Apple News
How John Ternus could finally fulfill Steve Jobs’ original vision for the iPad as a true primary computing device
Steve Jobs introduced the iPad in 2010 not as a bigger iPhone or a sidekick to the Mac, but as a revolutionary “third category” of device — a magical slate of glass that would usher in the post-PC era. He envisioned it as a primary computing device: intuitive, touch-first, powerful enough for everyday creation and consumption, yet simpler and more approachable than a traditional laptop with its mouse-and-pointer model. Jobs famously compared PCs to trucks and tablets to cars — the future belonged to the more personal, portable form factor.
Under Tim Cook, the iPad evolved into a capable but often frustrating “in-betweener”: computer-like when docked with a Magic Keyboard, yet held back by iPadOS limitations that prevented it from fully supplanting the Mac for many users. Now, with hardware engineering veteran John Ternus set to become Apple’s CEO in September 2026, there’s a real opportunity to steer the iPad back toward Jobs’ bolder vision — and the timing couldn’t be better.
Why Ternus Is Uniquely Positioned to Revive the iPad’s Ambition
Ternus has deep roots in Apple’s hardware story. He played key roles in the original iPad, the shift to Apple Silicon that supercharged the Mac, and recent products like the wildly successful MacBook Neo — a budget-friendly machine that proves Apple can deliver premium experiences at accessible prices without compromise.
As an engineer-first leader – a “product guy,” hurray! – Ternus obsesses over details and has shown willingness to make decisive hardware bets. Recent comments from him emphasize making “the best iPad we can possibly make” while keeping Macs and iPads distinct — not mashing them together, but pushing each to its strengths.
His excitement about AI unlocking “unlimited potential” for products suggests he sees software-hardware integration as the path forward.
Unlike Cook’s operations-focused era, Ternus’ hardware background could bring a renewed focus on bold product reinvention rather than incremental updates.
How Ternus Could Return the iPad Closer to Jobs’ Vision
Here’s how the incoming CEO might bridge the gap between the iPad’s current “computer-like but not quite” reality and its original promise as a primary device:
1. Evolve iPadOS into a Truly Flexible, Touch-First Computing Platform: iPadOS 26 already introduced more desktop-like features — better windowing, a menu bar, improved pointer support, and enhanced multitasking. Ternus could accelerate this without turning the iPad into a Mac clone. Imagine a smarter “desktop mode” that activates seamlessly with the Magic Keyboard (offering pointer precision and full keyboard shortcuts) but defaults to pure touch when undocked. Full external display support with independent app spaces, advanced file management, and background task handling would make the iPad feel like a complete computer for students, creators, and professionals — all while preserving the intuitive, app-centric touch experience Jobs championed.
2. Hardware Innovations That Prioritize Portability and Versatility: Ternus oversaw the MacBook Neo’s ground-up design for quality at lower cost. Apply that thinking to a refreshed iPad lineup.
3. Deep AI Integration to Make the iPad Feel Magical Again: Jobs’ iPad was about simplicity and delight. Ternus has highlighted AI’s potential to create “entirely new opportunities.” On-device Apple Intelligence could supercharge productivity: context-aware writing tools, intelligent app orchestration, voice-driven creation that reduces reliance on precise pointer input, and seamless integration across devices. This could make the iPad excel at tasks where touch and voice outperform mouse-and-keyboard workflows — turning it into the go-to device for idea capture, content creation, and daily computing without the friction of traditional desktops.
4. Clearer Differentiation and Ecosystem Synergy — Without Cannibalization: Ternus has stressed that Apple isn’t trying to merge Mac and iPad. Instead, he could position the iPad as the primary personal computer for most people (light creation, media, browsing, education) while the Mac remains the powerhouse for pro workflows needing maximum precision or legacy software. Features like enhanced Universal Control, shared storage, and effortless handoff would make owning both feel complementary, not competitive — but the iPad would finally stand on its own as a full-fledged daily driver.
Why This Shift Makes Sense Now — And Why It Matters
The computing landscape has changed dramatically since 2010. Touch interfaces are ubiquitous, AI is reshaping how we interact with devices, and younger users expect fluid, portable experiences over clunky desktops. The MacBook Neo’s strong demand shows appetite for accessible Apple hardware. Meanwhile, the iPad’s sales have lagged in its “in-betweener” state.
Returning closer to Jobs’ vision isn’t about nostalgia — it’s smart business. A bolder iPad could reignite growth in tablets, attract switchers from Windows/Android, and position Apple as the leader in personal computing again. Ternus’ hardware expertise combined with his stated excitement for the “incredible road map ahead” suggests he understands the need for decisive moves in the AI era.
Of course, challenges remain: balancing pro features without alienating casual users, maintaining strict separation from macOS, and executing on software polish. But if anyone at Apple can thread that needle, it’s the engineer who helped birth the iPad in the first place.
Steve Jobs saw the iPad as the future of computing — intimate, powerful, and liberated from old paradigms. Under John Ternus, Apple has the chance to finish what was started: making the iPad not just a great tablet, but the primary computing device for a new generation.
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Apple’s long-awaited next-gen Apple TV 4K: A performance leap delayed by next-gen Siri, poised for 2026 launch
The current third-generation Apple TV 4K, released in late 2022 with the A15 Bionic chip, continues to deliver strong 4K streaming performance with support for Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and Dolby Atmos. However, after more than three years without a refresh—the longest gap in the device’s history—users are eager for meaningful upgrades in processing power, gaming capabilities, smart home integration, and AI features.
Reliable reports, primarily from Bloomberg News‘ Mark Gurman and MacRumors, indicate that Apple has new hardware essentially ready, but the launch has been repeatedly delayed to align with a significantly improved, more conversational version of Siri powered by Apple Intelligence. This next-gen LLM Siri has faced multiple postponements, with expectations now pointing toward a debut alongside tvOS updates (potentially tvOS 27) in fall 2026 or later.
Expected Hardware Upgrades: From A15 to a Modern A-Series Chip
The most consistent rumor centers on the processor: the next Apple TV 4K is widely expected to feature at least the A17 Pro chip (from the iPhone 15 Pro), a 3nm design with a 6-core GPU that includes hardware-accelerated ray tracing. This would enable console-quality gaming experiences — similar to titles like Resident Evil 4 and Death Stranding that run on iPhones with this silicon — far surpassing the aging A15 Bionic. Some reports speculate it could even jump to an A18-series chip for additional performance headroom and better on-device AI processing.
Additional anticipated improvements include:
• Increased RAM — Potentially doubled to 8GB from the current 4GB, benefiting multitasking, app responsiveness, and gaming/AI workloads.
• Networking enhancements — Apple’s custom N1 chip could bring Wi-Fi 7 (or at least advanced Wi-Fi 6E) support, improved Bluetooth, and stronger Thread border router/Matter controller capabilities for seamless HomeKit/smart home integration with minimal latency.
• Video and audio features — Continued HDMI 2.1, with possible additions like enhanced Dolby Vision support or more efficient codecs (e.g., AV1 decoding). Speculation about 8K streaming remains lower-confidence and unconfirmed.
Design-wise, major changes are not expected. The compact black “squircle” puck form factor with no internal fan is likely to carry over unchanged. A built-in camera for native FaceTime (beyond the current Continuity Camera reliance on iPhone) has been mentioned in some leaks but carries lower confidence.
Pricing is expected to remain in a similar range to the current models (starting around $129–$149), though analysts have previously floated a more affordable variant under $100 as a potential “sweet spot,” or a higher-end “Pro” configuration with extras like Ethernet or enhanced networking.
Software and AI: The Primary Holdup
Hardware appears mature, but Apple is reportedly waiting for software maturity. The upgraded Siri — more personalized, contextual, and capable of on-device processing — would unlock deeper integration with Apple services, smarter TV/home controls, and faster private responses. This ties directly into broader Apple Intelligence features that the new chip would fully support.
Gaming could also see boosts through improved controller support and Apple Arcade expansion, while the device could evolve further as a central smart home hub.
Release Timing: Spring Hopes vs. Fall Reality?
