business and finance

EU's latest demand on Apple about geolocking is unforgivably naive

The European Union has told Apple to stop geo-locking, where apps and services vary in different countries — entirely ignoring decades of laws and practices by other industries that have nothing to do with the App Store.


EU wants the impossible with Apple's App Store

Give the EU credit, it has implemented the kind of laws regarding Big Tech that other countries, including the US, are still only talking about. But in this case, its assumption that it can simply mandate how the rest of the entire world works is an excoriating overreach.

The new demand is that Apple stop geo-locking, and specifically that EU users must be able to:


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business and finance

Apple Music Classical is now available in CarPlay

Apple Music Classical users will now find it easier to listen to their choice of music while driving, with it now being added to CarPlay.


Apple Music Classical

Classical music listeners can use both Apple Music and Apple Music Classical to discover and listen to compositions. However, only Apple Music has been enabled in CarPlay, so users have been forced to use the main app to access classical music behind the wheel.

In a Tuesday update, Apple has made Apple Music Classical available to use in CarPlay. The integration means users can access their library, playlists, and other recommendations from the Apple Music Classical app itself in the CarPlay interface.


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business and finance

Ultimate guide on how to use an external SSD as a working drive on macOS Sequoia

It is easily possible to double the cost of a new M4 Mac mini by buying Apple storage — but if you know what you're doing, you can buy external drives, and save hundreds of dollars by working off those. Here's how.


External drives are vastly cheaper than Apple's storage upgrade prices

Apple's New Mac mini is a stunning bargain for its price and its performance — but maybe only in its base configuration. Once you start adding anything like more storage, you hit Apple's excessive upgrade charges and the bargain diminishes, or even goes away entirely.

It is true that Apple has made things better, both by increasing the amount of RAM that base model gets, and also by making 256GB the smallest amount of storage you can buy.


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business and finance

What a VPN kill switch is, and why you need it

A kill switch can help prevent your privacy from being breached when your encrypted VPN connection stops working. This is why your VPN needs it.


An iPad disconnected from the Internet

The basic idea of a virtual private network (VPN) service is that your connection is more private. Using a secure encrypted VPN connection, your online actions are not able to be monitored by other web traffic.

However, there are occasions where you may not have the protection of a VPN. Rather than the encrypted tunnel to a different server, you may suddenly find yourself directly accessing the internet without the VPN.


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business and finance

Holiday 2024 MacBook Buyer's Guide -- Which Mac laptop you should buy?

Apple's late 2024 update to its Mac and MacBook ranges has brought M4 to the product line. Here's how to choose the best portable Mac for your budget for the 2024 holiday season.


MacBook Air and MacBook Pro

Apple's fall product updates covered many areas, but for the Mac product category, it meant an update to M4. Following the introduction of the chip in the iPad Pro lineup earlier in the year, the MacBook Pro now uses the speedy chip.

Even better, Apple didn't stop at just M4, as it brought out M4 Pro and M4 Max variants as well. These additions offer a lot more performance options, and in the case of the M4 Max, more performance than an M2 Ultra in some benchmarks.


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business and finance

Second developer beta of visionOS 2.2 finally arrives

One day after most of the other developer betas get new builds, visionOS 2.2 turns up for testers using the Apple Vision Pro.


The Apple Vision Pro runs visionOS

On Monday, Apple introduced the third round of developer betas for iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS SZequoia 15.2, it also brought out the second builds of tvOS 18.2 and watchOS 11.2 for testing.

Missing from the group was visionOS 2.2, but it arrived one day later, on Tuesday.


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business and finance

iOS 18.2 could receive a full public release with Image Playground & ChatGPT on December 9

iOS 18.2 with access to ChatGPT integrations, Image Playground, and Genmoji could finally roll out to the general public on December 9 based on a notice recently posted by a UK carrier.


iOS 18.2 could receive a full public release on December 9.

On Monday, Apple released the third developer beta of iOS 18.2. Along with the various changes and quality-of-life improvements, the software also contains an update for carrier-specific settings.

