MacRumors

Dexcom G7 continuous glucose monitor users can now monitor their blood sugar data in real time on an Apple Watch without having their iPhone to hand, the U.S. medical device manufacturer has announced.

Using its own dedicated Bluetooth connection, the Dexcom G7 Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) System sends glucose information and personalized alerts directly to the user's Apple Watch, allowing them to "go for a run, enjoy a dinner out, and feel confident leaving their ‌iPhone‌ behind," according to the Dexcom press release.

"At Dexcom, our users are at the heart of everything we do. Direct to Apple Watch has been one of our most requested features and we're thrilled to roll it out to Dexcom G7 users in the U.S. and around the world," said Jake Leach, executive vice president and chief operating officer at Dexcom. "We've long believed that people with diabetes should be able to view their CGM data where and how they choose. Direct to Apple Watch is a testament to that, allowing people with diabetes flexibility and choice in how they manage their health."

Prior to the update, the Dexcom G7's Apple Watch app enabled users to consult a watch face complication, but there was a three-hour delay with synced data. Users will continue to need an ‌iPhone‌ to set up the G7 GCM with their Apple Watch, and the iOS Health app is still required to view blood glucose data alongside other biometrics tracked by Apple Watch.

The Direct to Apple Watch feature is now available to G7 GCM users in the U.S., U.K., and Ireland, with the feature coming to additional markets later this month. Users will need the Dexcom G7 app version 2.1, an Apple Watch Series 6 or later running watchOS 10 or later, and an ‌iPhone‌ running iOS 17 or later. More information can be found on the Dexcom website.

Apple is expected to offer new AI features in iOS 18 and its other operating systems as an opt-in service, as a way of allowing users wary of the technology to steer clear of it, reports Bloomberg.

Apple has been working on a deal with OpenAI to integrate its ChatGPT technology into ‌iOS 18‌, and has come to an agreement to integrate its ChatGPT technology into iPhones and other Apple devices.

That partnership is expected to be announced next week at WWDC. However, the decision to green-light the deal reportedly did not come easily. Executives are said to have had concerns about reputational damage from a "rogue chatbot," while some people within Apple are even said to have a "philosophical aversion" to having a chatbot integrated into Apple software, according to today's report.

Ultimately, however, Apple believed that consumers would expect the cutting-edge technology to be offered by the company. By outsourcing the chatbot function, Apple also believes it can distance itself from any potentially controversial repercussions, and by providing AI features as an opt-in service, consumers will be given the choice of whether to use it or not.

• OpenAI Employees Warn of Advanced AI Dangers

Apple is also in talks with Google about incorporating Gemini into its operating systems. Apple is negotiating the deals on a case-by-case basis, and may ultimately offer a number of third-party chatbots across its operating systems, according to today's report, citing people familiar with the matter.

Apple reportedly began considering a partnership with another company to deliver advanced AI features after it hit a wall in its own artificial intelligence research and development. Apple is known to have been working on its own large language model (LLM), the algorithm that underpins generative AI, and found that its model could power basic features like voice memo transcriptions, photo editing, new Safari search capabilities, and auto-replies for Mail and Messages. However, Apple is said to have realized "early on" that competitors like Google and OpenAI were "far ahead in chatbots and on-the-fly assistance."

In iOS 18, Apple's LLM work will likely be limited to new ‌Siri features, with the virtual assistant expected to be able to‌ control all individual features in apps for the first time. These features are expected to work on-device, with more advanced AI capabilities relying on cloud servers. This may be where OpenAI's technology is more likely to come in. Regardless, Apple is believed to see the OpenAI agreement as a stop-gap measure while it continues to work on its own generative AI technology.

Today's report also claims that Apple is looking beyond chatbots in its AI research, and intends to use LLMs to help power a pair of robotic devices that it is secretly developing. These are said to include the previously rumored table-top robotic arm with an iPad-like display, as well as a mobile robot that can follow users around and handle chores on their behalf. Apple reportedly also plans to integrate cameras and AI features into future AirPods.

The Apple Vision Pro can be used as a display for a connected Mac, but it is bulky, heavy, and uncomfortable. The Spacetop G1, a new laptop from former Magic Leap employees, promises to solve those problems by pairing a computer with a set of lightweight AR glasses that look more comfortable to wear for long periods of time.