As of mid-April 2026, the new Apple TV 4K hardware has been described as “ready to launch” for some time, with low retail inventory adding to speculation of an imminent release. Earlier rumors pointed to spring 2026 (potentially April–May or around WWDC in June), but the Siri dependency has shifted expectations toward September 2026 or later, aligning with the iPhone 18 cycle and a more polished tvOS rollout.
Apple remains characteristically silent on official details, so all information stems from analyst reports, supply chain observations, and code discoveries.
Should You Wait or Buy Now?
The existing Apple TV 4K remains an excellent streamer for most users, offering snappy performance, premium video quality, and broad app support. However, if you’re seeking console-level gaming, significantly better AI/Siri capabilities, faster networking, or future-proofing for smart home features, holding off until the new model arrives makes sense — especially given how long the current generation has lingered.
MacDailyNews Take: When it finally launches, the new Apple TV 4K could represent the most substantial Apple TV hardware update in years, potentially redefining the device.
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Apple’s iPhone is killing it in China, shipments surge 20% in first quarter
Apple’s iPhone shipments in China surged 20% year-over-year in the first quarter, delivering the strongest growth among major vendors despite a broader market slump, according to data from Counterpoint Research.
Overall smartphone shipments in the world’s largest smartphone market fell 4% from January to March, weighed down by supply chain disruptions and soaring memory chip prices.
China’s two leading vendors — Apple and Huawei — bucked the trend, posting growth of 20% and 2%, respectively.
Reuters:
“As most rivals raise prices, Apple stands out for value, with Chinese consumers knowing its products last at least three years,” Ivan Lam, senior analyst at Counterpoint Research.
Huawei’s shipments were lifted by strong demand across both its high-end and budget ranges, including the Enjoy 90 series, giving it a 20% market share in the quarter, Lam said.
Huawei retained the top spot, followed by Apple with a share of 19%.
Lam expected more headwinds for the market in the second quarter, particularly as Chinese brands look to raise prices further.
“However, we expect Apple and Huawei to fare relatively better, with Huawei potentially seeing further shipment growth driven by solid demand for its lower-end devices,” Lam said.
MacDailyNews Take: While Huawei’s modest 2% growth and 20% market share benefit from a broad portfolio that includes many lower-priced budget models (such as the Enjoy 90 series), Apple achieved its explosive 20% surge exclusively with premium-priced, high-margin iPhones. Apple does not compete in the budget or entry-level segments at all.
In a quarter where rising memory chip prices hammered price-sensitive parts of the market and forced many vendors to raise prices on cheaper handsets, Apple’s laser focus on the high end — combined with strong iPhone 17 demand, targeted promotions, and superior supply-chain resilience — delivered outsized unit growth and lifted it to a very close second place (19% share) with far superior profitability per device.
In short: Huawei padded volume across price tiers; Apple simply dominated the premium segment where margins matter most. That’s a significantly stronger accomplishment in the challenging China smartphone market.
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Apple preps custom ‘micro-curved’ OLED display on Twentieth Anniversary iPhone, eyeing bezel-less quad-curved design
For the iPhone’s Twentieth anniversary, Apple is turning to Samsung Display to develop a custom micro-curved OLED panel that promises to be both brighter and thinner than current displays, according to fresh supply chain reports from China.
The company is reportedly exploring a dramatic redesign that could deliver a fully bezel-less screen wrapping around all four edges of the device. To achieve this, Apple is requesting an equal-depth quad-curved panel from Samsung that employs subtle “micro-curves” — keeping the bends shallow and controlled — rather than the dramatic, aggressive “waterfall” edges seen on some existing Samsung smartphones.
This approach aims to create a seamless, all-screen appearance while minimizing distortion and maintaining usability.
The latest supply chain information comes from Weibo-based leaker Digital Chat Station, who also says that Apple wants a “pol-less” display from Samsung – in other words, a panel design that removes the polarizer layer that sits on top of most current OLED screens.
That claim lines up with a September 2025 report out of Korea that said Apple will adopt a Samsung-made OLED technology called COE (Color Filter on Encapsulation) to make the 20th-anniversary iPhone’s display brighter and thinner than previous panels.
COE displays remove the polarizing film from an OLED panel, applying the color filter directly onto the encapsulation layer of the display.
The technique reduces the thickness of the overall display stack, and it lets more light through to improve brightness while reducing power draw…
2027 will mark the 20th-anniversary of the iPhone, and Apple reportedly wants to create a high-end all-glass model that doesn’t have cutouts in the display.
MacDailyNews Take: Looks like we’ll be getting foldable iPhones (depending on specs; we might choose iPhone 18 Pro Max units instead) this year and then, hopefully unbroken sheet-of-glass Twentieth Anniversary iPhones in 2027!
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President Trump threatens Starmer with ‘big tariff’ over UK tech tax
U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on the UK if Prime Minister Keir Starmer does not scrap the country’s Digital Services Tax (DST).
Trump told The Telegraph he would “put a big tariff on the UK” unless the tax is dropped. The levy is widely seen as unfairly targeting American tech giants. The UK Treasury reported last year that it had collected millions of pounds from the tax.
Connor Stringer for The Telegraph:
Mr. Trump said, “We’ve been looking at it, and we can meet that very easily by just putting a big tariff on the UK. So they better be careful. If they don’t drop the tax, we’ll probably put a big tariff on the UK.”
The US president views the tax as unfairly targeting American tech companies such as Apple, Google and Meta by placing a 2pc charge on revenue on social media, search engines and online marketplaces…
The tax also applies to the UK revenues of large search engines, online marketplaces and social networks and has become increasingly important to the Exchequer amid the growth of big tech companies. Official forecasts said it could raise £1.4bn a year by 2030, up from £380m when first introduced four years ago… [T]he UK DST appears to remain the largest in the world.
Asked what kind of tariff Britain can expect, Mr Trump said: “More than what they’re getting.”
It is the latest in an ongoing trade row with the White House. Tensions over Downing Street’s threat to block X prompted the US to pull out of talks with the UK over a deal for closer technological cooperation.
MacDailyNews Take: What is it with Brits and taxes? 250 years after getting their asses kicked by freedom-loving Americans, they’re still hooked on the same failed big-government, high-tax addiction.
It never ends with the Brits (and their EU cousins): a deep-seated cultural and political addiction to high taxes, big government, and the welfare state — especially when they can leech off wildly successful, innovative American tech companies that actually create value the world wants.
Waning nations like the United Kingdom under feckless Starmer and the socialist-leaning collective in the bloated European Union are increasingly pathetic and desperate. These weak, fading nations — bloated with bureaucracy, strangled by regulation, and addicted to handouts — have nothing left but to latch onto America’s dynamic tech sector like parasites. They contribute little in return except endless complaints, barriers to entry, and demands for “more, more, more!”
President Trump is right to push back hard. American innovation shouldn’t be penalized to prop up failing welfare-state models overseas. If the UK and EU refuse to drop these leech-like taxes, punishing tariffs are a perfectly appropriate response.
Time for these self-sabotaged, has-been economies to innovate or evaporate — not endlessly suckle at the teat of U.S. tech excellence.
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Apple TV’s ‘Pluribus’ and ‘Come See Me in the Good Light’ land Peabody Awards
Apple TV on Thursday was recognized with two wins at the 86th Annual Peabody Awards, as Golden Globe Award-winning drama “Pluribus” landed a win for Entertainment and Academy Award-nominated documentary “Come See Me in the Good Light” earned a win for Documentary. The Peabody Awards honor excellence in storytelling that reflects the social issues and the emerging voices of our day, and the winners of this year’s Peabody Awards will be celebrated on Sunday, May 31, at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills.
This win is the latest honor for Apple’s most-viewed hit drama, “Pluribus,” alongside accolades to date that include lead Seehorn’s wins for Best Actress in a Drama at the Golden Globe, Critics Choice and Satellite Awards; an American Film Institute Award for TV Program of the Year; and nominations from the BAFTA TV Awards, Actor Awards, Producers Guild Awards, Writers Guild Awards, Art Directors Guild Awards, American Cinema Editors Awards, Cinema Audio Society Awards, Society of Composers & Lyricists Awards and GLAAD Media Awards.
