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Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak is ‘not a fan’ of AI
Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak is raising concerns about artificial intelligence as the technology becomes more embedded in everyday life, warning that it may not yet deliver the reliability and human understanding people expect. Wozniak joined FOX Business’ Liz Claman on “The Claman Countdown” to discuss how AI is evolving and where he believes it falls short despite rapid advancements across the tech industry.
Watch the latest video at foxbusiness.com
Arabella Bennett for FOXBusiness:
Wozniak, who helped build Apple’s earliest computers and shape the personal computing revolution, framed his skepticism around the importance of human thinking and emotional awareness, arguing that technology should reflect genuine understanding rather than just well-written responses.
“I want to know some human being like myself is thinking, knowing what I might feel, and understanding emotions and all that,” Wozniak said.
Drawing from his own experience testing AI tools, Wozniak said the systems often fail to answer questions directly, instead offering broad or unrelated information that misses the user’s true need.
“I want such reliable content every time. I am not a fan of AI,” Wozniak said.
His remarks also touched on the broader impact of technology on human behavior, suggesting that growing dependence on automated systems could change how people process information and solve problems.
“You become dependent on it,” Wozniak said.
MacDailyNews Take: The AI dependency issue is a real concern.
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Apple teases major AI push with iOS 27 and macOS 27
Apple as officially announced that its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC 2026) will take place from June 8 to June 12, with the in-person keynote kicking off on Monday, June 8, at the company’s headquarters in Cupertino, California.
The event, which is expected to be primarily online and free for all developers, will spotlight significant software updates across Apple’s platforms — including the anticipated reveals of iOS 27, macOS 27, and other OS versions — with a strong emphasis on AI advancements.
“WWDC26 will spotlight incredible updates for Apple platforms, including AI advancements and exciting new software and developer tools,” the company said in a statement.
Bloomberg News reports that the conference is seen as a pivotal moment for Apple to ramp up its artificial intelligence efforts, described by the outlet as the start of the company’s “AI comeback bid.” The keynote will likely preview new AI features for iPhone, Mac, and other devices, building on previous Apple Intelligence initiatives.
In addition to the main keynote, developers can look forward to sessions on new tools, frameworks, and platform enhancements throughout the week. As is tradition, the first betas of iOS 27, macOS 27, and related operating systems are expected to drop shortly after the keynote for developers.
Apple’s WWDC has historically been the stage for major software announcements that shape the ecosystem for the year ahead. This year’s focus on AI comes as the company seeks to deliver more substantial intelligence features following earlier rollouts.
MacDailyNews Take: Fingers crossed!
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Apple to roll out search ads in Maps app as services revenue push accelerates
Apple is preparing to introduce search-based advertising in its Apple Maps app, marking a significant expansion of its services business and bringing the navigation tool closer to the monetization model long used by rival Google Maps, Mark Gurman reports for Bloomberg News.
The company plans to allow retailers and brands to bid for prominent ad slots that appear in response to user search queries, such as for restaurants, bars or stores. The ads will show up as top results in the Maps app, Gurman reports citing people familiar with the matter. An official announcement could come as soon as this month, with the feature potentially rolling out to users this summer.
The move is part of Apple’s ongoing effort to grow its high-margin services revenue, which includes the App Store, Apple Music, iCloud and advertising. Services have become an increasingly important part of the company’s business as iPhone sales growth slows in mature markets.
Apple Maps has historically avoided ads to differentiate itself from Google Maps, emphasizing privacy and a cleaner user experience. However, the company has gradually expanded its advertising footprint in recent years, including search ads in the App Store and other placements across iOS.
MacDailyNews Take: The new feature will operate similarly to Google’s system, where businesses compete in auctions for visibility tied to specific search terms. While the change could boost Apple’s services income, it risks drawing criticism from users who have come to expect an ad-light experience from the company’s apps.
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Samsung Galaxy phones can now use Apple’s AirDrop to send files straight to iPhones, iPads, and Macs
Samsung Electronics Co. has rolled out a major cross-platform update: Galaxy S26 series owners can now share photos, videos, and files directly with iPhones, iPads, and Macs using Apple’s AirDrop protocol — all through the built-in Quick Share app, Bloomberg News reports.
The new “Share with Apple devices” toggle appears in Settings > Connected devices > Quick Share. Once enabled, users can select visibility options like “Everyone for 10 minutes” for quick, secure transfers without cables or extra apps.
The rollout starts today in South Korea and expands globally this week to North America, Europe, and other major markets. Samsung says support will come to more Galaxy devices in the future.
