Table of contents for #737 in AppleMagazine

Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses are drawing intensified examination from privacy and competition regulators in Europe and beyond, as policymakers reassess how wearable AI devices collect, process, and transmit data in public spaces. The renewed attention follows growing adoption of the glasses and a series of questions about whether current safeguards adequately protect bystanders who may be recorded by users without notice. In recent months, oversight bodies have expanded their review of how the glasses capture audio and video, how the built-in Meta AI assistant functions, and the potential implications of hands-free recording in everyday environments. The review is testing whether existing rules cover the capabilities of increasingly sophisticated wearables and whether new requirements may be needed as more companies bring AI-enabled devices to market. SCRUTINY EXPANDS AS WEARABLE AI SPREADS…

SpaceX is reportedly preparing to pursue an initial public offering in 2026, according to new indications circulating among investors and advisors familiar with the company’s long-term planning. The potential listing would focus on Starlink, SpaceX’s rapidly expanding satellite-communications business, while the broader organization continues to scale its launch operations, deep-space ambitions, and large-volume manufacturing efforts across multiple facilities. The emerging details suggest that internal discussions now revolve around a possible valuation above $30 billion tied specifically to the Starlink segment, which has grown into one of the most consequential components of the company’s revenue model. The consideration follows years of speculation about when SpaceX might test public markets and how it would structure a listing while maintaining operational control under its private-company model. For a company that has long relied…

Apple and Google have begun integrating new data-transfer features designed to reduce friction when users move between iPhones and Android devices. The work appears in early software builds from both companies and reflects a broader effort to streamline setup processes that historically required multiple steps, external apps, or manual backups. The tools focus on direct transfers for items such as contacts, photos, messages, and other local data, allowing users to complete migrations during initial device configuration without relying on third-party utilities. The collaboration follows regulatory developments in Europe and ongoing antitrust scrutiny in the United States, where authorities have examined how ecosystem barriers affect consumer choice. Apple and Google have each detailed components of these migration tools in recent previews of their upcoming operating-system updates. The features appear as optional…

The Walt Disney Company has nominated former Apple operating-executive Jeff Williams to join its board of directors, marking a significant crossover between leading technology hardware engineering and global media operations. Williams, who stepped down from his role at Apple earlier in 2025 after more than a decade overseeing operations and product development, is slated for election during Disney’s 2026 annual shareholders’ meeting. If confirmed, the board would expand to 11 members. Williams’ nomination reflects both Disney’s interest in bolstering its leadership with seasoned technologists and the growing convergence between digital-device ecosystems, media production, and global consumer entertainment. His tenure at Apple encompassed major product cycles — including projects that helped define the modern smartphone, wearable, and computing markets — experience that Disney may view as valuable amid the industry’s accelerating…

Instagram is testing a new feature that generates short, search-focused headlines for users’ posts, widening the platform’s ongoing shift toward SEO-driven discovery. The tool appears in limited availability and attaches a contextual line of text beneath eligible posts, describing the content in a compact, keyword-oriented style designed for search ranking. It marks another incremental update in Meta’s efforts to make Instagram posts more searchable as user behavior shifts toward query-based browsing. The system generates the headline automatically using internal AI models trained to identify what a post depicts or references. These lines appear only in certain regions and only for some users, indicating that Meta is still calibrating how the feature should be surfaced and how it interacts with existing caption formats. Early testers have seen headlines that function almost…

Apple is rolling out a new set of updates to Fitness+, adding AI-driven multilingual support, expanded dubbed workouts, and additional music collections that bring K-pop and other international genres into the service. The update broadens accessibility across regions and improves the platform’s utility for users who rely on translated instruction or prefer content tailored to specific cultural and linguistic needs. Fitness+ continues to evolve as a companion service integrated deeply into Apple Watch and iPhone health features, reflecting Apple’s ongoing adjustments to meet a more global audience. The latest enhancements center on language flexibility and improved guidance during workouts, offering translated voice-overs and expanded subtitle support across a larger portion of the Fitness+ library. The additions enable users to follow sessions originally recorded in English with real-time dubbed instructions in…

Apple's stores stand as monolithic testaments to innovation… not just in hardware, but in the very art of commerce. With over 500 locations spanning five continents, from the bustling heart of New York's Grand Central Terminal to the sun-drenched infinity pool atop Singapore's Marina Bay Sands outpost, Apple Stores are theaters of technology. THE APPLE STORE These glass-walled sanctuaries, often dwarfing their urban surroundings with architectural bravado, generate billions in revenue annually while fostering a cult-like loyalty that rivals any brand in history. But what happens when the doors close and the crowds disperse? Behind the seamless facades lies a meticulously orchestrated machine, powered by Steve Jobs' unrelenting vision and refined through decades of iteration. Jobs didn't just invent the modern smartphone; he reimagined retail as a canvas for his…

iFixit has introduced a new mobile app designed to bring its extensive library of repair guides into a more accessible, conversational format. The app, available on iOS and Android, includes FixBot — an AI-powered assistant that helps users diagnose device issues, locate repair instructions, and identify replacement parts. The release marks a shift in how iFixit delivers repair support, pairing its existing documentation with a system that can interpret photos and natural language to guide step-by-step fixes. FixBot is integrated into an updated interface that connects directly to iFixit’s archive of more than 125,000 repair guides. Users can request help verbally or through typed instructions, and they can also start the process by pointing their camera at a device. When a user uploads an image, FixBot analyzes the hardware with…

