Apple today sent out emails highlighting a new U.S. Apple Pay promotion, which will see Panera Bread offering four months of unlimited free coffee to those who sign up for a MyPanera+ Coffee subscription and use Apple Pay to check out.
New subscribers who sign up for a MyPanera+ subscription by January 27, 2021 can get the first four months free. After that, the subscription is priced at $8.99 per month. Using Apple Pay for the subscription is a requirement.
MyPanera+ subscribers who swap their payment method to Apple Pay are eligible to get a free cookie. The MyPanera+ program offers unlimited premium coffee (up to every two hours) in any size. Hot tea and iced coffee are included, as are unlimited refills, but espresso, iced cold brew coffee, iced tea, and cappuccino are excluded.
Panera Bread is also an Apple Card partner that offers three percent Daily Cash back on Apple Card purchases made at Panera Bread locations.
Saturday February 7, 2026 9:26 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple today shared an ad that shows how the upgraded Center Stage front camera on the latest iPhones improves the process of taking a group selfie.
"Watch how the new front facing camera on iPhone 17 Pro takes group selfies that automatically expand and rotate as more people come into frame," says Apple. While the ad is focused on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, the regular iPhone...
Friday February 6, 2026 3:06 pm PST by Juli Clover
In the iOS 26.4 update that's coming this spring, Apple will introduce a new version of Siri that's going to overhaul how we interact with the personal assistant and what it's able to do.
The iOS 26.4 version of Siri won't work like ChatGPT or Claude, but it will rely on large language models (LLMs) and has been updated from the ground up.
Upgraded Architecture
The next-generation...
Thursday February 5, 2026 12:22 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld.
The report, citing industry sources, is available in English on Macworld.
Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil...
Monday February 9, 2026 6:24 am PST by Joe Rossignol
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Apple Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, and then use it to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps.
The feature is currently available in 13 U.S. states and Puerto Rico, and it is expected to launch in at least seven more in the future.
To set up the...
New MacBook Pro models with the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips could arrive as soon as Monday, March 2, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
In today's "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said that the release of new MacBook Pro models is tied to the release of macOS Tahoe 26.3. The launch is said to be slated for as early as the week of March 2. He added that the M4 Pro and M4 Max models on sale today...
First of all, you can get 3 months of free Panera+ without Apple Pay, so this promo is not that great.
I have espresso machine at home, so I would normally poo-poo their coffee. But I found their coffee to be pretty decent and $8.99/month is a great deal (normally costs more than $2) if you live near Panera.
Panera is owned by the same company that owns Peet's Coffee, and while Panera isn't at Peet's level, I find it to be better than Starbuck's. Yes, I realize most coffee snobs would rightly poo-poo Peet's and Starbucks. But just putting things into context.
I would prefer pastry subscription as my kids are addicted to their cinnamon crunch bagels.
Panera is owned by the same company that owns Peet's Coffee, and while Panera isn't at Peet's level, I find it to be better than Starbuck's.
You brought back a sad memory for me.
Back before COVID-19, my daily train commute to work would take me past Specialty's Bakery in Seattle, which served Peet's coffee (I love Major Dickason's) and made amazing pastries and quiches - a great place to pick up breakfast. Unfortunately Specialty's went under - permanently - around May 1 due to the effects of the pandemic (both the enforced shut-down and the overall drop in commuter business).
