. Apple is rumored to be considering Mobile High Bandwidth Memory (HBM), a type of DRAM that stacks memory chips vertically and connects them through tiny vertical interconnects to boost signal transmission speeds.

In smartphones, the technology would provide high data throughput while minimizing power consumption and the physical footprint of RAM dies.

Name

Technically, the 20th anniversary ‌iPhone‌ lineup would be the ‌iPhone‌ 19 lineup, but in 2017, Apple released a surprise "‌iPhone‌ X" alongside the ‌iPhone‌ 8 models. This year, Apple could have similar plans for the high-end device, though what it might be called is unclear.

Apple could decide to call it the ‌iPhone‌ 20, like the decision it made for the ‌iPhone‌ X in 2017, or the company could stick with the ‌iPhone‌ 19 naming. Alternatively, the all-display device could have an entirely new name, like iPhone Ultra.

The ‌iPhone‌ that Apple has planned could be a replacement for the ‌iPhone‌ Pro models, or it could be sold alongside them. With plans for a foldable ‌iPhone‌ in 2026, though, it may not make sense to add yet another phone to the lineup.

Launch Date

The 20th anniversary ‌iPhone‌ would presumably come out in the fall of 2027.
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Last week, we shared a list of iPhone safety tools that every iPhone owner should know about, from Emergency SOS and Medical ID to Safety Check and Check In. MacRumors readers had more suggestions on safety information we should highlight, so we have a follow-up.

You Don't Need a SIM to Call Emergency Services

If you have an ‌iPhone‌ with no SIM inside and no cellular service, you can still use it to call emergency services in the United States, Canada, and Australia.

When emergency services are dialed on a smartphone with no SIM, it will automatically connect to any carrier network that's available, no questions asked. If you have an old ‌iPhone‌, it's worth keeping it charged up and available as a spare in case you ever need it in an emergency.

You'll see "SOS" or "SOS only" in the status bar if you're able to use an ‌iPhone‌ with no SIM for an emergency call.

You Don't Need Signal to Call Emergency Services

Likewise, if you have no signal and you're in an emergency situation, try dialing emergency services anyway. Even if your carrier doesn't have signal where you are, there could be another carrier that does, and you can automatically use that network.

If you see "SOS" or "SOS only" in the status bar on your ‌iPhone‌, it means you don't have a signal with your carrier, but you can still use another carrier to make an emergency call. If your phone says No Service or Searching, there is no nearby cellular network to connect to for an emergency call.

If you're in a remote or rural area with no carrier signal from any carrier, you may be able to use Emergency SOS via satellite on an ‌iPhone‌ 14 or later model to place to get help in an emergency.

Your ‌iPhone‌ will let you know that a satellite connection is available whenever you're out of cellular or Wi-Fi range. Using Emergency SOS via Satellite typically requires a clear view of the sky for the ‌iPhone‌ to establish a connection.

Emergency Services and Your Location

When you place an emergency call, your ‌iPhone‌ is able to automatically relay your location to emergency services in the United States.

It does this through a feature called HELO, or Hybridized Emergency Location, which Apple has supported since 2015. HELO uses cell towers and on-device data points like GPS and Wi-Fi to estimate a 911 caller's location.

Location information is relayed through a software system provided by RapidSOS that 911 centers use, and it's how emergency personnel can find you when you call from an ‌iPhone‌.

Wi-Fi Calling

If you're using Wi-Fi calling, you've probably been prompted to enter an Emergency Address. This is so you can be located if you're calling using a Wi-Fi connection. You'll want to make sure your Emergency Address is up to date if Wi-Fi calling is a feature that you use.

You can update your Emergency Address by going to the Settings app, navigating to the Apps section, choosing Phone, tapping on Wi-Fi calling, and then tapping on Update Emergency Address. Apple says you should update your address whenever you change your location.

