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It’s 11 PM. You’ve got a JIRA ticket open, an IDE with three unsaved files, a browser tab on Stack Overflow, and another on documentation. You’re context-switching between designing UI, writing backend APIs, fixing bugs, and running tests. You’re wearing all the hats, product manager, designer, engineer, QA specialist, and it’s exhausting. What if instead of doing it all yourself, you could describe the goal and have a team of specialized AI agents handle it for you? One agent breaks down requirements, another designs the interface, a third builds the backend, a fourth tests it, and a fifth fixes any issues. Each agent focuses on what it does best, working together autonomously while you sip your coffee.That’s not sci-fi, it’s what Agent + Docker Sandboxes delivers today. What is Docker Agent? Docker Agent is an open source tool for building teams of specialized AI agents. Instead of prompting one general-purpose model to do everything, you define agents with specific roles that collaborate to solve complex problems. Here’s a typical dev-team configuration: agents: root: model: openai/gpt-5 description: Product Manager - Leads the development team and coordinates iterations instruction: | Break user requirements into small iterations. Coordinate designer → frontend → QA. - Define feature and acceptance criteria - Ensure iterations deliver complete, testable features - Prioritize based on value and dependencies sub_agents: [designer, awesome_engineer, qa, fixer_engineer] toolsets: - type: filesystem - type: think - type: todo - type: memory path: dev_memory.db ​ designer: model: openai/gpt-5 description: UI/UX Designer - Creates user interface designs and wireframes instruction: | Create wireframes and mockups for features. Ensure responsive, accessible designs. - Use consistent patterns and modern principles - Specify colors, fonts, interactions, and mobile layout toolsets: - type: filesystem - type: think - type: memory path: dev_memory.db qa: model: openai description: QA Specialist - Analyzes errors, stack traces, and code to identify bugs instruction: | Analyze error logs, stack traces, and code to find bugs. Explain what's wrong and why it's happening. - Review test results, error messages, and stack traces ....... ​ awesome_engineer: model: openai description: Awesome Engineer - Implements user interfaces based on designs instruction: | Implement responsive, accessible UI from designs. Build backend APIs and integrate. .......... fixer_engineer: model: openai description: Test Integration Engineer - Fixes test failures and integration issues instruction: | Fix test failures and integration issues reported by QA. - Review bug reports from QA The root agent acts as product manager, coordinating the team. When a user requests a feature, root delegates to designer for wireframes, then awesome_engineer for implementation, qa for testing, and fixer_engineer for bug fixes. Each agent uses its own model, has its own context, and accesses tools like filesystem, shell, memory, and MCP servers. Agent Configuration Each agent is defined with five key attributes: model: The AI model to use (e.g., openai/gpt-5, anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-5). Different agents can use different models optimized for their tasks. description: A concise summary of the agent’s role. This helps Docker Agent understand when to delegate tasks to this agent. instruction: Detailed guidance on what the agent should do. Includes workflows, constraints, and domain-specific knowledge. sub_agents: A list of agents this agent can delegate work to. This creates the team hierarchy. toolsets: The tools available to the agent. Built-in options include filesystem (read/write files), shell (run commands), think (reasoning), todo (task tracking), memory (persistent storage), and mcp (external tool connections). This configuration system gives you fine-grained control over each agent’s capabilities and how they coordinate with each other. Why Agent Teams Matter One agent handling complex work means constant context-switching. Split the work across focused agents instead, each handles what it’s best at. Docker Agent manages the coordination. The benefits are clear: Specialization: Each agent is optimized for its role (design vs. coding vs. debugging) Parallel execution: Multiple agents can work on different aspects simultaneously Better outcomes: Focused agents produce higher quality work in their domain Maintainability: Clear separation of concerns makes teams easier to debug and iterate The Problem: Running AI Agents Safely Agent teams are powerful, but they come with a serious security concern. These agents need to: Read and write files on your system Execute shell commands (npm install, git commit, etc.) Access external APIs and tools Run potentially untrusted code Giving AI agents full access to your development machine is risky. A misconfigured agent could delete files, leak secrets, or run malicious commands. You need isolation, agents should be powerful but contained. Traditional virtual machines are too heavy. Chroot jails are fragile. You need something that provides: Strong isolation from your host machine Workspace access so agents can read your project files Familiar experience with the same paths and tools Easy setup without complex networking or configuration Docker Sandboxes: The Secure Foundation Docker Sandboxes solves this by providing isolated environments for running AI agents. As of Docker Desktop 4.60+, sandboxes run inside dedicated microVMs, providing a hard security boundary beyond traditional container isolation. When you run docker sandbox run <agent>, Docker creates an isolated microVM workspace that: Mounts your project directory at the same absolute path (on Linux and macOS) Preserves your Git configuration for proper commit attribution Does not inherit environment variables from your current shell session Gives agents full autonomy without compromising your host Provides network isolation with configurable allow/deny lists Docker Sandboxes now natively supports six agent types: Claude Code, Gemini, Codex, Copilot, Agent, and Kiro (all experimental). Agent can be launched directly as a sandbox agent: # Run Agent natively in a sandbox docker sandbox create agent ~/path/to/workspace docker sandbox run agent ~/path/to/workspace Or, for more control, use a detached sandbox: # Create a sandbox docker sandbox run -d --name my-agent-sandbox claude ​ # Copy agent into the sandbox docker cp /usr/bin/agent &lt;container-id&gt;:/usr/bin/agent ​ # Run your agent team docker exec -it &lt;container-id&gt; bash -c "cd /path/to/workspace &amp;&amp; agent run dev-team.yaml" Your workspace /Users/alice/projects/myapp on the host is also /Users/alice/projects/myapp inside the microVM. Error messages, scripts with hard-coded paths, and relative imports all work as expected. But the agent is contained in its own microVM, it can’t access files outside the mounted workspace, and any damage it causes is limited to the sandbox. Why Docker Sandboxes Matter The combination of agents and Docker Sandboxes gives you something powerful: Full agent autonomy: Agents can install packages, run tests, make commits, and use tools without constant human oversight Complete safety: Even if an agent makes a mistake, it’s contained within the microVM sandbox Hard security boundary: MicroVM isolation goes beyond containers, each sandbox runs in its own virtual machine Network control: Allow/deny lists let you restrict which external services agents can access Familiar experience: Same paths, same tools, same workflow as working directly on your machine Workspace persistence: Changes sync between host and microVM, so your work is always available Here’s how the workflow looks in practice: User requests a feature to the root agent: “Create a bank app with Gradio” Root creates a todo list and delegates to the designer Designer generates wireframes and UI specifications Awesome_engineer implements the code, running pip install gradio and python app/main.py QA runs tests, finds bugs, and reports them Fixer_engineer resolves the issues Root confirms all tests pass and marks the feature complete All of this happens autonomously inside a sandboxed environment. The agents can install dependencies, modify files, and execute commands, but they’re isolated from your host machine. Try It Yourself Let’s walk through setting up a simple agent team in a Docker Sandbox. Prerequisites Docker Desktop 4.60+ with sandbox support (microVM-based isolation) agent (included in Docker Desktop 4.49+) API key for your model provider (Anthropic, OpenAI, or Google) Step 1: Create Your Agent Team Save this configuration as dev-team.yaml: models: openai: provider: openai model: gpt-5 ​ agents: root: model: openai description: Product Manager - Leads the development team instruction: | Break user requirements into small iterations. Coordinate designer → frontend → QA. sub_agents: [designer, awesome_engineer, qa] toolsets: - type: filesystem - type: think - type: todo ​ designer: model: openai description: UI/UX Designer - Creates designs and wireframes instruction: | Create wireframes and mockups for features. Ensure responsive designs. toolsets: - type: filesystem - type: think ​ awesome_engineer: model: openai description: Developer - Implements features instruction: | Build features based on designs. Write clean, tested code. toolsets: - type: filesystem - type: shell - type: think ​ qa: model: openai description: QA Specialist - Tests and identifies bugs instruction: | Test features and identify bugs. Report issues to fixer. toolsets: - type: filesystem - type: think Step 2: Create a Docker Sandbox The simplest