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It’s been a messy one for fans of hip-hop royalty Wu-Tang Clan, with Ticketek stepping in to offer refunds following multiple member no-shows across the group’s recent East Coast Australian dates. The tour – heavily promoted as featuring “all members” and billed as the group’s “final” Australian run – kicked off in Brisbane last week, but quickly drew backlash when several key names failed to appear on stage. While it was flagged ahead of time that Method Man wouldn’t be making the trip as planned, fans in Melbourne and Sydney were blindsided to find that Raekwon, Cappadonna and Young Dirty Bastard were also MIA – despite no prior announcement. Following the fallout (and some very loud social media reactions), Ticketek confirmed that “a couple of members” were unable to join the remaining shows due to “unforeseen circumstances,” while assuring fans the group would still deliver the goods live. They also offered refunds to anyone no longer keen to attend (pretty rare move for a tour of this scale). For those who did roll through, the shows still featured a stacked lineup including RZA, GZA, Ghostface Killah, Masta Killa, Inspectah Deck and U-God – aka enough legends to still blow the roof off most venues. But given the tour’s “all members” promise (and the emotional weight of a supposed farewell run), it’s no surprise some fans felt short-changed. Moral of the story? Wu-Tang may be forever… but tour lineups, apparently, are not guaranteed. Further Reading Wu-Tang Clan Announce Final Australian Tour With All Members RZA Is Suing Wu-Tang Clan Merch Bootleggers for $2 Million USD The US Government Has Sold Martin Shkreli’s Rare Wu-Tang Clan Album The post Aussie Wu-Tang Clan Fans Offered Refunds After Multiple Members MIA From Tour appeared first on Music Feeds. View the full article

Swedish melodeath juggernauts Arch Enemy have officially kicked off a new era – and it’s got a distinctly Aussie accent. The band launched their latest chapter live over the weekend in Beijing, opening their China run with the first-ever live performance featuring new vocalist Lauren Hart (yep, one of our own). Arch Enemy – ‘To The Last Breath’ (Live debut @ Beijing 2026.3.27) Stepping into the lineup following the departure of longtime frontwoman Alissa White-Gluz, Hart’s debut has been one of the most hotly anticipated moments in modern metal – and thanks to some fan-filmed footage already doing the rounds, we’ve finally got our first proper look at how she handles the gig. Spoiler: she rules. If you suss the video above, you can hear the crowd losing their minds as Hart graciously returns a compliment from the front row: “YOU’RE fucking awesome!” she laughs before continuing between big cheers: “Did you know tonight we are all making fucking history together? Because this is our first show ever as a band. It all starts right here with you Beijing!” Hart first introduced herself to the Arch Enemy faithful earlier this year via the single To The Last Breath, but this was the real test – throwing her straight into a stacked live set packed with fan favourites and deep cuts. From The Eagle Flies Alone to Nemesis, plus the live debut of the new track, the setlist read like a greatest hits gauntlet… and from all accounts, Hart powered through it with precision and presence. Arch Enemy founder Michael Amott has already made it clear this isn’t some temporary fill-in moment, praising Hart’s “remarkable voice” and signalling a long-term future with the band. Meanwhile, OG vocalist Angela Gossow has gone full co-sign mode, dubbing Hart “Angela reincarnate” – which, in metal terms, is about as strong a character reference as it gets. Early days, sure – but if this first showing is anything to go by, Arch Enemy’s next era is looking very, very solid… and proudly flying the Aussie flag while it’s at it Surely this means local tour dates will be coming soon… Further Reading Arch Enemy Reveal New Vocalist – And She’s An Aussie! Hellbound II Lineup: Parkway Drive, Thy Art Is Murder + MORE NEWS FLASHBACK: Once Human Tour Cancelled, Another In Jeopardy Following Accusations Against Aussie Promoter The post Watch Arch Enemy Debut New Aussie Vocalist Lauren Hart Live appeared first on Music Feeds. View the full article

The AFL has absolutely nailed this one straight through the big sticks – Kylie Minogue is officially set to headline the 2026 Telstra Pre-Game Entertainment at the Toyota AFL Grand Final, turning the MCG into the world’s most glamorous change room this September. After weeks of whispers (and one very cheeky leak from 7 News Melbourne reporter Mitch Cleary), the league has confirmed that Melbourne’s own pop royal will take centre stage before the first bounce – and honestly, it’s giving premiership-level booking. Kylie herself is already frothing the homecoming moment, saying she’s “so excited” to return to the ‘G not just as a performer, but as one of the 100,000-strong footy faithful packing out Australia’s biggest day in sport. “As a Melburnian, I’m so excited to be coming home for the biggest day in the Aussie sporting calendar” – Kylie Minogue “The AFL Grand Final at Melbourne’s one and only, forever iconic MCG? Yes please,” Kylie shared in a statement on the official AFL website. “As a Melburnian, I’m so excited to be coming home for the biggest day in the Aussie sporting calendar. I’ll not only be performing, but I’ll be one of 100,000 fans at the ‘G, watching the wonder that is footy.” AFL CEO Andrew Dillon further revealed Kylie has been on the league’s wishlist “for a long time” – and look, fair. If you’re building a Grand Final entertainment lineup, you want someone who can command a stadium like it’s a sold-out world tour, not just a warm-up set before the real action. And let’s be real: the pre-game slot has become its own kind of grand final in recent years. After Snoop Dogg rolled through in 2025 with a full-blown halftime show energy (joined by Tash Sultana, Baker Boy and Jessica Mauboy), the pressure’s been well and truly on for an Aussie to headline. And if anyone’s equipped to deliver a match-winning performance? It’s Kylie – a certified global icon with more hits than a Brownlow medallist’s highlight reel. With more lineup announcements still to come, one thing’s already for sure: whether your team makes it to the big dance or not, you’ll still be winning when Kylie steps onto that stage. Game on moles. Further Reading The Black Eyed Peas’ AFL Pre-Game Show Is Getting Roasted By Aussie Twitter Kylie Minogue Honoured With Commemorative Star In Melbourne Park Playlunch Enlist AFL Legend Barry Hall For Hilarious ‘Keith’ Music Video The post Kylie Minogue Locked In To Headline 2026 AFL Grand Final Entertainment appeared first on Music Feeds. View the full article

This month, tech columnist David Pogue launched a new book called "Apple: The First 50 Years." On Amazon, you can get the new book for $33.80 in hardcover, down from $50.00, the best price we've seen so far on the book. 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. The book explores the first five decades of Apple's history, including interviews with 150 key people who shaped Apple into what it is today, like Steve Wozniak, John Sculley, Jony Ive, and more. The book is launching to coincide with Apple's upcoming 50th anniversary on April 1, 2026. 32% OFFApple: The First 50 Years for $33.80 Amazon's sale is on the hardcover version of the book, and provides an estimated April 3 delivery date for free delivery. We've collected all of the best deals you can find during Amazon's Big Spring Sale in our dedicated article. 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, "New Book 'Apple: The First 50 Years' Hits Record Low Price on Amazon" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Amazon is offering new all-time low prices on Apple's M5 Pro/M5 Max MacBook Pro, with up to $149 off select models without the need of a membership or clipping a coupon. This deal is part of Amazon's ongoing Big Spring Sale, which has major discounts on AirPods, iPads, and more. 