The HomePod operating system occasionally needs updating, because the device is a lot more than a simple speaker — it’s a computer. Here’s how to make sure your Apple smart speaker has the software version released Monday. HomePod Software version 18.5 is a simple bug-fix update. But it’s still worth installing … who wants bugs?
If you depend on automatic updates, it’s possible your smart speaker hasn’t yet installed the update. Here’s how to do so manually.
★★★★★
After four solid generations before them, Soundcore Liberty 5 wireless noise-canceling earbuds are compact audio powerhouses. My Soundcore Liberty 5 earbuds review finds they challenge premium noise-canceling earbuds like AirPods Pro 2 for about half the price. In fact, Liberty 5’s price ($130) went down from Liberty 4’s starting price by $20.
While Apple, Sony and Bose dominate the high-end market, Soundcore steadily refined their Liberty series to deliver impressive sound quality without the premium price tag. During my testing, the earbuds demonstrated remarkable performance in a variety of ways, along with a limitation or two.
Rumors point to iPadOS 19 blurring the line between the iPad and Mac. With Apple reportedly focusing on “productivity, multitasking and app window management,” we put together a very specific iPadOS 19 wish list for features that could unlock the full potential of Apple’s tablets.
With WWDC25 just around the corner, here’s what we want to see in iPadOS 19.
Studies show it can take between 21 and 80 job applications to land a single offer. And that means getting your dream job can be a real numbers game. Thankfully, you can stack those numbers in your favor with smart tools like the top-rated LazyApply. It makes it easy and fast to apply for jobs.
This job-search service saves you tons of time by letting you apply to hundreds of job applications with just a click. And a lifetime subscription is on sale now for just $54.40 with code SAVE20 (regular price $149).
In partnership with Universal Music Group, Apple Music on Tuesday launched Sound Therapy, a collection of specially enhanced tracks designed to help listeners achieve wellness through better focus, deeper relaxation and improved sleep.
It combines the power of your favorite music with cognitive science to improve daily well-being, the companies said in a press release.
“Given Apple’s leadership at the intersection of health and technology, the launch of Sound Therapy represents an important validation of our innovative, science-led Sollos initiative,” said Michael Nash, UMG’s executive vice president and chief digital officer. “We look forward to working closely with the team at Apple to expand the ways that music can be harnessed to improve the wellness benefits for its users.”
If your job or your dream setup requires connecting five external monitors to your Mac, you need Plugable’s UD-7400PD. It supports up to four 4K displays and one 8K display… even on MacBooks that are supposed to be limited to one external screen. No rival dock can match that.
As a bonus, the dock adds USB-A ports, an Ethernet port and more.
In a groundbreaking development, a brain-computer interface (BCI) company successfully demonstrated the first-ever use of Apple’s Vision Pro AR/VR headset controlled directly by thought, according to Synchron. The innovation opens up exciting possibilities, perhaps even beyond helping individuals with severe mobility limitations engage with cutting-edge technology. Innovations like thought control of Vision Pro could lead to big things for both hands-free and voice-free use of devices.
Update: Synchron said Tuesday it would be the first brain-computer interface (BCI) company to achieve native integration with a new BCI Human Interface Device (BCI HID) profile Apple just rolled out among various accessibility upgrades.
A tiny new silicon micro-speaker could transform future wearables — like Apple Watch and other smartwatches — by dramatically reducing thickness while improving audio quality, xMEMS Labs said Tuesday. It unveiled Sycamore-W, an ultra-thin micro speaker engineered for wrist-worn devices. It could make more room in devices as new features like AI interactions become more prevalent.
“Sycamore-W redefines audio for smart watches, combining compact design with robust performance to meet the demands of next-generation wearables,” said Mike Housholder, xMEMS VP of Marketing and Business Development. “As the wrist becomes a key interface for ears-free, hands-free AI interactions, Sycamore-W empowers manufacturers to deliver premium audio in smaller, lighter more durable devices.”
Spring is here, and the air is full of birdsong. The Merlin Bird ID app tells you what type of birds you’re hearing … plus it’s quick, easy and free.
With this software from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology on your iPhone, you can learn about all the birds around you — you might be surprised how many of them there are. And if you get interested, you’ll soon be able to identify them without the app.
Logitech kicks off summer with its Buy More & Save sale on an array of peripherals for your Apple setup. You can scoop up keyboards, mice, webcams, iPad keyboard cases and more, through June 1. In this Logitech sale, some individual items get discounts, but the main deal comes on how much you spend, the company said: $150 off $450; $70 off $250; and $30 off $150.
As a person who relies on Logitech gear every day, I can vouch for it — especially when you can get a deal on a few items at once to really improve your setup.
May 13, 1991: Apple releases System 7, the biggest upgrade to the Mac operating system since the original Mac shipped in 1984. The new Mac OS is whip-fast, beautiful to look at, and boasts a bevy of innovative features.
The longest-lasting of Apple’s classic Mac operating systems, it will remain current until System 8 replaces it in 1997.
iPad shipments shot up 14% year over year during the first three months of 2025, according to a market analysis firm. That marks the fourth quarter in a row with an increase in iPad demand.