approach is to use agent as a native sandbox agent: # Run agent directly in a sandbox (experimental) docker sandbox run agent ~/path/to/your/workspace Alternatively, use a detached Claude sandbox for more control: # Start a detached sandbox docker sandbox run -d --name my-dev-sandbox claude ​ # Copy agent into the sandbox which agent # Find the path on your host docker cp $(which agent) $(docker sandbox ls --filter name=my-dev-sandbox -q):/usr/bin/agent Step 3: Set Environment Variables # Run agent with your API key (passed inline since export doesn't persist across exec calls) docker exec -it -e OPENAI_API_KEY=your_key_here my-dev-sandbox bash Step 4: Run Your Agent Team # Mount your workspace and run agent docker exec -it my-dev-sandbox bash -c "cd /path/to/your/workspace &amp;&amp; agent run dev-team.yaml" Now you can describe what you want to build, and your agent team will handle the rest: User: Create a bank application using Python. The bank app should have basic functionality like account savings, show balance, withdraw, add money, etc. Build the UI using Gradio. Create a directory called app, and inside of it, create all of the files needed by the project ​ Agent (root): I'll break this down into iterations and coordinate with the team... Watch as the designer creates wireframes, the engineer builds the Gradio app, and QA tests it, all autonomously in a secure sandbox. Final result from a one shot prompt Step 5: Clean Up When you’re done: # Remove the sandbox docker sandbox rm my-dev-sandbox Docker enforces one sandbox per workspace. Running docker sandbox run in the same directory reuses the existing container. To change configuration, remove and recreate the sandbox. Current Limitations Docker Sandboxes and Docker Agent are evolving rapidly. Here are a few things to know: Docker Sandboxes now supports six agent types natively: Claude Code, Gemini, Codex, Copilot, agent, and Kiro. All are experimental and breaking changes may occur between Docker Desktop versions. Custom Shell that doesn’t include a pre-installed agent binary. Instead, it provides a clean environment where you can install and configure any agent or tool MicroVM sandboxes require macOS or Windows. Linux users can use legacy container-based sandboxes with Docker Desktop 4.57+ API keys may still need manual configuration depending on the agent type Sandbox templates are optimized for certain workflows; custom setups may require additional configuration Why This Matters Now AI agents are becoming more capable, but they need infrastructure to run safely and effectively. The combination of agent and Docker Sandboxes addresses this by: Feature Traditional Approach With agent + Docker Sandboxes Autonomy Limited – requires constant oversight High – agents work independently Security Risky – agents have host access Isolated – agents run in microVMs Specialization One model does everything Multiple agents with focused roles Reproducibility Inconsistent across machines MicroVM-isolated, version-controlled Scalability Manual coordination Automated team orchestration This isn’t just about convenience, it’s about enabling AI agents to do real work in production environments, with the safety guarantees that developers expect. What’s Next Explore the Docker Agent documentation to build your own agent teams Check out Docker Sandboxes for advanced configurations Browse example agent configurations in the agent repository Integrate agent with your editor or use agents as tools in MCP clients Conclusion We’re moving from “prompting AI to write code” to “orchestrating AI teams to build software.” agent gives you the team structure; Docker Sandboxes provides the secure foundation. The days of wearing every hat as a solo developer are numbered. With specialized AI agents working in isolated containers, you can focus on what matters, designing great software, while your AI team handles the implementation, testing, and iteration. Try it out. Build your own agent team. Run it in a Docker Sandbox. See what happens when you have a development team at your fingertips, ready to ship features while you grab lunch. View the full article

Apple's upcoming iPhone 18 Pro Max will be slightly thicker than its predecessor, measuring in at 8.8mm, up from 8.75mm on the iPhone 17 Pro Max. The information comes from oft-accurate Weibo-based leaker Ice Universe. The claim chimes with a report last year that alleged hardware changes in the iPhone 18 Pro Max will make it the heaviest iPhone yet. Last November, fellow Weibo-based leaker Instant Digital said the body of the iPhone 18 Pro Max will be slightly thicker than the iPhone 17 Pro Max, tipping its weight over 240 grams and making it the heaviest iPhone since the iPhone 14 Pro Max. That could be good news for those who crave longer-lasting battery life. Digital Chat Station – yet another Weibo-based leaker – has claimed the iPhone 18 Pro Max will feature a bigger battery, with a capacity in the range of 5,100 to 5,200 mAh (up from 5,088 mAh in the eSim version of the iPhone 17 Pro Max). Apple isn't expected to change the screen size of the iPhone 18 Pro Max, and it will feature the same 6.9-inch display as the current model. The ‌‌iPhone 18‌‌ Pro and ‌‌iPhone 18‌‌ Pro Max are expected to launch later this year, featuring a possibly smaller Dynamic Island, the C2 modem, a simplified Camera Control, and an upgraded main camera with a variable aperture.Related Roundup: iPhone 18Tags: Ice Universe, iPhoneRelated Forum: iPhone This article, "iPhone 18 Pro Max Thickness and Weight Allegedly Revealed" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Apple's second-generation MacBook Neo may not feature a touch-capable display after all, according to industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. In a report dated September 2025, Kuo‌ accurately predicted that the ‌MacBook Neo‌ would enter mass production in the fourth quarter of 2025, noting that it would not feature a touchscreen. In the same report, however, the analyst said he believed Apple could add a touchscreen for the second-generation model, expected in 2027. Kuo's latest thoughts now appear to push back against the possibility. From the report shared this morning: Neo 2 was originally expected to feature a touch panel to compete with Chromebooks (50%+ of which support touch), but my latest industry checks suggest Neo 2 may not adopt it.Kuo says Apple's first touchscreen Mac is still expected to launch later this year in the form of a new, high-end MacBook Pro with an OLED display and a new design. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has suggested the machine may be positioned above Apple's existing MacBook Pro Models, and could adopt the moniker "MacBook Ultra." The all-new MacBook Neo launches today, with prices starting at $599. Kuo says shipments of the Neo are slightly lower than his prior estimates, totaling around 4.5–5 million units (with about 2–2.5 million in the first half of 2026). For a single laptop model though, that's still a very impressive number.Related Roundup: MacBook NeoTag: Ming-Chi KuoBuyer's Guide: MacBook Neo (Buy Now)Related Forum: MacBook Neo This article, "MacBook Neo 2 Might Not Feature Touchscreen After All" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Apple has updated its battery cycle count support document to include the new MacBook Neo, revealing that the entry-level laptop has a maximum cycle count of 1,000. A battery cycle is completed when you've discharged an amount equal to 100% of the battery's total capacity, but not necessarily in one go. For example, if you use 60% one day and 40% the next, it still counts as one cycle, even though you recharged in between. First spotted in the updated support document by 9to5Mac, the 1,000-cycle limit puts the MacBook Neo right in line with every MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and standard MacBook that Apple has sold since 2009. Older models from the pre-unibody era had limits as low as 300 cycles. In real-world terms, even someone who burns through a full cycle every day would take nearly three years to hit the 1,000 count cap. More typical usage patterns could well stretch that beyond five years. Apple says its lithium-ion batteries are designed to hold up to 80% of their original capacity at the maximum cycle count. After that, the battery is considered "consumed" and a replacement is recommended, but that doesn't mean it will simply stop working. Launching today with a $599 starting price, the all-new MacBook Neo ships with a 36.5-watt-hour lithium-ion battery, which Apple rates for up to 16 hours of video playback and up to 11 hours of wireless web browsing. Check Your Mac's Battery Cycle Count Every new Mac bought from Apple comes with a one-year warranty that includes service coverage for a defective battery. If your Mac is out of warranty and the battery hasn't aged well, Apple offers battery service for a charge. In this case, a MacBook Neo battery service costs $149.Related Roundups: MacBook Neo, MacBook ProBuyer's Guide: MacBook Neo (Buy Now), MacBook Pro (Buy Now)Related Forums: MacBook Neo, MacBook Pro This article, "MacBook Neo Gets Same Battery Cycle Rating as MacBook Pro, Air" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Wednesday is the official launch day of Apple's low-cost MacBook Neo, and as customers who pre-ordered begin to receive their purchases, Apple has also started in-store sales for the new laptop, along with a host of other new products it announced last week. Customers across Europe, Asia and other regions can now place an order on Apple's website or in the Apple Store app and arrange for in-store pickup at a local retail location. A quick spot check on the U.K. Apple online store suggests