Apple today released a new update for Safari Technology Preview, the experimental browser Apple first introduced in March 2016. Apple designed the Safari Technology Preview to test features that may be introduced into future release versions of Safari.
Safari Technology Preview 174 includes fixes and updates for CSS, CSS Container Queries, Layout, JavaScript, Media, Popover, Accessibility, SVG, and Web API.
The update now features content coming in Safari 17 alongside macOS Sonoma. On Sonoma, the browser offers Profiles for separating browsing data like History and Favorites, web apps, and improved private browsing mode. Features for all operating systems include Feature Flags (replacing Experimental Features), a redesigned Develop menu, Live Text support for vertical text recognition in images and videos, HEIC support, and JPEG XL, a new image format with an improved compression algorithm for better image quality at smaller file sizes than JPEG.
The current Safari Technology Preview release is compatible with machines running macOS Ventura and macOS Sonoma, the latest version of macOS that Apple is beta testing right now.
The Safari Technology Preview update is available through the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences or System Settings to anyone who has downloaded the browser. Full release notes for the update are available on the Safari Technology Preview website.
Apple's aim with Safari Technology Preview is to gather feedback from developers and users on its browser development process. Safari Technology Preview can run side-by-side with the existing Safari browser and while designed for developers, it does not require a developer account to download.
Apple today released updated Rapid Security Response (RSR) fixes that are available for iPhone and iPad users running the iOS and iPadOS 16.5.1 updates and the macOS Ventura 13.4.1 update.
Rapid Security Response updates are designed to provide iOS and macOS users with security fixes without the need to install a full software update. Today's updates address an actively exploited WebKit vulnerability, so it is a good idea to update as soon as possible.
iOS Security Response 16.5.1 (c) and macOS Ventura Security Response 13.4.1 (c) are available through the standard Software Update mechanism in the Settings app. These are quick updates, requiring just a couple of minutes to download the update and then a restart for the install process.
Once the Rapid Security Response update is installed, iOS 16.5.1 users and macOS Ventura 13.4.1 users will see an updated version of the software, and tapping on the version in the About section of Settings will display information about the installed OS version and the Rapid Security Response update. Those who want to disable Rapid Security Response updates on iPhone can do so by following our how to. The updates can also be disabled on the Mac.
Apple initially introduced these Rapid Security Response updates earlier in the week, but the way they were named caused issues with Safari. Select websites like Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Zoom, and more began giving a warning about not being supported on the Safari browser following the software installation.
As a result, Apple pulled the RSRs pending a fix and provided information to users on how to remove the updates. The new (c) RSRs will not cause the same Safari issue.
Apple today plans to launch its annual "Back to School" promotion in the UK and select countries in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Websites in countries where back to school deals will be going live soon are currently down.
Higher education students and educators in eligible countries can get an Apple gift card, AirPods, or Apple Pencil with the purchase of select Macs and iPads.
Gift cards are available in the UK, France, Italy, Norway, Sweden, Poland, Ireland, Austria, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, and Denmark. In the UK, gift cards valued at up to £130 are available with the purchase of an eligible device, and in other European countries, the amount tops out at €150.
AirPods or an Apple Pencil are available for free with a Mac or an iPad purchase in Germany, Hungary, Czechia, Belgium, Türkiye, Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, and the United Arab Emirates. Customers who buy a 24-inch iMac, MacBook Pro, or MacBook Air can get AirPods 3 with Lightning Case for free, while customers who purchase a Mac mini can get AirPods 2 for free. Upgrades to higher-tier AirPods are available for an additional fee, so those eligible for AirPods 2 can upgrade to AirPods 3 or AirPods Pro, and those eligible for AirPods 3 can upgrade to AirPods Pro. Those who buy an iPad Pro or an iPad Air will get a free second-generation Apple Pencil.
Qualifying devices include the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, and Mac mini, as well as the iPad Pro and the iPad Air.