Academy Award-nominated documentary “Come See Me in the Good Light” earned a Documentary win, following honors including being one of the National Board of Review Top 5 Documentaries of 2025, and landing recognition from the International Documentary Association Awards, as well as a win for Outstanding Non-Fiction Feature at the Cinema Eye Honors. Following its Sundance Film Festival Favorite Award win last year, the documentary has earned nominations from the Society of Composers & Lyricists Awards, American Society of Cinematographers Awards, GLAAD Media Awards and Film Independent Spirit Awards, among others.
These wins mark the latest recognition from the Peabody Awards for Apple, following a win in 2025 for “Bread & Roses,” three wins in 2023 for “Bad Sisters,” “Severance” and “Pachinko,” and two wins in 2021 for “Ted Lasso” and “Stillwater.”
To date, Apple Original films, documentaries and series have been honored with 797 wins and 3,431 award nominations and counting, including multi-Emmy Award-winning and history-making comedies “The Studio” and “Ted Lasso,” global cultural phenomenon “Severance,” Apple’s most-viewed drama “Pluribus,” Academy Award Best Picture winner “CODA” and Academy Award winner “F1,” the highest-grossing sports feature of all time.
Apple TV landed two wins for the 86th Annual Peabody Awards, including:
“Pluribus” – Entertainment
“Come See Me in the Good Light” – Documentary
Both titles are now streaming globally on Apple TV.
“Pluribus”
“Pluribus” is a genre-bending original in which the most miserable person on Earth must save the world from happiness.
“Come See Me in the Good Light”
“Come See Me in the Good Light” is a poignant and unexpectedly funny love story about poets Andrea Gibson and Megan Falley facing an incurable cancer diagnosis with joy, wit and an unshakable partnership. Through laughter and unwavering love, they transform pain into purpose, and mortality into a moving celebration of resilience.
Apple TV offers premium, compelling drama and comedy series, feature films, groundbreaking documentaries, and kids and family entertainment, and is available to watch across all of a user’s favorite screens. After its launch on November 1, 2019, Apple TV became the first all-original streaming service to launch around the world, and has premiered more original hits and received more award recognitions faster than any other streaming service in its debut.
MacDailyNews Note: Apple TV is available on the Apple TV app in over 100 countries and regions, on over 1 billion screens, including iPhone, iPad, Apple TV 4K, Apple Vision Pro, Mac, popular smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, VIZIO, TCL and others, Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices, Chromecast with Google TV, PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles, and at tv.apple.com, for $12.99 per month with a seven-day free trial for new subscribers. For a limited time, customers who purchase and activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV 4K or Mac can enjoy three months of Apple TV for free.
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Elizabeth Banks to star in Apple TV comedy about fresh starts and retirement community sex dates
Apple TV on Thursday announced it will expand its Emmy Award-winning comedy slate with a new half-hour series (as yet unnamed) led by four-time Emmy Award nominee Elizabeth Banks (“The Miniature Wife,” “The Better Sister,” “30 Rock”), and hailing from creators Liz Heldens (“Will Trent,” “Friday Night Lights”) and Matt Ward (“The Big Leap,” “Best Medicine”). The series is set to begin production in Los Angeles this year.
Fresh off a messy divorce, Heidi sets out to secure a lively second act for herself and her kids. But when she stumbles into coordinating her father’s retirement community sex dates, Heidi is forced into an unlikely alliance with his girlfriend’s perpetually single son.
Produced for Apple TV by 20th Television, the new series will be showrun and executive produced by Heldens and Ward. Banks executive produces alongside Max Handelman and Krissy Wall through her Brownstone Productions banner. Jonathan Krisel (“Adults,” “English Teacher”) will direct the pilot and serve as executive producer. Quinn Haberman executive produces alongside Heldens for Selfish Mermaid, and Jason Winer and Jon Radler will executive produce for Small Dog Picture Company.
Apple TV offers premium, compelling drama and comedy series, feature films, groundbreaking documentaries, and kids and family entertainment, and is available to watch across all of a user’s favorite screens. After its launch on November 1, 2019, Apple TV became the first all-original streaming service to launch around the world, and has premiered more original hits and received more award recognitions faster than any other streaming service in its debut. To date, Apple Original films, documentaries and series have been honored with 797 wins and 3,431 award nominations and counting including multi-Emmy Award-winning and history-making comedies “The Studio” and “Ted Lasso,” global cultural phenomenon “Severance,” Apple’s most-viewed drama “Pluribus,” Academy Award Best Picture winner “CODA” and Academy Award nominee “F1,” the highest-grossing sports feature of all time.
MacDailyNews Take: Potential names, off the tops of our heads: The Retirement Plan, Dad’s Little Black Book, Twilight Matches, Late Bloomers, or Senior Sex & The Single Mom.
MacDailyNews Note: Apple TV is available on the Apple TV app in over 100 countries and regions, on over 1 billion screens, including iPhone, iPad, Apple TV 4K, Apple Vision Pro, Mac, popular smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, VIZIO, TCL and others, Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices, Chromecast with Google TV, PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles, and at tv.apple.com, for $12.99 per month with a seven-day free trial for new subscribers. For a limited time, customers who purchase and activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV 4K or Mac can enjoy three months of Apple TV for free.
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Apple supplier STMicroelectronics’ shares surge after strong quarter
Apple supplier STMicroelectronics shares surged after the European chipmaker reported strong first-quarter sales and forecast accelerating revenue growth from artificial intelligence in the coming months, as tech giants continue pouring billions into data centers.
The company, whose major clients include Apple as well as Elon Musk’s Tesla and SpaceX, said revenue rose 23% year-over-year to $3.10 billion. That figure topped the company’s guidance of approximately $3.04 billion and analysts’ consensus estimate of $3.06 billion, according to Visible Alpha.
Mauro Orru for The Wall Street Journal:
Chief Executive Jean-Marc Chery said personal electronics and other equipment had led growth in the quarter, flagging improving demand, strong bookings and normalized inventory despite macroeconomic uncertainty. For the current quarter, the company is forecasting revenue of about $3.45 billion, above a Visible Alpha estimate of $3.18 billion.
STMicroelectronics shares in Paris jumped as much as 10% Thursday. The stock price has more than doubled over the past 12 months.“
AI is an opportunity for STMicroelectronics to turn the page after several quarters marred by a slow automotive business—a key end-market for a company that supplies to Tesla, German parts supplier Continental and Israel’s Mobileye.
The auto industry has been an Achilles’ heel for STMicroelectronics in recent years as carmakers have been slowly digesting chip inventories they built at the height of the pandemic.
MacDailyNews Note: STMicroelectronics reported a quarterly net profit of $37 million, down from $56 million a year earlier. Its gross profit rose to $1.05 billion from $841 million, resulting in a 33.8% gross margin. Analysts had expected net profit of $150.5 million and gross profit of $1.03 billion, according to Visible Alpha.
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Apple bug fix stops storing data that let FBI spy on Signal chats
Apple has fixed a security bug that allowed law enforcement to access content from deleted Signal messages.
Users who rely on encrypted messaging apps like Signal to evade surveillance were caught off guard when 404 Media reported that Apple was storing push notifications containing portions of encrypted messages for up to a month. This persisted even after the messages were configured to disappear and the Signal app had been deleted from the device.
The issue came to light after 404 Media spoke with multiple sources who attended a court hearing in which the FBI testified that it “was able to forensically extract copies of incoming Signal messages from a defendant’s iPhone, even after the app was deleted, because copies of the content were saved in the device’s push notification database.”
Ashley Belanger for Ars Technica:
On Wednesday, Apple confirmed that it had fixed a bug allowing the FBI to access this content. Affected users concerned about push notifications can update their devices to stop what Apple characterized as “notifications marked for deletion” that “could be unexpectedly retained on the device.”
According to Apple, the push notifications should never have been stored, but a “logging issue” failed to redact data.
