With the iOS 17 release candidate that came out yesterday, Apple added a new "Grid Forecast" section to the Home app. The feature is designed to use your location to tell you when "clean" energy is available to use, so you can be mindful of when you're using energy.
According to Apple, the energy sources that are used to power a home can change throughout the day. When the forecast reads "Cleaner," it means that the available energy sources may have lower carbon emissions. When it reads "Less Clean," available energy sources that are powering the grid may emit more carbon into the atmosphere.
Apple suggests that users can take advantage of this forecast to decide when to use electricity in situations where energy usage can be timed. Choosing to run the washing machine, the dryer, or the dishwasher during the "Cleaner" time will cut down on carbon emissions.
The Grid Forecast is based on each person's location, and Apple says that it is relative to the energy sources available on the grid in a particular place. According to Apple, even in areas with limited renewable generation, relatively cleaner energy may still be available. Apple does not provide information on where its energy information is sourced.
You can get to the Grid Forecast in iOS 17 by opening up the Home app and tapping on the "Energy" option at the end of the top navigation bar. You will see the current energy status and a time when it will shift. A Grid Forecast icon is also available at the top right of the Home app.
Grid Forecast is not a metric that is available in Automations, so it cannot be used to activate smart home devices at select times. The Grid Forecast is available on all Apple devices in the Home app, including iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac.
Thursday November 6, 2025 11:12 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple today updated its trade-in values for select iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch models. Trade-ins can be completed on Apple's website, or at an Apple Store.
The charts below provide an overview of Apple's current and previous trade-in values in the U.S., according to its website. Maximum values for most devices either decreased or saw no change, but the iPad Air received a slight bump.
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Wednesday November 5, 2025 11:57 am PST by Juli Clover
The smarter, more capable version of Siri that Apple is developing will be powered by Google Gemini, reports Bloomberg. Apple will pay Google approximately $1 billion per year for a 1.2 trillion parameter artificial intelligence model that was developed by Google.
For context, parameters are a measure of how a model understands and responds to queries. More parameters generally means more...
Monday November 3, 2025 5:54 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Following more than a month of beta testing, Apple released iOS 26.1 on Monday, November 3. The update includes a handful of new features and changes, including the ability to adjust the look of Liquid Glass and more.
Below, we outline iOS 26.1's key new features.
Liquid Glass Toggle
iOS 26.1 lets you choose your preferred look for Liquid Glass.
In the Settings app, under Display...
Thursday November 6, 2025 2:45 pm PST by Juli Clover
Apple is promoting the new Liquid Glass design in iOS 26, showing off the ways that third-party developers are embracing the aesthetic in their apps. On its developer website, Apple is featuring a visual gallery that demonstrates how "teams of all sizes" are creating Liquid Glass experiences.
The gallery features examples of Liquid Glass in apps for iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac. Apple...
Friday November 7, 2025 6:40 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple's online store in the U.S. is suddenly offering a pack of four AirTags for just $29, which is the same price as a single AirTag.
This is likely a pricing error, and it is unclear if orders will be fulfilled. Apple has not discounted the AirTag four-pack in any other countries that we checked.
Delivery estimates are already pushing into late November to early December, suggesting...
Thursday November 6, 2025 4:37 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple in iOS 26.2 will disable automatic Wi-Fi network syncing between iPhone and Apple Watch in the European Union to comply with the bloc's regulations, suggests a new report.
Normally, when an iPhone connects to a new Wi-Fi network, it automatically shares the network credentials with the paired Apple Watch. This allows the watch to connect to the same network independently – for...
Thursday November 6, 2025 4:08 pm PST by Juli Clover
IKEA today announced the upcoming launch of 21 new Matter-compatible smart home products that will be able to interface with HomeKit and the Apple Home app. There are sensors, lights, and control options, all of which will be reasonably priced. Some of the products are new, while some are updates to existing lines that IKEA previously offered.
There are a series of new smart bulbs that are...
Wednesday November 5, 2025 3:54 pm PST by Juli Clover
It's been over a decade since Apple's HomeKit smart home platform launched, and it is overdue for an update. HomeKit and the Home app can no longer keep up with AI-powered solutions from other companies like Google and Amazon, but that's set to change with a smart home revamp that Apple has planned for 2026.
Home Hub
Apple is working on a home hub or "command center" that will serve as a...
I can’t think of a more useless features. Tim Cook’s private jet produces more carbon pollution in an hour than charging your iPhone 24/7/365 for 100 years straight.
