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WhatsApp appears to be introducing a new visual indicator that shows when a contact is online, according to WaBetaInfo. The feature adds a small green circle to a contact's profile photo when they're active in the app, and which disappears the moment they leave, all updated in real time. The indicator is now being tested for the WhatsApp iPhone app in TestFlight after it debuted on Android last month. As it currently works, the dot only surfaces in the chat info screen (the page that opens when you tap a contact's name at the top of a conversation). It doesn't yet appear in the chat list or the conversation view itself, but that could change in the future. The change appears to stick to WhatsApp's existing privacy rules, so if someone has specifically chosen to hide their last seen and online status, the green dot won't show up for them. Green dot for online contacts shown (image: WaBetaInfo) The indicator is live in the WhatsApp beta for iOS 26.26.10.72. WABetaInfo reports that it's available to some beta testers now, with a wider beta rollout expected over the coming weeks. There's no word yet on when the green dot will reach the stable version for everyone, though.Tag: WhatsApp This article, "WhatsApp Beta Adds Green Dot to Show Who's Online" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Introduction Mastering DevOps is an ongoing journey that requires far more than passive course completion; it demands a structured approach centered on hands-on application, troubleshooting, and architectural understanding. To navigate this complex landscape without losing momentum, you must move beyond collecting certifications and start measuring tangible progress through project outputs, skill matrices, and consistent self-assessment. By focusing on building real-world solutions rather than simply consuming content, you transform from a learner into a practitioner, ensuring your growth remains aligned with industry demands. For those seeking a guided path and professional mentorship to organize this journey, DevOpsSchool provides the foundational resources and structure needed to turn your aspirations into a successful, career-defining reality. Why Tracking Your Progress Matters In the world of technology, it is easy to fall into the “tutorial hell” trap. You finish a course, feel good for a day, and then realize you cannot build anything from scratch. Tracking your progress serves as a vital safeguard against this. Staying Motivated DevOps is a massive domain. Without a way to look back and see how far you have come, the complexity can feel overwhelming. A progress tracker acts as a visual representation of your growth. When you check off a milestone—like deploying your first multi-container application—it provides a dopamine hit that reinforces your discipline. Identifying Strengths and Weaknesses You might be excellent at writing Shell scripts but struggle with Kubernetes networking. If you do not track your progress, you might waste time repeating what you already know while ignoring your weak points. A formal tracking system forces you to confront these gaps and allocate your study time more efficiently. Improving Learning Efficiency Most professionals have limited time. By measuring your progress, you can determine which study methods work best for you. Are you learning faster by reading documentation or by doing hands-on labs? Tracking provides the data you need to optimize your study habits. Preparing for Real-World Projects Ultimately, your goal is to handle real-world scenarios. By tracking your progress, you are essentially creating a library of your own successes. When an interviewer asks about your experience, you will have a log of projects, challenges solved, and specific tools mastered, rather than just a list of courses attended. Build a Personalized DevOps Learning Roadmap A roadmap is your navigation system. Without it, you will likely wander between unrelated tools. Follow this progression to ensure you build a strong foundation before jumping into advanced topics. Linux Fundamentals: Master the CLI, file systems, permissions, and process management. Networking Basics: Understand DNS, HTTP/HTTPS, TCP/IP, and load balancing. Git & Version Control: Learn branching strategies, pull requests, and code management. Shell Scripting: Focus on Bash/Python to automate repetitive tasks. Docker: Transition to containerization. Learn to write Dockerfiles and manage images. CI/CD: Understand the software development lifecycle (SDLC) and pipeline automation. Cloud Platforms: Choose one provider (AWS, Azure, or GCP) and master its core services. Terraform & Infrastructure as Code (IaC): Move from manual setup to automated provisioning. Kubernetes: Manage container orchestration at scale. Monitoring & Observability: Learn tools like Prometheus and Grafana to track system health. DevSecOps: Integrate security scanning and policy enforcement into your pipelines. Capstone Projects: Combine everything into a full-stack deployment. Career Readiness: Prepare your resume, portfolio, and interview skills. Each stage is dependent on the previous one. Do not rush the fundamentals, as advanced topics like Kubernetes will be impossible to understand without a solid grasp of Linux and networking. Set SMART Learning Goals Goals must be actionable. Using the SMART framework (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) ensures you are not just “learning DevOps,” but actually building competence. Specific: Instead of “Learn Docker,” aim for “Build a Dockerfile for a Python web application that runs in a container.” Measurable: Can you run the container without errors? Is the port mapped correctly? Achievable: Do you have the necessary environment set up? Relevant: Does this help you reach your ultimate goal of becoming a DevOps engineer? Time-bound: “Complete this project by Saturday, 5 PM.” Example: “I will learn to deploy a simple 3-tier application using Kubernetes within the next 4 weeks by dedicating 10 hours per week.” Technical Skills Progress Tracker Use this table to audit your current standing. Be honest with yourself. Rate your comfort level on a scale of 1-5 (1 = Total Beginner, 5 = Ready for Production). Skill AreaWhat to LearnProgress IndicatorLinuxFilesystem, Permissions, BashCan navigate the CLI without a GUI.NetworkingDNS, Subnetting, OSI ModelCan troubleshoot connectivity issues.GitBranching, Merging, RebaseCan resolve complex merge conflicts.Shell ScriptingAutomation scripts, VariablesCan write scripts to automate server tasks.DockerDockerfiles, Compose, ImagesCan containerize a multi-tier app.CI/CDJenkins, GitLab CI, GitHub ActionsCan build a pipeline that tests and deploys code.CloudEC2, IAM, S3, VPCCan design and deploy a secure architecture.TerraformProviders, State management, ModulesCan automate infrastructure creation.KubernetesPods, Deployments, Services, IngressCan troubleshoot a crash-looping pod.MonitoringPrometheus, Grafana, LogsCan set up alerts for high CPU usage.DevSecOpsSecret management, SAST/DASTCan scan code for vulnerabilities. Track Hands-On Projects Projects are the single most important metric for your progress. Certificates fade, but a well-documented project remains. How to Monitor Your Work Home Lab Setup: Document your virtualization environment. Did you use VirtualBox? Proxmox? AWS Free Tier? Git Repositories: Keep your code clean. Use README.md files to explain what the project does and how to run it. Dockerized Applications: Move from a single Dockerfile to using Docker Compose for orchestrating services. CI/CD Pipelines: Track how many manual steps you have successfully automated. Cloud Deployments: Record your infrastructure costs and architecture diagrams. Kubernetes Clusters: Track your ability to manage stateful vs. stateless applications. Monitoring Dashboards: Keep screenshots of your Grafana dashboards as a testament to your observability skills. Projects are stronger indicators of success than certificates because they demonstrate that you can apply theory to solve real-world problems. Measure Soft Skill Development DevOps is a cultural movement as much as a technical one. Your soft skills will determine your ability to scale in a corporate environment. Communication: Can you explain complex technical concepts to a non-technical stakeholder? Collaboration: Are you comfortable working with developers to troubleshoot production issues? Documentation: Are your Readme files and architectural diagrams clear enough for someone else to use? Problem-solving: Do you approach errors methodically, or do you panic? Time Management: Can you balance learning new tools with delivering project tasks? Continuous Learning: Are you reading industry blogs and keeping up with new version releases? Build a DevOps Portfolio Your portfolio is your resume in action. It proves that you can do the work. GitHub Repositories: Ensure your best work is public (where appropriate). Use descriptive commit messages. Project Documentation: A repository without a Readme is useless. Explain the architecture, the tools, and the challenges you faced. Technical Blogs: Write about what you learn. Explaining a concept is the best way to master it. Architecture Diagrams: Use tools like Draw.io or Lucidchart to visualize your setups. Automation Scripts: Show off your ability to make systems efficient. Case Studies: Document a specific problem you faced, the steps you took to diagnose it, and the solution you implemented. Certifications as Progress Milestones Certifications are excellent milestones, but they should be used to validate your knowledge, not to acquire it. Use them to set deadlines for your learning. CertificationBest ForSkill LevelFocus AreaLinux+ / RHCSASystem AdminBeginnerOS Deep DiveAWS Certified Solutions ArchitectCloudIntermediateCloud InfrastructureCKA (Certified Kubernetes Administrator)KubernetesAdvancedContainer OrchestrationTerraform AssociateIaCIntermediateAutomationCertified DevSecOps ProfessionalSecurityAdvancedPipeline Security The DevOpsSchool ecosystem can assist you in preparing for these milestones by aligning your training with exam objectives and practical implementation. Measuring Career Readiness When you are ready to apply for jobs, use these KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) to assess your readiness: MetricWhy It MattersCareer BenefitLabs completedDemonstrates grit and practice.Shows practical experience.GitHub activityProof of consistent coding.Demonstrates passion and skill.Projects deliveredShows end-to-end knowledge.Serves as “proof of work.”Automation confidenceProves you understand efficiency.High value for employers.Interview readinessCan explain ‘why’ and ‘how’.Increases hireability.Portfolio qualityDisplays professionalism.Helps you stand out from peers. Common Learning Challenges ChallengeImpactRecommended SolutionLearning too many toolsCauses confusion and shallow knowledge.Focus on one tool in each category (e.g., Jenkins).Inconsistent practiceResults in knowledge decay.Dedicate at least 1 hour daily, consistently.Skipping fundamentalsLeads to inability to troubleshoot.Revisit Linux and Networking if stuck.Fear of troubleshootingStalls progress.Embrace errors; they are your best teachers.Lack of feedbackCreates blind spots in your skill set.Join communities or find a mentor.Unrealistic expectationsLeads to burnout.Remember, this is a multi-year career path. Best Practices To sustain growth, adopt these habits: Review progress monthly: Take a Saturday morning to assess what you learned against your