Priced at $1,700, Spacetop is basically a keyboard with an attached set of glasses. There is no display, but there is a top case that the glasses can be stored in when the device is not in use. Videos featuring the device show users typing on the keyboard while viewing a set of AR windows that are placed around them.

The Spacetop runs SpaceOS, which the company says is a spatial operating system built for productivity. It focuses on web tasks, which provides content without the company having to recruit developers to build apps.

The AR glasses weigh in at 85 grams, while the Vision Pro weighs between 600 and 650 grams depending on the attached Light Seal. The keyboard is just under 12 inches wide, and the whole setup weighs three pounds, which is heavier than a MacBook Air or iPad Pro.

It includes a Qualcomm Snapdragon QCS8550 chip, 128GB storage, 16GB RAM, and two open-ear speakers. There are two USB-C ports on the keyboard component that allow it to be connected to a traditional external display, and the battery lasts for up to eight hours. The glasses are equipped with two OLED display panels with a 1920x1080 resolution and a 90Hz refresh rate, and custom prescription lenses are supported.

The Spacetop G1 will retail for $1,900, but those who reserve it early can get a $200 discount, dropping the price to $1,700. A machine can be reserved for a $100 refundable deposit, and it is expected to start shipping in October 2024.

Popular Mac app Bartender appears to have been quietly sold approximately two months ago, with neither the prior owner nor the current owner providing customers or potential customers with information on the sale.

The transaction came to light after some Reddit users saw a warning from MacUpdater letting them know that the company behind Bartender had been silently replaced. MacUpdater warned users that updates to the app from version 5.0.52 could be potentially unsafe due to the lack of transparency surrounding the situation.

Bartender's new owners replied to the Reddit thread and confirmed that Bartender had been acquired, but did not explain why customers had not been notified nor why there had been a certificate change without said explanation.

Hey everyone, new owners of Bartender here! Our team acquired Bartender from Ben S, the original developer, two months ago. As we prepare to roll out updates for Bartender, we needed to re-sign the app with Apple using our company's information, replacing Ben's. This led to a one-time certificate change.

Truth be told, we should have notated it on the release notes but, since we could not update them retroactively, we included this fact on our blog & shared it with users as they emailed us. We've collaborated closely with Ben to understand his vision for Bartender. Our goal is to implement many of the improvements he had planned and address any reported bugs from the past few months to enhance Bartender's performance.

Reddit users asked Bartender's owners for more information on their identity, but there was no response. The Bartender website was updated with information about the certificate change after users began seeing popups asking for new permissions, and while the blog post calls the new certificate request "expected and valid," no background information is provided on the purchase. In the Reddit thread, the owners claim to have posted information about the sale on the website, but that has turned out to be untrue.

At this point, it does not appear that Bartender's new owners plan to inform customers about the change in ownership, but users should be aware that the app has been sold and is no longer being updated by the original developer. The new owner's intentions are not clear, but as Reddit users have pointed out, the situation raises some red flags.

Update: Ben Surtees, the original developer of Bartender, today said that he sold the app to Applause three months ago. There is no other information on the company, and Applause still has not officially commented on the sale.

Apple could soon launch its annual Back to School promotion for university students in the United States and Canada, based on ads that have been popping up on social networks.

On Instagram, Apple is promoting Macs to college and university students. The ad in question depicts a Back to School image with the following text: "Buy Mac for university or college with education savings. Plus get a gift card for up to $200." The screenshot of the ad is from a Canadian user, and that price point suggests we will see the same $150 discount in the United States that Apple provided last year.

Clicking on the ad redirects to Apple's education website, but there is as of yet no mention of the back to school sale. Last year's back to school sale began on Tuesday, June 4, but Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said in his latest Power On newsletter that the 2024 sale will not begin until later in the month.

Apple's back to school sales provide students with a free Apple gift card when purchasing a Mac or an iPad. Last year, Apple offered U.S. students up to $150 when purchasing a Mac and up to $100 when purchasing an ‌iPad‌.

Several current and former employees of OpenAI and Google DeepMind today shared an open letter warning of the dangers of advanced AI and the current lack of oversight of companies working on AI technology.

