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  • New small HomePod coming soon after long wait

    New small HomePod coming soon after long wait

    It’s been a while since we’ve seen a new model of the tiny HomePod. Launched with the iPhone 12 back in November 2020, fans have been waiting for over four years for a refresh. Good news is, it looks like the wait is almost over with a new version expected to hit the shelves by the end of this year.

    homepod mini thumb feature
    According to recent reports from Mark Gurman at Bloomberg, Apple is gearing up to introduce the updated HomePod mini sometime at the end of 2025. This new model will come with Apple’s own special Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, which supports the newer Wi-Fi 6E standard. This is a step up from the Wi-Fi 4 that the current model uses, promising better and faster connections for enjoying music or using Siri.

    Though specifics are still under wraps, there’s talk that the new HomePod mini might include a more advanced “S” processor, better sound, fresh color choices, and an updated Ultra Wideband chip for quicker handoffs between devices. The current version uses the S5 chip from the 2019 Apple Watch Series 5.

    Alongside this, Apple is also rumored to be working on a new smart home hub. This device could have a display from 6 to 7 inches, set up either on a wall or on a stand with its own speaker, somewhat like the HomePod mini.

    However, while this new hub will support Apple’s smart tech, the upcoming HomePod mini won’t. For more insights on the HomePod mini, check out our detailed overview.

  • New Apple Sports App Update: Easier navigation and game broadcast details

    New Apple Sports App Update: Easier navigation and game broadcast details

    Apple has just updated its Sports app for iPhone, introducing some cool new features that make it even better for sports fans. First off, the update makes it easier to move around the app. Now, you can simply swipe left or right to check out all your favorite leagues and teams, making it quicker to get to the sports you love.

    Next up, if you’re into soccer, you’ll be happy to know that the app now supports more soccer events, including the FA Cup, EFL Championship, and League Cup. This means you get to stay updated with more soccer action right at your fingertips.

    One of the biggest updates is the addition of broadcast information for national games. Now, you won’t have to guess where to watch the big games; the app tells you right where to tune in.

    Here’s what’s new in Apple Sports version 2.4:

    • The soccer section has grown, now covering the FA Cup, EFL Championship, and League Cup.
    • Easy navigation – just swipe to move between your followed leagues and teams.
    • Game pages now show you where to watch national sports events.

    You can grab this update from the App Store today.

    Also, don’t forget to mark your calendar for the exciting Super Bowl rematch between the Eagles and Chiefs, happening in New Orleans on February 9. The best part? You can stream the game in 4K for free this year, making it easier than ever to enjoy the big game.

  • Why Apple won’t buy TikTok: A Simpler Explanation

    Why Apple won’t buy TikTok: A Simpler Explanation

    Apple has the money to buy almost anything, but TikTok isn’t something it’s likely to acquire. This decision goes beyond just the price tag.

    Although Apple has been hugely successful in many areas, it has consistently struggled with launching social media platforms. While buying TikTok might seem like a shortcut, the challenges involved make it a risky move.

    TikTok isn’t officially on the market yet, but if it were to be sold, the buyer would need to be an American company to comply with U.S. regulations. Apple could technically buy TikTok—Bloomberg estimates its value at around $60 billion. However, purchasing it would mean starting a new division from scratch, which isn’t Apple’s strong suit.

    Apple has shown little interest or ability to thrive in the social media industry. Buying TikTok wouldn’t change the fact that the platform operates in a highly competitive space. Additionally, TikTok’s current operations already face controversies, such as limited search results on sensitive topics like abortion, seemingly to align with certain political views in the U.S. If Apple owned TikTok, it would be responsible for similar censorship decisions, potentially harming its reputation.

    Another major hurdle is the heavy moderation TikTok requires. Managing content on such a large platform is expensive and labor-intensive. While some companies, like Meta, have cut back on moderation to save money, Apple would face criticism if it followed suit. If it didn’t, the cost of moderation would still be a significant burden.

