By news@appleinsider.com (Wesley Hilliard) The Narwal Freo X Ultra is a robot vacuum and mop with plenty of tech packed into a unit that doesn’t ruin your home’s aesthetic.Narwal Freo X Ultra reviewThere are a lot of robot vacuum and mop products on the market, so it can be challenging to stand out. It’s table stakes for high-end models to have multi-faceted base stations and AI cleaning modes.The Narwal Freo X Ultra has been a powerful and competent cleaning robot in my testing. While none of these robots are perfect, the Narwal checks a lot of boxes. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
By news@appleinsider.com (Marko Zivkovic) Apple reportedly not in talks with Meta about integrating its AI with iPhone similar to its partnership with OpenAI, citing privacy concerns.Apple and Meta are reportedly not in discussions over AI chatbot integrationEarlier in June, a report claimed that Apple and Meta were engaged in active discussions concerning the potential integration of Meta’s AI software into Apple operating systems, but now a different Monday report claims this is not the case. Apple reportedly believed that Meta’s privacy control practices were not stringent enough and that OpenAI’s offerings were of better quality.According to the report from Bloomberg, the two companies only held brief discussions regarding AI integration in March, and that said conversations never ultimately resulted in any sort of cooperation in this area. The information has been provided by anonymous people familiar with the matter. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
By news@appleinsider.com (Wesley Hilliard) Apple has upgraded SharePlay when dealing with Apple Music in iPadOS 18, but only when connected to supported external devices like HomePods and select speakers.SharePlay with Apple Music gets an upgrade in iPadOS 18Having an active SharePlay session in Apple Music no longer relies on being in a FaceTime call, iMessage chat, or CarPlay session. Apple has expanded the feature to HomePods and select speakers so participants can join in on controlling the Up Next playlist.However, the rules and requirements for the new feature aren’t available. Anonymous sources with access to Apple’s betas have reported various results depending on the device in use. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
By news@appleinsider.com (Malcolm Owen) Apple has included iPhone Mirroring as part of its second developer beta for iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia. Here’s how to get your iPhone screen to appear on your Mac.iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia’s iPhone Mirroring, as shown at WWDCIntroduced as part of the package of feature updates for iOS 18, iPhone Mirroring promised to make lives a little bit easier for Mac owners who also had an iPhone.Mac owners may occasionally want to look at a notification on their iPhone, but it’s on the other side of the room or is otherwise troublesome to access. Or perhaps there’s an app they have installed on their iPhone but not on their Mac. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
By news@appleinsider.com (Amber Neely) Apple will be allowing third-party app marketplaces on the iPad in the European Union in iPadOS 18, with beta testers getting a chance to look at the feature in iPadOS 18 beta 2.The EU is treating the iPad as a gatekeeper platform under its Digital Markets ActIn April, the first third-party App Store in the EU went live. The change to Apple’s no third-party apps rule was made as part of an agreement to to comply with the newly enacted Digital Market Act.Now, Apple has announced the same opportunity is coming to iPadOS 18 — but still only for those in the 27 European Union countries. The feature can be tested in iPadOS 18 beta 2 with Xcode 16 beta 2. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
By news@appleinsider.com (Christine McKee) The Sabrent Thunderbolt 4 KVM Switch allows you to switch between two machines with the push of a button, and it’s now in stock and on sale at Amazon.Save $50 on the Sabrent Thunderbolt 4 KVM Switch at Amazon and enjoy the ability to seamlessly switch between two computers with the push of a button. Say good-bye to swapping a keyboard and mouse (and unplugging and plugging in docks repeatedly) with this KVM switch.Buy for $299.97This particular model, the SB-TB4K, is sleek without sacrificing ports. It has three Thunderbolt 4 and four USB Type-A connectors. Made out of high-quality aluminum, it’s also capable of charging up to 60W via Power Delivery 3.0 and up to 5V/2.4A over USB. Continue Reading on AppleInsider
By news@appleinsider.com (Malcolm Owen) Apple has moved on to the second round of developer betas for iOS 18, iPadOS 18, tvOS 18, watchOS 11, visionOS 2, and macOS Sequoia, with iPhone Mirroring a key feature for this round.Developers can start to try out Apple’s new betas. The second wave of fall system update builds follow after the first, which arrived after the WWDC keynote on June 10.The betas are for iOS 18, iPadOS 18, watchOS 11, tvOS 18, and macOS Sequoia, as well as visionOS 2. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
By news@appleinsider.com (AppleInsider Staff) An ex-employee has accused Apple of exposing her to gaseous organic chemicals from a secret chip fabrication plant located near her home.Apple’s Santa Clara operation was visited by the EPA (Source: Apple Maps)Apple fired whistleblower Ashley Gjovik in September 2021, accusing her of leaking its intellectual property. At the time, Gjovik claimed that this was the result of retaliation by Apple against people who had spoken out in the #AppleToo movement.Also in 2021, she claimed that the Apple building where her office was situated, was build on a Superfund site. This is a previously-contaminated area, and Gjovik reported Apple to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
By news@appleinsider.com (Malcolm Owen) So far, the only Apple hardware with the M4 chip is the iPad Pro — but Macs getting upgrades is inevitable. Here’s when you can expect every Mac in the lineup to catch up.More M4 Macs could launch in 2024 and early 2025In May, Apple updated the iPad Pro with the M4 chip, making it the first in its product catalog. The iPad Pro was even updated to the latest Apple Silicon release ahead of all other Mac models, including some that are usually among the first to use it.With a hardware-free WWDC 2024 behind us, the Mac user’s attention now turns to future events. All of which can be opportunities for Apple to bring the Mac and MacBook Pro models up to M4 and beyond. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
By news@appleinsider.com (Amber Neely) Thanks to automation, the Cupertino-based tech giant plans to reduce the number of workers assembling the iPhone by as much as half, but that could have disastrous effects on international labor markets.Apple already uses robots, like Daisy, in its device recycling programsApple has always known that its business was heavily reliant on workers in its international factories, such as Foxconn, to ensure the iPhone would be ready to ship in the fall.In 2020, Apple learned just how important they were. The COVID-19 pandemic caused supply chain shortages and delays that the company is likely still recovering from. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