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. Starting with the 14-inch models, you can get the 24GB/1TB M5 Pro MacBook Pro for $2,049.99, down from $2,199.00. This deal, along with all of the others we're tracking in this article, represent new best-ever prices on the brand new M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro. $149 OFF14-inch M5 Pro MacBook Pro (24GB/1TB) for $2,049.99 $149 OFF14-inch M5 Pro MacBook Pro (24GB/2TB) for $2,449.99 We're also tracking similar steep discounts on the 16-inch models, including a few M5 Max options. These discounts reach up to $199 off original prices, and as of writing we're only tracking these deals on Amazon. $149 OFF16-inch M5 Pro MacBook Pro (24GB/1TB) for $2,549.99 $199 OFF16-inch M5 Pro MacBook Pro (48GB/1TB) for $2,899.99 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 M5 Pro/M5 Max MacBook Pro Reaches New All-Time Low Prices on Amazon" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Apple has been celebrating its upcoming 50th anniversary by hosting surprise performances and other events around the world over the past few weeks, and now Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has revealed details about the company's grand finale. In a social media post, Gurman said Apple's celebrations will conclude this week with a finale at its Apple Park headquarters for employees. A special guest will perform, according to Gurman. He hinted at Paul McCartney. "Let me just say he's still going strong, was part of the British Invasion and [Steve] Jobs would've been ecstatic," Gurman said about the headliner. As spotted by MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris, the Apple Park Visitor Center is closing early at 3 p.m. Pacific Time on Tuesday, March 31. However, it is our understanding that Apple's final celebration will not have a public component, with the event likely to be limited to Apple's corporate employees and other invitees. It is unclear if any of Apple's retail employees will be invited to the event. Apple turns 50 on April 1. It is unclear if the final celebration will be happening on March 31 or on April 1, but it should be quite the party.Tags: Apple 50th Anniversary, Apple Park, Mark Gurman This article, "Apple's 50th Anniversary Finale Revealed" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has high expectations for Apple's first foldable iPhone. In his Power On newsletter today, he said the foldable iPhone will be "the most significant overhaul in the iPhone's history." "iPhone 4, iPhone 6 and iPhone X were clearly a big deal, but this is a whole new design," he said. Like Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 7, the foldable iPhone will reportedly open up like a book, providing users with a large inner screen for watching videos, playing games, and multitasking. iOS 27 is expected to be optimized for the foldable iPhone, allowing for apps to be open side-by-side and for other iPad-like multitasking functionality. A few months ago, a report said the foldable iPhone will be equipped with a 7.7-inch inner display, and a 5.3-inch outer display. It was initially rumored that the device would have a virtually "crease-free" inner display, but it was later reported that Apple is using technology that "reduces the crease without eliminating it entirely." Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo expects the foldable iPhone to have two rear cameras, one front camera, and a Touch ID power button instead of Face ID. Apple will likely unveil the foldable iPhone in September this year, alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. However, according to analyst Tim Long and Gurman, the foldable iPhone might ship later than the Pro models. In the U.S., it has been estimated that the foldable iPhone may start at or above $1,999. Related Roundup: iPhone FoldTags: Bloomberg, Mark Gurman This article, "Apple Preparing 'Most Significant Overhaul in the iPhone's History'" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman discussed Apple's upcoming AI plans in more detail. As he reported last week, this will apparently include a Siri app with a so-called "Extensions" feature across iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27. With the Siri app, the report said that iPhone, iPad, and Mac users would be able to interact with Apple's assistant in both text and voice modes. The app would also provide users with access to their past conversations with Siri. Overall, the Siri app would function similarly to the ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude apps. Siri has been able to tap into ChatGPT since iOS 18.2, and the "Extensions" feature would allow for additional third-party chatbots to be connected. "Extensions allow agents from installed apps to work with Siri, the Siri app and other features on your devices," reads fine print in the Settings app on an internal, pre-release version of iOS 27, according to Gurman. The first developer beta of iOS 27 should be available in June, ahead of a wide release to all users in September. In his newsletter, Gurman said the App Store will have a dedicated "Extensions" section. "It will be a marketplace of sorts for third-party AI integrations," he wrote. That fine print also seemingly confirms that Apple is indeed testing a Siri app. It is unclear if the Siri app will be available on all iPhone models compatible with iOS 27, or if it will require an iPhone 15 Pro or newer with Apple Intelligence support. Beyond supporting more third-party chatbots, Siri will receive a major overhaul on iOS 27, according to Gurman. He expects Siri to have a redesigned interface, which may involve the Dynamic Island, and there will apparently be a systemwide "Ask Siri" button in Apple's apps and a "Write with Siri" button above the keyboard. Related Roundup: iOS 27Tags: Apple Intelligence, Bloomberg, Mark Gurman, Siri This article, "iOS 27 Rumored to Feature All-New Siri App With 'Extensions' Feature" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Amazon today has the AirPods Pro 3 available for $199.00 during its Big Spring Sale, down from $249.00. This is a match of the all-time low price on the AirPods Pro 3, and one of the best all-around deals you can get during the Amazon's springtime Prime Day. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running. This model of the AirPods Pro launched in September 2025 and has 2x better Active Noise Cancellation than the previous generation, better audio quality, a revised fit that's meant to improve comfort and stability, Live Translation for in-person conversations, and heart rate sensing for workouts. $50 OFFAirPods Pro 3 for $199.00 You can also get the AirPods 4 for $99.99 in the Big Spring Sale, down from $129.00, which is a solid second-best price. You can find all of the best discounts going on during this event in our dedicated post, which highlights discounts on AirTag, iPads, MacBooks, and more. 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, "AirPods Pro 3 Hit $199 Record Low Price in Amazon's Big Spring Sale" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

We're less than three months away from our first look at Apple's smarter, redesigned version of Siri. iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27 will focus on ‌Siri‌ updates, and rumors about what we can expect are picking up. There's a full chatbot version of ‌Siri‌ in the works, which will change the way that we use Apple's personal assistant. ‌Siri‌ will be more like Claude or ChatGPT, marking a major improvement in how ‌Siri‌ works and what it can do. SiriBot With ‌iOS 27‌, Apple will change the way that ‌Siri‌ works. Right now, ‌Siri‌ can answer common questions and complete simple tasks, but you can't engage it in a back and forth conversation, get help with multi-step tasks, or ask complicated questions. Based on the current ‌Siri‌ chatbot rumors, ‌Siri‌ will be able to do all of that and more with the upcoming upgrade, and it will work like competing chatbots. Apple wasn't initially planning to introduce a full chatbot like ChatGPT, but chatbots have become too popular for Apple to ignore. Simply adding AI capabilities to apps and features isn't enough for Apple to stay competitive with the way people have embraced chatbots for everything from web searches to coding help. Google has already integrated Gemini into its Android device lineup, and chatbots like ChatGPT have hundreds of millions of weekly active users. Standalone Siri App When ‌Siri‌ evolves into a dedicated Apple-designed chatbot, it will launch alongside a standalone ‌Siri‌ app. The ‌Siri‌ app will look similar to apps from other companies like OpenAI, displaying a grid or list of past conversations. ‌Siri‌ will support text and voice-based conversations, and there will be options to favorite chats, search for content within chats, initiate new chats, and save chats. Conversations with ‌Siri‌ will apparently resemble iMessage conversations, with Apple adopting chat bubbles. New conversations will start with suggested prompts on what users can ask ‌Siri‌. Deep Integration While there will be a standalone ‌Siri‌ app for back-and-forth conversations, ‌Siri‌ will be deeply integrated into Apple devices at the system level. ‌Siri‌ will be activated the same way as today, by speaking the ‌Siri‌ wake word or pressing on the side button of a Siri-enabled device. ‌Siri‌ will be able to respond to both voice and text-based requests. Siri Capabilities ‌Siri‌ will be able to do much of what current chatbots can do, such as searching the web with visually rich results, providing summaries, and evaluating uploaded documents. The personal assistant will still be integrated into Apple devices. ‌Siri‌ integration will replace the current Spotlight search functionality, but Apple plans to keep and expand on ‌Siri‌ Suggestions. ‌Siri‌ Suggestions will have more access to user data to provide more relevant prompts. Search the web for information Generate images Generate content Summarize information Analyze uploaded files Use personal data to complete tasks Ingest information from emails, messages, files and more Analyze open windows and on-screen content to take action Control device features and settings Search for on-device content, replacing