roadmap. Practice consistently: Coding and configuration management are muscles; they need daily exercise. Build real-world projects: Try to replicate a production environment locally. Ask for feedback: Show your code to peers or mentors and ask for code reviews. Keep learning journals: Write down the errors you encounter and how you fixed them. Improve weak areas: If you dread networking, dedicate an entire week to nothing but networking labs. Real-World Example Case Study: The Transitioning Developer Initial Experience: A Junior Software Developer with 2 years of coding experience but no operations knowledge. Learning Roadmap: Followed a 6-month plan: 1 month Linux/Networking, 2 months Docker/CI/CD, 2 months AWS/Terraform, 1 month Kubernetes. Progress Tracking: Used a spreadsheet to track hours spent vs. projects completed. Practical Projects: Deployed a web app on AWS using Terraform, then containerized it with Docker, and built a Jenkins pipeline to automate deployment. Certification Milestones: Achieved the AWS Solutions Architect Associate after 4 months. First DevOps Role: Landed a role as a Junior DevOps Engineer by presenting the GitHub repository of their automated web app project. Lessons Learned: The focus on “doing” rather than “watching” was the key factor in their success. Common Beginner Mistakes Comparing yourself to others: Every path is different. Focus on your own growth trajectory. Measuring only certifications: Having a certification does not mean you can fix a production outage. Build the lab. Ignoring documentation: Always read the official docs before watching a YouTube tutorial. Skipping troubleshooting: When a command fails, try to fix it before searching for the answer. Avoiding projects: If you are not building, you are not learning. Future of DevOps Learning The landscape is shifting toward Platform Engineering, where developers create internal developer platforms (IDP) to improve the developer experience. GitOps is becoming the standard for continuous delivery. AI-assisted learning is also changing how we debug, with tools helping us understand errors faster. As you progress, keep an eye on these trends: Cloud-Native Development: Moving from virtual machines to serverless architectures. Security Automation: Integrating security tools earlier in the pipeline (Shift Left). Continuous Upskilling: The technology stack changes every 18–24 months; develop the skill of “learning how to learn.” Practical DevOps Progress Checklist Complete Linux labs: Can you write a script to back up a database? Build Git repositories: Is your code organized and documented? Write automation scripts: Can you automate a server setup? Deploy Docker applications: Can you run a multi-container stack? Create CI/CD pipelines: Does code deploy automatically on push? Learn Kubernetes: Can you deploy a load-balanced application? Build cloud projects: Can you design a secure VPC in your cloud provider? Improve monitoring skills: Can you visualize system metrics? Practice security automation: Can you scan for open ports or hardcoded secrets? FAQs How do I know if I’m improving in DevOps?You are improving when you can solve problems faster than you could a month ago, and when you can explain the “why” behind a configuration change, not just the “how.” How often should I review my progress?A monthly review is ideal. It gives you enough time to make progress but keeps you accountable to your goals. Which projects matter most?End-to-end projects. A project that starts with code on your laptop, goes through a CI/CD pipeline, and ends as a live application in a cloud environment is the gold standard. Should I focus on certifications or practical skills?Focus on skills. Use certifications to validate those skills and give yourself a deadline to reach a certain level of proficiency. How do I prepare for interviews?Prepare by being able to talk through your projects in detail. Be ready to explain the architecture of your projects and why you chose specific tools. How long does it take to become job-ready?It varies, but with consistent, structured learning (10-15 hours/week), most motivated learners can reach a junior-ready level in 6 to 9 months. How can I stay motivated?Connect with the community, document your wins, and remember the end goal: a career in a high-demand, high-impact field. What should be included in my portfolio?Code, architecture diagrams, project documentation (Readmes), and blog posts explaining your technical decisions. Do I need to be a developer to learn DevOps?No, but you need to understand code. A strong grasp of scripting is non-negotiable. How deep should I go into Linux?Very deep. It is the operating system that runs almost all cloud and container workloads. You cannot bypass it. Is Cloud platform choice important?Focus on one first (AWS is the most common). The concepts transfer well to other platforms once you master the fundamentals. What if I get stuck on a difficult tool?Take a break, go back to the basics, or try a different learning resource. Sometimes changing the teaching style (video vs. documentation) helps. How do I balance work and learning?Use the “micro-learning” approach. Even 30 minutes of focused practice is better than nothing. Is DevSecOps necessary for beginners?Understand the concepts early, but focus on building the pipeline first. You cannot secure what you haven’t built. Where can I find mentors?Engage in professional forums, attend local meetups, and look for structured programs like those at DevOpsSchool. Final Thoughts Tracking your progress in DevOps learning is the difference between aimless scrolling and targeted career growth. Do not be discouraged by the sheer volume of technologies; no one learns them all at once. Focus on the fundamentals, build tangible projects, document your journey, and seek consistent feedback. The goal is not to be a walking encyclopedia of tools, but to be an engineer who understands how to build, secure, and maintain systems. Stay consistent, keep your portfolio updated, and treat your learning as the most important project you will ever manage. View the full article

Apple will likely "repeat the iPhone X story" by unveiling its foldable iPhone at the same time as the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, but starting foldable iPhone pre-orders at a later date, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Kuo today said manufacturing challenges have limited early production of the foldable iPhone, which will reportedly be named iPhone Ultra. As a result, he believes the device may launch at some point after the iPhone 18 Pro models. In 2017, Apple unveiled the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X on September 12. iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus pre-orders began just three days later, while iPhone X pre-orders began six weeks later on Friday, October 27. Likewise, Kuo believes the foldable iPhone may not be available to pre-order until the fourth quarter of 2026. Kuo estimated that the foldable iPhone could have a starting price of around $2,299 to $2,499 in the U.S., and he believes that the device "could sell out immediately after pre-orders open, with delivery lead times quickly stretching to 4-6 weeks or longer." Apple's suppliers will ship roughly 7–8 million foldable iPhones in 2026, compared to 20–22 million for the iPhone 18 Pro models combined, he said. If this information proves to be accurate, expect the foldable iPhone to be unveiled in September, but you may not be able to order it until at least October.Related Roundup: iPhone FoldTags: iPhone Ultra, Ming-Chi Kuo This article, "'iPhone Ultra' Likely to 'Repeat the iPhone X Story'" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Apple recently introduced major price hikes across a number of products, including Macs, iPads, and more. This week, Apple's newly increased prices have begun to hit third-party retailers like Amazon, but there are a few select MacBook Pro models that are retaining original prices, which now represent solid discounts on each device. 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. 14-Inch MacBook Pro There are now just two models left of the 14-inch MacBook Pro at notable low prices in the wake of Apple's price hikes. Prices start at $2,549.99 for the 15-Core/24GB/2TB 14-inch M5 Pro MacBook Pro, now a $449 discount on the new price of this model. A similar 18-Core configuration is on sale for $2,749.99 as well, another $449 discount on the new price. $449 OFF14-inch M5 Pro MacBook Pro (15-Core/24GB/2TB) for $2,549.99 $449 OFF14-inch M5 Pro MacBook Pro (18-Core/24GB/2TB) for $2,749.99 16-Inch MacBook Pro In terms of the larger display models, we're tracking four total discounts on Amazon. These start at $2,649.99 for the 24GB/1TB M5 Pro configuration ($349 off), and reach up to $4,349.99 for the 48GB/2TB M5 Max device ($649 off). If you're interested in any of these MacBook Pro notebooks, we recommend purchasing soon as these big markdowns aren't expected to last much longer. $349 OFF16-inch M5 Pro MacBook Pro (24GB/1TB) for $2,649.99 $549 OFF16-inch M5 Pro MacBook Pro (48GB/1TB) for $3,049.99 $549 OFF16-inch M5 Max MacBook Pro (36GB/2TB) for $3,849.99 $649 OFF16-inch M5 Max MacBook Pro (48GB/2TB) for $4,349.99 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, "Beat the Apple Price Hikes: These MacBook Pro Deals Won't Last Long" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Introduction Modern IT environments have moved far beyond the monolithic architectures of the past. Today, we operate in complex, hybrid-cloud ecosystems driven by microservices, containerization, and ephemeral workloads. For an average SRE or DevOps team, the sheer volume of data generated is overwhelming. You are likely familiar with the “alert storm”—the scenario where your monitoring system fires thousands of notifications during a minor incident, burying the actual root cause under a mountain of noise. As teams struggle to differentiate between meaningful events and background noise, the need for intelligent automation has become a requirement for survival, not just a luxury. This is where AIOps (Artificial Intelligence for IT Operations) bridges the gap. By leveraging machine learning to ingest, correlate, and act on data, AIOps transforms reactive firefighting into proactive engineering. At AIOpsSchool, we focus on empowering professionals to navigate this shift through structured training and expert certification. Featured Snippet: What Is AIOps? AIOps (Artificial Intelligence for IT Operations) is the application of big data, machine learning, and advanced analytics to IT operations. It automatically collects, correlates, and analyzes data from disparate monitoring tools to identify patterns, automate incident resolution, and provide actionable insights, effectively moving operations from reactive monitoring to predictive intelligence. Understanding AIOps In Simple Terms Think of AIOps as a highly skilled digital assistant for your IT team. Instead of manually reviewing logs and metrics, AIOps algorithms process all incoming system data instantly, connecting the dots that a human would miss to pinpoint exactly why a system is failing. Real-World Example During a peak traffic event, an e-commerce platform experiences high latency. Traditional monitoring alerts on 50 different symptoms (CPU spikes, memory issues, database lag). An AIOps platform correlates these 50 alerts to a single root cause: a faulty deployment in the checkout microservice. Why It Matters Without AIOps, engineers spend hours performing manual “blame