that most stores in England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland have available stock for customers today, although there are bound to be exceptions, with availability also running on a first-come, first-serve basis. Apple has yet to update its online store for customers in the United States and Canada, but that will change in the next few hours, when in-store availability across North America will become clear. To order a product with ‌Apple Store‌ pickup, add the product to your bag on Apple.com, proceed to checkout, select the "I'll pick it up" option, enter your ZIP code, choose an available ‌Apple Store‌ location, and select a pickup date. Payment is completed online, and a valid government-issued photo ID and the order number may be required upon pickup. The MacBook Neo starts at $599, and is powered by the A18 Pro chip first introduced in the iPhone 16 Pro in 2024. It's the first Mac to use an iPhone-class chip. Apple says it delivers up to 50% faster everyday performance than the bestselling PC with Intel's latest Core Ultra 5 processor. It features a 13-inch Liquid Retina display with a 2,408 × 1,506 resolution, 500 nits of brightness, and an anti-reflective coating. The display uses uniform, iPad-style bezels instead of a notch, and the machine weighs 2.7 pounds and comes in Silver, Indigo, Blush, and Citrus, with matching keyboard accents and wallpapers. Connectivity includes two USB-C ports – one USB-C 2 (up to 480 Mb/s) and one USB-C 3 (up to 10 Gb/s) – plus a headphone jack. Other features include 8GB of unified memory, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 6, a 1080p camera, dual beamforming microphones, Spatial Audio speakers, and up to 16 hours of battery life. The base model includes 256GB of storage and the Magic Keyboard for $599, while a $699 configuration adds 512GB of storage and Touch ID. Education pricing starts at $499. Today also marks the launch of the iPhone 17e, MacBook Pro with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, MacBook Air with M5 chip, iPad Air with M4 chip, new and updated Apple Studio Displays. In-store availability for these devices will vary depending on popularity, but overall we think the MacBook Neo is likely to be the star of the show today in retail stores worldwide.Related Roundup: MacBook NeoBuyer's Guide: MacBook Neo (Buy Now)Related Forum: MacBook Neo This article, "$599 MacBook Neo Available for Same-Day Pickup at Apple Stores" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

The world of software has moved past the era where we just checked if a server was “up” or “down.” Today, systems are massive webs of moving parts. If one part slows down, the whole system can feel broken. To fix this, you don’t just need to watch your systems; you need to understand them. This is the heart of Observability Engineering. If you are an engineer or a manager, you know the stress of a system crash when no one can find the cause. This guide is your map to moving past that stress. It is for those who want to be the experts that companies depend on. We will look at how to reach that expert level, starting with a strong foundation and moving toward total mastery. The Evolution: From Monitoring to Deep Insight Monitoring is like a smoke alarm; it tells you something is wrong. Observability is like having a map of the building, knowing where the flammable items are, and seeing exactly where the spark started. In our world of cloud-native apps and microservices, a simple alarm is not enough. You need the full map. For engineers in India and across the globe, this skill is a massive career booster. It makes you a “detective” for code. Instead of guessing, you use hard data to find the truth. For managers, it means your team spends less time in “emergency meetings” and more time building features that users actually love. The Starting Point: Certified Kubernetes Application Developer (CKAD) You cannot be an expert at watching a system if you do not understand how the system is built. Today, most modern apps live on Kubernetes. That is why the Certified Kubernetes Application Developer (CKAD) program is so important. CKAD proves you know how to build, deploy, and scale apps in a containerized world. It is the foundation. Trying to learn observability without knowing Kubernetes is like trying to fix an engine without knowing how to drive. It is the first major step in your professional journey. The Master Certification Roadmap To reach the top, you need a clear plan. Here is a table showing the best path to take. TrackLevelWho it’s forPrerequisitesSkills CoveredRecommended OrderK8s App DevSpecialistSoftware Engineers, DevelopersBasic Linux, ContainersPods, Deployments, ConfigMaps, Probes1FoundationProfessionalAll Engineers, Tech LeadsIT ExperienceAutomation, CI/CD, Infrastructure2ObservabilityMasterSRE, Tech Leads, ManagersCKAD, SRE BasicsInstrumentation, Tracing, SLOs, Telemetry3SRESpecialistSREs, Cloud EngK8s, DevOps KnowledgeReliability, Error Budgets, Scalability4DevSecOpsSpecialistSecurity EngineersDevOps BasicsScanning, Vault, Compliance, Policy5 Certification Focus: Master in Observability Engineering This is the peak of the mountain. This program, hosted by DevOpsSchool, is for those who want to be recognized as global experts. What it is The Master in Observability Engineering is a high-level course that goes deep into system transparency. It teaches you how to make your software “talk” to you. You will learn the science of collecting signals—logs, metrics, and traces—and turning them into a story that explains exactly what is happening in your production environment. Who should take it This is for senior engineers, Site Reliability Engineers (SREs), and Technical Managers. It is for people who are tired of basic dashboards and want to build intelligent systems that can self-heal or tell you exactly where a bug is hiding. Skills you’ll gain This course changes how you look at code. You will move from being a builder to being an architect of insight. Advanced Instrumentation: Learn how to add data-gathering code to your apps without making them slow. Metric Analysis: Move past simple charts and learn to track things that actually matter to your users. Distributed Tracing: Gain the ability to follow one user’s request through twenty different services to find a delay. SLIs and SLOs: Learn how to set performance goals that keep customers happy and the business growing. Data Pipelines: Learn to build systems that handle millions of data points every second. Real-world projects you should be able to do after it The focus here is on practical work. You will build things that a modern tech company needs. End-to-End Tracing System: Set up a way to track requests across different cloud regions. Unified Health Dashboard: Create one screen that shows the health of the database, the code, and the network all at once. Automated Alerting: Build a system that alerts you only when the user’s experience is actually bad, not just because a server is busy. Performance Audits: Use data to show exactly why a feature is slow and how to make it 50% faster. Preparation Plan 7–14 Days (The Basics): Review the three pillars of observability. Start playing with basic open-source tools like Prometheus. 30 Days (Hands-on): Follow a structured lab. Set up a multi-service app and find an error you purposefully put in there using only your traces. 60 Days (The Expert Path): Focus on the business side. Practice creating SLOs and error budgets. Dive into the most complex tracing scenarios. Common mistakes Even experts can fall into these traps. Tool Obsession: Thinking that buying a tool makes you “observable.” You need the right culture and instrumentation first. Data Overload: Collecting so much data that you cannot find the truth. It is like trying to find a needle in a haystack while people keep adding more hay. Ignoring the User: Watching technical numbers like “CPU usage” but forgetting to watch “User Login Time.” Users care about their experience, not your server’s speed. Best Next Certification After This Once you are a master, you don’t stop. Based on current industry data, here are your next steps: Same Track (AIOps): Learn how to use AI to find patterns in your observability data automatically. Cross-Track (DevSecOps): Use your ability to “see” inside systems to find security threats. Leadership Track: Move into a Director or VP of Engineering role. Use your data-driven mindset to lead large teams. Choose Your Path: 6 Career Directions Observability is a superpower that works in many different jobs. Which one fits you? 1. The DevOps Path You are the master of the pipeline. You use observability to make sure code moves from a developer’s laptop to the customer as fast as possible without breaking anything. 2. The DevSecOps Path You are the protector. You use system data to watch for “weird” things that might be a security breach. You make security a part of the everyday watch. 3. The SRE Path You are the reliability expert. You use your data to make sure the “up-time” stays high. You are the one who decides when it is safe to release new code. 4. The AIOps/MLOps Path You are the intelligent engineer. You deal with so much data that you build AI models to watch it for you. You are at the cutting edge of tech. 5. The DataOps Path You are the data guardian. You ensure the flow of information through the company is clean and fast. You observe the pipelines that feed the business its brain power. 