The employees suggest there are a number of risks that we are facing from AI development, including further entrenchment of existing inequalities, manipulation and misinformation, and loss of control of autonomous AI systems, which the letter says could lead to human extinction.

AI companies have "strong financial incentives" to forge ahead with development and to avoid sharing information about their protective measures and risk levels. "We do not think they can all be relied upon to share it voluntarily," reads the letter, which says that it is up to current and former employees to speak out.

So long as there is no effective government oversight of these corporations, current and former employees are among the few people who can hold them accountable to the public. Yet broad confidentiality agreements block us from voicing our concerns, except to the very companies that may be failing to address these issues. Ordinary whistleblower protections are insufficient because they focus on illegal activity, whereas many of the risks we are concerned about are not yet regulated.

Employees are ultimately calling on AI companies to offer solid whistleblower protections for speaking out about the risks of AI.

• Avoid creating or enforcing agreements that prevent criticism for risk-related concerns.
• Offer a verifiably anonymous process for employees to raise risk-related concerns to the board, regulators, and independent organizations with relevant expertise.
• Support a culture of open criticism to allow employees to raise risk-related concerns about technologies to the public, the board, regulators, and more, as long as trade secrets are protected.
• Avoid retaliating against employees who publicly share risk-related confidential information after other processes have failed.

A total of 13 employees signed the letter, including seven former OpenAI employees, four current OpenAI employees, one former Google DeepMind employee, and one current Google DeepMind employee. OpenAI has threatened employees with loss of vested equity for speaking up, and it makes them sign draconian NDA agreements that muzzle criticism.

The letter comes as Apple prepares to announce multiple AI-powered features for iOS 18 and other software updates on Monday. Apple is working on its own AI functionality that will be baked into apps across the operating system, plus it has signed a deal with OpenAI to integrate ChatGPT features into ‌iOS 18‌.

There appears to be an outage with at least one U.S. cellular carrier, with customers unable to place or receive calls. AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon customers have been complaining about the issue on social networks, and there are also reports of outages on the Down Detector website.

According to a statement from AT&T, the outage is affecting calls between carriers in the United States. All of the major carriers are working to restore service.

There is a nationwide issue that is affecting the ability of customers to complete calls between carriers. The carriers are working as quickly as possible to diagnose and resolve the issue.”

Customers affected have been reporting dropped calls and an inability to hear the person they're attempting to communicate with.

Update: AT&T says that the interoperability issue has been fixed, and that it worked with other carriers to solve the problem.

Update 2: T-Mobile has clarified that its network was not down. From a T-Mobile spokesperson: "We are not experiencing an outage. We are seeing Down Detector increases with other providers, so this likely could be challenges our customers are having connecting with users on other networks."

iOS 18 is just days away, with Apple set to unveil the software update during its WWDC keynote on June 10. Many new features and changes are expected for the iPhone, with more details outlined in our rumor recap below.

The first beta of iOS 18 should be made available to members of the Apple Developer Program immediately after the WWDC keynote, and a public beta will likely follow in July. The update should be widely released to all users in September, and it is rumored that it will be compatible with the same list of iPhone models as iOS 17.

Here are some of the key new features and changes rumored or previewed for iOS 18 so far:

• Apple Maps: Custom routes and topographic maps.
• Apple Music: Auto-generated playlists and smarter song transitions.
• Apple News: AI-generated news article summaries.
• Calculator: Several new features, including a sidebar that lists recent calculations, an improved interface for converting units, integration with the Notes app, and more. The app will finally be available on iPads.
• Calendar: Deeper integration with the Reminders app.
• CarPlay: New accessibility features, including Sound Recognition.
• Control Center: Updated interface, including a revamped music widget and improved controls for HomeKit accessories.
• Fitness: The app will be "overhauled" on iOS 18.
• Freeform: A new "Scenes" function.
• Health: New features powered by AI, but no specific details are known yet.
• Home Screen: Place app icons anywhere on the grid and change colors of app icons.
• Keynote and Pages: AI-powered features for auto-generating slides in Keynote, writing faster in Pages, and more.
• Magnifier: A new Reader Mode, and the option to easily launch Detection Mode with the Action button on newer iPhone models.
• Mail: Suggested replies to emails.
• Messages: RCS support, per-word effects, suggested replies, custom emoji, message recaps, and new Tapback icons.
• Notes: A built-in audio recording tool, audio transcriptions, and the ability to display mathematical notation.
  