Apple is providing its standard educational discounts, and students are able to get lower prices on Macs and iPads through the EDU store in each country. Students are also eligible for AppleCare+ at a 20 percent discount.
Apple's Back to School promotion requires verification through UNiDAYS in many countries, with full terms and conditions available on the promotional pages for Apple's country-specific websites.
Back to School deals will be available when the EDU stores in each country come up in a few hours and they will last through October 23, 2023.
Last year, accessory company Alogic launched its 27-inch "Clarity" display, offering a 4K experience with 90 watts of power delivery to charge a connected computer, an array of connectivity options, and hub functionality for connecting peripheral devices.
With an IPS display for viewing across a wide range of angles, 97% coverage of DCI-P3 color, HDR 400 support, and the ability to quickly transition between landscape and portrait orientations, the Clarity display offers a solid set of features, but Alogic is now tacking on some extra features with its just-launched Clarity Pro and Clarity Pro Touch models.
I've been testing out the two new models for a few weeks, and I've found the clever new features included on them to be interesting additions that give buyers some nice options to consider depending on their needs.
All three models use the same basic display and design, and I've found them to be bright with vivid colors for a high-quality viewing experience, thanks in part to the quatum dot (QD) backlighting that offers good contrast and supports over a billion colors.
I've been using a pair of LG UltraFine 5K displays for a number of years now, and I was pleased to find that I didn't really notice any difference in the day-to-day experience when running these 4K displays at a scaled 2560 x 1440 resolution to match the desktop size of my previous 27-inch 5K displays, even though the Alogic displays aren't running at exact retina scaling in this scenario.
What the Clarity Pro adds beyond the standard Clarity display is an integrated webcam, which has a clever privacy-related feature in that it automatically tucks itself away behind the display while not in use, ensuring that the camera can't be surreptitiously accessed by malware or other attacks without your knowledge. If the camera is up, it's active, and if it's down, it can't see anything except the inside of the display housing even if video capture were to be activated without your knowledge.
The camera does make some noise as it moves up and down, which reminds of the potential for motorized parts like this to break over time, but I appreciate the automated privacy aspect of it. I also like the small adjustment wheel that allows for the camera's field of view to be moved up or down to better frame the subject. It doesn't offer as much flexibility as a standalone webcam accessory might, but it's better than a fixed camera integrated into a display bezel, for example.
The 8-megapixel webcam offers solid video quality compared to many other options built into Apple's notebooks or external displays, although the Continuity Camera feature recently added to macOS and iOS means you could do even better by using your iPhone as your Mac's webcam.
I did run into one camera bug with Zoom while trying to use a pair of these displays, as the app would only recognize one of the webcams regardless of which of the identically named Alogic display cameras I selected in video settings. Alogic says this is a known issue without a resolution yet, but I didn't have the same issue with other apps I tested including Skype, FaceTime, and Teams, so it appears to be something specific to Zoom.
Stepping up to the Clarity Pro Touch adds one additional major feature compared to the Clarity Pro, and that's touchscreen support. While macOS doesn't offer as much support for touch functionality as Windows, some drivers and a configuration app from Alogic help provide a decent amount of functionality on macOS. With touchscreen support, you can use either your fingers or a capacitive stylus (Apple Pencil not supported) to interact with onscreen content.
With the UPDD Commander app, you can customize a fairly significant list of touch gestures involving one, two, three, or five fingers with taps, swipes, and drags in various locations on the screen. For instance, a one-finger tap can register as a traditional mouse click, while a two-finger tap can register as a right click and you can even customize which of the two fingers should be considered as the location of the tap.
A swipe up from the bottom of the screen can be configured to show/hide the dock, while other combinations of fingers and gestures can do things like invoke Mission Control, hide or quit apps, minimize windows, and much more. Two-finger rotating and pinching motions can also be recognized, allowing for basic direct manipulation of images for rotation and zoom.
