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Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for Dec. 11, No. 648.View the full article

The future of computing lies in chips that don't just process data, but understand it. With AMD, enterprises can tap into AI's full potential.View the full article

Eufy's last-season robot vacuum-mop has a crazy price cut. Grab it before it's gone.View the full article

Apple Music and Apple TV are experiencing an outage that could be causing issues for some users, according to Apple's System Status page. The outage started at 2:53 p.m. Eastern Time, and it is impacting ‌Apple Music‌, ‌Apple TV‌, and ‌Apple TV‌ Channels. Apple says that some users may run into intermittent problems, though specifics have not been provided. There don't appear to be a large number of complaints about the services on social media at this time. We'll update this article when Apple's services are back up and running. This article, "Apple Music and Apple TV Experiencing Outage" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

The next-generation low-cost iPad will use Apple's A19 chip, according to a report from Macworld. Macworld claims to have seen an "internal Apple code document" with information about the 2026 ‌iPad‌ lineup. Prior documentation discovered by MacRumors suggested that the ‌iPad‌ 12 would be equipped with an A18 chip, not an A19 chip. The A19 chip was just released this year in the iPhone 17, and it would be unusual for Apple to use a current-generation chip in the low-cost ‌iPad‌ due to cost. Apple's most affordable ‌iPad‌ has not had a current-generation chip since the ‌iPad‌ 4, which is back when Apple was still designing AX chips for its tablet lineup. The ‌iPad‌ 5 that came out in 2017 used the A9 chip that was originally introduced in the 2015 iPhone 6s, and since then, the ‌iPad‌ has been equipped with an A-series chip that's a generation or two behind the chip in the most recently released ‌iPhone‌. The current ‌iPad‌ 11 that was released in March 2025 uses the A16 chip that first debuted in the ‌iPhone‌ 14 in 2022, for example. The ‌iPad‌ 10 (October 2022) used the A14 (September 2020), the ‌iPad‌ 9 (September 2021) used the A13 (September 2019), and the ‌iPad‌ 8 (September 2020) used the A12 (September 2018). A 2024 A18 chip for the 2026 ‌iPad‌ would be in line with prior launches. The model numbers listed in Macworld's report are also unusual. It says that J581 and J588 are the codenames for the upcoming 12th-generation ‌iPad‌, but codenames are typically sequential. Codenames are how Apple references unreleased devices in its software. In prior code leaks, J581 and J582 appeared to reference the low-cost ‌iPad‌ 12. Prior leaks have suggested that the iPad mini will use the A19 chip, but the ‌iPad mini‌ was previously referenced in Apple code as J510 and J511. Apple sometimes changes its plans and makes updates to unreleased devices, so the A19 chip for the ‌iPad‌ can't be ruled out entirely. It is not yet clear if Macworld is correct about the A19 chip for the ‌iPad‌ given previous information, but other parts of the report seem more in line with expectations. Macworld suggests the next-generation iPad Air will use an M4 chip, and that both the upcoming ‌iPad‌ and ‌iPad Air‌ will be equipped with Apple's N1 networking chip. The ‌iPad Air‌ typically gets an M-series chip that's a generation behind the chip in the iPad Pro, and since it's been updated to the M5, the M4 makes sense for the next ‌iPad Air‌. Apple has also been adding the new N1 networking chip to newly released devices, starting with this year's iPhones. The N1 chip is an Apple-designed Bluetooth and Wi-Fi chip that's more energy efficient than chips designed by third-party companies. Apple is expected to release the new ‌iPad Air‌ and ‌iPad‌ models early in 2026.Related Roundup: iPadBuyer's Guide: iPad (Neutral)Related Forum: iPad This article, "iPad 12 Rumored to Get iPhone 17's A19 Chip, Breaking Apple Tradition" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

React2Shell continues to witness heavy exploitation, with threat actors leveraging the maximum-severity security flaw in React Server Components (RSC) to deliver cryptocurrency miners and an array of previously undocumented malware families, according to new findings from Huntress. This includes a Linux backdoor called PeerBlight, a reverse proxy tunnel named CowTunnel, and a Go-basedView the full article

The best kids' smartwatches are safe, simple and distraction-free. Here's how to find one.View the full article

Commentary: The Apple Watch SE 3 is a budget-friendly watch, but you'd never guess by how well it keeps up with the pricier models.View the full article

The playlists can factor in world knowledge, go back to your listening history from day one, and can be refreshed daily or weekly. View the full article

A pair of reading glasses can help reduce eye strain and boost your reading pleasure. Here are our favorite places to get yours.View the full article

The stealthy startup plans to use a network of satellites to harvest sunlight and send it to Earth using infrared lasers.View the full article

