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President Trump to host Apple CEO Tim Cook, other tech CEOs for first event in newly renovated Rose Garden
U.S. President Donald Trump will host a dinner to be attended by Apple CEO Tim Cook and over two dozen technology and business leaders in the newly renovated White House Rose Garden on Thursday, a White House official said. The guests include Apple CEO Tim Cook, Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg, Microsoft founder Bill Gates, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, according to the official. The Rose Garden renovation was completed in August.
The Rose Garden’s upgrades are part of President Trump’s broader White House renovation plans, which include adding a grand ballroom. In a May interview with NBC News, he stated he is personally funding the project, including the installation of two 100-foot flagpoles on the North and South Lawns. Earlier this month, Trump confirmed the ballroom plans, with a press release noting the space will cover approximately 90,000 square feet.
Jarrett Renshaw for Reuters:
Executives have sought closer ties with the Republican administration, aligning corporate policies with the White House’s push to roll back diversity and equity initiatives while courting Trump’s favor on artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies.
“The president looks forward to welcoming top business, political and tech leaders for this dinner and the many dinners to come on the new, beautiful Rose Garden patio,” White House spokesman Davis Ingle said.
The gathering there is set to take place after CEOs and tech leaders attend a White House event on AI hosted by first lady Melania Trump.
Other executives on the guest list include Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Oracle CEO Safra Catz, Blue Origin CEO David Limp, Micron Technology CEO Sanjay Mehrotra, and OpenAI President Greg Brockman, the White House official said.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Sacramento Kings owner Vivek Ranadive, Palantir Chief Technology Officer Shyam Sankar and Meta’s chief AI officer, Alexandr Wang, are also expected.
MacDailyNews Note: On August 30th, via Truth Social, President Trump commented on the Rose Garden following a construction mishap:
I used, at the White House, the most beautiful marble and stone available anywhere. Surfaces are very important to me as a Builder. As everyone knows, I built many GREAT Buildings, and other things, over the years. At the White House, I am very proud of the beautiful stonework we did in the Rose Garden, in this case, using limestone plus. The Rose Garden is completed, and far more beautiful than anyone ever had in mind when it was conceived of, decades ago. Three days ago, while admiring the stonework, I happened to notice a huge gash in the limestone that extended more than 25 yards long. It was deep and nasty! I started yelling, “Who did this, and I want to find out now!” — And I didn’t say this in a nice manner. I wondered, “Was it vandalism or, was it stupidity?” Lo and behold, because of the fact that we’ve installed the finest security equipment anywhere, they brought back the stupid people, with their boss watching (in sunglasses!). It was a subcontractor that was installing heavy landscaping on a steel cart that was broken and tilting badly, with it rubbing hard against the soft, beautiful stone. I love and respect great workers and contractors, but something like this should never happen. Now, I’ll replace the stone, charge the contractor, and never let that contractor work at the White House again — But, how great is the video equipment? We caught them, cold. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!
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Apple plans to launch its own AI-powered web search tool for Siri
Apple is planning to launch its own artificial intelligence-powered web search tool next year, stepping up competition with OpenAI and Perplexity.
Mark Gurman for Bloomberg News:
The company is working on a new system — dubbed internally as World Knowledge Answers — that will be integrated into the Siri voice assistant, according to people with knowledge of the matter. Apple has discussed also eventually adding the technology to its Safari web browser and Spotlight, which is used to search from the iPhone home screen.
Apple is aiming to release the service, described by some executives as an “answer engine,” in the spring as part of a long-delayed overhaul to Siri, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the plans haven’t been announced.
The idea is to make Siri and Apple’s operating systems a place where users can look up information from across the internet — in a similar fashion to ChatGPT, AI Overviews in Google Search, and a crop of new apps. The approach will rely on large language models, or LLMs, a key technology underpinning generative AI.
The underlying technology enabling the new Siri could come in part from Alphabet Inc.’s Google, Apple’s longtime partner in internet search. The companies reached a formal agreement this week for Apple to evaluate and test a Google-developed AI model to help power the voice assistant, the people said.
Apple’s new search experience will include an interface that makes use of text, photos, video, and local points of interest, according to the people…
The new Siri and search changes are currently slated for an upcoming software update known internally as Luck E. That corresponds to iOS 26.4, which is scheduled for release as early as March.
MacDailyNews Take: if so, iOS 26.4 will be a very major release!