Spotlight ‌Siri‌ will also be integrated into Apple's core apps, including Mail, Messages, Apple TV, Xcode, and Photos. ‌Siri‌ will be able to search for specific images, edit photos, help with coding, make suggestions for TV shows and movies, and send emails. New Look Chatbot ‌Siri‌ will have an updated look to go along with the dedicated app. Activating ‌Siri‌ will have a new animation that prompts the user to search or ask a question, and Bloomberg's Mark Gurman says Apple is testing a version of ‌Siri‌ integrated into the Dynamic Island. Apple's test interface includes a glowing ‌Siri‌ icon and a "searching" label in the ‌Dynamic Island‌ while ‌Siri‌ is processing a request, and once done, ‌Siri‌ expands into a larger translucent panel with the results. Pulling down on the menu initiates an interface for a conversation. Apple may also integrate an "Ask ‌Siri‌" button into the menus of other apps, giving users a way to send content directly to ‌Siri‌ alongside a request. The iOS keyboard could get a Write with ‌Siri‌ option that surfaces Writing Tools. Memory Claude, ChatGPT, and Gemini can remember past conversations and interactions, retaining a memory of the user. Apple is said to be discussing how much the ‌Siri‌ chatbot will be able to remember. Apple may limit conversational memory to protect user privacy. Third-Party Chatbot Integrations Apple will allow third-party AI chatbots to integrate with Siri in ‌iOS 27‌. Apple already has a partnership with OpenAI that lets ‌Siri‌ hand questions off to ChatGPT, but that integration will expand to chatbots from other companies like Google and Anthropic. An iPhone user with the Claude or Gemini app installed will be able to send questions from ‌Siri‌ to those chatbots, similar to how the OpenAI integration works today. iPhone users will be able to choose which services they want to use inside ‌Siri‌ through a new "Extensions" option coming to the ‌Siri‌ and Apple Intelligence section in the Settings app. Promised iOS 18 Features ‌Apple Intelligence‌ ‌Siri‌ features that were originally planned for iOS 18 will be introduced in ‌iOS 27‌, with ‌Siri‌ able to use personal data and context to answer queries. ‌Siri‌ will also be able to do more in and between apps, and will be able to see what's on the user's screen. Apple promised that those features would appear before the end of 2026. Underlying Architecture and Servers Apple has inked a deal with Google that will see Gemini powering upcoming versions of ‌Siri‌. Apple plans to use Gemini for the ‌Siri‌ chatbot and the other ‌Siri‌ features coming in ‌iOS 27‌. "Apple and Google have entered into a multi-year collaboration under which the next generation of Apple Foundation Models will be based on Google's Gemini models and cloud technology," the two companies said in a statement in January. The ‌Siri‌ chatbot specifically will rely on a custom AI model developed by the Google Gemini team. Gurman claims that the custom model is comparable to Gemini 3, and that it is more powerful than models Apple has developed in-house. Apple and Google are also discussing running the ‌Siri‌ chatbot on Google's servers powered by Tensor Processing Units, probably because Apple doesn't yet have the infrastructure to handle chatbot queries from billions of active devices per day. Launch Date Apple is planning to introduce ‌Siri‌'s chatbot capabilities when it announces ‌iOS 27‌, iPadOS 27, and ‌macOS 27‌ at the June Worldwide Developers Conference, which starts on Monday, June 8. It is still unclear which ‌Siri‌ features Apple will be ready to unveil, and some could be held for future updates.Related Roundup: iOS 27Tags: Siri, Siri Chatbot This article, "5+ Things to Know About the Siri Chatbot Coming in iOS 27" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

March has been an incredibly busy month for Apple, with the company unveiling more than 10 new products and accessories. We said hello to the MacBook Neo at the start of the month, and we bid farewell to the Mac Pro at the end of it. Nevertheless, there is still a lot more to come this year. Beyond the usual annual updates to iPhones and Apple Watches, Apple's all-new smart home hub is finally expected to launch later this year, once the more personalized version of Siri arrives. We are also expecting a foldable iPhone, a MacBook Pro with an OLED display, and long-awaited updates to the Apple TV and HomePods this year. Here is what to expect from Apple later this year, according to rumors. Where there are arrows shown, it refers to a device's current chip → next chip. iPhones iPhone 18 Pro: A20 Pro chip, a smaller Dynamic Island, a simplified Camera Control button, a red color option, variable aperture for at least one rear camera, web browsing via satellite, Apple-designed C2 modem for 5G, and more. iPhone 18 Pro Max: The same features rumored for the iPhone 18 Pro, but the Pro Max model might be slightly thicker. Foldable iPhone: 7.7-inch inner display with a reduced crease, 5.3-inch outer display, two rear cameras, one front camera, a Touch ID power button instead of Face ID, and more. iOS 27 is expected to be tailored for the foldable iPhone, allowing for side-by-side apps and other iPad-like multitasking functionality. Apple WatchesApple Watch Series 12: A new chip, design changes (or not), and potentially Touch ID. Apple Watch Ultra 4: A new chip and potentially Touch ID. iPadsiPad 12: A16 chip → A18 chip or A19 chip with Apple Intelligence support. iPad mini: A17 Pro chip → A19 Pro or A20 Pro chip, an OLED display, a vibration-based speaker system, and a water-resistant design. Macs Mac Studio: M4 Max and M3 Ultra chips → M5 Max and M5 Ultra chips. Mac mini: M4 and M4 Pro chips → M5 and M5 Pro chips. iMac: M4 chip → M5 chip, plus new color options. MacBook Pro with OLED display: A major redesign towards the end of 2026, with M6 Pro and M6 Max chips, an OLED display, a touch screen, a Dynamic Island, and a thinner design. On this device, which could also be named MacBook Ultra, macOS 27 is expected to offer a touch-friendly interface. Home Apple TV: A17 Pro chip with support for the more personalized Siri, and Apple's N1 chip with Wi-Fi 7 support. A built-in FaceTime camera has been rumored for a future Apple TV, but it is unclear if that will arrive with the next model. HomePod mini: S9 chip or newer with support for the more personalized Siri, Apple's N1 chip with Wi-Fi 7 support, improved sound quality, a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip, and potentially new color options like red. HomePod: A new full-sized HomePod that supports the revamped Siri. Home Hub: An all-new smart home hub featuring the more personalized version of Siri, a 6-inch to 7-inch square display, an A18 chip for Apple Intelligence, FaceTime, and more. Place it on a table or mount it on a wall. Security Camera/Sensor: Apple-designed, HomeKit-enabled security camera/sensor accessory to be sold alongside the new smart home hub. Face ID Doorbell: A video doorbell with Face ID and HomeKit Secure Video, wirelessly connects to a compatible deadbolt lock. For more details, read our Upcoming Apple Products Guide: What's Coming in 2026. This article, "Apple to Launch These 15+ New Products Later This Year" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

It was a busy week in the Apple world, with Apple announcing the discontinuation of the Mac Pro, releasing iOS 26.4 and other updates, and officially announcing dates for this year's Worldwide Developers Conference. This week also saw the AirPods Max 2 become available to order while we heard some fresh details about upcoming Apple hardware, so read on below for all the details! Top Stories Apple Confirms Mac Pro Is Dead, No Future Models Planned It shouldn't be much of a surprise considering it hadn't been updated in three years and there have been no rumors of anything coming in the future, but it was still a bit sad to see Apple officially discontinue the Mac Pro this week. And yes, Apple's infamous $700 kit to add wheels to the Mac Pro has also been put out to pasture. Arriving 20 years ago as an Intel-based upgrade to the PowerPC-driven Power Mac G5, the Mac Pro evolved from a traditional tower workstation to a compact cylindrical form factor and back again over the years, but while it was intended to serve the high-end professional market, it was never upgraded as frequently as other Macs and its role has largely been usurped by the Mac Studio that carries a much lower starting price. Apple Releases iOS 26.4 and iPadOS 26.4 With New Emoji, Playlist Playground, Purchase Sharing Changes and More Apple this week released iOS 26.4 and related operating system updates, delivering several improvements but not the revamped Siri we'd been hoping would make an appearance in these releases. That major revamp now looks like it may not come until iOS 27. iOS 26.4 does bring a number of new features like the AI-driven Playlist Playground in Apple Music, eight new emoji characters, concert listings in Apple Music, CarPlay enhancements, and more. Alongside iOS 26.4, other releases included macOS Tahoe 26.4 with the return of the compact tab bar option for Safari and