On Bluesky, Signal celebrated the update, saying it was “very happy” that Apple did not delay fixing the bug.
“We’re grateful to Apple for the quick action here, and for understanding and acting on the stakes of this kind of issue,” Signal’s post said. “It takes an ecosystem to preserve the fundamental human right to private communication.”
In their post, Signal confirmed that after users update their devices, “no action is needed for this fix to protect Signal users on iOS.”
“Once you install the patch, all inadvertently-preserved notifications will be deleted and no forthcoming notifications will be preserved for deleted applications,” Signal said.
MacDailyNews Take: Even with this fix installed, users concerned about their privacy should just turn off message previews (also called notification content or lock screen previews) regardless of app (iMessage, WhatsApp, etc.) or operating system.
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Apple Music VP: Most people can’t really hear the difference with lossless, but they can with Spatial Audio
In a candid discussion on audio quality, Apple Music’s Oliver Schusser acknowledged that for the average listener, lossless audio often doesn’t deliver a perceptible upgrade in everyday scenarios like listening on an iPhone with headphones. Spatial Audio, however, is a different story — it’s the format that actually moves the needle for most fans.
Kristin Robinson for Billboard:
Robinson: How often do conversations about your hardware products [like AirPods] come into play when you’re developing new products at Apple Music [like high fidelity listening and Spatial Audio]?
Schusser: To the consumer, the magic really happens when the hardware, the software, and services talk to each other and build groups of great experiences. And I actually think that spatial audio, and the work we did with Dolby Atmos, is almost one of the best examples of it.
If you look at audio, changing audio standards are hard. And if you look back over like 60 years, there’s only really been mono [and then eventually stereo]. [At Apple Music] we wanted to create a new standard with two distinctive criteria. One: we thought it’s important that people — general people, fans — can notice the difference. And number two: we wanted it to work on as many, if not all, devices. Not just Apple devices, but just in general. So, lots of people said lossless is the answer. I heard this from record labels: ‘You gotta do lossless.’ But what they didn’t notice is that lossless actually doesn’t work over Bluetooth. So, when you have a wireless connection, lossless doesn’t actually work. And in the days of AirPods and wireless headphones, the vast majority of people didn’t have wires. So there were lots of people out there not even noticing that.
Robinson: I do agree that most average people can’t really hear the difference with lossless.
Schusser: Correct. My second point is: honestly, if we did an anonymous [blind] test on just an iPhone with headphones — and you and I work in the industry, and I assume you like sound as much as I do — I can tell you most fans wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. But that’s what we did with spatial audio. And this required really a collaboration — not just [with Apple], but with lots of people. We worked with Dolby on creating [sound that comes] not from two sides, but really from everywhere. And it actually worked on pretty much all devices, all headphones, all of our [products], on iPhone, on Mac, but also on pretty much any other device. [There was] one downside: there were only roughly 5,000 songs in the world that had already been mixed and mastered in [spatial] audio. So, we [had] to go and upgrade all the studios in the world and also educate the sound engineers on what this new canvas looked like.
MacDailyNews Take: Schusser nails it: Most people can’t really hear the difference with lossless audio — but they sure can with Spatial Audio.
Leave it to Apple to cut through the audiophile noise with refreshing honesty. While the industry was busy pushing “lossless” as the next big thing, Apple Music’s Oliver Schusser rightly pointed out that for the vast majority of listeners — even on an iPhone with headphones — lossless often falls flat in blind tests. It simply doesn’t deliver a noticeable upgrade in the wireless, everyday world most of us actually live in.
Spatial Audio, on the other hand? That’s the real game-changer. With Dolby Atmos, music doesn’t just play — it envelops you. Instruments and vocals float around your head with breathtaking depth, clarity, and immersion that actually moves the needle for real people. It’s not subtle marketing hype; it’s a transformative listening experience that works on virtually any headphones and turns your favorite tracks into something magical.
This is Apple at its best: focusing on what users can actually experience instead of chasing specs that only a tiny fraction can appreciate. Spatial Audio isn’t just better sound — it’s the best way to experience music. If you haven’t turned it on in Apple Music yet, you’re missing out on the most significant audio leap since stereo. Highly recommended.
How to turn on Spatial Audio (Dolby Atmos) in Apple Music
On iPhone or iPad (easiest and most common method):
- Open the Settings app.
- Scroll down and tap Apps (or Music directly in some iOS versions).
- Tap Music.
- Tap Dolby Atmos.
- Choose one of these options:
• Automatic — Recommended. Plays Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos automatically when using compatible headphones (like AirPods, AirPods Max, or Beats) and a supported song is playing.
• Always On — Forces Dolby Atmos playback for all supported tracks.
You can also enable Download in Dolby Atmos in the same menu so songs download in Spatial Audio format when available.
For dynamic head tracking (full Spatial Audio experience):
If you’re using AirPods Pro, AirPods Max, or compatible Beats headphones that support head tracking:
- Swipe down from the top-right corner to open Control Center.
- Touch and hold the volume slider.
- Tap the Spatial Audio button in the lower right and select Head Tracked (or Fixed/Off).
On Mac:
- Open the Music app.
- From the menu bar, choose Music > Settings (or Preferences).
- Click the Playback tab.
- Under Dolby Atmos, select Automatic or Always On.
Tip: Look for the Dolby Atmos badge on album artwork or the Now Playing screen — this confirms the track supports Spatial Audio.
Once enabled, supported songs in your Apple Music library will play with immersive, theater-like sound that places instruments and vocals all around you. It works great with any Apple or Beats Bluetooth headphones, and the difference is often immediately noticeable compared to regular stereo.
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Apple lowers savings account rate for Apple Card users to 3.50%
Apple has reduced the interest rate on its high-yield savings account tied to the Apple Card, dropping the annual percentage yield (APY) from 3.65% to 3.50%.The change took effect today, with Apple Card users receiving push notifications about the rate cut on Thursday, April 23, 2026. While savings account rates frequently adjust in response to Federal Reserve actions, this particular reduction does not appear to be directly linked to a recent Fed move.
Launched in April 2023 in partnership with Goldman Sachs, the Apple Savings account is available exclusively to U.S. residents aged 18 and older who hold an Apple Card. It offers a seamless experience managed directly through the Wallet app on iPhone, with no fees, no minimum deposit requirements, and no minimum balance needed to earn interest.
Users can earn interest on their Daily Cash rewards from Apple Card purchases, as well as on deposits transferred from linked bank accounts or Apple Cash balances. The maximum account balance, originally capped at $250,000, has since been raised to $1,000,000.
This latest adjustment comes amid ongoing changes in the Apple Card ecosystem. In January 2026, JPMorgan Chase announced a deal to take over Apple Card operations from Goldman Sachs, with the transition expected to take approximately two years. Chase is also reportedly planning to introduce a new Apple-branded savings account. However, existing Goldman Sachs savings account holders will not be automatically migrated and will need to choose whether to remain with Goldman Sachs or open a new account with Chase. Apple has published a FAQ addressing questions about the transition.
The new 3.50% rate has drawn mixed reactions from users, with some noting that it is becoming less competitive compared to other options in the current market. Comments have highlighted better yields available from bank CDs, bu appreciated Apple’s practice of notifying users directly when rates change.
Apple Savings continues to provide a convenient, no-frills way for Apple Card holders to grow their cash balances and Daily Cash rewards within the Apple ecosystem. Users affected by the rate cut may want to review their options, especially as the broader transition to JPMorgan Chase progresses over the coming months.
MacDailyNews Note: For the most up-to-date details, Apple Card users should check the Wallet app or Apple’s support resources regarding the savings account and the upcoming partner changes.
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Apple TV debuts trailer for ‘Star City,’ new space-race drama set in the world of ‘For All Mankind’
Apple TV on Thursday debuted the gripping trailer for “Star City,” the highly anticipated new space race drama that expands the world of “For All Mankind,” from award-winning creators Ben Nedivi, Matt Wolpert, and Ronald D. Moore. The bold, eight-episode alt-history series will debut globally on Apple TV with two episodes on Friday, May 29th, followed by one new episode every Friday through July 10th.
