reporter

Apple removed scam app Freecash from the App Store this week after the app spent months harvesting data from iPhone users, reports TechCrunch. Freecash reached the number two spot on the U.S. ‌App Store‌ charts in January after being heavily marketed on TikTok. It promised users up to $35 per hour for watching TikTok content, but it was collecting swaths of user data. Back in January, Wired covered Freecash's deceptive marketing, and MalwareBytes pointed out that the app was gathering data like race, religion, health, and biometrics, with extra data harvested through mobile games that Freecash pushed users to install. Users tricked into downloading Freecash with the promise of free cash found that they could not earn money by using TikTok, but instead were able to earn tiny amounts of cash by playing games like Monopoly Go and Disney Solitaire. The goal was to push users to make in-app purchases or watch paid ads in the apps. Freecash advertised itself as a platform for matching game developers with users likely to spend money in their games. After the Wired report, TikTok pulled the Freecash ads, but Apple did not take action to remove the app. Freecash stayed in the ‌App Store‌ until TechCrunch contacted Apple on Monday, which is when Apple removed the app from the ‌App Store‌. Apple said Freecash violated its guidelines prohibiting scam practices and misleading marketing. Freecash parent company Almedia denied using deceptive marketing techniques and said it was in compliance with Apple's ‌App Store‌ rules. Our apps are fully compliant with the Apple App Store and Google Play Store policies, as demonstrated by the fact that they are live and regularly pass platform reviews. We do not comment on internal product strategy regarding specific app listings. Freecash was downloaded by 5.5 million people across the Apple ‌App Store‌ and Google Play in January 2026, and it has remained high on the ‌App Store‌ charts since then. In addition to using misleading TikTok ads, the app appears to have used bots and fake ratings to drive traffic. The app's developers may have also acquired an existing ‌App Store‌ app to get around Apple's app review system, as the Freecash app was banned at one point in 2024 before an existing ‌App Store‌ app was renamed Freecash and updated with the same functionality. TechCrunch's full report has more information on Freecash and the scammy tactics the company behind the app used to lure in users.Tag: App Store This article, "Apple Removes Freecash App From App Store After Months of Data Harvesting" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

SwitchBot makes some of the most affordable HomeKit-compatible robot vacuums on the market. I've been testing the SwitchBot S20 and the K11+ for the last several months to see how they measure up to some of the more expensive models that I've reviewed. SwitchBot S20 The MSRP for the S20 is $799, but SwitchBot runs sales often that drop the price to under $500, so it's competitive with some of the more affordable robot vacuums that don't have Matter integration. I've noticed some clear differences between the SwitchBot vacuums and higher-end vacuums I've tested, but the S20 has impressed me with its cleaning ability. It is a vacuum and a mop, so it can vacuum up crumbs and mop the floors at the same time. For vacuuming, it has a 10,000Pa suction, but I've never been able to tell a real difference in suction power between the vacuums I've tested. They're all able to do a good job with dust, fur, dirt, and other debris on the floor. There is an anti-tangle system, and I've never seen the SwitchBot S20 have a problem with hair or fur, and there are rubber ridges on the vacuum brush that seem to help it pick up lightweight messes. A brush on the side sweeps along baseboards, and while I don't think it's as good at getting into small crevices as the Roborock vacuum I have, it does a passable job. You might have to do a perimeter sweep with a regular vacuum every once in a while. The S20 has a roller mop, and that's my favorite robot vacuum mopping design. A lot of companies use rotating mopping pads, but the roller gets washed continually as the robot cleans, so it's not spreading a mess around. It also just feels more hygienic to me because it's scrubbing grime off of the mop as it goes. No robot vacuum is able to get crusty, dried-on stains off in one pass, but the S20 did a good job on dried ketchup with two passes. Robot vacuums aren't ideal for deep cleaning, but with multiple cleans per week or even every day, my floor is cleaner than when I do it manually. I have wood flooring and tile, but no carpet, so I can't test carpet extensively. I have a few larger-sized rugs that it has done fine vacuuming, and it's done no damage to my wood floors. All robot vacuums have a base station, and the S20 is no exception. In fact, it has the option for a base station that hooks up to your plumbing so it can automatically empty waste water and refill with clean water. For a review, I didn't want to hook it up to my house permanently so I opted for tanks that I refill and empty manually, but it's nice to have the option. The SwitchBot S20 base station has a simple, unobtrusive design, and it's not overly large. There's a 2.7L clean water tank and a 2.5L dirty water tank, which I have to refill/empty around once a week depending on how often the robot runs. The base station also has a spot for adding floor cleaner, and there are cleaners that are for robot vacuums. The tanks are easy to access, simple to open, and quick to refill or empty. Dust and dirt are collected in a bag that needs to be replaced every three months, so that is an ongoing expense. You'll also need to do some light cleaning and maintenance of the robot vacuum every so often because the mop and other components don't last forever, but that usually only needs to be done once a year or so. The base station uses hot air (50°C) to dry the mop after cleaning, and that keeps it from growing mold or smelling mildewy. Those are all the good things about the SwitchBot, and now I'll go over the not-so-good and the bad. The base station has a thin plastic mat to protect the floor from the wheels, which SwitchBot wants you to attach to the floor with adhesive. I am not going to attach plastic to my floor, and I was disappointed there wasn't a snap-in floor protector like most robot vacuums have for the base station. Without the adhesive, the plastic moves around and is useless, so I just deal with some drips and dirt on my kitchen floor. Compared to Ecovacs and Roborock vacuums I've tested, the S20 is loud. I would not be able to sleep or work through its vacuuming noise, though it does have a mode to reduce suction and make it quieter. It's still not quiet enough. It sounds like a vacuum when the vacuum is running, but it's not the worst tradeoff for a lower price. The S20 has modes for vacuuming, vacuuming and then mopping, or vacuuming and mopping at the same time, but if you just want it to mop, SwitchBot doesn't have an option for that. As far as the AI goes, it's not as good as some of the other vacuums I've used, and in some ways that's a good thing. It doesn't get stuck on my kitchen rugs because it just flat out ignores them. If one is stuck on the wheel, it drags the rug along until it gets unstuck. I don't necessarily mind, because I don't have to get up and save it. It's able to operate independently for the most part, and I don't have to intervene often. It is able to avoid cords almost entirely, and I haven't had it suck up anything that it shouldn't except for a cat toy and a sock. The Ecovacs robot I tested would sometimes err too far on the side of caution, misidentifying objects and staying away from them for a less thorough clean. The S20 cares less, and that could be an issue if you have a lot of items on the floor. The AI mapping isn't as capable as some more expensive robots, but the S20 was able to identify every room in my house and it navigates them well for the most part. It is not great at thresholds, especially taller thresholds. It gets stuck in my bathroom, and instead of realizing it's stuck and alerting me, it will keep trying to get out until its battery is exhausted. I can edit maps to create no-go areas, label rooms and objects, and make other edits to make sure that it's only cleaning where I want it to clean, and the edits are a must with the SwitchBot vacuums. The S20 can go for around 100 minutes before it needs to charge (in vacuum and mopping mode), and can clean approximately 1,000 square feet in my house before that point. It isn't able to do my entire house on a single charge, but in-app scheduling lets me have it clean a room or an area a day on a cycle. The battery lasts closer to three hours in vacuum-only mode. SwitchBot K11+ The SwitchBot K11+ is a much smaller, vacuum-only robot. It's best for small spaces and it's a robot I'd consider in an apartment. With three attempts, I wasn't able to get it to accurately map my entire house, and the AI seems to be limited. I can isolate it in a room and get an accurate map, so it's okay in a smaller area, but it's still not particularly intelligent. Like the S20, if it can't get to an area, it doesn't give up and move on. It continues to try to get there until it dies and I have to go hunt it down, and that's inconvenient when I'm not home. The suction is decent at 6,000Pa per SwitchBot, but it doesn't pick up as much as quickly as the S20. What I like best about the K11+ is the small size. It's able to get in smaller nooks and crannies than bigger robot vacuums, which makes it ideal for small spaces. There is technically a feature where you can attach a Swiffer-style mop to the K11+ for a mopping feature, but that just seems like much more of a hassle than quickly mopping the floor myself. Matter Integration With an Apple Matter hub (Apple TV or HomePod), SwitchBot vacuums connect to the Home app. Basic functions can be controlled through the Home app or through Siri, and I've come around to ‌Siri‌ integration as a useful feature. I wasn't impressed with the limited robot vacuum controls in the Home app to begin with, but I can say things like "‌Siri‌, vacuum the kitchen" or "‌Siri‌, mop the dining room" to get a targeted clean when needed, and that's come in handy. That's primarily what I use Matter for, but the Home app also supports automations and integration with other Apple products. You can have a setup where the robot vacuums when you leave home, so you never have to deal with the sound. There is no situation where ‌Siri‌ or the Home app can be used to control a robot vacuum entirely without the need to access the dedicated SwitchBot app. Features like editing a map, updating firmware, viewing cleaning progress, troubleshooting, or checking estimates for replacement parts require the SwitchBot app, and that's true of any robot vacuum. HomeKit integration is nice to have, but it is limited, and it's not a feature that I would choose one robot vacuum over another for. Bottom Line If you're looking for a robot vacuum and mop that does a good job cleaning and mopping and you don't want to spend a ton, the SwitchBot S20 is worth checking out. You'll need to deal with some frustrations, like loud noise, map editing, and rescuing it from being stuck, but it cleans well. I would not recommend the smaller K11+ unless you have a small space. It's not meant for larger homes, but it is a good apartment vacuum if you won't miss mopping functionality. How to Buy The SwitchBot S20 is available from the SwitchBot website for $520 after a 35 percent discount (I've seen the price lower, so it's worth waiting for a bigger sale), while the SwitchBot K11+ is available for $220 after a 45 percent discount. Note: SwitchBot provided MacRumors with an S20 and a K11+ for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received. This article, "SwitchBot S20 Review: A Budget-Friendly Robot Vacuum and Mop With Matter Support" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

