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Tariffs kill the Starling Home Hub, Google Nest’s best bridge to Apple Home

is a senior reviewer focused on smart home and connected tech, with over twenty years of experience. She has written previously for Wirecutter, Wired, Dwell, BBC, and US News. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. I have bad news for ecosystem straddlers who use Google Nest products in their smart homes but rely on iPhones and Apple Home for control: the much-loved Starling Home Hub has been discontinued. In a message on its website, Starling

Airbuds is the music social network Apple and Spotify wish they had built

A new social network has been quietly blowing up with Gen Z and younger, and it’s not from Meta. San Francisco-based Airbuds offers a mobile, social app that lets people express themselves through their music. Users can share what they’re streaming with friends through a smartphone widget that works with a range of streaming services. On Wednesday, Airbuds is announcing its raise of $5 million in funding from early-stage venture capital firm Seven Seven Six, founded by Reddit co-founder Alexis

9to5Mac Daily: September 17, 2025 – watchOS 26 features, more

Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from 9to5Mac. 9to5Mac Daily is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players. Sponsored by iMazing: iMazing lets you back up, transfer, and manage your iPhone and iPad data like never before — including messages, photos, music, WhatsApp, voicemails, battery health, and more. No cloud required. Use code 9to5mac-20off to get 20% off, exclusively f

Deals: 24GB Mac mini $100 off, MacBook Air up to $400+ off, 2025 Apple MagSafe charger, Find My lock, more

Today’s 9to5Toys Lunch Break is now ready to roll with notable discounts on iPad, MacBook, and Mac mini, among some accessory offers. Alongside the ongoing pre-orders on the new AirPods Pro 3, Apple Watch Ultra 3, and Apple Watch Series 11, we have once again spotted a chance to save $100 on the absolute most affordable M4 Mac mini with 24GB of RAM alongside the entry-level model at $499. Next up, we are highlighting the Space Gray M3 MacBook Air at $400 under the list price on the comparable M4

Topics: amazon apple m4 new price

Inside the Apple audio lab where AirPods are tested and tuned

When you enter the building that houses Apple’s audio lab, venture just beyond reception and you’ll encounter a massive vintage stereo setup. The deck and accompanying speakers were a gift from Steve Jobs to the team of engineers who work in this office. The group sees the old-school tech as a source of inspiration, but also as a reminder of Jobs’ obsession with both music and sound. More than inspiration, though, the stereo is a reminder to the experts in software, acoustics and sound design h

iPhone 17 Pro review: How pro can you go?

When Apple announced the iPhone 17 Pro last week, it touted that the addition of the iPhone Air in the lineup allowed it to take the Pro models “to an entirely new level of performance and capabilities.” I’ve been testing the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max for the last week to find out just how far Apple has pushed those limits. Design Apple says the iPhone 17 Pro features an aluminum unibody design that is “crafted with a lightweight aerospace-grade 7000-series aluminum alloy.” It’s not

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iOS 26 adds two brand new apps to your iPhone’s Home Screen

iOS 26 might be best remembered for its Liquid Glass design, but among many other new features and changes, the update also adds two brand new apps to your iPhone’s Home Screen. Here’s what’s new. #1: Apple Games app Gaming on the iPhone gets a new central hub in iOS 26. ’Apple Games’ is a brand new app that joins the ranks of other media-focused iPhone apps such as: Apple TV Apple Music Apple Podcasts Apple Books The new Games app includes a Home view where you’ll spend most of your tim

Report: Apple inches closer to releasing an OLED touchscreen MacBook Pro

At multiple points over many years, Apple executives have taken great pains to point out that they think touchscreen Macs are a silly idea. But it remains one of those persistent Mac rumors that crops up over and over again every couple of years, from sources that are reliable enough that they shouldn’t be dismissed out of hand. Today’s contribution comes from supply chain analyst Ming Chi-Kuo, who usually has some insight into what Apple is testing and manufacturing. Kuo says that touchscreen

Car Keys in Wallet are about to launch for these three vehicle brands

At the start of the summer during WWDC, Apple announced that car keys in the Wallet app would soon be offered by 13 new vehicle brands. Now, it looks like the first three new brands might almost be here. Three new car key brands now ready for Wallet support in Apple’s backend, pending launch In a new post on X, Aaron Perris shared that Apple’s backend has recently been updated to get ready for the launch of two car key additions: Smart and Voyah. Additionally, in recent weeks a similar change

On iOS 26 with a T-Satellite plan? These six iPhone apps work via satellite

When T-Mobile launched its T-Satellite service back in July, iPhone users were limited to text messaging via satellite – but the company promised that support for selected additional apps would follow. With the launch of iOS 26, the company has started to make good on that promise, with support for six apps so far. Notably, you don’t need to choose T-Mobile as your carrier in order to subscribe to the service … T-Satellite from T-Mobile We’d known since 2022 that T-Mobile would be SpaceX’s fi

