• Introduction with Michael Turnbull
• "Apple Subscriptions" with Ron Sharp
Location:
by Zoom online
MAGIC Minutes for April 16 2025
by Secretary Wendy Shimada, MAGIC*
President Mike Turnbull called the meeting to order at 4:03 pm with 17 attendees present within a few moments. Before beginning business, Mike asked if anybody knew anything about the class action lawsuit settlement with Apple regarding Siri Voice assistance. Ron said he hadn't heard of it and nobody else responded. Mike then asked Treasurer Carol Heimgartner for the monthly report. Carol reported that after our $30 website maintenance fee and no income, MAGIC's balance was $4590.25.
Ron asked about the status of the Coupeville Museum's computers, (which MAGIC had paid for). Robert was unaware of the status but planned to follow up with them in the near future. [UPDATE: The Museum report that the Mac are doing everything they wanted and they are very happy with them. Amongst other things, they are now able to effectively digitize their records and index them as well as update their website including the Coupeville Front Street History page].
At 4:06 p..m. Ron then proceeded with a very interesting presentation on SIM cards & eSIM cards, along with iPhone Safety, Security and various iPhone settings to ensure safety while browsing, especially while traveling or using an insecure connection.
A Q & A session followed with both pre-submitted questions and miscellaneous questions from attendees before the meeting was adjourned at 4:58 p.m. The next meeting will be June 18, 2025 at 4 p.m. on Zoom.
MAGIC Musings
None this month.
Note: This Software Update section of the newsletter lists the most relevant Apple updates. Not all updates are listed for all products. Additionally, I'll add other pertinent updates on occasion.
iPadOS 17.7.8 update now available for older iPads
by Roman Lyola, macworld
Apple on Monday released iPadOS 17.7.8, an update for older iPads that cannot run iPadOS 18. The 17.7.8 update is for the first-generation 10.5-inch iPad Pro, the second-generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro, and the sixth-generation iPad.
The update addresses an issue where iPads running iPadOS 17.7.7 did not allow users to log into an app. The release note states that the update includes "important security fixes," but Apple's security releases document states that iPadOS 17.7.8 has no published CVE entries - in other words, the update doesn't address anything recorded in the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures database.
To install the update, open the Settings app and go to Software Update. You will need an internet connection, and the iPad will need to restart.
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The current version of iPadOS is 18.5, which was released last week. However, Apple does release updates to older operating systems, such as iPadOS 17, when functionality is impaired, serious bugs have been addressed, or vital security patches are available.
New 'chip-and-ship' M5 iPad Pro and MacBook Pro updates set for holiday debut
by Roman Loyola, macworld
In the latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports that Apple is on track to release the next generation of its M-series chip. The M5 chip will make its debut with the iPad Pro, which is currently "in late testing" and is "on track" for the second half of this year. Gurman also reports that Apple will release an M5 MacBook Pro in the October/November timeframe.
Gurman refers to the M5 iPad Pro as a "chip-and-ship" model, meaning that the only major upgrade to the device will be a new processor. With the M4 iPad Pro released in July last year, Apple upgraded the display to OLED, made the device thinner, and moved the front-facing camera to the long side, in addition to the chip upgrade. That doesn't leave much in the way of updates beyond the new chip.
When the M5 iPad Pro ships, it could be a while before the next iPad Pro upgrade. Gurman notes that Apple is already charting an M6 chip upgrade, but it won't happen until 2027. The M6 iPad Pro will also feature an Apple C-series modem for wireless connectivity. The C1 modem made its debut in the iPhone 16e, and future versions will feature faster mmWave performance and satellite connectivity, reports say.
The M5 MacBook Pro will also reportedly be a "chip-and-ship" upgrade. The 2026 MacBook Pro, however, is rumored to feature a major revamp that coincides with the laptop's 20th anniversary. Besides the aforementioned M6, it will also get an OLED display and a thinner design.
Gurman also mentioned that Apple is working on an M5 MacBook Air and did not mention when it would ship. The MacBook Air is on a different cycle from the MacBook Pro, shipping in the first half of the year following the MacBook Pro release. The M4 MacBook Air just started shipping a few weeks ago.
The M5 is expected to offer an incremental performance boost from the M4, likely in the range of 15 to 25 percent in CPU speed. That alone may not be compelling enough for owners of recent M-series iPad Pros and MacBook Pros to upgrade, but it will offer a significant boost over older devices.