911 calls will only be placed over Wi-Fi if a cellular network is unavailable, so it's not the default option. When Wi-Fi calling is available, you'll see Wi-Fi in the status bar.

You Can Text 911

In the United States and some other countries, you can text 911 if making a phone call isn't an option. To do so, open the Messages app, type in your emergency services number, and then type your emergency in the text message field.

When you text 911, your ‌iPhone‌ goes into an emergency mode for a 30 minute period, and to exit it, you'll need to restart.

Texting 911 is available on iPhones running iOS 13 or later, and you can also text on an Apple Watch with watchOS 6 or later. Texting 911 requires a cellular connection.

You Can Send Video to 911

As of iOS 18, there is an option to share streaming video and recorded media with 911 operators during emergency calls. When you call 911, emergency dispatchers can send a request to share live video or photos over a secure connection.

The ability to share photos and video with emergency services is available thanks to Apple's partnerships with RapidSOS and Prepared.

Carrier Satellite Services vs. Apple Emergency SOS via Satellite

On the ‌iPhone‌ 14 and all later ‌iPhone‌ models, there is a built-in Apple-provided satellite connectivity feature that can be used for emergency situations, texting, and updating your location when Wi-Fi and cellular connectivity are not available.

Separately, some carriers also offer satellite connectivity, and this is distinct from Emergency SOS via Satellite. Apple and cellular carriers haven't done a great job making the distinction between Emergency SOS via Satellite and carrier-provided satellite services, so there can be some confusion.

To use Emergency SOS via Satellite, you need an ‌iPhone‌ 14 or later, and you need to use Apple's satellite services provided by Globalstar. Emergency SOS via Satellite is the default on your ‌iPhone‌, and it will show up when you do not have a cellular or Wi-Fi connection.

With carrier services, what's available varies by carrier, and it comes into play if you have an older ‌iPhone‌ or are in an area where you can't get connectivity through one of Globalstar's satellites. Most carrier satellite services right now are provided through Starlink, and with Starlink, you can text over satellite, but not call.

If you have T-Mobile in the U.S., au in Japan, or One NZ in New Zealand, you have access to Starlink satellite connectivity. In an emergency, if Starlink is what you can connect to, you will need to text emergency services by typing 911 (or your local emergency number) in the Messages app. Starlink may support calls and data in the future, but it does not at the current time.

When you see mentions of Emergency SOS and satellite calls on ‌iPhone‌ in news stories, commercials, and other places, it is referencing the built-in satellite option available on the ‌iPhone‌ 14 and later.

Carrier satellite services are now supported on the ‌iPhone‌ 13 and later, so if you have an ‌iPhone‌ 13 model, you may be able to text emergency services using carrier satellite services when you have no signal, but you can't use Emergency SOS via Satellite.

Carrier satellite services may be included in some plans or could cost extra in some situations, and it varies from carrier to carrier.

Siri Health Integration

For a long time now, Apple has partnered with the Suicide Prevention Lifeline to direct customers who may be feeling down to the hotline to get help. If you tell Siri you're thinking of suicide, ‌Siri‌ will suggest that you call and will offer to dial for you.

Telling ‌Siri‌ you're depressed will prompt ‌Siri‌ to offer to call a friend, family member, or NHS.uk.

‌Siri‌ also integrates with other services. If you've been sexually assaulted, ‌Siri‌ will offer to call the National Sexual Assault Hotline. If you've been abused, ‌Siri‌ will offer to call the National Domestic Abuse Hotline.

You can ask ‌Siri‌ to dial 911 (or your local emergency number) if you're not able to. In the U.S., ‌Siri‌ can also dial 988 to reach the National Suicide Prevention and Crisis Hotline.

Add More

Have another tip that you think we should share, safety-related or on another topic entirely? Let us know in the comments or send us an email here.
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For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with GRID Studio to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win an Apple Watch Ultra 2. GRID Studio is known for taking non-operational Apple devices that would be cluttering up a landfill and turning them into stylish art for Apple fans.


