Tag: Source: 9to5mac.com

Apple’s 2023 iPhone Collection: An In-Depth Look at Its Most Impressive Features to Date

### The iPhone 17 Collection: A Detailed Review

Apple continually elevates expectations with every iPhone launch, and the iPhone 17 collection is no different. This year, the brand has not only rolled out its “finest iPhones to date,” but has also presented a collection that shines in performance, features, and overall user satisfaction.

#### Each New iPhone This Year is Outstanding

Apple’s promotional strategy frequently claims that each new release is the pinnacle of its category. While this has been mostly true over the years, the iPhone 17 collection genuinely exemplifies this assertion. The standard iPhone 17 model enhances the strengths of its forerunner, the iPhone 16, while adding several improvements:

– **Expanded 6.3-inch Display**: A more captivating viewing experience.
– **ProMotion and Always-On Capabilities**: Smoother navigation and immediate notifications.
– **Revamped Center Stage Front Camera**: Enhanced video calls with automatic centering.
– **Ceramic Shield 2 for Strength**: Increased defense against drops and scratches.
– **A19 Chip**: Exceptional performance and efficiency.
– **Expanded 256GB Base Storage**: More capacity for apps, photos, and videos.
– **Enhanced Brightness Outdoors**: Improved visibility under sunlight.
– **Noticeable Battery Life Improvements**: Longer usage without the need for frequent recharging.

In spite of these enhancements, the iPhone 17 retains its initial price of $799, making it a compelling choice for buyers.

#### The Pro Models: iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max

The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max serve users who crave sophisticated features, especially in camera quality and battery endurance. Apple has concentrated on boosting these elements, rendering the Pro models attractive to both professionals and enthusiasts. Although the new design may not appeal to everyone, the launch of vivid colors, such as Cosmic Orange, has received favorable reviews from many users.

#### The iPhone Air: A New Option

This year, Apple has also unveiled the iPhone Air, featuring a stylish and ultra-slim design. Users who value portability without compromising on performance will find the iPhone Air enticing. Early evaluations emphasize its remarkable battery longevity and sturdiness, complemented by the premium performance of the A19 Pro chip.

#### iPhone 17 Collection: Summary

In summary, Apple has effectively introduced four exceptional iPhone models, each possessing distinct advantages:

– **iPhone 17**: Perfect for users in search of a dependable and feature-rich device without needing the latest advancements.
– **iPhone 17 Pro/Pro Max**: Ideal for those who focus on battery longevity and advanced photographic functions.
– **iPhone Air**: A modern alternative for users who like a lightweight gadget with top-tier performance.

With such a comprehensive collection, it’s challenging to pinpoint any major drawbacks in any of the models. Each one addresses different user requirements, ensuring there’s an iPhone for everyone. As Apple continues to advance, the iPhone 17 collection stands out as one of the most impressive offerings in the company’s history.

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American Express Unveils Dark Mode Option for Cardholders Paying a $900 Annual Fee

### ‘Premium Theme’ in Amex App Provides Platinum Holders a Genuine Black Background

American Express has unveiled an enhanced app experience for owners of its $895/year Platinum Card via a new feature termed the ‘Premium Theme.’ This option enables Platinum Card members to benefit from a darker palette in the app, specifically offering a genuine black background.

The launch of the ‘Premium Theme’ follows a notable hike in the annual fee for the Platinum Card, which has increased from $695 to $895. To validate this hike, American Express has integrated various new benefits, including a $300 credit for lululemon and a $400 credit for Resy, presenting tangible monetary advantages to cardholders.

The ‘Premium Theme’ is crafted specifically for Platinum Card members, delivering a visually unique experience by altering the app’s backdrop to a black user interface, replacing the previous dark blue in dark mode. In light mode, the colors are similarly subdued, while the app’s overall functionality and features remain intact.

Although the notion of a ‘Premium Theme’ may appear trivial, it underscores American Express’s efforts to elevate the user experience for its premium cardholders. The implementation of this feature has, however, elicited mixed responses, with some finding amusement in the idea that a marginally darker app theme could be viewed as a luxury benefit.