The third developer beta contains an update for devices using the British carrier EE. The carrier settings shipped with iOS 18.1 and the second developer beta of iOS 18.2 had the version number 59.5.1, while iOS 18.2 developer beta 3 increased the EE carrier settings version to 60.5.2.


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business and finance

Power press: Fixes for Apple's oddly-placed Mac mini button

Apple's decision to place the power button of the M4 Mac mini underneath has been questioned by users. In some cases, they've come up with their own "solutions" to the problem.


Mac mini power button

The introduction of the M4 Mac mini was welcomed by critics, with the already small Mac made to be even smaller. Getting to that size meant there had to be a compromise, and that took the form of an awkward power button placement.

Rather than at the rear, the button is instead underneath the corner of the Mac mini's enclosure. It's in a position that you have to lift or tilt the Mac mini to access it, which can be awkward for people with larger digits.


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business and finance

Apple's smart display with smart home AI focus predicted for March 2025

The pivot from Apple Car set the stage for bigger investments in the smart home, and the initial products from that shift could be launching as soon as March according to a new rumor.


Apple could release an iPad-like home hub with AI and smart home features

Apple has offered smart home options since 2014 with the launch of HomeKit. Beyond Siri integrations, HomePod, and few product category additions over the years, the company's investment in the area hasn't been as strong as some of its competitors.

That could change as soon as March with the launch of a new smart display that isn't an iPad, doesn't have an App Store, and is voice-first. This device would be a precursor to the rumored display with a robotic arm that's been rumored since Apple Car was abandoned.


Rumor Score: ???? Possible


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business and finance

Bluetti's new Elite 200 portable power station provides 17 years of charging

Check out the latest from Bluetti with an exclusive discount on the Elite 200 V2 portable power station capable of generating reliable 2 kWh power for 17 years.


Bluetti Elite 200 V2 is rated for 17-years of use - Image credit: Bluetti

Bluetti is an innovator in the home battery backup space that's been pushing the limits of consumer backup power solutions. The company offers some of the best portable power station units that serve you everywhere from the campground to your home during a power outage.

Tuesday, Bluetti has unveiled the latest in its lineup — the Elite 200 V2. It is a 2 kWh portable power station that is rated for 6,000 life cycles, which equates to over 17 years.


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business and finance

How advanced content caching settings on the Mac works

Advanced configuration parameters control how your Mac stores cached content. Here's how to change the settings.


Content cache settings in macOS Sequoia.

Content caching controls what internet content gets stored locally in macOS when you visit websites and other online servers.

When you visit a site, some of the data (content) gets downloaded and stored locally on your Mac. This is so that if you access that content later, it can be loaded more quickly from the cache - instead of having to make more trips to the internet to fetch it again.


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business and finance

News24 Business | Low taxes, high tariffs: What a Trump victory means for the US economy

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News24 Business | SARS eFiling hijacking: Tax ombud seeks to tap Aussie know-how

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News24 Business | The Trump Trade and SA: Bad news for the rand and interest rates - for now

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News24 Business | Trump’s incoming trade tirade could cause trouble for SA

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News24 Business | Maputo port halts taking cargo after election unrest

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News24 Business | Wanted: Companies to revive 16 derelict govt buildings in eThekwini

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News24 Business | Australia moves to ban children under 16 from social media

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business and finance

News24 Business | 'We will get shouted at, but we must do it': Mantashe seeks partners for SA's new oil company

Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, Gwede Mantashe, has urged investors to partner with SA's new petroleum company.




business and finance

News24 Business | Fed makes quarter point cut as Powell signals readiness to defy Trump if asked to resign

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News24 Business | Eskom back with unbundled tariff proposal

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business and finance

News24 Business | Frenzy for Black Friday may have died down, but locals still buying up a storm

Another year, and the South African love affair with Black Friday continues unabated, albeit not with the same frenzy that greeted it during its peak in 2019, say analysts.




business and finance

News24 Business | South African with US ambitions? You have 6 months to act, says lobby chief

Neil Diamond, the president of the SA Chamber of Commerce in the US, said that South Africans with plans for the US should act now




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News24 Business | DA's Dion George heads to COP29 with much on his shoulders

Minister of the DFFE Dion George is off to Azerbaijan with one of the onerous responsibilities of our time.