assignment” during incidents. With AIOps, Mean Time to Recovery (MTTR) is slashed because the system highlights the solution before the engineer even starts investigating. Key Takeaways AIOps shifts focus from manual interpretation to automated insight. It reduces alert fatigue by grouping related events. It improves system reliability by enabling faster incident resolution. Traditional OperationsAIOps-Driven OperationsManual alert triageAutomated event correlationReactive (Fixing after it breaks)Predictive (Fixing before it breaks)Siloed monitoring toolsUnified data ingestionHigh MTTR (Mean Time to Recovery)Low MTTR Why AIOps Skills Are Becoming Essential In Simple Terms Infrastructure is getting faster and more complex every year. Humans simply cannot process the velocity of data generated by modern cloud-native systems. Professionals who understand how to build and maintain AI-driven operations will be the architects of the next generation of IT. Real-World Example An SRE team manages 500+ microservices in Kubernetes. A network partition occurs. Without AIOps skills, the team drowns in logs. With AIOps skills, they implement automation that isolates the partition and reroutes traffic automatically, preventing a global outage. Why It Matters As organizations adopt SRE (Site Reliability Engineering) principles, the demand for “intelligent” operations increases. Engineers who can bridge the gap between AI concepts and operational reality are becoming the most valuable assets in the job market. Key Takeaways Cloud-native growth necessitates automated data analysis. AIOps skills bridge the gap between DevOps and Data Science. Future-proofing your career requires moving beyond basic monitoring. AIOps Certification Explained In Simple Terms An AIOps Certification is a formal validation that you possess the knowledge to design, implement, and manage intelligent IT operations. It proves you can move beyond standard tooling to orchestrate data-driven operational strategies. Real-World Example A DevOps Engineer earns an AIOps certification. When the company decides to overhaul its monitoring stack, this engineer is selected to lead the vendor selection and implementation, successfully reducing alert volume by 70% within the first quarter. Why It Matters Certification provides a standardized framework. It proves to employers that you understand the lifecycle of data, the mechanics of machine learning for ops, and the practical application of observability—not just how to use a specific software dashboard. Key Takeaways Validates expertise in AI/ML for IT operations. Demonstrates leadership potential in tool selection and strategy. Increases professional credibility in the SRE and DevOps community. AIOps Training and Courses In Simple Terms These are the educational pathways that teach you how to integrate ML models into your IT workflows. You learn how to move from “seeing” the data (monitoring) to “understanding” the data (observability) and “acting” on the data (automation). Real-World Example You enroll in a course covering Event Correlation and Root Cause Analysis. You learn how to configure a pipeline that filters out low-priority network flapping, allowing you to focus your attention on critical application latency issues. Why It Matters Enterprise IT is complex. Without guided training, engineers often attempt to implement AIOps tools without the necessary data science or observability foundation, leading to “false positive” disasters. Key Takeaways Focuses on practical implementation rather than just theory. Covers essential domains like OpenTelemetry and Incident Automation. Provides a safe environment to test AI-powered scenarios. AIOps Engineer Certification Path In Simple Terms This is a ladder for your career. It starts with learning how data is collected, moves to how it is analyzed, and finishes with how you design fully autonomous systems. Real-World Example An engineer begins with the Beginner module (data collection), progresses to the Intermediate module (pattern recognition), and finally attains the Advanced Certification, allowing them to lead architecture-level AIOps decisions. Why It Matters A structured path prevents “skills gaps.” You cannot build an intelligent system if you do not understand the fundamental data sources (logs, traces, metrics). Key Takeaways Progression allows for mastery at each operational layer. Levels are designed to match career seniority. Certification provides clear markers for salary and role advancement. LevelSkillsOutcomeBeginnerMonitoring Basics, Data CollectionJunior Ops AnalystIntermediateML Concepts, Event CorrelationAIOps EngineerAdvancedArchitecture, Strategy, AutomationAIOps Architect AIOps Engineer Career Roadmap In Simple Terms This is your “step-by-step” plan to becoming an AIOps expert. It is a mix of learning the hard technical skills (Linux, Python, Kubernetes) and the soft strategic skills (process improvement, team management). Real-World Example A junior system administrator uses this roadmap to learn Python for automation, then pivots to learning Kubernetes orchestration, and eventually specializes in Observability, landing a role as an AIOps Engineer within 18 months. Why It Matters Without a roadmap, professionals tend to jump between tools without learning the fundamentals. A structured path ensures you build a foundation that is platform-agnostic and career-resilient. Key Takeaways Requires a mix of coding (Python/Go) and infrastructure knowledge. Prioritize foundational networking and Linux skills. Focus on the full stack: from hardware metrics to application traces. AI Observability Training In Simple Terms Traditional monitoring tells you something is broken. Observability uses AI to explain why it is broken, even if you’ve never seen that specific failure mode before. It is about understanding the internal state of your system through external outputs. Real-World Example You have a memory leak. Monitoring tells you “Memory High.” AI Observability analyzes the trace data from 50 services to identify that a specific API call is leaking memory during garbage collection. Why It Matters In distributed systems, traditional metrics are insufficient. AI Observability allows you to navigate the “unknown-unknowns,” which are the most dangerous failures in cloud-native production. Key Takeaways Goes beyond “Red/Green” status lights. Relies heavily on OpenTelemetry for data standardization. Crucial for debugging complex microservices. MonitoringObservabilityFocuses on “Is it up?”Focuses on “Why is it behaving this way?”Predefined dashboardsAd-hoc query capabilityAlerts on thresholdsUncovers patterns and root causes AIOps for SRE and DevOps Engineers In Simple Terms AIOps is the “force multiplier” for DevOps. It allows your SRE team to manage more services with the same number of people, by automating the routine parts of incident response. Real-World Example An SRE team receives an automated ticket created by an AIOps tool, which includes the root cause (a database lock) and a recommended “rollback” script. The SRE simply clicks “Approve,” resolving the issue in seconds. Why It Matters DevOps is about velocity. If your team is bogged down by incident noise, they cannot ship code. AIOps restores the balance by cleaning up the operational noise. Key Takeaways Dramatically reduces alert fatigue for on-call engineers. Automates incident categorization and routing. Directly supports faster Continuous Delivery cycles. Enterprise AIOps Consulting In Simple Terms Even with the best tools, implementation often fails due to strategy gaps. Consulting helps organizations align their business goals with their technical capabilities, ensuring AIOps actually delivers ROI. Real-World Example A large bank wants to implement AIOps. A consultant assesses their data quality and realizes 40% of their logs are redundant. The consultant helps them optimize their pipeline before purchasing expensive software. Why It Matters AIOps tools are expensive and complex. Consulting prevents “shelfware”—the phenomenon where software is purchased but never effectively utilized. Key Takeaways Ensures readiness of data and infrastructure. Aligns technical strategy with business outcomes. Mitigates the risks of failed digital transformations. AIOps Implementation Services In Simple Terms This is the “how-to” of deployment. It covers the end-to-end lifecycle: preparing your data, choosing the right platform, integrating it into your workflow, and fine-tuning it to make sure it actually solves your problems. Real-World Example An implementation team helps a SaaS company transition to an AIOps-driven model by first normalizing log formats across all services, then configuring the event correlation engine, and finally automating the notification workflow. Why It Matters AIOps is a journey, not a single software installation. Implementation services provide the framework to ensure you don’t just “install” the tool but actually “adopt” the intelligence. Key Takeaways Focuses on the lifecycle: Assessment -> Integration -> Optimization. Provides expertise in data normalization (the most critical step). Ensures the automation actually aligns with team processes. Real-World Enterprise Use Cases Banking Challenge: Detecting fraudulent transactions amidst massive data noise. AIOps Solution: Anomaly detection engines flagging deviations in transaction patterns. Outcome: 99.9% uptime for core banking services and reduced fraud losses. Healthcare Challenge: Tracking patient monitoring systems across global hospitals. AIOps Solution: Event correlation to link patient data spikes to network latency. Outcome: Improved patient safety and instant identification of hardware failure. SaaS Challenge: Managing customer experience in a multi-tenant environment. AIOps Solution: Predictive analytics to forecast capacity needs before the system slows down. Outcome: 40% reduction in infrastructure costs through intelligent resource scaling. Benefits of AIOps Adoption In Simple Terms Adopting AIOps is essentially upgrading from a manual typewriter to a word processor. You are increasing your efficiency, reducing your error rate, and gaining back time for innovation. Real-World Example A DevOps team moves to AIOps. Instead of spending 50% of their sprint cycles on incident remediation, they spend 90% of their time on new feature development. Why It Matters In the modern economy, system reliability is a competitive advantage. AIOps ensures that your systems are always available and that your engineering team remains focused on value-added tasks. Key Takeaways Downtime costs are drastically reduced. Engineering productivity increases as manual tasks are automated. Decision-making becomes data-backed rather than intuition-based. Common Challenges in AIOps Adoption In Simple Terms The biggest hurdle to AIOps isn’t the software—it’s the data. “Garbage in, garbage out” applies here. If your data sources are messy or siloed, the AI will not be able to provide accurate insights. Real-World Example An organization tries to enable predictive analytics but finds that their logs are inconsistent across different teams (different formats, timezones, and schemas). The AIOps tool provides useless alerts. Why It Matters Understanding the challenges allows you to solve them before you start. By addressing data quality first, you avoid the frustration of a failed implementation. Key Takeaways Data quality is the foundation of success. Organizational resistance is common; change management is essential. Observability maturity must be established before advanced