MacRumors: Server Updates, Site Support, Contributions
New Database Server
If you haven't noticed already, the site has been handling increased user loads very well over the past 4-5 days. We've successfully migrated to three servers at this time. MacRumors' front page, forums and database now reside on individual dedicated servers.
This will provide much needed horsepower to allow lively discussion during the most amazing and disappointing Apple announcements.
As well, we've developed a dramatically improved Keynote webcasting system to be able to handle very large user loads with much more frequent updates.
How to Support MacRumors
While our servers were struggling with the increasing popularity of the site, many users asked how they could help support the site. Here are the primary ways to support MacRumors and Forums.
Spreading the Word
As counterintuitive as it may seem due to the recent server loads, we still actively encourage you to continue to spread the word about this site. The forums will continue to be upgraded to handle any additional load required.
We would ask those with blogs/websites to actively link to MacRumors and our associated sites. The ongoing success of the site depends on interested users.
Participate
Join the forums, post questions, comments and answers. We also have active SETI and Folding distributed computing teams which would be happy to get any further assistance.
New Shop Links
New shop links to popular Mac-related stores are now provided near the top of the forums. These shop links provide quick links to popular online vendors such as Amazon and MacMall.
Members are encouraged to regularly utilize and refer others to these sponsored links to support ongoing costs.
Subscriptions
Based on user requests, the site subscription/contribution system is back in place. Registered forum users can contribute to the site through the Paid Subscriptions link found in the User Control Panel. Cost of the contribution for $25/year and provides users with an ad-free MacRumors front page as well as access to private forums. Currently payment is only accepted via PayPal/Credit Card.
Popular Stories
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.
...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