    Ultimately, Apple doesn’t need the complications that come with TikTok. The $60 billion price isn’t the issue—it’s the endless problems that would follow. Instead, Apple seems to be focusing on smaller, more manageable acquisitions, as seen with its $3 billion purchase of Beats in 2014, still its largest buy to date.

    In short, owning TikTok would bring more trouble than value to Apple.

  • Why your external drive isn’t appearing on Mac and how to fix it

    Why your external drive isn’t appearing on Mac and how to fix it

    When you connect an external hard drive to your Mac, it should typically appear on the desktop or in Finder under “Locations.” However, if your drive doesn’t show up, it could be due to formatting issues, corruption, or even a faulty connection. Let’s explore the common reasons behind this problem and how to fix it.

    Common Reasons and Fixes

    1. Connection Issues
    First, ensure the drive is properly plugged in. If it still doesn’t work:

    • Check the cable: Try using a different cable. Faulty cables are a frequent cause.
    • Inspect the port: Switch to another USB or Thunderbolt port. If none work, test the drive on another Mac.
    • Power supply: Some drives require more power. Older Macs might need a USB cable with dual connectors to ensure sufficient power.

    2. Hidden Preferences
    Your Mac might be set to hide external drives. To fix this:

    • Open Finder and go to Settings (or Preferences on older macOS versions).
    • In the General tab, ensure “External disks” is checked.

    3. Password Protection
    If you set a password for the drive, a prompt should appear when you connect it. Be patient, as the password box might take time to show up.

    4. Incompatible File System
    Drives formatted for Windows (e.g., NTFS) may not work on macOS. To fix this:

    • Connect the drive to a Windows PC to retrieve any data.
    • Reformat the drive using exFAT (compatible with Mac and Windows) or APFS (Mac-only). Use Disk Utility to reformat the drive.

    Using Disk Utility to Fix Issues

    If the drive is damaged:

    1. Open Disk Utility (use Spotlight search).
    2. Check if the drive appears. If it does, select it and click First Aid to repair it.
    3. If the repair fails, the drive might need professional recovery software like Wondershare Recoverit or Stellar Data Recovery.

    Prevent Future Problems

    To avoid issues, always eject your drive before unplugging it. Right-click the drive icon on your desktop and select Eject. Improper removal can lead to data corruption.

    By following these steps, you should be able to identify and resolve the issue with your external drive.

  • iPadOS features you might miss but should use

    iPadOS features you might miss but should use

    I’ve shared before that my iPad Pro is my go-to device for work, even though I have a Mac Mini. The hardware is stunning, and the way it handles single apps is just perfect. With iPadOS 18, Apple introduced tons of new features that make this love affair even stronger. Let’s dive into some lesser-known but super useful features.

    1. Easy Unit Converter

    iPadOS 18 finally brought a calculator app to the iPad, but it’s the built-in converter that’s a game changer. Whether you need to change centimeters to feet, Pascals to Bar, or dollars to Rupees, it’s all there. Plus, it works offline, so no internet? No problem!

    2. Sharing Wi-Fi with a QR Code

    Sharing Wi-Fi with friends is now easier, even if they don’t have an Apple device. The new Passwords app lets you create a QR code for your Wi-Fi:

    • Open the Passwords app.
    • Click on Wi-Fi.
    • Select your network.
    • Tap ‘show QR code’.
    • Let your guest scan the code. They’re connected!

    3. Formatting Drives

    This was a big one for me. Now, you can format drives or SD cards right from the Files app:

    • Connect your SSD to your iPad.
    • Long press the drive in the Files app.
    • Tap ‘erase’.
    • Choose your format.
    • Tap “erase” again. Done!

    4. Turn Apps into Widgets

    Customizing your home screen just got easier. Now, you can turn any app into a widget directly:

    • Long press an app icon.
    • If it has a widget, you can change it right there without going into settings.