business and finance

News24 Business | SA's climate billions: Less than 25% of the funding has flowed so far

As the COP annual gathering rolls around again, only a quarter of the funding pledged for SA's just energy transition has found its way into the country




business and finance

News24 Business | Malatsi confirms plans to scrap smartphone luxury tax, address SABC Bill controversy

Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies Solly Malatsi has said his department will look into scrapping luxury tax on smartphones.




business and finance

News24 Business | Tax the rich? Treasury says it is considering a wealth tax

National Treasury has said it is considering a wealth tax on high-net-worth individuals to boost government revenue.




business and finance

News24 Business | MONEY CLINIC | How can I take better control of my finances?

In the spirit of Women’s Month in August, Tamryn Lamb, head of retail distribution at Allan Gray, shares a few lessons she has learnt over the years to help other women to take control of their finances.




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A News24 Business reader has to pay R500 to receive a debt clearance certificate but is currently unemployed.




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A News24 Business reader considering prescribing her debt looks to an expert for guidance on how the process works.




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News24 Business | MONEY CLINIC | Should I access my retirement fund or leave it untouched?

A News24 Business reader who resigned from her job with R300 000 accumulated in her retirement savings wants to know if she should access some of her funds.




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News24 Business | MONEY CLINIC | What are the financial considerations of divorce?

Simon Dippenaar, founder and managing partner at Simon Dippenaar & Associates, looks at the financial consequences of divorce and what you should consider.




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News24 Business | MONEY CLINIC | How does my insurer value my motor vehicle?

The Ombud for Short-term Insurance explains how motor vehicles are valued and what this implies for their cover,




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Three brokers discuss some of the common misunderstandings about gap cover.




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A News24 reader looks to an expert for guidance on the best investment vehicles for each of her children.




business and finance

News24 Business | MONEY CLINIC | I don't have a credit history yet - how do I start?

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business and finance

News24 Business | MONEY CLINIC | I want to invest. What questions should I ask the financial services provider?

The South African Association of Treasury Advisors highlights the importance of dealing only with an authorised financial services provider when making any investment.




business and finance

News24 Business | MONEY CLINIC | I want to invest but am fearful of losing money. How can I overcome this?

An investment writer at Allan Gray discusses how investors can overcome the fear of losing money.




business and finance

News24 Business | MONEY CLINIC | How to deal with the aftermath of festive spending

There are roughly six weeks between an early December salary payment and January month-end. Consumers will likely spend more than at any other time – often on credit.




business and finance

News24 Business | MONEY CLINIC | How can I avoid falling into a debt spiral this year?

TransUnion CEO Lee Naik shares five tips that could help to resolve financial strains.




business and finance

News24 Business | MONEY CLINIC | How do interest rate hikes affect my finances?

Kondi Nkosi, country head at Schroders in South Africa, discusses interest rates and the role it plays personal finance and the greater economy.




business and finance

News24 Business | MONEY CLINIC | Money is tight. How do I go about keeping insurance within my budget?

Stian de Witt, executive head at employee benefits firm NMG Benefits, shares a few tips on how to keep insurance in your budget when times are tough.




business and finance

News24 Business | MONEY CLINIC | How can I financially prepare for life's unpredictable events?

George Kolbe, Head of Life Insurance Marketing at Momentum discusses the recommended ways to prepare for unexpected occurrences.




business and finance

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Wynand van Vuuren, client experience partner at King Price insurance, unpacks the rights and responsibilities of a consumer when it comes to insurance.




business and finance

News24 Business | MONEY CLINIC | My bank account is frozen. What can I do?

JustMoney explains why your bank account may have been frozen, and what you can do to solve the problem.




business and finance

News24 Business | Woolies shares surge as food sales shine - but there are problems down under

Shares in Woolworths surged more than 4% on Monday after an update showed its blue-chip food business continuing its strong growth trajectory and its fashion, beauty and home business delivering improving sales metrics.




business and finance

News24 Business | This mobile provider is failing to implement RICA law

One can easily and quickly activate multiple eSIMs, free of charge, by uploading false RICA validation information to me&you mobile’s website.