Beyond a series of default gestures, you can also configure gestures on a per-app basis with a number of Mac apps like Finder, Maps, and Preview automatically preconfigured upon installation of Alogic's drivers and apps. But you're free to further customize any of these and add additional apps to the list however you see fit. It took me a little bit of poking around to get everything set up, but once that was done I found the touch functionality to work well and feel pretty natural.
While I still prefer to use a mouse for most things, I have found some utility to the touchscreen functionality on the Clarity Pro Touch. I've settled into a setup with it in portrait orientation off to my left with email, Twitter, and Slack set up on sort of a status screen, and it's handy to be able to reach over and tap into emails or scroll my feeds by touch rather than moving my mouse over from another screen.
All three displays feature a high-quality design with a solid two-piece aluminum stand with height, swivel, and tilt adjustments plus a cable management passthrough in the vertical support. The stand has really nice heft and keeps the display very stable with no wobbling as I type on the same support surface.
The displays also support 100x100 VESA attachments if you prefer other mounting solutions, and Alogic sells an optional Clarity Fold stand that puts the display in a more ergonomic configuration. That's specifically for the Clarity Pro Touch when used for drawing, for example, though the limited Mac support for this functionality makes that setup less appealing for users in the Apple ecosystem.
An assortment of cables in the box including 1-meter USB-C to USB-C (3.2 Gen 1), 1.5-meter USB-A to USB-B, 1.5-meter DisplayPort to DisplayPort, and 1.5-meter HDMI to HDMI options should work with almost any setup.
The displays are on the glossy side, but I didn't find a huge amount of glare in my setup. Black bezels measure approximately 1 cm around the top and sides, and around 2 cm along the bottom. These aren't the thinnest bezels on the market and the thicker bottom bezel looks a little out of place, but I've definitely seen worse and at least the displays and bezels are flat under a continuous sheet of glass except for very thin edges.
Both the Clarity Pro and the Clarity Pro Touch include a four-microphone array for the webcam, and the audio quality was solid in my testing. Less impressive are the onboard dual 5-watt speakers which sound quite hollow compared to the speakers in my MacBook Pro or even the ones in my usual LG UltraFine displays.
Speaker volume and display brightness on Alogic's displays also don't natively respond to the Mac's media keys, even when connected via USB-C. I tried a couple of third-party apps that try to add this functionality, but they yielded only partial success.
I know I've been spoiled by my LG displays that had the benefit of Apple's input to allow those functions to work pretty seamlessly, but the step down for me in audio management on Alogic's displays was still a bit of a disappointment. Volume and brightness can still be managed via button controls on the bottom edge of the display, but nothing beats having everything integrated with macOS for adjustments right from my menu bar or keyboard.
One downgrade for the Clarity Pro and Clarity Pro Touch compared to the original Clarity display is that USB-C passthrough charging is limited to 65 watts instead of 90 watts. This is due to the addition of the built-in webcam, with 25 watts of power reserved for running that.
I do wish Alogic had opted for a higher-wattage power brick on these Pro models to preserve 90-watt computer charging rather than using a 150-watt brick, but given the efficiency of Apple's latest notebooks, 65W will probably be enough to keep even a 16-inch MacBook Pro topped off unless you're performing particularly demanding tasks. It's certainly been sufficient for me, but if you find it's not, you can easily connect another charging source like the MagSafe power adapter.
Alogic displays include some USB hub functionality, though it's important to note that this is pretty limited as it includes just two USB-A ports on the rear of the display and a 3.5mm jack for audio. If your display is connected via USB-C, those USB-A ports will run at USB 2.0 speeds, which is fine for a wired keyboard or mouse, but likely too slow for most users' needs if they're trying to connect external storage.
If you connect the USB-B port on the display to your computer, those USB-A ports can run at USB 3.0 speeds, which is significantly better but still far slower than many other connectivity options. Regardless of the connections, these are still USB-A ports in an age where peripherals are increasingly using USB-C.