    5. Hide Unwanted Web Content

    Safari’s new feature lets you hide annoying parts of web pages:

    • Go to any page in Safari.
    • Tap the three dots in the URL bar.
    • Choose ‘Hide Unwanted Content’.
    • Tap what you want to hide.
    • Click ‘hide’. It’s gone until you decide otherwise!

    These features really make your iPad experience smoother and more tailored to your needs. Check out these hidden gems and make your iPad work even better for you.

  • Why Apple avoids big iOS redesigns now

    Why Apple avoids big iOS redesigns now

    Remember when iOS updates used to bring huge changes? Think back to iOS 7. Those times seem to be fading away, and a recent app fiasco explains why.

    The Sonos App Mess as a Warning

    Sonos, if you’ve missed it, has been having a rough time. They changed their CEO after a disastrous app redesign in 2024. This new version of the Sonos app, launched in April, led to a year-long stream of customer complaints and negative publicity.

    This situation with the Sonos app is a clear lesson for why Apple might steer clear of massive iOS overhauls. If this had happened when Sonos had fewer, more tech-savvy users, perhaps the impact wouldn’t have been so severe. They could have fixed issues quickly, or users would have just adapted.

    The Risk of Overhauling iOS

    In the iPhone’s early days, Apple could manage big changes because fewer people used their devices. Now, with millions of users of all tech levels relying on iPhones, major changes are risky. Even if many like the new look, the sheer number of users means there’s bound to be significant opposition.

    Apple knows that iOS can’t stay the same forever, though. Instead of a whole system redesign, they’ve chosen to update parts of iOS one at a time. For instance, the Photos app in iOS 18 stirred up some trouble, but it was only one app, so the blowback was contained. Redesigning all of iOS at once would be a much bigger gamble.

    User Feedback and Iterative Updates

    A top comment on an article about this issue pointed out that comparing the Sonos app rebuild to an iOS redesign isn’t quite fair. Redesigning something like iOS 7 is just giving it a new look, not rebuilding it from the ground up like Sonos did. Apple’s approach would be more like painting over the existing structure, not rebuilding the house.

    For many iPhone users, the idea of another major redesign might sound daunting rather than exciting. The lesson from Sonos is clear: for companies with a huge user base, big changes can lead to big problems. Maybe we should all get used to seeing iOS evolve through smaller, less disruptive updates.

  • Siri’s super bowl slip-up: gives eagles 33 fake wins

    Siri’s super bowl slip-up: gives eagles 33 fake wins

    In a recent test, Siri showed it still has trouble with basic facts. One Foot Tsunami’s Paul Kafasis checked how well Siri knew Super Bowl history, and the results were not great. Siri only got it right 34% of the time, correctly naming just 20 winners out of 58 Super Bowls.

    The most surprising mistake was Siri saying the Philadelphia Eagles won 33 Super Bowls. In reality, the Eagles have only won one. Siri’s answers were all over the place, sometimes talking about the wrong Super Bowl or giving unrelated football info.

    Siri did okay for a little while, correctly answering for Super Bowls V to VII, but then it went off track, getting 15 answers wrong in a row from XVII to XXXII. When asked about Super Bowl XVI, Siri even suggested asking ChatGPT, which gave the right answer, showing Siri’s knowledge isn’t up to par.

    This test was done on iOS 18.2.1 with Apple’s new smart tech, and the same problems were seen on the latest iOS beta and macOS. Kafasis put all the results into a spreadsheet you can look at.

    Daring Fireball’s John Gruber also tested Siri with sports questions and found it did worse than other search engines and AI like ChatGPT, Kagi, DuckDuckGo, and Google. Interestingly, the old version of Siri was better at admitting when it didn’t know the answer by showing web links, which at least gave a chance at finding the right answer.

    Gruber was quite critical, saying:

    “New Siri, with Apple’s smart tech and ChatGPT help, gives answers that are completely but believably wrong, which is the worst kind of mistake. It’s also inconsistent in its errors — I asked the same thing four times and got four different wrong answers.”

