Much has been made over the past few days about IBM's unveiling of the POWER6 CPU. The CPU runs at 4.7 GHz per core, and IBM claims it doubles the speed of the POWER5 while using nearly the same amount of electricity to run and cool it. IBM also claims that the speed is also nearly three times faster than the latest Itanium processor made by Intel.
Such impressive specifications have lead some to question whether Apple made the right move by moving to Intel. It is important to note however, that the POWER6 is a mid to high-end server processor. Apple, Motorola, and IBM developed PowerPC from the POWER architecture to meet the desktop PC market. Apple used such chips in its systems, including the PowerPC 970 "G5", which was derived from IBM's POWER4.
POWER processors from IBM are utilized in markets that Apple has yet to venture into: mid to high-end servers. POWER gets most of its competition from Sun's UltraSPARC and Intel's Itanium rather than low to mid-range x86-based servers, which typically use Intel Xeon or AMD Opteron processors.
Saturday August 16, 2025 6:45 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple is developing an all-new operating system codenamed "Charismatic," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
Apple smart home hub concept
This is likely Apple's long-rumored "homeOS" operating system.
In a report this week, Gurman said both Apple's rumored smart home hub in 2026 and tabletop robot in 2027 will run the new operating system. He said the software platform will blend...
Monday August 18, 2025 11:59 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
The seventh developer beta of iOS 26 is now available. While we are now in the later stages of the iOS 26 beta cycle, there are still some changes.
Below, we outline everything new that we have found in iOS 26 beta 7 so far.
Redesigned Blood Oxygen Feature
The seventh developer betas of iOS 26 and watchOS 26 include a redesigned Blood Oxygen feature on Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch ...
Tuesday August 19, 2025 11:25 am PDT by Juli Clover
Apple today provided developers with updated beta firmware for the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4, allowing them to test the new AirPods features in iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS Tahoe. The firmware is only available to developers at the current time, and a device running iOS 26, iPadOS 26, or macOS 26 is required to install the update. The firmware has a build number of 8A5343a, up from 8A5324b.
...
Tuesday August 19, 2025 9:29 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple's software engineers are testing iOS 18.6.2, according to the MacRumors visitor logs, which have been a reliable indicator of upcoming iOS versions.
Yesterday, an anonymous source with a proven track record said iOS 18.6.2 was incoming, but the update was not present in our logs at that time.
Last year, the same anonymous source claimed that iOS 17.5.2 was in the pipeline, but Apple ...
Apple is expected to delay the launch of its base iPhone 18 model until spring 2027, marking a major shift in the company's long-established release cycle, according to South Korea's ETNews.
The report claims that Apple has informed some of its suppliers that the iPhone 18 will not be part of the September 2026 iPhone lineup. Instead, the company will unveil only higher-end models in the...
Wednesday August 20, 2025 6:44 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
We're only weeks away from Apple's annual iPhone event – rumored to take place on September 9 – and along with the new iPhone 17 series, we're going to get a new version of the Apple Watch Ultra for the first time since 2023.
By the time the Ultra 3 is unveiled, it will have been two years since the previous model arrived. The intervening period has left plenty of room for enhancements,...
Wednesday August 20, 2025 8:21 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple is planning to launch a new "TechWoven" line of cases for the iPhone 17 series, according to a leaker known as "Majin Bu."
Two years ago, Apple stopped selling leather iPhone cases, as part of the company's efforts to reduce its carbon emissions. As an alternative, Apple introduced a new "FineWoven" line of fabric iPhone cases made from 68% post-consumer recycled content, but they were ...
Wednesday August 20, 2025 12:00 pm PDT by Joe Rossignol
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps.
This week, Apple announced the 10th U.S. state that has implemented the feature: Montana.
Below, we have recapped key details about...
Biggest design overhaul since iOS 7 with Liquid Glass, plus new Apple Intelligence features and improvements to Messages, Phone, Safari, Shortcuts, and more. Developer beta available now ahead of public beta in July.