You absolutely should not buy Apple’s iPhone Air MagSafe battery pack

Apple released its thinnest phone yet last week, the iPhone Air, and revealed the new iPhone Air MagSafe Battery alongside it. The existence of a specially-made battery pack wasn’t a big surprise to me, because there had been rumors of the iPhone Air for months leading up to the event. Everyone was prepared for the thinnest iPhone ever to make some battery life sacrifices to achieve its svelte design. However, what was a surprise to me was how much Apple leaned on the new battery during the iPh

You can run a Google search directly in Windows now - no browser needed

Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. ZDNET's key takeaways You can now run a Google search directly in Windows. The new Google app for Windows works in Windows 10 and 11. Google Lens is integrated, so you can search on selected text and images. If you're like me, you probably head to Google's search engine on the web several times a day to get information on specific topics. But if you're working in Windows, that means you have to stop wha

I Tested the iPhone 17: Long-Overdue Upgrades Make a Notable Difference

CNET’s expert staff reviews and rates dozens of new products and services each month, building on more than a quarter century of expertise. The iPhone 17 brings many long-awaited features, like an always-on display. Abrar Al-Heeti/ Zooey Liao/CNET It's easy to overlook the iPhone 17, especially in a year when the ultraslim iPhone Air has stolen the spotlight -- and the bright orange iPhone 17 Pro is hulking next to it. But subtle upgrades to Apple's baseline model add up to notable improvement

Apple's Super-Slim iPhone Air Had Me on Edge... Until I Tested It

CNET’s expert staff reviews and rates dozens of new products and services each month, building on more than a quarter century of expertise. 8.6 / 10 SCORE iPhone Air $999 at Apple Pros Slick, lightweight design Surprisingly good battery life Impressively durable iOS 26 looks great Cons Single rear camera Scaled-back speaker Only charges up to 20 watts High $999 price tag I fell in love with Apple's sleek, lightweight iPhone Air the moment I first held it. Now, after using the wildly thi

Track power outages in real time across the US with the Ting app

is a senior science reporter covering energy and the environment with more than a decade of experience. She is also the host of Hell or High Water: When Disaster Hits Home , a podcast from Vox Media and Audible Originals. There’s a new, free tool to help Americans monitor power outages in real time. Compiling data from its vast network of home sensors, startup Whisker Labs is launching the feature today in its Ting app. You don’t actually need to have one of these sensors in your home to use t

iPhone Air review: The thinnest iPhone ever, but at what cost?

Every so often, Apple makes a design decision that draws a line in the sand. One that feels like a delineation between one era and the next. The iPhone Air is that kind of device. It’s strikingly thin and sets a new standard for how an iPhone should feel in your hand. The iPhone Air is also an example of the compromises that come with pushing the design boundaries of a form factor. The question is whether it correctly strikes that balance. I’ve been using the iPhone Air since it was announced l

After years of touchscreen Mac rumors, here’s why I believe the latest one

Ming-Ching Kuo today suggested that we can expect a touchscreen MacBook Pro to go into production in late 2026. This is the latest in a years-long string of rumors that Apple is working on such a device. The company has been testing prototypes since at least 2008, but has consistently dismissed the idea of launching one. However, I do tend to believe the latest report … Apple’s rejection of touchscreen Macs Apple has consistently rejected the idea of a touchscreen Mac over a great many years.

iPhone Air review: Thinness with purpose

The iPhone Air is a device with shorter battery life, fewer cameras and a price tag that’s $200 more than a base iPhone 17. Sure, it’s got a bigger screen and it's unbelievably sleek, but no matter how you slice it, that value proposition doesn’t make sense. At least on paper. That’s because as soon as you hold an iPhone Air, you instantly get a sense that this handset represents much more than a simple quest for thinness. The iPhone Air is a device with a mission: To push the company’s design a

I tried every iPhone 17 model, and my buying advice is different this year

This photo of the iPhone 17 Pro Max in Cosmic Orange was taken with the telephoto lens on an iPhone 17 Pro Max. Jason Hiner/ZDNET The idea of "tyranny of choice" says that having a set of good choices is supposed to let everyone find exactly what makes them most happy, but the reality is that having so many good choices can often lead to anxiety, indecisiveness, and discontent. If we apply this concept to the iPhone 17 lineup, then Apple is quite the tyrant this year. After all, the base model