    Siri’s performance has been criticized before, but these tests show how it can confidently give wrong information. Apple is working on a smarter Siri using advanced language models, hoping to make it as good as other chatbots like ChatGPT. They plan to show off this new Siri in 2025 but won’t release it until spring 2026 with iOS 19.

  • New test versions of iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3 released by Apple

    New test versions of iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3 released by Apple

    Apple has just released test versions of the upcoming iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3 updates for developers to check out. These versions came out a week after the third test builds were shared.

    To get these updates, you can go into the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad, tap on General, and then go to Software Update. It’s that simple!

    In this update, Apple has made some tweaks to the Apple Intelligence Notification Summaries. They’ve decided to take out the news summaries for now.

    Also, there’s more cool stuff coming with Apple Intelligence and Siri in the next updates, iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4, which will come after 18.3. We’re looking forward to seeing these new updates roll out sometime at the end of January.

  • Apple Unveils ‘HomePad’: A smart home hub with innovative features

    Apple Unveils ‘HomePad’: A smart home hub with innovative features

    Apple is set to revolutionize home tech with its upcoming ‘HomePad’, a new smart display designed to blend seamlessly into your living space. Here are the five core features that will define this device:

    1. 7-inch Square Display: Initially rumored to be a 6-inch screen, the HomePad has been upgraded to a 7-inch display. Its design resembles a square iPad, roughly the size of two iPhone 16 Pro Max models side by side, offering a compact yet functional interface.

    2. New Operating System – ‘homeOS’: The HomePad introduces a novel operating system, possibly named ‘homeOS’. This OS combines elements of the Apple Watch’s interface and the iPhone’s StandBy mode, dynamically adjusting the display based on the user’s proximity for an interactive experience.

    3. Widget Support: Following the trend set by StandBy mode, the HomePad will support widgets, allowing users to customize their home screen much like on an iPhone or iPad. While the inclusion of third-party widgets remains uncertain, Apple’s recent macOS updates suggest they might extend this functionality.

    4. Versatile Accessories: To adapt to various home environments, Apple is crafting multiple attachments for the HomePad. These include wall mounts for security panel aesthetics and bases with additional speakers for kitchen, bedroom, or office use, ensuring the device fits into your home’s aesthetic and functionality needs.

    5. Enhanced Siri with AI: Unlike current Apple home devices, the HomePad will feature an AI-enhanced Siri, thanks to integration with technologies like ChatGPT. This upgrade promises to handle a broader array of commands and understand user context better, aiming to reduce those all-too-common “I’m sorry” responses from Siri.

    The HomePad promises to be more than just a smart display; it’s envisioned as a central hub for smart home control, video calls, and more, making daily life more connected and intuitive.

  • TikTok’s Return to U.S. Screens: Navigating the new normal

    TikTok’s Return to U.S. Screens: Navigating the new normal

    In a rollercoaster of events, TikTok has made a comeback in the U.S., though not without its challenges. After going dark on Saturday night and being pulled from Apple’s App Store, the platform was up and running again by Sunday afternoon, following what TikTok called “necessary clarity” from President Trump.

    Here’s the scoop: despite its functionality being restored, TikTok isn’t back on the App Store. This means new users can’t download it, and existing users can’t update it. The ban, initiated by a law signed by President Biden in April 2024, required TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to divest within nine months or face a ban. That deadline hit on January 19, leading to a brief blackout of the app.

    However, thanks to an assurance from Trump, service providers like Oracle have continued supporting TikTok, risking hefty fines, while tech giants like Apple and Google remain cautious, not re-listing the app.

    For existing iPhone users, this means you can still use TikTok if you have it installed, but no new downloads or updates are available through the App Store. The app’s core functionalities are intact, including TikTok Shop, but new in-app purchases are off-limits, although web purchases remain accessible.

    With Trump’s recent inauguration, he’s hinted at a 90-day delay in enforcing the ban and proposed U.S. ownership in TikTok, signaling potential changes on the horizon. How ByteDance responds to this proposition will shape TikTok’s future in the U.S. market.

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