We’re coming up on a year since launching Docker Hardened Images (DHI) this May, and crossing a milestone earlier this month made me stop and reflect on what we’ve actually been building. Earlier this month, we crossed over 500k daily pulls of DHIs, and over 25k continuously patched OS level artifacts in our SLSA Level 3 pipeline. From the time we launched the free DHI Community tier at the end of last year, the catalog has now grown to 2,000+ hardened images, MCP servers, Helm charts, and ELS images. We continuously patch every artifact (across CVEs, distros, versions), so we’re now running over a million builds running regularly, and just getting started. Catalog coverage will jump again soon, as more Debian packages, ELS images, and newer artifact types are added. But the numbers aren’t the interesting part. What matters is how we got here. We chose the harder path, on purpose. Every product and engineering decision we made was consistently harder to build and operate, but better for developers and for the security of the ecosystem. We made hardened images free and open source. We built a multi-distro product, so adoption doesn’t mean migrating to a vendor’s proprietary OS. We build every system package from source for distros you already run. We ship a huge range of signed attestations with every image because that’s what independent verifiability actually requires. Along the way, we also looked closely at how the rest of the industry approaches the same problems, and found patterns in patching timelines, SBOM completeness, and advisory coverage that are worth understanding before you evaluate any hardened image provider. We made hardened images widely accessible so every team could raise their security baseline We wanted to make a real dent in the security posture of the internet, and that meant making hardened images widely accessible. That is why we did not put our catalog behind a gated paywall, as was the industry norm, but freely available to every developer. Building and sustaining a hardened image pipeline at this scale isn’t trivial. We know because we’ve been doing this for over a decade with Docker Official Images, freely for the community. With the release of DHI Community under a permissive Apache 2.0 license, we raised the baseline for security across the ecosystem. Security should not be a premium feature. That kind of impact, at scale, is only possible because the foundation is open. We built multi-distro so adoption is drop-in, and does not impose a migration tax on you Some vendors in this space created an entirely new Linux distribution and called it “distroless,” which is a remarkable piece of branding for what is, in practice, a proprietary OS that your teams have never run, tested, or audited. Established Linux distributions like Debian and Alpine have a name for a package repository that only tracks the latest upstream version: they call it “unstable” or “edge,” not stable. Docker doesn’t ship its own distribution, we harden the ones you already trust. That decision optimizes for your engineering reality, not ours. The hardened image that never gets adopted provides zero security value, full stop. With the Docker “multi-distro” approach, we support both Debian and Alpine today, with support for more distros to come. This is actually hard to do: the Debian and Alpine ecosystems don’t just differ in packaging; they diverge in libc, dependency trees, CVE streams, patch timing, and tooling. You are effectively maintaining parallel supply chains, each with its own nuances and security posture. Every hardened image in the DHI catalog is available in both Alpine and Debian, across both amd64 and arm64 architectures, which means we build, patch, and attest each combination independently, taking on that operational burden so you don’t have to. We regularly speak with engineering teams who evaluate proprietary distributions from other vendors and run into the same wall: your existing internal expertise, tools, tests, and pipelines are built around Alpine or Debian. Migrating to an unfamiliar, vendor-owned OS isn’t a security upgrade, it’s an adoption project and a material line item of cost, alongside the sticker price of the hardened images subscription itself. The vendor lock-in aspect goes without saying. The migration effort means revalidating CI pipelines, retraining platform teams, auditing an entirely new package ecosystem, and working through compatibility gaps that surface weeks into a rollout. Several teams tell us they bought the migration story, spent months on it, and are still paying for images their engineers haven’t adopted. With Docker, your teams stay on the distros they already run, which means the adoption cost is measured in hours, not quarters. One of our customers at Attentive (Stephen Commisso, Principal Engineer) captured their experience in the phrase “200 services – zero drama”, when describing their DHI rollout: “The rollout was completely transparent to product teams. We had zero issues across over 200 services, which was particularly impressive since we were simultaneously switching Linux distributions from Ubuntu to Debian. All the heavy lifting happened during POC.” We build every system package from source, for the distros you already use With the launch of Hardened System Packages, Docker builds tens of thousands of Alpine and Debian system packages from source in a SLSA Build Level 3 pipeline with cryptographic signed, full provenance. This fundamentally changes the CVE equation. Other vendors also claim to build system packages from source. The difference is that they build them for proprietary Linux distributions that have not had the benefit of independent community scrutiny and that customers have never run in production. Docker builds packages for Alpine and Debian, the distributions your teams already operate, already test against, and already trust. Alpine and Debian are vast ecosystems that have independent maintainers, public mailing lists, coordinated disclosure with upstream projects, and volunteer security teams that operate independently of any commercial interest. You get the security benefit of from-source patching without the compatibility cost of adopting an unfamiliar OS. We didn’t stop at near-zero CVEs, we made every image independently verifiable Docker’s approach to container security is built on five pillars: minimal attack surface, verifiable SBOMs, secure build provenance, exploitability context, and cryptographic verification. We distilled our product development philosophy to these ideas, because we think your security posture depends on it. Not every vendor in the hardened image market shares this philosophy. Most vendors in this space optimize for one metric: a clean CVE scan result. Docker obsesses over near-zero CVEs too, but we went further: we built an attestation infrastructure that gives your security team, auditors, SOC, and change advisory boards machine-readable, cryptographically signed evidence for every question they will ask about an image. We add 17 signed attestations to every single one of our 2000+ images in the DHI catalog, because that is what it takes to give you independent verifiability: Question DHI included attestation(s) What this attestation is Why it matters to you What’s in this image? CycloneDX SBOM, SPDX SBOM Machine-readable inventory of every package, version, and transitive dependency. First thing auditors request during compliance reviews. Both formats are included so you don’t have to convert for different toolchains. How was it built, and can I prove it? SLSA provenance v1, SLSA verification summary, Scout provenance, DHI Image Sources Cryptographic proof linking every image to its exact source definition. Required by supply chain security policies. Used by incident responders during forensics to verify whether an image was legitimately built or injected. What vulnerabilities exist, and what’s been assessed? CVEs v0.1, CVEs v0.2, VEX, Scout health score CVE scan results and per-CVE exploitability justifications attached to the image itself. When your GRC team prepares a FedRAMP POA&M or your security team triages a new advisory, the evidence is already on the artifact. Is it compliant? FIPS compliance, STIG scan FIPS evidence and OpenSCAP-generated STIG results Ready artifacts for FedRAMP, PCI DSS, and HIPAA audits. Typically the most expensive artifacts to produce manually. Docker generates them automatically. Has it been checked for non-CVE risks? Secrets scan, Virus scan, Tests Confirms no leaked credentials, no known malware, and that the image functions as expected. These are the checks SOC teams and security review boards require before approving production deployment. Docker runs them on every build. What changed? Changelog Signed record of what was added, removed, or patched between versions. Change advisory boards need this to approve updates. Without it, your team is diffing images manually. Attestations answer questions about the image, the next set of questions are about the vendor. What to ask your vendor, and what we found when we asked ourselves the same questions In a fast-moving ecosystem, CVEs will occasionally get missed, advisories will have gaps, and no vendor operating at scale will have a flawless record. What matters is whether the gaps reveal isolated incidents or a pattern. The following questions are worth asking every vendor, including Docker. What is the extent of your vendor’s commitment to patching? Ask your vendor how far they go to resolve vulnerabilities. Docker continuously patches CVEs across both Debian, Alpine, and several major OSS software projects, rebuilding tens of thousands of system packages and several thousand images from source. That is a significant engineering and operational investment that most vendors avoid, because it is easier to build images for a single proprietary OS. Docker’s commitment doesn’t end at images in our catalog. When a fix doesn’t exist upstream, there are many examples of Docker’s security team creating one. For CVE-2025-12735, a 9.8 CRITICAL RCE in Kibana’s dependency chain, the affected library was unmaintained and had no patch. Docker created the fix, shipped it to customers, and contributed it to LangChain.js. The fix was released as a public npm package on November 17, 2025. One vendor we looked at has a published CVE policy of 7-day remediation for critical CVEs, once a qualifying patch is publicly available. In this instance, their fix appeared several weeks after that qualifying patch was created by Docker and shipped by the upstream project. This level of upstream commitment is built into how our security team operates. Docker has been a MITRE CVE Numbering Authority since 2022, part of a sustained investment in teams’ ability to identify, disclose, and fix vulnerabilities at the source. What assurances do you have about the completeness of your SBOMs? Ask whether your vendor’s SBOM includes compiled dependencies (Rust crates, Go modules, JavaScript packages), or just system-level packages. Ask whether you can independently verify SBOM completeness against the project’s actual dependency manifest. Docker’s SBOMs include every compiled dependency. We’ve examined images from other vendors, and as one example for Vector (observability pipeline compiled from hundreds of Rust crate dependencies) one vendor’s SBOM did not appear to include those dependencies. If a dependency isn’t in the SBOM, vulnerabilities in that dependency are invisible to the customer’s scanner and unverifiable by the customer’s security team. When Docker’s security team identified a High-severity CVE in Vector’s Rust dependencies, it was patched and shipped the same evening. Does your vendor’s advisory feed surface every known CVE for the packages it ships? Ask whether you can scan the vendor’s images with a third-party scanner against public advisory data, without relying on the vendor’s own advisory feed, and still get consistent results. Docker recommends validating with Grype, Trivy, Wiz, or Mend. When we examined a vendor’s node image: CVE-2025-9308 and CVE-2025-8262 (both affecting yarn 1.22.22) were present in the shipped image but neither appeared on the vendor’s vulnerability page or in their security advisory feed. Docker’s hardened system package for yarn 1.22.22 is built from source with patches applied for both CVEs. If your vendor’s advisory feed has gaps, your scanner inherits those gaps, and your security team is making decisions based on incomplete data. When a CVE is assessed as unexploitable, does your vendor provide an auditable justification? Not every