GRID Studio takes apart iPhones, iPads, Macs, and other Apple accessories, cleverly displaying each component to provide a look inside Apple's most iconic products. The pieces are arranged in a frame and accompanied by labels and little tidbits of Apple history.

The company is offering a flash sale this weekend, with up to 50 percent off a range of products. The GRID 1, featuring the well-known first-generation iPhone, for example, is available for $299, which is a $100 discount off of the typical price.

The original iPhone is one of Apple's most recognizable devices, and it is the ideal piece to get because it was such an important part of Apple's history. The GRID 1 features all of the internal components from the first ‌iPhone‌, from the home button to the chassis.

For something more affordable, the GRID 6 Plus, featuring the ‌iPhone‌ 6 Plus, is just $99 during the sale. The ‌iPhone‌ 6 Plus was Apple's first larger-sized ‌iPhone‌, sold alongside the ‌iPhone‌ 6. It is perhaps best known for being the subject of the major "bendgate" controversy because the chassis could become distorted in a pocket.


The GRID 13, available for $179, features Apple's more modern ‌iPhone‌ 13. The GRID 13 shows off the newer, flat-edged chassis that Apple introduced with the ‌iPhone‌ 12, a logic board with the A15 chip, and a range of components like the Taptic Engine and the TrueDepth camera system.


GRID Studio does accessories too, such as the Magic Mouse. A disassembled version of the Magic Mouse is on sale for $99, and it feature's Apple's love it or hate it mouse design.


We have an (assembled and functional) ‌Apple Watch Ultra 2‌ from GRID Studio to give away to one lucky MacRumors reader. To enter to win, use the widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winner(s) and send the prize(s). You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, following us on Instagram, following us on Threads, or visiting the MacRumors Facebook page.

Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years or older, UK residents who are 18 years or older, and Canadian residents who have reached the age of majority in their province or territory are eligible to enter. All federal, state, provincial, and/or local taxes, fees, and surcharges are the sole responsibility of the prize winner. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.

The contest will run from today (May 16) at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time on May 23. The winner will be chosen randomly on or shortly after May 23 and will be contacted by email. The winner will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before a new winner is chosen.
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Apple today clarified that it has not blocked Epic Games from updating the iOS Fortnite app in the European Union, but it is not planning to allow ‌Epic Games‌ to offer Fortnite in the United States App Store at the current time.


In a statement to Bloomberg, Apple said that ‌Epic Games‌ tied its U.S. ‌App Store‌ submission to the update that was also being submitted to the ‌Epic Games‌ Store for iOS in the European Union. Apple told ‌Epic Games‌ to resubmit the update without the U.S. component.

We asked that Epic Sweden resubmit the app update without including the US storefront of the App Store so as not to impact Fortnite in other geographies. We did not take any action to remove the live version of Fortnite from alternative distribution marketplaces in the EC.

This morning, ‌Epic Games‌ claimed that Apple blocked its Fortnite submission worldwide. "Apple blocked our Fortnite submission so we cannot release to the US ‌App Store‌ or to the ‌Epic Games‌ Store for iOS in the European Union," Epic Games said. The company went on to claim that Fortnite on iOS will be "offline worldwide until Apple unblocks it."

Given Apple's clarification, it sounds like ‌Epic Games‌ has decided to take Fortnite offline in the European Union rather than submitting an update that does not include Fortnite for the U.S. ‌App Store‌. By tying the updates together and suggesting Apple is denying Fortnite's distribution worldwide, ‌Epic Games‌ could rally lawmakers and customers to push back at Apple's attempt to "block" Fortnite in the U.S.

Fortnite gets weekly updates, and the updates need to go out for all platforms at the same time. Apple didn't remove Fortnite from the iOS ‌Epic Games‌ Store in the European Union, but by denying the Fortnite submission, the EU version of the game won't get the update on time. ‌Epic Games‌ could remove the U.S. ‌App Store‌ version of Fortnite from its app submission in order to update the EU version and keep it functional, but it's not yet clear if Epic plans to do so.

