Apple employees this month will compete to close their Apple Watch rings in Apple's annual "Close Your Rings Challenge," meant to inspire employees to get up and move.
The challenge, which kicked off July 1, lets Apple employees compete in teams of four to close their Activity Rings for the entire month of July. "Over the course of four weeks, compete for bragging rights, points and prizes as you move, exercise and stand your way to a better you," the company told staff promoting the challenge.
Employees who earn at least 1240 points will receive a special black quarter-zip performance jacket with the fitness ring seen in the image above.
iOS 26.4 was released today, and it includes a couple of new features for CarPlay: an Ambient Music widget and support for voice-based chatbot apps.
To update your iPhone 11 or newer to iOS 26.4, open the Settings app and tap on General → Software Update. CarPlay will automatically offer the new features so long as the iPhone connected to your vehicle is running iOS 26.4 or later....
Tuesday March 24, 2026 12:31 pm PDT by Juli Clover
Apple today released new firmware for the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and the AirPods 4. The firmware has a version number of 8B39, up from 8B34 on the AirPods Pro 3, 8B28 on the AirPods Pro 2, and 8B21 on the AirPods 4.
There is no word on what's included in the firmware, but Apple has a support document with limited notes. Most updates are limited to bug fixes and performance...
Wednesday March 25, 2026 3:33 pm PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple this week released tvOS 26.4, and the software update includes a handful of new features and changes for the Apple TV.
tvOS 26.4 is compatible with all Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD models released since 2015. To update your Apple TV, open the Settings app on the device, navigate to System → Software Updates, and select Update Software.
Below, we have recapped what is new in tvOS...
A few years ago after I retired, I made a New Year’s statement that I will do some exercise. I was in a start up company and working 24/7. My life became miserable after 40 years. I had an exit, and I took it. Never looking back. I do a 6 mile walk every morning (as long there are no tropical storms or hurricanes). The early walks are amazing and I am in a new place today. Morning walks are a new realization on life. The rest of the day is a bonus.
I am in a better spot than 40 years ago. Loving life and engaged in wildlife photography and my high-end audio habit. The Apple Watch has helped me and pushed me to move. 800 + weeks later, I am for the better.
Glad to see Close Your Rings is back for 2022! Will definitely be adding this to my collection.
For anyone who's curious, I'm keeping a detailed record of the Close Your Rings & Mindful Minute challenges in a separate thread here: (with pictures!)
A Detailed Look at Apple's Wellness Challenges: Close Your Rings & Mindful Minute ('https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/a-detailed-look-at-apples-wellness-challenges-close-your-rings-mindful-minute.2333621/')