CVE warrants a patch, and every vendor makes that judgment call. The question is whether your team can see the reasoning. Docker’s security team evaluates exploitability in the context of each minimal container image and publishes every assessment transparently. Some vendors may set advisory version ranges to values real packages never match, thereby making CVEs invisible to scanners, and not providing a justification or an audit trail. Docker uses VEX, the CISA-backed standard for communicating exploitability, which provides a per-CVE, machine-readable justification that every customer can read and audit. We took on the parts of supply chain security others leave behind Beyond multi-distro support, from-source patching, and transparency, we made a set of choices that compound into a distinctive, secure, simple experience for you. Most vendor guarantees stop at the edge of the base image. Docker takes full ownership of your customized images: you add what your environment needs, and when a CVE is patched upstream, Docker automatically rebuilds your customized image and our SLA propagates to every artifact we produce. Your customizations don’t void the security guarantee. We’ve also opened up our hardened systems packages repo so you can use those hardened packages in your own bespoke containers. We will be extending this same rigor to language libraries next. The dependencies your application pulls in through npm, pip, or Maven will carry the same provenance and patching guarantees as the OS layer beneath them. And for organizations running software that upstream has stopped supporting, Extended Lifecycle Support continues delivering security patches for up to five years past end-of-life, so teams can maintain their security posture while upgrading on their own timeline. Come join the movement A year ago, 500k daily pulls of the DHI catalog and a million builds running regularly felt like a milestone. Today, this is the baseline. None of this would have happened without the teams who trusted us early and pushed us hard, including Adobe, Crypto.com, Attentive, and many others. Projects like n8n.io helped us understand what it takes to operate at scale. Partners like Socket.dev, Snyk, and Mend.io are building security workflows on top of this foundation. We are continuing to listen, iterate, and do the hard things that are better for you, because that matters. If you are thinking about supply chain security, especially given the quantity and intensity of supply chain risks AI agents being to the mix, now is the time to raise your baseline with Docker. Explore the Docker Hardened Images catalog and secure your supply chain here: https://www.docker.com/products/hardened-images/ For every team and developer, the open source DHI Community tier provides and immediately upgraded security posture. For businesses, we have a wide range of options that will work for your specific needs. More resources: DHI documentation: https://docs.docker.com/dhi/ Watch: Why n8n.io moved to DHI Read: Medplum’s step-by-step DHI adoption playbook View the full article

Samsung raised the prices of several of its smartphones and tablets in the United States overnight, likely due to increasing costs caused by ongoing memory shortages. As shared by PhoneArena, the 512GB Galaxy Z Flip increased by $80 from $1,219.99 to $1,299.99, while the S25 Edge and S25 FE went up $80 and $40, respectively. Samsung did not increase the cost of its current-generation S26 smartphones because those were priced higher than the prior-generation models from launch, but the company did also increase the cost of the 512GB and 1TB Galaxy Z Fold 7 earlier this month. Samsung's tablet prices increased for the full U.S. lineup, including the latest Galaxy Tab S11 and the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra models. The base models are $100 more expensive at $900 for the S11 and $1,299 for the S11 Ultra, while higher-end models went up even more. The 1TB S11 Ultra is now $1,899.99, which is a $280 increase. Samsung didn't comment on the price increase, but the quiet price hike suggests that Samsung is going to need to charge more for upcoming devices that are coming out later this year. As a major smartphone manufacturer, Samsung has not been able to weather rising costs without raising prices, and that could be a sign that Apple's upcoming devices could also be more expensive than they would have been without hardware shortages. The MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models that came out earlier this year are more expensive than their predecessors, though Apple increased storage to justify the price hike. Apple already removed the 512GB RAM upgrade for the Mac Studio, and started charging $400 more for the 256GB RAM upgrade. Apple also recently stopped accepting orders for some ‌Mac Studio‌ and Mac mini configurations with higher amounts of RAM. For machines still in stock, shipping times are extraordinarily high. Hardware makers like Apple are dealing with high demand for memory and storage, which has been caused by demand from artificial intelligence data centers. Manufacturers are prioritizing AI chip production over chips designed for consumer products because large data center contracts are more profitable. Chipmakers like Samsung, TSMC, and SK Hynix are unable to keep up with demand even while operating at full capacity, and the lack of supply mixed with rising demand has led to price hikes. During Apple's January earnings call, Tim Cook said that memory costs didn't impact the company's gross margin in the first fiscal quarter of the year, but would have a "bit more of an impact" during the second fiscal quarter. Apple is set to hold its Q2 earnings call on April 30. Cook said that Apple is looking at a "range of options" to deal with rising prices over the long term if needed, and Apple is seeking supplier price cuts in other areas to offset the increase. Apple apparently agreed to pay Samsung twice as much for LPDDR5X memory chips for ongoing iPhone 17 production. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in January that he expects Apple to keep iPhone 18 starting prices flat despite having to pay more for components. He said Apple could absorb the costs to gain market share, and make up some of the money on its services side. Apple plans to launch a new foldable iPhone this year, and its rumored $2,000+ price tag could also pad Apple's margins. Apple has been planning M5 updates for the ‌Mac Studio‌ and the ‌Mac mini‌, and it is unknown how the memory shortages and long shipping times for current machines will impact those plans.Tag: Samsung This article, "Samsung's U.S. Price Increases Add to Concerns About Rising Apple Device Costs" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Apple has two new Apple Watch activity challenges coming up, celebrating Earth Day and International Dance Day. The Earth Day activity challenge will launch on Wednesday, April 22, while the Dance Day challenge will take place a week later on Wednesday, April 29. To complete the Earth Day challenge, Apple Watch owners will need to complete a workout that lasts for 30 minutes or longer. This Earth Day, April 22, record any 30 minute workout with the Workout app or any app that records workouts to Health to earn this award. The earth will think the world of you. The International Dance Day award can be earned by completing a Dance workout of 20 minutes or more. Show off your dance moves for International Dance Day. Earn this award by recording a Dance workout of 20 minutes or more on April 29. Record it with the Workout app or any app that adds workouts to Health. Apple Watch owners who earn the Earth Day award will unlock a badge in the Fitness app, along with animated stickers. The Dance Day challenge will also unlock a special Fitness app badge and accompanying stickers. Earth Day and International Dance Day are two events that are always part of Apple's ongoing Apple Watch activity challenge schedule. They follow the February Heart Month activity challenge and the January New Year challenge.Related Roundup: Apple Watch 11Tag: Activity ChallengeBuyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Neutral) This article, "Apple Watch Earth Day and International Dance Day Activity Challenges Launching Later This Month" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

A fake Mac app designed to look like the real thing snuck past Apple's app review team, costing users $9.5 million in cryptocurrency. According to CoinDesk, a fake macOS version of the Ledger Live crypto wallet app scammed people into handing over access to their cryptocurrency wallets. More than 50 people fell victim to the fake app between April 7 and April 13. Ledger has an official Mac app, but it is distributed via the Ledger website and not through the Mac App Store. The real app does not ask users to enter their seed phrases like the fake app did, nor do other legitimate cryptocurrency apps. The stolen money was routed through the KuCoin crypto exchange, and hackers used a mixing service known as AudiA6, which charges high fees to launder cryptocurrency. Three of the victims lost seven-figure sums, which is an unusually high amount of money to lose in a fake app scam. ZachXBT, who investigated the scam and shared the info on Telegram, suggested Apple could be subject to a class-action lawsuit in the future due to the amount of money lost. Apple removed the fake Ledger Live app from the ‌Mac App Store‌, but it was live for approximately two weeks. It is not known how it passed Apple's app review process, and Apple hasn't commented.Tags: Cryptocurrency, Mac App Store This article, "Apple Removes Fake Crypto Wallet App That Stole $9.5 Million From Mac Users" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Apple today launched its new all-in-one Apple Business platform, debuting the refreshed Apple Business web portal and accompanying app. Apple Business aggregates several of Apple's prior business-focused products, like Apple Business Essentials, Apple Business Manager, and Apple Business Connect. The service offers organizations a unified platform for managing devices, employees, communications, and customer engagement across the Apple ecosystem. Companies can take advantage of built-in mobile device management tools (MDM) for configuring device settings, security policies, available apps, and user groups from one location. With a simplified "Blueprints" option, employers can preconfigure devices purchased from Apple or authorized retailers with settings and apps for zero-touch deployment. Employees can use Apple Business to install work-related apps, request support from employers, and contact colleagues through a company directory. Managed Apple Accounts provide "cryptographic separation" between personal and work data, so employees don't need to deal with multiple devices. Provisioning can be automated with providers like Google Workspace and Microsoft Entra ID. Apple Business includes integrated email, calendar, and directory services linked to custom domains, plus customer engagement tools. Businesses can manage how their brand and locations show up across Apple services using brand profiles in Safari, Siri, and Spotlight, branded communication in Apple Mail, order tracking in Wallet, customizable place cards in Apple Maps, Tap to Pay branding, and more. Apple is gearing up to introduce ads in ‌Apple Maps‌ this summer, and ads can be purchased through Apple Business. Businesses can create ads that show up at the top of search results in Maps and in a Suggested Places feature coming in iOS 26.5. Ads will be limited to the U.S. and Canada at launch. Apple Business is available in over 200 countries and regions. It is a free service for new and existing users, with optional paid add-ons for more iCloud storage and AppleCare+ and no monthly fees for device management. Apple is discontinuing Apple Business Essentials, Apple Business Manager, and Apple Business Connect now that its unified Apple Business platform is available. The Apple Business companion app and email, calendar, and directory features require iOS 26, iPadOS 26, or macOS 26.Tag: Apple Business This article, "Apple Launches New All-in-One Apple Business Platform for Device Management, Email, and Customer