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Apple patents next-gen Taptic Engine
The Taptic Engine, Apple’s proprietary haptic feedback technology, is a cornerstone of its hardware-software integration, delivering precise, tactile responses that enhance user interaction across devices like iPhones, Apple Watches, and MacBooks. Introduced with the Apple Watch in 2015, it replaced traditional vibration motors with linear actuators, enabling nuanced feedback like a gentle tap for notifications or a click-like sensation in Force Touch and 3D Touch interfaces.
This seamless blend of hardware and software creates immersive experiences, such as simulating a physical button press on the iPhone’s solid-state Home button or providing contextual feedback in apps.
Now, Apple patented a next-generation Taptic Engine, promising even more advanced haptic capabilities. The patent outlines a compact, multi-coil design for finer vibration control, potentially enabling richer feedback patterns for gaming, accessibility, and augmented reality. This innovation could further blur the line between digital and physical interactions, reinforcing Apple’s lead in intuitive user experiences
Hartley Charlton for MacRumors:
Apple has been granted a patent for a shock-resistant haptic engine design that aims to significantly improve the durability of future iPhones, Apple Watches, and other devices.
The patent is titled “Electronic device having a shock-resistant haptic engine” and was granted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office earlier this week (via Patently Apple). The proposed system introduces a haptic engine that uses a system of non-linear cantilevered springs to protect delicate internal components from damage caused by drops or collisions. The design incorporates springs with varying thickness and chamfered edges, enabling them to respond softly to minor impacts while stiffening under heavy loads to absorb and distribute force more effectively.
Patent filings cannot be taken as evidence of Apple’s immediate plans, but they do indicate areas of active research and interest for the company, as well as what it is considering developing for future devices. As a mechanical component, the Taptic Engine is a vulnerable point of failure in iPhones and Apple Watches, so a more durable version arriving in the future seems plausible.
MacDailyNews Take: We’ve never had a problem with any Taptic Engine, but we’ll certainly take an even more durable version!
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Apple expands retail presence in India with new stores in Bengaluru and Pune
Apple continues its retail expansion in India with the opening of two new stores: Apple Hebbal in Bengaluru, which welcomed customers on September 2, 2025, and Apple Koregaon Park in Pune, set to open on September 4, 2025.
These additions mark Apple’s third and fourth stores in India, joining existing locations in Mumbai and Delhi, and reinforce the company’s commitment to connecting with India’s growing consumer base in vibrant, culturally rich cities.
Apple Hebbal, located in Bengaluru’s technology hub, is the first Apple Store in South India. With a team of 70 members from 15 Indian states, the store offers a full lineup of Apple products, including the iPhone 16 series, M4-powered MacBook Pro, iPad Air, and Apple Watch Series 10. Customers can explore personalized shopping sessions, receive expert support at the Genius Bar, and participate in free Today at Apple sessions to learn skills like photography or using Apple Intelligence.
Just days later, Apple Koregaon Park opens in Pune, a city celebrated for its history and creativity.
Featuring 68 team members from 11 states, the store provides the same comprehensive product range and services, including a dedicated Apple Pickup area for online orders. Like Hebbal, it offers Today at Apple sessions, fostering creativity through workshops on iPhone photography, iPad creativity, and more.
Both stores cater to diverse audiences, from students to business owners, with dedicated Business Teams offering tailored support. “We’re delighted to connect with customers in Bengaluru and Pune,” said Deirdre O’Brien, Apple’s senior vice president of Retail, in a statement.
MacDailyNews Note: More info via apple.com/in/.
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Meta subsidiary Instagram finally launches an iPad app
After years of user requests and makeshift workarounds, Meta Platform’s Instagram has officially launched a dedicated app for iPad, bringing a tailored experience to Apple’s tablets.
Announced on September 3, 2025, the app is now available for download on iPads running iPadOS 15.1 or later, optimizing the platform’s core features for larger screens.
The update addresses long-standing complaints from iPad users who previously relied on the iPhone version, which felt cramped and underutilized on bigger displays. “Today, we’re excited to announce we’re bringing Instagram to iPad. People have asked for this for a while, and we’ve taken the time to design an experience that optimizes your favorite parts of Instagram for a bigger screen,” stated Instagram in their blog post.
Key highlights include a redesigned Reels interface that launches directly into full-screen, lean-back viewing, perfect for casual scrolling.
Stories appear prominently at the top for quick access to updates from friends and family, while messaging is just one tap away.
A standout addition is the new “Following” tab, offering multiple views: “All” for recommended posts from followed accounts, “Friends” focusing on mutual follows, and “Latest” for chronological feeds with customizable sorting.