This move follows Google’s similar integration on Pixel phones last year.
MacDailyNews Note: Yes, both Google and Samsung effectively relied on reverse-engineering Apple’s AirDrop protocol (specifically its underlying proprietary AWDL — Apple Wireless Direct Link — technology) to enable this cross-platform compatibility. There was no official collaboration or API access provided by Apple.
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Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference returns the week of June 8th
Apple today announced it will host its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) online from June 8-12, bringing developers together from around the world for a week of connection, exploration, and innovation. In addition to the online experience, developers and students will also have the opportunity to celebrate in person during a special event at Apple Park on June 8th.
WWDC26 will spotlight incredible updates for Apple platforms, including AI advancements and exciting new software and developer tools. As part of the company’s ongoing commitment to supporting developers, WWDC will also provide unique access to Apple engineers and designers, and insight into new tools, frameworks, and features.
WWDC kicks off with the Keynote and Platforms State of the Union on Monday, June 8th. The conference continues online all week with over 100 video sessions and interactive group labs and appointments, where developers can connect directly with Apple engineers and designers to explore the latest announcements. The conference will take place on the Apple Developer app, website, and YouTube channel; and on the Apple Developer bilibili channel in China.
“WWDC is one of the most exciting times for us at Apple because it’s a chance for our incredible global developer community to come together for an electrifying week that celebrates technology, innovation, and collaboration,” said Susan Prescott, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide Developer Relations, in a statement. “We can’t wait to see many of you online and in person for what is sure to be one of our best WWDC events yet.”
The special in-person event at Apple Park on June 8 will offer developers and students the opportunity to watch the Keynote and the Platforms State of the Union, meet with Apple engineers and designers, take part in special labs and activities, and connect with the worldwide developer community. Space will be limited; details on how to submit a request to attend can be found on the Apple Developer website.
Apple is proud to support student developers through the Swift Student Challenge, one of many Apple programs that uplift the next generation of entrepreneurs, coders, and designers. This year’s winning students will be notified on Thursday, March 26, and will be eligible to request to attend the special event at Apple Park. In addition, 50 Distinguished Winners will be recognized for their outstanding submissions and invited to Cupertino for a three-day experience.
MacDailyNews Note: Apple will share additional conference information in advance of WWDC through the Apple Developer app, Developer website, and Apple Developer YouTube channel. Developers can also follow the conference worldwide on LinkedIn and WeChat, and on bilibili in China.
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Apple TV’s ‘For All Mankind’ sees streaming surge ahead of season 5
The hit Apple TV sci-fi series “For All Mankind” has surged in popularity, breaking into the top 10 most-watched titles on Apple TV. The climb in viewership arrives just in time for the show’s highly anticipated return with its upcoming fifth season.
As of now, per FlixPatrol, “For All Mankind” is ranked at No. 9, cracking Apple TV’s list of the top 10 TV shows available on the platform. It is sitting just under “Pluribus,” the new sci-fi drama series created by Vince Gilligan (“Breaking Bad”). “For All Mankind” might continue to rise in the coming days as more fans catch up or revisit past episodes leading into the Season 5 premiere, which is scheduled to arrive on Mar. 27.
The concept of “For All Mankind” is that it reimagines the space race, set in a world where the Soviet Union landed on the moon first. That leads to a decades-long escalation of competition between the United States and USSR. Each season jumps forward in time to further explore how this alternate reality reshapes global power dynamics, serving as a grounded drama series with sci-fi elements. Season 4, which took the story to the 2000s, focused heavily on the commercialization of space with Mars serving as a semi-established outpost.
Season 5 takes place several years after the Goldilocks asteroid heist. The official logline for the new season reads, “Happy Valley has grown into a thriving colony with thousands of residents and a base for new missions that will take us even further into the solar system. But with the nations of Earth now demanding law and order on the Red Planet, friction continues to build between the people who live on Mars and their former home.”
MacDailyNews Note: Here’s the official trailer for “For All Mankind” season 5:
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New Apple TV set-top box and HomePod mini speaker are ready launch
Apple retail stores worldwide are seeing low stock levels for the full-sized HomePod, HomePod mini, and Apple TV set-top box. Low inventory often signals that refreshed models are incoming, though we shouldn’t rush to assumptions just yet.
Reports indicate Apple has had updated versions of the Apple TV and HomePod mini prepared since last year, but the company has delayed their release to align with the rollout of an enhanced Siri and other Apple Intelligence features.
Mark Gurman for Bloomberg News:
Those features are still nowhere near ready, so if the new hardware is indeed coming soon, it probably means Apple just got tired of waiting. (Though the AI features are essential to a separate long-awaited home hub, they’re just a nice add-on for the HomePods and Apple TV.)