• Notifications: AI-generated notification summaries.
• Photos: AI-powered photo retouching.
• Safari: Browsing assistant that can summarize web pages, and a "Web Eraser" tool.
• Settings: A revamped interface with improved search, and new accessibility features.
• Shortcuts: Automate complex tasks more easily.
• Siri: A smarter ChatGPT-inspired version of Siri with more per-app controls (in 2025).
• Spotlight: More intelligent search results and improved sorting.
• Voice Memos: Audio transcriptions.

For even more rumors, read our iOS 18 roundup.

Samsung today launched orders for its new lineup of 2024 monitors, headlined by the updated Smart Monitor M80D. When ordering select monitors, you can get up to $300 in Samsung credit to use on a later purchase with the retailer.

Most monitors ordered today will arrive around June 11 for residences in the United States, and Samsung does also offer options to pick up the monitors in local Best Buy stores. You'll find every new Samsung monitor available for order in the lists below, along with the amount of Samsung credit you'll get when you place the order.

In regards to the newly updated Smart Monitor M80D, this model includes a Multi Control feature that allows images and text to be moved between the display and a Galaxy Book, Tablet, or Phone.

If you own a pair of Galaxy Buds, you can pair the earphones to the monitor for a spatial audio experience with head tracking. Additionally, Samsung added the ability to pair a Galaxy Watch to the monitor, allowing you to perform guided workouts while using the display.

Other than these features, the iMac-style 4K monitor hasn't changed in the hardware department from last year's M8 model, which features 400 nits of brightness, a 60Hz refresh rate (non variable), 99% sRGB, and adaptive picture technology.

The display also retains key features like USB-C charging connectivity, AirPlay 2 support, an integrated webcam, and several smart TV features that enable it to be used when not connected to a PC.

Smart Monitors

• 27-inch Smart Monitor M50D - $279.99 with $50 Samsung credit
• 32-inch Smart Monitor M50D - $299.99 with $50 Samsung credit
• 32-inch Smart Monitor M70D - $399.99 with $75 Samsung credit
• 43-inch Smart Monitor M70D - $499.99 with $100 Samsung credit
• 32-inch Smart Monitor M80D - $699.99 with $150 Samsung credit

Gaming Monitors

• 27-inch Odyssey OLED G6 - $899.99 with $200 Samsung credit
• 32-inch Odyssey OLED G8 - $1,299.99 with $300 Samsung credit

High Resolution Monitors

• 27-inch ViewFinity S7 - $349.99 with $75 Samsung credit
• 27-inch ViewFinity S8 - $399.99 with $75 Samsung credit
• 32-inch ViewFinity S7 - $399.99 with $75 Samsung credit
• 32-inch ViewFinity S8 - $449.99 with $100 Samsung credit

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Samsung. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Amazon is back today with a large collection of discounts from Anker, Eufy, and Jackery, including a wide array of wall chargers, Bluetooth trackers, and other USB-C accessories. Some of these deals will require you to clip an on-page coupon then head to the checkout screen before you see the final sale price, and some require a Prime membership.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

This week Eufy has a few discounts on its Find My-compatible SmartTrack Bluetooth tracker accessories, including the SmartTrack Card for $16.98, down from $29.99. You can also get the SmartTrack Link in multiple pack options, starting at $13.99 for the 1-Pack, down from $19.99. Both of these beat the deals we last saw on these trackers in early May.

Switching to the Anker deals, you can get the 20,000 mAh Prime Power Bank with Smart Digital Display for $89.98 if you're a Prime member, down from $129.99. If you need a bigger battery, you can get the Portable Power Station with Smart Display + Retractable Light for $129.99 with an on-page coupon, down from $149.99. Additionally, below you'll find more Anker accessories including speakers and USB-C products.

Highlights of Jackery's deals include the Explorer 100 Plus Portable Power Station, available for just $99.99, down from $149.00. This is a miniature-sized portable power station that can fit in the palm of your hand and weighs just 2.13 lbs, while featuring a 31,000 mAh capacity and 128W output.