The app also enhances multitasking with side-by-side layouts for messages and notifications, reducing the need for constant switching.
Users can now expand comments while keeping Reels playing at full size, ensuring they don’t miss reactions mid-video.
This streamlined design promises fewer taps and more immersion, making Instagram feel native to the iPad ecosystem.Looking ahead, Instagram teased that a similar tablet-optimized experience will soon roll out to Android devices, expanding accessibility beyond Apple users.
For iPad owners, this launch marks the end of an era of suboptimal browsing, ushering in a more engaging and efficient way to connect, create, and consume content on the go. With these updates, Instagram is poised to capture even more screen time from its billions of users, solidifying its place in the social media landscape.
MacDailyNews Take: Early nominee for understatement of the month: “People have asked for this for a while.”
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Apple’s ultra-thin ‘iPhone Air’ will easily outsell ‘iPhone Plus’ models
In recent years, Apple usually introduces two base and two premium iPhone models, differing in size, specs, and price. Last year, the iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, and 16 Pro Max were released. However, Bloomberg News reports that next Tuesday, the Plus model will be absent from the lineup. Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 17, 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max, and a new, ultra-thin model tentatively named “iPhone 17 Air.”
Angela Palumbo for Barron’s:
That would be really big if Apple does unveil an iPhone Air model—similar to the iPad Air and the MacBook Air, which are thinner and lighter than the base models, wrote Evercore ISI analyst Amit Daryanani on Tuesday.
“This is the most notable design change to the iPhone that Apple has done in recent years and could be Apple’s thinnest iPhone yet,” Daryanani wrote.
Of the Air model, the analyst thinks the new version “will help to reinvigorate demand and drive additional refresh.”
Apple has caught flak over the past few years for rolling out models that aren’t much different except for updated cameras.
Daryanani, though, thinks next week’s iPhone launch will mark the start of “notable” changes for at least the next couple of years.
Apple, he wrote, “could release its first foldable iPhone as early as next year and in 2027, Apple could release a curved glass ‘anniversary’ iPhone to mark 20th anniversary of the iPhone.”
MacDailyNews Take: Daryanani reiterated Apple as “Outperform” (Buy) with a target price of $250 a share (that’s laughably too low).
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Garmin debuts high-end sports watch ahead of Apple Watch Ultra 3
On Wednesday, Garmin Ltd. introduced the Fenix 8 Pro, an enhanced rugged smartwatch, just days before Apple’s anticipated update to its premium Apple Watch Ultra timepiece. Designed for athletes and outdoor enthusiasts, the Fenix 8 Pro features advanced communication tools, including satellite and cellular connectivity for emergency response, texting, location sharing, voice calls, 30-second voice messages, and weather updates, Garmin announced in a statement.
Samantha Kelly for Bloomberg News:
It starts at $1,200 and will be available on Sept. 8 in two sizes. There will also be a version with a brighter MicroLED display for $2,000, though the rated battery life is shorter — as much as 10 days in smartwatch mode, compared with a maximum of 27 days on the standard model.
The announcement comes just days before Apple is expected to unveil an upgraded line of wearables, including the Apple Watch Ultra 3. That device will feature a faster processor, an updated display, health tracking upgrades and satellite connectivity, Bloomberg has reported.
The Fenix line debuted in 2012 and has been marketed toward hikers and other outdoor athletes with features such as solar charging, extended battery life, route mapping and a built-in flashlight. The range also includes more standard health-tracking tools such as heart-rate monitoring.
MacDailyNews Take: It’s a nice smartwatch, but it doesn’t have anywhere near the ecosystem of Apple Watch Ultra.
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Apple TV+ debuts trailer for season five of ‘Slow Horses,’ starring Gary Oldman
Apple TV+ on Wednesday unveiled the trailer for season five of “Slow Horses,” the Emmy and BAFTA Award-winning espionage drama starring Academy Award winner and Emmy Award nominee Sir Gary Oldman. Adapted from “London Rules,” the next novel in the CWA Gold Dagger Award-winning Mick Herron “Slough House” book series, the six-episode fifth season of “Slow Horses” premieres September 24, 2025 with the first episode, followed by one episode weekly until October 29, 2025.
“Slow Horses” is a darkly humorous espionage drama that follows a dysfunctional team of British intelligence agents who serve in a dumping ground department of MI5 known affectionately as Slough House. Oldman, who has been honored with Golden Globe, Emmy and BAFTA Award nominations for his performance, stars as Jackson Lamb, the brilliant but cantankerous leader of the spies who end up in Slough House due to their career-ending mistakes as they frequently find themselves blundering around the smoke and mirrors of the espionage world.