The full-sized HomePod, updated more recently than the HomePod mini, has seen inventory decline at some physical stores but is still widely available from Apple’s website. The Apple TV appears to have the best stock of all three products based on checks of the company’s website. The HomePod mini, on the other hand, is hard to find right now at brick-and-mortar locations. And customers trying to order from Apple’s website are seeing shipping delays until early next month — a notable development.
MacDailyNews Take: Siri hasn’t ever worked very well, so just release them anyway.
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The biggest surprise of Apple’s MacBook Neo
The MacBook Neo caught many people off guard with its stunning price-to-performance ratio, impressive overall quality, and surprising affordability, coupled with strong distribution potential. Plenty of reviews are already calling it a true market “disruptor,” with some claiming Windows PCs are no longer competitive at all.
So the real question is: Will the MacBook Neo actually move the needle in a meaningful way? Is it positioned to take meaningful market share from Windows laptops, and perhaps even pull users away from Chromebooks or iPads?
Apple’s sales of about 24 million Macs for a base of 260 million users implies a life span for Macs of nearly 11 years. However, all the other PCs sold add up to 238 million for a user base of 1.2 billion. That means the life span for the non-Mac PC is only 5 years.
This is, of course, reflected in the price difference but with the MacBook Neo, the potential for a 10 year old life for a $500 laptop puts the Neo price at $50/yr or 14c/day. Based on data for 2025, the average selling price of a new Windows PC is estimated to be $600 to $900 for consumer models. At $700 for a life span of 5 years makes the PC cost $140/yr or 38c/day.
This means that the average PC is more than twice the cost of the MacBook Neo. Now that is a surprise.
MacDailyNews Take: Yup. As we wrote a few years ago:
Total Cost of Ownership should be of more concern to the world’s personal computer buyers than initial sticker price. You get what you pay for, so get a Mac. – MacDailyNews, June 25, 2004
Why are so many people so afraid to imagine an end to the dark ages of personal computing? Too many MSFT shares in the mutual fund? We have no such problem. Apple Mac will embrace, then extinguish – whether analysts grasp what’s happening or not. — MacDailyNews, March 23, 2007
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[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Fred Mertz” for the heads up.]
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Apple’s MacBook Neo is the perfect AI computer
Apple’s MacBook Neo is exceptionally well-equipped for the very thing tech companies obsess over these days: AI. With its powerful Neural Engine and optimized on-device processing, it delivers fast, efficient Apple Intelligence features that outperform many higher-priced competitors in real-world AI workloads.
It’s not that other Macs are less capable. There is, however, something magical about the idea that a $600 entry-level Mac is as capable as a $4000 MacBook Pro, or $6000 Mac Studio, when it comes to the most intensive computing that any of us do today.
That, of course, is because most AI computing happens in the cloud, not on your computer. That means that the limiting factor isn’t memory, storage, or how fast your processor is. No, the limiting factor is how well you’re able to get your AI tool of choice to understand what you want. Oh, and I guess the speed of your internet connection.
That means that a MacBook Neo, with an A18 Pro, 8GB of memory, and a 256 GB or 512 GB SSD, will be just fine to run the Mac ChatGPT app or run Gemini in Safari. And that changes what your laptop actually needs to be.
With the MacBook Neo, a high school student, freelancer, or small business owner can now own hardware that gives them full access to the best AI tools in the world.
MacDailyNews Note: More info about Apple’s rather amazing MacBook Neo can be found here.
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Broadcasters urge EU to tighten rules for Apple, other Big Tech firms in smart TV standoff
Apple, Google, Amazon, and Samsung’s smart TVs and virtual assistants should fall under the EU’s toughest tech rules because of their growing market power, the world’s largest broadcasters told EU antitrust chief Teresa Ribera on Monday, Reuters reports.
The call by the Association of Commercial Television and Video on Demand Services in Europe (ACT) — whose members include Canal+, RTL, Mediaset, ITV, Paramount+, NBCUniversal, Walt Disney, Warner Bros Discovery, Sky, and TF1 Groupe — underscores the intensifying battle between broadcasters and Big Tech for market share in a lucrative industry.
Reuters:
Android TV, which increased its market share from 16% to 23% from 2019 to 2024, Amazon Fire OS whose market share rose from 5% to 12% in the same period and Samsung’s Tizen OS with its 24% market share should be designated as gatekeepers under the EU’s Digital Markets Act, the broadcasters said, citing data from a 2025 market study.