For example, connecting a modest USB-C SSD external drive to the display via USB-A over the USB 2.0 speed yielded transfer rates of just 38 MB/s, around 20x slower than a direct connection to my computer via USB-C. But for lower-bandwidth connectivity needs, it'll do just fine.
The original Clarity display carries a regular price of $799.99, while the new Clarity Pro with the webcam functionality comes in a $999.99 and the Clarity Pro Touch is a further $200 upgrade to $1,199.99. That's on the fairly pricey side for 27-inch 4K 60Hz displays, though they do come with a pretty robust set of features.
Alogic is also currently running a 20% off promotion with code ALG20 that brings the prices down to a more palatable $640.00, $799.20, and $959.20 respectively, so this is a nice opportunity to pick up the new displays if they appeal to you.
Note: Alogic provided MacRumors with the Clarity Pro and Clarity Pro Touch displays for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received. MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Alogic. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
The macOS Sonoma update that is in testing allows Mac owners who opt to use Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, or another browser to use Apple's Password Manager for filling passwords.
Developers and public beta testers running macOS Sonoma can use their iCloud Keychain passwords with non-Safari browsers at this time, autofilling passwords and one-time codes. Third-party browsers can also save new passwords.
‼️🔑 macOS Sonoma brings Apple’s password manager to Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and other browsers using their extensions stores with the “iCloud Passwords” browser extension.
If you’re running the macOS Sonoma public or developer beta, you can try it right now! [1/n] pic.twitter.com/stkbQqFtfx
— Ricky Mondello (@rmondello) July 12, 2023
Apple has made an iCloud Passwords Chrome extension available for macOS Sonoma users, and it can be downloaded and installed to access Apple passwords on the Chrome browser or any Chromium-based browser. Apple has also provided an extension for Microsoft Edge users.
Google and other browser developers are also working on implementing support for Passkeys, the password alternative that Apple introduced last year.
Amazon Prime Day is coming to a close later today, so we're quickly recapping all of the best Apple deals that are still live on Amazon right now. Since many of these products have been on sale for a few days, shipping may be delayed, but they're all at some of the lowest prices we've ever seen.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
You will need an active Amazon Prime subscription to see these deals. You can get one month of Amazon Prime for free when signing up this week, and afterwards the service will renew at $14.99 per month or $139 per year.
Apple Watch
Prime Day kicked off with stellar deals on both the Apple Watch SE and Apple Watch Series 8, but as the event went along the Apple Watch SE sales disappeared. Fortunately, all-time low prices remain available on both 41mm and 45mm GPS Apple Watch Series 8 models.
Apple's M1 MacBook Air was the first device to get a discount this Prime Day, and it remains one of the best deals around this week at $249 off. This beats the previous record low price by about $50, and it's still available in all three colors.
Perhaps the Apple product with the most abundant deals this Prime Day, we tracked numerous iPad discounts over the past few days. Many of these are still live, with all-time low prices on the 9th Gen iPad (from $249.99), iPad mini 6 (from $379.99), and iPad Air (from $499.99).
Only the 10th Gen iPad has seen a sale expire so far, with the 256GB Wi-Fi tablet now the only one available at an all-time low price of $529.99.
Amazon provided solid markdowns on a few AirPods this Prime Day. The AirPods Pro 2 remain at their consistent sale price of $199.00 ($50 off) and the AirPods 2 have hit $89.99 ($39 off). These were $10 cheaper yesterday, and they may return to that price before the day ends, but for now this is a good second-best price.
Lastly, we have an Apple-related sale going on today, with Anker offering several great markdowns across its best charging accessories. You can save on USB-C chargers, portable batteries, Bluetooth trackers, and more.
Apple today seeded the first betas of iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 to public beta testers, opening up the new software to the general public for the first time since the Worldwide Developers Conference in June. Developers have had three betas so far, and the first public beta offers the same content as the third developer beta.
