It's been more than a year since Apple Watch Ultra 2 launched, and we've had the wearable that's only gotten better on our wrist the whole time.

I do these extended long-term reviews often on Apple products, often by the time a new model has launched. I see how my opinions have changed with extended use and whether or not it was and is worth buying now.

If this was like any other year, I'd probably have the Apple Watch Ultra 2 on one wrist and the Apple Watch Ultra 3 on the other - but not this time.


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A new rumor claims that both Apple and Samsung are having difficulty making thinner batteries, thereby limiting just how thin phones like the expected iPhone 17 Slim can be.

What's currently rumored to be called the iPhone 17 Slim is believed to be an iPhone with a 6.6-inch screen, and to be significantly thinner than regular iPhones. Just how thin has not been known, but a new rumor says battery problems may mean it can be no less than 6mm.

The rumor comes from yeux1122, who has a mixed track record — most recently claiming the Apple Ring project is still on, and regularly if erroneously claiming that there will be a 2TB version of the Pro iPhone models.


Rumor Score: ???? Possible


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A US order to TSMC to cut AI chip supplies to China over Huawei sanctions won't cause problems for Apple. However, Taiwan's prohibition of TSMC producing 2-nanometer chips elsewhere could make an impact.

U.S. sanctions against Huawei has caused problems for TSMC over attempts by intermediaries to order certain AI-based chip designs on Huawei's behalf. From Monday, TSMC is suspending shipments of the AI-focused chips to China, on the orders of the United States.

The Department of Commerce imposed export restrictions of select chip designs that were intended to be shipped to China, an unnamed source of Reuters claims. The shipment ban, which kicks in from Monday, affects certain types of chips made with 7-nanometer processes or advanced designs, intended for AI or graphics processing.


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On this episode of the HomeKit Insider Podcast we talk about Apple's new betas, discuss the major Matter 1.4 release which adds new categories and other improvements, and more!

Before jumping into Matter, we got several new beta updates from Apple. For example, tvOS 18.2 added behind the scenes code to soon enable the new slate of wallpapers.

On Vision Pro, visionOS 2.2 added new ultra-wide mirroring options for the Mac. Finally, macOS Sequoia 15.2 adds new control for mirroring where the user can display a single window/app, extend the display, or duplicate your whole display.


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The lowest prices of the year are here well before Black Friday, with MacBook Air models with 16GB RAM dropping to as low as $749.99.

Amazon's aggressive early Black Friday deals on current MacBook Air models deliver rock-bottom pricing on specs that include 16GB unified memory.

Buy from $749.99


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Apple's update for Find My in iOS 18.2 will let users share the location of AirTags with other people, which could help airlines track down your lost luggage faster.

AirTags have been extremely useful for keeping track of important items, especially luggage. However, as they are linked to an account, you can't easily share the location of the item with others.

On Monday, Apple said it will be adding a feature called Share Item Location, usable with its Find My network. The feature, simply put, will let users share the position of an AirTag or a Find My network accessory with someone else.


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Proposed tariffs under the Trump administration could trigger considerable price increases for consumer electronics in the United States, though Apple may be able to weather the storm.

During his first time in office, President Donald Trump's trade war with China resulted in price increases. While there were threats that Apple's products would be dinged by tariffs, Tim Cook's regular Trump talks helped Apple avoid being hurt by the import charges.

For Trump's second term in office, it seems that a similar situation could happen again, with Chinese imports being hit with high tariffs. However, this time Apple is in a much better position.


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The third round of developer betas for iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS Sequoia 15.2 have arrived, alongside the second round builds of tvOS 18.2, and watchOS 11.2.

The third round of developer betas follows after the second, which for iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS Sequoia 15.2, arrived on November 4, while the first was on October 23. For tvOS 18.2 and watchOS 11.2, this is the second beta round.

The third builds of iOS 18.2 and iPadOS 18.2 are build number 22C5131e, replacing 22C5125e. The third macOS Sequoia 15.2 build is 24C5079e, up from 24C5073e.


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Apple's 2024 Mac mini stashes the power button underneath, a bold move that executives say aligns with user habits, even if it's left some fans scratching their heads.

The company's latest Mac mini is significantly downsized — about half the size of its predecessor. The overhaul makes it more compact and gave Apple's designers challenges in laying out external features.

Apple's Vice Presidents, Greg Joswiak, Apple's Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing, and John Ternus, Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering, explained to IThome. They emphasized that the compact form factor still makes it easy to access the button by tucking a finger underneath to press it.


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Apple has released new firmware for the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4, another software update for its personal audio devices.

Apple has been uncharacteristically frequent with its firmware updates for its AirPods product lines. The relatively high tempo of updates has continued with yet another AirPods firmware update.

Rolled out on Monday, the latest firmware updates are for the AirPods Pro 2 with both Lightning and USB-C charging cases, as well as both of the AirPods 4 models.


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Apple Musicis turning its "100 Best Albums" list into a luxurious collectible book, bringing iconic records from the screen to your shelf.

Earlier in 2024, Apple launched its "100 Best Albums" list directly in the Apple Music app, sparking plenty of lively debates among fans. Now, the company is releasing the list in a different medium.

The Apple Music: 100 Best Albums book is a heavyweight in more ways than one. It weighs 8 pounds and has luxurious touches like a linen cover, gold page edges, and an acrylic slipcase. Each copy is hand-numbered, making it a unique piece of music history.


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The third developer beta of iOS 18.2 is now available for all compatible iPhone models, as Apple Intelligence testing continues. Here's everything you need to know about the update.