Fortnite has been banned from the U.S. ‌App Store‌ since 2020, and ‌Epic Games‌ does not have a valid U.S. developer account. Last year, to distribute Fortnite in the European Union using an alternative app marketplace, ‌Epic Games‌ created a subsidiary, ‌Epic Games‌ Sweden. Because ‌Epic Games‌ has no U.S. developer account, the company used ‌Epic Games‌ Sweden to submit Fortnite to the U.S. ‌App Store‌.

In the Epic Games vs. Apple lawsuit, Apple was at no point forced to allow Fortnite back in the ‌App Store‌, and it was made clear that Apple does not have an obligation to distribute Fortnite.

‌Epic Games‌ CEO Tim Sweeney said ahead of Apple's decision that he would be "very surprised" if Apple "decided to brave the geopolitical storm of blocking a major app from iOS," but the reality is that Fortnite hasn't been available through the iPhone and iPad ‌App Store‌ for the last five years.

Apple was recently ordered to change its ‌App Store‌ rules to allow developers to direct customers to purchase options outside of the ‌App Store‌ in the U.S., which is why ‌Epic Games‌ thought it would be able to bring Fortnite back to the U.S. ‌App Store‌, but Apple is upholding the ban. There is nothing in the order that changes the situation with Fortnite.
This article, "Apple Says Fortnite for iOS Isn't Blocked Worldwide, Just the U.S." first appeared on MacRumors.com

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If you're having problems using your Apple Card, Apple Cash, Apple Pay, or the Wallet app, you're not alone. According to Apple's System Status page, there is an ongoing issue affecting these services.


Apple says that some users may be experiencing issues with ‌Apple Card‌, Apple Cash, ‌Apple Pay‌, or Wallet, and there are multiple complaints on social media sites about ‌Apple Pay‌ and other features not working.

The outage has been ongoing since 11:44 a.m. Eastern Time. We'll update this article when the services are back online.

Update 2:13 p.m. Eastern Time: Apple says the issues have been addressed.
This article, "Apple Pay, Apple Card, Wallet and Apple Cash Currently Experiencing Service Issues [Update: Fixed]" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple today shared new videos that highlight the upcoming Accessibility features that the company plans to introduce with iOS 19 and macOS 16. Apple this week debuted a number of new Accessibility options that will be coming later this year to honor Global Accessibility Awareness Day.


The first video, uploaded to Apple's main YouTube channel, shows off the Magnifier on Mac feature. We saw this video Tuesday in Apple's newsroom post, but it's now easier to watch over on YouTube. In the spot, a woman uses an iPhone connected to her Mac in a classroom setting to zoom in on the chalkboard so she can better see the professor's notes and diagrams.

Magnifier on Mac uses the ‌iPhone‌ camera's zoom feature, beaming the feed to a Mac through Continuity Camera. There are options for creating multiple live session windows for tracking a presentation while also zooming in on a textbook, and each view can be customized with different brightness levels and color and contrast filters to suit individual needs. Magnifier on Mac is an extension of the existing Magnifier option on the ‌iPhone‌, which allows the ‌iPhone‌ to be used to zoom in on text and detect objects.

Apple's second video was shared on the Apple Music YouTube channel, and it focuses on Music Haptics on ‌iPhone‌. Introduced as part of iOS 18, Music Haptics provides taps, textures, and vibrations to the audio of music that's playing, so that users who are deaf or hard of hearing can experience songs.


In ‌iOS 19‌, Apple plans to expand Music Haptics, adding new customization options. Users will be able to experience haptics for a whole song or for vocals only, and there will be settings to adjust the intensity of taps, textures, and vibrations.
This article, "Apple Highlights Magnifier on Mac and iPhone Music Haptics in New Videos" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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