Public beta testers who have signed up for Apple's beta testing program can download the iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 updates by opening up the Settings app, going to General, tapping on the Software Update section and toggling on the iOS 17 Public Beta option.
iOS 17 adds a new StandBy option for the iPhone, allowing it to serve as an information hub when it is in a horizontal position and connected to a charger. StandBy mode displays the time, Live Activities, incoming notifications, and tons of widgets.
Speaking of widgets, widgets you use on the Lock Screen and Home Screen are interactive, so you can do things like control a smart light or check off a Reminder without opening an app. Autocorrect is smarter than before, and it's easier to correct mistakes with a quick tap.
AirDrop has a new NameDrop feature for quickly sharing contact information with a person nearby, and the Phone app has customizable Contact Posters that let you choose what people see when you call them.
Live Voicemail shows the voicemail that someone is leaving right on your Lock Screen so you can pick up if it's important, and the Messages app has a refined look and a Check-In feature that's meant to help you get to your destination safely.
FaceTime supports video messages so you can leave a video voicemail if someone misses a call, plus you can use it on the Apple TV. Safari has a locked private browsing window and a password sharing feature, and better tracking prevention. The Maps app now works offline, the Photos app can recognize your pets, and Visual Look Up works with food, symbols, videos, and more.
There's a new mood tracking feature available in the Health app, and later this year, Apple also plans to add a journaling app.
Apple today provided the first beta of the upcoming macOS Ventura update to its public beta testing group, allowing non-developers to test the new operating system ahead of its fall launch.
Public beta testers can download the macOS 14 Sonoma update from the Software Update section of the System Preferences app after signing up on Apple's beta testing website and opting into the public beta under the Beta Updates section.
macOS Sonoma introduces interactive widgets for the desktop, making widgets more useful and more prominent. You can even use your iPhone widgets on your Mac's desktop through a new Continuity feature.
There are updated screensavers that are similar to the high-resolution animated screensavers available on the Apple TV, and for video calls and presenting, there's a Presenter Overlay option that lets you move, walk, and talk in front of content you're sharing from your Mac.
Safari supports web apps so you can add your favorite websites to your Dock, plus there are new Profiles to separate your work browsing and personal browsing. iCloud Keychain supports sharing passwords with others, and private browsing windows are locked when they are not in use.
Enhanced AutoFill is available for PDFs so you can quickly fill in information like names, addresses, and emails, plus users can collaborate on PDFs and see real-time updates through the Notes app.
For more on what's new in macOS Sonoma, including a new Game mode, we have a detailed macOS Sonoma roundup that highlights all of the features in the update.
Apple today provided the first beta of the upcoming watchOS 10 update to public beta testers, allowing the general public to try out the new Apple Watch software ahead of its fall launch.
watchOS 10 can be downloaded after upgrading your iPhone to the public beta version of iOS 17 and after signing up on Apple's beta software website. With those criteria fulfilled, you can open up the Watch app on iPhone, go to General, select Software Update, and choose the watchOS 10 Public Beta option under Beta Updates.
With watchOS 10, Apple is making a major update to the Apple Watch interface with a focus on widgets. The Smart Stack, accessible with a turn of the Digital Crown, displays the information that you need most. What's available changes throughout the day and as the Apple Watch learns your usage habits.
Apple has updated almost all of the built-in apps with an information-forward design that allows for quicker interactions. Weather, Maps, Home, Messages, Activity, Heart Rate, Stocks, and more have all been overhauled.
There are two new watch faces, including Palette and Snoopy. Snoopy features characters from the popular Peanuts cartoon, with the animations changing throughout the day. Palette shows the time in a variety of overlapping colors.
The Maps app has a topography view that shows elevation information, contour lines, hill shading, and points of interest to make it more useful on hikes and when out and about, and for cyclists, there are new advanced metrics, views, and experiences that work through a connection to Bluetooth-enabled cycling accessories.
The Mindfulness app has a new feature for logging moods and emotions, Group FaceTime audio calls are now supported, and NameDrop allows you to quickly exchange contact information with somebody just by holding your Apple Watch near someone's iPhone.