On Monday, Apple released iOS 18.2 developer beta 3, with build number 22C5131e, up from the previous 22C5125e. While the update is compatible with devices as old as the iPhone XS and iPhone XR, the software includes a variety of Apple Intelligence features that only work on iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and the iPhone 16 range.

The iOS 18.2 update introduces support for Image Playground, Genmoji, Visual Intelligence, and ChatGPT integration via Siri. There's also a new FindMy feature that helps users locate lost luggage or AirTags.


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A newly-discovered iPhone 14 Pro prototype features one of the earliest known incarnations of Apple's scrapped haptic button project.

Back in July of 2024, AppleInsider published exclusive imagery of a prototype iPhone 15 Pro Max equipped with Apple's long-rumored haptic buttons. Developed under the codename Project Bongo, the haptic buttons were supposed to make their debut in 2023 but never ended up on mass-production units.




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An Apple supplier may have been tapped to build an Apple-designed smart home camera and future health-focused AirPods, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

After Apple abandoned the decade-long Apple Car project, rumors suggested Apple would increase investments in the smart home and AI. While Apple Intelligence has been released to the public, there has been little evidence of Apple's new commitment to the smart home beyond rumors of a smart monitor.

A new supply chain-based rumor from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggests an Apple supplier named Goertek has been tapped with orders for two products due in 2026. The first is a smart home camera, and the second is a set of AirPods with more health-focused features.


Rumor Score: ???? Possible


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The developer of an app dropped from the App Store in China has filed a lawsuit that challenges Apple's overall practices, as well as damages of $420,000.

Apple has consistently been bowing to pressures from China and dropping apps from the App Store in the region. In this case, it's claimed an app called Bodyreader was pulled by Apple over reasons the developer believes are inconsistent.

According to Bloomberg Beijing's intellectual property court has accepted a complaint from Bodyreader's developer. The publication describes this as an Epic Games-style lawsuit on account of its scope concerning Apple's overall practices on the App Store.


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North Korean hackers have disguised malware in seemingly harmless macOS apps using sophisticated code to bypass security checks and target unsuspecting users.

In a recent discovery, researchers at Jamf Threat Labs uncovered malware embedded in macOS apps that look harmless on the surface. Using the popular app-building tool Flutter, cybercriminals made apps that slipped through typical security measures.

Flutter, developed by Google, has become a favorite tool for creating apps that work seamlessly across macOS, iOS, and Android. Its codebase allows developers to build an app once and have it look consistent across all platforms.


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OWC's new Thunderbolt 5 Hub aims to provide even more access to the fastest ports, by splitting one off into three more.

In 2021, OWC introduced the Thunderbolt Hub, a dock that provided three additional Thunderbolt 4 ports when it was plugged into a Mac's Thunderbolt 4 connections. Three years later, it's doing it again, but for the newest Mac models.

The OWC Thunderbolt 5 Hub is the same concept as before, with one Thunderbolt 5 cable connecting to the host Mac while providing three more Thunderbolt 5 ports to plug devices into. The hub also adds a single USB-A port to the equation too.


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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.

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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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.

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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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.

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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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.

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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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.

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

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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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.

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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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.

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

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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An OM DanceLink team shares the gospel with crowds during impromptu dance performances on city streets in Portugal.

A team of OM Dancelink dancers in Portugal impact the community through workshops, shows and street performances.

OMer Richard Sharp teaches practical and relevant methods of sharing the Gospel with Portuguese young people at a youth camp.

A Transform 2012 Dancelink team in Mondim, Portugal, clears the way for a Transform Transit team to see the Gospel bear fruit four months later.

OM Portugal sends a Portuguese pastor and his family to begin outreach in the Catholic town of Fátima.

One Finnish woman discovers that a simple question seems to be all it takes to talk about God in a postmodern world.

Surfing on the beach or providing a dance workshop were new ways to share the gospel in Portugal.

Writer Nicole spent five days driving around Portugal this summer, hanging out with three Transform teams and listening to their stories.

Portugal Field Leader Givas shares about the May 2017 outreach to religious pilgrims in Fatima.

Caitlin, a student from the U.S. interning with OM Madagascar, shares what it’s like to leave home for the mission field.

Caitlin, an intern with OM, participates in African and communications orientation in South Africa before flying to Madagascar.

A Malagasy girl exemplifies dedication to spreading the gospel.

Caitlin (USA) is humbled that joining the OM team in Madagascar has encouraged them in their work to carry the name of Jesus to others.

The king of a small village in Madagascar welcomes the OM team to plant a church amongst his people.

Caitlin, an intern, reflects on the lives touched by God during the OM outreach to Sainte Marie Island off the coast of Madagascar.

A woman and her husband accept the Lord after hearing the gospel from an OM team visiting the island of Sante Marie.

God touches many lives on Sainte Marie Island during OM Madagascar's annual outreach, "Listen to Me, Islands".

Affected by the dark reality of hopelessness she’s encountered in Madagascar, Caitlin Red prays that God will do miraculous things amongst the Malagasy people.

Caitlin Red returns home after interning with OM Madagascar since August. Says Caitlin, “In Madagascar, I learnt enough lessons to last me a lifetime.”

Hanta, a committed young Christian from a rural village in Madagascar, learns that if she’s willing to obey God, He provides a way.

OM Madagascar uses sport as tool for reaching youth with the gospel and relationship building.

Starting a Christian micro-finance programme has been a long-time dream for OM Madagascar. In partnership with OM Hong Kong, this will soon become a reality.