AI features are used. Common Mistakes Professionals Make In Simple Terms Many professionals treat AIOps like a “magic button” they can install and walk away from. It is not. It requires ongoing tuning, data hygiene, and strategic oversight. Checklist of Mistakes to Avoid Focusing Only on Tools: Assuming the software does all the work. Ignoring Observability Fundamentals: Trying to jump to “AI” before you have proper metrics/logs. Poor Data Collection: Feeding the AI messy, unfiltered data. Skipping Automation Strategy: Forgetting that AIOps must connect to your incident management workflows (like Jira/PagerDuty). Lack of Continuous Learning: Failing to retrain models as the system architecture changes. Future of AIOps In Simple Terms The future is “Self-Healing Infrastructure.” Imagine a system that sees a bug, automatically rolls back to the last stable version, notifies the team, and updates the documentation—all without human intervention. Real-World Example A self-healing infrastructure detects a disk space issue, automatically clears temporary logs, resizes the partition, and logs a ticket in Jira, all in under 60 seconds. Why It Matters As systems become too large for humans to manage manually, autonomous operations will be the only way to scale. Key Takeaways Autonomous operations (Self-Healing) are the ultimate goal. AI-driven incident management will become standard. Predictive reliability engineering will reduce outages to near zero. Why Learn with AIOpsSchool At AIOpsSchool, we bridge the gap between abstract AI concepts and the messy reality of production environments. We are not just an educational platform; we are a hub for enterprise expertise. Our curriculum is built by engineers for engineers, focusing on the practical “how-to” rather than just the “what.” Whether you are looking to get certified, implement a new strategy, or train your team on observability, we provide the mentorship and resources to help you lead the shift toward intelligent operations. FAQ Section 1. What is AIOps Certification? It is a professional credential that validates your skills in applying artificial intelligence and machine learning to IT operations workflows, including data ingestion, correlation, and automated incident resolution. 2. Who should learn AIOps? DevOps Engineers, SREs, Cloud Architects, IT Managers, and anyone involved in system reliability, monitoring, or platform engineering. 3. What skills are required for AIOps Engineers? You need a solid foundation in Linux, networking, cloud platforms (AWS/Azure/GCP), containerization (Kubernetes), programming (Python/Go), and a strong understanding of observability metrics and logs. 4. How does AIOps help DevOps teams? It reduces the manual burden of incident response (alert fatigue), automates the correlation of events during outages, and speeds up the feedback loop, allowing for faster CI/CD cycles. 5. What is AI Observability? It is the practice of using AI to analyze complex telemetry data (logs, metrics, traces) to gain a deep, granular understanding of system behavior, enabling teams to solve “unknown” performance issues. 6. What is OpenTelemetry? OpenTelemetry is an open-source framework that provides a standardized set of APIs and tools for collecting observability data, serving as the essential “plumbing” for AIOps tools. 7. How long does it take to learn AIOps? Depending on your background, a foundational understanding can be achieved in weeks, while mastery—including practical implementation and architecture design—typically takes several months of hands-on application. 8. What are AIOps Implementation Services? These are professional services that help organizations plan, deploy, and optimize AIOps tools, ensuring that the technology is correctly integrated with existing workflows and delivers measurable ROI. 9. Is AIOps a good career choice? Yes. As systems grow in complexity, the ability to manage them via intelligent automation is in high demand, leading to specialized, high-paying roles in SRE and Platform Engineering. 10. What is the future of AIOps? The future is moving toward “Self-Healing Infrastructure,” where AI not only detects issues but proactively resolves them before they impact users. Final Summary The landscape of IT Operations is undergoing a fundamental shift. We are moving from manual, reactive monitoring to intelligent, autonomous operations. AIOps is the engine of this change. By pursuing professional certification, investing in high-quality training, and applying structured implementation strategies, you can turn the chaos of modern system complexity into a streamlined, automated advantage. Whether you are an SRE seeking to reduce your on-call burden or an enterprise leader looking to optimize infrastructure, AIOps provides the path forward. Explore your options at AIOpsSchool to start building the future of intelligent IT operations today. View the full article

The lower-end iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e will be equipped with 9GB of RAM, up from 8GB in the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17e, according to supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. In a social media post, Kuo said the 1GB increase in RAM will ensure that Apple Intelligence features continue to run smoothly on the pair of devices. The higher-end iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and foldable "iPhone Ultra" will each have the same 12GB of RAM as the iPhone 17 Pro models, added Kuo. Apple is expected to release the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the iPhone Ultra in September this year, while the iPhone 18, iPhone 18e, and a second-generation iPhone Air will reportedly be released around March 2027. Even with an increased 9GB of RAM, two new Apple Intelligence features coming with iOS 27 will not be available on the iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e, including the ability to customize the expressiveness and pace of Siri's voice and a "major boost in accuracy" for speech-to-text dictation. This is because the latest advanced on-device Apple Intelligence model powering those two features requires a minimum of 12GB of RAM. Here are the confirmed RAM amounts for the iPhone 17 series:iPhone 17e: 8GB iPhone 17: 8GB iPhone 17 Pro: 12GB iPhone 17 Pro Max: 12GBThe rumored RAM amounts for the iPhone 18 series and iPhone Ultra:iPhone 18e: 9GB iPhone 18: 9GB iPhone 18 Pro: 12GB iPhone 18 Pro Max: 12GB iPhone Ultra: 12GBThe second-generation iPhone Air will presumably have 12GB of RAM, too. RAM and NAND storage chips are currently expensive due to a supply shortage, resulting in Apple raising prices on more than a dozen products last month. For now, iPhones avoided price increases, but analysts have estimated that the iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e could cost $100 to $200 more than the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17e.Related Roundups: iOS 27, iPadOS 27, iPhone 18Related Forum: iPhone This article, "iPhone 18 With 9GB RAM Still Won't Support Two New iOS 27 Features" 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 the latest leaks and rumors surrounding the iPhone 18 Pro. Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos Tata Electronics, one of Apple's manufacturing partners in India, was hit by a ransomware attack that resulted in more than 200,000 internal files being posted online, including component lists, supplier data, and images of ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ test units. The material was obtained illegally, and MacRumors has not seen the stolen files directly. Among the leak's more surprising details is that the C2 modem may be limited to international models, succeeding the C1 and C1X modems already used in the iPhone Air, iPhone 17e, and M5 iPad Pro. A bill of materials for the U.S. variant instead lists Qualcomm components, including the SDX80M and other parts associated with mmWave 5G, a feature Apple's C-series modems still lack. U.S. carriers have spent years building out mmWave networks, making it a harder feature to drop from the Pro lineup than it was from the ‌iPad Pro‌ or a rumored cellular MacBook. The leak also lined up with existing rumors of a more uniform rear finish than the iPhone 17 Pro's two-tone design and camera lenses that protrude further from the plateau. Separately, a leaked SIM tray offered another look at the rumored Dark Cherry color option, expected to join Light Blue, Dark Gray, and Silver as this year's lineup, with no black model. On the camera side, the rumored variable aperture main camera is this year's headline upgrade, though it's unclear how much of a real-world difference it will make compared to genuinely transformative jumps in past generations, like the 8x telephoto lens introduced on the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ or the and 48-megapixel sensor from the iPhone 14 Pro. Pricing looms over rumors about the device. Apple has now raised prices across much of its lineup, citing a global memory chip shortage driven largely by AI data center demand. The Apple TV and HomePod price hikes drew particular criticism, since both products are several years old with no accompanying hardware changes. Estimates for the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ itself point to a starting price as high as $1,399, up from $1,099 for the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌, an increase weighed against a modest RAM and battery bump, a smaller Dynamic Island, and a more capable N2 chip. A rumored 5G-via-satellite feature will likely offer limited access to specific services like Siri or Maps rather than full Safari browsing. Micron's chief business officer suggested that Apple's own aggressive supplier negotiating tactics may have contributed to the memory shortage now driving prices up industry-wide. 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 potential price rises for the iPhone 18 lineup following Apple's wave of hikes yesterday, as well as plans for the Apple Watch Ultra 4 and camera-equipped AirPods. 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: iPhone 18 ProTag: The MacRumors Show This article, "The MacRumors Show: Latest iPhone 18 Pro Leaks and Rumors" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

The Apple Watch Series 12 could ship with a new health sensor built directly into one of its bands, according to a sketchy rumor from a known leaker. The leaker known as "Kosutami" says the sensor will be injection-molded into a silicone band, and only a silicone band, apparently because Apple has not yet solved how to embed similar hardware in bands made from other materials. No detail was given on what the sensor is actually meant to measure. [Censo-Wat]ch Series 12 gonna have a sensor on band, injection molded(to the silicon band, they hasn't yet figured out how to putting a sensor on band with other materials now.). — Kosutami (@Kosutami_Ito) July 3, 2026 This is not the first time band-based sensing has been floated for Apple Watch, and the idea has reappeared repeatedly over the years, mainly as a result of Apple's patent filings. Back in 2017, a patent for modular band links that could each house a different function emerged, including blood pressure monitors and sweat sensors, followed later that year by a self-adjusting band patent that Apple said could also improve the accuracy of onboard biometric sensors by ensuring a snugger fit. In 2019, a batch of smart band patents covered skin-texture authentication and other embedded functionality, and in 2021 a dedicated hydration sensor patent proposed the use of electrodes against the skin to measure electrolyte concentration in sweat. None of that patent activity has led to a shipping product so far, and Apple routinely files patents for concepts that never reach customers. Kosutami's credibility as a source is mixed. While Apple has clearly researched adding sensors to Apple Watch bands extensively, the rumor is new, uncorroborated, and should be taken with a heavy pinch of salt for now. The Apple Watch Series 12 is likely to be a minor upgrade featuring a new chip and little else is known about the device. It's expected to launch this fall alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and Apple's first foldable iPhone, continuing to use the same design introduced with the Series 10.Related Roundup: Apple Watch 11Tag: KosutamiBuyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Caution) This article, "Sketchy Rumor Claims Apple Watch Series 12 Could Introduce Sensor in Band" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