In conclusion, the ‘Premium Theme’ in the American Express app acts as a distinctive, albeit slight, enhancement for Platinum Card members, signifying the brand’s dedication to delivering exclusive experiences for its high-paying clientele.

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Reports Suggest Search Feature Glitch in iOS 26 Apple Calendar Application

**Concerns Surrounding Apple Calendar Search Functionality in iOS 26**

Recently, users have voiced considerable concerns regarding the search capabilities in Apple’s Calendar application following the update to iOS 26. Many have taken to forums like Reddit to share their frustrations, mentioning that the search tool provides no results even when relevant calendar entries exist.

One user, known as Electronic-Squash359, recounted their attempt to backtrack lessons with a student named Claudia. Even with a record of lessons that extends over two years, the search for her name yielded no results. This experience has been reiterated by many others who have faced similar issues after upgrading to iOS 26.

In light of the increasing complaints, an Apple Support Communities participant confirmed that Apple is aware of the problem. Another user described a lengthy interaction with Apple Support, where representatives also acknowledged the malfunction after a prolonged troubleshooting session.

Adding to the complication, some users have reported that the autocomplete feature, which usually suggests prior calendar entries based on what users begin to type, is not functioning correctly. This has further impeded users’ ability to effectively manage their calendars.

Although the issue remains unresolved for many, a workaround has been discovered that has worked for some users. The proposed solution involves going to Settings > Apps > Calendar > Search, turning off two specific options, restarting the device, and then reactivating those options. Users should allow a few minutes for the search index to refresh. Some have claimed that after following these instructions, the search feature was restored following a short wait.

As this problem continues to impact users, feedback is welcomed in the comments section for those encountering comparable challenges.

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Cutting-Edge App Providing Compensation for Sharing Voice Calls Climbs to #2 in App Store Social Applications

### The Emergence of Neon Mobile: A Disputed App Capitalizing on Your Conversations

In a time when data is frequently viewed as the new oil, a distinct application has surfaced, grabbing the attention of users and privacy advocates alike. Neon Mobile, a social application that enables users to record and distribute their audio calls, has swiftly risen to become the second most downloaded social app on the Apple App Store. The app’s distinctive offer? Users can sell their audio conversations to artificial intelligence (AI) companies, potentially earning hundreds or even thousands of dollars each year.

#### Cashing in on Privacy

Neon Mobile’s business model is clear-cut: users agree to have their audio calls recorded, which the company subsequently anonymizes and sells to AI companies for training objectives. The app asserts that since telecom providers profit from user data, individuals should also be compensated for their contributions. According to Neon, users can receive $0.15 per minute of recorded audio, which increases to $0.30 when both participants on a call are using the app. This could result in earnings of up to $30 daily for engaged users.

#### Swift Rise in App Store Rankings

The app’s popularity surged remarkably, advancing from a rank of No. 476 in the Social Networking category to No. 10 within a week, and ultimately achieving No. 6. This rapid ascent has been observed by various tech outlets, including TechCrunch, which emphasized the app’s unique appeal.

#### Functionality

When users make calls using the Neon app, it records the audio. If only one participant is a Neon user, only that individual’s portion of the conversation is recorded. However, if both participants are on the app, the recording captures both sides, provided at least one initiates the call through Neon. The company reassures users that personal details, such as names and phone numbers, are filtered out during the recording process.

#### Privacy Issues

Despite its alluring proposal, Neon Mobile raises considerable privacy concerns. A notable part of its privacy policy indicates that if a user uninstalls the app without terminating their account, their calls can still be recorded when other Neon users contact them. This provision has raised skepticism among privacy professionals, who warn that the app’s phrasing around “one-sided transcripts” may suggest that it records entire conversations but only excludes the other party’s contributions from the final recording.