Eufy

• SmartTrack Link 1-Pack - $13.99, down from $19.99
• SmartTrack Link 2-Pack - $29.88, down from $35.99
• SmartTrack Link 4-Pack - $48.99 for Prime members, down from $69.99
• SmartTrack Card - $16.98, down from $29.99

Anker

Audio

• Soundcore Motion 300 Wireless Bluetooth Speaker - $64.99, down from $79.99

Portable Batteries

• MagGo Power Bank 10,000 mAh - $69.99 for Prime members, down from $89.99
• Nano Power Bank with Built-In USB-C Cable - $38.24 with on-page coupon, down from $49.99
• Prime Power Bank 20,000 mAh with 100W Charging Base - $149.99 for Prime members, down from $184.99

Power Stations

• MagGo 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Station - $69.99 with on-page coupon, down from $99.99
• MagGo 3-in-1 Folding Charging Station - $93.49 for Prime members, down from $109.99
• Portable Power Station with Smart Display + Retractable Light - $129.99 with on-page coupon, down from $149.99
• 3-in-1 MagSafe Charging Cube - $112.46, down from $149.99
• SOLIX F2000 Portable Power Station - $1,299.00 with on-page coupon, down from $1,999.00

Wall Chargers

• 20W USB-C Charger - $13.99, down from $16.99
• 100W 3-Port USB-C Charger - $42.99 for Prime members, down from $74.99
• 6-in-1 Nano Charging Station - $49.49 with on-page coupon, down from $65.99
• Prime 67W 3-Port Charger - $59.99, down from $65.99

Hubs

• 4-Port USB-C Hub - $9.99, down from $19.99
• 10-in-1 USB-C Hub - $59.99, down from $149.99

Jackery

• Explorer 100 Plus Portable Power Station - $99.99 with on-page coupon, down from $149.00
• Explorer 600 Plus Portable Power Station - $419.00 with on-page coupon, down from $499.00
• Solar Generator 300 Plus Portable Power Station - $499.00, down from $579.00
• Expansion Battery Pack for 1000 Plus - $509.00 with on-page coupon, down from $799.00
• Explorer 1000 Portable Power Station - $619.00, down from $999.00
• Explorer 2000 Pro Portable Power Station - $1,299.00 with on-page coupon, down from $1,899.00
• Expansion Battery Pack for 2000 Plus - $1,199.00 with on-page coupon, down from $1,599.00
• Explorer 3000 Pro Portable Power Station - $2,149.00 with on-page coupon, down from $2,799.00

If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.

Uber appears to be planning to offer mini games that can be played within its iPhone app, according to hidden code in the app.

MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris discovered several references to the ability to load games in the latest version of the Uber app, released on Monday. One line of code says that the gaming feature will require an internet connection.

It is unclear when Uber plans to make the mini games available to the public, and there is no guarantee that the feature will launch. No further details are known at this time, beyond the new lines of code added to the app, so we cannot confirm if the games will be available for free or require in-app purchases.

By offering games in its iPhone app, Uber would provide passengers with a convenient way to stay entertained during a ride. Uber would be following in the footsteps of YouTube, which added some lightweight games to its iPhone app last month.

Folium has become the first Nintendo 3DS emulator for the iPhone available in the App Store, although there are some caveats to be aware of.

Foremost, this is the first Nintendo emulator on the App Store that costs money. Folium developer Jarrod Norwell is charging $4.99 for the app, which is a bold choice given that Nintendo recently sued the developers of Yuzu, a Nintendo Switch emulator that made a profit off a subscription-based "early access" tier. Yuzu reached a $2.4 million settlement with Nintendo and discontinued its emulator earlier this year. It is unclear if Nintendo will take any action against Folium, but it might risk more scrutiny as a paid app.

Second, Apple does not allow emulators to use "just-in-time" (JIT) compilation. This limitation can result in Nintendo 3DS games having reduced performance, especially on older iPhone models, but your mileage may vary. We recommend reading user reviews on Reddit and elsewhere before deciding whether to purchase Folium.

Third, it is possible that another all-in-one emulator on the App Store like RetroArch could add Nintendo 3DS support for free in the future.

With all of that in mind, Folium gives you the opportunity to relive classic Nintendo 3DS games on your iPhone right now, provided that you supply the ROMs. However, be aware that downloading copyrighted games is illegal in many countries.