The second iOS 27 developer beta seemingly hints at a new Apple product, according to code uncovered by app designer and developer Sam Henri Gold. The code mentions a product codenamed B790 that can relay "two images from cameras on either side of user's head." Gold speculated that the code could be referring to Apple's rumored smart glasses, but another possibility is AirPods with cameras, which are reportedly further along in development. AirPods Pro 3 were codenamed B788. Apple is rumored to be working on both "AirPods Ultra" and smart glasses with cameras, and Visual Intelligence is expected to be a core feature of these products. While wearing the camera-equipped AirPods or glasses, you would be able to look at something such as a house plant and have Siri provide you with information about it. Visual Intelligence is already available on the iPhone 15 Pro and newer. On iOS 27, the feature is accessible through the Camera app via a new "Siri" mode. The code appears to instruct Visual Intelligence on how to function on the mystery device. It says the feature works with landmarks, text, and known objects, with the Eiffel Tower in Paris and a coffee mug cited as two examples. /System/Library/AssetsV2/com_apple_MobileAsset_UAF_IF_PlannerOverrides/purpose_auto/9aaa6a204118137235983cc3f1eecae8a125c550.asset/AssetData/PCC/system_prompt_metadata/system_prompt.json seems to hint at some smart glasses codenamed B790 pic.twitter.com/IEmbfleth4 — sam henri gold (@samhenrigold) July 3, 2026 The code does not reveal much else, but it serves as yet another indication that Apple is actively developing more camera-equipped wearables. According to the latest reporting from Bloomberg, both the "AirPods Ultra" and the smart glasses are currently slated to launch in late 2027.Related Roundups: AirPods 4, iOS 27, iPadOS 27Tags: AirPods Ultra, Apple GlassesBuyer's Guide: AirPods (Caution)Related Forum: AirPods This article, "iOS 27 Beta Hints at New Apple Product Such as 'AirPods Ultra'" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Apple's software engineers recently began testing iOS 27.4, according to the MacRumors visitor logs. Fun fact: Apple tests the "fall" (iOS 27.0) and "spring" (iOS 27.4) software releases concurrently. This article, "Apple Already Testing iOS 27.4" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

This week's best deals include ongoing all-time low prices on AirTag 2, plus great discounts on the previous-generation M3 iPad Air, for anyone who wants to avoid price hikes on the M4 models. We're also tracking Fourth of July savings from popular accessory makers this weekend. 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. Fourth of July Deals It's Fourth of July weekend, and we're tracking numerous sales across popular accessory companies right now. This includes sitewide deals at Anker, B&H Photo, Best Buy, OtterBox, ZAGG, and more. Many of these savings events will end on Sunday, July 5, so be sure to shop them this weekend before they're gone. Anker - Get up to 40% off charging accessories AT&T - Get iPhone 17 Pro Max for up to $1,100 off B&H Photo - Save on computers, photography equipment, and more Best Buy - Save sitewide on Apple gear and more Hyper - Get up to 25% off JBL - Get up to 40% off speakers and headphones OtterBox - Get 25% off sitewide ZAGG - Get 25% off sitewide AirTag 2 What's the deal? Take up to $10 off AirTag 2 Where can I get it? Amazon Where can I find the original deal? Right here $2 OFFAirTag 2 (1-Pack) for $27.00 $10 OFFAirTag 2 (4-Pack) for $89.00 Apple's AirTag 2 is still available for the all-time low price of $89.00 this week, down from $99.00. This sale is on the 4-Pack of the AirTag 2, and it's one of the very few Prime Day deals that's stuck around since the event ended last week. M3 iPad Air What's the deal? Save on previous generation iPad Air tablets Where can I get it? Best Buy Where can I find the original deal? Right here UP TO $400 OFFM3 iPad Air at Best Buy Best Buy's Fourth of July sale is currently running, and it features a big sale across Apple's previous generation M3 iPad Air tablets. You can find up to $400 off these devices during the event, and they're particularly notable when compared to the recently increased prices of the 2026 M4 iPad Air. 11-inch 11-inch M3 iPad Air (128GB Cell) - $499.00 ($899.00 for M4 model) 11-inch M3 iPad Air (256GB Cell) - $599.00 ($999.00 for M4 model) 11-inch M3 iPad Air (512GB Cell) - $749.00 ($1,199.00 for M4 model) 11-inch M3 iPad Air (1TB Cell) - $849.00 ($1,499.00 for M4 model) 13-inch 13-inch M3 iPad Air (512GB Cell) - $949.00 ($1,399.00 for M4 model) 13-inch M3 iPad Air (1TB Cell) - $1,049.00 ($1,699.00 for M4 model) Samsung What's the deal? Save on Samsung's newest monitors Where can I get it? Samsung Where can I find the original deal? Right here UP TO $350 OFFSamsung 2026 Monitors Samsung's newest monitors have been further discounted this week, with big savings on the Odyssey G8, ViewFinity S8, and Movingstyle Essential. All of these have discounts that have been applied automatically. AirPods 4 What's the deal? Take $30 off AirPods 4 Where can I get it? Amazon $30 OFFAirPods 4 for $99.00 Amazon is offering the AirPods 4 for $99.00 this week, down from $129.00. This is another Prime Day deal that's stuck around all week, and it's an overall solid second-best price on the earbuds. 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, "Fourth of July Sales: Save on AirTag 2, M3 iPad Air, Charging Accessories and More" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Apple will release iOS 27 in September, and despite the company's focus this year on refining its flagship operating system and nixing bugs, there are still many additional features on the way, not least of which is Apple's new context-aware Siri, re-tooled for the generative AI era. This year's major iPhone software update isn't all about AI, though, as the following feature list testifies. iOS 27 remains in developer beta, while a public beta is expected to arrive this month. Extend Your Photos and Lock Screen Wallpaper A new wallpaper extension feature in iOS 27 uses Apple Intelligence to automatically expand a photo beyond its original boundaries so it fills the entire Lock Screen more naturally. If a photo is cropped too tightly, doesn't match your iPhone's aspect ratio, or it leaves empty space when positioned on the Lock Screen, iOS 27 can generate additional image content around the edges with the "Extend" option. It will analyze the existing image and create matching background details that blend with the original photo, so there's no need for aggressive cropping. The Extend option can also be found in the Photos app. Organize Your Safari Tabs Safari uses Apple Intelligence to automatically organize your open tabs into related topics, making them easier to browse and manage. For example, if you're shopping for a new refrigerator while planning a vacation, Safari groups tabs for each activity into separate topic-based collections. You can enable this feature by opening Tab View, tapping the three-line icon in the top-right corner, and turning on Automatically Create Topics. Use Natural Language for Reminder and Calendar Entries In the Reminders app, you can now create reminders using natural language, and Apple Intelligence will automatically fill in details such as the date, time, and location. For example, if you type "Pick up Dad at 6 p.m. tonight" or "Send the photos to Eric tomorrow at 3 p.m.," Reminders extracts the relevant information and adds it to the reminder automatically. The Calendar app also supports natural language input, identifying people, dates, and locations as you type. You can then tap the suggested information to quickly add it to your event. Inline Reply to Messages From Android Users In the Messages app, you can now long press on a specific message from an Android user (a green chat bubble) and get an option to reply to it. That contrasts with iOS 26, where inline replies are limited to blue bubbles sent over Apple's iMessage platform. Upgrade Your Wallet Passes Apple has expanded the redesigned pass experience in the Wallet app with iOS 27, bringing the enhanced design introduced for airline boarding passes in iOS 26 to additional pass types. Membership, gift, loyalty, and rewards cards can now use a new Poster Generic layout with a background image, a logo, customizable header and footer fields, main information, and an optional barcode. Passes can also include up to two quick actions at the bottom, such as getting directions to a venue or checking a rewards points balance. Describe Your Next Shortcut Apple Intelligence makes creating shortcuts much more accessible by letting you build them with natural language. Tapping New Shortcut in the Shortcuts app opens a Describe a Shortcut interface, where you simply explain what you want the shortcut to do. You can describe a single action or a more complex automation, and Apple Intelligence selects the appropriate actions and assembles the shortcut automatically. For example, you could create a shortcut that sets tomorrow's alarm based on your first Calendar event, enables Sleep Focus, and dims the bedroom lights each evening, or one that displays your first meeting, the weather, and today's reminders every morning. Like existing shortcuts, these automations can be triggered by factors such as the time of day, your location, app activity, system events like taking a screenshot, incoming notifications, and more. Get a Better Flyover of Your City Apple is enhancing the Flyover feature in Maps with iOS 27, using Apple Intelligence models to improve aerial imagery with greater texture and sharper detail. Trees, buildings, and other landmarks appear more realistic, with more accurate geometry and improved lighting effects. According to Apple, the update makes select cities around the world look more lifelike, from the shape of individual trees to the way light reflects off glass skyscrapers. Flyover already offers detailed 3D views of landmarks, roads, parks, and buildings in more than 350 cities, so iOS 27 is essentially using AI to further improve the quality of those visualizations. Ask Siri What Your Camera Sees The iOS 27 Camera app has a new "Siri" mode that is available in addition to the video, photo, and other camera modes. The new mode uses Visual Intelligence to identify objects in the frame and provide information about them. It can be used to identify plants, animals, food, and more. If it's food you want info on, for example, it can tell you what it