a new battery charge limit setting, plus tvOS 26.4 with a new Genius Browse content discover feature, subtitle styling, and more. Apple Announces WWDC 2026 Will Take Place June 8 to 12 Apple has officially announced that its annual developer conference will take place during the usual timeframe, kicking off with a keynote on Monday, June 8, and running through Friday, June 12. WWDC will be a hybrid event again this year, with developers able to attend virtual sessions and labs free of charge. There is a lottery, however, for developers to enter for a chance to attend the Monday keynote sessions in person at Apple Park. We're expecting to see Apple unveil significant AI advancements this year after a number of delays, and the company has confirmed that those advancements will be a major focus of WWDC. AirPods Max 2 Now Available for Pre-Order With First Deliveries as Soon as April 1 Apple this week began accepting pre-orders for the AirPods Max 2 headphones that were introduced on March 16. In the U.S., Apple's online store intially listed a delivery timeframe of April 1 to April 3, although orders placed today may arrive a few days later than that. Priced at $549, the ‌AirPods Max 2‌ feature the same design as the original AirPods Max, but Apple updated the over-ear headphones with an H2 chip that adds new capabilities already offered by other AirPods models. Amazon is already offering small discounts on select colors. The AirPods Max 2 aren't the only new audio product launched by Apple in the past week, as the company's Beats brand also released new special-edition Nike Powerbeats Pro 2 featuring Nike's signature neon green-yellow "Volt" color. New Apple TV and HomePod Mini Remain 'Ready' to Launch Apple has unveiled quite a few new products this month, but the wait continues for the next-generation Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini models. In his Power On newsletter this week, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said new versions of the Apple TV and HomePod mini have been "ready" since last year, but he reiterated that Apple has held off on releasing them until the more personalized version of Siri and other Apple Intelligence upgrades are released later this year. In a live Q&A on Thursday, Gurman indicated that a new full-size HomePod is in the same predicament. Apple Unveils 'Apple Business' All-in-One Platform Apple this week announced Apple Business, a new all-in-one platform that unifies device management, productivity tools, and customer outreach features. Rolling out on April 14, the service is designed to be a consolidated replacement for several of Apple's existing business-focused offerings, including Apple Business Essentials, Apple Business Manager, and Apple Business Connect. It provides organizations with a single interface to manage devices, employees, communications, and customer engagement across Apple's ecosystem. The effort will also bring ads to Apple Maps, starting "this summer" in the United States and Canada. Apple Reportedly Preparing 'Biggest Set of iPhone Revamps' Ever Apple is working on "the biggest set of iPhone revamps in the product's history," according to the latest word from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In an in-depth profile of Apple's hardware engineering chief John Ternus, who is widely considered to be the leading candidate to become Apple's next CEO whenever Tim Cook steps down, Gurman said Ternus is "overseeing the biggest set of iPhone revamps in the product's history, including a foldable model this year and a version with an edge-to-edge screen that could arrive as early as 2027, for the device's 20th anniversary." MacRumors Newsletter Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view. So if you want to have top stories like the above recap delivered to your email inbox each week, subscribe to our newsletter!Tag: Top Stories This article, "Top Stories: Mac Pro Discontinued, iOS 26.4 Out Now, WWDC 2026 Announced, and More" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Anime streaming service Crunchyroll is now available as an Apple TV app channel, making it easier for prospective customers to subscribe without having to open up another app. ‌Apple TV‌ users in the U.S., Canada, UK, and Australia are now able to subscribe to Crunchyroll through the ‌Apple TV‌. There's a 7-day free trial available, after which the service is priced at $9.99 per month. The Crunchyroll ‌Apple TV‌ Channel is separate from existing Crunchyroll subscriptions, and an existing account can't be linked to the ‌Apple TV‌ app. As with all ‌Apple TV‌ Channels content, if you sign up for Crunchyroll with the ‌Apple TV‌ app, you'll be billed through Apple. Crunchyroll says its full catalog of over 50,000 episodes is available through the Crunchyroll ‌Apple TV‌ Channel. Apple TV Channels have long been an ‌Apple TV‌ app feature that makes subscribing to multiple services more convenient. Channels content can be watched in the ‌Apple TV‌ app without having to open up another app, and access can be shared with up to six members of a Family Sharing group. Channels also offer watch on-demand content and offline downloads. Some of the available ‌Apple TV‌ Channels include Starz, Paramount+, AMC+, Mubi, Shudder, MGM+, and IFC Films.Related Roundup: Apple TVBuyer's Guide: Apple TV (Don't Buy)Related Forum: Apple TV and Home Theater This article, "Apple TV Channels Gains Crunchyroll Anime Streaming Service" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Apple has hired former Google VP Lilian Rincon as its vice president of product marketing for artificial intelligence, reports Axios. Before joining Apple, Rincon was vice president of product for Google Shopping. At Apple, Rincon will be in charge of product marketing and product management for all of Apple's AI platforms, reporting to Apple marketing chief Greg Joswiak. Rincon led the global product organization that handled Google's consumer-facing shopping experiences, and before that, she was a director of product management in the Google Shopping division, and she worked on Google Assistant. Rincon first joined Google in 2017, and she also previously worked at Microsoft and Skype. Apple's AI marketing efforts come at a critical time as it prepares to roll out the updated chatbot version of Siri in iOS 27, and Rincon has a lot of work ahead. Apple is seen as being far behind competitors when it comes to AI development, both because of its failure to deploy Apple Intelligence Siri features on time and because iOS, macOS, and iPadOS offer far fewer AI features compared to Android and Windows. With ‌iOS 27‌, Apple is overhauling ‌Siri‌. We'll get the smarter ‌Siri‌ Apple first introduced at the June 2024 WWDC keynote, plus Apple is planning for a full chatbot version of ‌Siri‌ that will compete with chatbots like Claude, Gemini, and ChatGPT. We'll see our first glimpse of the new AI features Apple has planned at the 2026 Worldwide Developers Conference, which begins on Monday, June 8.Tags: Apple Intelligence, Google This article, "Apple Brings On Google Shopping VP to Lead AI Marketing Push" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

It's been a little over two weeks since the MacBook Neo launched on March 11, and MacRumors videographer Dan Barbera has been using it daily to do a more thorough review. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. At $599 (or $499 for students), the ‌MacBook Neo‌ is the cheapest laptop that Apple has come out with, and given the quality of the product, it's an impressive price. The A18 Pro chip isn't underpowered for a notebook machine, and the Neo is going to handle every day-to-day task that you might throw at it. 8GB RAM might sound like not enough because all of Apple's other Macs have 16GB or more, but Macs use RAM so efficiently that most people aren't going to miss having more RAM. If you're browsing the web, watching videos, managing documents, writing, scrolling through social media apps, sending emails, completing homework, and doing other light work, the ‌MacBook Neo‌ isn't going to struggle. 