“A limited number of operators are therefore gaining growing ability to shape outcomes for millions of users and businesses by controlling access to audiences and content distribution,” ACT said in a letter to Ribera seen by Reuters, the first public broadside from broadcasters against Big Tech.
The broadcasters also voiced concerns about virtual assistants, the most well known of which are Amazon’s Alexa and Apple’s Siri, while OpenAI entered the field last year with a beta feature called Tasks for its AI chatbot ChatGPT.
The European Commission has yet to label any virtual assistants as gatekeepers under the DMA.
“The lack of designation of virtual assistants creates a regulatory void, allowing powerful AI assistants to become de facto gatekeepers for media content through mobile phones, smart speakers and in-car radio infotainment services, without being subject to DMA obligations,” the broadcasters said.
They urged Ribera to subject smart TVs and virtual assistants to the DMA on the basis of qualitative criteria even if they do not meet the quantitative benchmarks which are more than 45 million monthly active users and 75 billion euros ($87 billion) in market capitalisation.
MacDailyNews Take: Can’t compete? Litigate and or over regulate.
The European Union is an over-regulated, slow-motion train wreck. The single biggest reason why the EU doesn’t innovate because of onerous, stifling EU red tape.
The European Union arose because the Europeans couldn’t compete on their own with the rest of the world, so they each lined up to surrender their national sovereignty, unique cultures, and dignity for an undemocratic, opaque, wasteful, bloated, bureaucratic quasi-governmental blob – and, even with the EU’s thumbs all over the scale, they still can’t compete. — MacDailyNews, March 4, 2024
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Apple set to pocket $1 billion+ from rival AI apps in 2026 despite Siri issues
While tech giants like Microsoft, Google, Amazon, and Meta pour hundreds of billions into building massive AI infrastructure and frontier models, Apple appears to be quietly winning in a different way: by collecting hefty fees from the very rivals trying to dominate the space.
According to recent analysis from AppMagic and reporting by The Wall Street Journal, generative AI apps paid Apple nearly $900 million in App Store fees in 2025 alone. Projections now indicate that figure will surpass $1 billion in 2026, driven primarily by in-app subscription commissions.
Apple charges developers a standard 30% cut on subscription fees in the first year (dropping to 15% in subsequent years) when users sign up for premium AI services through apps on iOS, iPadOS, or macOS. The apps themselves — such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT and xAI’s Grok — are typically free to download, but the revenue flows from users upgrading to paid tiers for advanced features, faster responses, or higher usage limits.
OpenAI’s ChatGPT remains the dominant contributor, accounting for approximately 75% of the generative AI commission revenue on the App Store last year. xAI’s Grok trailed far behind at about 5%, with other tools like Anthropic’s Claude and Google’s Gemini making up the rest. Monthly subscription fees for these services often range from $20 upward, meaning Apple’s cut adds up quickly across millions of users.
The revenue surge follows a sharp upward trajectory: App Store fees from generative AI apps rose from around $35 million in January 2025 to a peak of $101 million in August 2025, before moderating slightly due to fluctuating download trends.
This passive income stream stands in stark contrast to the aggressive spending by Apple’s competitors. The so-called “hyperscalers” are collectively investing upwards of $700 billion this year in AI data centers, chips, and model training — expenses that have raised investor concerns about profitability in the short term.
Meanwhile, Apple benefits from its massive installed base of over 2.5 billion active devices, which serve as the primary gateway for many consumers to access these third-party AI tools. Even as Apple Intelligence continues to roll out and mature, the ecosystem still funnels significant traffic and subscriptions to external providers.
Critics have long pointed to Apple’s perceived lag in generative AI development, particularly with Siri remaining less capable than modern chatbots in certain tasks. However, the App Store model turns that perceived weakness into a financial strength: Apple doesn’t need to build the best AI model to profit from the category, it simply needs to control the platform where users discover and pay for them.
As discussions around AI monetization heat up, this dynamic underscores Apple’s enduring advantage as a “landlord” in the mobile ecosystem. While rivals burn cash to build the technology, Apple collects rent on the distribution.For now, the strategy appears to be paying off handsomely, providing a buffer for investors amid broader competitive pressures in hardware and services. Apple’s stock has held steady in recent trading, reflecting confidence in the resilience of its high-margin App Store business, even in the fast-evolving world of artificial intelligence.