Apple today seeded the first beta of the upcoming tvOS 17 update to its public beta testing group, allowing the general public to download and test the update ahead of its September launch.
Public beta testers can download the tvOS 17 beta by opening up the Settings app on Apple TV, choosing the Software Updates section under System, and then toggling on the Get Public Beta Updates option. Signing up on Apple's public beta website is also required.
tvOS 17 adds FaceTime to the Apple TV, with an iPhone or iPad serving as the camera. The FaceTime interface shows up on the bigger display of the TV, and Center Stage keeps you front and center as you move around the room. There's even a Split View option so you can use FaceTime while watching TV or playing a game on the other part of the screen.
There's a revamped Control Center that makes it quicker to get to key settings and information without needing to go into the Settings app, plus it supports useful shortcuts and tools that are customized for each user.
If you have a second-generation Siri Remote, you can use the Apple TV Remote section in the iPhone's Control Center to track it down, preventing you from losing your remote.
Other new features in tvOS 17 include new aerial screen savers, screen savers based on the Memories section of the Photos app, an enhance dialogue option to make it easier to hear what's being said on a TV show or movie, and more. Additional details can be found in our Apple TV roundup.
We've been keeping track of deals on Apple products and tech accessories during Prime Day, and one of the best discounts overall is on Beats headphones.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Starting with the Beats Studio Buds, these are being discounted to $89.99, down from $149.95. The newer Beats Studio Buds+ are on sale for $149.95, down from $169.95.
The Beats Solo3 Headphones are available for $108.95, down from $199.95 and the the Beats Studio3 Headphones are on sale for $159.99, down from $349.95.
Lastly, the Powerbeats Pro are available for $149.99, down from $249.95 and the Beats Flex are available for $39.00, down from $69.95. For most of these headphones, these are some of the lowest prices we've ever tracked on Amazon.
The upcoming macOS 13.5 update resolves a syncing issue with the third-generation and fourth-generation iPod shuffle, according to Apple's developer release notes. The update is currently in beta testing and will likely be released later this month.
From the release notes:
Resolved Issues
Fixed an issue where iPod shuffle (3rd and 4th generation) cannot be synced due to an unknown error (-244).
Apple discontinued the iPod shuffle in 2017, so this is a niche bug fix, but it evokes nostalgia for the miniature music player. The original iPod shuffle launched in 2005 and was the first model without a screen, allowing for a more portable design and a lower $99 starting price with 512MB of storage. A 1GB model was available for $149.
"iPod shuffle is smaller and lighter than a pack of gum and costs less than $100," said Apple's former CEO Steve Jobs. "With most flash-memory music players users must use tiny displays and complicated controls to find their music; with iPod shuffle you just relax and it serves up new combinations of your music every time you listen."
Beyond new color options in 2012 and 2015, Apple last updated the iPod shuffle in 2010 with a square design and 2GB of storage.
macOS 13.5 will likely be one of the final updates to macOS Ventura, as Apple prepares to release macOS Sonoma later this year.
Yesterday we highlighted some of the best Apple-related product discounts that you can find on Amazon during Prime Day, and now we're focusing on third-party accessory markdowns during the event. In this article you'll find all the best accessories for charging, smart homes, smartphones, and more.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Shoppers should remember that Prime Day sales are typically time sensitive, so purchase quickly if you're interested. Remember that you'll need an Amazon Prime membership to get Prime Day deals. You can sign up for a free 30-day trial of Prime on Amazon if you're a new customer; afterwards the service runs for $14.99/month or $139/year.
Anker
As expected, Anker is offering a massive sale on its best accessories for Prime Day. We've highlighted some of the best products on sale below, including Bluetooth trackers and portable batteries.
There's a big collection of Beats headphones discounted for Prime Day this year, starting with the Beats Studio Buds for $89.99, down from $149.95. The newer Beats Studio Buds+ are on sale for $149.99, down from $169.95.