8GB RAM is also sufficient for all of the Apple Intelligence features that Apple has come out with so far. The ‌MacBook Neo‌ works totally fine for editing photos and videos, but it's of course not as quick as Apple's MacBook Air and MacBook Pro with M-series chips. You're going to see slower export times, but the actual process of editing video on the ‌MacBook Neo‌ doesn't feel overly sluggish. The ‌MacBook Neo‌ had no problems with 30 Chrome tabs open with YouTube, Google Docs, news sites, spreadsheets, Twitter, and more, even when other apps like Mail, Messages, and Spotify were running. Bumping up to 60 tabs used all of the available RAM, but everything running was usable with no freezing or beach balls. A Windows laptop probably wouldn't be able to operate like the Neo does on just 8GB RAM, but with Apple's SoC, it works. There are some compromises with the ‌MacBook Neo‌ in addition to the RAM. You're not going to get Apple's best display, but it's not too far off the ‌MacBook Air‌ display. There's just no True Tone for adjusting the display white balance to the lighting in the room. You're limited to two USB-C ports (one limited to USB 2 speeds at 480Mb/s, which does impact how fast files transfer), and another that's USB 3 at 10Gb/s. There's no Thunderbolt, no MagSafe charger, no SD card slot, no HDMI port, and no backlighting for the keyboard. The trackpad is mechanical instead of Force Touch, but it works largely the same, and there's a 1080p camera. Battery life is solid at up to 16 hours on a full charge, and the power draw is low enough that you can get some extra juice with a small power bank. The ‌MacBook Neo‌ only comes in 256GB and 512GB configurations, so storage is a bit limited, and we do recommend that 512GB upgrade for an extra $100 if you can swing it because it adds Touch ID to the keyboard. The ‌MacBook Neo‌ is slim and lightweight at 2.7 pounds, plus it comes in fun colors like blush, citrus, silver, and indigo. The ‌MacBook Neo‌ is designed for students on a budget, parents buying a first laptop for a child, and people who just need a basic machine for everyday online tasks. It may be Apple's lowest tier Mac, but it is one of the best computers you can get in its price range. Many competing Windows PCs and Chromebooks around the $600 mark are bulkier and uglier, with dimmer displays and less powerful chips. PC makers haven't had to try in the low-end market because Apple didn't compete there, but now that's changed. There's a reason why ASUS CFO Nick Wu said that the ‌MacBook Neo‌ was a "shock" to the entire PC industry that's being taken "very seriously." PC makers are going to need to innovate to keep Apple from dominating the affordable and education market.Related Roundup: MacBook NeoBuyer's Guide: MacBook Neo (Buy Now)Related Forum: MacBook Neo This article, "MacBook Neo Review: Can Apple's Cheapest Laptop Handle Real Work?" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Apple is into its final days of hosting 50th-anniversary celebrations around the world, making stops in Washington D.C., Mexico City, Shanghai, Tokyo, and beyond. On Tuesday, March 24, actor Troy Kotsur and Gallaudet University president Roberta Cordano sat down for a discussion with Apple's accessibility chief Sarah Herrlinger about how accessible technology helps to foster creativity. In 2022, Kotsur became the first deaf male actor to win an Academy Award for his performance in the Apple TV film CODA, while Cordano is the first deaf woman to be president of the Gallaudet University for the deaf and hard of hearing. The discussion was part of a special Today at Apple session held at Apple's Carnegie Library store in Washington, D.C., and hundreds of other accessibility advocates also attended the event to reflect on what it means to have Apple products and technologies that work for everyone, including people with disabilities. On Wednesday, March 25, Apple brought together "some of Mexico's most celebrated filmmakers, actors, and creators" for a conversation about creativity and storytelling at its Apple Antara store in Mexico City. This included some of the people behind the hit Apple TV productions Las Azules, Acapulco, and Midnight Family. In front of its Jing'an store in Shanghai today, Apple set up a circular catwalk that models walked around as part of Shanghai Fashion Week. And over in Tokyo today, a virtual YouTuber and singer known as Mori Calliope appeared live on a screen at Apple's Omotesando store. Image Credit: @hamu_3nd Today at Apple sessions were also held at Apple Pacific Centre in Vancouver, Canada and at Apple Champs-Élysées in Paris, France this week, and there will be another session at Apple BKC in Mumbai, India on Sunday, March 29. Apple kicked off its 50th anniversary celebrations with a surprise Alicia Keys performance at its store inside New York's iconic Grand Central Terminal earlier this month, while Mumford & Sons performed in London earlier this week. Apple has also held events in Australia, South Korea, Thailand, and elsewhere over the past few weeks. Apple turns 50 on April 1.Tags: Apple 50th Anniversary, Today at Apple This article, "Apple's 50th Anniversary Events Continue in Washington D.C., Shanghai, Tokyo, and Beyond" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we discuss Apple's announcement of its 37th annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), where the company is expected to unveil a major Siri overhaul alongside iOS 27, macOS 27, and other next-generation operating systems. Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos Like last year, WWDC 2026 will be a primarily online event open to all developers at no cost, with an in-person component at Apple Park in Cupertino reserved for developers and students selected through a random lottery. Apple will notify accepted in-person attendees on April 2. The keynote and all sessions will be available on the Apple Developer app, Apple's website, and YouTube, with over 100 video sessions and interactive labs with Apple engineers and designers planned across the week. Apple first unveiled Apple Intelligence at WWDC 2024, promising a smarter Siri with personal context, on-screen awareness, and deeper app integration, features that were delayed in March 2025, delayed again at WWDC 2025, and then missed a further internal target of iOS 26.4. Apple confirmed in its announcement that the conference will "spotlight incredible updates for Apple platforms, including AI advancements and exciting new software and developer tools," which points clearly to what is shaping up to be the most consequential ‌Siri‌ update ever. The revamped ‌Siri‌ is said to be a sweeping redesign that turns Apple's long-struggling assistant into a full AI chatbot, with Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reporting that Apple is testing a standalone ‌Siri‌ app displaying prior conversations in a list or grid, with pinned and searchable chats and iMessage-style chat bubbles. ‌Siri‌ is also said to be gaining Dynamic Island integration, with a glowing icon and "searching" label while processing requests, an "Ask ‌Siri‌" button in third-party app menus, and a "Write with ‌Siri‌" keyboard option, while Spotlight is expected to be replaced by ‌Siri‌ as the primary search interface on iPhone. The technology underpinning virtually all of this comes from Apple's multi-year partnership with Google, under which next-generation Apple Foundation Models are based on Gemini, with processing continuing to run on-device and in Private Cloud Compute. Separately, Apple plans to open Siri to third-party AI chatbots in ‌iOS 27‌ via an "Extensions" system in Settings, ending OpenAI's exclusive arrangement and allowing users to direct queries to Claude, Gemini, Grok, and others. Beyond ‌Siri‌, iOS 27 is expected to be a relatively lean update, described as a "Snow Leopard" year, focused on performance improvements, bug fixes, and code cleanup rather than major new feature additions. Notable exceptions include optimizations for Apple's first foldable iPhone, which is expected to launch in the fall, and new satellite connectivity features. macOS 27 will apparently share the same ‌Siri‌ upgrades and "Snow Leopard" stability focus. It will drop support for Intel-based Macs entirely. Apple will also unveil iPadOS 27, watchOS 27, tvOS 27, and visionOS 27 at the keynote. The MacRumors Show has its own YouTube channel, so make sure you're subscribed to keep up with new episodes and clips. Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel! You can also listen to ‌The MacRumors Show‌ on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, or other podcast apps. You can also copy our RSS feed directly into your player. If you haven't already listened to the previous episode of The MacRumors Show, catch up to hear our discussion about Apple's surprise AirPods Max 2 announcement. Subscribe to ‌The MacRumors Show‌ for new episodes every week, where we discuss some of the topical news breaking here on MacRumors, often joined by interesting guests such as Kayci Lacob, Kevin Nether, John Gruber, Mark Gurman, Jon Prosser, Luke Miani, Matthew Cassinelli, Brian Tong, Quinn Nelson, Jared Nelson, Eli Hodapp, Mike Bell, Sara Dietschy, iJustine, Jon Rettinger, Andru Edwards, Arnold Kim, Ben Sullins, Marcus Kane, Christopher Lawley, Frank McShan, David Lewis, Tyler Stalman, Sam Kohl, Federico Viticci, Thomas Frank, Jonathan Morrison, Ross Young, Ian Zelbo, and Rene Ritchie. ‌The MacRumors Show‌ is on X @MacRumorsShow, so be sure to give us a follow to keep up with the podcast. You can also email us at [email protected] or head over to The MacRumors Show forum thread. Remember to rate and review the podcast, and let us know what subjects and guests you would like to see in the future.Related Roundup: WWDC 2026Tags: The MacRumors Show, WWDC 2026Related Forum: Apple, Inc and Tech Industry This article, "The MacRumors Show: Apple Announces WWDC 2026" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Apple says it has no record of a successful spyware attack against any device running Lockdown Mode, the opt-in security feature it introduced in 2022. "We are not aware of any successful mercenary spyware attacks against a Lockdown Mode-enabled Apple