6. The FinOps Path You are the cost optimizer. You use observability to see where the company is wasting money in the cloud. You make the system run fast AND cheap. Role → Recommended Certifications Mapping Align your current job with the skills you need to grow. DevOps Engineer: CKAD → DevOps Master → Master in Observability Engineering. SRE: CKAD → SRE Specialist → Master in Observability Engineering. Platform Engineer: CKA → CKAD → Master in Observability Engineering. Cloud Engineer: Cloud Provider Cert → CKAD → SRE. Security Engineer: DevSecOps Professional → CKAD → Security Specialist. Data Engineer: DataOps Master → CKAD → MLOps Specialist. FinOps Practitioner: FinOps Certified → Master in Observability Engineering. Engineering Manager: Leadership Master → CKAD → Master in Observability Engineering. Top Training Partners for CKAD and Beyond Getting the right help is key. These organizations are the leaders in training for CKAD and other top-level certifications. DevOpsSchool This is a top choice for those who want a mix of theory and real lab work. They provide very detailed training that helps you not just pass the exam, but actually do the job. Their mentors are experts who have been in the field for a long time. Cotocus Cotocus is known for its high-quality technical training and its focus on the latest industry tools. They provide a very structured environment that is great for engineers who want to learn fast and get certified quickly. Scmgalaxy Scmgalaxy is a massive community and a great place to learn. They have a huge library of content and provide training that covers the entire software development lifecycle, from code to deployment. BestDevOps This institution focuses on making sure you are “job-ready.” Their programs are designed around what companies are actually looking for in India and globally right now. devsecopsschool As the name suggests, they are the experts in the security side of DevOps. If you want to take your Kubernetes knowledge and apply it to making apps safer, this is the place. sreschool SRESchool is dedicated purely to the art of reliability. They take the technical parts of Kubernetes and observability and show you how to use them to keep massive systems running 24/7. aiopsschool This is for the forward-thinkers. They help you bridge the gap between traditional operations and the new world of AI. Their training shows you how to use data to make your systems smarter. dataopsschool Data is the lifeblood of most companies today. DataOpsSchool provides training that helps you manage data pipelines with the same speed and reliability that DevOps brought to software. finopsschool With cloud costs rising, FinOps is becoming a huge field. This school teaches you how to manage the business side of the cloud, ensuring your engineering choices are also good financial choices. FAQs: Certified Kubernetes Application Developer (CKAD) Is the CKAD exam hard? Yes, it is a practical exam. You don’t just answer questions; you fix real problems in a live cluster. But with the right practice, it is very doable. Do I need to be a coder to pass CKAD? You need to understand how applications work. You don’t need to be a senior developer, but you should know how to read and edit code and YAML files. How long is the CKAD certification valid? Usually, it is valid for three years. This ensures that you stay up to date with the latest versions of Kubernetes, which changes fast. Is CKAD better than CKA? They are for different roles. CKAD is for people who build and run apps. CKA is for people who manage the cluster itself. For observability, CKAD is usually more helpful. Can I take the exam from home? Yes, the CKAD is an online-proctored exam. You can take it from your home as long as you have a quiet room and a good internet connection. What is the passing score? You typically need a score of 66% or higher to pass. Since it is a timed exam, speed is just as important as accuracy. Is there a free retake? Most vouchers from the Linux Foundation include one free retake if you don’t pass on your first try. How does CKAD help with my observability goals? A core part of the CKAD is learning about application logging and monitoring. It is the perfect introduction to the concepts of probes and signals that observability depends on. General FAQs on Observability and Career What is the main difference between monitoring and observability? Monitoring is about the “known unknowns”—things you know might break. Observability is about the “unknown unknowns”—giving you the data to find problems you never expected. How long does it take to become an Observability Master? If you already have a strong engineering background, you can achieve a master level in about 3 to 6 months of dedicated study and practice. Do I need a degree to get these certifications? No. These certifications focus on your actual skills. Many top engineers in the field are self-taught or come from different backgrounds. Is observability only for big companies? No. Even small startups benefit. If your app goes down and you don’t know why, you lose money. Observability helps you fix things fast, no matter your size. Which tool should I learn first? Start with OpenTelemetry. It is the industry standard and works with almost every other tool out there. Does this certification help with remote jobs? Absolutely. Companies hiring for remote roles need people they can trust to handle production systems independently. These certifications prove you have that level of skill. What is high-cardinality data? It refers to data that has many unique values, like a specific User ID. Modern observability masters use it to find exactly which user is having a problem. How do I convince my manager to invest in observability? Show them the data. Compare how long it takes to fix a bug now versus how fast it could be with the right data. Less downtime equals more profit. Is there a lot of math in AIOps? There is some, but most modern tools handle the heavy math for you. You just need to understand the concepts of patterns and anomalies. Can I move from QA to Observability? Yes. QA engineers already have a testing mindset. Learning how to observe a system is a natural next step to moving into SRE or DevOps roles. Are these certifications recognized in India? Yes, they are highly valued in India’s tech hubs like Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Pune. Most major firms and startups look for these specific credentials. What is the best way to stay updated? Follow the blogs of the institutions mentioned above, especially DevOpsSchool and Scmgalaxy. They post regular updates on new tools and exam changes. Conclusion Mastering Observability Engineering is a journey that changes how you think about software. It is about gaining the confidence to handle any problem a complex system throws at you. By starting with a strong foundation like the Certified Kubernetes Application Developer (CKAD) program and moving toward a Master level, you are setting yourself apart as a leader in the tech world. You are moving from a world of “maybe” to a world of “definitely.” Whether you are an engineer looking to grow or a manager looking to build a better team, the path of observability is the way forward. Use the resources and institutions mentioned in this guide to start your journey. It takes work, and it takes practice, but the rewards—in your skills, your salary, and your daily peace of mind—are more than worth it. Keep learning, keep testing, and always keep looking deeper into your systems. View the full article

On an earnings call today, an ASUS executive admitted that Apple launching a more affordable MacBook Neo is a "shock" to the PC industry (via PCMag). In the U.S., the MacBook Neo starts at just $599, or at an even lower $499 for college students. "Given Apple's historically very premium pricing, launching such an affordable product is certainly a shock to the entire market," said ASUS's Chief Financial Officer Nick Wu, according to a transcript of the earnings call published by Seeking Alpha. His comment was translated to English by an interpreter who was present on the call. Wu said the MacBook Neo has some limited specs, including only 8GB of RAM, and he believes this may impact the ability to use certain apps. However, MacBook Neo reviewer Patrick Tomasso played back 4K video in DaVinci Resolve and Final Cut Pro, edited a photo in Adobe Lightroom, and used many tabs in Google Chrome on the laptop, all without issue. In fact, most if not all reviews praised the MacBook Neo's performance. Wu believes that Apple seems to be positioning the MacBook Neo as a device that is more for "content consumption," like a tablet. "Of course, it's not that it cannot do all the work, but considering user experience and those hardware limitations, the experience, I think, differs significantly from mainstream products," he said, according to the transcript. Nevertheless, Wu said the PC industry is taking the MacBook Neo's introduction "very seriously." "I believe all PC vendors, including upstream vendors like Microsoft, Intel and AMD, they're all taking this very seriously, seriously discussing how to compete with this product in the entire PC ecosystem," said Wu, per the transcript. "The entire PC system will launch corresponding products to compete with Apple." Ultimately, he said the MacBook Neo's actual impact on the PC market remains to be seen. "The final market competition outcome is hard to predict," he said. "We just need more time." With the MacBook Neo launch underway, the clock is officially ticking.Related Roundup: MacBook NeoTag: AsusBuyer's Guide: MacBook Neo (Buy Now)Related Forum: MacBook Neo This article, "ASUS Executive Says MacBook Neo is 'Shock' to PC Industry" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Apple considered but abandoned plans for a flip-style foldable iPhone because it didn't create compelling new use cases, according to Weibo leaker Instant Digital. Apple reportedly felt that