Engagement" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Apple today provided public beta testers with the second releases of upcoming iOS 26.5, iPadOS 26.5, macOS Tahoe 26.5, watchOS 26.5, and tvOS 26.5 updates for testing purposes. The public betas come a day after Apple provided the betas to developers. After signing up for beta testing on Apple's beta site, public beta testers can download the updates using the Software Update section of the Settings app on each device. iOS 26.5, iPadOS 26.5, and ‌macOS Tahoe‌ 26.5 include a new Suggested Places feature for recommending nearby locations to visit, and Apple is also gearing up to start showing ads in Maps. Apple is testing end-to-end encryption for RCS messages between iPhone and Android users again, and there are proximity pairing, notification forwarding, and Live Activities for third-party wearables in the EU.Related Roundups: iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS TahoeRelated Forums: iOS 26, macOS Tahoe This article, "Apple Releases Second iOS 26.5, iPadOS 26.5 and macOS Tahoe 26.5 Public Betas" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Blackmagic Design has announced a major update to its professional video editing and color correction software, DaVinci Resolve, including a new Photo page that aims to streamline image reframing and cropping. DaVinci Resolve 21 extends the application's color grading toolset to still photography for the first time, meaning photographers can now apply primary color correction, curves, qualifiers, power windows, and node-based edits to stills, with changes held at the original source resolution. An additional LightBox view displays whole albums with grades applied, and Sony or Canon cameras can be tethered for direct capture into albums. Unsurprisingly perhaps, much of this update centers on AI. A tool called IntelliSearch indexes media so editors can search for objects, spoken keywords, or specific faces. Meanwhile, CineFocus lets users shift a shot's focal point after recording and add bokeh, while a set of facial tools can age or de-age subjects, reshape features, and remove blemishes. Two further additions, UltraSharpen and Motion Deblur, are aimed at salvaging soft or blurry footage. Elsewhere in the app, keyframing gains four-point Bezier easing and the ability to adjust multiple clips at once, and Fusion effects can now be tweaked directly from the Cut and Edit pages. Text handling also picks up multi-language spell check, a font browser, emoji support, and character-level styling. The Cut page now has smart bins, while a new MultiMaster trim manager lets colorists generate multiple HDR and SDR deliverables from a single timeline. Resolve 21 also introduces native support for OGraf HTML graphics and Lottie animations, so users can now drag .json and .lottie files directly into the media pool, where they will be treated like fully rendered animation clips. There's also a Picture in Picture effect, and expanded IntelliScript support for Final Draft and plain text screenplays. See the press release for further details on all the improvements and changes. DaVinci Resolve 21 public beta is available now to download for free from the Blackmagic Design website, but we're still waiting for a general release date to be confirmed.Tag: Blackmagic This article, "DaVinci Resolve 21 Adds Photo Editing and AI Search Tools" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Expercom has introduced new record low prices across the entire 2026 Studio Display XDR lineup this week, with up to $200 off these monitors. Expercom is a reliable Apple partner that sells both brand new and pre-owned Apple products at discounted prices. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Expercom. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running. In regards to the 2026 Studio Display XDR, these are all new models with deals that beat the current Amazon discounts by over $100 in some cases. Prices start at $2,749.00 for the Studio Display XDR with Standard Glass and VESA Mount Adapter, down from $2,899.00. $150 OFFStudio Display XDR (Standard/VESA) for $2,749.00 $150 OFFStudio Display XDR (Nano-Texture/VESA) for $3,049.00 $200 OFFStudio Display XDR (Standard/Tilt and Height) for $3,099.00 $200 OFFStudio Display XDR (Nano-Texture/Tilt and Height) for $3,399.00 All models are in stock and ready to ship with the exception of the Nano-Texture Glass Studio Display XDR with tilt- and height-adjustable stand, which has a slight 7-14 day shipping delay. If you're shopping for the regular Apple Studio Display, Amazon currently has a few models at best-ever prices. Head to our full Deals Roundup to get caught up with all of the latest deals and discounts that we've been tracking over the past week. Deals Newsletter Interested in hearing more about the best deals you can find in 2026? Sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we'll keep you updated so you don't miss the biggest deals of the season! Related Roundup: Apple Deals This article, "Apple's 2026 Studio Display XDR Drops to New Record Low Prices on Expercom" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

A joint status report filed yesterday in Apple's trade secrets lawsuit against YouTuber Jon Prosser and Michael Ramacciotti shows Prosser is still failing to comply with discovery, prompting Apple to seek a court order to compel him. The latest filing, submitted to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California yesterday, covers developments since the parties' last update in February 2026. It notes that Apple served Prosser with document and deposition subpoenas on February 3, and that while he has provided some responsive materials, he has failed to fully respond to certain requests and has not responded at all to others. Apple has extended his deadline multiple times and says it has still not received the limited discovery it needs to understand the full scope of what confidential information Prosser and Ramacciotti obtained and how they got it. Apple says it now intends to file a Motion for an Order to Show Cause in the Northern District of Ohio to force his compliance. The filing also reveals that Prosser has indicated he is retaining counsel and intends to move to set aside the default judgment entered against him in October 2025, after he missed the court deadline to respond to Apple's complaint. At the time, Prosser told The Verge he had "been in active communications with Apple since the beginning stages of this case," a claim Apple subsequently disputed in court documents. Apple filed the lawsuit in July 2025, accusing Prosser and Ramacciotti of misappropriating trade secrets by gaining unauthorized access to a development iPhone belonging to former Apple software engineer Ethan Lipnik. According to Apple's complaint, Ramacciotti accessed the device while Lipnik was away and showed Prosser the contents over FaceTime, revealing details about what was then called iOS 19 and later unveiled at WWDC 2025 as iOS 26. Prosser published videos on his YouTube channel showing recreated renderings of the software's Liquid Glass design months before Apple's announcement. Lipnik was terminated for failing to follow Apple's policies for securing development devices. Ramacciotti's posture in the case stands in contrast to Prosser's. According to the filing, he has allowed Apple to forensically review an additional device, agreed to supplement his interrogatory responses, and offered to sit for a follow-up deposition once Apple completes its third-party discovery, including any deposition of Prosser. Apple and Ramacciotti have been informally discussing a potential settlement since at least October. Apple is seeking monetary damages and an injunction barring both defendants from further disclosing any of the company's confidential information. The parties have scheduled a further status update with the court for June 10, 2026.Related Roundups: iOS 26, iPadOS 26Tags: Jon Prosser, Apple LawsuitsRelated Forum: iOS 26 This article, "Jon Prosser Still Not Fully Cooperating in Apple's iOS 26 Trade Secrets Lawsuit" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Amazon this week has multiple discounts on the brand new M4 iPad Air, providing up to $100 off these brand new models. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running. Specifically, Amazon has up to $83 off the 11-inch M4 iPad Air and up to $100 off the 13-inch M4 iPad Air. All of these discounts have been automatically applied and do not require a coupon code or a Prime membership. $48 OFF11-inch M4 iPad Air for $551.57 $50 OFF13-inch M4 iPad Air for $749.00 The new iPad Air features the M4 chip, C1X modem, and N1 networking chip, which brings support for Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6. In terms of design, the 2026 models are identical to the 2025 iPad Air tablets, with an edge-to-edge display, slim bezels, and aluminum chassis. 11-inch M4 iPad Air 128GB Wi-Fi - $551.57 ($48 off) 256GB Wi-Fi - $646.50 ($53 off) 512GB Wi-Fi - $836.50 ($63 off) 1TB Wi-Fi - $1,016.50 ($83 off) 13-inch M4 iPad Air 128GB Wi-Fi - $749.00 ($50 off) 256GB Wi-Fi - $836.50 ($63 off) 512GB Wi-Fi - $1,019.00 ($80 off) 1TB Wi-Fi - $1,199.00 ($100 off) If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week. Deals Newsletter Interested in hearing more about the best deals you can find in 2026? Sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we'll keep you updated so you don't miss the biggest deals of the season! Related Roundup: Apple Deals This article, "Apple's M4 iPad Air Available for Up to $100 Off on Amazon" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Chrome has been updated today with a Skills library that's designed to let Chrome users turn AI tasks into repeatable skills that can be used on any website. Useful prompts you create for Gemini in Chrome can be saved as a Skill that can be accessed later with a single click. If you're shopping for skincare and ask Gemini about the ingredients in a product, for example, you can save the question as a Skill and then use it again later without needing to re-type the prompt. Google provided the following examples of how testers have used the feature across different categories. Health & Wellness: quickly calculating protein macros for any recipe Shopping: generating side-by-side spec comparisons across multiple tabs Productivity: scanning lengthy documents for important information Skills can be saved directly from the chat history in Chrome (located in the side panel when Gemini is enabled), and recalled by typing a forward slash and the Skill name or clicking on the plus sign. The selected Skill will run on the page that's being viewed, along with other selected tabs. Google is debuting the feature with a library of pre-written Skills for common tasks and workflows like viewing ingredients, finding a gift for someone, or making substitutions in a recipe. Pre-prepared Skills can be customized as needed. When using a Skills prompt, Gemini will confirm before taking actions like adding an event to the calendar or sending an email, similar to other Gemini actions in Chrome. Skills are rolling out for Gemini in the desktop version of Chrome when the browser's language is set to U.S. English.Tags: Google, Google Chrome This article, "Gemini in Google Chrome Gets a Skills Library for Saving Custom AI Prompts" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