Folium also offers Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS emulation, but we recommend using the free Delta app for those consoles. Folium is compatible with many hardware controllers, including the Nintendo Switch Joy-Con, Nintendo Switch Pro Controller, Backbone One, and the latest PlayStation and Xbox controllers.

Netflix will no longer support second-generation and third-generation Apple TV models from July 31, 2024, the company has announced in an email to some subscribers.

Netflix said that the decision made to "maintain the best possible Netflix experience" by focusing on devices that can support the latest features and updates.

The second-generation ‌Apple TV‌ was the first of its kind to feature a black body and an aluminum Apple Remote, an updated look compared to the silver and white ‌Apple TV‌ that was originally released in 2007. The unit was powered by an A4 chip, and offered up to 720p resolution output.

Apple sold the second-generation ‌Apple TV‌ from 2010 until 2012, which is when the company released the third-generation ‌Apple TV‌ with an A5 chip and support for 1080p content.

Both models run on an early variant of iOS that precedes tvOS and lacks an App Store. The devices are classed as obsolete by Apple and no longer receive updates.

Netflix will remain available to access on the ‌Apple TV‌ HD (originally the fourth-generation model) and all ‌Apple TV‌ 4K models.

After the July 31 date, Netflix recommends that to continue viewing content, affected users either upgrade to a newer ‌Apple TV‌ model, or use other compatible devices such as smart TVs or Roku devices.

Aptoide, a popular Google Play alternative for Android devices, will be launching an iOS game marketplace on Thursday, June 6, in the European Union.

The Aptoide iOS store will launch with a limited selection of titles, but the company says that new games will arrive every day, and that 30 titles are currently being processed for inclusion. Examples of current games include Word Jungle, Condor — Leap of Faith, Solitaire, Mahjong, and Charades.

Initially, access to the store will be restricted to users with invitation-only access codes, but Aptoide says it has a waiting list of 20,000 signups and plans to issue between 500 to 1,000 codes per day.

As noted by The Verge, Aptoide is the first third-party iOS marketplace to launch with an Apple-approved in-app purchases (IAP) solution, which it will provide to developers via an IAP software development kit.

Apple's 50 euro cents Core Technology Fee (CFT) will be covered by a fee charged to developers for in-app purchases, which means IAP-driven apps will be "preferred" in Aptoide iOS, according to the marketplace's CEO, Paulo Trezentos.

Apps distributed through alternative app marketplaces are required to submit to a notarization process to ensure they are free from malware, but Apple does not have restrictions on content so apps that might not have been eligible for the ‌App Store‌ can be distributed through alternative means. Alternative app marketplaces are not available outside of the European Union.

Aptoide has operated for an Android ‌App Store‌ since 2009, and last year reached nearly half a billion downloads.

Update: OpenAI's status page indicates the first issue was resolved at 4:45 a.m. Pacific Time, but the service is continuing to have problems.

---

OpenAI's ChatGPT chatbot is currently suffering a major outage that is making the generative AI service unavailable for "some users," according to the company's system status page.

ChatGPT has been down for several hours, with the chatbot unable to respond to queries via the web and mobile apps due to an internal server error. The company says it first started working on the issue at 12:21 a.m. Pacific Time on June 4.

ChatGPT has more than 100 million weekly users, according to OpenAI. Apple has reportedly closed in on a deal with OpenAI that should see ChatGPT being used to power new features in iOS 18, Apple's next major iPhone operating system update, so outages like this one could potentially affect millions more users.

ChatGPT also suffered a partial outage last month when Microsoft's Bing API stopped functioning, leaving the chatbot and many other services unable to search the web.

As expected, Apple has ended its limited-time promotion that increased the trade-in values for select iPhone models in the United States when customers buy a new iPhone.

The two-week promotion officially came to a close on June 3, which means anyone trading in their existing iPhone 11 or newer today will get slightly less money knocked off the price of a new iPhone than they would have done the previous day. Some of the new values have been reproduced below, with the previous promotional values in brackets:

• iPhone 14 Pro Max: Up to $630 (vs. $650)
• iPhone 14 Pro: Up to $520 (vs. $530)
• iPhone 14 Plus: Up to $420 (vs. $430)
• iPhone 14: Up to $370 (vs. $380)
• iPhone 13 Pro Max: Up to $450 (vs. $460)
• iPhone 13 Pro: Up to $370 (vs. $380)
• iPhone 13: Up to $300 (vs. $320)
• iPhone 13 mini: Up to $270 (vs. $300)
• iPhone SE (3rd generation): Up to $160 (vs. $170)

Trade-ins can be completed on Apple's website or at an Apple Store, and the credit can be applied towards the purchase of a new Apple product, or placed on an Apple gift card for later use. Apple's trade-in page offers a complete list of values for devices.