is, and how many calories are in it. Other examples ‌Siri‌ mode can be used for include capturing a photo of an event flyer and adding a date to the Calendar app, text translation, splitting a bill, and more. Make Your Lock Screen Clock More Compact A new compact clock mode is available as a new Lock Screen layout option in iOS 27. Found in the top-right corner of the Font & Color panel, the option moves the time from its traditional large, centered position to a much smaller format alongside the date and widgets at the top of the screen. It's a nice option to have if you like a cleaner Lock Screen look that shows off your wallpaper more fully, and it's the complete opposite effect introduced in iOS 26 that stretches the clock down the screen. Generate Photo-realistic Images with Image Playground Apple's Image Playground has been a bit of an embarrassment up until now, being limited to cutesy re-renderings of actual photos and sketched illustrations. But the app gets a major update in iOS 27. Powered by a new generative model that runs on Private Cloud Compute, it can produce high-quality images in virtually any style, including photo-realistic output for the first time. All generated images automatically carry a hidden SynthID watermark to identify them as AI-generated. The app now also supports photo-based editing in addition to creation. Tweak Liquid Glass Opacity If Apple's Liquid Glass UI embrace in iOS 26 wasn't your thing, there's a way to tone it down. In iOS 27, Apple added a full Liquid Glass slider under Settings ➝ Appearance ➝ Liquid Glass. It changes the translucency of Liquid Glass elements, and you can choose a clear version of Liquid Glass that allows some of the background to show through, select a more opaque, tinted version that improves the legibility of text, or choose something in between. Create a Slideshow from Any Album In iOS 27, you can create a slideshow from any album, collection, or selection of photos in the Photos app, rather than being limited to Memories. Open an album or select multiple photos, tap the menu button in the top-right corner, and choose Start Slideshow. Slideshows can be customized with different transition styles, slide durations, and background music, and then saved as a video or shared directly to social media.Related Roundups: iOS 27, iPadOS 27 This article, "12 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 27" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Development of Apple's rumored camera-equipped AirPods Pro has been halted, according to the leaker and prototype collector known as "Kosutami." In a blunt post on X referencing a June post about the product "case" being "concluded," the leaker appeared to be correcting it to say that the project has been "suspended." No other details were provided. The claim comes as quite a surprise, given that Bloomberg reported in May that the camera-equipped AirPods Pro were nearing completion and had reached an "advanced" testing stage, suggesting early mass production could be imminent. That said, the same report also noted that Apple could also opt to wait to launch the AirPods if it was not satisfied with the quality of the ‌Visual Intelligence‌ features in development for ‌Siri‌. The AirPods Pro's built-in cameras are said to feed visual information about the wearer's surroundings to Siri. The cameras would not be for taking photos or videos, but used solely for AI purposes. "Kosutami" claimed in February that the infrared cameras will allow for the AirPods Pro to be "connected with Apple Intelligence," and other reliable sources have since corroborated that claim. The new AirPods have been in development for around four years. Apple reportedly wanted to start selling the camera-equipped AirPods Pro in the first half of 2026, but the product's launch was held back because the smarter, AI version of ‌Siri‌ was still being developed – it exists in the current iOS 27 beta, but it won't be widely available until the release of iOS 27 in September. Bloomberg said Apple was expecting strong demand for the new AirPods Pro and had operations teams working to secure components for a launch in challenging circumstances, owing to the industry-wide shortage of memory chips and other silicon. It's not clear whether this is the reason behind Kosutami's claim that the project has been suspended. Kosutami is best known as a collector of prototype Apple hardware, but they have occasionally shared accurate information about Apple's future product plans. For example, around 10 months before the iPhone 16 Pro launched, they correctly revealed that it would feature a metal-enclosed battery. They also provided an early look at an Apple Watch band made from Apple's controversial FineWoven material. However, Kosutami incorrectly claimed that AirPods Pro 3 were imminent in August 2024.Related Roundup: AirPods Pro 3Tag: KosutamiBuyer's Guide: AirPods Pro (Neutral)Related Forum: AirPods This article, "Camera-Equipped AirPods Pro Development 'Suspended,' Leaker Claims" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

New Zealand indie favourites No Cigar are doubling down on Australia. Fresh off another hugely successful visit in 2025, the Auckland five-piece have announced their biggest Australian tour to date, returning this September and October for a 13-date run that stretches from the Sunshine Coast to Fremantle. NO CIGAR – Live at the Powerstation (Full Set) The tour marks the band’s fourth Australian visit and arrives as No Cigar continue building serious momentum internationally following the release of their acclaimed third album Under The Surface. Over the past few years, the group have quietly become one of the Southern Hemisphere’s most exciting indie rock exports, blending surf-rock warmth, alternative grit and soaring melodies into a sound that’s earned them a fiercely loyal following across Australia, the UK, Europe and North America. Their rise has been just as impressive on the road. After selling out headline shows across the UK, performing at festivals including The Great Escape and Paris’ Supersonic Block Party, and racking up more than 36 million global streams, No Cigar are now preparing for an enormous 33-date world tour running from September through November. Australia plays a major role in that journey. Alongside headline dates in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, the band will once again hit a string of regional venues after discovering just how passionate those crowds could be during previous visits. Inspired by the reception they received in places like Armidale, this year’s itinerary expands further, with stops including Moonee Beach, Newcastle, Wollongong and the Sunshine Coast. The tour also comes with the promise of new music on the horizon, with No Cigar teasing fans will get an early glimpse at the band’s next creative chapter. Suss all the details down below. No Cigar Australian Tour 2026 Thursday 10 September Pulse Bar SUNSHINE COAST Tickets Friday 11 September Miami Marketta GOLD COAST Tickets Saturday 12 September The Northern BYRON BAY Tickets Sunday 13 September Moonee Beach Hotel MOONEE BEACH Tickets Thursday 17 September The Baso CANBERRA Tickets Friday 18 September UOW Uni Bar WOLLONGONG Tickets Saturday 19 September Felons MANLY Tickets Sunday 20 September Hamilton Station Hotel NEWCASTLE Tickets Thursday 15 October Factory Theatre SYDNEY Tickets Friday 16 October The Triffid BRISBANE Tickets Saturday 17 October 170 Russell MELBOURNE Tickets Friday 23 October Freo Social FREMANTLE Tickets Saturday 24 October Lion Arts Factory ADELAIDE Tickets Further Reading A 150-Year-Old Sydney Church Is Being Reborn As A Wild New Live Music Venue Olivia Rodrigo Teases She Could Be Back In Australia ‘Very Soon’ James Blake Is Finally Returning To Australia For His First Tour In Seven Years The post Kiwi Indie Faves No Cigar Level Up With Biggest Australian Tour To Date appeared first on Music Feeds. View the full article

Ten years after Asleep In The Machine helped launch Bootleg Rascal into the hearts (and festival playlists) of Aussie music fans, the Gold Coast duo are taking the album back on the road. Carlos Lara and Jimmy Young have announced a 13-date Aussie tour celebrating the landmark debut album’s 10th anniversary, with shows running from September through November and stopping in both metro and regional centres around the country. Bootleg Rascal – ‘Baja El Arma’ Fans can expect to hear Asleep In The Machine in all its glory alongside faves from across Bootleg Rascal’s catalogue, including material from their acclaimed self-titled fourth album released in 2025. The anniversary celebrations don’t stop there. The duo have also announced a deluxe edition of Asleep In The Machine, arriving on August 12, featuring a stack of bonus material including Spanish-language versions of Drop The Gun and Bones N Bricks, an acoustic take on the title track and I’d Do Anything, which until now has only been available on vinyl. Giving fans their first taste of the reissue, Booty have shared Baja El Arma – a Spanish reimagining of fan favourite Drop The Gun. Frontman Carlos Lara says recording the track was a chance to bring more of his own heritage into the band’s music. “Drop The Gun has been a staple in our live sets for a decade now, but singing it in Español completely changes the flavour,” Lara says. “It’s something I’ve always wanted to do to bring a bit of my own heritage into the Bootleg Rascal repertoire.” The accompanying video also bridges the band’s past and present, combining footage from the original hot-air balloon shoot with newly filmed performance scenes. Released in 2016, Asleep In The Machine remains one of Bootleg Rascal’s defining releases. From their memorable triple j Like A Version performance of the title track to more than 35 million streams across Spotify and Apple Music, the record established the duo’s signature blend of indie rock, hip-hop, dub and electronica while laying the foundation for more than a decade of relentless touring across Australia and overseas. You can peep all the dates and details down below. Bootleg Rascal Asleep In The Machine Australian Tour 2026 Friday 11 September — Arts Factory, Byron Bay NSW Friday 25 September — Freo.Social, Fremantle WA Saturday 26 September — The River, Margaret River WA Sunday 27 September — Prince of Wales, Bunbury WA Saturday 3 October — Burdekin Bandroom, Sydney NSW Sunday 4 October — Yours & Owls, Wollongong NSW Friday 9 October — The Brightside, Brisbane QLD Saturday 10 October — Mayberry, Darwin NT Friday 23 October — Altar, Hobart TAS Saturday 24 October — Leadbeater Hotel, Melbourne VIC Friday 30 October — Miami Marketta, Gold Coast QLD Saturday 31 October — Kings Beach Tavern, Sunshine Coast QLD Saturday 7 November — Ed Castle, Adelaide SA Tickets on-sale now at www.bootlegrascal.com Further Reading Bootleg Rascal Gig Featured The Most Brutal Failed Onstage Proposal Ever ‘Bootleg Rascal’ By Bootleg Rascal Might Be Peak Bootleg Rascal Bootleg Rascal Announce Self-Titled Album, Drop Brooding New Track ‘Street Shark’ The post Bootleg Rascal Announce 10th Anniversary Tour For Beloved Debut Album appeared first on Music Feeds. View the full article