Cybersecurity and privacy attorney Peter Jackson voiced concerns regarding the ambiguity of the app’s recording methods, implying that users might not be fully aware of the extent to which their discussions are being captured and utilized.

#### Terms and Conditions

Neon Mobile’s terms and conditions seem to provide the company extensive rights over the data collected. This lack of transparency around data usage has raised red flags among privacy advocates, who argue that users might unknowingly forfeit control over their personal data.

#### Final Thoughts

As Neon Mobile continues to gain momentum, it serves as a reminder of the intricacies surrounding data privacy in the modern era. While the allure of monetizing personal conversations may attract some, the potential dangers and ethical implications deserve thorough scrutiny. Users must balance the financial incentives against the possible erosion of privacy and the enduring consequences of sharing their audio data with external parties.

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9to5Mac Daily: September 25, 2025 – Conversation Regarding iPhone Scratching Problems and Other Subjects

**9to5Mac Daily: Your Destination for Daily Apple News and Insights**

In the rapidly evolving tech landscape, keeping abreast of current events is essential, particularly for Apple aficionados. The **9to5Mac Daily** podcast is a dependable resource for daily summaries of the most important developments within the Apple world. Accessible on numerous platforms, such as iTunes, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play, and via a specific RSS feed, this podcast guarantees that listeners remain well-informed.

### What to Anticipate from 9to5Mac Daily

Every episode of **9to5Mac Daily** is recorded on weekdays, offering listeners prompt updates on news related to Apple, product releases, software enhancements, and market trends. The podcast is presented by seasoned professionals who simplify intricate subjects into manageable segments, making it easier for listeners to grasp the significance of each story.

### Advantages of Subscribing

Subscribing to **9to5Mac Daily** not only ensures you are among the first to receive new episodes upon release, but it also comes with additional benefits. By opting for **9to5Mac Daily Plus**, subscribers can take pleasure in ad-free episodes and exclusive bonus content, enriching their listening journey.

### Connecting with the Community

Listeners are invited to express their opinions and share feedback. Whether via email or by rating the podcast on platforms such as Apple Podcasts and Overcast, audience interaction is a crucial aspect of the **9to5Mac Daily** experience. This engagement enhances the show and creates a more unified community of Apple enthusiasts.

### Sponsored Content

The podcast features sponsorships, including from **Backblaze**, a cloud backup service that provides listeners with a discount on their offerings. This collaboration not only supports the podcast but also supplies valuable resources to listeners looking to protect their data.

### Final Thoughts

For anyone keen on Apple news, **9to5Mac Daily** is a must-listen podcast that merges informative content with engaging dialogues. With its dedication to offering timely updates and promoting community involvement, it distinguishes itself as a top choice for Apple fans. Subscribe today to stay updated on the latest events in the Apple realm.

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Tim Cook Anticipated to Be Present at Tomorrow’s Relaunch of Apple Ginza Store

**Tim Cook’s Journey to Tokyo: A Tribute to Gaming and Apple’s Innovation**

Apple’s CEO Tim Cook is presently in Tokyo, Japan, where he has been immersing himself in the local culture and technological landscape. His visit aligns with the eagerly awaited reopening of the Apple Ginza store, which is poised to reveal a completely new design. Cook shared an image captured outside the store, conveying his appreciation for Tokyo’s distinct vibrancy, proclaiming that “nowhere else in the world has the energy of Tokyo.”

Alongside his Apple-related engagements, Cook has fully embraced Japan’s lively gaming culture. He shared a picture of himself with Pikachu, the adored mascot of the Pokémon franchise, referring to Japan as a “gamer’s paradise.” This idea was further reflected in a brief video where he connected with Japanese game developers from Bandai Namco, highlighting the creative ways they leverage Apple’s software capabilities. During this gathering, Cook also got to play “Dragon Ball Gekishin Squadra,” showcasing the convergence of technology and gaming in Japan.

Pikachu, a yellow rodent character, is not just a key figure in the Pokémon series but also a cultural symbol, featuring in numerous games such as Pokémon Go and the Pokémon Trading Card Game. The character’s fame has resulted in extensive merchandise sales, making it a staple in both gaming and popular culture.