Apple today shared a list of the most downloaded U.S. App Store apps and games in 2025, highlighting the top free and paid iPhone and iPad titles. ChatGPT was the number one free app that ‌iPhone‌ users downloaded in 2025, followed by Threads, Google, TikTok, and WhatsApp. Google Gemini was the only other chatbot app to make the list, coming in at number 10. Top paid ‌iPhone‌ apps included HotSchedules, Shadowrocket, and Procreate Pocket. Top free iPhone games included Block Blast, Fortnite, and Roblox, while Minecraft, Balatro, and Heads Up were among the top paid ‌iPhone‌ games. YouTube was the number one free ‌iPad‌ app downloaded in 2025, followed by ChatGPT, Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video. Procreate, Procreate Dreams, forScore, ToonSquid, and Nomad Sculpt were the top paid ‌iPad‌ apps. Roblox, Block Blast, and Fortnite were the top free ‌iPad‌ games, with Minecraft, Geometry Dash, and Stardew Valley taking the top three spots on the paid ‌iPad‌ game list. Apple also included the most downloaded Apple Arcade games. NFL Retro Bowl '26, NBA 2K25 Arcade Edition, and Balatro+ were at the top of the list. Apple's full list of top downloaded apps and games across 2025 can be found in the ‌App Store‌.Tag: App Store This article, "Most Downloaded iPhone Apps of 2025: ChatGPT, Threads, and Google" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

New research has uncovered exploitation primitives in the .NET Framework that could be leveraged against enterprise-grade applications to achieve remote code execution. WatchTowr Labs, which has codenamed the "invalid cast vulnerability" SOAPwn, said the issue impacts Barracuda Service Center RMM, Ivanti Endpoint Manager (EPM), and Umbraco 8. But the number of affected vendors is likely to beView the full article

Most Democratic-led states will continue to recommend the hepatitis B vaccine at birth, despite a CDC advisory panel’s vote against it.View the full article

Upgrade your office with one of the best desks our CNET experts have tested.View the full article

After looking through hundreds of Amazon gifts, we've found the top ones your friends loved ones will actually use this holiday season. Headphones, record players, fun games and more.View the full article

A subcontractor says he was crushed by a metal support, breaking his hip, knee, and tibia. He's suing SpaceX and the construction company who employed him.View the full article

Calibri, which could make documents easier to read for the vision impaired, was apparently installed in 2023 by the department’s then-DEI office.View the full article

Apple CEO Tim Cook was in Washington, D.C. today to meet with US lawmakers about the upcoming App Store Accountability Act, reports Bloomberg. The App Store Accountability Act would require Apple to verify a person's age when an Apple Account is created using a "commercially available method or process," and get parental consent for each app that a child under 16 downloads. Apple is against the ‌App Store‌ Accountability Act because it does not want to be legally responsible for verifying user age, obtaining parental consent, or ensuring that developers follow the rules, nor does it want to collect the required documentation. It is Apple's opinion that age verification should be the responsibility of app creators. Cook pushed lawmakers not to require app store platforms to collect data for age verification purposes, instead suggesting that parents should be providing the age of a child when creating a child's account (which is how account creation works now). To head off legislation, Apple has introduced new age assurance features, such as simpler tools for parents to oversee children's Apple accounts, new age categories for app content, and the Declared Age Range API that provides developers with a privacy-forward way to ensure kids aren't exposed to in-app content meant for adults. Apple has argued that it already has extensive parental controls with Screen Time, and that the legislation would require it to collect excessive amounts of information from all users just to verify the age of children. Apple says that it could be required to collect data like a driver's license, passport, or Social Security number, which is "not in the interest of user safety or privacy." The House Energy and Commerce Committee will consider the bill on Thursday morning. Texas recently passed a similar bill, SB2420. Starting on January 1, 2026, Apple users located in Texas will need to confirm whether they are 18 years or older when creating an Apple Account. Apple will need to verify age and parental identity, and the ‌App Store‌ will need to provide additional information to parents.Tags: App Store, Tim Cook This article, "Tim Cook Goes to Washington to Fight App Store Age Verification Legislation" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

The new packages will give consumers more flexibility over the content that they want to pay for. View the full article

Verified users will actually be notable figures, not just people who paid for the checkmark.View the full article

About a fifth of US teens say they're on TikTok almost constantly, according to a Pew Research survey.View the full article

Apple has teamed up with Mattel for a 30 percent discount on Mattel toys when using Apple Pay to check out on the Mattel website. The discount is available for Barbie, Hot Wheels, Masters of the Universe, and other Mattel branded toys. The ‌Apple Pay‌ deal is available from December 8 to December 14 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time. To get the discount, users will need to use ‌Apple Pay‌ for their purchase on the Mattel website, and enter the promo code APPLEPAY at checkout. The deal excludes shipping and handling, gift cards, taxes, and Mattel Creations Memberships. There are no minimum or maximum purchase limits listed, so the deal should apply to all purchases made on the website through December 14.Tag: Apple Pay Promo This article, "Apple Pay Promo Offers 30% Off Mattel Toys" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Gift shopping often requires a budget. If you're looking for a gift that's impactful to your loved ones and friend but not to your wallet, check out these gifts under $150.View the full article

Your mom deserves a gift she loves this year. These are the things we're buying our own moms for the holidays, from noise-cancelling headphones to the Oura Ring to track her health and more.View the full article