MacDailyNews Take: Regarding LLM Siri:
A little birdie sings us very positive songs regarding Apple’s all-new next-gen Siri. – MacDailyNews, September 26, 2025
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Apple fends off renewed Apple Watch import ban attempt
In a significant development for Apple and its popular Apple Watch wearable lineup, a U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) administrative law judge has issued a preliminary ruling that the company’s redesigned Apple Watch models do not infringe on patents held by medical technology firm Masimo Corporation. The decision rejects Masimo’s latest attempt to impose a renewed import ban on the smartwatches, providing Apple with a key legal reprieve in a years-long battle over blood-oxygen monitoring technology.
The ruling, made public on Thursday, March 19, 2026, by Administrative Law Judge Monica Bhattacharyya, found no direct infringement by Apple’s “Redesign 2 Watch” on Masimo’s patents (U.S. Patent Nos. 10,912,502 and 10,945,648), which relate to light-based pulse oximetry. The judge also determined that Apple does not induce infringement when the redesigned watch is paired with an iPhone for use in the United States.
This preliminary determination stems from an enforcement proceeding initiated after Apple modified its Apple Watch following a 2023 ITC import ban on certain models, including the Series 9 and Ultra 2. That earlier ban, which took effect after presidential review, forced Apple to disable or remove the blood-oxygen feature in U.S.-sold devices to resume imports. Apple later reintroduced an updated version of the technology in August 2025, with approval from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, prompting Masimo to challenge the workaround as still violative.
The ITC judge’s finding marks a win for Apple in this specific enforcement action, allowing the tech giant to continue importing and selling its current Apple Watch models without immediate disruption. However, the decision is preliminary—the full ITC commission must review and decide whether to affirm it. A final ruling could come in the coming months.
Adding complexity to the saga, on the same day as the ITC preliminary ruling, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit issued a separate precedential opinion affirming the ITC’s original 2023 infringement findings against Apple’s unmodified watches. The appeals court found no error in the commission’s determinations on domestic industry, patent validity, or infringement, upholding the basis for the prior ban. Despite this affirmation of the historical ruling, Apple’s redesigned implementation appears to have successfully circumvented the issues, as noted by legal analysts and reports from sources like Reuters and Bloomberg Law.
The dispute dates back several years, originating from allegations that Apple incorporated Masimo’s patented pulse oximetry technology (used for non-invasive blood-oxygen level measurements) without permission. Masimo, known for its medical monitoring devices, has argued that Apple’s feature infringes its intellectual property, while Apple has maintained that its designs are independent and that the case represents an attempt to hinder competition.
Apple representatives have described Masimo’s efforts as meritless, and the company has continued to innovate in health features on the Apple Watch, which remains a cornerstone of its wearable ecosystem. Masimo has not immediately commented on the latest developments, but the company could seek further appeals or adjustments in the ongoing litigation.
For consumers and investors, the preliminary ruling provides reassurance that Apple Watch availability in the U.S. market is unlikely to face near-term interruptions.
The full ITC review will be closely watched, as it could set precedents for how redesigned products are evaluated in section 337 trade investigations.
MacDailyNews Take: In the meantime, Apple continues to dominate the smartwatch category, with the Apple Watch serving millions of users for fitness tracking, health monitoring, and everyday connectivity.
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Apple announces Martin Scorsese thriller ‘What Happens at Night’ starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence
Apple TV has officially announced the start of principal photography on a major new original film, “What Happens at Night,” directed by legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese and starring Academy Award winners Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence.
The project, an Apple Original Film, reunites Scorsese with DiCaprio after their acclaimed collaboration on “Killers of the Flower Moon,” which garnered 10 Oscar nominations. Scorsese has become a frequent collaborator with Apple, including recent appearances in projects like the Keanu Reeves comedy “Outcome” and various documentaries.
Adapted from Peter Cameron’s novel of the same name, “What Happens at Night” is a dream-like psychological thriller. The story follows an unnamed American couple (portrayed by DiCaprio and Lawrence) who travel to a strange, snowy European city to adopt a baby. The wife is battling cancer and becomes desperately weak during the journey, raising concerns that her illness could prevent the orphanage from releasing the child. Upon arrival, they check into the cavernous and eerily deserted Borgarfjaroasysla Grand Imperial Hotel, where the bar is always open and the lobby is populated by an enigmatic cast of characters — including an ancient, flamboyant chanteuse, a debauched businessman, and an enigmatic faith healer. As the couple struggles to claim their baby in this baffling, frozen world where nothing is as it seems, deeper uncertainties surface about their marriage, their identities, and life itself.
The supporting cast features an impressive lineup including Patricia Clarkson, Jared Harris, Mads Mikkelsen, and Welker White.