In addition to his interactions with the gaming sector, Cook visited the Hie Shrine, an important cultural site in Tokyo. The shrine boasts a rich history, with its establishment traced back to either 1362 or 1478, although it has endured destruction and relocation through the centuries, especially during World War II. The present structure was reconstructed in 1958 and contains one of Japan’s National Treasures, a single-edged sword referred to as a tachi.

As Cook gears up for the reopening of the Apple Ginza store, his visit highlights Apple’s dedication to engaging with local cultures and communities while honoring innovation in technology and gaming. The reopening event is anticipated to draw significant interest, further enhancing Apple’s footprint in Japan’s vibrant market.

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Research Indicates Notable Rise in Fraudulent Applications Driven by AI

### Escalation in Deceptive Mobile Applications: AI’s Contribution

A recent report has revealed an astonishing growth in deceptive mobile applications across both iOS and Android platforms. Findings from DV Fraud Lab indicate a 300% increase in fraudulent apps on iOS and a shocking 600% surge on Android in 2025 alone. This upsurge presents considerable dangers to users and advertisers.

#### Targeting Consumers and Marketers

Deceptive apps frequently imitate well-known applications, like Facebook, to deceive users into logging in and disclosing sensitive details such as usernames and passwords. The implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) has been crucial in the development of these misleading apps, allowing them to create persuasive descriptions that facilitate their acceptance during app review processes.

In addition to targeting consumers, these deceptive apps seek to take advantage of marketers. By gaining entry into app stores, they can fabricate fake traffic, consequently generating ad revenue through misleading tactics.

#### The AI Component

One of the main factors driving this escalation is the application of AI technologies. Fraud schemes are exploiting AI not just to fabricate traffic, but also to design more realistic-looking applications. This advancement makes it progressively more difficult for app store reviewers to accurately identify and reject these fraudulent submissions. Additionally, these apps can imitate authentic user behavior, complicating conventional fraud detection techniques.

Automated systems are also used to create fake reviews, typically devoid of any genuine quality. For example, a gaming app might claim to offer an exhilarating experience in its description, yet the reviews could contain repeated and nonsensical terms that do not align with the app’s real functionality.

#### The Necessity for Improved Screening Protocols

DV Fraud Lab has observed the rise of specific AI-driven tools and platforms that ease the creation of fraudulent apps, making it feasible even for individuals without programming abilities. This situation presents a vital opportunity for companies like Apple and Google to reevaluate and strengthen their app screening protocols to protect users and advertisers alike.

In summary, the growth of deceptive mobile applications, propelled by AI, highlights the pressing need for enhanced scrutiny in app store submissions. As technology advances, so must the tactics to tackle these fraudulent practices, ensuring a more secure digital landscape for all users.

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Apple Cautions That EU Legislation Could Postpone Feature Launches and Possible New Devices

The European Union is presently engaged in a consultation process examining the repercussions of its Digital Markets Act (DMA), a crucial piece of antitrust legislation focused on managing major tech corporations. This act requires firms like Apple to permit third-party app stores, a stipulation that Apple states has impeded its capability to launch certain software features for users in the EU.

In its feedback regarding the DMA, Apple has revealed that it has yet to roll out features like iPhone Mirroring and AirPods Live Translation in EU regions due to concerns surrounding privacy. The firm foresees potential delays for additional features in Europe, with even a minimal chance that some hardware launches might be affected.

### A Brief Overview of Apple and the DMA

The DMA identifies particular tech companies as “gatekeepers,” meaning they wield sufficient market influence to possibly suppress competition. Apple received this classification mainly because of its dominance in iPhone app sales. As a result, it was obliged to permit app transactions outside of its App Store, fostering the rise of multiple alternative app stores.