The Powerbeats Pro are available for $149.99, down from $249.95 and the Beats Studio3 Headphones are on sale for $159.99, down from $349.95. Lastly, the Beats Solo3 Headphones are discounted to $108.95, down from $199.95.
Monitors
Samsung's popular 32-inch Smart Monitor M8 (Model M80B) is down to the best price we've ever seen it on Amazon, available for $379.99, down from $699.99. Back during the 2022 holiday season we tracked this monitor at $399.99, so today's Prime Day discount is a new all-time low price.
In addition to the Smart Monitor M8, Amazon has a wide array of monitors and PCs on sale from HP, Acer, Samsung, and more for Prime Day. One of the highlights is Samsung's 49-inch Odyssey G9 Curved Gaming Monitor for $899.99, down from $1,399.99.
Satechi
Satechi's Prime Day sale includes big savings on USB-C hubs, docking stations, chargers, keyboards, cables, and more.
Of course, some of the best discounts can be found on Amazon's own line of products. This includes Kindle e-readers, Blink security cameras, Fire tablets, and more.
SanDisk, LaCie, Seagate, WD, and more are offering great discounts on hard drives, microSD cards, memory cards, USB drives, external and internal SSDs, and more. In total, you'll find up to 58% off these accessories during Prime Day.
Plugable's Prime Day deals focus on the brand's docking stations, and you can find even more discounts than those listed below on Plugable's Amazon storefront.
Amazon has the Google Nest Thermostat for $84.99, down from $129.99 during Prime Day. This is one of the lowest prices we've seen for the Nest Thermostat, and it's available at this price in all four colors.
Apple this week launched a new Apple Card promotion that will provide customers who sign up for an Apple Card 10 percent Daily Cash back on App Store purchases during the first six months of card ownership.
The deal is only available to new Apple Card owners approved for an account between 7/11/23 and 7/25/23. After signing up, Apple Card users will get a total of 10 percent Daily Cash back on App Store purchases and other Apple services. Qualifying services include Apple Arcade, Apple Books, Apple Fitness+, Apple Music, Apple News+, Apple One, Apple Podcasts Subscriptions, Apple TV+, Apple TV Channels, iCloud, and AppleCare+.
Daily Cash back will be increased for up to $1,000 in total qualifying purchases, for $100 in maximum cash back. The Apple Card must be associated with the Apple ID used to make the App Store or Apple service purchase, and all digital Apple accounts must also have a zero balance as the Apple Card can't supersede digital credits and gift cards. More information can be found on the Apple Card website.
This just showed up in the Apple Pay backend:
Now through 7/25, get a new Apple Card account and earn a total of 10% Daily Cash back for your first six months, up to $100, on Apple Music, Apple TV+, and App Store purchases. This also includes in-app purchases and subscriptions…
— Aaron (@aaronp613) July 11, 2023
Apple frequently runs promotions that offer new Apple Card subscribers extra Daily Cash in order to entice them to sign up for an Apple Card. The Apple Card continues to be limited to U.S. users only, and new Apple Card holders will also be eligible to sign up for the accompanying Apple Savings account to earn 4.15 percent interest on Daily Cash and other deposits.
Apple today released a new firmware update for the Beats Studio Buds earbuds, updating the firmware to 10M4372. The prior update, released in November, was 10M2155.
Apple does not provide information on what's included in firmware updates for its Beats earbuds, so we are not sure what improvements or bug fixes the new software brings.
There's no standard way to upgrade the Beats Studio Buds, but firmware is generally installed over-the-air while the earbuds are connected to an iOS device. Putting the Beats in the case, connecting them to a power source, and then pairing them to an iPhone or iPad should force the update after a short period of time.
If we find notable changes after the firmware update is installed, we'll share details, but the software likely includes performance improvements and bug fixes rather than outward-facing changes.