In season five of “Slow Horses,” everyone is suspicious when resident tech nerd Roddy Ho has a glamorous new girlfriend, but when a series of increasingly bizarre events occur across the city, it falls to the Slow Horses to work out how everything is connected. After all, Lamb knows that in the world of espionage, the London Rules — cover your back — always apply.
The ensemble cast includes Academy Award nominee Kristin Scott Thomas, Emmy Award nominee Jack Lowden, Saskia Reeves, Rosalind Eleazar, Christopher Chung, Aimee-Ffion Edwards, Ruth Bradley, James Callis, Tom Brooke, and Academy Award nominee Jonathan Pryce. Season five will also welcome “Ted Lasso” star Nick Mohammed as a special guest star.
“Slow Horses” has been celebrated as “undoubtedly the best spy series on television,” a “truly epic espionage thriller” that is “utterly brilliant” and just “so damn good.” The complete first four seasons of “Slow Horses,” which are now streaming on Apple TV+, hold a Certified Fresh score, with two seasons receiving a rare, perfect 100% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes. The globally acclaimed third season earned nine Primetime Emmy Award nominations, with a win for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series, and the widely hailed fourth season recently earned five Primetime Emmy nominations in various categories, including Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. Seasons six and seven of the darkly comedic spy drama have already been announced.
The series is produced for Apple TV+ by See-Saw Films and adapted for television by Will Smith. Jamie Laurenson, Hakan Kousetta, Julian Stevens, Iain Canning, Emile Sherman, Douglas Urbanski, Gail Mutrux, Smith and Graham Yost serve as executive producers on the series. Saul Metzstein, who earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for his work on “Slow Horses” season three, returns to helm season five.
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 596 wins and 2,798 award nominations and counting, including multi-Emmy Award-winning comedy “Ted Lasso” and Oscar Best Picture winner “CODA.”
MacDailyNews Take: “Slow Horses” is one of the best series anywhere – highly recommended!
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, 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 $9.99 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, Mac or iPod touch can enjoy three months of Apple TV+ for free.
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Apple, Google stocks jump on antitrust ruling preserving Safari default search deal
After a U.S. federal judge issued his Google antitrust remedies after the close on Tuesday, the share prices of Apple and Google parent Alphabet surged in after-hour and pre-market trading.
Ed Carson for Investor’s Business Daily:
Late Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta ruled that Google will be barred from exclusive search deals and must share search data. But the tech titan will not have to divest its Chrome browser or face other, more-serious penalties. Mehta also didn’t bar Google from making payments to third parties for default browser placement, suggesting that a Google-Apple search deal can continue.
The remedies ruling came nearly a year after Mehta said that Google had an illegal monopoly over online search. Google will appeal the ruling.
Google stock jumped in overnight trade, signaling a record high as Mehta’s antitrust remedies weren’t as harsh as feared.
Apple stock climbed solidly, pointing to a breakout above a 235.12 handle buy point.
MacDailyNews Take: Apple is currently trading in the pre-market up $8.32 (+3.62%) to $238.04.
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Apple stock surges on U.S. ruling that spares default search deal with Google
On Tuesday, a U.S. judge ruled mostly in favor of Alphabet’s Google, denying U.S. prosecutors’ request to force the company to divest its Chrome browser and Android operating system.
However, the judge ordered Google to share data with competitors to foster competition in online search.
Alphabet’s stock surged nearly 6.7% in after-hours trading as investors welcomed the decision.
While sharing data may bolster Google’s competitors in its dominant advertising sector, retaining Chrome and Android alleviates major investor concerns, as these are critical to Google’s ecosystem.
The ruling also reassured Apple and other device and browser makers, with U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta allowing them to continue receiving ad revenue-sharing payments from Google.
Morgan Stanley analysts noted Google pays Apple $20 billion annually for search-related services.Google plans to appeal the decision, which could delay implementation for years.
MacDailyNews Note: Apple stock surged in after-hours trading, up $7.48 (+3.26%) to $237.20.
MacDailyNews Take: Rejoice! Cook & Co. can continue being lazy/inept, taking $20+ billion payments from rival Google instead of developing their own search/AI. Market seems to love free money for doing nothing.