it was an "unnecessary" design because the biggest selling point would have been its smaller size when folded. The split at the middle also caused issues with internal space, limiting battery capacity and leaving less space for camera components. Apple would have had to compromise on the rear camera system. Instant Digital suggests that if Apple wanted a smaller ‌iPhone‌, the company would introduce a smaller slab-style model instead. There have been two distinct periods when rumors suggested Apple was considering an ‌iPhone‌ that folds in half like a clamshell. The first rumors surfaced years ago before reports shifted toward Apple's work on the larger book-style foldable ‌iPhone‌ that's coming in 2026, and the second came in February 2026 when rumors indicated Apple was once again evaluating the design. It's not clear if Instant Digital is referring to the earlier rumors or the more recent rumors from February, but the wording suggests the latter. Samsung has long had two foldable smartphone styles, offering both the Galaxy Fold and Galaxy Flip, but smaller-sized iPhones have not done well. Apple had a 5.4-inch iPhone 12 mini and an ‌iPhone‌ 13 mini, but the device was discontinued after two generations because it sold poorly. Given Apple's struggle to sell more compact iPhones like the ‌iPhone‌ mini, it may not be surprising that a clamshell-style foldable has been shelved for now.Tags: Foldable iPhone, iPhoneRelated Forum: iPhone This article, "Why Apple Rejected a Clamshell-Style Foldable iPhone" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Apple is set to launch two new low-cost devices tomorrow, the iPhone 17e and the MacBook Neo. Both devices use A-series chips, which have historically been limited to the iPhone and iPad. The ‌MacBook Neo‌ has Apple's A18 Pro chip inside, which was first used in the iPhone 16 Pro models, while the ‌iPhone 17e‌ has a newer A19 chip. Unsurprisingly, thanks to the newer chip, Apple's $599 ‌iPhone‌ outperforms the CPU in its $599 Mac. The ‌iPhone 17e‌ earned a multi-core score of 9,241 on early Geekbench benchmarks, while the ‌MacBook Neo‌ earned a multi-core score of 8,668. Single-core chip results also favored the ‌iPhone 17e‌, which earned a score of 3,607, while the Neo had a single-core score of 3,461. Metal scores for the GPU were closer, with the ‌MacBook Neo‌ scoring between 30,000 and 31,400 the ‌iPhone 17e‌ earned scores ranging from 31,000 to 31,600. Both the ‌iPhone 17e‌ and the ‌MacBook Neo‌ have the same 8GB RAM for Apple Intelligence support, and while that might not sound like enough for a Mac, early reviewers felt that 8GB RAM was sufficient for everyday light workloads. The ‌MacBook Neo‌ is the first Mac that Apple has designed with an A-series chip instead of an M-series chip, and its benchmark results suggest that it is essentially an ‌iPhone‌ that runs macOS. It will be interesting to see how well the ‌MacBook Neo‌ sells given that its CPU performance trails Apple's low-cost ‌iPhone‌.Related Roundups: iPhone 17e, MacBook NeoTag: iPhoneBuyer's Guide: iPhone 17e (Buy Now), MacBook Neo (Buy Now)Related Forums: MacBook Neo, iPhone This article, "Apple's Low-Cost iPhone 17e is Faster Than the Low-Cost MacBook Neo" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

It's Wednesday, March 11 in Australia and New Zealand, which means it's the official launch day for all of the products Apple introduced last week, including the new low-cost MacBook Neo, the iPhone 17e, the M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro models, the Studio Display, the ‌Studio Display‌ XDR, the M4 iPad Air, and the M5 MacBook Air. Apple fans who purchased one of the new devices will start receiving their orders in the next few hours, and will soon share photos and first impressions of the new ‌MacBook Neo‌, ‌iPhone 17e‌, and more on Reddit, the MacRumors forums, and other social networks. If you've ordered one of the new products and it's been delivered, let us know your thoughts in the comments below and make sure to share some photos. Since there are no Apple retail stores in New Zealand, customers in Australia are the first to be able to pick up their new device or make a purchase in an Apple Store. In-store stock in Australia will provide insight into what we can expect from other Apple locations worldwide, but we aren't expecting major shortages. Some ‌MacBook Neo‌ models have delivery estimates that are a little over a week out, so that may be the most popular new product from this batch. If you missed pre-ordering a ‌MacBook Neo‌ or one of Apple's other new devices, you should be able to visit an Apple retail location to pick one up on launch day. Other retailers like Target, Walmart, and Best Buy should also have stock, and carriers will have the ‌iPhone 17e‌. Following Australia and New Zealand, sales and deliveries of the ‌MacBook Neo‌, new ‌Studio Display‌ models, ‌iPhone 17e‌, and other products will begin in Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and finally, North America. Make sure to stay tuned to MacRumors, because we'll have hands-on and unboxing videos starting tomorrow.Related Roundups: iPhone 17e, Studio Display, MacBook NeoTag: iPhoneBuyer's Guide: iPhone 17e (Buy Now), Displays (Buy Now), MacBook Neo (Buy Now)Related Forums: Mac Accessories, MacBook Neo, iPhone This article, "First MacBook Neo, iPhone 17e, and Studio Display XDR Orders Begin Arriving" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

While the MacBook Neo achieves a breakthrough $599 starting price, that of course comes with some compromises, and one of them is slower SSD speeds. The Verge today said the MacBook Neo had up to 8× slower sustained SSD read and write speeds in a benchmark test compared to the new MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips. The site did not mention which tool it used to measure SSD speeds, but it was likely Blackmagic's Disk Speed Test or AmorphousDiskMark. Here is a comparison of sustained SSD speeds, according to The Verge. Mac (Chip/Capacity) Read Speeds Write Speeds MacBook Neo (A18 Pro/256GB)1,735 MB/s1,684 MB/s MacBook Air (M1/512GB)3,422 MB/s3,274 MB/s MacBook Air (M5/1TB)7,049 MB/s7,480 MB/s MacBook Pro (M5 Max/4TB)13.6 GB/s17.8 GB/s With slower SSD speeds, transferring files to and from the MacBook Neo will take longer, but this is a non-issue for many customers. Even with a large 100 GB file, a transfer may take up to a minute with a MacBook Neo, rather than around 30 seconds with the latest MacBook Air, or 7-8 seconds with the latest MacBook Pro. A slower SSD can also impact overall performance, since apps boot from the SSD, and because the MacBook Neo will temporarily use SSD space as virtual memory when the laptop's actual 8GB of RAM is fully used. But, the first MacBook Neo reviews have largely indicated that the laptop's performance is quite good nonetheless. The average customer purchasing a MacBook Neo is probably not thinking about SSD speeds to begin with, and they will likely never notice any impact, but we have highlighted this information for customers who do care about this sort of thing. MacBook Neo launches this Wednesday.Related Roundups: MacBook Neo, MacBook ProTag: The VergeBuyer's Guide: MacBook Neo (Buy Now), MacBook Pro (Buy Now)Related Forums: MacBook Neo, MacBook Pro This article, "MacBook Neo Has Up to 8× Slower SSD Speeds Compared to New MacBook Pro" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Sonos today launched two new speakers, the Sonos Play and the Sonos Era 100 SL. Sonos says that the additions to its lineup "reflect a renewed focus on strengthening the Sonos system" after a disastrous 2024 app redesign damaged customer trust. The Sonos Play is a versatile speaker that can be used from room to room, and like most Sonos products, multiple speakers can be paired together. Sonos Play speakers connect to WiFi and can be grouped across multiple rooms or paired up for stereo sound. There's an included charging base so the speaker can be used either at home or while on the go. The battery lasts for up to 24 hours, and it can also serve as a power bank for recharging an iPhone. The Sonos Play has IP67 waterproofing so it can be used poolside, at the beach, or in the shower. When you're not at home, up to four Sonos Play or Move 2 speakers can be paired together over Bluetooth instead of WiFi using the Sonos Play app. Sound will be synced up, and Automatic Trueplay will adapt the audio to match the environment. AirPlay 2 support is included, so Sonos Play speakers can be used alongside other ‌AirPlay‌ 2 speakers for multi-room or multi-device audio using Apple's technology. The Era 100 SL is a simpler speaker that's meant to ease people into the Sonos ecosystem. It features a microphone-free design and fewer features to help keep the price lower. It can be used alone or paired with other Sonos speakers over time, and it also supports ‌AirPlay‌ 2. The Sonos Play and Sonos Era 100 SL can be pre-ordered from the Sonos website starting today, with a launch to follow on March 31, 2026. The Sonos Play is $299, while the Sonos Era 100 SL is $189.Tag: Sonos This article, "Sonos Launches Two New Speakers With AirPlay 2 Support" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Customers planning to get a new MacBook Neo tomorrow will need to install a day one update. Apple today released macOS Tahoe 26.3.2, which is available for the new Mac. According to Apple's release notes for ‌macOS Tahoe‌ 26.3.2, it includes bug fixes and security updates. Apple will likely require the software to be installed during the ‌MacBook Neo‌ setup process. As of yesterday, there is also a version of the ‌macOS Tahoe‌ 26.4 beta that's compatible with the ‌MacBook Neo‌, and also Apple's new M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro models. The ‌MacBook Neo‌ is set to launch on March 11, with the first customers who pre-ordered receiving their shipments. Apple retail locations worldwide will also have stock of the new device. Related Roundup: MacBook NeoBuyer's Guide: MacBook Neo (Buy Now)Related Forum: MacBook Neo This article, "MacBook Neo Will Have Day One Software Update" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