device," an Apple spokesperson told TechCrunch. Lockdown Mode is available on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac, and dramatically restricts certain system features that are commonly exploited by mercenary spyware. When enabled, it blocks most message attachment types, disables certain complex web technologies, and prevents devices from automatically joining non-secure Wi-Fi networks, among other restrictions. Apple designed the feature specifically to protect high-risk users such as journalists, activists, lawyers, and others who may be personally targeted by sophisticated nation-state-level attacks. Enable Lockdown Mode on iPhone, iPad, and Mac Donncha Ó Cearbhaill, head of the security lab at Amnesty International, said he and his colleagues "have not seen any evidence of an iPhone being successfully compromised by mercenary spyware where Lockdown Mode was enabled at the time of the attack." Digital rights organizations including Amnesty International and the University of Toronto's Citizen Lab have documented numerous successful spyware attacks on iPhone users over the years, but none have involved a bypass of Lockdown Mode. Citizen Lab researchers have confirmed at least two cases where Lockdown Mode actively blocked spyware attacks, with one involving NSO Group's Pegasus and another involving Predator spyware, made by a company now part of Intellexa. Google researchers found that spyware was coded to abort its infection attempt if it detected Lockdown Mode was active, apparently to avoid leaving traces that could expose the attack. Patrick Wardle, an Apple cybersecurity expert, told TechCrunch, "I think it's safe to say, Lockdown Mode is one of the most aggressive consumer-facing hardening features ever shipped."Tags: Apple Security, Cybersecurity, TechCrunch This article, "Apple Says No iPhone in Lockdown Mode Has Ever Been Hacked" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Hello, I’m Philippe, and I am a Principal Solutions Architect helping customers with their usage of Docker. I wanted a lightweight way to automate my IT news roundups without burning through AI credits. So I built a Docker Agent skill that uses the Brave Search API to fetch recent articles on a topic, then hands the results to a local model running with Docker Model Runner to analyze the stories and generate a Markdown report. In this setup, Qwen3.5-4B handles the reasoning and skill invocation, while the skill itself does the retrieval work. The result is a simple local workflow for turning a prompt like “use news roundup skill with tiny language models” into a structured news brief I can save, review, and reuse. It is a bit slower than doing the same thing with Claude Code, but that tradeoff works for me: I keep the workflow local, I save my Claude credits, and I get a practical example of how skills make Docker Agent more useful for repeatable tasks. Prerequisites for building the news roundup: Docker and Docker Compose, obviously. A Brave Search account with an API key (you can get one here). (There’s a free plan.) A local model that supports a large context window and knows how to do function calling. I chose to use qwen3.5-4b from Qwen (I went with the Unsloth version), a 4-billion-parameter model optimized for text understanding and generation, with native support for up to 262144 context tokens. I started my tests with qwen3.5-9b, but on my MacBook Air, it’s a bit slow and qwen3.5-4b does the job just fine. Let’s get into the setup. Step-by-step guide to building the news roundup Step 1: Creating the Dockerfile I used an ubuntu:22.04 base image and installed curl to make requests to the Brave Search API. I also copied the docker-agent binary from the docker/docker-agent:1.32.5 image to run the agents. FROM --platform=$BUILDPLATFORM docker/docker-agent:1.32.5 AS coding-agent FROM --platform=$BUILDPLATFORM ubuntu:22.04 AS base LABEL maintainer="@k33g_org" ARG TARGETOS ARG TARGETARCH ARG USER_NAME=docker-agent-user ARG DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive ENV LANG=en_US.UTF-8 ENV LANGUAGE=en_US.UTF-8 ENV LC_COLLATE=C ENV LC_CTYPE=en_US.UTF-8 # ------------------------------------ # Install Tools #------------------------------------ RUN <<EOF apt-get update apt-get install -y wget curl apt-get clean autoclean apt-get autoremove --yes rm -rf /var/lib/{apt,dpkg,cache,log}/ EOF # ------------------------------------ # Install docker-agent # ------------------------------------ COPY --from=coding-agent /docker-agent /usr/local/bin/docker-agent # ------------------------------------ # Create a new user # ------------------------------------ RUN adduser ${USER_NAME} # Set the working directory WORKDIR /home/${USER_NAME} # Set the user as the owner of the working directory RUN chown -R ${USER_NAME}:${USER_NAME} /home/${USER_NAME} # Switch to the regular user USER ${USER_NAME} Let’s move on to the agent configuration. Step 2: Creating the Docker Agent configuration file For the Docker Agent configuration, I defined a root agent using the brain model, which is an alias for qwen3.5-4b. I also enabled skills support (skills: true) and provided detailed instructions so the agent behaves like an expert IT journalist, capable of searching, analyzing, and summarizing the latest tech news. For the toolsets, Docker Agent ships with some ready-to-use ones, but I preferred a script-type toolset with an execute_command that can run any shell command and capture its output. This gives me the flexibility to interact with the Brave Search API directly from shell commands, without having to implement specific tools for it — and most importantly, it keeps the agent’s instructions lightweight. agents: root: model: brain description: News Roundup Expert skills: true instruction: | You are an expert IT journalist with deep knowledge of software engineering, cloud infrastructure, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and the open-source ecosystem. Your role is to gather, analyze, and summarize the latest technology news in a clear, accurate, and engaging way. You write for a technical audience and always provide context, highlight trends, and explain the impact of each piece of news. toolsets: - type: script shell: execute_command: description: Execute a shell command and return its stdout and stderr output. args: command: description: The shell command to execute. cmd: | bash -c "$command" 2>&1 models: brain: provider: dmr model: huggingface.co/unsloth/qwen3.5-4b-gguf:Q4_K_M temperature: 0.0 top_p: 0.95 presence_penalty: 1.5 provider_opts: # llama.cpp flags runtime_flags: ["--context_size=65536"] Now let’s look at the skill. Step 3: Building the news roundup skill I created a news-roundup skill that uses the Brave Search API to search for the latest news on a given topic, enriches each article with additional web searches, and generates a structured Markdown report. Inside the .agents/skills folder, I created a news-roundup directory with a SKILL.md file that describes the skill in detail, with the steps to follow and the commands to execute at each step. ├── .agents │ └── skills │ └── news-roundup │ └── SKILL.md Here’s the content of SKILL.md: --- name: news-roundup description: search the news using Brave News Search API with a query as argument. Use this skill when the user asks to search for recent news or current events. --- # News Roundup ## Purpose Generate a comprehensive Markdown news report on a given topic (default: "small ai local models"). ## Steps to follow ### Step 1 — Search for recent news #### Command to execute ```bash curl -s "https://api.search.brave.com/res/v1/news/search?q=$(echo "$ARGUMENTS_REST" | sed 's/ /+/g')&count=3&freshness=pw" \ -H "X-Subscription-Token: ${BRAVE}" \ -H "Accept: application/json" ``` ### Step 2 — Enrich each article For each article returned in Step 1, use the below command with the article URL to retrieve additional context and details. #### Command to execute ```bash curl -s "https://api.search.brave.com/res/v1/web/search?q=$(echo "$ARTICLE_URL" | sed 's/ /+/g')&count=10" \ -H "X-Subscription-Token: ${BRAVE}" \ -H "Accept: application/json" ``` ### Step 3 — Generate the Markdown report Using all the collected information, write a well-structured Markdown report saved to `/workspace/news-report.md`. The report must follow this structure: ```markdown # IT News Report — {topic} > Generated on {date} ## Summary A short paragraph summarizing the main trends found across all articles. ## Articles ### {Article Title} - **Source**: {source name} - **URL**: {url} - **Published**: {date} {2-3 sentence summary of the article content and its significance for IT professionals} --- (repeat for each article) ## Key Trends A bullet list of the main technology trends identified across all articles. ``` Save the final report to `/workspace/data/news-report-{YYYYMMDD-HHMMSS}.md` using the `write_file` tool, where `{YYYYMMDD-HHMMSS}` is the current date and time (e.g. `news-report-20260318-143012.md`). To get the current timestamp, run: ```bash date +"%Y%m%d-%H%M%S" ``` All that’s left is to create the compose.yml file to launch the agent. Step 4: Updating the compose.yml file Here’s the content of