“Star City” is a propulsive, paranoid thriller that takes us back to the key moment in the alt-history retelling of the space race — when the Soviet Union became the first nation to put a man on the moon. But this time, we explore the story from behind the Iron Curtain, showing the lives of the cosmonauts, the engineers and the intelligence officers embedded among them in the Soviet space program, and the risks they all took to propel humankind forward.
The series stars Rhys Ifans (“House of the Dragon”), Anna Maxwell Martin (“Motherland”), Agnes O’Casey (“Black Doves”), Alice Englert (“Bad Behaviour”), Solly McLeod (“House of the Dragon”), Adam Nagaitis (“Chernobyl”), Ruby Ashbourne Serkis (“I, Jack Wright”), Josef Davies (“Andor”) and Priya Kansara (“Bridgerton”).
“Star City” is created by Nedivi, Wolpert and Moore. Wolpert and Nedivi serve as showrunners and executive produce alongside Moore and Maril Davis of Tall Ship Productions, as well as Andrew Chambliss and Steve Oster. “Star City” is produced for Apple TV by Sony Pictures Television.
Apple TV offers premium, compelling drama and comedy series, feature films, groundbreaking documentaries, and kids and family entertainment, and is available to watch across all of a user’s favorite screens. After its launch on November 1, 2019, Apple TV became the first all-original streaming service to launch around the world, and has premiered more original hits and received more award recognitions faster than any other streaming service in its debut. To date, Apple Original films, documentaries and series have been honored with 797 wins and 3,429 award nominations and counting including multi-Emmy Award-winning and history-making comedies “The Studio” and “Ted Lasso,” global cultural phenomenon “Severance,” Apple’s most-viewed drama “Pluribus,” Academy Award Best Picture winner “CODA” and Academy Award nominee “F1,” the highest-grossing sports feature of all time.
MacDailyNews Take: We’ve heard a few people complain that “For All Mankind” has become a “soap opera.”
But, every compelling production, whether it’s prestige television like “For All Mankind,” classic literature, blockbuster films, or even acclaimed theater, is, at its core, a “soap opera.” The complaint that “For All Mankind” has devolved into one misses the point: serialized human drama with emotional stakes, interpersonal conflicts, and ongoing personal arcs is not a flaw; it’s the fundamental engine of all great storytelling.
If you want raw space flight footage without a narrative story, subscribe to SpaceX’s and NASA’s YouTube channels.
Strip away the rockets, the alternate history, and the high-concept sci-fi from “For All Mankind,” and what remains (and what keeps audiences hooked) is exactly what defines soap operas: people living, loving, scheming, failing, reconciling, and evolving in relationships that matter to them and, by extension, to us.
Precisely because it’s from the creators of “For All Mankind,” “Star City” holds tremendous promise. We’ll be watching on May 29th!
See also:
• Empire Magazine: “For All Mankind” Season 5 is “TV’s under-the-radar masterpiece” that “continues to go quietly from strength to strength.”
• Inverse: “For All Mankind” Season 5 is “One Of The Bravest Sci-Fi Shows Of All Time,” noting its unflinching realism and optimistic heart.
• RogerEbert.com: “For All Mankind” Season 5 takes “bold new leaps in space and scope.” Praises the “lush testament to humanity’s dogged desire to better itself” and relatable human drama.
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Apple investors barely blinked after Tim Cook was nudged out – and many seem positively thrilled
Apple dropped the news after market close on April 20, 2026: After 15 years as CEO, Tim Cook would step down effective September 1st, transitioning to executive chairman while hardware engineering chief John Ternus takes the reins as the new CEO. The news raised immediate questions about whether this was truly voluntary — especially given Cook’s recent firm denial of any plans to leave.
The market’s reaction spoke volumes: AAPL investors barely cared. If anything, many appeared quietly enthusiastic about fresh leadership.
Before the announcement, Apple shares closed at approximately $270–$273 in the days leading up to April 20. On announcement day, the stock prior to the news showed only a modest move, closing slightly higher around $273. The following trading day (April 21), shares experienced a minor blip, dipping roughly 1–2.5% amid initial digestion of the news. By April 22, however, the stock had recovered smartly — climbing back above pre-announcement levels and trading firmly in the $273–$275 range, with some sessions showing further gains.
This quick rebound to new near-term highs sent a clear signal: Wall Street wasn’t panicked about the end of the Cook era. Continuity under a respected internal successor like Ternus, combined with optimism for a potential strategic reset, kept selling pressure light and buying interest intact.
A Sudden Shift After a Recent Denial
The timing strongly suggests Cook may have been nudged — or outright pushed — by the board. As recently as mid-March 2026, during interviews tied to Apple’s 50th anniversary celebrations, Cook pushed back hard against retirement speculation. He expressed deep affection for the company, stating he “can’t imagine life without Apple” and dismissing any notion of stepping aside in the near term.
Just four weeks prior to Apple’s announcement of the CEO transition, when asked about his future at Apple by Michael Strahan during an interview on ABC’s Good Morning America, Cook dismissed the speculation:
No, I didn’t say that. I haven’t said that. I love what I do deeply. Twenty-eight years ago, I walked into Apple and I’ve loved every day of it since. We’ve had ups and downs, but the people I work with are so amazing. They bring out the best in me. And hopefully, I can bring out the best in them. And Michael, I can’t imagine life without Apple. – Tim Cook, March 17, 2026
Yet, just weeks later, Apple’s board announced a smooth but accelerated transition. Cook will stay on through the summer to oversee handover before moving to the executive chairman role. The rapid pivot from public denial to exit fuels speculation that this wasn’t entirely Cook’s preferred timeline — the board likely encouraged or required the change now.
The Generative AI Miss That Likely Sealed Cook’s Fate
The most plausible catalyst for any board pressure: Tim Cook’s glaring miss of the generative AI revolution.
While Cook’s tenure delivered extraordinary operational excellence — scaling Apple into a $4+ trillion powerhouse, growing services, expanding margins, and delivering massive shareholder returns — the company looked uncharacteristically flat-footed as OpenAI, xAI, Google, Microsoft, and others raced ahead in generative AI.
Apple’s “Apple Intelligence” features arrived late and have been widely viewed as underwhelming compared to the transformative leaps elsewhere. Insiders and analysts increasingly point to this strategic shortfall as the key vulnerability that may have prompted the board to accelerate succession. In tech’s brutal innovation cycle, even legendary execution can’t indefinitely mask a miss on the defining technology shift of the era.
With Ternus — a longtime Apple veteran deeply credited with breakthroughs in custom silicon, Mac and iPad hardware innovation, and supply chain mastery — stepping up, investors appear to sense an opportunity for sharper focus on AI integration, edge computing, and next-generation hardware-software synergy. The muted downside and swift recovery in AAPL reflect confidence that new leadership could finally close the AI gap and reignite Apple’s innovative edge.
Cook departs with one of the most successful corporate legacies in history: turning Steve Jobs’ vision into an unmatched global empire while rewarding shareholders handsomely. But functional boards don’t hesitate when a seismic shift like generative AI exposes competitive vulnerabilities.
For AAPL investors, the tape’s message is unambiguous — Tim Cook’s exit wasn’t feared. In many corners of the market, it was welcomed as the well-timed reset Apple needed. The minor blip and rapid rebound to higher prices suggest Wall Street is already looking past the transition and betting on what comes next.
SteveJack is a long-time Macintosh user, web designer, multimedia producer, and contributor to the MacDailyNews Opinion section.
MacDailyNews Take: In true Tim Cook fashion, the end arrived without fireworks, drama, or even a noticeable ripple in the market. Apple’s second beige era is blessedly drawing to a close.
Cook’s time at Apple will be remembered as a long stretch of competent, incremental refinement rather than the bold, reality-distorting innovation that once defined the company. Cook’s 15 years were the corporate equivalent of plain oatmeal: highly nutritious for the balance sheet, but about as exciting as watching paint dry. The canned-video Cook era was so gloriously nondescript that future historians might describe it as “the period when Apple perfected the art of not surprising anyone.”