Apple is reportedly dropping support for nearly every Intel Mac this year
by Roman Loyola, macworld
Following a report that Apple will unify its operating system versioning to 26 (so the next version of macOS will be macOS 26 instead of macOS 16), a report by AppleInsider reveals what Macs will be able to run macOS 16, listing the following Macs:
2019 or later MacBook Pro
M1 or later MacBook Air
2020 or later iMac
M1 or later Mac mini
All Mac Studio models
2019 or later Mac Pro
What's notable about the list is that the most recent Intel MacBook Air and Mac mini models, and the iMac Pro are not on it. Three Intel Mac models do make the list: the 2019 MacBook Pro, the 2020 5K iMac, and the 2019 Mac Pro.
When Apple announced it was going to drop Intel processors back in 2020, the company also stated that it would support Intel Macs for several years, though a specific timeframe has never been disclosed. Typically, Apple offers hardware compatibility with the latest version of macOS for five to seven years; after that, that Mac can no longer upgrade to the newest version of macOS, though they will receive security updates for a couple for years. The Macs that have been dropped from the macOS 26 compatibility list are
The dwindling list of compatible Intel Macs brings up the question of when they will be dropped completely from the macOS list. Next year, you can probably bet that the 2019 Intel MacBook Pro and the 2020 5K iMac will be dropped. That would leave the 2019 Mac Pro, which may stay on the list a little longer due to its high-end processor and considering that its Apple Silicon replacement was released only two years ago.
AppleInsider also cites unnamed sources that have seen the source code of the new version of macOS and that it includes references to macOS 26, though macOS 16 references also exist. Since the code is still a work in progress, those references will change before the software is officially released. Whatever it's called, Apple will reveal the next version of macOS at WWDC25 on June 9, which will also reveal the official compatibility list.
ChatGPT for Mac now records meetings and can answer questions about your cloud files
by Marcus Mendes, 9to5mac
OpenAI is full steam ahead in its plan to turn ChatGPT into a true productivity assistant, especially for teams and small businesses. Starting today, these users will get access to a new Record Mode and cloud drive integration. Here's how it works.
ChatGPT Record Mode
Starting today, ChatGPT Team, Enterprise, and Edu users who use the ChatGPT Mac app will get access to a Record button next to other prompt tools.
Once pressed, the button launches a widget that instantly starts recording and transcribing audio. The transcription is then turned into structured notes with overall summaries, key points, action items, open questions, etc.
One key differentiator of this feature is that, unlike Notion or Zoom's meeting bots that need to join as a participant, ChatGPT's new tool doesn't require any of that. It simply listens through the device and turns what is being said into structured notes.
Cloud drives
Alongside recording mode, OpenAI is rolling out built-in integrations with cloud services including Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, Box, and SharePoint. That means ChatGPT can now fetch data from your own files to answer context-rich questions like "What was our Q1 revenue last year?" or "How many times did I use maritime transport in my latest trip report?"
OpenAI says that by default, it doesn't train on data across Teams, Edu, and Enterprise, and that includes connected data. Moreover, the assistant responds with structured answers, complete with citations pulled from your documents, all while respecting existing file permissions as well.
More connectors
Aside from cloud drives, today's update also includes new connectors for platforms like HubSpot, Linear, and select Microsoft and Google tools, allowing teams to generate research reports or project documents (via OpenAI's Canvas tool) by combining internal data with external sources. The list of supported platforms includes:
Box
Dropbox
GitHub
Gmail
Google Calendar
Google Drive (Docs, Sheets, Slides)
Hubspot
Linear
Outlook (Calendar, Email)
SharePoint
Teams
OpenAI also said its Pro, Team, and Enterprise customers will also be able to use Anthropic's Model Context Protocol (MCP) to connect even more tools to Deep Research. This is likely to make the compatibility list even longer, as platforms and companies like Replit, Atlassian, Cloudflare and Zapier have been adopting the protocol as well.
Universal Music Group and Apple Music announce Sound Therapy
from Apple
Universal Music Group and Apple Music are joining forces to create Sound Therapy, an innovative audio wellness collection.