compose.yml. Note: you’ll need a .env file with your Brave Search API key (e.g. BRAVE=abcdef1234567890). services: news-roundup: build: context: . dockerfile: Dockerfile stdin_open: true tty: true command: docker-agent run /workspace/config.yaml volumes: - ./config.yaml:/workspace/config.yaml:ro - ./.agents:/workspace/.agents:ro - ./data:/workspace/data working_dir: /workspace env_file: - .env models: qwen3.5-4b: models: qwen3.5-4b: model: huggingface.co/unsloth/qwen3.5-4b-gguf:Q4_K_M context_size: 65536 And that’s it — everything we need to run our IT news roundup agent. Step 5: Let’s test it out! Just run the following command in your terminal: docker compose run --rm --build news-roundup And ask the agent: use news roundup skill with tiny language models The agent will then execute the news-roundup skill, query the Brave Search API, analyze the articles, and generate a Markdown report in the data folder. Note: this can take a little while, so feel free to grab a coffee (or get some work done). The agent will detect that it needs to run tools (the curl commands from the news-roundup skill) — you can validate each command manually or let the agent run them automatically: Your agent will work for a few minutes… …and at the end, it will give you the path of the generated report, which you can open to read your personalized IT news roundup: You can find examples of generated reports in the data folder of the project on this repository: https://codeberg.org/docker-agents/news-roundup/src/branch/main/data. Final Thoughts That’s the full setup: a Docker Agent skill for news retrieval, the Brave Search API for fresh articles, and Docker Model Runner with Qwen3.5-4B for local analysis and report generation. You now have a fully local IT news roundup agent. I have written a lot of content on use cases for local models, including context packaging and making small LLMs smarter. See you soon for more Docker Agent use cases with local language models! View the full article

Apple has begun pushing Lock Screen notifications to iPhones and iPads running older versions of iOS and iPadOS, warning users of active web-based attacks. The alerts, which appear as a "Critical Software" notification from the Settings app, warn that Apple "is aware of attacks targeting out-of-date iOS software, including the version on your iPhone," and urge users to install a critical update to protect their device. The notifications are being seen on devices running a range of older iOS versions, including iOS 17.0, far beyond the iOS 13 and iOS 14 devices that Apple specifically flagged in its support documentation. In the documentation, Apple highlighted recent reports about hacking tools that are effective against older versions of iOS. Hackers are using iOS exploit kits known as "Coruna" and "DarkSword," which can take advantage of vulnerabilities in iOS 13 through to iOS 17.2.1. Clicking a malicious link or visiting a compromised website on an unpatched device could result in data being stolen. "If your iPhone doesn't have the latest software, update iOS to protect your data," Apple says. Users can update by going to Settings, General, and Software Update. Apple released iOS 15.8.7 and iOS 16.7.15, along with corresponding iPadOS versions, on March 11 to address security vulnerabilities associated with the Coruna exploit kit. Devices running the latest updated versions of iOS 15 through iOS 26 are already protected, while devices on iOS 13 or iOS 14 must update to iOS 15 to receive these protections. Apple has patched the vulnerabilities as they have come to light over the last several months, so users who have already upgraded to the newest version of iOS available for their iPhone are protected from the malicious websites and links that are circulating right now. Apple Safe Browsing in Safari is enabled by default and blocks the malicious URL domains identified in the attacks. Users who are unable to update should consider enabling Lockdown Mode, if available, to protect against malicious web content. Lockdown Mode is available on iOS 16 and later.Tags: Apple Security, CybersecurityRelated Forums: iOS 17, iPadOS 17, iOS 15, iOS 16 This article, "Apple Now Sending Critical Security Alerts to iPhones Running iOS 17 and Earlier" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Amazon kicked off the Big Spring Sale this week, and with it has come big discounts across a number of Apple products. This includes all-time low prices on AirPods Pro 3, AirTag, M4 iPad Air, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running. AirPods Pro 3 What's the deal? Take $49 off AirPods Pro 3 Where can I get it? Amazon Where can I find the original deal? Right here $49 OFFAirPods Pro 3 for $199.99 Amazon has the AirPods Pro 3 available for $199.99 this week, down from $249.00. This is a match of the all-time low price on the AirPods Pro 3, which has been rare on Amazon in recent weeks. AirTag What's the deal? Take $39 off AirTag 1 Where can I get it? Amazon Where can I find the original deal? Right here $39 OFFAirTag 4-Pack for $59.99 Amazon has the first generation AirTag 4-Pack on sale for $59.99 during the Big Spring Sale, down from $99.00. This is a new record low price on the first generation accessory. M4 iPad Air What's the deal? Take up to $80 off M4 iPad Air Where can I get it? Amazon Where can I find the original deal? Right here $40 OFF11-inch M4 iPad Air for $559.00 $50 OFF13-inch M4 iPad Air for $749.00 This month saw the launch of all of Apple's new products, and Amazon is already offering good discounts on many models of the M4 iPad Air. We're seeing up to $80 off both the 11-inch and 13-inch models, which is solid for a brand-new product. MacBook Air and MacBook Pro What's the deal? Take $49 off M5 MacBook Air and M5 Pro/M5 Max MacBook Pro Where can I get it? Amazon Where can I find the original deal? Right here $49 OFF13-inch M5 MacBook Air (512GB) for $1,049.99 $49 OFF15-inch M5 MacBook Air (512GB) for $1,249.99 $49 OFF16-inch M5 Pro MacBook Pro (24GB/1TB) for $2,649.99 $49 OFF16-inch M5 Max MacBook Pro (36GB/2TB) for $3,849.99 Similar to the M4 iPad Air, Amazon is offering multiple discounts across the new M5 MacBook Air and M5 Pro/M5 Max MacBook Pro this week. You'll find $49 off select models right now, without the need of a coupon code. Apple Watch Series 11 What's the deal? Take $100 off Apple Watch Series 11 Where can I get it? Amazon Where can I find the original deal? Right here $100 OFFApple Watch Series 11 (42mm GPS) for $299.00 $100 OFFApple Watch Series 11 (46mm GPS) for $329.00 Amazon this week has all-time low prices on the Apple Watch Series 11, with $100 discounts across numerous models of the smartwatch. We first started tracking the return of these deals last month, but this sale has now expanded with many more options on both 42mm and 46mm GPS models. 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, "Best Apple Deals of the Week: Low Prices Hit AirPods Pro 3, AirTag, and More During Amazon's Big Spring Sale" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Anker's new Prime 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Station has been marked down to $104.99 during Amazon's Big Spring Sale, down from $149.99, with no need for a coupon. This accessory just launched last month, and Amazon's sale today represents a new all-time low price. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running. The Prime 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Station features Qi2.2 support, which lets a compatible MagSafe ‌iPhone‌ charge at up to 25W. It's the same speed as Apple's ‌MagSafe‌ charger, and it is 10W faster than the standard Qi2 ‌MagSafe‌ chargers. You can also simultaneously charge an Apple Watch and AirPods with the device. $45 OFFAnker Prime 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Station for $104.99 There are plenty of other Anker discounts happening on Amazon this week, including the Prime 14-in-1 Thunderbolt 5 Dock back at its all-time low price of $339.99, down from $399.99. Anker's popular 3-in-1 MagSafe-Compatible Charging Cube is also down to a new all-time low price of $79.03, down from $129.99. $60 OFFAnker Prime 14-in-1 Thunderbolt 5 Dock for $339.99 Wall Chargers Nano USB-C Wall Charger - $27.99, down from $39.99 6-in-1 USB-C Power Strip - $59.99, down from $109.99 140W 4-Port GaN USB-C Charger - $89.99, down from $99.99 14-in-1 Prime Thunderbolt 5 Dock - $339.99, down from $399.99 Wireless Chargers 3-in-1 MagSafe-Compatible UFO Charger - $69.99, down from $89.99 3-in-1 MagSafe-Compatible Foldable Charging Station - $79.99, down from $109.99 3-in-1 MagSafe-Compatible Charging Cube - $79.03, down from $129.99 3-in-1 Prime Wireless Charging Station - $104.99, down from $149.99 Prime MagSafe-Compatible 3-in-1 Charging Station - $149.99, down from $229.99 Portable Chargers SOLIX C300 Power Station with Lantern - $169.99, down from $249.00 Prime Power Bank 26,250 mAh - $199.99, down from $229.99 SOLIX C1000 Gen 2 Portable Power Station - $428.99, down from $799.00 SOLIX C2000 Gen 2 Portable Power Station - $749.00, down from $1,499.00 We've collected all of the best deals you can find during Amazon's Big Spring Sale in our dedicated article. 