The new MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models feature a keyboard change that was easy to miss during Apple's announcements last week. The new U.S. English keyboard layout On the U.S. English version of the new MacBook Air and MacBook Pro keyboards, the tab, caps lock, shift, return, and delete keycaps now have glyphs on them. On previous-generation models, these keys are labeled with text instead. This change was spotted by "Mr. Macintosh" last week, and it extends to the MacBook Neo. The previous U.S. English keyboard layout Given the U.S. English keyboard layout is the default option for MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and MacBook Neo models sold in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore, this change effectively extends to those countries and a few others. If you live in Europe, this will look familiar to you. Apple has long showed glyphs on the tab, caps lock, shift, return, and delete keycaps on its keyboard layouts for British English and other European languages, so this is nothing new there. The new MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and MacBook Neo models launch this Wednesday.Related Roundups: MacBook Air, MacBook Neo, MacBook ProBuyer's Guide: MacBook Neo (Buy Now), MacBook Pro (Buy Now), MacBook Air (Buy Now)Related Forums: MacBook Air, MacBook Neo, MacBook Pro This article, "Apple's New MacBooks Have a Keyboard Change You Might Have Missed" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Apple's newly published Studio Display XDR Technology Overview white paper reveals two notable display technologies: a forthcoming Full Calibration feature and a new color measurement model called Apple CMF 2026. According to the document, a future macOS update will introduce Full Calibration, a feature that allows users to recalibrate key display characteristics using professional measurement equipment. Apple says Full Calibration will adjust the white point, primary color coordinates, luminance, and gamma response of the display when used with a compatible spectroradiometer. The feature is not available at launch. The functionality is aimed at professional color workflows, allowing the display to be recalibrated at the hardware level to maintain accuracy over time or match specific production environments. Apple currently ships each Studio Display XDR with factory calibration, alongside a set of reference presets designed for common color standards. The white paper also introduces Apple CMF 2026, a new system Apple developed to improve how displays are measured and calibrated. Most display calibration today relies on the long-standing CIE 1931 color matching functions, a model created nearly a century ago to represent how humans perceive color. Apple says Apple CMF 2026 addresses limitations in the CIE 1931 model that can cause displays to look slightly different even when they are calibrated to the same standard. According to the company, the new system improves visual consistency by more closely matching how colors actually appear to the human eye. Each ‌Studio Display‌ XDR is individually calibrated using Apple CMF 2026 at the factory. However, Apple continues to support the traditional CIE 1931 system through its reference presets to maintain compatibility with existing professional workflows. Apple says it is also working with the International Commission on Illumination (CIE) to help develop a broader industry standard based on this research, with the goal of improving color consistency across displays from different manufacturers. The ‌Studio Display‌ XDR is the first Apple display to support Apple CMF 2026.Related Roundup: Studio DisplayBuyer's Guide: Displays (Buy Now)Related Forum: Mac Accessories This article, "Studio Display XDR White Paper Reveals New Color System and Future Calibration Feature" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Today we're tracking a collection of discounts on Amazon for a wide range of products, including monitors, iPhone and desktop accessories, and more. The majority of the deals below have been automatically applied, but some will require you to clip an on-page coupon in order to see the final sale 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. Highlights include Samsung's 32-inch Smart Monitor M9 for $1,299.99, which is $300 off and a match of the all-time low price on the monitor. We're also tracking discounts on unique products like the Elgato Stream Deck MK.2 for $119.99 ($30 off) and Satechi FindAll Wallet Card for $29.98 ($5 off). $34 OFFAnker Prime 3-in-1 Foldable Charging Station for $115.99 $300 OFFSamsung Smart Monitor M9 for $1,299.99Monitors 27-inch LG Ultrafine 4K Monitor - $219.99, down from $249.99 32-inch Samsung Odyssey Curved Gaming Monitor - $249.99, down from $329.99 27-inch Dell 4K Monitor - $299.99, down from $349.99 27-inch LG UltraGear Gaming Monitor - $319.99, down from $499.99 27-inch ASUS ProArt 4K Display - $369.00 with on-page coupon, down from $429.00 27-inch Samsung Odyssey G5 Gaming Monitor - $484.09, down from $549.99 32-inch Samsung Smart Monitor M9 - $1,299.99, down from $1,599.99 Wall Chargers Anker Nano USB-C Wall Charger - $29.99, down from $39.99 Anker 140W 4-Port GaN USB-C Charger - $64.99, down from $99.99 Anker 14-in-1 Prime Thunderbolt 5 Dock - $339.99, down from $399.99 Wireless Chargers Anker 3-in-1 MagSafe-Compatible UFO Charger - $69.99, down from $89.99 Anker 3-in-1 MagSafe-Compatible Foldable Charging Station - $85.99, down from $109.99 Anker 3-in-1 Prime Wireless Charging Station (NEW) - $115.99, down from $149.99 Anker Prime MagSafe-Compatible 3-in-1 Charging Station - $169.99, down from $229.99 Portable Chargers Anker MagGo Power Bank 10,000 mAh - $63.99, down from $79.99 Anker Prime Power Bank 26,250 mAh - $171.48, down from $229.99 Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2 Portable Power Station - $428.99, down from $799.00 Miscellaneous Satechi FindAll Wallet Card - $29.98, down from $34.99 Elgato Stream Deck MK.2 - $119.99, down from $149.99 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, "Amazon Kicks Off Big Accessory Sale on Monitors, iPhone Accessories, and More" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Apple may have updated several iPads and Macs late last year and just last week, but there are still a number of new devices expected to arrive later in 2026. Most of Apple's remaining launches for the year are likely to follow the company's typical fall schedule in September and October, but we could always see additional announcements outside of the 2026 fall season. We've rounded up a list of everything that we're still waiting to see from Apple in 2026. Low-Cost iPad – Apple is working on a new version of the low-cost iPad that was expected to arrive last week, but it was conspicuous in its absence from Apple's announcements. There are no design changes expected, but Apple will upgrade it with a A18 chip or A19 chip for Apple Intelligence. New Mac Studio - An update for the Mac Studio should arrive in the middle of the year, but no external changes are expected. The refresh should see an update to the M5 Max chip and either an M4 or M5 Ultra chip. New Mac mini – New Mac mini models are in the pipeline and are expected to arrive sometime after the Mac Studio refresh. The ‌Mac mini‌ will probably offer M5 and M5 Pro variants, but no design changes are expected. New iMacs – Also likely coming after the Mac Studio debut, new iMacs could have a refreshed color palette this year and are almost certain to get the M5 chip. Foldable iPhone – Apple's rumored new book-style foldable smartphone, featuring a display in both folded and unfolded states, is expected to arrive in September alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max – We get new iPhones every September, but Apple will adopt a split-launch cycle this year, and we are expecting only Pro/Max models alongside the new foldable iPhone – so no regular iPhone 18 or iPhone Air 2 this year. Apple Watch Series 12 – We usually get new Apple Watch Series models alongside new iPhones in the fall, but we're expecting only internal changes this year, with noninvasive blood glucose monitoring thought to still be a few years away. Smart Home Hub – Apple is said to have delayed the launch of its planned smart home hub until September, due to ongoing issues with the revamped version of Siri. New Apple TV 4K – The new Apple TV 4K appears to have been held back until the updated version of Siri is ready later this year. Rumors suggest that it will get an A17 Pro chip for Apple Intelligence along with Apple's N1 networking chip, but no major design updates. New HomePod mini – Like the Apple TV 4K, Apple is believed to have a new version of the HomePod ready to go, but it may be being held up by issues with the revamped version of Siri that Apple has promised later this year. The ‌HomePod mini‌ is expected to get a newer Apple Watch chip and it could also adopt the N1 and an updated UWB chip. High-end AirPods Pro – Apple plans to unveil new AirPods Pro this year equipped with tiny infrared cameras, allowing them to be connected to Apple Intelligence, specifically Visual Intelligence. It is unclear when Apple plans to announce the new AirPods Pro, but September or October is most