By news@appleinsider.com (Andrew Orr) The demand for storage just got a major upgrade as Western Digital unveiled new high-capacity HDDs built for creative professionals and NAS environments.SanDisk drive from Western DigitalWestern Digital announced its latest expansion in storage solutions, introducing new 26TB HDDs across its professional and NAS product lines. These include the enterprise-class Ultrastar 7200 RPM HDDs integrated into the G-DRIVE and G-RAID portfolios, along with the highest-capacity WD Red Pro hard drive yet. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
By news@appleinsider.com (Mike Wuerthele and Wes Hilliard) Apple Intelligence is seemingly being lapped in the AI race, but it’s hard to determine who’s really winning when the competitors change the victory condition every few laps.There’s a lot of AI out there, but picking winners and losers isn’t that simple Humans are a tribal species that thrives on competition and debate, and it’s no different when it comes to technology. Whether you’re talking about Android versus iPhone or PlayStation versus Xbox, people love to pick sides.It’s no different for the various artificial intelligence systems available. However, almost universally, it seems people and pundits are calling Apple Intelligence the biggest loser — even when compared to systems that haven’t released yet. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
By news@appleinsider.com (Charles Martin) Templates, either provided or customized for your workflow, can help you generate eye-catching content in Pages, Numbers, and Keynote and other Mac programs. Here’s how to create your own personal ones.In apps like Pages and Keynote, you can create and save your own custom templates.Templates usually take the form of a generated document you create that contains some information you need each time you have to make a new version of that document. The headings or basic formatting might not change much, just the specific details you need from document to document.A number of Apple and third-party programs come with a gallery of templates already — Microsoft Office, LibreOffice, and Apple’s iWork suite of Pages, Numbers, and Keynote, and even the Reminders app, to name a few. Although Office comes close sometimes, Apple’s suite has some of the best-designed templates, available from the moment you select File, New Document. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
By news@appleinsider.com (Wesley Hilliard) Managing your home network shouldn’t be a full-time job, and TP-Link’s Deco line of Wi-Fi 7 routers help keep things simple, connected, and future-proofed without breaking the bank.TP-Link Deco BE5000 review: an affordable, performant mesh networkI’m coming from a set of Linksys Wi-Fi 6 routers that are mid-tier and run about $250 per node. Moving lower in the range to the TP-Link Deco BE5000 worried me, but they actually improved my home network in every conceivable aspect.Apple basically abandoned HomeKit Router support, so I was open to trying new brands and router types. The TP-Link Deco range offers several great features, an easy to navigate app, and a very strong connection in a home filled with gadgets. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
By news@appleinsider.com (Marko Zivkovic) Owners of select CarPlay-compatible Ford models can now see NACS chargers along their planned route in Apple Maps.Ford has announced that NACS chargers will be visible along users’ planned routes in Apple Maps via CarPlay.Ford announced that the Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning, which both support Apple Maps EV Routing in CarPlay, will now be able to automatically direct drivers to the nearest NACS fast charging station whenever the vehicle needs to be charged. This means that users will see compatible Tesla Superchargers and other stations that use the North American Charging Standard, or NACS, within Apple Maps.Indications of this feature first appeared in the second developer beta of iOS 18.4, which contained text strings informing users of NACS charging stations along their route. Now, the capability is finally available to end users. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
By news@appleinsider.com (Marko Zivkovic) Apple Pay could soon be available to a larger number of users in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, as additional credit card networks in the region are expected to introduce support for the contactless payment service.Apple Pay could soon be available to more users in Qatar and the UAE.Apple Pay has existed for well over a decade, and its worldwide availability continues to improve year after year. In 2017, the feature was launched in the UAE, while 2021 saw its debut in Qatar.Now, the feature is set to reach even more people in the region, as two credit card networks — Jaywan of the UAE and Qatar’s Himyan — might introduce Apple Pay support soon. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
By news@appleinsider.com (Marko Zivkovic) Apple is set to discontinue support for the older version of its HomeKit architecture, meaning that users will be forced to upgrade with the release of iOS 18.4.Users of iOS 18.4 will likely be required to upgrade to the newer HomeKit architecture.On Monday, Apple released the third developer beta of iOS 18.4. While the operating system itself doesn’t include any surface-level changes, its code indicates that a significant change could soon affect users of the Apple Home app.Back in November 2022, with the launch of iOS 16.2, Apple introduced an updated version of its HomeKit architecture, which delivered significant speed and performance upgrades for HomeKit accessories. The new and improved HomeKit architecture caused problems for some users, which is why it was withdrawn in December 2022 and re-introduced in February 2023 with the release of iOS 16.4. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
By news@appleinsider.com (Andrew O’Hara) On this episode of the HomeKit Insider Podcast, we dive into more Amazon hardware arriving this fall, a leaked sensor from Ikea, evidence of Apple’s smart home display, and the delay of Apple’s next-gen Siri.HomeKit Insider PodcastAs Apple’s smart home plans remain in flux, code discovered in tvOS 18.4 reveal Apple has added support for ChatKit. This is a framework used for Messages, currently unused on Apple TV.As the new smart display is rumored to run on tvOS, it makes sense this would be added to support messaging. We also talk about the next-gen Siri, and whether it is necessary for Apple’s product to release. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
By news@appleinsider.com (Amber Neely) It’s been a while since we’ve seen a dramatic overhaul on any of Apple’s operating systems, but we could see the biggest ones in years as soon as WWDC.iOS 19 is due this fallApple is gearing up to overhaul its operating systems in hopes of making its platforms more cohesive. The idea is that the change should make the platforms feel familiar to people coming from one device to another.The new updates are expected to come later in 2025 according to Bloomberg. Apple will update its icons, menus, apps, windows, and system buttons. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
By news@appleinsider.com (Malcolm Owen) Once again, Apple will be facing fines from the European Union for breaking Digital Markets Act rules, a report states, but the fines will probably be “modest” and far from the maximum penalty.An EU flag with the App Store logoPractically since the introduction of the Digital Markets Act, concerns have been raised that Apple and its App Store will face being fined under the law, following various probes into its activities. Now, it seems Apple may face its first actual penalty under the rules.Apple and Meta are expected to be hit by fines for breaking DMA rules, a source of Reuters claims. The actual size of the fines have not been determined yet, but they are expected to be “modest” in size. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