Moreover, the DMA requires that when Apple rolls out new features compatible with its hardware, like AirPods, these features must also be made available to third-party hardware makers. Apple has raised concerns that this condition presents notable privacy risks, which is why it has postponed the launch of some features in the EU.

### iPhone Mirroring and AirPods Live Translation

Two particular features that have faced delays include iPhone Mirroring and AirPods Live Translation.

– **AirPods Live Translation** employs Apple Intelligence to enhance communication across different languages. Apple has crafted this feature to safeguard the privacy of user conversations, ensuring processing occurs on-device without access from Apple or external parties. The difficulty lies in modifying this feature for non-Apple devices, necessitating further engineering to uphold privacy.

– **iPhone Mirroring** permits users to view and engage with their iPhone through a Mac, allowing effortless notification checks and file transfers. Apple has yet to devise a secure way to broaden this feature to non-Apple devices without jeopardizing user data security.

Additionally, functionalities like Visited Places and Preferred Routes on Maps, which depend on on-device location data to protect user privacy, have also been postponed due to the challenges of sharing these features with third-party developers.

### Software Delays

Apple has indicated that maintaining privacy safeguards demands extensive work for its hardware and poses even more significant obstacles for third-party hardware. While the company does not object to the idea of feature sharing, it cannot grant immediate access to competitor hardware until it addresses the relevant privacy concerns. At present, the sole means for Apple to avert fines is to delay specific feature releases in the EU until it can guarantee compatibility with third-party products.

### New Hardware Launches

Currently, Apple has not postponed any new hardware launches in EU territories and does not foresee this changing. Nonetheless, the company has recognized that it cannot entirely discount the possibility of future delays, considering the fluid nature of the legislation.

### Apple Argues the DMA Isn’t Working

Apple asserts that the DMA, designed to foster competition and improve consumer options, is achieving the contrary result. The company contends that delays in feature availability lead to EU users missing out on the latest innovations, causing a lack of product differentiation. Additionally, Apple claims that the DMA unfairly singles it out while permitting competitors like Samsung and rising Chinese firms to operate without similar constraints.

In summary, Apple is pushing for the repeal or significant alteration of the DMA, arguing that it undermines innovation and consumer choice within the tech industry.

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Apple Scientists Unveil SimpleFold: An Easy-to-Use AI Instrument for Anticipating Protein Folding

Google DeepMind’s efforts with AlphaFold have been remarkable, yet they come with significant computational costs. Considering this, Apple researchers embarked on creating an alternative approach to utilize AI for predicting protein 3D structures, and the results are encouraging. Here are the specifics.

If you’re unfamiliar with AlphaFold, it’s Google DeepMind’s revolutionary AI model that predicts the 3D shape of proteins based on their amino acid sequences. This has proven particularly beneficial for the development of more effective medications, along with entirely new materials.

Until recently, this was a highly challenging issue. Estimating the three-dimensional atomic formation of a single protein could span months or even years.

However, with the advent of AlphaFold, now AlphaFold2, as well as other advanced models such as RoseTTAFold and ESMFold, this prediction time can be reduced to mere hours or even minutes, contingent on the hardware available.

Each model employs distinct techniques and frameworks to achieve such impressive accuracy; however, they generally entail extremely expensive computations, and their frameworks follow a rigid structure.

According to Apple’s researchers:

“Long-established models for protein folding such as AlphaFold2 and RoseTTAFold have garnered exceptional accuracy through meticulously designed architectures that incorporate computation-heavy, domain-specific functionalities for tasks like multiple sequence alignments (MSAs) of amino acid sequences, pair representations, and triangle updates. These design selections (MSA, pair representations, triangular updates, etc.) aim to embed our current comprehension of the fundamental structure generation processes into these models, rather than allowing the models to learn this directly from data, which could be advantageous for numerous reasons.”

### Introducing Apple’s SimpleFold

In their model proposal, instead of depending on “MSA, pairwise interaction maps, triangular updates, or any other equivariant geometric modules,” Apple utilizes what are known as flow matching models, introduced in 2023 that have gained significant traction for text-to-image and text-to-3D applications.