Topics: 17 apple iphone pro year

iPhone Air Review: A Magic Sheet of Glass With Expected Tradeoffs

Turns out an iPhone can be too thin and too light—maybe. That’s what I realized as I picked up the iPhone Air off the ground and inspected it for damage. Moments earlier, Apple’s thinnest iPhone ever—a 5.6mm glass and titanium metal sandwich that makes the previous thinnest iPhone, the 6.9mm iPhone 6, look fat by comparison—had flown out of my hands and fallen onto its screen, just as I pulled it out of my pocket. The good news is that the iPhone Air was largely undamaged. There were a few ver

Apple iPhone Air Review: Better Than Expected

The iPhone 17 Pro felt like a brick. I had just gotten used to the featherweight feel of Apple's new iPhone Air after several days of use, but it was time to switch to the iPhone 17 Pro. Suddenly, I didn't want to let the Air go. It's amazing how a couple of grams and a slimmer profile can drastically change the feel of a phone. There isn’t much to grab on the edges, but the Air's design is whimsical and somewhat paradoxical. It feels like a twig that can snap in a heartbeat, but the sturdy tit

Apple iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max Review: Level Up

At first glance, the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max seem like a drastic upgrade over their predecessors. They have a fantastic new look—one that adds more character with a two-tone design highlighting the blend of the aluminum chassis and glass. The “Camera Plateau,” as Apple calls it, elongates the camera module and gives it a more balanced appearance and feel. (Although I have to say, Google did it first.) The specs might not read as revolutionary on paper: a bigger battery, a brighter s

Apple iPhone Air review: statement piece

is a senior reviewer with over a decade of experience writing about consumer tech. She has a special interest in mobile photography and telecom. Previously, she worked at DPReview. The iPhone Air is as much a statement as it is a phone. It says something about the person using it: that they don’t mind giving up a few things for a phone that’s meaningfully thinner and lighter. That they can give up all those extra cameras on the back and just live with one. That they, well, went out and bought

Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro is a bold redesign but a basic upgrade

It’s a tricky year to review the iPhone Pro. It’s long been the go-to choice for anyone who wants an iPhone with the nicest screen, longest battery, and great cameras. But the display is no longer unique to the Pro, cameras have largely gotten “good enough” on most phones, and Apple has a new model, the Air, which might be even more compelling. This is the first time the iPhone Pro feels like it’s truly targeted at creators — people who need the longest battery life and the best cameras to reco

Topics: 17 apple iphone max pro

Who is the iPhone Air really for?

It’s very thin. And very light. And quite nice to look at. It also only has one camera, the battery life isn’t amazing, and it’s not like Apple saved some special new software feature for its fanciest phone. The new iPhone Air is just… the nice one. So where does that leave the Air? And where does that leave anyone trying to decide which iPhone to buy? On this episode of The Vergecast, we try and answer those questions. The Verge’s Allison Johnson and Jake Kastrenakes, who have been using and r

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OpenAI releases first-of-kind study revealing how people are using ChatGPT for everyday tasks

Illustration of the ChatGPT App on the iOS App Store displayed on a phone screen. Despite rapid adoption of large language models like OpenAI's ChatGPT, few comprehensive studies have delved into exactly how the technology is being used in everyday life — that is, until now. On Tuesday, researchers, including those from OpenAI, released a first-of-its-kind study that examines who was using ChatGPT and for what purposes based on internal messages sent to ChatGPT on consumer plans. Amongst the

Lawnchair isn’t perfect, but it’s the best free Nova Launcher alternative right now

Andy Walker / Android Authority Nova Launcher users have been left high and dry following the devastating news that it will no longer receive updates. You can continue using the launcher until it becomes unusable — many of our readers plan to do just that, according to a recent survey — but it’s wise to have a backup plan in mind. Many developers are now courting disgruntled Nova users with their alternatives, but one app in particular really stands out for me: Lawnchair. With Nova’s future in

Google’s latest Clock update may finally fix its Expressive woes (APK teardown)

Stephen Schenck / Android Authority TL;DR Google Clock 8.2 appears to fix some of the rendering issues users saw with the app’s Expressive redesign. Google’s working on a slightly tweaked workflow for alarm creation, making date options more prominent. Alarms that fail to go off as scheduled should start displaying a slightly more helpful error notification. Sometimes, it’s the simplest things in the world that end up causing our most unexpected headaches. Google’s Clock app is about as stra

Kuo: Apple to launch touch screen Macs, starting with OLED MacBook Pro

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today reported that Apple’s plans for touch screen Macs are advancing in the supply chain. He expects that the OLED MacBook Pro, due to go into production in late 2026, will also feature a touch screen panel. This schedule was first predicted by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman two years ago. It is currently unclear whether the OLED MacBook Pro will ship in 2026, or whether it will be an early 2027 release. Apple currently sells the M4 MacBook Pro lineup. Compared to where we