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 This week was Apple launch week, and we're already seeing solid markdowns on the new M4 iPad Air, M5 MacBook Air, and more. Additionally, below you'll find deals on AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation and Apple Watch Series 11.
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Repair site iFixit did its traditional teardown on the MacBook Neo, and was pleasantly surprised with the laptop's repairability. "We haven't been as happy about a MacBook since 2012," says iFixit.
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 It's been a big week for foldable iPhone rumors. In case you missed any of them, here are five developments that we've covered over the last few days.
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Apple is lowering its developer fees in China following discussions with the Chinese regulator. From March 15, the commission rate for standard in-app purchases (IAPs) will be reduced from 30 percent to 25 percent on its mainland China App Store storefront for both iOS and iPadOS.
In a Developer blog, Apple also said that developers belonging to its App Store Small Business or Mini Apps programmes will also have their fees reduced by 3 percent, from 15 to 12 percent. This applies to the commission rate for IAPs and in-app subscription renewals after the first year.
"We strive for iOS and iPadOS to be the best app ecosystem and a great business opportunity for developers in China," Apple said in the post. "We are committed to terms that remain fair and transparent to all developers, and to always offering competitive App Store rates to developers distributing apps in China that are no higher than overall rates in other markets."
Apple says developers are not required to agree to the terms by March 15 to start receiving their benefits, seemingly making the transition as smooth as possible to avoid further regulatory intervention. It will no doubt be taken as a significant win for Chinese businesses, and comes a year after reports that a state watchdog was investigating the fees Apple enforces on developers it hosts on the App Store.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/apple-is-reducing-its-app-store-commission-fees-in-china-131221192.html?src=rss
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It's hard to believe that it's been almost four years since Apple gave the MacBook Air a serious glow-up. The 2022 model was a total redesign that bumped its performance with the M2 chip and also improved a number of key components. It was also the first MacBook Air to drop the signature tapered design, and Apple added a 15-inch model one year later to boot. Since then, Apple's primarily focused on making sure it has a new chip every year — we're already up to the M5, if you can believe it.
As such, the latest MacBook Air is an expected update that doesn't change the game. Not that it needed changing: it's been our favorite ultraportable laptop for years now. But the Air's place in Apple's lineup has changed with the simultaneous introduction of the $599 MacBook Neo. And unfortunately, Apple didn't keep the $999 price that last year's M4 MacBook Air hit; it's back up to $1,099, the same price as the M2 and M3 models. Now that there's the new, inexpensive MacBook Neo out there, who is the MacBook Air for? While I haven't used the Neo yet, I'm pretty comfortable answering that question: it's still for almost anyone.
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 For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with Lululook to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win an iPhone 17 Pro and a 25W Qi2.2 3-in-1 Charger from Lululook to go along with it.
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The first video glasses with HDR10 have a great display, but the fit isn't for me.
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These safes impressed us the most, not only with their locks but with useful smart features.
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 Parallels Desktop virtualization software is compatible with the new MacBook Neo, according to an update from the company - but Windows VM performance will depend on your intended use case.
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Amazon is raising the price of its ad-free Prime Video subscription and locking 4K UHD streaming behind this new tier. Starting April 10 for US customers, a rebranded Prime Video Ultra subscription will cost $5 per month, up from $3 per month.
For that extra $2, you get a download capacity increase from 25 to 100, and you can now run five streams concurrently instead of three. Whether those "Ultra" upgrades are worth the $24 annual hike will probably depend on how many boxsets you like to plough through on a long flight, or how many devices are using your Prime Video account.
The changes are most galling for Prime members who automatically qualify for Prime Video with ads through their membership, as Amazon has decided to remove 4K streaming from the standard tier. That means that, despite already paying $15 per month or $139 per year for Amazon Prime, you'll be stuck with 1080p shows and movies unless you sign up to Prime Video Ultra.
Amazon has thrown in Dolby Vision support for the first time, as well as upping the concurrent stream and download count on its free tier as well, but you're losing the privilege of UHD content that has been available to all Prime Video members for years. Dolby Atmos remains exclusive to the $5 tier too.
Amazon is the latest streamer to put its prices up, following similar recent hikes to Apple TV,
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On stage at SXSW, Spotify Co-CEO Gustav Söderström announced a new feature that lets you shape your own Taste Profile.
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Inevitably, the more you use something — your Mac included — the more dirty and cluttered it's likely to become. At that point, you can buy a new machine, but the more economical move is to make what you have already work better. To help your computer feel new, or at least a little cleaner and less chaotic, we put together this guide with techniques and useful apps that have helped us maintain a more organized computer. I've been using these tips since before I first published this guide in 2021, and they've helped keep my 2018 MacBook Air looking and running (almost) like brand new.