A building permit filed in Zurich confirms Apple is planning a new retail store at Lintheschergasse 7, near the city's famous Bahnhofstrasse shopping street, with construction set to run through early 2027. The permit, submitted to the city of Zurich in February and reviewed by Swiss Apple publication macprime, explicitly describes the project as a "Bahnhofstrasse Relocation" and includes Apple's internal designation "R159" for its Zurich store. The planned location sits at the corner of Lintheschergasse and Usteristrasse, adjacent to the Globus department store. According to a person with knowledge of Apple's retail planning, the company's current Rennweg store was never intended as a permanent home. "The Rennweg store was planned as a temporary location, since the entrance has stairs and an elevator," the person told MacRumors. They said it was already an open secret when Apple left Bahnhofstrasse that the company was seeking a significantly larger space, and that a dedicated team was tasked with identifying possible buildings before the construction and planning department took over. According to the permit documents, the ground floor, labeled "Sales," spans around 454 square meters, comparable to Apple's current Rennweg store. A first-floor space labeled "Backstage," likely office use, adds a further 521 square meters. Whether that upper floor will ultimately serve as retail space remains unclear. If both floors are used for sales, the total retail footprint would rank the store among the largest Apple locations in Europe, with Tagesanzeiger reporting an overall area of around 2,000 square meters. Estimated rent is around 1,500 Swiss francs per square meter per month. The building at Lintheschergasse 7 is a listed municipal heritage structure, which limits how extensively the exterior can be altered. The permit describes a facade renovation covering the ground and first floors, including new metal panels in "Aluminium Champagne" between the shop windows and updated window frames, while the concrete pillar cladding matching the upper floors will remain unchanged. The works also involve a slight expansion of the ground-floor entrance area, eliminating a recessed corner entry in favor of a flush facade, adding 11 square meters and bringing the total building footprint to 965 square meters. A basement level will likely provide storage. The construction timeline runs from early November 2026 to early May 2027, suggesting an opening sometime in summer 2027. Apple opened its first Zurich store on Bahnhofstrasse in May 2009, then relocated to Rennweg 43 in 2019. The planned Lintheschergasse location would mark the company's third Zurich address. Separately, Apple is also planning a new Geneva store, with building permits there showing a dramatic glass facade design. Apple currently operates four retail stores in Switzerland, two in Zurich and one each in Basel and Geneva.Tags: Europe, Retail, Switzerland This article, "Apple Plans One of Europe's Biggest Stores in Zurich" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Amazon and Globalstar have announced a definitive merger agreement under which Amazon will acquire the satellite operator. News of the deal also puts to bed questions about the fate of Apple's exclusive satellite connectivity partner, and how Apple fits into the bigger picture. Alongside the acquisition, Amazon and Apple have also signed a separate agreement for Amazon's Leo satellite network to power current and future iPhone and Apple Watch satellite features, including Emergency SOS, Messages via satellite, Find My, and Roadside Assistance via satellite. Amazon said it will continue supporting iPhone and Apple Watch models that use Globalstar's existing and upcoming low Earth orbit constellation, which is being built by MDA Space. Amazon also said it will work with Apple on future satellite services running on the expanded Leo network. "Apple and Amazon have a long and proven track record of working together through Amazon's core infrastructure services, and we look forward to building on that collaboration with Amazon Leo," said Greg Joswiak, Apple's senior vice president of worldwide product marketing. "This ensures our users will continue to have access to the vital satellite features they have come to rely on, including Emergency SOS, Messages, Find My, and Roadside Assistance via satellite, so they can stay safe and connected while off the grid."Amazon's acquisition deal is expected to close in 2027, subject to the usual regulatory approvals. Bloomberg had reported in October that Globalstar was exploring a sale and had held early talks with SpaceX before the Amazon discussions emerged. As we reported earlier this month, Apple's 20 percent stake in Globalstar was said to be a sticking point in Amazon's bid to acquire the company. Apple is working on a series of new satellite connectivity features for the iPhone which will apparently require upgrades to Globalstar's infrastructure. They include Apple Maps via satellite, photos in Messages via satellite, connectivity in indoors environments, satellite over 5G, and a satellite API for third-party apps.Tags: Amazon, iPhone Satellite Features This article, "Apple and Amazon Ink Satellite Deal Amid Globalstar Takeover" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth noting is that Apple is reportedly planning a major change to its iPhone release cycle this year, adopting a two-phase rollout starting with the iPhone 18 series. That means the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and iPhone Fold will be released in September 2026, followed by the iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e in spring 2027. Overall Design iPhone 17 Pro Style Rumors suggest the iPhone 18 Pro lineup will largely retain the same design as the iPhone 17 Pro models. The rear camera system will look identical to the current generation, featuring a raised "plateau" with three lenses arranged in a triangle. Display sizes are also expected to remain unchanged, with the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max continuing to use 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch panels, respectively – the same dimensions introduced with the iPhone 16 Pro series. iPhone 18 Pro models could drop the current two-tone look of the rear casing found on the iPhone 17 Pro in favor of a more seamless aesthetic. For the next-generation models, Apple has apparently updated the back-glass "replacement process" to minimize the color difference between the Ceramic Shield 2 glass and the aluminum frame, resulting in a more unified appearance. Next-Level Battery Life Thicker Chassis The iPhone 18 Pro Max will feature a bigger battery for continued best-in-class battery life, claims a Chinese leaker. The Weibo user known as "Digital Chat Station" said that the ‌iPhone 18‌ Pro Max will have a battery capacity of 5,100 to 5,200 mAh. (The iPhone 17 Pro Max has the biggest ‌iPhone‌ battery to date at 5,088 mAh. Apple says it has a battery life of up to 39 hours.) According to another rumor, the body of the iPhone 18 Pro Max will be slightly thicker than the iPhone 17 Pro Max, raising the device's weight to around 243 grams. That would make the iPhone 18 Pro Max approximately 3 grams more than the iPhone 14 Pro Max, which is currently the heaviest model Apple has produced. A larger battery is the most likely cause. Smaller Dynamic Island Under-Screen Face ID? Rumors continue to circulate about whether the iPhone 18 Pro models will introduce under-display Face ID, but reports remain divided on when the technology will actually arrive. The feature would move the TrueDepth camera system beneath the display, eliminating the need for the current Dynamic Island cutout. According to Wayne Ma of The Information, Apple is targeting a design without a Dynamic Island, replacing it with a single pinhole camera in the upper-left corner of the screen. However, other sources dispute that claim. Display analyst Ross Young believes under-display Face ID is possible for the iPhone 18 Pro, but says a smaller Dynamic Island will still be present. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has echoed this view, reporting that the new models will feature a slimmed-down Dynamic Island rather than removing it entirely. Apple is also said to be testing new camera miniaturization technology to reduce the size of the front-facing camera currently located within the Dynamic Island. The Weibo leaker "Ice Universe" has claimed the Dynamic Island cutout on the iPhone 18 Pro models will be approximately 35% narrower than it is on the iPhone 17 Pro models. Specifically, they said it will have a width of around 13.5mm, down from around 20.7mm Meanwhile, Chinese leaker Instant Digital has offered yet another version of events, saying the Dynamic Island will shrink in size, but that under-display Face ID and camera technology won't debut this year. The latest word on the subject is that Apple is weighing two options for the iPhone 18 Pro's Dynamic Island, and a final decision has yet to be made. One option apparently retains the existing screen mold from the iPhone 17 Pro, while the other introduces a significantly smaller "Mini ‌Dynamic Island‌" enabled by moving the Face ID receiver and transmitter components beneath the display. A20 Pro Chip 2nm Process The iPhone 18 Pro models will use Apple's A20 chip, based on TSMC's 2nm process for power and efficiency improvements. A move to 2nm fabrication increases transistor density, which will enable higher performance. The A20 series is expected to deliver roughly a 15 percent speed gain and about 30 percent better efficiency compared with the A19 series used in Apple's iPhone 17 models. Apple's A20 chip will be packaged with TSMC's Wafer-Level Multi-Chip Module (WMCM) technology, suggesting at least some A20 chips will have RAM integrated directly onto the same wafer as the CPU, GPU, and Neural Engine, rather than sitting adjacent to the chip and connected via a silicon interposer. This could contribute to faster performance for both overall tasks and Apple Intelligence, and longer battery life from improved power efficiency. C2 Modem Replacing Qualcomm Apple plans to include its next-generation C2 modem in the iPhone 18 Pro models, according to supply chain analyst Jeff Pu. The chip will succeed the C1 modem, which debuted in the lower-cost iPhone 16e as Apple's first in-house cellular modem, and the C1X modem chip in the iPhone Air, which Apple says is up to 2× faster than the C1. The C2 is expected to bring faster speeds, improved power efficiency, and support for mmWave 5G in the United States – a feature missing from the C1 and C1X. Apple's modem roadmap is part of a long-term strategy to reduce reliance on Qualcomm, which currently supplies 5G modems for the rest of the iPhone lineup. The company has been working on developing its own cellular chips for years, aiming for deeper integration and greater control over power management and performance. New Camera Sensor Samsung-Made Samsung is working on a new three-layer stacked image sensor, reportedly intended for the iPhone 18. The sensor, referred to as PD-TR-Logic, integrates three layers of circuitry, which would improve camera responsiveness, reduce noise, and increase dynamic range. The leak comes from a source known as "Jukanlosreve," who claims the sensor is being developed specifically for Apple's 2026 iPhone lineup. Sony has long been Apple's sole image sensor supplier, so Samsung's entry would be a big shift in the iPhone's camera supply chain. Variable Aperture DSLR-Style Apple intends to equip this year's iPhone 18 Pro models with a variable aperture lens, according to reports. Weibo-based leaker Digital Chat Station claims the main rear camera – what Apple calls the 48-megapixel Fusion camera – on both iPhone 18 Pro models will offer variable aperture, which would be a first for the iPhone. A variable-aperture system physically adjusts the lens opening, letting more light in for low-light shots or narrowing the opening for brighter scenes and deeper depth of field. The main cameras on the iPhone 15 Pro, 16 Pro, and 17 Pro all use a fixed ƒ/1.78 aperture, where the lens is permanently set to its widest setting. With a variable lens, the iPhone 18 Pro would allow users to manually shift the aperture, similar to on a DSLR camera. This would mean more control over depth of field, enabling sharper focus on subjects or smoother background blur. Industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in November 2024 that Apple's iPhone 18 Pro models will get the feature. 