Apple TV confirmed the film’s existence and production status on March 19, 2026, via its official @AppleTV account on X, sharing the first-look image of DiCaprio and Lawrence in character:
A new Martin Scorsese film starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence.#WhatHappensAtNight is now in production. pic.twitter.com/1hGlPomsCd
— Apple TV (@AppleTV) March 19, 2026
The photo depicts the couple walking in the snow in front of a frost-covered vehicle, capturing the story’s wintry, mysterious atmosphere.
Principal photography is underway, with reports indicating filming will continue through May 2026. While no official release date has been set, the production schedule suggests a possible premiere as early as fall 2026, potentially positioning it as a contender for the 2027 awards season.
MacDailyNews Take: Another major talent-packed film for Apple!
Those who can wrap their heads around Apple’s massive cash mountain and the company’s unparalleled ability to generate cash can clearly see who the winner will be. The most talented producers, writers, directors, editors, actors, etc. are attracted to exactly what Apple has and makes in vast abundance: Cash. The king.
Like bears to honey, it’s happening already. — MacDailyNews, January 3, 2018
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Tim Cook to exit as Apple CEO this year? Here’s what prediction market is saying
Apple CEO Tim Cook on Tuesday sidestepped questions about his retirement and reaffirmed that he will continue to lead the company. This comes amid rumors that Cook is planning on stepping down in 2026. Here’s what prediction market is saying.
Prediction markets are betting on which CEO will exit before 2027, including Cook.
Polymarket, a Polygon based prediction platform that allows users to wager on an outcome using the USDC stablecoin is currently betting on a contract “Which CEOs will be out before 2027?”
Over $440,000 have been bet on the contract so far… Bettors have placed a 32% probability on the Apple chief exiting before 2027, down by 45%.
Other CEOs that the contract is betting on include Amazon.com Inc.’s Andy Jassy, Alphabet Inc.’s Sundar Pichai, and OpenAI’s Sam Altman, among others.
MacDailyNews Take: We wouldn’t bet Cook exiting his Apple CEO position before 2027.
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TechFest: Computer History Museum continues Apple’s 50th anniversary celebration
Following last week’s excellent Apple@50 panel, the Computer History Museum has announced “TechFest: Happy Birthday, Apple,” to be held on March 28th.
Last week, the Computer History Museum held a very interesting panel moderated by David Pogue, and featuring several veteran Apple executives, including former Apple CEO John Sculley, Senior Employee Chris Espinosa, former Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering Jon Rubinstein, and former Senior Vice President of Software Engineering Avie Tenevian.
The panel is well worth a watch below, also featuring a few surprise appearances from figures who played key roles in Apple’s history over the years:
Now, the CHM is inviting Apple fans to “TechFest: Happy Birthday, Apple” on March 28, which will feature Daniel Kottke, Apple employee number 12, who helped Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak assemble the first Apple I in 1976.
MacDailyNews Note: More into about “TechFest: Happy Birthday, Apple” here.
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Amazon is developing a new smartphone with shopping at its core
In 2014, Amazon launched its Fire Phone, a smartphone personally overseen by founder Jeff Bezos that aimed to challenge Apple and Samsung in the crowded market. The device proved to be one of the company’s most notable failures, discontinued after just over a year with massive losses.
Now, more than a decade later, Amazon is reportedly ramping up efforts on a new smartphone initiative, signaling a potential return to the hardware category it largely abandoned following the Fire Phone debacle. Details remain limited, but the move suggests the e-commerce giant sees fresh opportunities in differentiated mobile devices.
The latest effort, known internally as “Transformer,” is being developed within its devices and services unit, according to four people familiar with the matter. The phone is seen as a potential mobile personalization device that can sync with home voice assistant Alexa and serve as a conduit to Amazon customers throughout the day, the people said.
The initiative is the newest chapter in a years-long effort to bring to market Bezos’ long-held vision, opens new tab of a ubiquitous voice-driven computing assistant akin to the voice-controlled computer in science fiction series “Star Trek.”
Bezos had envisioned a smartphone that had shopping at its core and could take on Apple by offering shipping convenience and discounts through the Prime membership. Along the way, Amazon could gain a wealth of new data about users only available through mobile phones combined with purchase history and content preferences.
Amazon’s effort to develop a new smartphone has not been previously reported. Reuters could not determine some details, such as the anticipated price of the phone, the revenue Amazon hopes to generate, or the financial commitment Amazon has made to the project.
MacDailyNews Take: Unless they just give them away with free/very low priced plans, this seems like a nonstarter.