Pop-rock favourites Against The Current are officially heading back to Australia. The New York trio have announced two exclusive headline shows for January 2027 as part of their Till Death & Back Tour, marking their first Australian performances since 2023. Against The Current – ‘Dead Man Walking’ Fans can catch vocalist Chrissy Costanza, guitarist Dan Gow and drummer Will Ferri at Melbourne’s 170 Russell on Thursday 21 January before the band wraps up the run at Sydney’s Liberty Hall the following night. Since forming as teenagers back in 2011, Against The Current have grown from YouTube favourites into one of modern rock’s most recognisable acts, blending soaring pop hooks with arena-sized rock choruses across releases including In Our Bones, Past Lives and the breakout Fever EP. The band have continued to evolve in recent years, embracing a heavier, more unapologetic sound on singles including silent stranger, blindfolded and good guy, which have collectively amassed more than 40 million streams. Earlier this year, they also offered another glimpse at their next chapter with fiery new tracks Heavenly and Dead Man Walking, both expected to feature on their forthcoming album. Of course, Against The Current’s reach extends well beyond the rock world. Their collaboration with Riot Games on the League of Legends anthem Legends Never Die has now surpassed one billion streams worldwide, cementing the band as one of the most recognisable crossover acts of the past decade. The upcoming Aussie dates arrive as Against The Current celebrate 15 years as a band, with the trio continuing to build on a fiercely loyal global fanbase through relentless touring alongside the likes of Fall Out Boy, Good Charlotte and All Time Low. Suss all the details down below. Against The Current Australian Tour 2027 Thursday 21 January – 170 Russell, Melbourne VIC Friday 22 January – Liberty Hall, Sydney NSW Early bird pre-sale tickets on sale: Wednesday 8 July @ 10am local time – to Gain Early Ticket Access Register via https://daltours.cc/AgainstTheCurrent2026 General tickets on sale: Friday 10 July @ 10am local time via destroyalllines.com Further Reading Holding Absence Announce First Ever Australian Headline Tour Olivia Rodrigo Teases She Could Be Back In Australia ‘Very Soon’ Tigers Jaw Are Finally Bringing Their Emo Bangers Back To Australia This November The post Against The Current Announce First Australian Shows In Four Years appeared first on Music Feeds. View the full article

Earlier this year, three YouTube channels sued Apple, alleging that the company violated the U.S. Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) by unlawfully accessing and scraping millions of copyrighted YouTube videos to train its AI models. In a class action lawsuit filed with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in April, the owners of the YouTube channels h3h3Productions, MrShortGame Golf, and Golfholics allege that Apple "deliberately circumvented" YouTube's protections against video scraping and "profited substantially" by doing so. Apple's actions were "not only unlawful, but an unconscionable attack on the community of content creators whose content is used to fuel the multi-trillion-dollar generative AI industry without any compensation," the complaint alleged. h3h3Productions is a well-known YouTube channel created by Ethan Klein and Hila Klein, and they later created the H3 Podcast. Their channels have millions of followers, while MrShortGame Golf and Golfholics have hundreds of thousands of followers. The channels filed equivalent lawsuits against Meta, Nvidia, ByteDance, and Snap. Apple responded to the lawsuit this week, according to a court document viewed by MacRumors. In short, Apple said the plaintiffs made the videos publicly available on YouTube and that it was permitted to access the videos under the DMCA. Apple said YouTube's Terms of Service likewise permitted the company to access the videos. "Plaintiffs allege that they posted audiovisual works to YouTube, and that any member of the public can see them there," reads Apple's response. "No password. No payment. No lock. No key. Allegedly, YouTube employs technological measures to prevent unauthorized downloading. But because YouTube provides public access to the videos, the alleged technological measures do not control access to the works, as § 1201(a) requires." Apple said the plaintiffs have ultimately failed to state a claim, and it requested that the court dismiss the lawsuit as a result.Tags: Apple Lawsuits, YouTube This article, "Apple Responds to Lawsuit Filed by Three YouTube Channels" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Nearly a year ago, Apple filed a lawsuit against YouTuber Jon Prosser and Michael Ramacciotti over alleged theft of the company's trade secrets. Apple alleged that the duo coordinated to break into former Apple software engineer Ethan Lipnik's development iPhone, in order to access and profit off details about "iOS 19," which ended up being called iOS 26. Prosser is the host of the popular YouTube channel Front Page Tech, and Ramacciotti was his acquaintance. Last year, Prosser shared YouTube videos containing leaked "iOS 19" details, months before Apple unveiled the update. Later, an anonymous tipster informed Apple via email that the information was sourced from Lipnik's iPhone, leading the company to investigate. Apple ultimately fired Lipnik and sued Prosser and Ramacciotti. Prosser formally responded to the lawsuit today, according to a court document obtained by MacRumors. Prosser admitted that he participated in a FaceTime video call with Ramacciotti, wherein Prosser was shown certain "iOS 19" features and apps running on the development iPhone. However, he denied that any of the information he viewed contained trade secrets, and he denied knowing that the development iPhone belonged to Lipnik. Prosser denied that he planned or participated in any conspiracy or coordinated scheme with Ramacciotti for the purpose of injuring Apple. Prosser's attorney said that Ramacciotti's act of displaying the iOS 19 features on the FaceTime call was not induced by Prosser and, as such, Ramacciotti is "completely responsible" for the disclosure of Apple's alleged trade secrets, if any. Ramacciotti is responsible for all harm caused to Prosser, according to Prosser's response. Prosser denied that he is in possession of any further confidential Apple information in this case that has not already been disclosed to Apple. The case is before the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. Prosser has requested a jury trial where applicable.Related Roundups: iOS 26, iPadOS 26Tags: Jon Prosser, Apple LawsuitsRelated Forum: iOS 26 This article, "YouTuber Jon Prosser Responds to Apple's Lawsuit Over iOS 26 Leaks" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

After last week's craziness around Apple's major price hikes, things returned to a bit more of a normal flow this week, with the rumor mill offering up tidbits about the long-rumored touchscreen MacBook, the iPhone 18 lineup, and more. This week also saw minor updates for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS that included a surprising number of security fixes, while a cyberattack at an Apple manufacturing partner has the company concerned about leaked confidential information, so read on below for all the details! Top Stories Apple's OLED 'MacBook Ultra' Will Stick With M5 Pro and M5 Max Chips Last week, Bloomberg reported that Apple will be accelerating development of its M7 family of chips to deliver greater AI-focused capabilities sooner, but it also means Apple will not be releasing M6 Pro and M6 Max chips. That revelation left open the question of which chips Apple is planning on using in its highly anticipated touchscreen "MacBook Ultra" rumored for release late this year or early next year, and Bloomberg now says Apple will be using M5 Pro and M5 Max chips for that product. The news is likely to disappoint some who have been waiting for the new high-end MacBook, considering the M5 Pro and M5 Max have been used in the current MacBook Pro models since March, so the chips could be approaching a year old by the time the MacBook Ultra debuts. For more details on what we're expecting to see in the MacBook Ultra, be sure to check out our guide and recent video overview. As for the base MacBook Pro currently powered by the regular M5 chip, Bloomberg says there is an M6 model coming late this year, with a redesigned M7 model matching the upcoming MacBook Ultra to follow relatively soon after in the first half of 2027. 2027 iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e to Get 9GB RAM and A20 Chip The lower-end iPhone 18 models set to launch in spring 2027 will feature 9GB DRAM, up from 8GB, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. By lower-end iPhones, Kuo is likely referencing the ‌iPhone 18‌ and the iPhone 18e, both of which are rumored to be coming around March or April of 2027. The report is a bit of a surprise given previous rumors have indicated that at least the iPhone 18 would include 12GB of RAM, and a couple of iOS 27 features unveiled at WWDC last month are only available on iPhone and iPad devices with at least 12GB of RAM. Apple 'Concerned' Over iPhone 18 Pro Data Leak From Supplier Tata In late June, it was revealed that Apple manufacturing partner Tata had been the target of a cyberattack that resulted in confidential documents from Apple and other companies being leaked on the dark web. Apple is unsurprisingly "concerned" about the leak from its Indian manufacturing partner, as the files include detailed information about parts and suppliers for the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. Some details from the files have been circulating, including a few images and videos, though it appears Apple may be trying to crack down on distribution of the confidential content. iPhone 18 Pro is Just a Few Months Away With These 10 New Features Even aside from the Tata leak, a lot of information is already known about the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, which are expected to debut in September, so be sure to check out our overview. Among the most recent leaks are an alleged SIM tray in a dark cherry color that has been rumored for the device, and an alleged diagram of the device's logic board showing a new layout for the A20 Pro chip with the RAM sitting next to the main processor rather than on top of it. Potential buyers should also be prepared for the possibility of a price shock, considering Apple's recent price increases across its iPad and Mac lineups. One market intelligence firm believes Apple could raise prices by up to $200 compared to the current iPhone 17 Pro lineup. Apple Releases iOS 26.5.2 With Security Fixes Apple this week released 26.5.2 updates for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS Tahoe, delivering fixes for more than 25 security vulnerabilities. Apple says that it used the releases to deliver the included security fixes sooner than originally planned, as the company seeks to speed up fixes in an age where AI has made it easier and faster to exploit disclosed vulnerabilities. Apple Acquires Award-Winning App 'Play' In February, Apple notified the European Commission that it would be acquiring certain assets from and have the right to hire certain employees from Rabbit 3 Times, the company behind the award-winning app design tool Play. The notification was published on the European Commission's website this week, following a four-month waiting period. Play was a Mac and iPhone app that allowed designers to prototype iPhone app interfaces using Apple's SwiftUI frameworks, and then send them to Xcode. In 2025, the app won an Apple Design Award for innovation, but it is no longer available in the App Store and it is unclear what Apple's plans are for the intellectual property associated with it. 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: 'MacBook Ultra' and iPhone 18 Rumors, iOS 26.5.2 Security Fixes, and More" first appeared on MacRumors.com View the full article