How to clean your Mac's screen and body
While there are many products out there from manufacturers claiming their one does it best, my advice is to keep things simple. It's also the one Apple recommends. To start, you will need some water in a spray bottle and a clean microfiber cloth. You can use regular water from the tap but I've found distilled water works best; it's far less likely to leave residue behind on your Mac, particularly on the display. You can buy distilled water at a grocery store or make it yourself with
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 Google today added Gemini AI to Google Maps, enabling a new Ask Maps feature. Gemini in maps can answer complex, real-world questions that Google says "a map could never answer before."
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The newly verified X account for Iran's supreme leader could be putting the company on the wrong side of US sanctions, according to a watchdog group. The Tech Transparency Project, which last month published a report on X granting premium perks to sanctioned officials in Iran, now says that the verified account for the country's new leader raises fresh questions about the issue.
The TTP notes that the X account for Iran's new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, appears to be paying for an X premium subscription despite being on the US government's list of sanctioned individuals since 2019. As the group points out, the Iran-based account was created this month and currently bears a blue checkmark, which typically indicates the account holder is paying for a subscription.
It didn't end there.
An account for Iran's new supreme leader created this month also carries the blue premium checkmark.?? pic.twitter.com/5K9Ss1Sex8
— Tech Transparency Project (@TTP_updates) March 12, 2026
The account belonging to Mojtaba Khamenei has been boosted by other state-linked account
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NEW RESOURCES Spotted on Reddit: OrthoScience . From the About page: "OrthoScience is a free, specialized search engine designed exclusively for orthopedic professionals. Unlike general-purpose databases like PubMed or Google Scholar, OrthoScience […]
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The AI industry keeps saying its guardrails are improving. A new investigation suggests those protections still falter when conversations turn dark, emotional, and specific, especially when the user appears to be a distressed teen edging toward violence. This was not a case of one obscure bot answering a single reckless prompt. Researchers found that across […]
The post AI Chatbots Help Teens Plan Violence, Study Reveals appeared first on eWEEK.
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Apple introduced the messaging protocol to iPhones in 2024.
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Five of the major AI chatbots were tested. All of them regularly proposed dietary plans akin to skipping an entire meal each day.
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 Sonos today launched two new speakers, the Sonos Play and the Sonos Era 100 SL. Sonos says that the additions to its lineup "reflect a renewed focus on strengthening the Sonos system" after a disastrous 2024 app redesign damaged customer trust.
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I really don't know how Apple did it. The MacBook Neo is a $600 laptop that doesn't feel like an afterthought, which is a curse that has befallen so many cheap Windows notebooks. Sure, it has a slower A-series processor and it's limited to 8GB of RAM. But the MacBook Neo still feels as deeply considered as Apple's most premium hardware. Its screen, trackpad and overall usability is so far ahead of the competition, every Windows PC maker, including Microsoft, should be ashamed.
I've argued that a cheap MacBook could be the best for Apple to peel away Windows users, and after spending almost a week with the Neo, I'm convinced it will do just that. It's just fast enough to handle basic productivity work. It's sturdy enough to be tortured by kids in classrooms. And you really can't beat its $599 starting price. Once Windows users learn it's not that hard to switch to macOS, Apple will likely have another hit on its hands.
What's so Neo about this MacBook?
I'll admit, I laughed at the MacBook Neo's name at first. It really does feel like a desperately hip name ASUS or Acer would slap onto their machines (in fact, Acer is doing so right now), rather than something Apple would even consider. But the Neo name is more than just a dated reference to the Matrix — it's also a clear signal that this is a new
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Mark Gurman at Bloomberg is back with the latest rumors about what's afoot with Apple's future plans, and how its ongoing difficulties with artificial intelligence seem to be creating further delays for its next wave of product launches. His sources say that Apple is expected to postpone the debut of its smart home display until later in 2026, likely September when it often introduces new gadgets. Although the hardware has reportedly been finished for months, this delay is being credited to the company's AI-centric overhaul of Siri still not being complete.
The device, internally known as J490, has been one of Apple's many poorly-kept secrets. Rumors about a HomePod smart speaker coupled with a screen first emerged back in 2022 and have resurfaced from time to time in the interim, often with promises that the device's arrival was imminent. The latest claims anticipated that the official announcement was coming this spring, possibly as soon as this month. However, appears to Apple once again be hamstrung by an AI strategy that has left
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Dropped calls and slow data can happen anywhere, from small apartments to crowded music festivals. These tips can help improve your phone signal on iPhone or Android.
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