5G Satellite Internet Non-Terrestrial Data According to a report by The Information, Apple plans to add support for 5G networks that operate via satellites rather than Earth-based towers as early as next year. This advancement would allow future iPhones to gain full internet connectivity through satellite, not just limited emergency features. If Apple meets the 2026 target, the first devices to feature 5G satellite internet would likely be the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the long-rumored foldable iPhone. Apple partners with Globalstar for its iPhone satellite features, but there is currently no service that delivers full 5G satellite internet directly to a smartphone, and the report did not specify who would supply it. Simplified Camera Control New Design Apple is reportedly working to simplify the Camera Control button's design on iPhone 18 models in order to reduce costs. The current Camera Control button on iPhone 17 models uses both capacitive and pressure sensors beneath a sapphire crystal surface. The capacitive layer detects touch gestures, while the force sensor recognizes different pressure levels for taps, presses, and swipes. However, according to the Weibo-based account Instant Digital, Apple will remove the capacitive sensing layer and retain only pressure sensing recognition in the second iteration to achieve all Camera Control functions on the iPhone 18. The simplified version is not about reducing functionality in the button, but about saving money. The current solution is said to be very expensive for Apple and is generating costly after-sales repairs. New Colors Three in Testing In February 2026, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that Apple is testing a deep red finish for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. Rumors of purple and brown finishes have also circulated, but Gurman believes those are just variants of the same red idea. The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max were previously available in Deep Purple, and Apple has never released an iPhone in a genuinely brown color. According to a Chinese leaker, Apple's iPhone 18 Pro models won't come in black this year. If the rumor is true, it will be the second consecutive year Apple has ditched what was arguably its most classic color option for the Pro lineup.Related Roundup: iPhone 18 Pro This article, "10 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 18 Pro" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Blackmagic has announced a new version of its URSA Cine Immersive camera, the first commercial camera system designed to capture 3D content for the Vision Pro. The URSA Cine Immersive 100G adds 100G Ethernet to the original camera to deliver the bandwidth needed to output live immersive video for the first time. Blackmagic Design also announced the Blackmagic URSA Cine Live Encoder, a live processor module ($1,645) that compresses live immersive video into Apple ProRes for output as SMPTE-2110-22 IP video, allowing users to combine the stereo, high frame rate image streams into a single 100G Ethernet connection. However, the capability is costly – Blackmagic is asking $29,145 for the device, which will be available in Q3 2026. The original Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive remains available on the Blackmagic website for $27,495, down from the $30,000 price tag it carried when it was first unveiled in 2024. Both cameras have a custom stereoscopic 3D lens system with dual 8K sensors, and can capture a 180-degree field of view with spatial audio support at up to 90 frames per second. Captured content features an 8,160 x 7,200 resolution per eye, and there are 16 stops of dynamic range for detail and color accuracy in every frame. Dual 5-inch HDR touchscreens are also included, along with an external color status LCD screen. There are several other connectivity options aside from Ethernet, including 12G-SDI out, USB-C, and XLR audio ports, plus an 8-pin Lemo connector for power. Blackmagic says URSA Cine Immersive has been used on a number of high-profile immersive productions, including MotoGP: Tour De Force, Debut at the BBC Proms, an upcoming documentary featuring Real Madrid, and NASA's recent Artemis II launch.Related Roundup: Apple Vision ProTag: BlackmagicBuyer's Guide: Vision Pro (Buy Now)Related Forum: Apple Vision Pro This article, "Blackmagic Debuts $29K+ URSA Cine Immersive 100G for Vision Pro" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Production on the iPhone Fold is behind schedule, but the device is still slated to launch in fall 2026, reports DigiTimes. The site says that production has been pushed back by "roughly one to two months," but Apple has not communicated any launch delays to suppliers. Apple is still planning for a 2026 launch, which suggests a tighter production schedule. Apple planned to begin ‌iPhone Fold‌ mass production in June 2026, but mass production has now slipped to early August. Some rumors have suggested that Apple is having more manufacturing problems than expected with the Engineering Validation Test phase that the ‌iPhone Fold‌ is in right now, but other rumors suggest that won't lead to delays. Last week, Japanese site Nikkei said that the engineering delays could cause Apple to delay the launch of the ‌iPhone Fold‌ until 2027, but Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the ‌iPhone Fold‌ remains on track to launch "around the same time" or "soon after" the iPhone 18 Pro models in September 2026. DigiTimes' report reconciles the two separate launch timing rumors, indicating that there is indeed a delay in the test phase, but Apple may be able to make up ground during the mass production phase. Prior to mass production, the ‌iPhone Fold‌ will still need to go through Design Validation Testing and Production Validation Testing. A delay in the mass production timeline could cause serious supply chain shortages, and ‌iPhone Fold‌ availability is likely to be constrained. When we hear rumors about launch issues this early in an iPhone cycle, it typically leads to severe launch shortages and a device that sells out in minutes during pre-orders. The ‌iPhone Fold‌ is expected to cost between $2,000 and $2,500. It will be Apple's first foldable device, with a 5.5-inch display when closed and a 7.8-inch display when open. More about the device can be found in our iPhone Fold roundup.Related Roundup: iPhone FoldTags: DigiTimes, Foldable iPhone This article, "iPhone Fold Production Pushed Back, But Fall 2026 Launch Still on Track" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

American Airlines is now supporting the enhanced boarding pass feature that Apple added in iOS 26. The app's latest update says boarding passes in the Wallet app feature an updated look with Apple Maps integration, destination guides, and luggage tracking capabilities. Apple revamped boarding passes in ‌iOS 26‌ to make them more useful to passengers who are using their iPhones for flights in lieu of a paper boarding pass. Boarding passes have maps for navigating through airports, an option to tap into Find My to track items equipped with AirTags, and tools for reporting missing bags to airlines. From American Airlines: Your boarding pass has a new look with more at your fingertips, like Apple Maps, destination guides, and quick shortcuts to the app. You can also track your luggage and open Find My right from your pass. Airlines are need to opt in to the new boarding passes and update their apps with support. United Airlines, Air Canada, and Southwest already have the enhanced boarding passes. Delta briefly added support, but removed it shortly after. Apple also implemented Live Activities support for airlines so users can get real-time updates on a flight in ‌iOS 26‌, but it is not clear if American Airlines is supporting that feature based on the app's release notes. Back in June 2025, Apple said American Airlines was one of the airlines that would add support for the refreshed boarding passes. Other airlines listed included Air Canada, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue, Jetstar, Lufthansa Group, Qantas, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, and Virgin Australia. American Airlines has also supported the ‌Find My‌ lost luggage tracking feature since February 2025. In iOS 18, Apple worked with airlines to make it easier for airline employees to locate lost baggage using AirTags.Related Roundups: iOS 26, iPadOS 26Tag: American AirlinesRelated Forum: iOS 26 This article, "American Airlines Now Supports iOS 26's Revamped Wallet Boarding Passes" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

With the second beta of iOS 26.5, Apple is continuing to prepare for ads in the Apple Maps app. There's a new splash screen in the app that says it will display ads based on approximate location, current search terms, or a view of the map when searching. Ads will also be shown in the "Suggested Places" section that was added in the first beta. Apple says that advertising information is not linked to an Apple Account to preserve user privacy, so ads viewed and interacted with will not be associated with an Apple Account. Data is not collected or stored by Apple and not shared with third parties, according to Apple. Signs of ads in the Maps app were spotted in the first beta, but iOS 26.5 testers could start seeing ads with the second beta. It's not yet clear if Apple has just implemented the splash screen, or if ads are going to begin showing up in the near future. Apple announced plans to introduce ads for the Maps app back in March, with ads set to roll out to the public "this summer." Apple plans to include ads in the Maps app on iPhone, iPad, and Mac in the United States and Canada. Ads in ‌Apple Maps‌ will have an "Ad" label, much like ads in the App Store.Related Roundups: iOS 26, iPadOS 26Tag: Apple MapsRelated Forum: iOS 26 This article, "Apple Maps Ads Move Closer to Launch With iOS 26.5 Beta 2" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Amazon this week has all-time low prices on the Apple Watch Series 11, with $100 discounts across numerous models of the smartwatch. This sale includes nearly every aluminum model of the Series 11 on sale at a record low price. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running. You can get the 42mm GPS Apple Watch Series 11 for $299.00, down from $399.00, and the 46mm GPS model for $329.00, down from $429.00. On Amazon, you'll find four of both the 42mm and 46mm GPS models on sale at these all-time low prices. $100 OFFApple Watch Series 11 (42mm GPS) for $299.00 $100 OFFApple Watch Series 11 (46mm GPS) for $329.00 If you're shopping for cellular models, you can find record low prices on multiple models this week on Amazon. The 42mm cellular Apple Watch Series 11 has hit $399.00, down from $499.00, and the 46mm cellular model has hit $429.00, down from $529.00. $100 OFFApple Watch Series 11 (42mm Cell) for $399.00 $100 OFFApple Watch Series 11 (46mm Cell) for $429.00 Head to our full Deals Roundup to get caught up with all of the latest deals and discounts that we've been tracking over the past week. Deals Newsletter Interested in hearing more about the best deals you can find in 2026? Sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we'll keep you updated so you don't miss the biggest deals of the season! Related Roundup: Apple Deals This article, "Apple Watch Series 11 Hits $100 Off Nearly Every Aluminum Model on Amazon" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Apple today seeded the second betas of upcoming iOS 26.5 and iPadOS 26.5 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming two weeks after Apple released updated first betas. Registered developers can download the betas from the Settings app on the iPhone or iPad by going to the General section and selecting Software Update. iOS 26.5 and iPadOS 26.5 do not include new Siri capabilities, suggesting any ‌Siri‌ updates are being held until iOS 27. The Maps app has a Suggested Places feature for recommending locations to visit nearby based on trends and recent searches, plus Apple is laying the groundwork for ads in the Apple Maps app. Apple is continuing to test end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for RCS messages between iPhone and Android users. Apple included the feature in the iOS 26.4 beta, but removed it before the update launched to the public. In the European Union, Apple is testing proximity pairing, notification forwarding, and Live Activities for third-party wearables like earbuds and smartwatches. The functionality will allow third-party wearables to have many of the same features as the Apple Watch and AirPods. More detail on what's new in iOS 26.5 can be found in our iOS 26.5 beta features guide.Related Roundups: iOS 26, iPadOS 26Related Forum: iOS 26 This article, "Apple Seeds Second iOS 26.5 and iPadOS 26.5 Betas to Developers" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Apple today provided the second beta of an upcoming macOS Tahoe 26.5 update to developers for testing purposes, with the update coming two weeks after the first beta. Developers can download the ‌macOS Tahoe‌ 26.5 update by opening up the System Settings app, selecting the General category, and then choosing Software Update. Beta Updates will need to be enabled, and a free developer account is required. No new features were found in the first ‌macOS Tahoe‌ 26.5 beta, and it's likely the update primarily focuses on bug fixes and performance improvements.Related Roundup: macOS TahoeRelated Forum: macOS Tahoe This article, "Second macOS Tahoe 26.5 Beta Now Available for Developers" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Apple today provided developers with the second betas of upcoming watchOS 26.5, tvOS 26.5, and visionOS 26.5 betas for testing purposes. The software comes two weeks after Apple released the first betas for each platform. The software updates are available through the Settings app on each device, and because these are developer betas, a free developer account is required. There's no word on what's in the software as of yet. watchOS, tvOS, and visionOS often get few features in each new beta, with updates primarily focusing on bug fixes and performance improvements. Nothing new was found in the first betas. Related Roundups: Apple TV, Apple Vision Pro, watchOS 26Buyer's Guide: Apple TV (Don't Buy), Vision Pro (Buy Now)Related Forums: Apple TV and Home Theater, Apple Vision Pro, Apple Watch This article, "Apple Releases Second watchOS 26.5, tvOS 26.5 and visionOS 26.5 Betas" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