Last month, Microsoft announced the upcoming launch of Copilot+ Windows PCs with integrated AI hardware and software. One feature that Microsoft touted was Recall, a tool that's designed to take regular snapshots of PC content to help users find anything they've seen or done on their machine.

As it turns out, Recall might be a security nightmare for Windows users. Security expert Kevin Beaumont recently said (via The Verge) that he was able to automate a program that provides plain text data of everything a user has viewed, despite Microsoft's claims that Recall information cannot be exfiltrated remotely.

Beaumont claims that Recall is "essentially an infostealer" that's included in Windows by default, and that it will "set cybersecurity back a decade by empowering cybercriminals." With Recall, hackers are able to scrape "everything you've ever looked at within seconds," and users should prepare for "AI powered super breaches."

Microsoft describes Recall as a feature that lets you "search across time to find the content you need." Powered by AI, Recall takes snapshots every five seconds when content on the screen is different from the prior snapshot and stores the snapshots in a timeline, with AI software using OCR to make the text in the snapshots searchable. Microsoft says that snapshots are locally stored and are analyzed on-device, which should make them secure, but the OCR data is stored in an SQLite database that could be accessed by hackers who infiltrate a PC using malware.

According to Beaumont, infostealer trojans are able to be "easily modified to support Recall" and data from the feature can be accessed remotely. Microsoft "tried to do a bunch of things" to improve security, but ultimately, "none of it actually works properly in the real world." The database that is theoretically accessible by malicious actors contains everything a user has seen such as text messages and passwords, every user interaction, and all websites visited (with the exception of Microsoft Edge in Private Mode).

Beaumont has not shared full technical details on how he automated exfiltration of the Recall database, and is holding until Recall is shipped because he wants to give Microsoft "time to do something." Beaumont recommends that Microsoft pull the feature for the time being.

Copilot+ PCs with Recall are set to launch on June 18. As of now, Recall is turned on by default, though users can optionally disable it.

Update: Given the response to Recall, Microsoft has decided to make it an opt-in feature rather than an opt-out feature. It will no longer be on by default, and there will be an option to opt in or opt out when setting up a Copilot+ PC. Windows Hello will also be required to turn on Recall for an extra layer of authentication. Windows Hello requires a face scan, fingerprint, or PIN to access a machine. Proof of presence will be required as well, so a screenshot timeline won't be accessible without authentication.

To address concerns about the accessibility of the database that Recall creates, Microsoft is adding additional layers of protection linked to authentication, and the search index database has been encrypted.

Spotify today announced that it is increasing Premium plan pricing in the United States in order to "bring users the best experience."

The Individual Premium plan is now priced at $11.99, up from $10.99. Duo is priced at $16.99 (up $2), Family is priced at $19.99 (up $3), and Student is priced at $5.99 (no change).

This is actually the second time Spotify has raised prices in the last 12 months. In July 2023, the Premium plan price went from $9.99 to $10.99, so there has been a 20 percent increase in the last year. Prior to the July 2023 increase, Duo was priced at $12.99 and the Family plan was priced at $15.99, marking a 31 percent total increase for Duo and a 25 percent increase for Family after the 2024 price hikes.

Spotify subscribers will soon be seeing emails notifying them of the upcoming price increase. Emails will include instructions on how to cancel a Premium subscription.

On Spotify, users discover and enjoy music, podcasts, and audiobooks. So that we can continue to invest in and innovate on our product features and bring users the best experience, we occasionally update our prices. Over the next month, subscribers in the U.S. will receive an email explaining what this update means for their subscription.

At $11.99 and $19.99, respectively, the Spotify Premium and Family plans are now more expensive than the equivalent Apple Music plans. Apple's Individual plan is priced at $10.99 per month, while the Family plan is priced at $16.99 per month.