With John Ternus, a respected hardware veteran deeply immersed in Apple silicon and product engineering, now taking the reins, the market reaction proves that there’s genuine optimism for a sharper focus on AI, edge intelligence, and the kind of tightly integrated innovation that once made Apple the most exciting company in technology.
Cook leaves behind a legacy of extraordinary scale and shareholder value that deserves genuine respect. He turned a $350 billion company into a $4+ trillion powerhouse through disciplined execution and operational mastery. But in technology’s unforgiving arena, even the greatest operators eventually make way for fresh vision.
The tape has spoken clearly: Apple investors don’t mourn the end of the Cook era. Many seem quietly enthusiastic that the company may soon trade its beige predictability for something far more vibrant once again.
A more dynamic, charismatic, and visionary leader — the kind who instinctively senses seismic platform shifts and bets the company on them — almost certainly would not have let Apple fall behind in the defining technology wave of this decade. Under such leadership, the company would very likely be even more valuable today, with a bolder, more aggressive AI strategy already deeply integrated across its hardware, software, and services.
Cook’s steady-hand approach delivered impressive compounding excellence, but it came at the cost of that rare, Jobs-like instinct for the next leap forward. The board, it appears, has finally recognized this reality.
Here’s to the next chapter and to Apple rediscovering what it once did best!
See also: Tim Cook could be Apple’s CEO for at least another half-decade – July 14, 2025
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Tim Cook regrets 2012 Apple Maps launch, hails Apple Watch as proudest achievement
In an internal Apple town hall meeting held shortly after the announcement of his planned departure as CEO, Tim Cook addressed employees on his tenure, candidly discussing both missteps and triumphs. Bloomberg News‘ Mark Gurman reported on the session [paywalled], highlighting Cook’s reflections as he transitions to executive chairman, with John Ternus set to become CEO on September 1, 2026.
Cook identified the troubled 2012 launch of Apple Maps as his “first really big mistake” as CEO. The app, which replaced Google Maps on the iPhone, suffered from inaccurate directions, mislabeled landmarks, and poor performance in many regions, drawing widespread criticism and forcing Apple to issue a public apology from Cook at the time. He noted that the experience ultimately proved valuable, teaching important lessons about product readiness and execution.
On the positive side, Cook pointed to the Apple Watch — and particularly its life-saving health features — as one of his proudest accomplishments. He recalled being deeply moved by the first email from a user whose life was saved by the device, an impact that continues with similar messages arriving daily. Cook described the Watch and its health innovations as standing out among “so many moments” of pride during his leadership.
Regarding the Apple Watch’s origins, Steve Jobs was aware of early work on what became the Apple Watch before his passing in 2011. Tim Bajarin, a longtime Apple analyst with a decades-long relationship with Jobs, stated in 2015: “Steve was aware of the Watch. He didn’t nix it as a product.” Bajarin noted this during a conference shortly after the Watch’s announcement.
The Apple Watch’s development is therefore connected to Apple’s fruitful Steve Jobs era, even as it emerged as a signature achievement under Cook’s watch. Cook has long emphasized building on Jobs’ vision without trying to replicate his predecessor’s style, focusing instead on operational excellence, services growth, and incremental, but highly profitable product iterations and expansions.
The town hall occurred amid Apple’s leadership transition, with Cook affirming he remains healthy and intends to stay involved as chairman for a long time, including engaging with global policymakers.
MacDailyNews Take: As we wrote regarding both the Apple Maps launch and the Apple Watch:
Here’s a little hint for the future: Everything that requires widespread customer use to develop a rich database before the product becomes fully usable should be clearly labelled “beta” upon release. Apple did it with Siri, but they forgot to do it with Maps. Had Apple been smart enough to simply place a “beta” tag on Maps, all of this rigamarole would never have occurred. – MacDailyNews, September 28, 2012
The Apple Watch certainly found its way – we, the users, were the Apple Watch alpha and beta testers, collectively standing in for Steve Jobs, doing much of what the singular genius would have done before release by brute force and sheer numbers after release. It took four generations of Apple Watch, but we’re here now and we wouldn’t trade the experience for anything! — MacDailyNews, January 31, 2020
The glaring lack of a visionary who is immersed and invested in product design who is a single point of approval – Steve Jobs – means that early adopters have to take Jobs’ place en masse to perform similar functions – albeit over a significantly longer period of time – à la Apple Watch. – MacDailyNews, March 28, 2023
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Apple investors have muted reaction to Tim Cook’s CEO exit; shares quickly rebound
Apple shares initially dipped following the announcement that longtime CEO Tim Cook will step down from the role on September 1, 2026, and transition to executive chairman, with hardware engineering chief John Ternus named as his successor.
The succession news, revealed after market close on Monday, April 20, triggered a modest sell-off on Tuesday. Shares fell approximately 2.52% to close at $266.17, as some digested the end of Cook’s 15-year tenure amid upcoming quarterly earnings and ongoing questions about Apple’s direction in the AI era.
The stock quickly staged a solid recovery today, rising $7.00 (+2.63%) to close at $273.17. AAPL is back to where it was before the CEO announcement in a single trading day.
Analysts and market observers widely described the initial reaction as “muted,” “a minor blip,” or “restrained.” Many noted that the move had been long anticipated, with Ternus long viewed as the frontrunner for the job.
Today’s bounce suggests investors are quickly moving past the CEO succession news and focusing on continuity. The internal promotion of Ternus — a 25-year Apple veteran who has overseen key hardware initiatives, including the development of custom silicon like the M-series and A-series chips — appears to reassure many that the company’s engineering DNA remains strong.
Early signs point to cautious optimism over Ternus. Wall Street analysts from firms such as Wedbush, Morgan Stanley, and JPMorgan have largely welcomed the choice, highlighting Ternus’s deep hardware expertise as potentially advantageous for accelerating product innovation and on-device AI capabilities. Some bulls argue that a hardware-first leader could help Apple deliver more exciting devices and better integrate AI features into its ecosystem.
Others remain measured. Questions persist about how Ternus will navigate Apple’s AI strategy, services growth, and global challenges — areas where Cook excelled as a steady operator and diplomat. Cook will stay on as executive chairman, providing continuity during the transition.
The handoff looks like a model succession — planned, orderly, and internal — rather than a disruptive change. After Tuesday’s dip, today’s +2.63% gain reflects bargain hunting and confidence that Apple’s fundamentals and execution machine remain intact heading into earnings on April 30th.
With Cook’s legacy of operational excellence and massive value creation firmly established, attention now shifts to whether Ternus can spark a return to innovation and a new wave of growth. For now, investors seem content to give the new guard the benefit of the doubt while watching closely for signals on product roadmaps and AI execution.
MacDailyNews Take: It was way past time for Tim Cook to go — and the smooth handoff to John Ternus couldn’t come soon enough.
For several years now, it has been increasingly obvious that Cook’s strengths — logistics, efficiency, diplomacy, and incremental refinement — were no longer sufficient for what Apple needs next. The company has felt stagnant in the face of the AI revolution. While competitors raced ahead with generative AI features, Apple played catch-up with “Apple Intelligence” — largely vaporware — a marketing exercise that many users continue to view as sadly underwhelming. Siri remains a punchline. Vision Pro was a flop.
Cook’s cautious, operations-first approach served Apple extraordinarily well in the post-Jobs era of scaling and optimization. But in an industry now defined by rapid technological disruption and bold product bets, that style started to look more like risk aversion than prudent stewardship. The stock has underperformed relative to the broader Magnificent Seven in recent periods precisely because growth expectations have cooled and innovation feels incremental rather than revolutionary.
Apple’s machine is still incredibly strong, but it was clearly past time for new leadership to drive the next chapter. Investors should be optimistic — not because Cook failed, but because his iterative success created the platform for someone else to push Apple forward again. The real test for Ternus begins: it’s time for Apple to finally deliver meaningful AI innovation, exciting new hardware, and – dare we dream? – the return of LIVE KEYNOTE ADDRESSES!