This post is a collaboration between Docker and Arm, demonstrating how Docker MCP Toolkit and the Arm MCP Server work together to scan Hugging Face Spaces for Arm64 Readiness. In our previous post, we walked through migrating a legacy C++ application with AVX2 intrinsics to Arm64 using Docker MCP Toolkit and the Arm MCP Server – code conversion, SIMD intrinsic rewrites, compiler flag changes, the full stack. This post is about a different and far more common failure mode. When we tried to run ACE-Step v1.5, a 3.5B parameter music generation model from Hugging Face, on an Arm64 MacBook, the installation failed not with a cryptic kernel error but with a pip error. The flash-attn wheel in requirements.txt was hardcoded to a linux_x86_64 URL, no Arm64 wheel existed at that address, and the container would not build. It’s a deceptively simple problem that turns out to affect roughly 80% of Hugging Face Docker Spaces: not the code, not the Dockerfile, but a single hardcoded dependency URL that nobody noticed because nobody had tested on Arm. To diagnose this systematically, we built a 7-tool MCP chain that can analyse any Hugging Face Space for Arm64 readiness in about 15 minutes. By the end of this guide you’ll understand exactly why ACE-Step v1.5 fails on Arm64, what the two specific blockers are, and how the chain surfaces them automatically. Why Hugging Face Spaces Matter for Arm Hugging Face hosts over one million Spaces, a significant portion of which use the Docker SDK meaning developers write a Dockerfile and HuggingFace builds and serves the container directly. The problem is that nearly all of those containers were built and tested exclusively on linux/amd64, which creates a deployment wall for three fast-growing Arm64 targets that are increasingly relevant for AI workloads. Target Hardware Why it matters Cloud AWS Graviton, Azure Cobalt, Google Axion 20-40% cost reduction vs. x86 Edge/Robotics NVIDIA Jetson Thor, DGX Spark GR00T, LeRobot, Isaac all target Arm64 Local dev Apple Silicon M1-M4 Most popular developer machine, zero cloud cost The failure mode isn’t always obvious, and it tends to show up in one of two distinct patterns. The first is a missing container manifest – the image has no arm64 layer and Docker refuses to pull it, which is at least straightforward to diagnose. The second is harder to catch: the Dockerfile and base image are perfectly fine, but a dependency in requirements.txt points to a platform-specific wheel URL. The build starts, reaches pip install, and fails with a platform mismatch error that gives no clear indication of where to look. ACE-Step v1.5 is a textbook example of the second pattern, and the MCP chain catches both in minutes. The 7-Tool MCP Chain Docker MCP Toolkit orchestrates the analysis through a secure MCP Gateway. Each tool runs in an isolated Docker container. The seven tools in the chain are: Caption: The 7-tool MCP chain architecture diagram The tools: Hugging Face MCP – Discovers the Space, identifies SDK type (Docker vs. Gradio) Skopeo (via Arm MCP Server) – Inspects the container registry, reports supported architectures migrate-ease (via Arm MCP Server) – Scans source code for x86-specific intrinsics, hardcoded paths, arch-locked libraries GitHub MCP – Reads Dockerfile, pyproject.toml, requirements.txt from the repository Arm Knowledge Base (via Arm MCP Server) – Searches learn.arm.com for build strategies and optimization guides Sequential Thinking – Combines findings into a structured migration verdict Docker MCP Gateway – Routes requests, manages container lifecycle The natural question at this point is whether you could simply rebuild your Docker image for Arm64 and be done with it and for many applications, you could. But knowing in advance whether the rebuild will actually succeed is a different problem. Your Dockerfile might depend on a base image that doesn’t publish Arm64 builds. Your Python dependencies might not have aarch64 wheels. Your code might use x86-specific system calls. The MCP chain checks all of this automatically before you invest time in a build that may not work. Setting Up Visual Studio Code with Docker MCP Toolkit Prerequisites Before you begin, make sure you have: A machine with 8 GB RAM minimum (16GB recommended) The latest Docker Desktop release VS Code with GitHub Copilot extension GitHub account with personal access token Step 1. Enable Docker MCP Toolkit Open Docker Desktop and enable the MCP Toolkit from Settings. To enable: Open Docker Desktop Go to Settings > Beta Features Caption: Enabling Docker MCP Toolkit under Docker Desktop Toggle Docker MCP Toolkit ON Click Apply Step 2. Add Required MCP Servers from Catalog Add the following four MCP Servers from the Catalog. You can find them by selecting “Catalog” in the Docker Desktop MCP Toolkit, or by following these links: Arm MCP Server – Architecture analysis, migrate-ease scanning, skopeo inspection, and Arm knowledge base GitHub MCP Server – Repository analysis, code reading, and pull request creation Sequential Thinking MCP Server – Complex problem decomposition and planning Hugging Face MCP Server – Space discovery and metadata retrieval Caption: Searching for Arm MCP Server in the Docker MCP Catalog Step 3. Configure the Servers Configure the Arm MCP Server To access your local code for the migrate-ease scan and MCA tools, the Arm MCP Server needs a directory configured to point to your local code. Caption: Arm MCP Server configuration Once you click ‘Save’, the Arm MCP Server will know where to look for your code. If you want to give a different directory access in the future, you’ll need to change this path. Available Arm Migration Tools Click Tools to view all six MCP tools available under Arm MCP Server: Caption: List of MCP tools provided by the Arm MCP Server knowledge_base_search – Semantic search of Arm learning resources, intrinsics documentation, and software compatibility migrate_ease_scan – Code scanner supporting C++, Python, Go, JavaScript, and Java for Arm compatibility analysis check_image – Docker image architecture verification (checks if images support Arm64) skopeo – Remote container image inspection without downloading mca – Machine Code Analyzer for assembly performance analysis and IPC predictions sysreport_instructions – System architecture information gathering Configure the GitHub MCP Server The GitHub MCP Server lets GitHub Copilot read repositories, create pull requests, manage issues, and commit changes. Caption: Steps to configure GitHub Official MCP Server Configure Authentication: Select GitHub official Choose your preferred authentication method For Personal Access Token, get the token from GitHub > Settings > Developer Settings Caption: Setting up Personal Access Token in GitHub MCP Server Configure the Sequential Thinking MCP Server Click “Sequential Thinking” No configuration needed Caption: Sequential MCP Server requires zero configuration This server helps GitHub Copilot break down complex migration decisions into logical steps. Configure the Hugging Face MCP Server The Hugging Face MCP Server provides access to Space metadata, model information, and repository contents directly from the Hugging Face Hub. Click “Hugging Face” No additional configuration needed for public Spaces For private Spaces, add your HuggingFace API token Step 4. Add the Servers to VS Code The Docker MCP Toolkit makes it incredibly easy to configure MCP servers for clients like VS Code. To configure, click “Clients” and scroll down to Visual Studio Code. Click the “Connect” button: Caption: Setting up Visual Studio Code as MCP Client Now open VS Code and click on the ‘Extensions’ icon in the left toolbar: Caption: Configuring MCP_DOCKER under VS Code Extensions Click the MCP_DOCKER gear, and click ‘Start Server’: Caption: Starting MCP Server under VS Code Step 5. Verify Connection Open GitHub Copilot Chat in VS Code and ask: What Arm migration and Hugging Face tools do you have access to? You should see tools from all four servers listed. If you see them, your connection works. Let’s scan a Hugging Face Space. Caption: Playing around with GitHub Copilot Real-World Demo: Scanning ACE-Step v1.5 Now that you’ve connected GitHub Copilot to Docker MCP Toolkit, let’s scan a real Hugging Face Space for Arm64 readiness and uncover the exact Arm64 blocker we hit when trying to run it locally. Target: ACE-Step v1.5 – a 3.5B parameter music generation model Time to scan: 15 minutes Infrastructure cost: $0 (all tools run locally in Docker containers) The Workflow Docker MCP Toolkit orchestrates the scan through a secure MCP Gateway that routes requests to specialized tools: the Arm MCP Server inspects images and scans code, Hugging Face MCP discovers the Space, GitHub MCP reads the repository, and Sequential Thinking synthesizes the verdict. Step 1. Give GitHub Copilot Scan Instructions Open your project in VS Code. In GitHub Copilot Chat, paste this prompt: Your goal is to analyze the Hugging Face Space "ACE-Step/ACE-Step-v1.5" for Arm64 migration readiness. Use the MCP tools to help with this analysis. Steps to follow: 1. Use Hugging Face MCP to discover the Space and identify its SDK type (Docker or Gradio) 2. Use skopeo to inspect the container image - check what architectures are currently supported 3. Use GitHub MCP to read the repository - examine pyproject.toml, Dockerfile, and requirements 4. Run migrate_ease_scan on the source code to find any x86-specific dependencies or intrinsics 5. Use knowledge_base_search to find Arm64 build strategies for any issues discovered 6. Use sequential thinking to synthesize all findings into a migration verdict At the end, provide a clear GO / NO-GO verdict with a summary of required changes. Step 2. Watch Docker MCP Toolkit Execute GitHub Copilot orchestrates the scan using Docker MCP Toolkit. Here’s what happens: Phase 1: Space Discovery GitHub Copilot starts by querying the Hugging Face MCP server to retrieve Space metadata. Caption: GitHub Copilot uses Hugging Face MCP to discover the Space and identify its SDK type. The tool returns that ACE-Step v1.5 uses the Docker SDK – meaning Hugging Face serves it as a pre-built container image, not a Gradio app. This is critical: Docker SDK Spaces have Dockerfiles we can analyze and rebuild, while Gradio SDK Spaces are built by Hugging Face’s infrastructure we can’t control. Phase 2: Container Image Inspection Next, Copilot uses the Arm MCP Server’s skopeo tool to inspect the container image without downloading it. Caption: The skopeo tool reports that the container image has no Arm64 build available. The container won’t start on Arm hardware. Result: the manifest includes only