Replacing tablets bought years ago during the pandemic is only one of the reasons for the continuing strong growth.
A comprehensive suite of new Apple accessibility upgrades relying on Apple silicon and machine learning to enhance usability across products and services will launch later this year, the iPhone giant said Tuesday.
The innovations aim to make Apple devices more usable for people with various disabilities. Those include visual impairments, hearing loss, mobility challenges and cognitive differences.
“At Apple, accessibility is part of our DNA,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “Making technology for everyone is a priority for all of us, and we’re proud of the innovations we’re sharing this year. That includes tools to help people access crucial information, explore the world around them, and do what they love.”
Due to an Apple Siri class action lawsuit, most Apple users are entitled to receive up to $100 thanks to a settlement over data privacy. You just have to fill out a form online before July 2nd, 2025.
You’re eligible for a settlement if you live in the United States and used Siri between September 17, 2014 (when Apple released “Hey Siri” in iOS 8) and December 31, 2024. You can receive up to $20 per device, for up to five devices, if you’ve ever accidentally triggered Siri in the middle of a private conversation or meeting.
Here’s how Apple got in this mess, how to find out if you’re eligible and how to submit your claim.
Apple informed developers of a major pasteboard change coming with macOS 16. It will alert users when apps read the pasteboard without direct user interaction.
The move will ensure apps cannot silently read the pasteboard in the background without you knowing about it.
Samsung jumps on the super-slim phone bandwagon ahead of Apple with the Galaxy S25 Edge, arriving months before its rival’s release. It’s the company’s slimmest Galaxy phone yet, with a waistline of 5.8mm.
Despite its slim profile, the phone packs high-end flagship internals. The Galaxy S25 Edge will take on the iPhone 17 Air when Apple’s slim model launches in fall 2025.
Raw data isn’t appealing to everyone. Being able to transform intricate data into digestible visuals is a really useful skill across industries, but it’s also tough to learn. Good thing you don’t have to make your data visuals from scratch. Microsoft Visio 2024 is an easy-to-use tool for transforming all that complex data into professional-quality diagrams that anyone can understand.
Right now, you can get a lifetime license to Microsoft Visio 2024 for just $79.97 (regularly $579).
Rather than building a bigger battery into the iPhone 17 to extend battery life, Apple reportedly plans to use a smarter power source to achieve the desired result. The company reported is creating an AI system for iOS 19 to “analyze how a person uses their device and make adjustments to conserve energy,” according to a report published Monday.
It could be one of many AI-powered features in the version of the iPhone’s operating system expected to launch this autumn.
Mac users can now install macOS Sequoia 15.5… but there’s really no hurry. This new version is especially light on new features.
It seems clear that much of Apple’s attention is on upcoming AI features, macOS 16, and other enhancements coming later in the year.
After over a month of beta testing, iOS 18.5 is now available for all compatible iPhones. Unlike previous point iOS 18 releases, the new build does not pack any significant new features.
The update mainly includes minor changes, but older iPhones will receive one major new feature. Keep reading to know about everything new in iOS 18.5 and iPadOS 18.5.
Brad Pitt plays an aging racer trying to prove he still has what it takes to be a Formula 1 driver. The action plays out at 230 mph in F1, a movie coming this summer from Apple Original Films. A trailer that dropped Monday blends blazing-fast cars on the racetrack with clashing personalities off the track.
F1 is the latest attempt from Apple to make a blockbuster film. Like Brad Pitt’s character in the movie, it seems a bit of a long shot.
When the second edition of the Beats Pill portable Bluetooth speaker came out in mid-2024, the Apple subsidiary made a big deal about how it completely overhauled the powerful little sound machine. It’s more powerful, yet lighter and more portable. And now you can get a great Beats Pill deal — 33% off at Amazon — bringing the price down to $149.95 $99.95.
Believe it or not, today’s magnificent featured setup includes five computers — each with a job to do, even the ol’ trash-can Mac Pro — and one absolutely huge computer monitor. It’s a 57-inch curved ultra-wide Samsung. What, 49 inches wasn’t big enough for ya?
And the workstation includes other great features. Those include a Rode PodMic, the same great open-back Sennheiser headphones I own, and powerful Klipsch bookshelf speakers paired with a subwoofer that I wish I owned.
May 12, 2005: Longtime Apple frenemy Bill Gates tells a German newspaper that Apple may have hit it big with the iPod, but that its success isn’t going to last forever.
The reason for his take on the iPod’s future? Mobile phones are going to steal the music player’s market share.
The good news for Gates is that he was right on the money. The bad news for Microsoft is that Apple cannibalized itself by making the iPhone. And Apple’s smartphone became even more successful than the iPod.
SpeedTutorAI is an AI homework helper app for iPhone and iPad that takes the possibilities of Siri and ChatGPT to new heights. You’ll get help with math problems, answers to your questions, and concise summaries of class lectures, all as if you were working with a real-life tutor.
But you won’t pay real-world tutor fees. You can secure lifetime access to SpeedTutorAI with unlimited use for only $29.97.