Spotify is widening its trial of in-app music videos to users in the United States and Canada, adding two major streaming markets to an experiment that began earlier this year in a handful of countries. The test brings full-length, rights-cleared music videos into the Now Playing interface for selected songs, marking the first time Spotify has positioned long-form video alongside standard audio playback within the same view. The expansion places the feature in regions where the company tracks some of its highest daily engagement, offering a broader sample of listener behavior as licensing negotiations continue. The update appears as part of a server-side rollout. Users who receive it encounter a prompt inside Now Playing on supported tracks, allowing them to switch from album art to the corresponding video. The playback…

Apple’s revenue from selling a single iPhone case could surpass the profit an airline earns from transporting one passenger, according to remarks from International Air Transport Association (IATA) Director General Willie Walsh. The comparison came as IATA released its latest financial outlook, highlighting how thin airline margins remain despite the industry’s scale and economic importance. The organization, which represents about 360 carriers worldwide, announced that global airlines are projected to generate a combined net profit of USD 41 billion in 2026. Although revenue is recovering and demand remains strong, profits per passenger remain narrow, underscoring the lingering strain on operators as they navigate supply-chain pressures, fleet delays, and geopolitical uncertainty. AIRLINE MARGINS REMAIN SLIM DESPITE PROJECTED INDUSTRY PROFITS In outlining the 2026 outlook, Walsh emphasized that profitability at the passenger…

Nvidia has developed a new location-verification system designed to help authorities confirm where sensitive chips are operated, adding a technical layer that could support global efforts to curb unauthorized transfers and smuggling of advanced processors. The technology emerges as governments increasingly monitor cross-border chip flows and impose conditions on how high-performance components may be used after sale. The company described the approach as a hardware-based method for verifying geographic location, enabling regulators and partners to check whether certain AI and data-center chips remain within approved regions. While details remain limited, the system aligns with ongoing government initiatives to track compliance more precisely as demand for high-end accelerators surges worldwide. A NEW TOOL FOR POST-SALE COMPLIANCE The technology builds on security techniques that combine encrypted signals and hardware identifiers to validate…

Apple’s senior vice president of hardware technologies, Johny Srouji, moved to eliminate speculation about his future at the company, telling employees in a memo that he does not intend to leave and remains fully committed to leading Apple’s silicon engineering efforts. His message, shared Monday, directly addressed persistent rumors suggesting he had considered an exit—a narrative that gained traction after a Bloomberg report claimed he discussed the possibility with CEO Tim Cook. “I love my team, and I love my job at Apple, and I don’t plan on leaving anytime soon,” Srouji wrote, offering a rare public-facing comment from one of Apple’s most influential yet traditionally low-profile executives. He added that employees deserved to hear from him directly, acknowledging the level of internal concern the earlier reporting had stirred. Srouji’s…

Google Maps has introduced a quiet but meaningful update for iPhone users, enabling the app to automatically save a vehicle’s parking location without requiring any manual action. The feature, which began rolling out over the past month, brings a degree of automation that was previously absent from Google’s longstanding parking tools. Alongside the update, Maps is also adjusting how parked-car markers appear by adopting users’ custom car icons in place of the generic “P” symbol. The automatic parking save activates under specific conditions, detecting when a driver parks after using Google Maps for navigation and connecting to their vehicle through Bluetooth, USB, or Apple CarPlay. Once parked, Maps stores the location for up to 48 hours unless the user deletes it or begins driving again. While iOS is the first…

Apple’s expanding film and television division secured a wide set of Golden Globe nominations this week, spotlighting the reach of Apple TV’s drama and documentary catalog as the service enters its fifth year of original programming. Several high-visibility titles, including Formula 1: Drive to Survive – Severance, Pluribus, and the latest season of Slow Horses, appear across major categories in acting, directing, and overall series recognition. The nominations arrive during a period of heightened output from Apple’s entertainment segment, with new projects moving through production pipelines alongside returning franchises that have become defining elements of the platform. The recognition reflects sustained investment in scripted storytelling, nonfiction features, and high-production dramas developed through Apple Studios and its network of external partners. Apple’s entertainment group has scaled its development timelines, broadened regional…

A growing share of teenagers is turning to AI chatbots as part of their everyday routines, according to new survey from Pew Research findings showing that nearly one-third of U.S. teens now use conversational AI on a daily basis. The data offers a snapshot of how quickly AI tools have moved from emerging technologies to embedded parts of how teenagers study, communicate, and explore creative interests. Adoption rates across middle and high school age groups appear to be accelerating, reflecting broader shifts in digital behaviors over the past two years. Researchers found that teens aren’t limiting chatbot use to academic help or troubleshooting questions. Instead, many incorporate models into day-to-day curiosity, brainstorming for school projects, clarifying difficult topics, or experimenting with writing and art. The survey also indicates steady use…