Apple Music is joining forces with Universal Music Group (UMG) to introduce Sound Therapy, an innovative audio wellness collection designed to help listeners attain clearer focus, deeper relaxation, and better sleep.1
"For years, elevating music's role in health and wellbeing has been a strategic priority for UMG, linked to a potentially significant commercial opportunity, as well as something that our chairman and CEO, Sir Lucian, and the entire management team are passionate about," said Michael Nash, UMG's executive vice president and chief digital officer. "Given Apple's leadership at the intersection of health and technology, the launch of Sound Therapy represents an important validation of our innovative, science-led Sollos initiative. We look forward to working closely with the team at Apple to expand the ways that music can be harnessed to improve the wellness benefits for its users."
"Every day, people around the world make Apple Music part of their daily routine, and we've seen incredible engagement around our personalized mood playlists and the new Apple Music Chill radio station," said Rachel Newman, Apple Music's co-head. "Now, with Sound Therapy, we're proud to work alongside UMG and Sollos to bring a new listening experience to Apple Music — one that's grounded in artistry, shaped by innovation, and designed to support wellness."
Available exclusively on Apple Music, Sound Therapy blends songs subscribers already know and love with special sound waves designed to enhance users' daily routines, while retaining the artist's original vision. Backed by scientific research and powered by UMG's proprietary audio technologies, Sound Therapy harnesses the power of sound waves, psychoacoustics, and cognitive science to help listeners relax or focus the mind.
The collection was crafted by a team of producers, scientists, and audio engineers at Sollos, a groundbreaking music-wellness venture incubated within UMG's London offices. Sound Therapy features extended, instrumental, and reimagined versions of popular tracks from acclaimed artists such as Imagine Dragons, Katy Perry, Kacey Musgraves, Ludovico Einaudi, AURORA, Jhené Aiko, Chelsea Cutler, and Jeremy Zucker, providing a premium listening experience.
Sound Therapy features three categories: Focus, Relax, and Sleep. Songs have been enhanced with auditory beats or colored noise to help encourage specific brain responses. Gamma waves and white noise — a whoosh-like combination of every sound frequency — may help with focusing; theta waves could aid in relaxation; and delta waves and pink noise — a deeper, gentler variation akin to rain or wind — might assist in achieving better sleep. A dreamy version of Katy Perry's "Double Rainbow," for example, could help listeners drift off to sleep, while an Imagine Dragons track might help them tackle a to-do list. Learn more about Sound Therapy from Apple Music's Zane Lowe.
Apple has long been committed to enabling its customers to lead healthier, more active lives through offerings like Apple Watch, HealthKit, and Apple Fitness+. The company will work closely with Sollos and UMG to further establish scientific evidence supporting music and audio for improved wellbeing, and finding inclusive ways to bring these benefits to people around the world.
Apple launches Self Service Repair for iPad, expands repair programs
from Apple
Apple today announced the addition of iPad to Self Service Repair, providing iPad owners with access to repair manuals, genuine Apple parts, Apple Diagnostics troubleshooting sessions, tools, and rental toolkits. Beginning tomorrow, with support for iPad Air (M2 and later), iPad Pro (M4), iPad mini (A17 Pro), and iPad (A16), the launch features components including displays, batteries, cameras, and external charging ports. Today's announcement joins the expansion of other Apple repair services that further enable customers and independent repair providers to complete out-of-warranty repairs, including new details about the Genuine Parts Distributor program.
"At Apple, our goal is to create the world's greatest products that last as long as possible," said Brian Naumann, Apple's vice president of AppleCare. "With today's announcement, we're excited to expand our repair services to more customers, enabling them to further extend the life of their products — all without compromising safety, security, or privacy."
Launched in 2022, Self Service Repair provides consumers who are comfortable completing their own repairs access to the same manuals, genuine Apple parts, and tools used at Apple Store locations and Apple Authorized Service Providers. Building on Apple's commitment to expand repair access, the company continues to grow Self Service Repair to support even more products and regions: With the addition of iPad, the Self Service Repair Store now supports 65 Apple products, including the recently released iPhone 16e, MacBook Air, and Mac Studio. This summer, Canada will become the 34th country in which Apple offers Self Service Repair.
Today's package of announcements also includes more details about Apple's Genuine Parts Distributor program. The recently launched program broadens access to businesses that do not have a direct service relationship with Apple, fulfilling a need in the repair marketplace while providing customers with more options. Through Genuine Parts Distributor, independent mobile repair professionals can order genuine Apple service parts and components via third-party distributors, including MobileSentrix in the U.S., and MobileSentrix and Mobileparts.shop in Europe. Genuine Parts Distributor offers a wide range of Apple parts for iPhone repairs, including displays, batteries, and charging ports, with iPad parts coming tomorrow. Repair providers interested in learning more can visit the program page.