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TSMC plans to open chip packaging plant in Arizona by 2029
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) plans to open a chip packaging plant in Arizona by 2029, an executive told Reuters.
Modern artificial intelligence chips, such as those made by Apple and Nvidia, are not single chips but several chips glued together using advanced packaging technologies. This step has become a major supply bottleneck for Nvidia and other companies. In a January earnings call, TSMC said it was applying for permits to begin construction of its first advanced packaging plant in an existing Arizona facility, but did not provide a timeline for when it would come online.
Stephen Nellis and Max Cherney for Reuters:
At a conference in Santa Clara, California, on Wednesday, TSMC executives said construction has begun.
“We are aggressively expanding our own capability within the Arizona facility,” Kevin Zhang, deputy co-chief operations officer and senior vice president, said on Tuesday ahead of the conference. “We are going to build a CoWoS capability and 3D-IC capability there before 2029, so that’s still our goal,” Zhang said, referring to two of TSMC’s packaging technologies that are in high demand.
Companies such as Apple and Nvidia already source chips from TSMC’s Arizona factory, but many of those chips must go back to Taiwan for packaging.
Amkor Technology last year said it was working with Apple and Nvidia to build a packaging factory in Arizona by mid-2027 and start production by early 2028, earlier than TSMC’s timeline. Amkor and TSMC in 2024 said they would work together to bring several of TSMC’s advanced packaging technologies to Arizona, but the two companies have not disclosed details.
Zhang said Amkor and TSMC’s technology discussions remain ongoing.
MacDailyNews Take: This is a step in the right direction for supply chain diversification, especially welcome amid ongoing geopolitical tensions around Taiwan. Apple and Nvidia already source some leading-edge chips from TSMC’s Arizona fabs; bringing advanced packaging locally would create a more complete U.S. footprint and reduce unnecessary trans-Pacific shipping.
That said, 2029 remains a long way off. Amkor aims to start its own Arizona packaging production earlier (targeting early 2028), and broader rumors suggest TSMC could eventually scale to multiple packaging facilities as part of a massive Arizona “gigafab” cluster. Taiwan will continue to dominate CoWoS (Chip-on-Wafer-on-Substrate) packaging capacity in the near term, with aggressive expansions already ramping there.
TSMC is responding to customer demands (and likely U.S. incentives/political pressure) by slowly localizing more of the supply chain. It’s smart risk management and good news for American tech sovereignty in the long run — but the timeline highlights how difficult it is to replicate Taiwan’s ecosystem quickly. For AI leaders hungry for more capacity now, the packaging crunch isn’t going away anytime soon. Patience (and continued heavy investment) will be required.
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Apple’s greatest strengths may become its biggest AI weaknesses
As John Ternus prepares to take over as CEO, Apple faces a pivotal question: in the fast-moving AI era, can the same discipline, polish, and iron-fisted control that built its empire now hold it back?
The company’s legendary closed ecosystem and deliberate pace — once unmatched advantages — are clashing with an AI landscape that rewards openness, rapid iteration, and aggressive experimentation. With rivals racing ahead and the iPhone’s centrality potentially at stake, Ternus must find a way to weave powerful AI into Apple’s tightly integrated world without compromising what makes it special.
Apple, not unexpectedly, has been cautious. Cook, a loyal steward of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs’ vision, has emphasized privacy and quality that only come with tight control.
That restraint has earned it trust with users, but also left the company open to antitrust pressure in the U.S. and abroad, including a legal battle with “Fortnite” creator Epic Games and new European Union rules that force Apple to allow more competition on its devices.
That tension has intensified with AI, as the boom tends to reward speed and experimentation.
“By choosing a hardware leader in John Ternus, Apple may be signaling that it still believes the future of AI will run through tightly integrated devices, not just software,” said Timothy Hubbard, assistant professor of management at the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business. “That could be smart, but it also raises a deeper risk: the very strengths that made Apple dominant — their discipline, polish, and control — could become constraints if the next era rewards openness and faster iteration. That rapid innovation is where Apple started, and maybe that’s where the company needs to return.”
Ternus’ biggest challenge will be weaving AI into Apple’s impenetrable ecosystem at a time when a more open approach is taking the world by storm.
MacDailyNews Take: We remain optimistic that Apple can and will deliver meaningful AI innovation without compromising its commitment to privacy and security.
Apple’s greatest strengths have always been its obsessive focus on user privacy, rock-solid security, and end-to-end control of the hardware-software experience. These aren’t outdated “constraints” in the AI era; they are the very foundation that makes Apple products uniquely trustworthy.
We have every confidence that Ternus, with his deep hardware engineering roots and long tenure at Apple, understands this better than anyone. The challenge isn’t to tear down the walls that protect users — it’s to intelligently extend powerful, on-device AI (and selective cloud capabilities) while keeping personal data firmly in the user’s hands.
We fully expect Ternus to deliver meaningful AI innovation that feels distinctly Apple: thoughtful, polished, private by design, and genuinely useful — without the creepy data-grabbing practices or rushed, half-baked features plaguing the competition.
Led by John Ternus, Apple will once again show the industry how it’s done right.
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Apple releases iOS 26.4.2 and iPadOS 26.4.2
Apple has just released iOS 26.4.2 and iPadOS 26.4.2, a pair of minor point updates focused on bug fixes and security improvements.
The updates became available on April 22, 2026, roughly two weeks after iOS 26.4.1. As is typical with these quick follow-ups, Apple’s official release notes are brief and simply state that the updates include “bug fixes and security updates” without listing specific issues addressed.
How to Update
Eligible iPhones and iPads can download the software over-the-air via Settings > General > Software Update. Most users should install it promptly, especially if they’ve noticed any lingering glitches from the previous 26.4.1 release.
Apple also pushed iOS 18.7.8 today for older iPhone models still running the iOS 18 branch.
What’s Next?
On the horizon, Apple is already beta testing iOS 26.5 and iPadOS 26.5, which are expected to arrive sometime in May and will likely bring more noticeable changes.
If you’re on iOS 26.4.1 (or earlier), this is a straightforward maintenance update worth applying for better stability and security.
MacDailyNews Note: Snappy and no issues here, but, as always, make sure you have a recent backup before updating.
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One of Tim Cook’s bigger mistakes: Overreacting to Charlottesville and handing $2+ million to the SPLC and ADL
As Tim Cook transitions out of the CEO role, it’s natural to look back at his long tenure at Apple — a period marked by extraordinary financial success, operational excellence, and the company’s rise to one of the world’s most valuable corporations. Yet one notable misstep stands out for its poor judgment and lasting reputational cost.
In August 2017, following the violent clashes in Charlottesville, Virginia, Apple CEO Tim Cook rushed to respond. He sent an internal memo condemning the events, criticized President Trump’s handling of the situation, and committed $2 million in corporate donations: $1 million each to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC). Apple also matched employee contributions and enabled direct donations via iTunes. Cook declared that “hate is a cancer,” positioning the move as a stand for decency.
The murder of Heather Heyer, a counter-protester killed when a white supremacist drove his car into a crowd, was indefensible — a brutal and senseless act of violence that deserved universal condemnation regardless of politics. Few dispute the need to denounce neo-Nazis and actual white supremacists who marched with torches and committed such murder. But Cook’s decision to funnel significant funds to the SPLC and the ADL—both controversial organizations known for expansive and partisan “hate” labeling — was a profound error in judgment. The ADL, in particular, has faced growing criticism for conflating legitimate criticism of Israeli policies with antisemitism and for its overly broad influence on tech censorship and campus speech. It aligned one of the world’s most valuable and ostensibly neutral companies with outfits whose methods have long drawn criticism from across the ideological spectrum. Nine years later, that mistake looks even worse in light of Tuesday’s bombshell development: on April 21, 2026, a federal grand jury in Montgomery, Alabama, indicted the SPLC on 11 counts of wire fraud, false statements to a federally insured bank, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
The SPLC’s Deepening Troubles
The SPLC began with creditable work suing violent Klan factions decades ago. But it evolved into a well-funded machine that brands mainstream conservative and Christian organizations (such as the Family Research Council or Alliance Defending Freedom) as equivalent to neo-Nazis, often with little regard for nuance or evidence. This tactic has chilled legitimate debate, influenced tech deplatforming decisions, and sustained a large endowment through fear-based fundraising.
