A user who had disabled Apple Intelligence and Siri data-sharing features in macOS 15 found that upgrading to macOS 27 silently re-enabled these settings, removing the toggle that previously let them turn the feature off entirely. They also discovered Siri processes still running in the background, hidden opt-out controls buried under Screen Time parental restrictions, and 22.28 GB of storage consumed by Apple Intelligence components they never asked for.
dbushell.com
· 2026-09-22
A Verge columnist proposes that Apple create a cheaper Mac Mini variant, dubbed the 'Mac Neo,' powered by an iPhone-class chip rather than the full M-series silicon in the current $899 M6 Mac Mini. The suggestion follows the success of the MacBook Neo, which uses a smartphone chip to deliver a $699 laptop with a solid screen, keyboard, and battery life.
theverge.com
· 2026-09-22
Security researcher Patrick Wardle found an unpatched setting in Meta's Muse macOS app that let local attackers reroute the app's cloud-based dictation to their own server, effectively seizing control of the AI agent. Wardle demonstrated the flaw by using Muse's own privileges to snap photos and write files to disk, often without alerting the user. Meta issued a hotfix within hours of the report, though it maintains the exploit required existing local access and posed low real-world risk.
theverge.com
· 2026-09-22
Security researchers discovered that Meta's new macOS AI assistant Muse contains a vulnerability allowing any locally installed app or terminal command to access the authentication token tied to a user's Muse account, bypassing Apple's built-in permission protections. The flaw also lets outside processes alter numerous undocumented settings, some of which could grant deeper control over connected accounts like WhatsApp, email and calendars. Separately, Amazon has begun blocking Muse from its platform.
arstechnica.com
· 2026-09-21
Apple has released instructions letting Mac users turn off or restrict Apple Intelligence features, alongside details on language support and usage limits. The company confirmed Siri AI and other Apple Intelligence tools remain in beta across its OS lineup, with support currently limited to a set list of languages including English, French, German, Japanese, and others. Server-dependent features like Siri AI, Image Playground, and Intelligent Photo Editing Tools face daily usage caps that vary by demand and complexity.
support.apple.com
· 2026-09-21
Apple has pushed out a second round of release candidates for macOS Tahoe 26.7.1 (build 25G313) and macOS Sequoia 15.8.1 (build 24H212), just days after the first RCs. Apple describes both updates as containing important security fixes recommended for all users, without further detail yet on what's being patched.
9to5mac.com
· 2026-09-21
Apple has pushed out the second developer beta of macOS 27.2, codenamed Golden Gate, carrying build number 26B5091g. The update follows last week's beta 1, which added multilingual support for Siri AI in French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish after its English-only debut with macOS 27.
9to5mac.com
· 2026-09-21
A Hacker News user says that after turning off Siri in System Settings, Screen Time, and applying community debloat scripts, a 'Siri AI.app' process still appears running in Activity Monitor on macOS 27. The poster compares this persistent background activity to concerns previously raised about Microsoft's Recall feature, questioning whether Siri and Apple Intelligence services can truly be disabled.
news.ycombinator.com
· 2026-09-21
Apple has enabled non-Apple users to participate in FaceTime calls through a web browser, a capability that has existed since 2021 with iOS 15 and macOS Monterey but remains largely unknown. An iPhone or Mac user must generate and share a FaceTime link, which Android and Windows users can open in an updated browser to join the call without installing any app.
engadget.com
· 2026-09-20
Google is rolling out a new Connected App in the Gemini desktop client for Mac that lets the assistant read, search, and send iMessages using an @messages command. The feature appeared in version 1.116.5.889 under Settings > Connected Apps, though the server-side component isn't fully active yet, so the command isn't recognized in prompts as of now. This follows last week's launch of the Gemini app on Windows.
9to5google.com
· 2026-09-18
Apple's macOS 27 Golden Gate update skips a visual overhaul for Photos but packs in a new Tools pane with Apple Intelligence features, including an upgraded Clean Up tool, a generative Extend tool for expanding images, and a Spatial Reframing option that builds a 3D scene model to shift camera perspective. iCloud Shared Albums also gain full-resolution sharing across all photo and video formats and now let Android and Windows users contribute via iCloud.com.
9to5mac.com
· 2026-09-17
In the latest 9to5Mac Happy Hour episode, hosts Chance Miller and Benjamin Mayo share hands-on impressions after a week testing the iPhone 18 Pro and new Apple Watch models, alongside first reactions to Apple's newly released operating systems, including macOS Golden Gate. The episode also touches on rumors that Apple may be developing its own game controllers for iPhone.
9to5mac.com
· 2026-09-17
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