Over the past several years, Apple has accelerated its repair footprint by expanding the number of professional service locations that have access to genuine Apple parts, tools, and training. Repair options include Apple Store locations, Apple Authorized Service Providers, Independent Repair Providers, mail-in repair centers, Self Service Repair, and the Genuine Parts Distributor program.
Although Apple Intelligence offers a number of interesting capabilities, they are not useful to everyone. They use up computer resources and sometimes provide annoying suggestions and feedback. Sometimes they are faulty.
Removing Apple Intelligence is easy. Go to System Preferences and select "Apple Intelligence & Siri" and deselect Apple Intelligence (red arrow).
Remove AI from a Mac
Remove AI from an iPad The iPhone is the same.
Apple Intelligence can be turned on at any time by reselecting it. It takes several minutes to reload.
It's easy to rename a group of files using the Finder instead of wasting time doing them one by one.
First, select the top file in a list and then hold the shift key and click on the bottom file in the list to select the files you wish to rename.
Then right click (or Ctrl-click) to get the pop-up menu:
Select the "Rename…" item about a third of the way down.
The three options you have are:
Replace Text
Add Text
Format
Selecting "Replace Text" gives you the Find and Replace options:
Selecting "Add Text" gives you the add text option. Note that you can choose where to place the added text, in this example it is after the name:
Selecting "Format" gives you three format options options:
Name and Index
Name and Counter
Name and Date
Name and Index
Name and Counter
Name and Date
This makes changing the names of a lot of files very easy..For example; photos from a vacation. Put them in a sensible order with sensible names instead of the ones your camera or iPhone give you.
AirPods Pro 3: 7 features that will take Apple's best buds to the next level
by Mahmoud Itani, macworld
The AirPods have come a long way. When the first iteration launched in 2016, it featured a chunky build and mediocre specs. Since then, Apple has actively developed its wireless earbuds, introducing multiple tiers, more compact designs, longer battery life, and advanced integration with the wider Apple ecosystem. Today, customers can pick from models that start at $129 and go all the way up to $549—catering to different budgets and expectations.
The AirPods Pro 2 happen to be my favorite model. They're the perfect balance between portability and immersion, offering support for ANC and Dolby Atmos in a miniature shell. And they get regular boosts from software updates, such as the recently introduced hearing health features. Nevertheless, there are some shortcomings that I'd like to see Apple address when it launches the AirPods Pro 3, likely in September.
Here are the seven upgrades I hope we'll see from the next version of the AirPods Pro.
It's not just you: The iOS 18.5 Mail app is having a problem delivering mail
by Roman Loyola, macworld
Users on Reddit are reporting an issue with the iOS 18.5 update and the Mail app, making the app unusable and preventing users from reading and sending email. The problems occur after installing iOS 18.5, which Apple released about three weeks ago. Users report having the screen go blank, slow and laggy scrolling, an inability to load messages, crashes, and other problems. Macworld has experienced the problems firsthand.
The temporary fix seems to be a restart of the iPhone, but the problem recurs after a period of time. Some users on Reddit had to resort to a forced restart of the iPhone, the procedure for which differs if you have Face ID or Touch ID. Here at Macworld, we can confirm that it is an issue an at least one of our phones and restarts have fixed the issue. However, after a day or so it crops up again.
Apple has not commented on the issue, nor has the company issued a new beta update after the official release of iOS 18.5, which would presumably include a fix. Apple has released iOS updates before without entering a beta cycle, usually for security fixes and emergency bug fixes. We haven't heard anything about a potention iOS 18.5.1, but with WWDC beginning Monday, it's likely that it would be at least another week before it gets fixed.
It is possible to downgrade from the iOS 18.5 update, but the procedure isn't easy. It involves attaching the iPhone to a Mac, downloading the proper IPSW file, and doing an installation. It's a drastic action to take, but you may want to consider it if Mail is vital to your communications. Learn more about downgrading an iOS installation.
AirPods to get camera control, sleep detection, new gestures
by Marcus Mendes, 9to5mac
Yesterday, 9to5Mac exclusively reported a handful of iOS 26 features that Apple has been working on and may announce on WWDC for its native apps. Today, we are sharing five previously unreported AirPods features that may also be announced as early as Monday, during the keynote.