As Prime Day continues today, we're highlighting all of the best Apple deals you can get for under $100 on Amazon. This includes AirPods, Apple Pencil 2, AirTags, iPhone 14 cases, USB-C chargers, and more.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
In the cheapest category, you can get Apple's 20W USB-C Power Adapter for $14.99, down from $19.00 and the AirTag Leather Loop for $27.99, down from $39.00. For the Leather Loop, only Saddle Brown is available at this low price.
For accessories priced between $30 and $50, there are quite a few sales on Amazon for Prime Day. You can get the MagSafe Charger on sale for $31.00, down from $39.00 and the 35W Dual USB-C Port Power Adapter for $44.99, down from $59.00.
Otherwise, you can find quite a few iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max cases on sale in this price range. Prices start at $37.49 for the Silicone Cases and increase to $44.99 for Leather Cases, with multiple color options available.
Lastly, we're tracking a few deals on Apple products that are just under $100 for Prime Day. You can get an AirTag 4-Pack for $88.49 ($10 off), an Apple Pencil 2 for $89.00 ($40 off), and AirPods 2 for $89.99 ($39 off).
Apple today seeded an updated version of the third beta macOS 14 Sonoma to developers for testing purposes. The beta comes one week after the launch of the initial third beta.
Registered developers can download the beta through the Apple Developer Center and after the appropriate profile is installed, with the betas available through the Software Update mechanism in System Settings.
It is not clear why Apple is releasing a second version of the third macOS Sonoma beta, but it could be in preparation for a public beta. Apple said that it planned to release a public beta of macOS Sonoma in July.
Registered developers are able to opt into the betas by opening up the Settings app, going to the Software Update section, tapping on the "Beta Updates" option, and toggling on the iOS 16 Developer Beta. Note that an Apple ID associated with a developer account is required to download and install the beta.
It is not clear if there are new features in the updated third beta of iOS 17, but the initial beta added tweaks to the Home app, Apple Music, the mood tracking function, and more, with full details in our iOS 17 beta 3 article.
iOS 17 is a major update that introduces a customized look for each person that calls, with the person who places the call able to customize their look. Live voicemails let you see a transcript of a message someone is leaving in real time so you can choose to pick up the phone if you want, and voice messages people send in iMessage are now transcribed into text. You can also record a video or audio message when someone misses your FaceTime call, and FaceTime works on the Apple TV through Continuity functionality.
In Messages, apps have been moved to a new tucked-away interface for a cleaner look, and there is a new Check In feature that is designed to let your friends and family keep an eye on you when you're traveling. Check In automatically notifies friends or family members when you arrive at a destination, such as home. Locations can also now be shared directly from the Messages app.
In a group chat, there's a catch-up arrow so you can see the first message you haven't seen in a conversation, and with search filters, you can more easily find what you're looking for. Stickers have been overhauled, and all emoji are now stickers, living alongside sticker packs and Memoji. Using the remove from background feature in iOS 17, you can turn the subject from any image into a sticker.
With StandBy, an iPhone placed horizontally turns into a little home hub that displays information like the calendar, time, home controls, and more, and Live Activities can be displayed in full screen too.
Widgets on the Home Screen are interactive, so you can do things like check off an item on a to-do list or turn off the lights without having to open an app. AirDrop has been improved and there's a NameDrop function for sharing contacts quickly, plus you can hold two iPhones together to start a SharePlay session. SharePlay also now works with CarPlay so passengers can play their music in the car too.
Other new features include a journaling app coming later this year, AirPlay in select hotel rooms, improvements to AirPods Pro 2 thanks to a new Adaptive Audio feature, offline Maps, Siri that does not require the "Hey" activation, and improvements to search and spotlight.
Apple has also seeded a new third beta of tvOS 17 to developers.
Apple on May 18 released iOS 16.5, delivering several sports-related enhancements for Apple News, a new Pride Celebration wallpaper, and several important bug and security fixes.
Apple on May 18 released iOS 16.5, delivering several sports-related enhancements for Apple News, a new Pride Celebration wallpaper, and several important bug and security fixes.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