Apple previously announced that the first iOS 27 public beta would be released in July, meaning that it should be available at some point this month. Below, we have outlined how to get ready for the iOS 27 public beta, which will likely follow the third or fourth iOS 27 developer beta. Release Date History The first public betas of iOS 16 through iOS 26 came out between July 11 and July 24. iOS 26 Public Beta: Thursday, July 24, 2025 iOS 18 Public Beta: Monday, July 15, 2024 iOS 17 Public Beta: Wednesday, July 12, 2023 iOS 16 Public Beta: Monday, July 11, 2022 Get Ready Once it is available, anyone will be able to install the iOS 27 public beta on a compatible iPhone for free by following the steps outlined below. Sign up at beta.apple.com for free. Open your iPhone's Settings app and tap General → Software Update → Beta Updates. Select the iOS 27 Public Beta option (restart your iPhone if you don't see it) and follow the on-screen steps.If you are impatient, anyone can install the iOS 27 developer beta for free right now. Warning: While public betas are usually more stable than developer betas, iOS betas of any kind often have bugs and performance issues. You may not be able to use some apps that you rely on, and issues can extend to CarPlay. Backing up your iPhone before installing beta software is highly recommended, and relying on a secondary iPhone altogether is always a good idea if possible. iOS 27 is compatible with the iPhone 11 and newer, but Apple Intelligence features like Siri AI are limited to the iPhone 15 Pro and newer. Keep in mind that the revamped version of Siri has a waitlist. To join the waitlist, open the Settings app on iOS 27 and tap on Siri and you will find it there. In some cases, it can take a few weeks to receive access to Siri AI and the Siri app. Beyond the new Siri, iOS 27 features Liquid Glass design enhancements, performance improvements, expanded child safety features, and more.Related Roundups: iOS 27, iPadOS 27 This article, "iOS 27 Public Beta Available This Month, Here's How to Get Your iPhone Ready Now" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Volkswagen is planning to offer Apple Wallet car keys in future U.S. vehicles, according to new Apple server-side code. The code does not provide any more details, so we do not know which VW vehicle models will offer the feature or when. With an Apple Wallet car key, you can use your iPhone or Apple Watch to lock, unlock, and start your vehicle. The feature is already offered by Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and select other automakers in various countries. This article, "VW Planning to Offer Apple Wallet Car Keys on iPhone" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Stolen data from Apple manufacturing partner Tata Electronics appears to reveal that the iPhone 18 Pro will use different modem chips depending on the market it is sold in, with U.S. models retaining Qualcomm hardware while international models will feature Apple's in-house C2 modem. The finding emerged from a wide-ranging cyberattack on Tata, which alongside Foxconn assembles the iPhone. More than 630GB of confidential data was stolen by a ransomware group calling itself "World Leaks" and has been circulating online. The material was obtained illegally and MacRumors has not seen the stolen files directly. AppleInsider conducted an analysis of the stolen files and said it could confirm the authenticity of several key documents. Among the information that has attracted particular is a bill of materials apparently related to the U.S. variant of the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌, which lists multiple Qualcomm components rather than Apple's C2 modem, codenamed Ganymede. The Qualcomm parts referenced include the SDX80M, SDR875, QDM8771, QDM8720, PMK75, PMX75, and QET7100A, components associated with mmWave 5G support. International ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ models, by contrast, are said to use the "C2," which would succeed the C1 and C1X modems currently found in the iPhone Air, iPhone 17e, and M5 iPad Pro. The implication, as AppleInsider notes, is that the C2 still lacks mmWave capability, and that Apple is once again relying on Qualcomm to fill that gap for American carriers. mmWave is the ultra-high-frequency band of 5G offered primarily by Verizon, delivering very fast download speeds over short distances. Apple's C1 and C1X modems are widely regarded as more power efficient than their Qualcomm counterparts, meaning U.S. ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ buyers may see somewhat worse battery life than those purchasing the same device elsewhere. Daring Fireball's John Gruber offered analysis of the practical tradeoffs involved. While 5G outpaced LTE in his tests, Gruber argued the difference has no meaningful impact on how the phone actually feels to use: Having a phone that can pull 320 Mbps down over cellular is like having a car that can go 320 MPH — an interesting technical feat, but of no practical value to me whatsoever. I never feel like I'm waiting for anything to load because I'm on LTE. LTE is fast enough, and regular 5G is more than fast enough. 5G mmWave is simply a waste of battery life as far as I'm concerned. On why Apple would not simply deploy the C2 everywhere rather than retaining Qualcomm for the U.S. market, Gruber pointed the finger squarely at carrier economics: Faster-than-you-practically-need download speeds are a carrier bragging point. Longer battery life and plenty-fast-enough download speeds are an Apple bragging point. Verizon — and to a lesser extent, AT&T — spent a fortune building out mmWave networks. They don't want to sell flagship phones that don't support them. Apple's flagship iPhones have supported those networks since 2020. If Zivkovic's analysis of this stolen data from Tata is correct, and Apple is going to use Qualcomm's modems only in iPhone 18 Pro models sold in the U.S., I think the reason why is Verizon and AT&T bragging points, not any practical user benefit. And the result may be that U.S. iPhone 18 Pro models get somewhat worse battery life than those in the rest of the world. The C2 modem has been a rumored feature of the iPhone 18 Pro for years as part of Apple's broader effort to reduce its reliance on Qualcomm. A split deployment, with the C2 handling most of the world while Qualcomm covers the U.S., would represent a significant step in that direction even if it falls short of a complete transition. The ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ and ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max are expected to launch in the fall alongside the first foldable iPhone.Related Roundup: iPhone 18 Pro This article, "iPhone 18 Pro Could Use Qualcomm Modem in the US and C2 Elsewhere" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Apple's AirTag 2 is still available for the all-time low price of $89.00 this week, down from $99.00. This sale is on the 4-Pack of the AirTag 2, and it's one of the very few Prime Day deals that's stuck around since the event ended last week. 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 new AirTag is equipped with a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip, enabling the Precision Finding feature to work up to 50% farther away from an item compared to the previous-generation model. You'll also find a small discount on the 1-Pack right now on Amazon. $2 OFFAirTag 2 (1-Pack) for $27.00 $10 OFFAirTag 2 (4-Pack) for $89.00 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, "AirTag 2 Still Available for Best-Ever Price of $89 for 4-Pack" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Opera browser has announced a new security feature called Paste Protect that aims to stop clipboard-based cyberattacks before their malicious commands can be accidentally executed. Opera says it's the first major browser to offer native protection against ClickFix attacks – a growing form of social engineering that tricks users into copying and pasting malicious commands into a computer's terminal. The new feature is built into Opera's desktop browsers and enabled by default. ClickFix attacks typically masquerade as routine troubleshooting prompts, such as fake CAPTCHA verification or video playback fixes. Once pasted and executed, the commands can install malware, steal passwords, or give attackers remote access to a device. Opera describes the browsing risk as follows: A ClickFix-style attack usually starts with something small and ordinary: a video that won't play, or a CAPTCHA that won't quite verify you're human. A pop-up offers a fix, telling you to copy a short command and paste it into your computer's terminal. It looks like routine troubleshooting. In reality, that command can install malware, steal saved passwords, or hand an attacker remote access to your machine, all carried out by the user's own hands, on their own device.Opera features an existing clipboard hijack protection feature that prevents external applications from silently replacing copied content such as cryptocurrency wallet addresses. Paste Protect combines this with a new injection protection system that monitors clipboard activity for suspicious commands copied from websites and blocks potentially malicious content before it reaches the clipboard. Users can see the first 120 characters of the blocked content, and developers working with trusted sources can override the block or mark specific sites as safe. Opera cited research from cybersecurity firm Huntress that said ClickFix accounted for more than 53 percent of malware-loading cyberattacks last year, indicating the rapid growth of the technique. Apple itself introduced a related safeguard for the Mac with the release of macOS Tahoe 26.4 earlier this year. Following the update, the operating system explicitly warns the user before they paste potentially dangerous commands into the Terminal app. Opera browser is available now as a free update and can be downloaded from the company's website.Tag: Opera Browser This article, "Opera Browser Gains Protection Against Malicious Clipboard Commands" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

For the last 19 years, the iPhone Photography Awards (IPPA) has selected the best photographs captured with an iPhone, and the 2026 award winners were announced today. The IPPA 2026 Grand Prize image features a volcano dramatically erupting in the Cayman Islands, with the photo shot by Robyn Jensen on an iPhone 15 Pro. The Gold Prize image by Gellért Gombai features two children napping on grass in the shadow of a badminton racket, with the photo shot in black and white using an iPhone X. There are also Silver and Bronze prize winners taken on iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max models, respectively. There are other winners across a number of categories, including abstract, animals, architecture, children, cityscape, landscape, lifestyle, nature, people, portrait, series, still life, travel, and other. All of the winning images can be viewed on the IPPA website. The contests are open to iPhone and iPad users worldwide, and images can be edited with iOS apps. It is worth noting that it costs money to send in a photo, but Apple devices are provided as prizes. The 20th annual entry deadline for submissions is March 31, 2027. This article, "iPhone Photography Awards Highlight Best Images of 2026" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article