New head gestures
Control AirPods with head gestures
Last year, Apple introduced head gestures so AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 users can nod "up and down or side to side to accept or decline Announce Calls and to interact with or dismiss Announce Notifications without using your hands".
9to5Mac has learned that Apple is working on new head gestures, including extending a Conversation Awareness volume adjustment before returning users to their original noise-control settings.
Currently, you can end a Conversation Awareness volume adjustment by "pressing and holding on the AirPods stem or swiping up on the stem", but soon, a head gesture might also do the trick.
Sleep auto-pause
Many people tend to fall asleep with their AirPods on. Some doze off while listening to music, and some do so while listening to podcasts. Currently, users must resort to sleep timers, a feature not all music or podcast apps support.
Luckily, our sources say Apple has been working on detecting when a user has fallen asleep while wearing their AirPods and automatically pausing playback. It is not clear whether this will be a standalone feature or if it will work in tandem with the Apple Watch, which already has sleep detection. Still, it'll sure be a welcome feature.
Camera control
Years later than anyone would have initially guessed, Apple is finally poised to allow for AirPods Camera Control. Like with the old EarBuds, this new feature will let users trigger the iPhone or iPad camera with a click on the AirPods stem.
touching one's ear in every remotely taken photo might look weird, I do hope Apple supports this feature even if the user is just casually holding one AirPod.
Audio Mix
Last year, Apple introduced the Audio Mix alongside iPhone 16, which "uses machine learning to identify and separate background elements from speech and lets you choose from three voice options," In-frame, Studio and Cinematic.
Now, 9to5Mac has learned that Apple has been developing a similar "studio quality" mic mode for AirPods, turning them into a strong competitor in the creator lav mic market.
Wider classroom support
Apple has been working on a feature aimed at improving the pairing experience in shared iPads, which will be especially welcome in classrooms where multiple students use the same device.
The goal is to streamline how AirPods connect to iPadOS in these settings, likely with less friction and fewer manual steps.
As always, Apple may choose to delay or tweak some of these features before making them public. But if even a few of them make it to the WWDC25 keynote on Monday, it would mark yet another year that great features are added to current models, rather than new features being associated with a newly announced hardware.
iPadOS 26: Four new features being announced next week
by Ryan Christoffel, 9to5mac
WWDC is only a few days away, and Apple has a lot of big announcements coming. Here are four new iPadOS 26 features rumored to be unveiled next week.
#1: Menu Bar
macOS 15.2 lets users add a Weather widget to the Menu Bar
Many iPad users have long wished iPadOS would offer more Mac-like productivity tools. And it sounds like iPadOS 26 might be Apple's answer.
Per Majin Bu, a Mac-style menu bar is coming to the iPad this year.
iPadOS 26's menu bar is expected to look and work fairly similarly to the Mac version. Though as Apple has done with other Mac-to-iPad feature ports, there will undoubtedly be a fresh twist.
Bu says the menu bar will appear on-screen automatically when a Magic Keyboard is connected, but we suspect it will be available to touch-only users too.
#2: Stage Manager 2.0
Multitasking is reportedly another big focus of iPadOS 26.
Apple's last big iPad multitasking change was Stage Manager, which some users appreciate for its power, while others (like myself) have never taken to the feature.
iPadOS 26 will reportedly bring 'Stage Manager 2.0,' a revamped version of the multitasking interface.
Details are scarce, but here's hoping Apple has cracked iPad multitasking this time around.
#3: Siri's AI upgrades
Alongside iOS 26, iPadOS 26 is expected to bring Siri some long-delayed upgrades.
New Siri features include:
hundreds of new actions in and across apps
onscreen awareness
intelligence tailored to your personal context
Originally, these enhancements were set for iPadOS 18, but Apple chose to delay them when they reportedly proved unreliable internally.
#4: New design
One major theme for all of Apple's software platforms this year is that they're getting redesigned in big and small ways.
iPadOS 26 is expected to benefit from design changes that focus on consistency, usability, and a visionOS-style "glass effect" for system elements.
If it proves anything like the early iOS 26 redesign leaks, iPadOS 26 should feel fresh yet still familiar for longtime iPad users.
iPadOS 19 new features: wrap-up
The iPad didn't get many platform-exclusive features last year in iPadOS 18. The year before was a little on the light end too. So it's been a full three years since major iPad productivity features shipped.
As a longtime iPad Pro user, I hope iPadOS 26's upgrades can truly deliver, otherwise there may be another round of calls for Apple to simply enable macOS on the iPad.