likely, based on historical patterns. OLED MacBook – A new, high-end MacBook, potentially called "MacBook Ultra," is believed to be arriving around the end of the year, featuring a touch-capable OLED display. What We Might Not See This Year The Apple Watch Ultra was refreshed in September 2025. Another update will not arrive until September 2026 at the earliest, but Apple has not always refreshed the Ultra on a yearly basis. It's not yet clear if we're getting a refresh in 2026 or if Apple will skip this year completely while it works on incorporating noninvasive blood glucose monitoring technology. The same goes for Apple Watch SE, in that Apple has not updated the more affordable model on an annual cycle. The latest model, Apple Watch SE 3, debuted in September 2025, so Apple might skip updates this year – although we've yet to hear either way. Software Updates In three months, Apple will unveil its next generation of software at its June Worldwide Developers Conference, where it typically previews the major updates coming to its platforms. The event will offer an early look at the features planned for iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, tvOS 27, watchOS 27, and visionOS 27. These updates are notable because they bring new capabilities to existing devices without requiring users to purchase new hardware. Apple will introduce the software in June, but the final versions are expected to be released to the public in September. Read More MacRumors maintains an upcoming products guide that outlines both near-term releases and devices expected further down the road. It's updated frequently, providing you with a useful reference for keeping track of what Apple is currently developing and what may launch next. This article, "12 New Apple Products Still Expected This Year" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Apple CEO Tim Cook today shared a short promotional video on social media highlighting Apple's new role as the U.S. home of Formula One. Thanks for the tune up @Max33Verstappen. Next time, we race. pic.twitter.com/8jf551iD9s — Tim Cook (@tim_cook) March 10, 2026 The clip takes place around Apple Park and shows Cook driving a small campus buggy along the ring road before pulling up beside Dutch racing driver Max Verstappen. The scene plays out like a Formula 1 pit stop, with the buggy stopping at a makeshift pit area labeled "Tim Box Box," a reference to the radio phrase used by F1 teams to call drivers into the pits. During the stop, a rapid tire-change sequence unfolds, parodying the high-speed choreography of real Formula 1 pit crews. After the brief stop, Cook accelerates away from the pit box. The light-hearted video is part of Apple's wider promotional push around its new Formula 1 broadcasting partnership. Beginning with the 2026 season, Apple has become the exclusive U.S. broadcaster of Formula 1 races through the Apple TV app, which now carries every practice session, qualifying session, Sprint race, and Grand Prix live and on demand. Apple has been heavily promoting the partnership across its ecosystem, including features in the Apple Sports app, race coverage integrations in Apple News, circuit maps in Apple Maps, and audio race broadcasts on Apple Music. The promotional clip also comes shortly after the start of the 2026 Formula 1 season, which opened with the Australian Grand Prix. Apple says ‌Apple TV‌ subscribers in the United States can watch the entire season with 4K video, Dolby Vision, and multiple onboard camera feeds.Tags: Apple TV Plus, Tim Cook This article, "Apple CEO Tim Cook Takes a Pit Stop in New Video to Promote F1" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

The first reviews of the MacBook Neo were published today by selected publications and YouTube channels, ahead of the laptop launching on Wednesday. Available in Blush, Citrus, Indigo, and Silver, the MacBook Neo is powered by a version of the A18 Pro chip from the iPhone 16 Pro. The laptop is equipped with a 13-inch display, up to 512GB of storage, and a non-configurable 8GB of RAM. MacBook Neo is Apple's most affordable MacBook ever, and most of the reviews so far call it a great value. In the U.S., pricing starts at just $599, or at an even lower $499 for college students and qualifying educational staff. The big question: is just 8GB of RAM enough? Reviews The Verge's Antonio G. Di Benedetto said the MacBook Neo's 8GB of RAM is "totally adequate" for "the everyday productivity stuff the Neo is meant to handle":The MacBook Neo zips through the light workloads it's designed for. The A18 Pro chip actually outperforms Apple's M1 MacBook Air (and most Windows laptops) in single-core processing benchmarks, the spec most vital for the everyday productivity stuff the Neo is meant to handle. That's why this $600 laptop excels at light tasks like web browsing and working on Google Docs. The Neo's 8GB of RAM and slow 256GB storage are totally adequate for living this life, but the machine does feel a little slower at the fringes if you know where to look — like how clicking the Applications folder on the dock sometimes takes a second for the icons to populate. The relatively paltry RAM and storage prevent the Neo from performing as well in heavier creative apps as the MacBook Airs and Pros, but that's fine.Bloomberg's Chris Welch praised the MacBook Neo's aluminum design, display quality, and the dual speakers on the left and right edges of the laptop:Even for consumers who stick to more casual computing, the Neo's aluminum build, crisp screen and well-balanced speakers are going to make this a no-brainer purchase for millions. In your hands, the device looks, feels and sounds every bit like a Mac.Tom's Guide ran its usual battery test, which involves continuous web surfing at 150 nits of display brightness, and the MacBook Neo lasted for 13 hours and 28 minutes. The publication said this is "fantastic endurance for a laptop in this price range," topping the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3's 8 hours and 39 minutes. However, it falls short of the latest MacBook Air, which lasted for 15 hours and 28 minutes in the test. Additional reviews were published by Ars Technica, CNET, WIRED, and 9to5Mac, among others. Videos Related Roundup: MacBook Neo This article, "MacBook Neo Reviews: Is Just 8GB of RAM Enough?" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

The first MacBook Neo unboxing videos were shared today by selected YouTube channels, ahead of the laptop launching on Wednesday. Available in Blush, Citrus, Indigo, and Silver, the MacBook Neo is powered by a version of the A18 Pro chip from the iPhone 16 Pro. The laptop is equipped with a 13-inch display, up to 512GB of storage, and a non-configurable 8GB of RAM. MacBook Neo is Apple's most affordable MacBook ever. In the U.S., pricing starts at just $599, or at an even lower $499 for college students. Related Roundup: MacBook Neo This article, "MacBook Neo Unboxing Videos Shared Ahead of Launch Day" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

It’s hard to find a team today that isn’t talking about agents. For most organizations, this isn’t a “someday” project anymore. Building agents is a strategic priority for 95% of respondents that we surveyed across the globe with 800+ developers and decision makers in our latest State of Agentic AI research. The shift is happening fast: agent adoption has moved beyond experiments and demos into something closer to early operational maturity. 60% of organizations already report having AI agents in production, though a third of those remain in early stages. Agent adoption today is driven by a pragmatic focus on productivity, efficiency, and operational transformation, not revenue growth or cost reduction. Early adoption is concentrated in internal, productivity-focused use cases, especially across software, infrastructure, and operations. The feedback loops are fast, and the risks are easier to control. So what’s holding back agent scaling? Friction shows up and nearly all roads lead to the same place: AI agent security. AI agent security isn’t one issue it’s the constraint When teams talk about what’s holding them back, AI agent security rises to the top. In the same survey, 40% of respondents cite security as their top blocker when building agents. The reason it hits so hard is that it’s not confined to a single layer of the stack. It shows up everywhere, and it compounds as deployments grow. For starters, when it comes to infrastructure, as organizations expand agent deployments, teams emphasize the need for secure sandboxing and runtime isolation, even for internal agents. At the operations layer, complexity becomes a security problem. Once you have more tools, more integrations, and more orchestration logic, it gets harder to see what’s happening end-to-end and harder to control it. Our latest research data reflects that sprawl: over a third of respondents report challenges coordinating multiple tools, and a comparable share say integrations introduce security or compliance risk. That’s a classic pattern: operational complexity creates blind spots, and blind spots become exposure. 