linux/amd64. No Arm64 build exists. This is the first concrete data point the container will fail on any Arm hardware. But this is not the full story. Phase 3: Source Code Analysis Copilot uses GitHub MCP to read the repository’s key files. Here is the actual Dockerfile from the Space: FROM python:3.11-slim ENV PYTHONDONTWRITEBYTECODE=1 \ PYTHONUNBUFFERED=1 \ DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive \ TORCHAUDIO_USE_TORCHCODEC=0 RUN apt-get update && \ apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends git libsndfile1 build-essential && \ apt-get install -y ffmpeg libavcodec-dev libavformat-dev libavutil-dev libswresample-dev && \ rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/* RUN useradd -m -u 1000 user RUN mkdir -p /data && chown user:user /data && chmod 755 /data ENV HOME=/home/user \ PATH=/home/user/.local/bin:$PATH \ GRADIO_SERVER_NAME=0.0.0.0 \ GRADIO_SERVER_PORT=7860 WORKDIR $HOME/app COPY --chown=user:user requirements.txt . COPY --chown=user:user acestep/third_parts/nano-vllm ./acestep/third_parts/nano-vllm USER user RUN pip install --no-cache-dir --user -r requirements.txt RUN pip install --no-deps ./acestep/third_parts/nano-vllm COPY --chown=user:user . . EXPOSE 7860 CMD ["python", "app.py"] The Dockerfile itself looks clean: python:3.11-slim already publishes multi-arch builds including arm64 No -mavx2, no -march=x86-64 compiler flags build-essential, ffmpeg, libsndfile1 are all available in Debian’s arm64 repositories But the real problem is in requirements.txt. This is what I hit when I tried to install ACE-Step locally: # nano-vllm dependencies triton>=3.0.0; sys_platform != 'win32' flash-attn @ https://github.com/mjun0812/flash-attention-prebuild-wheels/releases/ download/v0.7.12/flash_attn-2.8.3+cu128torch2.10-cp311-cp311-linux_x86_64.whl ; sys_platform == 'linux' and python_version == '3.11' Two immediate blockers: flash-attn is pinned to a hardcoded linux_x86_64 wheel URL. On an aarch64 system, pip downloads this wheel and immediately rejects it: “not a supported wheel on this platform.” This is the exact error I hit. triton>=3.0.0 has no aarch64 wheel on PyPI for Linux. It will fail on Arm hardware. Neither of these is a code problem. The Python source code is architecture-neutral. The fix is in the dependency declarations. Phase 4: Architecture Compatibility Scan Copilot runs the migrate_ease_scan tool with the Python scanner on the codebase. Caption: The migrate_ease_scan tool analyzes the Python source code and finds zero x86-specific dependencies. No intrinsics, no hardcoded paths, no architecture-locked libraries. The application source code itself returns 0 architecture issues — no x86 intrinsics, no platform-specific system calls. But the scan also flags the dependency manifest. Two blockers in requirements.txt: Dependency Issue Arm64 Fix flash-attn (linux wheel) Hardcoded linux_x86_64 URL Use flash-attn 2.7+ via PyPI — publishes aarch64 wheels natively triton>=3.0.0 No aarch64 PyPI wheel for Linux Exclude on aarch64 or use triton-nightly aarch64 build Phase 5: Arm Knowledge Base Lookup Copilot queries the Arm MCP Server’s knowledge base for solutions to the discovered issues. Caption: GitHub Copilot uses the knowledge_base_search tool to find Docker buildx multi-arch strategies from learn.arm.com. The knowledge base returns documentation on: flash-attn aarch64 wheel availability from version 2.7+ PyTorch Arm64 optimization guides for Graviton and Apple Silicon Best practices for CUDA 13.0 on aarch64 (Jetson Thor / DGX Spark) triton alternatives for CPU inference paths on Arm Phase 6: Synthesis and Verdict Sequential Thinking combines all findings into a structured verdict: Check Result Blocks? Container manifest amd64 only Yes, needs rebuild Base image python:3.11-slim Multi-arch (arm64 available) No System packages (ffmpeg, libsndfile1) Available in Debian arm64 No torch==2.9.1 aarch64 wheels published No flash-attn linux wheel Hardcoded linux_x86_64 URL YES, add arm64 URL alongside triton>=3.0.0 aarch64 wheels available from 3.5.0+ No, resolves automatically Source code (migrate-ease) 0 architecture issues No Compiler flags in Dockerfile None x86-specific No Verdict: CONDITIONAL GO. Zero code changes. Zero Dockerfile changes. One dependency fix is required. Here are the exact changes needed in requirements.txt: # BEFORE — only x86_64 flash-attn @ https://github.com/mjun0812/flash-attention-prebuild-wheels/releases/download/v0.7.12/flash_attn-2.8.3+cu128torch2.10-cp311-cp311-linux_aarch64.whl ; sys_platform == 'linux' and python_version == '3.11' and platform_machine == 'aarch64' # AFTER — add arm64 line alongside x86_64 flash-attn @ https://github.com/mjun0812/flash-attention-prebuild-wheels/releases/download/v0.7.12/flash_attn-2.8.3+cu128torch2.10-cp311-cp311-linux_aarch64.whl ; sys_platform == 'linux' and python_version == '3.11' and platform_machine == 'aarch64' flash-attn @ https://github.com/mjun0812/flash-attention-prebuild-wheels/releases/download/v0.7.12/flash_attn-2.8.3+cu128torch2.10-cp311-cp311-linux_x86_64.whl ; sys_platform == 'linux' and python_version == '3.11' and platform_machine != 'aarch64' # triton — no change needed, 3.5.0+ has aarch64 wheels, resolves automatically triton>=3.0.0; sys_platform != 'win32' After those two fixes, the build command is: docker buildx build --platform linux/arm64 -t ace-step:arm64 . That single command unlocks three deployment paths: NVIDIA Arm64 — Jetson Thor, DGX Spark (aarch64 + CUDA 13.0) Cloud Arm64 — AWS Graviton, Azure Cobalt, Google Axion (20-40% cost savings) Apple Silicon — M1-M4 Macs with MPS acceleration (local inference, $0 cloud cost) Phase 7: Create the Pull Request After completing the scan, Copilot uses GitHub MCP to propose the fix. Since the only blocker is the hardcoded linux_x86_64 wheel URL on line 32 of requirements.txt, the change is surgical: one line added, nothing removed. The fix adds the equivalent linux_aarch64 wheel from the same release alongside the existing x86_64 entry, conditioned on platform_machine == 'aarch64': # BEFORE — only x86_64, fails silently on Arm flash-attn @ https://github.com/mjun0812/flash-attention-prebuild-wheels/releases/ download/v0.7.12/flash_attn-2.8.3+cu128torch2.10-cp311-cp311-linux_x86_64.whl ; sys_platform == 'linux' and python_version == '3.11' # AFTER — add arm64 line alongside, conditioned by platform_machine flash-attn @ https://github.com/mjun0812/flash-attention-prebuild-wheels/releases/ download/v0.7.12/flash_attn-2.8.3+cu128torch2.10-cp311-cp311-linux_x86_64.whl ; sys_platform == 'linux' and python_version == '3.11' flash-attn @ https://github.com/mjun0812/flash-attention-prebuild-wheels/releases/ download/v0.7.12/flash_attn-2.8.3+cu128torch2.10-cp311-cp311-linux_aarch64.whl ; sys_platform == 'linux' and python_version == '3.11' and platform_machine == 'aarch64' Caption: PR #14 on Hugging Face – Ready to merge The key insight: the upstream maintainer already published the arm64 wheel in the same release. The fix wasn’t a rebuild or a code change – it was adding one line that references an artifact that already existed. The MCP chain found it in 15 minutes. Without it, a developer hitting this pip error would spend hours tracking it down. PR: https://huggingface.co/spaces/ACE-Step/Ace-Step-v1.5/discussions/14 Without Arm MCP vs. With Arm MCP Let’s be clear about what changes when you add the Arm MCP Server to Docker MCP Toolkit. Without Arm MCP: You ask GitHub Copilot to check your Hugging Face Space for Arm64 compatibility. Copilot responds with general advice: “Check if your base image supports arm64”, “Look for x86-specific code”, “Try rebuilding with buildx”. You manually inspect Docker Hub, grep through the codebase, check each dependency on PyPI, and hit a pip install failure you cannot easily diagnose. The flash-attn URL issue alone can take an hour to track down. With Arm MCP + Docker MCP Toolkit: You ask the same question. Within minutes, it uses skopeo to verify the base image, runs migrate_ease_scan on your actual codebase, flags the hardcoded linux_x86_64 wheel URLs in requirements.txt, queries knowledge_base_search for the correct fix, and synthesizes a structured CONDITIONAL GO verdict with every check documented. Real images get inspected. Real code gets scanned. Real dependency files get analyzed. The difference is Docker MCP Toolkit gives GitHub Copilot access to actual Arm migration tooling, not just general knowledge. Manual Process vs. MCP Chain Manual process: Clone the Hugging Face Space repository (10 minutes) Inspect the container manifest for architecture support (5 minutes) Read through pyproject.toml and requirements.txt (20 minutes) Check PyPI for Arm64 wheel availability across all dependencies (30 minutes) Analyze the Dockerfile for hardcoded architecture assumptions (10 minutes) Research CUDA/cuDNN Arm64 support for the required versions (20 minutes) Write up findings and recommended changes (15 minutes) Total: 2-3 hours per Space With Docker MCP Toolkit: Give GitHub Copilot the scan instructions (5 minutes) Review the migration report (5 minutes) Submit a PR with changes (5 minutes) Total: 15 minutes per Space What This Suggests at Scale ACE-Step is a standard Python AI application: PyTorch, Gradio, pip dependencies, a slim Dockerfile. This pattern covers the majority of Docker SDK Spaces on Hugging Face. The Arm64 wall for these apps is not always visible. The Dockerfile looks clean. The base image supports arm64. The Python code has no intrinsics. But buried in requirements.txt is a hardcoded wheel URL pointing at a linux_x86_64 binary, and nobody finds it until they actually try to run the container on Arm hardware. That is the 80% problem: 80% of Hugging Face Docker Spaces have never been tested on Arm. Not because the code will not work. but because nobody checked. The MCP chain is a systematic check that takes 15 minutes instead of an afternoon of debugging pip errors. That has real cost implications: Graviton inference runs 20-40% cheaper for the same workloads. Every amd64-only Space leaves that savings untouched. NVIDIA Physical AI (GR00T, LeRobot, Isaac) deploys on Jetson Thor. Developers find models on Hugging Face, but the containers fail to build on target hardware. Apple Silicon is the most common developer laptop. Local inference means faster iteration and no cloud bill. How Docker MCP Toolkit Changes Development Docker MCP Toolkit changes how developers interact with specialized knowledge and capabilities. Rather than learning new tools, installing dependencies, or managing credentials, developers connect their AI assistant once and immediately access containerized expertise. The benefits extend beyond Hugging Face scanning: Consistency — Same 7-tool chain produces the same structured analysis for any container Security — Each tool runs in an isolated Docker container, preventing tool interference Reproducibility — Scans behave identically across environments Composability — Add or swap tools as the ecosystem evolves Discoverability — Docker MCP Catalog makes finding the right server straightforward Most importantly, developers remain in their existing workflow. VS Code. GitHub Copilot. Git. No context switching to external tools or dashboards. Wrapping Up You have just scanned a real Hugging Face Space for Arm64 readiness using Docker MCP Toolkit, the Arm MCP Server, and GitHub Copilot. What we found with ACE-Step v1.5 is representative of what you will find across Hugging Face: code that is architecture-neutral, a Dockerfile that is already clean, but a requirements.txt with hardcoded x86_64 wheel URLs that silently break Arm64 builds. The MCP chain surfaces this in 15 minutes. Without it, you are staring at a pip error with no clear path to the cause. Ready to try it? Open Docker Desktop and explore the MCP Catalog. Start with the Arm MCP Server, add GitHub,Sequential Thinking, and Hugging Face MCP. Point the chain at any Hugging Face Space you’re working with and see what comes back. Learn More New to Docker? Download Docker Desktop Explore the MCP Catalog: Discover containerized, security-hardened MCP servers Get Started with MCP Toolkit: Official Documentation Arm MCP Server: Developer Documentation Hugging Face MCP Server:Hub Documentation ACE-Step v1.5: Hugging Face Space Migration PR: GitHub Pull Request View the full article