Apple expected to increase iPhone 17 prices to factor in tariff costs
by Ben Lovjoy, 9to5mac
Counterpoint has more than halved the smartphone growth rates it was forecasting for this year, and now expects US iPhone sales to fall year-on-year.
It says that it expects Apple to pass on at least some of the tariff costs to consumers, increasing the prices of the iPhone 17 over those of the current models …
Counterpoint Research was originally expecting healthy global growth in this smartphone market this year, at 4.2%. However, given the likely impact of US tariffs combined with other challenges in China, it has now cut that forecast to 1.9%.
In the US, it now predicts a fall in year-on-year sales of both iPhones and Samsung smartphones due to "expected price rises from tariffs."
Counterpoint Research has revised down its 2025 global smartphone shipment growth forecast to 1.9% YoY from 4.2% YoY, citing renewed uncertainties surrounding US tariffs.
Most regions are expected to grow, except North America and China. North America is expected to decline due to expected price increases from tariffs. China has been revised down to near-flat YoY growth on weaker-than-expected market reaction to the government's subsidy program.
Apple and Samsung's growth projections have been revised down as cost increases are expected to be passed on to consumers, hurting demand — this despite some easing of the tariff burden compared to earlier worst-case scenarios.
While we don't currently know whether Trump will unfreeze the most insane levels of tariffs he announced and then "paused," even the current levels are expected to have unwanted consequences for Apple.
It indicates that it may further reduce its forecasts for the US market should the tariff situation deteriorate.
Counterpoint Research's current forecasts assume a relatively stable tariff environment through 2025, although the escalating rhetoric and uncertainty around trade policy could significantly impact OEM pricing strategies, supply chain planning, and, ultimately, consumer demand.
9to5Mac's Take
We don't yet know whether Apple will do this, but it's not an unreasonable prediction. So far, the company has absorbed the extra costs, but given it estimated that doing so is costing it almost a billion dollars this quarter, it does seem plausible that it will increase prices when the iPhone 17 launches.
When you save a favorite place in the Maps app, you can easily add a note about the location. Only you can see this note when you open the Maps app; all you need to do is save the location to your Maps Library before you can add a note. We'll walk you through the whole process!
Apple brings insights, ratings, and reviews from expert sources to Apple Maps
from Apple
Apple Maps users can now view and search for MICHELIN-starred, Green Star, and Bib Gourmand restaurants — along with MICHELIN Key hotels — starting in the U.S., with support for additional regions coming in the future.
Starting today, Apple Maps makes it even easier for users to search and discover top-ranked restaurants, hotels, golf courses, and more, with the addition of rankings and insights from expert sources. Users can now view and search for MICHELIN-starred, Green Star, and Bib Gourmand restaurants — along with MICHELIN Key hotels — starting in the U.S., with support for additional regions coming in the future. Soon, rankings and insights from The Infatuation and Golf Digest will also be added to Maps, with more expert sources to follow.
With this update, place cards will now reflect distinctions, descriptions, and images from expert sources. Additionally, for select hotels, users can now book directly from Maps, with the option to schedule restaurant reservations through MICHELIN and tee times through Supreme Golf coming soon.
"MICHELIN Guide, The Infatuation, and Golf Digest are leading industry experts that consumers rely on for finding the best restaurants, hotels, and golf courses, and we're excited to bring their valuable insights and accolades to our users in Apple Maps," said David Dorn, Apple's senior director of Internet Software and Services Product. "These new integrations make Maps an even more useful and seamless resource for users to discover great new places whether in their hometown or traveling somewhere new."
"We are pleased to bring MICHELIN Guide's expertise to Apple Maps. The integration of MICHELIN Guide's ratings, expert insights, and booking services into Apple Maps will significantly enhance global access to exceptional gastronomy and hospitality experiences," said Gwendal Poullennec, MICHELIN Guide's international director. "By bringing MICHELIN Guide's restaurant and hotel distinctions into the Apple Maps app, we are providing travelers and food enthusiasts with easy and convenient access to MICHELIN's curated recommendations and insights for their next memorable experience."
"Apple and The Infatuation share a commitment to high-quality content — and we are thrilled to soon bring our authentic, relatable, and curated restaurant recommendations to Apple Maps," said Paul Needham, CEO of The Infatuation. "It's important for us to meet users where they are, and we know Apple Maps is a key part of their daily lives, making this integration a natural fit."