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George R. R. Martin: Apple TV series ‘Murderbot’ is a great sci-fi adaptation
George R. R. Martin excels at creating intricate characters and immersive fictional worlds, yet he’s equally outspoken when sharing his views online. An avid consumer of art in addition to producing it himself, he offers bold opinions across the board. In July 2025, he posted on his “Not a Blog” about the Apple TV+ sci-fi series “Murderbot,” and it’s clear the quirky show won him over.
There is a whole lot to love about “Murderbot,” based on “The Murderbot Diaries” series of books by Martha Wells. A stellar cast and witty scripts helped make the adaptation a success, and “Murderbot” was one of the best television shows of 2025. The main character’s acerbic wit and the show’s sci-fi elements seem right up Martin’s alley, given his own works, and honestly, it’s kind of great knowing the opinionated author is part of the “Murderbot” fandom.
Read More: https://www.slashfilm.com/2121378/george-rr-martin-apple-tv-sci-fi-series-murderbot-review/
“Murderbot” follows a security android that becomes fully sentient and takes the name Murderbot. Played by Alexander Skarsgård, Murderbot is an awkward oddity who still wants to protect the humans in his charge despite finding them incredibly annoying. Murderbot is one of the most relatable androids in all of media, as he would rather watch TV serials than work — look, there is a reason I made watching TV a part of my job!
While critics were appreciative of the fact that “Murderbot” finally allows Skarsgård to get as weird as he wants and highlighted that “Murderbot” tells a believable story in an unbelievable world, George R. R. Martin’s praise for the series was rather simple. He wrote:
“The Murderbot stories are always a lot of fun, and the TV show did them justice. I look forward to another series.”
MacDailyNews Take: Murderbot is fast and fun. Recommended!
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Apple CEO Tim Cook rejects political labels, embraces President Trump’s ‘Made in America’ manufacturing push
In a delicate high-stakes maneuver, Apple CEO Tim Cook is carefully avoiding political labels while strongly aligning his company with President Trump’s “America First” economic priorities.
Emphasizing Apple’s massive $600 billion commitment to U.S. operations and manufacturing over the next four years, Cook justified his close engagement with the White House as essential for advancing pro-growth, domestic-focused policies—even amid sharp criticism from the left regarding his attendance at a private screening of the “Melania” documentary about the First Lady.
“You were at the inauguration last year, just feet from the president. You gave him a nice gift at the White House. You were at the screening of ‘Melania,’ the documentary for the First Lady. There’s so many people [who] say you’re really close to the administration, and you’re being criticized for that,” Good Morning America co-host Michael Strahan remarked during an interview centered on Apple’s 50th anniversary.
“Well, what I do is I interact on policy, not politics,” Cook replied. “I’m not a political person on either side. I’m not political. And so I’m kind of straight down the middle, and I focus on policy,” the CEO continued. “And so, I’m very pleased that the president and the administration is accessible to talk about policy.”
Kristen Altus for FOXBusiness:
Apple has openly been collaborating with President Donald Trump to reshore critical supply chains and move away from overseas reliance, aiming to secure a made-in-America future that hedges against global trade volatility. Cook further discussed the leading tech company’s $600 billion commitment to the domestic economy over the next four years.
“If you looked at your iPhone today, the front cover and the back cover, all of that glass will be coming out of Kentucky by the end of this year. The engine, the system on a chip, we’re gonna make over 100 million of those in Arizona this year,” Cook said.
“We’re going to make over 20 billion semiconductors in the U.S. And again, this is not only for the U.S. market-sold iPhones, it’s for worldwide iPhones,” he added. “We’ve invested more in the U.S. Absolutely. We’re a very proud American company and want to do as much here as we possibly can.”
MacDailyNews Notee: Apple CEO Tim Cook discusses the company on Good Morning America on March 17, 2026:
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iPhone 17e teardown shows how to add MagSafe to iPhone 16e
Just like every new Apple device, the iFixit team has performed a full teardown on the iPhone 17e. The standout discovery? You can upgrade your iPhone 16e to include MagSafe support simply by swapping in the iPhone 17e’s back panel.
The two models share nearly identical designs, making their rear panels interchangeable. While the upgraded 16e won’t gain the full MagSafe animations or the signature “thunk” sound (due to software differences), it should still enable more reliable magnetic attachment and potentially faster wireless charging.
ajesh Pandey for Cult of Mac:
Besides the faster chip, the other key upgrade on the iPhone 17e is MagSafe support. Thanks to the built-in circular magnets, the phone can seamlessly attach to magnetic accessories without a case.
