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Benjamin Mayo

bzamayo

Follow Benjamin on Twitter to keep up with his latest projects. Benjamin blogs about Apple news and rumors and posts insightful product and app reviews. Read his work on 9to5Mac and his personal blog.

Benjamin Mayo also creates apps for iOS as a professional indie developer and contractor; more details here. Email to discuss making your iOS project.

on Twitter and follow @bzamayo on Threads.

Connect with Benjamin Mayo

Mass production of two new AirPods models to start in May, targeting fall release

Via Mark Gurman in the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, Apple suppliers are gearing up to begin mass production of the new AirPods, starting in May. AirPods 3 will be replaced by a new lineup of two models.

The new AirPods models represent a new two tier lineup for the non-Pro buds. They will both get an updated design, improved fit and charge via USB-C. The higher-end of the pair will also sport active noise cancellation and Find My locating for the case, similar to AirPods Pro.

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As ‘Masters of the Air’ finale lands, Apple TV+ explores the true stories in new documentary ‘The Bloody Hundredth’

Masters of the Air concludes today with episode nine, the finale of Apple TV+’s hit limited series from the creators of Band of Brothers and The Pacific.

To celebrate the release, Apple has also dropped a new 1-hour documentary special entitled The Bloody Hundredth, which reveals more about the real stories of the 100th Bomb Group. You can stream it now on Apple TV+.

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All MLS matches streaming free on Apple TV app this weekend, no subscription required

You won’t need an MLS Season Pass subscription to watch soccer this weekend. Apple has announced that all matches on March 16 and March 17 will be available to watch for free on the Apple TV app.

Usually, Apple has a couple free games each weekend for non-subscribers, but making the whole weekend free is not the norm. An active subscription to MLS Season Pass (available monthly or $99 per season) is usually needed to tune in to all MLS games with no blackouts or geographic restrictions.

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App Store features exclusive clip from Taylor Swift Eras Tour movie ahead of premiere on Disney+

Apple didn’t win the streaming rights for the Eras Tour movie, but it has collaborated to promote tomorrow’s launch on Disney+.

The App Store app is currently featuring an exclusive never-before-seen clip from the film: you can watch it here. The clip is a snippet of the song ‘cardigan’, which is new addition to the streaming version of the movie.

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Report: Apple testing AI-powered ads platform

Apple is said to be testing an AI-powered ads platform with a select group of partners, via Business Insider.

The AI tool chooses where to place ads in the various App Store promoted ad placement slots. Right now, this is seemingly being used to improve advertiser campaign performance for App Store Search Ads. However, Business Insider speculates the technology could eventually be used elsewhere as Apple gradually expands its offering of ad-supported services.

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USB-C iPhone 15

iPhone 15 charging slowly? How to fast charge iPhone with USB-C

The charging situation for the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro this year has changed. Apple’s proprietary Lightning port has been replaced with USB-C, so now you can charge your phone with almost any USB-C cable and USB-C power adapter that you can find online. But what exactly do you need to make sure you can charge your iPhone battery as fast as possible?

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Apple clarifies how long users can travel outside of the EU before sideloaded apps stop updating

iOS 17.4 introduces support for alternative app stores (alternative app marketplaces) in the European Union, in compliance with the Digital Markets Act.

Apple explained earlier this week how these features are made available, based on the Apple ID region and geolocation of the device. It previously said there was a ‘grace period’ in which users could travel outside the EU for a short time and continue using alternative app marketplaces. The company has now clarified exactly how long that is …

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Apple TV+ shares trailer for new drama starring Colin Farrell, Mythic Quest season four starts filming, more

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There was a bunch of Apple TV+ related announcements today. Firstly, Apple shared the first trailer for its highly-anticipated upcoming drama series Sugar, in which Colin Farrell stars as a Hollywood private investigator. The show premieres in April …

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Apple stock falls to lowest level this year, while other tech companies see AI-fuelled rally

Regain clarity with CleanMyPhone by MacPaw — the new AI-powered cleaning app that quickly identifies and removes blurred images, screenshots, and other clutter from your device. Download it now with a free trial.