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Apple’s brain drain continues as lead AI robotics researcher leaves for Meta
Bloomberg News‘ Mark Gurman reports that Apple’s lead AI researcher for robotics, Jian Zhang, has left the company to join Meta Platforms’ robotics division, contributing to a brain drain of AI talent from Tim Cook’s Apple. Meta confirmed Zhang’s move to its Robotics Studio on Tuesday.
Mark Gurman for Bloomberg News:
Separately, three more AI researchers are leaving Apple’s in-house large language models team, adding to upheaval in that group, according to people with knowledge of the matter.
The latest string of departures — all taking place over the last week — includes John Peebles, Nan Du, and Zhao Meng, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the moves haven’t been announced.
They were all part of an Apple Foundation Models team that has lost roughly 10 members, including its chief, in recent weeks. The group was central to the creation of the Apple Intelligence platform, launched last year as part of the company’s bid to catch up in AI.
Peebles and Du are heading to OpenAI, while Zhao is joining Anthropic PBC.
Zhang, the robotics researcher, led a small team of academics focused on automation technology and the role of AI in such products. That team has already suffered some turnover, with one of Zhang’s reports, Mario Srouji, leaving to run AI products at Archer Aviation Inc. in April.
MacDailyNews Take: Judging by the state of Apple Intelligence, how good could they be?
Still, an exodus of talent in an ever-growing AI brain drain train doesn’t happen at companies with inspiring, focused, visionary leadership. Nobody with any smarts wants to work for a canned video vaporware factory fronted by a cardboard cutout CEO clinging on a decade past his sell-by date.
From what we hear about Apple today, especially in AI, we don’t blame them for leaving.
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Apple may unveil AirTag 2 during ‘Awe Dropping’ event next week
Apple’s anticipated AirTag 2 may launch at next week’s annual iPhone event. In the November 2024 Power On newsletter, Bloomberg News’ Mark Gurman noted that the AirTag 2 will resemble the current model and “certainly not” include a rechargeable battery, sticking with a replaceable CR2032 “coin” battery that lasts about a year.
Joe Rossignol for MacRumors:
Apple introduced the current AirTag during its April 2021 event.
For those unfamiliar with the AirTag, it is a Bluetooth accessory that you can attach to items like a backpack and keys, and you can then track the location of those items in the Find My app across the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and iCloud.com.
The following changes have been rumored:
• A second-generation Ultra Wideband chip, for up to 3× longer item tracking range compared to the current AirTag
• A more tamper-proof built-in speaker — an anti-stalking safety improvement
• “Very low” battery life alerts, alongside existing “low” battery alerts
• Vision Pro/spatial computing integration of some kind — details unclear
MacDailyNews Note: Apple’s second-generation Ultra Wideband (UWB) chip, known as the U2 chip, offers several advancements over its predecessor, the U1 chip, enhancing spatial awareness and connectivity in Apple devices, including the expected AirTag 2. Here are the key features and advantages:
• Extended Range: The U2 chip enables connectivity with compatible devices at up to three times the distance of the U1 chip. This allows for more reliable tracking and interaction over greater distances, such as finding friends in crowded spaces or locating items with AirTags.
• Improved Precision Finding: The U2 chip enhances Apple’s Precision Finding feature, providing more accurate distance and directional data, down to centimeter-level precision. This improves user experiences in applications like Find My, making it easier to locate devices, AirTags, or even friends in busy environments like concerts or train stations.
• Enhanced Device Integration: The U2 chip enables seamless interactions across Apple’s ecosystem. For example, it supports features like automatically opening the Now Playing screen on an Apple Watch Series 9 when near a HomePod playing music, or providing media suggestions via Smart Stack. It also improves proximity-based handoff between devices, such as transferring audio playback.
• Power Efficiency: The U2 chip is designed to be more power-efficient, potentially extending battery life for devices like AirTags. This reduces the frequency of battery replacements, a big plus for AirTag users.
• Broader Application Potential: The U2 chip opens up possibilities for new use cases, such as hands-free access in settings like hotels or workplaces, and more precise digital key functionality for cars (e.g., identifying which door a user is approaching). Its enhanced capabilities could also support future augmented reality applications and developer-driven innovations through Apple’s Nearby Interaction framework.
• Backward Compatibility: The U2 chip maintains compatibility with existing U1-equipped devices, ensuring that newer devices like the iPhone 15 and Apple Watch Series 9 can still interact with older UWB-enabled products, while offering enhanced features for newer models.
These improvements make the U2 chip a significant upgrade, enhancing location-based services, user convenience, and ecosystem integration.
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