Essentially, flow matching models represent an advancement from the diffusion models discussed in a prior article. Rather than merely iteratively minimizing noise from an initial image, they learn a smoother trajectory that transforms random noise directly into a completed image in one step.

Moreover, as this method bypasses many denoising processes, it proves to be less computationally intensive, yielding results more quickly.

Apple researchers trained SimpleFold at various sizes, specifically 100M, 360M, 700M, 1.1B, 1.6B, and 3B parameters, and evaluated them based on “two widely recognized protein structure prediction benchmarks: CAMEO22 and CASP14, which are stringent tests for generalization, robustness, and atomic-level precision in folding models.”

The outcomes were quite promising:

“Despite its straightforwardness, SimpleFold delivers competitive performance relative to these baselines. In both benchmarks, SimpleFold consistently surpasses ESMFlow, another flow-matching model designed with ESM embeddings. On CAMEO22, SimpleFold yields results comparable to the top folding models (e.g., ESMFold, RoseTTAFold2, and AlphaFold2). Notably, SimpleFold attains over 95% of the performance of RoseTTAFold2/AlphaFold2 across most metrics without utilizing costly and heuristic triangle attention and MSA.”

And

“To ensure thoroughness, we present the results of SimpleFold across various model sizes. The smallest model, SimpleFold-100M, demonstrates competitive performance while maintaining efficiency in both training and inference. Specifically, SimpleFold obtains over 90% of the ESMFold performance on CAMEO22, illustrating the effectiveness of constructing a folding model utilizing general-purpose architectural components.”

They also observed performance enhancements correlated with scaling, indicating that larger models with extensive training data consistently yield superior folding performance, particularly on the most demanding benchmarks.

Ultimately, they indicate that SimpleFold is merely an initial effort, expressing their hope that it “serves as a catalyst for the community to develop efficient and powerful protein generative models.”

You can access the complete study on arXiv.

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Apple TV+ Reveals Initial Teaser for Forthcoming Culinary Docuseries

**Knife Edge: Pursuing Michelin Stars – A Fresh Docuseries on Apple TV+**

Apple has officially unveiled an intriguing new docuseries consisting of eight episodes named “Knife Edge: Pursuing Michelin Stars,” scheduled for its debut on October 10. This series endeavors to offer a comprehensive examination of the high-pressure environment faced by elite chefs as they aim to secure Michelin stars, which are regarded as the highest honors in the culinary realm.

Viewers will be taken on a journey across multiple countries, such as the US, UK, Ireland, Italy, Denmark, Sweden, and Mexico, highlighting the narratives of chefs and their establishments as they chase their first, second, or even third Michelin star. This docuseries stands as a notable contrast to the dramatized depiction of the culinary world evidenced in FX’s “The Bear,” delivering a genuine and unfiltered look at the hurdles and victories encountered by these culinary professionals.

Hosted by Jesse Burgess, a culinary expert and co-founder of the worldwide food and travel site Topjaw, “Knife Edge: Pursuing Michelin Stars” aims to encapsulate the emotional depth and ambition that characterize the journey toward Michelin acknowledgment. The series promises unprecedented access to Michelin, including exclusive interviews with unnamed inspectors, offering a chef’s perspective on the elusive honor and the personal stories behind the tireless quest for culinary excellence.

Gordon Ramsay acts as the executive producer of the series, which has sparked considerable excitement among culinary aficionados and Apple TV+ viewers alike. The docuseries trailer suggests an exhilarating exploration of the culinary scene, brimming with passion, stress, and the unyielding search for superiority.

“Knife Edge: Pursuing Michelin Stars” will be accessible for streaming on Apple TV+, with a subscription fee of $12.99 per month. The platform also showcases a variety of hit shows and films, including “Severance,” “The Morning Show,” and “Silo.”

Make sure to mark October 10 on your calendars to experience the captivating journey of chefs as they navigate the challenging realm of fine dining in their pursuit of Michelin stars.

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