Longstanding critiques from former employees, investigative journalists, and even some on the left highlighted inflated threats, internal dysfunction (including the 2019 ouster of co-founder Morris Dees amid misconduct allegations), and settlements paid after wrongful labeling. The organization’s “hate map” has been treated as authoritative by media and corporations despite these flaws.
Tuesday’s indictment, announced by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel, adds a far more serious layer. Prosecutors allege that between 2014 and 2023, the SPLC secretly funneled more than $3 million in donated funds to paid informants deeply embedded in extremist groups — including the Ku Klux Klan, Aryan Nations, National Socialist Party of America, and others. The indictment claims these individuals not only received payments but actively promoted the very racist groups the SPLC publicly denounced on its website and in fundraising appeals. Funds were allegedly routed through multiple bank accounts and loaded onto prepaid cards, all while deceiving donors about how their money was being used.
The SPLC has defended the payments as standard informant work shared with law enforcement and vowed to fight the charges, calling them politically motivated. Yet the scale and secrecy alleged raise fundamental questions about whether the group was monitoring hate — or, as critics now charge, sustaining a revenue-generating cycle of manufactured threat. This alleged conduct overlaps with and extends well beyond 2017, when Tim Cook inexplicably chose the SPLC as a partner in Apple’s stand against “hate.”
A Partisan Overreaction Then, Even More Questionable Now
Charlottesville was a genuine tragedy marked by fringe extremism and street violence from multiple directions. Trump’s response was clumsy, but the elite consensus, including Cook’s memo, often ignored asymmetries in how media and institutions treated left- and right-wing violence. Even Snopes, hardly a right-wing outlet, rated as False the widespread claim that Trump had called neo-Nazis and white supremacists “very fine people.” In a June 2024 article titled “No, Trump Did Not Call Neo-Nazis and White Supremacists ‘Very Fine People'”, Snopes noted that Trump explicitly condemned those groups while referring to non-extremist participants on both sides of the statue debate. In that heated moment, Cook opted for knee-jerk corporate virtue signaling rather than measured condemnation of violence on all sides or support for neutral causes like local victim relief or genuine civil rights work.
By directing funds and Apple’s platform to both the SPLC and the ADL, he lent the company’s immense prestige to organizations already viewed by many as partisan actors rather than neutral watchdogs. The April 21, 2026 indictment underscores how flawed that choice was. If even a fraction of the allegations hold — that donor money meant to fight extremism was instead quietly propping up elements within those groups — it reveals a level of institutional deception that makes the 2017 donation look not just naïve, but actively irresponsible.
In recent years, Cook has largely refrained from such high-profile political pronouncements, emphasizing instead that he focuses on “policy, not politics” and positioning himself as non-partisan in his dealings with administrations on both sides. This shift only highlights how unnecessary and damaging Cook’s 2017 overreaction has proven to be.
Apple’s customers span the political spectrum. Its products are tools for communication and creation, not ideological weapons. Associating the brand so explicitly with groups now facing serious questions about bias, overreach, and — in the SPLC’s case — federal fraud charges tied to the very “hate” they claim to combat erodes trust. It fuels perceptions that Silicon Valley elites apply selective outrage, partnering with flawed proxies while lecturing others on morality.
The Broader Lesson for Corporate Leadership
Tim Cook has been an effective steward of Apple’s operations, innovation pipeline, and financial performance. But episodes like this expose a recurring vulnerability: reflexive alignment with progressive institutional consensus during cultural flashpoints. True leadership demands discernment — condemning real hatred and violence without outsourcing judgment to self-interested arbiters with their own agendas.
Of course, hate is destructive, but so is the cynical inflation of “hate” labels, secretive funding schemes, and the erosion of public trust in once-respected nonprofits. In hindsight, Cook’s post-Charlottesville move stands as one of his bigger mistakes. Writing a $2 million check to the SPLC and ADL in 2017 wasn’t moral courage; it was panic-driven virtue signaling to the wrong partners. With Tuesday’s indictment, that error is now impossible to ignore.
Companies like Apple best serve their shareholders, employees, and global customers by focusing on exceptional products and staying above the fray, not by impulsively picking sides with organizations whose own credibility is collapsing under the weight of serious criminal allegations and longstanding accusations of bias.
SteveJack is a long-time Macintosh user, web designer, multimedia producer, and contributor to the MacDailyNews Opinion section.
MacDailyNews Take: As we wrote back in March 2019:
In a nutshell, Cook literally funded inequality and disrespect in the name of Apple Inc.
See also: Apple-backed Southern Poverty Law Center wracked in turmoil, called a ‘con’ for ‘bilking gullible liberals’ – March 24, 2019
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The post One of Tim Cook’s bigger mistakes: Overreacting to Charlottesville and handing $2+ million to the SPLC and ADL appeared first on MacDailyNews.
Apple gears up for a game-changing iPhone camera system overhaul
Apple is about to shake up the iPhone camera like never before. After years of incremental tweaks to the primary shooter, the company is launching a multi-year upgrade cycle that could finally close the hardware/specs gap with Android flagships boasting massive sensors and advanced optics.
According to reliable leaks from Chinese sources, including Digital Chat Station via Weibo, the transformation is set to begin with the iPhone 18 Pro and flagship iPhone 18 Pro Max expected in fall 2026. Suppliers have already started mass production of a variable aperture lens for the main camera — a feature long common in professional DSLRs, but new to iPhones.
What Variable Aperture Means for Your Photos
Current iPhone 17 Pro models use a fixed f/1.78 aperture on the primary camera. A variable aperture system would let the lens physically adjust the opening, controlling exactly how much light reaches the sensor depending on conditions. This promises:
• Better low-light performance without overexposure
• More natural background blur (bokeh) for portrait shots
• Greater creative control similar to what pros get with dedicated cameras
While the exact benefits depend on sensor size improvements, the move signals Apple’s serious intent to elevate computational photography with more traditional optical smarts.
Bigger Upgrades on the Horizon
If development stays on track without technical hurdles, Apple has even more ambitious plans for subsequent models:
• A significantly larger 1/1.12-inch primary sensor (widely believed to be Sony’s LYT901, already powering 2026 Ultra phones from Oppo and Vivo)
• Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) added to the ultra-wide camera for steadier shots and video
• A high-resolution 200MP periscope telephoto camera for vastly superior zoomed-in image quality
For context, Chinese brands like Xiaomi and Vivo already deploy 200MP telephoto lenses on their flagships, delivering detail and clarity that outpaces the iPhone 17 Pro’s upgraded 48MP telephoto. A 200MP module on iPhone would bring Apple in line with — or ahead of — the competition in raw resolution and cropping flexibility.
Why Now? Apple’s Camera Hardware Catch-Up Strategy
The iPhone’s camera system has led in video and computational features for years, but hardware on the stills side has lagged behind some Android rivals pushing ever-larger sensors. This new roadmap marks a clear shift: Apple is investing heavily in both optical hardware and the integration with its powerful image signal processor and AI tools.
The variable aperture debut on the iPhone 18 Pro serves as the starting point, with the larger sensor, stabilized ultra-wide, and 200MP telephoto rolling out in phases over the following years.
What This Means for iPhone Users
If these rumors hold, future iPhones could deliver:
• More DSLR-like control over depth of field and exposure
• Dramatically improved zoom quality and detail retention
• Better handheld low-light and ultra-wide photography
• Enhanced overall image quality that feels like a true generational leap
Apple has a history of perfecting rumored features before launch, so expect refinements and tight software-hardware integration that make these upgrades shine in real-world use.
MacDailyNews Take: The iPhone camera is evolving from a computational powerhouse into a more versatile optical beast. For photography enthusiasts and casual shooters alike, the next few iPhone generations look set to be the most exciting in years!
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