Apple’s stock price has been taking a beating in the last few weeks, hitting a low for the year today, closing at $170.12.

Investors are pessimistic on the company’s outlook for a variety of reasons. Following a year of negative revenue growth in 2023, Apple executives forecast only meek growth guidance at its February earnings call. In the key Chinese market, there were more indications today that a recent streak of hot iPhone sales has come to an end. And investors are reeling from the EU’s $2bn fine for ‘illegal’ App Store policies, which threatens future Services revenue growth.

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Parents can block ‘unsafe’ apps from outside of the App Store from being installed, here’s how

Regain clarity with CleanMyPhone by MacPaw — the new AI-powered cleaning app that quickly identifies and removes blurred images, screenshots, and other clutter from your device. Download it now with a free trial.


With iOS 17.4 in the EU, iPhone users can install apps from outside of the App Store for the first time. While Apple says that apps from its App Store meet all of its standards for quality, privacy and security, legally the company is not allowed to curate the availability of apps in third-party app marketplaces.

Apple warns that apps from outside the App Store may include hate speech, extreme violence, encourage consumption of illegal drugs, pornography and more. The iOS Parental Controls system allows parents to choose whether family members can install apps from alternative app market places — here’s how …

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iOS 17.4 alternative iPhone app stores will stop working if you travel outside the EU

Regain clarity with CleanMyPhone by MacPaw — the new AI-powered cleaning app that quickly identifies and removes blurred images, screenshots, and other clutter from your device. Download it now with a free trial.


iOS 17.4 in the European Union brings Apple’s first operating system release that complies with the regulatory framework of the Digital Markets Act. This includes support for alternative app stores — or as Apple calls them, ‘alternative app marketplaces’ — which allows iPhone users to download apps from outside the walls of the Apple App Store for the first time.

The availability of functionality is geo-restricted to the EU only, and Apple has detailed for the first time how it detects this. But perhaps more surprisingly, it also turns out that existing app marketplaces you have downloaded to your device will stop working if you leave the EU for too long.

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Apple launches new 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air with M3 chip, support for two external displays, faster Wi-Fi

MacBook

Apple today announced its next-generation M3 MacBook Air range, in 13-inch and 15-inch sizes. The new models are available to order today, and will start shipping March 8.

The new laptops feature the M3 chip with faster CPU and GPU performance, an upgraded Neural Engine, and up to 2x faster Wi-Fi. The chip now also supports connecting up to two external displays at once, finally making up for one of the few feature regressions in the transition from Intel to Apple Silicon … sort of.

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Apple fined $2 billion by EU commission for ‘abusive’ App Store rules, Apple to appeal

Spotify vs Apple music

The EU commission today announced that it is fining Apple 1.8 billion euros, or about $2 billion USD, for abusing its dominant position in the market for distribution of music streaming services, with ‘abusive’ App Store rules. Specifically, the EU says Apple’s anti-steering provisions prevented Spotify and other Apple Music competitors from telling customers about alternative ways to subscribe.

Apple rejects the findings and will appeal the decision, as indicated by its just-published strongly worded press release. Apple says the EU has found no evidence of consumer harm, and “ignores the reality of a market that is thriving, competitive and growing fast”. In a statement, Spotify welcomed the judgement and its effective implementation.

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Ridley Scott’s ‘Napoleon’ movie is now streaming on Apple TV+

Napoleon Apple TV

You can now watch Napoleon on Apple TV+ today. Following an exclusive theatrical run and VOD window, the Ridley Scott epic is now streaming free with an Apple TV+ subscription.

In the film, Joaquin Phoenix stars as Napoleon Bonaparte and Vanessa Kirby plays his wife Josephine. The film charts Napoleon’s relationship and military career, from his big victories to his ultimate demise.