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, "Anker's New Prime 3-in-1 Foldable Charging Station Hits $104.99 Low Price on Amazon" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Apple this week announced that it has discontinued the Mac Pro, with new configurations no longer available and no further models planned. Below, we reflect on nearly two decades of the Mac Pro. 2006 to 2013 In August 2006, Apple introduced the original Mac Pro, which was an Intel-based follow-up to the PowerPC-based Power Mac G5 that debuted a few years earlier. Mac Pro was the final Mac model to transition from PowerPC to Intel processors. "Apple has successfully completed the transition to using Intel processors in just seven months—210 days to be exact," said Apple's then-CEO Steve Jobs, in a press release announcing the first Mac Pro. "And what better product to complete it with than the new Mac Pro, the workstation Mac users have been dreaming about." The original Mac Pro was powered by two dual-core Intel Xeon processors, making it up to twice as fast as the Power Mac G5, according to Apple. It could be configured with up to 2TB of storage—the most ever in a Mac at the time—and up to 16GB of RAM. The computer was equipped with an NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GT graphics card. Like the Power Mac G5, the Mac Pro featured an aluminum tower with a perforated front panel, which earned it the nickname "cheese grater Mac Pro." The computer was equipped with a variety of FireWire and USB-A ports, and it had PCI Express expansion slots. In the U.S., the original Mac Pro started at $2,499. The classic Mac Pro went on to receive faster Intel processors and other spec bumps until 2012. 2013 to 2019 "Can't innovate anymore, my ass," Apple's former marketing chief Phil Schiller infamously joked, when unveiling the redesigned Mac Pro in June 2013. "The new Mac Pro is our vision for the future of the pro desktop, everything about it has been reimagined and there has never been anything like it," said Schiller, in a press release announcing the second-generation Mac Pro. The so-called "trash can" Mac Pro featured a cylindrical design with a polished black aluminum finish and a "unified thermal core." The computer was visually striking, but Apple later admitted that it was thermally constrained, and it had poor upgradeability. Instead of internal slots, Apple pushed expansion via six Thunderbolt 2 ports. Other specs included up to a 12-core Intel Xeon processor, dual AMD FirePro GPUs, up to 64GB of RAM, and up to a 1TB SSD. In the U.S., pricing started at $2,999. Overall, Apple prioritized the Mac Pro's compact size, thermal efficiency, and quiet operation, when most pro users simply wanted the most performant and expandable Mac possible. Then, the Mac Pro went years without receiving upgrades, leading some to question whether Apple was still committed to the high-end Mac market. The criticism ultimately led Apple to make the rare and surprising move of publicly apologizing to Mac users and ensuring that it remained committed to the Mac. Apple also pre-announced that it was working on a "completely rethought" Mac Pro with a modular design, along with what became the iMac Pro and Pro Display XDR. "I think we designed ourselves into a bit of a thermal corner, if you will," said Apple's software engineering chief Craig Federighi, at the time. "We designed a system with the kind of GPUs that at the time we thought we needed, and that we thought we could well serve with a two GPU architecture. That that was the thermal limit we needed, or the thermal capacity we needed. But workloads didn't materialize to fit that as broadly as we hoped." So, Apple went back to the drawing board. 2019 to 2023 In December 2019, the third-generation Mac Pro arrived. As promised, it fixed many of the problems that arose with the "trash can" model. With this Mac Pro, Apple returned to a modular design with an aluminum housing that lifts off for "360-degree access" to the entire system. The computer had a "state-of-the-art thermal architecture" and eight PCI Express expansion slots. "We designed Mac Pro for users who require a modular system with extreme performance, expansion and configurability," said Schiller, in a press release at the time. "With its powerful Xeon processors, massive memory capacity, groundbreaking GPU architecture, PCIe expansion, Afterburner accelerator card and jaw-dropping design, the new Mac Pro is a monster that will enable pros to do their life's best work." This was the final Intel-based model, with up to a 28-core Xeon processor available alongside up to 1.5TB of RAM and up to an 8TB SSD. It could be configured with AMD's Radeon Pro Vega II Duo, which Apple said was the world's most powerful graphics card at the time. Other specs included four Thunderbolt 3 ports and an Apple Afterburner accelerator card that enabled playback of three streams of 8K ProRes RAW video simultaneously. In the U.S., pricing started at $5,999, which was much higher than the previous models. 2023 to 2026 In June 2023, the Mac Pro entered the Apple silicon era when it received the M2 Ultra chip. Mac Pro was the final Mac to transition from Intel to Apple silicon, much like the original Mac Pro was the final Mac to switch from PowerPC to Intel. Apple stuck with the same overall design as the previous generation, but the M2 Ultra chip with unified graphics and memory freed up a lot of internal space compared to the Intel model, resulting in a "hollow" appearance. And on the exterior, the Mac Pro gained eight Thunderbolt 4 ports, up from four Thunderbolt 3 ports previously. Other specs included up to 192GB of unified memory and up to an 8TB SSD. In the U.S., starting pricing rose to a steep $6,999. By the time the Mac Pro moved to Apple silicon, Apple had already released the Mac Studio, another desktop computer that is smaller than a Mac Pro but beefier than a Mac mini. It is currently powered by M4 Max or M3 Ultra chips, and configurations with M5 Max and M5 Ultra chips are expected to launch later this year. The primary reason to purchase the latest Mac Pro over the Mac Studio was PCI expansion, but the Mac Pro's starting price was thousands of dollars higher than the Mac Studio, so the writing was on the wall that the Mac Pro's days were probably numbered. Indeed, the Mac Pro was ultimately discontinued this week, marking the end of an era.Related Roundup: Mac ProBuyer's Guide: Mac Pro (Don't Buy)Related Forum: Mac Pro This article, "Mac Pro Discontinued: Reflecting on 20 Years of Apple's Desktop Tower" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Apple Vision Pro owners have a new Apple Immersive video available to watch from today. "Debut at the BBC Proms" is a full classical music concert filmed at the Royal Albert Hall during the 2025 Proms season, courtesy of BBC Arts. Filmed by Livewire Pictures using Blackmagic's URSA Cine Immersive cameras, the experience follows Austrian piano sensation Lukas Sternath as he takes to the stage in his BBC Proms debut, performing Edvard Grieg's Piano Concerto in A Minor with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, under chief conductor Sakari Oramo. From the BBC media center: "BBC Arts is committed to seeking out new ways for people to experience arts and culture, and to reach new audiences with our rich offering. We're grateful that Apple Vision Pro makes this innovative project possible, and to Livewire Pictures for embracing the new technology. We hope audiences are encouraged to also experience the magic of the Proms in person at the Royal Albert Hall this summer, or to follow from home on BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds."The new immersive video experience is available now on the Apple TV app for Vision Pro.Related Roundup: Apple Vision ProBuyer's Guide: Vision Pro (Buy Now)Related Forum: Apple Vision Pro This article, "New Apple Immersive Video of BBC Proms Concert on Apple Vision Pro" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Next year's regular iPhone 18 will feature the smaller Dynamic Island rumored to be coming to the iPhone 18 Pro models this September, according to Chinese leaker Ice Universe, who has a decent track record for leaks. iPhone 18 Pro with a smaller Dynamic Island (mockup via Ice Universe) In a new post on Weibo, the leaker said the smaller Dynamic Island will be adopted across the full iPhone 18 series, while the bezels on the next-generation devices will remain identical to those on the iPhone 17 series. Going forward, Apple is planning a split-cycle launch strategy for the iPhone. Pro models will be announced in the coming fall season – likely alongside the company's first foldable iPhone – while the regular iPhone 18 will arrive early next year. One leaker has cast doubt on reports that the iPhone 18 Pro models will have a narrower Dynamic Island, but most reports do support the claim. Related Roundup: iPhone 18Tags: Dynamic Island, Ice UniverseRelated Forum: iPhone This article, "iPhone 18 Series: Same Bezels But Smaller Dynamic Island, Says Leaker" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article