45% of organizations say the biggest challenge is ensuring tools are secure, trusted, and enterprise-ready. And at the governance layer, enterprises want something simple: consistency. They want guardrails, policy enforcement, and auditability that work across teams and workflows. But current tooling isn’t meeting that bar yet. In fact, 45% of organizations say the biggest challenge is ensuring tools are secure, trusted, and enterprise-ready. That’s not a minor complaint: it’s the difference between “we can try this” and “we can scale this.” MCP is popular but not ready for enterprise Many teams are adopting Model Context Protocol (MCP) because it gives agents a standardized way to connect to tools, data, and external systems, making agents more useful and customized. Among respondents further along in their agent journey, 85% say they’re familiar with MCP and two-thirds say they actively use it across personal and professional projects. Research data suggests that most teams are operating in what could be described as “leap-of-faith mode” when it comes to MCP, adopting the protocol without security guarantees and operational controls they would demand from mature enterprise infrastructure. But the security story hasn’t caught up yet. Teams adopt MCP because it works, but they do so without the security guarantees and operational controls they would expect from mature enterprise infrastructure. For teams earlier in their agentic journey: 46% of them identify security and compliance as the top challenge with MCP. Organizations are increasingly watching for threats like prompt injection and tool poisoning, along with the more foundational issues of access control, credentials, and authentication. The immaturity and security challenges of current MCP tooling make for a fragile foundation at this stage of agentic adoption. Conclusion and recommendations Ai agent security is what sets the speed limit for agentic AI in the enterprise. Organizations aren’t lacking interest, they’re lacking confidence that today’s tooling is enterprise-ready, that access controls can be enforced reliably, and that agents can be kept safely isolated from sensitive systems. The path forward is clear. Unlocking agents’ full potential will require new platforms built for enterprise scale, with secure-by-default foundations, strong governance, and policy enforcement that’s integrated, not bolted on. Download the full Agentic AI report for more insights and recommendations on how to scale agents for enterprise. Join us on March 25, 2026, for a webinar where we’ll walk through the key findings and the strategies that can help you prioritize what comes next. Learn more: Get your copy of the latest State of Agentic AI report! Learn more about Docker’s AI solutions Read more about why AI agents challenge existing governance approaches and explore a new framework designed for agentic AI. View the full article

Verizon today has the AirPods Pro 3 available for $199.00, down from $249.00. This is a match of the all-time low price on the AirPods Pro 3, which has been hard to come by on Amazon in recent weeks. 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 Keep up with all of this week's best discounts on Apple products and related accessories in our dedicated Apple Deals roundup. 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 All-Time Low Price of $199" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Apple's Mac lineup will soon span a wider price range than ever, from the new $599 MacBook Neo to a rumored top-of-the-line MacBook "Ultra" expected later this year. However, new research suggests the broader laptop market could be heading for a painful price adjustment. According to TrendForce, surging memory and CPU costs could push mainstream laptop retail prices up by nearly 40% in 2026. The firm modeled a laptop with a $900 MSRP and found that DRAM and SSD (normally around 15% of a device's bill of materials) have ballooned to over 30% following several quarters of sharp price increases. That alone could force retail prices up by more than 30% if brands want to hold their margins. Intel has raised prices on entry-level and older-generation laptop CPUs by more than 15%, notes the report, with further hikes planned for mainstream and higher-end platforms in the second quarter. When combined, memory and CPU could end up accounting for 58% of laptop component costs, up from roughly 45%. Apple designs its own silicon, which gives it considerable insulation from Intel-driven CPU volatility. The MacBook Neo's A18 Pro chip, for instance, is produced by TSMC under Apple's direct supply agreements. But Apple is not immune to memory market pressures – DRAM and NAND flash costs affect Macs across the line, from the Neo's fixed 8GB of RAM to the high-capacity configurations in the MacBook Pro. Just last week, Apple removed the 512GB memory upgrade option when purchasing a Mac Studio, with the machine now maxing out at 256GB. The latter option also got a price rise – it used to cost $1,600 to go from 96GB to 256GB on the high-end M3 Ultra machine, but now it costs $2,000. TrendForce notes that "tier-one brands" with deep supplier relationships are most well-positioned to deal with the price squeeze. That bodes well for Apple, but killing off the Mac Studio upgrade option shows it's not completely invulnerable to broader market pressures.Tag: TrendForce This article, "Apple Holds an Edge as Laptop Prices Could Face a 40% Increase" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Apple boosted iPhone production in India by around 53 percent last year and now makes a quarter of its marquee devices there to avoid tariffs on China, reports Bloomberg ($). Apple assembled about 55 million iPhones in the country across 2025, up from 36 million a year earlier, according to the publication's sources. The shift is part of Apple's broader effort to mitigate risk from U.S.-China trade tensions and reduce dependence on a single country for production. Apple makes about 220 million to 230 million iPhones globally. A Canalys report last year claimed India has overtaken China as the leading manufacturer of smartphones shipped to the United States. The California-based company has leaned heavily on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's production-linked incentives aimed at turning India into the world's factory. The subsidies have helped offset some of the structural cost disadvantages that manufacturers face in India, including the lack of a China-like robust supply chain and logistics challenges, according to Bloomberg. Although the cost gap has narrowed, assembling electronics and manufacturing components in India still remains more expensive than in countries such as China and Vietnam. To offset this, companies including Apple and Samsung are continuing to push for additional government support. Companies are currently in discussions with the Indian government about a new round of incentives aimed at boosting export growth. The report notes that India's existing production-linked subsidies for smartphones are set to expire on March 31, and with the U.S. Supreme Court recently striking down some tariffs affecting China, officials in New Delhi are under pressure to act quickly to ensure the country remains cost-competitive. Apple now assembles all models in the latest iPhone 17 lineup in India, including the higher-end Pro and Pro Max variants. Manufacturing partners in the country – including Foxconn, Tata Electronics, and Pegatron – also produce older devices such as the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 for both domestic sales and export markets.Tags: Bloomberg, India This article, "Apple Now Makes One in Four iPhones in India" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

The Cheap Trick setlist for the “All Washed Up Tour 2026” has been revealed. Cheap Trick is a long-running rock band from the United States that first became popular in the late 1970s. The group is known for catchy guitar songs and energetic concerts that mix rock with a bit of pop sound. Over the years, Cheap Trick has released many albums and built a loyal fanbase around the world. Some of their best-known songs have remained popular for decades, which is why their live shows continue to attract both longtime listeners and newer fans. The All Washed Up Tour 2026 brings the band back on stage again, performing in different cities and giving audiences the chance to hear their music live. What is the setlist for Cheap Trick’s All Washed Up Tour 2026 set? The following is an example of what Cheap Trick is expected to play in their setlist for the All Washed Up Tour 2026. This is based on songs the band has performed during recent Cheap Trick concerts, festival appearances, and earlier tours over the past few years. Looking at these shows helps give a good idea of which songs the band usually includes during their live performances. As always, this expected setlist is subject to change. Hello There Just Got Back Come On, Come On The Riff That Won’t Quit Twelve Gates Ain’t That a Shame (Fats Domino cover) Oh Caroline The Ballad of T.V. Violence (I’m Not the Only Boy) Downed Bass Solo I Know What I Want The Flame (with snippet of “It All Comes Back to You”) I Want You to Want Me Dream Police Encore: Surrender Auf Wiedersehen Goodnight During a long tour like this, the crowd can sometimes influence how the concert unfolds. When the audience is very loud and excited, the band may move quickly into bigger songs that get people clapping or singing along. At other shows, they might slow things down for a moment before building the energy again later in the performance. Because every venue and audience feels a little different, the order of songs can sometimes shift slightly so the show keeps the right energy from start to finish. The All Washed Up Tour 2026 continues Cheap Trick’s long history of performing live shows around the world. The concerts usually include a mix of songs from different parts of the band’s career, including older tracks that helped make them famous. For many fans, the tour is a chance to hear these classic songs performed live again while enjoying the band’s well-known stage energy and style. The post Cheap Trick All Washed Up Tour 2026 Setlist appeared first on Music Feeds. View the full article