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Apple TV+ adds a limited time library of 50 movies to stream for free

Apple TV+ has launched a limited time collection of movies to stream for free as part of your Apple TV+ subscription. The company has done this occasionally in the past to coincide with the themed release of new originals, but this is by far the biggest drop. Unfortunately, it is only available to subscribers in the US.

The collection includes big name titles like The Wolf of Wall Street, Saving Private Ryan, Mad Max: Fury Road and more.

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Apple’s self service repair program now includes M3 MacBook Pro and iMac

Apple today expanded its Self Service Repair Program to include the latest Mac models, the M3 MacBook Pro and M3 iMac introduced in October 2023. This allows customers to order Apple-certified parts and conduct repairs on these machines themselves, without needing to go to an Apple Store or another repair shop.

Next month, Apple will also roll out Apple Diagnostics app support so users can assess performance of their machines, and an update to System Configuration will mean users can perform Mac repairs fully independently, without needing to contact the Self Service Repair support team to run the final steps.

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Apple Pay Later loans will now appear on Experian credit reports

Apple Pay Later, the feature where you can spread an Apple Pay purchase across four equal installments with zero interest, is leading the way when it comes to consumer credit transparency.

Experian and Apple announced today they are working together to include Apple Pay Later pay-in-4 loans in a consumer credit report. Apple is the first major BNPL provider to provide loan and payment history directly to a credit reporting agency.

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Gurman: iOS 18 to include redesigned UI elements, macOS ‘revamp’ to follow later

In today’s edition of Bloomberg’s Power On newsletter, Mark Gurman reports that Apple is working on redesigning iOS and macOS.

It sounds less drastic than the visual changes seen in the iOS 6 to iOS 7 transition, though. He writes “the company is indeed working to update the design of iOS as early as this year, but I don’t believe it will be a total overhaul that mirrors visionOS”. While Gurman says we can expect to see changes in iOS 18 this summer, the work on macOS has only just started and won’t be ready until 2025 or 2026.

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Gurman: Apple exploring future wearable ideas including AirPods with cameras, smart glasses

In the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, Mark Gurman writes that Apple is exploring various form factors for future wearable products.

That includes smart glasses similar to the Amazon Echo Frames or the Meta Ray-Bans, which offer some smart audio and AI features (able to ship much earlier in than the goal of full augmented reality glasses that can supplant the Vision Pro). Apple is also investigating how to add cameras to the AirPods earbuds, potentially obviating the need for a separate smart glasses product altogether.

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Apple Search Ads expands to Brazil and eight more countries

Apple Search Ads

Apple Search Ads is launching soon in more countries, expanding into the Latin America region. Ads will soon start appearing in the App Store for Brazil, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama and Paraguay.

That means app developers will be able to market in more than 70 countries through Apple Search ads. With “Search Ads”, ads can be targeted to show up in the Today app, at the bottom of app product pages, at the top of search results and in the Search tab’s “Suggested” section.

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Watch all 2024 Major League Soccer games with MLS Season Pass on Apple TV

The Major League Soccer season starts today, and once again Apple is your exclusive streaming home of all the games. Watch with an MLS Season Pass subscription priced at $99 for the whole season, or discounted to $79 for Apple TV+ subscribers.

MLS Season Pass includes live and VOD streams of all MLS 2024 regular season and playoff matches, broadcasted in English and Spanish. Watch on the Apple TV app on Apple devices and third-party platforms like Amazon Fire Stick, Roku, PlayStation, Xbox and more. You can also watch in a web browser at tv.apple.com.

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Apple releases Sports app for iPhone, featuring real-time scores, stats and more

Apple today launched a new free app for the iPhone, called Apple Sports. As the name suggests, it is a dedicated destination for users to keep up-to-date with scores and stats for their favorite teams.

Apple Sports is available to download now for iPhone users in the US, UK and Canada. At launch, it covers MLS, NBA, NCAA basketball, NHL, Premier League, and more …

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