"As the leading authority in golf course rankings and reviews, Golf Digest is proud to bring our trusted insights to Apple Maps," said Meredith Bausback, Golf Digest's vice president of Marketing & Audience Development. "This integration will soon empower golfers to discover and choose courses with the confidence that comes from decades of expert evaluation."
To use this feature, users can leverage search filters in Maps and find places with these distinctions. To explore more great places around the world, users can also view curated guides from MICHELIN Guide, The Infatuation, and Golf Digest.
tvOS 26: Three new features coming to Apple TV 4K this year
by Ryan Chritoffel, 9to5mac
TV+ with both new hardware and software coming. tvOS 26 will be the next major software update, and these three features are expected to be announced next week.
#1: New tvOS design, consistent with iOS 26
tvOS Home Screen
One major highlight of Apple's WWDC announcements will be a unified new design across all software platforms.
iOS 26, macOS 26, iPadOS 26, and more will get a new design featuring glassy elements inspired by visionOS.
tvOS 26 will get the new look too, with refreshed UI elements and app icons expected.
The biggest changes will likely be reserved for iOS 26, but your Apple TV 4K will still adopt the cross-platform new design aesthetic.
#2: Apple's new 'Games' app
Tamagotchi Adventure Kingdom game seen on large TV screen
Apple wants to boost gaming across its platforms, and part of this effort is a new, cross-platform 'Games' app coming to tvOS 26 and more.
The new Games app will feature:
a hub for launching all your installed tvOS games
editorial content to fuel game discovery
game achievements you've earned or can try for next
social features like leaderboards
and likely the ability to download new games
Essentially, Apple plans to combine existing Game Center and App Store features into a single new hub, with some extra functionality.
#3: Captive Wi-Fi network sync
Mark Gurman has reported iOS 26 will add captive Wi-Fi network sync.
This means when networks require a login screen to connect, you'll only need to perform that process on one device before gaining access across all devices.
Gurman specifically mentions iPhone, iPad, and Mac supporting the feature, but expect it to hit Apple TV 4K too with tvOS 26.
Due to its lack of a web browser, tvOS currently has the most convoluted method for accessing captive networks. The new sync feature should enable bypassing that altogether.
Wildcard: Siri's AI upgrades
Siri iOS 19
Siri will certainly get AI upgrades on the Apple TV 4K eventually. But that may not happen next week with tvOS 26.
Why? Because there's a good chance new Apple TV 4K hardware will be needed before Siri can get its AI overhaul. And Apple isn't expected to ship its next-gen Apple TV 4K until later in the year.
It's always possible Apple will show off an updated Siri UI, or some other new tvOS 26 feature that doesn't require power-hungry LLMs. But the full AI upgrades likely won't be seen until a later date.
tvOS 26 features: wrap-up
These rumored tvOS 26 features are hopefully just a small sampling of what's coming. For example, with Apple TV+ becoming more mainstream, I'm hoping for a more user-friendly revamp to the Apple TV app.
Whatever other new features Apple has in store for tvOS 26, the big reveal is only days away.
The first reviews are in: Apple's 'F1: The Movie' looks like a winner
by Marcu Mendes, 9to5mac
Apple is days away from the official premiere of what is gearing up to be its biggest theatrical bet yet, and early reactions suggest it might actually stick the landing. Or lock the pole position. You get what I mean.
Here's what critics had to say after last night's press screening of F1: The Movie, starring Brad Pitt (Fight Club) and produced by legendary F1 champion Lewis Hamilton.
How to charge your Apple Watch as fast as possible
by Chance Miller, 9to5mac
One of the more useful changes to recent Apple Watch models is support for fast charging. This allows you to quickly top off your Apple Watch battery at much faster speeds than before. Plus, with the latest Apple Watch Series 10, charging is even faster than before.
There are a few things to remember, and you don't get everything you need in the box…
Which Apple Watch models support fast charging?
The following Apple Watch variants allow for fast charging:
Apple Watch Series 7: 0-80% in about 45 minutes
Apple Watch Series 8: 0-80% in about 45 minutes
Apple Watch Series 9: 0-80% in about 45 minutes
Apple Watch Series 10: 0-80% in about 30 minutes
Apple Watch Ultra: 0-80% in about an hour
Apple Watch Ultra 2: 0-80% in about an hour
Apple has a support document detailing the specifics of fast charging with the Apple Watch Series 7, Apple Watch Series 8, Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Series 10, and Apple Watch Ultra.