With minimal design differences between the iPhone 17e and iPhone 16e, iFixit’s teardown found that Apple has largely stuck to the same internal design. That means the phone is still relatively repairable, featuring a dual-entry design. So, you can access the phone’s innards from the front or back, depending on the repair you need to carry out.
In its teardown, the iFixit team discovered that most of the components between the iPhone 17e and iPhone 16e are swappable.
“The weird part came when we started swapping parts. Nearly everything inside the 17e appears to be cross-compatible with the 16e. In our testing, you could transplant a 16e logic board into a 17e and let Repair Assistant sort out the new hardware,” says the iFixit teardown team.
This even includes the MagSafe back panel from the iPhone 17e, which can be installed on the iPhone 16e…
In iFixit’s testing, the iPhone 16e with the iPhone 17e’s MagSafe back panel pulled 10W of power wirelessly.
MacDailyNews Take: As we wrote upn the releases of iPhone 17e, “The addition of MagSafe (which the previous iPhone 16e should’ve offered) will be among the iPhone 17e’s biggest selling points.”
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[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Fred Mertz” for the heads up.]
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Apple News bias: Stories from conservative outlets rise to almost 2% in February from 0%
Less than 2% of the top stories featured on Apple News in February came from right-leaning outlets—a minimal uptick from 0% in January that a conservative watchdog group dismisses as mere “damage control” amid threats of federal action over alleged media bias.
As The New York Post exclusively reported, Apple faced significant backlash last month after a Media Research Center analysis revealed that not a single article from a conservative outlet appeared among the top stories on its widely used news app during January.
Thomas Barrabi for The New York Post:
In a Feb. 11 letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook, FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson formally warned that Apple could be violating federal consumer protection laws against “unfair or deceptive acts or practices.” Apple News finally featured an article by a right-leaning outlet on Feb 12 — its first in 100 days — when it promoted a Fox News story about the death of actor James Van Der Beek.
Out of 560 stories tracked during a new analysis by MRC in February, just eight of them, or 1.4%, were written by conservative outlets. Meanwhile, 400 articles, or 75%, were written by outlets classified as left-leaning. The remaining 152 articles were either from outlets rated as centrist or outlets that were not assigned a bias classification, like small local newspapers.
“2% is not progress. It’s damage control,” MRC president David Bozell said in a statement. “If public exposure and a federal inquiry only yield a modest adjustment, that suggests the bias we documented was deeply embedded.”
“Apple News should not require public pressure to reflect viewpoint diversity,” Bozell added. “This is not about token inclusion. It’s about whether one of the most powerful information gatekeepers in the country operates fairly.”
The watchdog’s researchers relied on ratings compiled by AllSides, a nonpartisan organization that uses a multipartisan panel of experts — with two members from the left, two from the center and two from the right — who are trained to spot media bias. It also conducts blind surveys of ordinary Americans, then averages both sets of results to come up with a rating.
MacDailyNews Take: Lauren Kern is the Editor-in-Chief of Apple News at Apple, the role that directly leads the curation team. Kern has held this position since joining Apple in 2017 as the first person in the role. Apple emphasizes human editors over pure algorithms for key curation decisions. Kern reports up through Apple’s services organization, ultimately to Eddy Cue (Senior Vice President of Services), who oversees Apple News.
Kern was previously Executive Editor at New York magazine and ,m prior to that, the Deputy Editor of The New York Times Magazine (from 2010 to 2014). Which ought to tell you all you need to know about why Apple News, out of the box, leans left.
On the day Lauren Kern was named first Editor-in-Chief of Apple News, we wrote, “Interesting choice that could open Apple News up for some additional criticism.”
Yup, our crystal ball is still flawless!
Who determines what’s “real” news and what’s “fake?” Cook seems to want “technology companies'” idea of what’s “real” to be “ingrained in the schools” and “ingrained in the public.” Technology companies, again, who donated 99% of their political dollars to one party in the last U.S. Presidential election.
If this is really what Cook desires then… Wow. Just wow. – MacDailyNews, February 11, 2017
So, if TIME Canada puts the next-gen iPhone on their cover a day before Apple’s unveiling or some website criticizes Apple’s software quality, where do those stories go in Apple’s News app? Do they even show up at all?
Or how about positive news articles involving politicians with whom Tim Cook & Co. do not agree/actively oppose? – MacDailyNews, June 15, 2015
As always, readers of “news” need to consider the sources and interpret what they are are being told accordingly. The more disparate sources you can find, the better. And we don’t mean different newspaper, network, website brands that are all owned by the same conglomerate. Determining the actual ownership of your “news” sources is an investment that requires a bit of time, but it is very enlightening. – MacDailyNews, June 17, 2015
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