What do you need to fast charge your Apple Watch?
Included with the Apple Watch is an Apple USB-C Magnetic Fast Charging Cable. As we've previously reported, the difference with this cable is that it has aluminum instead of plastic around the magnetic charger.
While Apple is including one of these cables in the box with Apple Watch Series 7, Series 8, Series, Series 10, and Ultra, you can also buy them separately so you can outfit all of your charging spots with fast charge support. The cable measures 1m in length and is available for $29. The model number for the cable is A2515, so make sure you're buying that specific model if you purchase from a third party other than Apple or Amazon.
Apple Watch Sleep Tracking 101: Rest Better with Your Watch
by Olena Kagui, iphonelife
Is a lack of sleep hurting your health? If, like me, you are among the one in three adults in America who don't get enough sleep (according to the CDC), then you're at risk for a whole host of health problems, such as heart disease and high blood pressure. Fortunately, Apple makes it really easy to track your sleep with the Apple Watch. You can then use what you learn to make the lifestyle changes necessary to improve your sleep.
I spilled coffee all over my Macbook......now it won't go to sleep.
Malware Examples *
by Ron Sharp and Robert Elphick, MAGIC *
Here are some tips if you do respond to a scam email. Call your bank. Put a stop payment on your charge card if it is involved. Change your account password for whatever accounts are involved. If it's a PayPal account, log into that account and change the password. If you use a bank account online change that password. You can also set up email "rules" to block email from the sender if their email address shows. If you use Apples Mail app you'll find the "Rules" options in the Mail app Settings. You should also change the password to your email account that the scam email came to.
Not From Whidbey Telecom DO NOT CLICK.
Not From Whidbey Telecom DO NOT CLICK..
Phishing. Hoping to catch users of Pornographic sites Do not respond, just delete.
Not From Whidbey Telecom - see from address DO NOT CLICK
Only half a million!!!! NO NOT RESPOND
Phishing - see address, it is from Italy! NO NOT RESPOND
This is Phishing - see From Yet another evil attempt to use Whidbey Telecom NO NOT RESPOND
NOT Social Security DO NOT RESPOND
Delete!
Phishing - Not from PayPal DO NOT RESPOND
Delete!
Internet Crime
Any one bothered by internet criminal activity should report it to the Federal Bureau of Investigation Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at this web page. This includes phishing, malware, spoofing, any demand for money.
Sell or Swap
by MAGIC
Got something you would like to sell or give away? Need something second hand or out of date? Contact MAGIC at this email .
Last month the MAGIC presentation was on iPhone safety. Many good safety checks were
described. Now I'd like to turn your attention to cleaning up your iPhone. It's not something you need to do often, especially since iPhones come with so much memory now. But with the amount of photos many people take you can still run out of storage space, and possibly slowing your phone down a bit.
You can find clean up apps in the App store, however I have not used any of them and therefore can't recommend any. I rather clean up my phone myself, and not worry about how trustworthy an app is or weather it's collecting info to share with advertisers.
To start with you should delete any app that you don't use much. If you delete an app that you purchased and decide you want to use it again, you will be able to download it again from the app store without paying. Apple stores your purchase history.
Now photos probably take up the most space on your phone. There are several ways to deal with photos. One is to use iCloud for photos. Another is to transfer photos to you Mac, if you have a Mac computer. To do that, connect your iPhone to your Mac and open the photos app and select the iPhone on the left column. Then it will show all the photos that have not been downloaded. Select the ones you want to download and then you have the option of having them deleted from the phone after downloading.
A good habit to develop is to go through your most recent photos on your phone and delete the least worthy, or delete all but the best. Remember, deleted photos will be in the Recently Deleted album for 30 days.
Next step is to delete old text messages. Many times text messages contain photos and take up more storage pace than you think.
You can also delete old email. However, depending on your mail server, it might be best to go to your mail server website and delete them from the server. Otherwise they may just redownload to your device.
For the Safari browser, go to the history section in the app and delete history. Also close all browser windows and tabs if you don't do it regularly.
There, that's the basics of cleanup. Happy computing!
MAGIC, the Macintosh Appreciation Group of Island County, serves people who use Macintosh computers, software and peripherals. Our goal is to share information and get answers to questions to make us more productive with our use of technology. Our monthly meetings give us a chance to discuss computer problems and share ideas with other Mac users, feature speakers on specific topics, and to keep apprised of Apple news.
